Mylreas in Ballaquaile and Fildraw

[I have adopted the modern Mylrea tho the name has changed from McYllerah, thru Mcylrae/Mcylrea to Mylrea - a more detailed look at the whole sept of Manx Mylreas is given at www.mylrea.com.au]

A comment in the 1704 composition book re Abbeyland farm Ballaquaile picqued my interest - the entry noting "Jony the daughter of Thomas Mcylrea and Kathrin Bell his wife decd" as tennant of 6d in Ballacubbon and 4s in Ballaquaile was followed by

Note the above Jony is dumb notwithstanding the right is in her as appears by proceedings in Chancery about May last

The background can be seen in the will of Catherine Mcylrea Arch Wills 1699

dated 25 Apr 1699;husb Thos Mcylrea(land + tenement if he thought fit to continue there);dau Jony(committed to care of bro John Bell + Jony Kinley als Corrin (w/o Tho Corrin) as overseers and to take child into their tuition);sibs John Bell, Margt Bell(not to be entrusted with her child or goods), Ellin, Elizth;sis-i-law Kath Mcylrea;mother alive;names Jony Harrison

The entry in Quayles Precedents (a handlist of items in Lib Canc) has on page 147 under the side heading of "Tuition of an Idiot"

Thomas Harrison & Margt Bell his wife complained agt Thomas Mcylrea Ballaquaile for the tuition & tennmt of Jony Mcylrea an idiot both dumb & deaf as being next in blood & consanquinity to her. The court defering it till they have the opinion of the spiritual court.

The defft petions the Spiritual Cort that she is his only daughter - and that by her mothers will (she being heiress) the tuition of ye child & custody of her tenemt were ordered & committed to him

The 3rd Nov 1703 The Spiritual Court ordered upon a full hearing that ye tuition of the child & custody of the estate should continue to the father according to the mother's will

26th Feb 1703 A proceeding is signed futher by the Bop [Bishop Wilson] Archdeacon & the Vicr Genl setting forth that the child being now come to age wch by law qualifys her to enter upon & possess her estate & choose her Guardian were she not disenabled by her dumbness wch since she cannot do this court conceives themselves the properest persons to do it in her behalf and therefore comitted the child & estate to the father according to the appointment in the mothers will while he remains unmarryed or till further orders. And this proceeding is afterwards confirmed by decree of chancery (pp 41 42)

Ballaquaile was compounded for in 1666 by Thomas Bell but had been held by the Bells for earlier as a John Bell is noted there in 1611

It would appear that Thomas remained at Ballaquaile till his death in 1728 - his will has

d 23 Dec 1728;Ballaquaile;niece Elizth Norris;sis Bessie Norris,Cath Myclrea exex

Thomas only held Ballaquaile for his life - the deaf and dumb child presumeably died before 1740 as the land by then is in possession of the Bell's as under Ballaquaile in 1740 rent roll - rent 4s - Margt Bell and Tho Harrison her husband {John} 2s; John Bell their grandson 2s - with changes going thro the court in Oct 1748 and Oct 1749;

This Cath Mylrea would appear to link her with the Fildraw Mcylrea's as by SSM Oct 1728 no 36 the hard pressed Charles Mcylrea signs following mortgage

[Cancelled]dated 6 Aug 1729;Charles Mcylrea + wife Margrett mortgage for 5yrs for £5(Manks) to aunt Catherine Mcylrea (now in Ballaquaile, Malew) a part of our tenement of Fildraw called Loughvolley - Charles to keep possession of land and pay annual interest of 6d(english) per £;Witt John Cotteman, Wm Bridson;went thro Abbey court;1734: Cath acks full repayment + charges - mort cancelled

Charles is the son of John Mylrea and Isable/Elizabeth Shimin - as can be seen by SSS Oct 1723 no 37

dated 6 Feb 1722/3;Jon Mcylrea(Fildraw) + wife Elizth "to reliefe our pressing necessitys in our feeble decling years but alsoe to support and releive the necessities of our eldest son Charles" sell for £7 to son + dau Thomas + Ann Mcylrea part of our tenement (Abbey land) from the potatoe but cross way to Cain's hedge at south side and from highway down to river on other;Witt Robt Maddrell, Jon Kinley x;1 May 1723: Jon Mcylrea + Charles Mcylrea ack £2 9s in part consideration;setting quest place 8d rent + custom half a goose + 2 cars turf

Charles would appear to be a problem to his parents as can be seen from another deed - SSS May 1725 no 44

dated 22 Apr 1725;John Mcylrea(Fildraw) + wife Elizabeth (son Charles also signs) 'our circumstances being so that we are not of ability to help our son Charles now at this time his going to sea with money' sell for 40s to dau Ann a small field of our estate called Coole-ne-goar wch joins to highway westward and lands of Thomas Cain on north end;Witt Mark Cain, Thomas Moore x;setting quest(abbey) place 2.5d rent + 1 horse load of turf

Fildraw is a small Abbey farm - comprising two holdings - 5s 6d held by the Mylreas and a small 2s 9d rent held for some time by the Cains - in 1611 Thomas Mcylrea held the larger part and John Cayn the smaller. There would appear to be some query over the exact status of Fildraw as its southern boundary lies very near Ballasalla and the boundary of the Abbey Demesne though it is for some reason not mentioned in the 1540 roll which followed the dissolution of the Abbey

Fildraw in 17^th + 18^th Centuries

Fildraw (or Phildraw in modern usage) according to Kneen derives from Ir. Pal an t-sratha, ‘the fence of the holm.’ Fál, a fence dividing two estates, and sometimes the land enclosed by the fence. Srath, a holm, or meadowland beside a river - this aptly describes the long narrow farm bounded on south by boundary of Abbey Demesne and on east by the Awin Ruy river. In Woods atlas of 1867 the acerage is approximately 25ac.

In 1607 Rent roll held by Thomas Mylrea - thus it is likely that his mother was Annas Quane as her 1606(approx) will :

son Thos Mcillrea exor;dau-i-law Alice Bell;names Jo Corkill, Will Brew, Henry? Brew; witt Jo Corkill clark, Will Brew?

The Malew Mylreas and the Bell family seemed to be close linked from this time - Alice als Bell mentions in her will [not 100% readable as some loss to lh margin]

d 30 mar 1646;gch Jane Bridson;ch Finlo Macilrea, Thomas Macilrea, Isabel - 4ch John, [], Hugh and Isabel (the cow betwixt them for my funeral expenses), my 3 ch John , Thomas + Isabel Macilrea jt execs;

Thomas, the holder in 1607 probably d c.1649 (will still to be looked at) with son John taking over but he would appear to have died young as his 1654 will has

names Tho Bell,Thos Caine(+ his children);son Thomas Mcylleriah(his pt of 3 oxen + horse - wife to have use during her life + team to be kept together);wife Elinor als Bell (jt exec with Thomas - wife to have lands + tenement);Kathryn + Ellin Illrea sworn supv;inv £10 2s wch includes half plough; Ellin Mcylrrrea als Bell pledges for inv £7 12s 2d to son Jo Bell + Nicholas Gelling s/o Jo Gelling;6 Jan 1658 Thos Mcylrea acks receiptt

This Thomas Mylrea is probably the holder in 1666 and 1704

In 1704 composition book noted as:

Thomas Caine, Fildraw for 2s 2d Abbey rent compounded for in 1666 by Tho Caine
Tho Mcylrea and John his son for 7d of the said rent compounded for in 1666 by Tho Mcylrea
Thomas Mcylrea pred and John his son for 5s 6d Abbey rent compd for in 1666 by Thomas Mcylrea fine then was 44s years determined so to pay now
also
Itm the said Tho Mcylrea and John his son for 11d more in Ballanank compounded for in 1666 by Tho Mcylrea

Ballanank is adjacent and this small parcell of land is presumeably that left by Christian Bell als Harrison in her will of 1738

d 14 Feb 1737/8;ch Anne, Margt,John(only son);husb Thos(land called Nank Fildraw to descend to John)exor;

I havn't traced how the land fell to her.

Thomas d 18 Mar 1711/2 - there is a will [to be added]

and John in 1727 - will

d 25 sep;fildraw;gson Thos Mylrea;son Thos;wife exex;1728 dau Ann Cain als Mcylrea claims - also Cath Mcylrea claims

and wife Elizabeth in 1730:

dated 20 aug 1729;Fildraw;deed.of.gift to dau Issable Quackin als Mylrea

The grandson in John's will was probably son of Thomas and Jony Kinly who married in Nov 1712 though the son had been born prior to marriage - there is a marriage settlement

[Old Malew deeds Bun1 #55] dated 10 Nov 1712;Tho Kinley + wife Ellin als Corrin obo dau Joney;John Mcylrea + wife Isable als Shimin obo son Tho; to marry by [] Dec; Kinley to give £9 mortgage they have on John Mcylrea land (Abbey - half field called the Cronk + half Gary [Old Mal Mort 60]], Mcylrea to give £3 + half lands + houses during their life;Witt [], Tho Caine x, Jon Taylor x

There is a burial for a Thomas Mylrea of Fildraw 16 Jan 1728/9 but not it seems a will - possibly this is the grandson.

The 1740 rent roll has

Tho Caine junr (m1743) 2s 2d, Tho {John (1744)} Mcylrea and Ann Mcylrea (1744) 7d {Jo Mcylrea & Tho Bell} (o1746) -- total rent 2s 9d + customs
Charles Mcylrea (1741) {Tho Bell (o1746)} 3s 4½d, Thomas Mcylrea (1742) 11d, Tho {John (1744)} Mcylrea and Ann Mcylrea (1742) 8d
Ann Mcylrea and Tho Caine her husband since sold to John Bridson vide lib 1739 2½d
Jo Bell senr & Jo Bell junr Ballastrang (1741) 4d -- total rent 5s 6d + customs

The 1750 rent roll in Lib Mon has following:

Tho Caine 2s 0½d, Tho Stoale 1½d, {Jo Mcylrea and Ann Martin als Bell and Margt Bell }(o1755) 7d -- total rent 2s 9d + customs
Cha Mcylrea senr 18¼d, Jo Bell 4d, Cha Mcylrea junr 22¼d, Jo Mcylrea 11d, {Jo Mcylrea & Tho Bell 8d}(m 1754)^ John Mcylrea & Ann Mcylrea 8d ^, Ann Mcylrea and Tho Caine her husb 2½d Since sold to Jo Bridson vide Lib 1739 -- total rent 5s 6d + customs

Margt Bell 4s 8d, Tho Mcylrea & Tho Bell 11d + others in Ballanank

The 1760 rent roll has (note Mcylrea is now Mylrea) - very confusing + untidy entry (the parts add up to much more than the rent

Tho Caine 2s 0½d, Tho Stoale 1½d, John Mylrea 3½d, Robt Quayle and William Quayle3½d -- total rent 2s 9d + customs
{Charles Mylrea senr18¼d }(m 1764, o1774), {John Bell 4d}, ^Wm Cain & Ellinr his wife 8d, Jane Quayle 8d,^{Jo Bell 12d}(m 1774), Charles Mylrea junr 22¼d }(o1766), Robert Quayle 15d, Ann Mylrea 4d, Q[query?] {John Bridson 2½d }(o1769) -- total rent 5s 6d + custom

Trying to sort out the various parcels in the 5s 6d Fildraw rent

(1) Charles Mcylrea 3s 4½d (40.5d) has been split 18.25d to him and 22.25d to his son Charles Junr by 1750 - this 1740 rent would appear to include the sale [SSS May 1729 80] to Thos Bell of a field in Cronk Fildraw previously held in Mortgage by Thos Mcylrea (there would appear to be no deed re this mortgage) but if Charles junr acquired it back from Bell it might explain the uneven split ; SSS May 1741 98 Cha Mylrea to Cha Mylrea(his son) would appear to be a settlement

(2) the 8d rent held initially by Tho + Ann Mylrea corresponds to the that sold in SSS Oct 1723 37 by John Mylrea to his children Thomas + Ann; Thomas has been replaced by John possibly via his mother Jony Kinley's will of 1741;
Ann Mylrea marries Thomas Caine in Braddan 1726

(3) the 11d held by Tho Mcylrea is the unredeemed mortgage Old Mal Mort 60 of Oct 1712 of John Mylrea to Wm Kinley (Black Hill, Malew) who gave this as dowry to his dau Jony Kinley when she married Thos Kinley in Nov 1712

There are several mortgages and deeds by Charles Mcylrea and wife Mary until the mid 1750's by which time they appeared to have dispossed of much of Fildraw in mortgages and sales as can be seen by multiple owners in 1867;

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