Sunday 5 August 2018

Killulagh - A seventeenth century surprise - heraldry

Killulagh is quite near Delvin, Co Westmeath and the old graveyard is in the centre of a field across from the present day church.

See:

http://paulduanephotography.ie/?p=1418


The Old Graveyard at Killulagh


Part of the wall of the ruined church in the graveyard

For some information on the modern church see:



There are three gravestones in the graveyard that are of heraldic interest. Unfortunately most of the gravestones are now covered with  a substantial amount of ivy. Most of the photos below were taken in 2010.

The first gravestone of interest is that of Richard Steele Fetherstonhaugh D.L. and of his wife, Rosetta Roche, eldest daughter of Sir David Roche of Carass (M.P. in Limerick)



The impaled arms of Fetherstonhaugh and Roche, crest and motto




Part of the inscription of the Fetherstonhaugh Gravestone

The next gravestone is that of Aungier Brock who was married to Ann Cusack. You'll see the ivy, part of which was cleared. The gravestone is broken but the inscription was quite legible and there is sufficient detail in arms to infer that they belong to Brock. 


The arms of Brock



The Brock Gravestone at Killulagh


A view of the Brock arms.

You can part of the lion passant in the chief.
(above the line on the shield)


The Brock Inscription.

The inscription reads something like: Here lieth the body of Ann Brock alias Cusack who departed life Febry ye 10 17?? aged ?5 years. Also the body of Aungier Brock of Battstown the husband of the above Ann who departed life June 17 1782?

This seems to tie in with his will dated 1781

A good summary of Aungier's life is to be foiund at:



Now the seventeenth century (1682) surprise!
The gravestone carries the Ogle arms and crest.




The 1682 Ogle Gravestone at Killulagh


The Ogle arms, crest and mantling.



The inscription on the Ogle Gravestone.

The inscription is now difficult to read the words Nicholas Ogle and Disert can be made out as well as the date 1682  at the top  which is fairly clear. We are lucky, the gravestone was recorded in 1909 by henry Ogle in Memorials of the Dead, Vol VII, No III Part 2, 1909, page 682 as follows:


1909 Recording of the Ogle Inscription




1 comment:

  1. There is a headstone in the old cemetery O'neill family
    would love to see a picture of it.
    The family buried there are my grandparents aunts and uncles.
    Thankyou Carmel Gillham nee O'Neill

    ReplyDelete