McAtamney Freeholders in Aghacommon, 1813-1826

In 18th and 19th century Ireland, freeholders were men who either owned their land outright or who held it in a lease for the duration of their life, or the lives of other people named in the lease.

The Public Record Office in Belfast (PRONI) has records that list freeholders who were entitled to vote, and those who did vote at elections.

Catholics in Ireland were excluded from voting until 1793, when those with a freehold of at least 40 shillings a year were enfranchised. In 1829, the rate was increased to £10, stripping all 40 shilling freeholders of their right to vote.

In order to maximize the duration of their lease, a freeholder would often name their children. Sometimes they would name royalty, such as “Prince of Wales and Duke of York” who, presumably, had better chances of longevity.

The Freeholders' Register for Co. Armagh (1810-1816) includes Felix McTamney and William McTamney in Aghacommon, with leases dated 25th August, 1813. Felix’s lease was for the lifetime of himself or William McTamney. William’s lease was for the lifetime of himself or Phelemy McTamney. Phelemy is likely a rendition of the Irish name Phelim.

Later registers show the leases for Felix and William In 1818 and 1824, the entries for Felix were unchanged, but William’s lease was for the lifetime of himself or Felix McTamney. I wondered if Felix might be an anglicisation of Phelim.

The register for Co. Armagh (1818-1825) has Felix’s name crossed out, with the incisive annotation dead written in the margin. At the bottom of the same page, several names are added, including John McTamney, with no lease details.

The register for the Barony of O’Neilland East (1824-1839) includes an updated lease for William, dated 15th November, 1826. The lease was for the lifetimes of Jn McTameny, Wm McTameny & Phelemy McTameny.

There were no further mentions of William’s lease in the records before 1840, when he would no longer have been entitled to vote.

Felix’s lease was for the lifetime of himself or William. He died in about 1825-1826, but the lease would have survived because William was still alive. The lease may have been assumed by John McTamney, whose name was added to the bottom of the page.

There was no further mention of John as a freeholder in the records.

It’s tempting to conclude that, as Felix died first, he was William’s father, and extrapolate that John might be William’s brother.

William’s lease was changed in 1826 to endure for the lifetimes of John, William, and Phelemy McTamney.

It may be that John is the same person that was added when Felix’s death was noted, who was, presumably, an adult. But names included in lifetime leases were intended to prolong the leases, so it could be that the second mention of John was a son of William.

William, in this list, may be himself. In earlier registers, entries specified “myself and…” but in all the other entries on the page, when someone included themselves, they appeared first. Perhaps this William was William’s son.

It seems very likely that this changes the lease was upon the death of Felix, which would mean that this Phelemy was not that Felix. Perhaps another son, or maybe Phelemy was never Felix.

Nobody should create a family tree from this and post it on ancestry.com. It’s entirely speculative. But it provides a few names to keep in mind whilst looking through other records.