Jago, or
Yago1,
was at one time the name of a distinct parish in the Barony of
South Naas, but it is now incorporated in that of Ballymore Eustace. It
comprised of the Townlands of Gaganstown, Moorhill, Boleybeg, and
Ardinode. The parish church stood in the burial-ground situated in
Annfield Demesne, which lies in Gaganstown Townland. As the name Jago,
or Yago, implies, the Patron was St. James. The Townland of Gaganstown
in documents of the sixteenth century appears under peculiar forms, such
as Yagoston, Yagogestone, Jagoteston, Jagogeston, and Jagoeston.
In 1494
the lands of Jagoeston (Gaganstown, Parish of Ballymore Eustace) and “Bardore,”
containing a castle, a court baron and 72 acres in “Jagoeston”
were in the possession of Sir Robert FitzEustace of Ballycotelan2.
Sir Robert was one of three
County Kildare members
of the Brotherhood of St. George, a military association established in
1475 for the defense of English territories in Lienster. The other
Kildare members of the Brotherhood were Thomas FitzGerald, 7th
Earl of Kildare and Roland FitzEustace, Baron of Portlester. Sir Robert
was Sheriff of County Kildare in the years 1452, 1456, 1470 and 1472. He
was the son of Sir Richard FitzEustace, Knight, appointed Justice of the
Peace for County Kildare in 1408.
A County
Kildare Exchequer Inquisition held in Naas in June 1597, mentions some
of Sir Robert's descendents in the following manner 3:
In
the nineteenth year of King Edward IV, i.e; in 1479, Sir Robert
FitzEustace, Kt; of Ballycotelan enfeoffed his lands of Jogogeston,
Bardore, and Rocheston, for certain uses in John Stokes and William
Body, Priests. The surviving feoffee, John Stokes, priest, on the 12th
of March 1487, granted and confirmed the above premises to James, son of
Sir Robert FitzEustace and his heirs, with remainders to Oliver, Richard
and Maurice, other sons of Sir Robert, and, failing issue to them, to
the right heirs of Sir Robert. The said James FitzEustace died on 15th
December 1522, and his son and heir Nicholas succeeded him, and was so seised of
the lands at the time that Christopher FitzEustace of Cutlandestown (to
whom they would go in reversion) was attainted for high treason.
Nicolas Eustace of Jagoteston, County Kildare, gent4; and
Lauglan O’Murgho of same, cowherder, were granted pardons on May 16,
1548.
The
said Nicholas died in 1577 without male issue. The said Oliver and
Richard also died without male issue. And afterwards, owing to the
attainder of Christopher FitzEustace of Cutlandstown, son and heir of
Maurice, brother of James, father of said Nicholas FitzEustace, all of
these premises reverted to the Crown.
It
would appear from the above that Sir Robert FitzEustace granted to his
(?) second son James, the land of Rocheston and Gaganstown in County
Kildare, and those of Roestown and Bertramstown in County Meath; and
that his (?) eldest son Sir Maurice succeeded to Coghlanstown on his
death in about 1486.
When
Christopher Eustace of Coghlanstown was executed after the “Silken
Thomas Rebellion" in 1535, those of his lands west of Ballymore Eustace
and south of the Liffey were granted to other members of the family
5. Rochestown, Gaganstown and probably part of Ardinode (just east
of it) were granted to the 1st Viscount Baltinglass, Thomas
Eustace, who had done much to quell the rebellion. Gaganstown and
Rochestown seem to have passed to Nicholas Eustace of Kerdiffstown
(Cardeston), doubtless as a dowry of Anne, daughter of the 1st
Viscount, on her marriage to Nicholas in about 1538. In 1568 Roland
Eustace of Jagogeston
and in 1570 6
, Roland Eustace of Yeagogeston received pardons from
the Crown 7.
Gaganstown was forfeited by Thomas Eustace, son of Nicholas, after the
1580 Baltinglass Rebellion and let to Mary Heron as follows. In 1584,
“Yagogestone, near Naas,” late in the possession of Thomas Eustace, of
Cardeston, or Kerdiffstown, attainted (and executed) for rebellion in
1580, was leased for forty years to Alice, daughter of Christopher St.
Lawrence, Baron of Howth, widow of George FitzGerald, of Ticroghann,
County Meath (died 1580), and wife of William Heron, of Kinnegad, in the
county of Westmeath (Elizabeth Fiant, No. 4322).
Mason in
his “History of St. Patrick’s Cathedral,” states that out of its
nineteen Prebends that of Yago is placed fourth (p. 52). He adds that,
according to Archbishop Alen (slain in 1534), the former name of the
Church of Yago was Dunamor (Donaghmore), and that it was granted in
frankalmoigne to Archbishop Comyn (1181-1212) by William FitzMaurice
FitzGerald, Baron of Naas, for the purpose of augmenting the common fund
of the cathedral. Subservient to this church were two chapels:
-
Technabretnas, alias Brethnockstown,
now Brannockstown, dedicated to St. Sylvester (10th of
March).
-
Inchebrislane, alias Kiltown, now
Gilltown, dedicated to Saint “Boyana” (Elizabeth Fiant No. 3146.
The
Fiants of Edward VI and Elizabeth record pardons by the Crown to a
Nicholas Eustace of this place in 1548, and to a Roland Eustace between
1568 and 1582.
A County
Kildare Chancery Inquisition (No. 27 of James I), taken in 1618, found
that Queen Elizabeth by Letters of Patent, dated the 20th
March, 1599, granted to Nicholas Taafe, of Athclare, County Louth, and
to Joan, his wife, daughter of Christopher Eustace (or FitzEustace), of
“Ballicutland,” now Coghlanstown, who was attainted and hanged for
rebellion in 1535, the lands of “Yagogeston and Rocheston, lying near
the Irish mountains,” to hold to him and his heirs by knight’s service.
On the lands of Gaganstown there then stood a very ruinous castle,
almost prostrate, and also a hall (aula) in ruins. These lands at the
taking of this Inquisition were claimed by Roland Eustace, of Blackhall,
near Punchestown, as being of his hereditary possessions. Roland seems
to have occupied Gaganstown as a tenant from 1568 until 1582.
The
castle and house (in ruins in 1618) have gone but the old graveyard
marks the site of the church of the former parish of Gaganstown. The
Parish included Ardinode, Bolleybeg and Moorhill, with the chapels of
Brannockstown and Gilltown, southwest of Grangemore. Rochestown must
have been sold to the heirs of Joan Taafe, for it (with Brannockstown)
later always formed part of the Harristown estate 5.
Roland Eustace of Jagogestown (Gaganstown), County Kildare
Rowland Eustace,
born about 1568, the son of Oliver Eustace and his wife Joan Eustace (Mullacash)
of Blackhall, made an unsuccessful claim to Gaganstown, west of
Ballymore Eustace, asserting his right of “hereditary possession,”
perhaps through his wife Catherine Eustace. Rowland claimed to have
lived at Gaganstown from 1568-1582.
In his
will dated 1640, Roland Eustace asked to be buried in the ancient
graveyard of Killsaintlucan, half-a-mile south of Blackhall Castle.) In
1641 he lost (apparently only temporarily) Blackhall and the nearby
lands of Newtown with parts of Tipperkevin and Oldtown.
Roland
married Catherine Eustace, possibly of Gaganstown.
Catherine could have been
a daughter of Thomas Eustace of Kerdiffstown and his wife Joan Eustace
of Mainham. If she was this would partially explain the reason for
Roland's unsuccessful attempt to claim Gaganstown for "hereditary
possession". Thomas Eustace held possession of Gaganstown before being
attainted for his involvement in the Baltinglass Rebellion.
In the
court—book, the record of court—marshals held in Dublin after the war,
in Marsh’s Library, we read under the date March 23rd, 1652: “Rowland
Eustace is accused of holding correspondence with and relieving the
enemy and all evidence being heard and fully debated, it was put to the
question whether upon the whole question and circumstances to the Court
there are not strong and pregnant presumptions that the said Rowland
Eustace is guilty of the several crimes wherewith he is charged;
resolved in the affirmative. Second, whether upon the whole matter there
is sufficient evidence to proceed by judgment against Rowland Eustace or
not; resolved in the negative, it was finally ordered upon the question
resolved in the affirmative that the said Rowland Eustace be herewith
removed with his whole family and dependents into the province of
Connaught. It was also further ordered that he be released, giving
security to perform the judgment of this court hereby declared, and to
appear on the forty days after the notice lodged at any of his houses.’’
On the margin is “in Jajogstown, (Gaganstown) in the
County Kildare.”
Note: We cannot be certain that this Roland is the same person as
Roland, son of Oliver and Joan, mentioned above, but the Jagoeston
connection for both is strong evidence that if not the same person, at
least they are closely connected. Roland born in or before 1568, would
have been at least 84 years old in 1652, quite elderly for that time,
but given his strong demeanor, his stamina was great.
Oliver Eustace
(father of Roland) was pardoned in 1583
7
for involvement in Baltinglass Rebellion. Fiant Records show that Oliver
and others had aided rebels numbering 500 who had taken the field at
Baltinglass, and had attacked the town of Sagard, Co. Dublin, burning
forty houses; Oliver together with Maurice FitzGerald was said to have
aided the rebels. The pardon was granted but instructions were that it
not to be “sealed” till Oliver “find surety” before the Lord Chancellor
to prove his loyalty. Oliver died in 1618. Oliver was married to Joan
Eustace of Mullacash who was the daughter of Thomas Eustace, died 1594
and his wife Catherine Eustace. Thomas first married Cecily Graydon and
upon her death Catherine Eustace.
1.
Journal
of the Kildare County Archaeological Society, Vol. VII; Page 336-37.
2.
Ibid,
Volume XIII, No. 8 (1960); Page 372.
3.
Number
41 of Elizabeth
4.
Fiant
201; (133).
5.
Fiant
Elizabeth 1268; (1568); Pardon to John Eustace of Castlemartin, County
Kildare, Roland Eustace of Jagogeston (Gaganstown) James Eustace of
Cloceste, Maurice Eustace of Ballesax, John Eustace of Kilbride and
Richard Eustace of Walshetown all in the same county, gentlemen; James
Eustace of Inchcoventer and Remeletus Walsh of Balloteig, same county,
horsemen; Edmund Eustace of Castlemartin, John Fitz Rowland Eustace of
the same...(This Roland appears to be an uncle or other close
relative to Oliver, father of Roland or more likely Nicolas Eustace of
Kerdiffstown who acquired Gaganstown as dowry from his marriage to Ann,
daughter of Thomas Eustace, 1st Viscount Baltinglass and
Margaret Talbot.).
6.
Fiant
Elizabeth 1665; (1570); Pardon to...Roland Eustace of Yeagogiston, co.
Kildare gent.
7.
Fiant
Elizabeth 4193; (1583); Pardon to Maurice FitzGerald alias fitzJames of
Obertstown and Oliver Eustace, late of Blackhall, had aided the rebels
including James Eustace, Viscount Baltinglass and others.
son or brother of Oliver
of Barretstown]. (TN p. 399).
Oliver of Blackhall
was pardoned in his role in the Baltinglass Rebellion. Oliver had
regained his lands that were forfeited in 1584 (TN. P. 370 and p. 399)
He must have lived on the Gaganstown property as his son Rowland tries
to reclaim this land in 1618 stating he (Rowland) had lived there for 14
years between 1568-1582. The Fiants of Elizabeth I support the claim
that a “Roland Eustace from Gaganstown” was pardoned on three occasions
between 1568 and 1582. Fiants Eliz. #1268, 1665, 4083.
Questions for
further study:
Was Oliver of
Blackhall a tenant on his mother-in- law Catherine Eustace’s Gaganstown
estate that had been given to her parents, Nicholas and Anne of
Kerdiffstown as part of a dowry in 1538? Were Oliver and Joan’s
children especially Roland raised there? If Catherine the second wife
of Thomas of Mullaghcash was a daughter to Nicholas of Kerdiffstown and
then a sibling to Thomas of Kerdiffstown, could this be the connection
of Oliver of Blackhall to Thomas of Kerdiffstown and their connection to
the Baltinglass Rebellion?
1618 Rowland of
Blackhall tried to reclaim Gaganstown after his father, Oliver’s death
claiming that he had lived on the Gaganstown estate from 1568-1582.
(SEE CONNECTION TO KERDIFFSTOWN). He had temporarily lost Blackhall,
Newton, Olde Town and
Tipperkevin. His children were Mary Eustace (Robert) Archbold, Thomas
of Tipperkevin and Oliver of Blackhall. Oliver had a son Richard who
lost all the property in 1641. (TN p. 370 p. 372) |