Address, dated July 1869, to John Cochrane from the Tenantry of the Erne Estate after his marriage to Martha Little.

John Cochrane's first wife Emma Elizabeth née Warren died on 1st April 1866. Just over three years later, on 20th May 1869 he remarried Martha Little and was presented with this parchment Address and a silver plate tea service from the Tenantry of the Erne Estate, of which he was then Agent. The parchment measures about 50cm × 70cm and is interesting for the list of some 95 or 96 tenants on Lord Erne's Estate; with 67 different surnames.

 1869 Address to John Cochrane

The rectangular patch in the left margin, half way down, is the remains of a photograph of the tea service. This photo was apparently stuck on by some later family member; much of it has now flaked away and the remaining image is very poor. However, with a bit of digital enhancement, this much can be revealed:

 


To

John Cochrane Esquire M.A. J.P.

Agent to

The Right Honorable The Earl of Erne K.P. &c. &c.

Dear Sir

We the Tenantry on the Erne Estate in the County Donegal desire to offer you our warmest congratulations on your marriage and to express our earnest and confident belief that the auspicious event will materially contribute to your real happiness and welfare.

We cannot but feel that it will form an additional link in the chain that now binds your interests so closely with ours, and we hail with the liveliest satisfaction your union with a Lady whose grace and amiability have found for her a place in the hearts of all who have had the privilege of her acquaintance.

We embrace this opportunity of assuring you how highly we appreciate the kindness and efficiency with which you have discharged the responsible duties of your office during the past Five Years, caring anxiously for the success and prosperity of the Tenant, whilst consulting the interests of our excellent Landlord with a fidelity and diligence deserving the highest commendation.

In addition to this address a number of the Subscribers thereto desiring to present you with a more enduring token of their respect and esteem, wish your acceptance of the accompanying pieces of plate which they hope Mrs Cochrane and yourself may long live to use.

We pray God that you and Mrs Cochrane may long be spared to live amongst us and to maintain that cordial feeling of respect and esteem which has hitherto so happily subsisted between us.

We are, Dear Sir                                      
your faithful and sincere friends

July 1869


 

The Subscribers are listed in four columns, the first three of which are headed by names written in a larger, bolder script. The document was probably written by a clerk, as the final name reads "William McCrea Clk". All the document is in the same forward slanting script except the paragraph about the pieces of silver plate, starting "In addition to this address ...", which is in a bolder, more angular, backward sloping script except for Mrs Cochrane's name.

The whole document was able to be transcribed unambiguously, with one exception. Ten names from the bottom of the second column is written "John S Robert Weir" which I have taken to mean "John & Robert Weir". In all (other) cases where initials are used, the clerk has put in very clear full-stops.

Click to download a very large image.

Click the picture above if you wish to download a much larger and clearer image (1749×1247pixels at 566K).

 

For convenience, these names have been transcribed in alphabetical order of the Surname. In several instances, pairs of people have identical names; this is more likely because the names were common ones rather than an error on the part of the clerk. The spelling has not been altered so that, for example, there are three variations of Macbeth.

SURNAME 1st NAME
Birnie John
Blair John
Blair John
Caldwell William
Carrigans William
Clarke James
Conboy John N.
Crossin Philip
Cummins James
Denny Jane
Devlin D.D. Philip
Doherty John
Doherty John
Dougherty William
Elliott Robert
Feely Thomas
Galbraith John
Galbraith Robert
Gallagher Toal
Gamble Henry
Gardner Samuel
Gillespie James
Gourley Samuel
Halpin Thomas
Harkin John
Harris William
Henderson Alexander
Hodskeys Thomas
Hunter William
Keatly Elizabeth
King James
Lowrey George
Macbeth Andrew
Macbeth George
Macbeth John
Macbeth Robert
MacBeth William
Mackey William
Marshall William
Martin Rainey
McBeth Alexander
McBeth John
McBeth John
McCorkell Robert
McCosker John
McCrea Clk. William
McDermott Francis
McDermott John
McDermott John
McDermott William
McDevitt James
McDougal William
McGranahan John
McKeown Tilda
McLoughlin Henry
McMenamin David
McMenamin Hugh
McMenamin John
McNamee Michael
Moore Andrew
Moore James
Morrow Margaret
Moyne Mary
Mulrine James
Mulrine Patrick
Parker William
Paton Robert
Porterfield John
Quin Daniel
Quintin James
Robertson Robert
Robinson Charles
Roulston James
Scott James
Sharkey David
Siveeney Edward
Smith M.D. Charles
Smyth Joseph
Stevenson Alexander
Stilley Ninian
Thompson William
Throne William
Tinney Hugh
Van Belle A.B.
Vance John
Weir Alexander
Weir Henderson
Weir James
Weir James
Weir John
Weir John
Weir John & Robert
Weir Robert
Weir William
Wilkie William

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Revised on 29 September 2011