Saturday 19 August 2017

Heraldry in Fahan & Buncrana Co Donegal

A visit to Buncrana Church of Ireland and Fahan old graveyard turned up a few interesting heraldic items. A seventeenth century gravestone of James Dow(---?) and his wife Jenet Brown is interesting though the last three letters in the surname are not as yet clarified and the arms of a lion rampant and three fleurs-de-lis have not shed any additional light. Any insights would be welcome. The full details are below.


The Dunsterville Plaque at Buncrana


The Dunsterville Crest


The Brandon Gravestone at Buncrana


The insignia or possible Brandon arms at Buncrana


The Hart Monument at Buncrana

The presence of a deer/stag on the urn may be a reference to the surname Hart.


The 1698? Gravestone at Fahan

This appears to be one of the oldest gravestones in Fahan that was recently cleared revealing the detail. It comemorates Jenat Brown wife of James Dow(---?) the surname could read Dowear, Dowlar, Dowler, Dowlap, Dowlep with an outside chance of Dowcra. The coat of arms depicts a lion rampant and three fleurs-de-lis. The family bearing these arms has not been identified.


The arms of three fleurs de lis and lion rampant at Fahan


The inscription on the 1698 gravestone at Fahan

The inscription appears to read something like:

HERE LYETH THE BODY OF | JENAT BROWN WIFE TO JAMES | DOW(---?) WHO DEPARTED THIS | LIFE YE 6 OCT 1698? IN YE | ? YEAR OF HER AGE ...


Another old gravestone at Fahan carries the arms of a tree at the base of the shield along with two birds. Also in chief above a chevron is a tower and another feature on the right hand side.

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