Plantation
Fortunately Seskinore’s history is well documented right back to 1600’s. The extensively researched McClintock of Seskinore website is an excellent resource for further information on this period.
When the Plantation Commissioners reached Tyrone they found that all the lands in the area belonged to the Crown except the Church lands and about 5,000 acres which had been granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Henry Oge O’Neill. These lands comprised the ancient Irish territory known as Mointerburn, and were the inheritance of Sir Phelim Roe O’Neill of Kinnaird, on the Blackwater.
Of the Undertakers among whom the precincts of Omagh was divided the principal recipient was George Tucket, Lord Audley, who was granted an estate of 3,000 acres; but this favourite of James I., having neglected to erect castles and settle British subjects on the lands, according to the articles of plantation. The grant ultimately reverted to the Crown.
‘The Lord Audley,’ reports Sir George Carew, twelve months after the division of the lands of the Omagh lands, “has not appeared, l nor any for him; nothing done.” His Lordship had come from Audley, in Staffordshire, and was the eighteenth Baron Tucket. His 3,000 acres in Omagh included 2,000 for himself and 1,000 for his wife, Elizabeth who was the daughter of Sir James Mervyn, of Fonthill, Gifford, Wiltshire.
He was created Earl Castlehaven in 1616 but only lived a few months afterwards.
When this property was sold after his death it was found that, besides the original 3,000 acres of meadow, 3,000 acres of pasture land, 2,000 acres of wood, 2,000 acres covered the bramble and furze, and 200 acres of bog, all of which had been thrown in gratuitously to his proportion as waste and unprofitable lands.
A considerable proportion of the lands so granted to Lord Castlehaven and sold after his death, fell to the possession of Sir Audley Mervyn, brother-in-law of Colonel Rory Maguire who married Deborah, daughter of Colonel Audley Mervyn, and relict of Sir Leonard Blennerhassett.’
The Perrys are said to be of Welsh descent, the first of the name associated with the area is Thomas (d.c.1662), he was the father of James Perry Esq., of Ranelly who purchased the following:-
- On the 20th June 1662, Sir William Usher conveyed the lands of Ranelly to James Perry.
Memorandum of delivery of seizin of said lands:
On 4th July 1662 to said James Perry and on 25th January 1663 in consideration of £15 by said James Perry to his son George Perry And of Agreement dated 24th June 1662 that said Sir William Usher should not be bound to warrant the premises against any person to whom said Sir William Usher and others by deed dated 24th July 1634 had conveyed said premises to John Perry brother to said James Perry.
- On the 26th June 1662, Sir Audley Mervyn granted a fee farm of the lands of Moyloughmore, Mullorkmore or Mullaghmore to the same said ‘James Perry, son of deceased Thomas Perry’.