Alexander Crawford KINGSTONE

   Another name for Alexander was McCLAUGHREY.

  General Notes:

"MEMOIRS OF THE KINGSTONE FAMILY"
Author
G. S. Bond
Comment: An extraction from the unpublished memoirs of G.S. Bond, entitled "Family Patchwork"

THE KINGSTONES OF MOSSTOWN
MacCloughreys and Littles came over together from Scotland to Ireland. Mr. Arthur Johnston Kingstone, generally known to us as Uncle Kingstone (he was our Grandmother's uncle) writes "My family are Highland Scotch driven from Scotland during the time of the persecution of the Presbytarians. They shipped what moveables they could get together and landed in Donegal some time before the siege of Derry, where they were obliged to stand on defence against a hostile party of another community (Irish Roman Catholics). A relative of the family had some years before taken refuge in Co. Longford and purchased an estate, which he subsequently sold and settled in America - he was the father of De Witt Clinton, who is still remembered as one of the "patriots" having planned and made the Great Erie Canal.
This person Clinton was quartered in Eniskillin in the same regiment with Sir Robert Newcomen of Mosstown, Co. Longford - hearing the strait our family was in in Donegal, he sent and urged them to move down into the Co. Longford, where they could have an Asylum during their stay in Ireland. At that time Gentlemen of estate were only too glad to get people professing Protestantism to assist them in keeping possession of lands granted or purchased by them in this country. Sir Robert Newcomen gave them the lands of Abbeydarig, 600 acres at œ7 a year (urging them to take a lease for ever, which was refused), holding it only for seven years, intending to return to Scotland when quietude from religious persecution and civil commotion (the troublous times of the Pretender) was restored to it - which, unhappily, was not accomplished down to the death of my Grandfather, which happened about 1750 - leaving my Father little more than an infant and only child (except a sister who died about the same time). I have heard it said that one of my Great-grandfather's family settled in the County Meath - and another in Westmeath, some of whom afterwards went into business and settled abroad, one in Portugal and another in America, some of whom adopted the English name of Kingstone and some still use the old Gaelic.
My father Alexander Crawford Kingstone did not know his family Arms, he was only certain of his crest, which was a swan with the wings thrown up. Upwards of fifty years ago a gentleman applied to him for a copy of his arms to have them recorded in a family record, which Sir W. Betham was drawing up for him, one of my family being grafted into his. My father referred him to Scotland for any information he wanted on the subject. Instead of making search there new arms were issued to my father to his annoyance, particularly as he had to pay for them. There is a distinct touch of canny Scot in that last statement!
Either this Alexander Crawford Kingstone or his father was described on his tombstone as "MacCloughrey of the Highlands". The name Kingstone is a translated one from the family name of McClaughrey or Clockrigh (from the district of Argyleshire, where their property was). Alexander Crawford Kingstone Anglicised the Clough-righ into Kingstone (though he always spelt it without the final e) when the family gave up all hope of returning to their Scottish home.
In 1732 Andrew McCloughrey is described as "of Abbeydarig Co. Longford, Gent." and he had a son who in 1740, is called "Andrew McCloughrey the younger, of Abbeydarig in said County, farmer". This is the one referred to by Uncle Kingstone as having died in 1750.
When the hope of returning to Scotland was relinquished they no longer kept to the seven year leases. There is an old deed dated September, 1791, which runs as follows "Release made between Wm. Gleadowe Newcomen of Dublin Bart., and Alexander Crawford Kingstone, formerly called Alexander Cloughrey of Mosstown, Co. Longford, Gent. Whereby said Sir W.G. Newcomen devised to said Kingstone his heirs and assigns all the house and demesne lands of Mosstown containing ... to hold to said Kingstone his heirs and assigns from 1st May last for the lives of Sarah, Margaret and Mary Kingstone, 1st, 2nd and 3rd daughters of said Alexander with covenant for perpetual renewal at the yearly rent of £130. 10s. 0d."
Alexander Crawford Kingstone, born 1749, son of Andrew the younger (who died the year after his son's birth) married Sydney Johnston of Lisleen, Co. Tyrone, in January 1778, and died in 1829. This marriage brought the name Sydney into the family and there have been many of the name since.
It must have been a daughter of Andrew McCloughry senior who married Simon Little of Lisnanagh, her name was Elizabeth. Of course in the earlier days the two families must have known each other very well, as they came from Scotland together. The tombstone of a Jean Lyttle is - or was - still to be seen in Kilcommick churchyard. The three daughters whose names were mentioned in the old lease married, and became Sarah Fox, Margaret Gosselin and Mary Handy. A younger sister Jane, was Mrs. Nicholas Gosselin of Tashinny, and the youngest of the family, Arthur Johnston Kingstone, was Uncle Kingstone himself.
1st Sarah Fox died in 1845 and was buried at Saracot, Co. Meath, she had a daughter Sydney, who used to stay at Mosstown and never had any difficulty in finding her luggage when travelling, as she always had a white fox painted on her boxes.
2nd Margaret Gosselin was Grandmamma Bond's mother.
3rd Mary Handy died 1833, leaving a daughter and two sons.
4th Jane Gosselin was the Rev. Nicholas's second wife, and had four daughters, Sydney, Mrs. Courtney; Alicia, Mrs. Richardson; Nicolina, Mrs. Greer; and jane, Mrs. Rawson.
Extract from a letter from James W. Murray to his aunt, Harriet Kingstone - August 1903.

"I nearly forgot to give you the following piece of curious information, which may be of interest to you. My Great-Grandmamma and YOUR Grandmamma was a Miss Johnstone - is not that correct? Well, last week, when doing duty for a brother Inspector I had to visit a farm adjoining Munie (Munie is a small townland in Tyrone, the last of the Johnstone property, which I receive rents from) the farm I had to visit is on Townland of Lisleen - Lisleen at one time also belonged to the Johnstones. I got chatting with the farmer whose farm I had to visit, and when he found out who I was, he brought me to see a "Meeting House" and in the wall of the building is set a stone on which is carved a statement - date (I think) 1797, that the Meeting House was built on the site of the dwellinghouse of Madam Johnston as a token of respect and love of her memory".
It was the daughter of this lady who married Alexander Crawford Kingstone and their son "Uncle" Kingstone was born at Mosstown, 12th April, 1795, and lived there for close on ninety years. His father and mother went through the stormy times of '98. When the Irish Rebellion broke out Mr. Kingstone took his wife, four daughters and little three year old son into the Barracks at Longford for safety, but he himself determined to defend Mosstown and hold it against the rebels if attacked.
Attacked he was, and after a vigorous defence, of which the old walls still bear traces, it was taken. The rebels were many but undisciplined, and they understood very well that without officers they were simply a pike armed mob; they wanted leaders. Mr. Kingstone was faced with the unusual question - Would he abjure his religion and join them, or would he hang? There was of course only one answer to that. So he was imprisioned in one of the rooms and left to his reflexions for a short time. Meanwhile the rebels proceeded as usual to eat and drink - especially drink - all they could lay hands on. An old Roman Catholic woman who had been Mr. Kingstone's nurse, stole the key of his prison and went to him, she told him that much as she blamed him for not joining the rebels she could not have him murdered. He would find his horse fastened to a certain tree in the deer park, and she bade him ride for his life into Longford. He found the horse and set off riding as long as he could on the grass by the side of the avenue, but as soon as the galloping hooves struck the road, some of the rebels heard the sound and started in pursuit. His plight was the more precarious because he was sighted by a fresh batch of mounted men just outside Mosstown demesne - he had gone out at the back avenue and they were riding up from Kenagh. He galloped at top speed into Longford, closely pursued all the way, his gallant horse saved him but fell dead at the Barrack gates. Curiously enough the rebels limited their efforts to the pursuit of Mr. Kingstone, and did not do much harm to Mosstown itself. The portrait of the hero of this tale shows him as a round faced, grey haired man with no pretentions to good looks - perhaps it does not do him justice.
His son, Arthur Johnstone Kingstone, married Eliza, the second daughter of David Courtney of Mespil, Co. Dublin, November 4th, 1818. This David Courtney's wife had been a Miss D'Olier - the following letter was written by her Grand-daughter Harriet Kingstone:-

"Our Grandmother D'Olier (then unmarried) travelling in France with her Father and Mother at the time of the Revolution, were at Montpellier when it broke out and were refused passports to leave France - as were all English people at the time. They were imprisoned in a convent at Montauban. Her father's health was much injured by the confinement. She made friends with their jailer and was able to keep cocks and hens and so supply her parents with fresh eggs. They were often in terror of their lives, and knew they were in great peril. constant peril while Robespiere lived. Great therefore was their joy one day to see a woman outside making signs to them that he was dead. She took up the skirt of her dress (robe) wrapped a stone (pierre) in it, looked up to see if they understood and then drew her hand across her throat. Then they knew he was dead, and shortly afterwards they were liberated." This girl Anna Maria D'Olier was born in 1774 (it must have been her great-nephew's wife who ran over Grandpapa Bond) and in 1797, having returned from her adventures in France, she married David Courtney. Their children were:-
Sophie, who married Vicar Boyle
Eliza, who married Arthur Johnston Kingstone
Henry, who married Sydney Gosselin (daughter of Rev. Nicholas Gosselin)
Sarah, who married The Rev. John Galbraith, rector of Tuarn.
Richard died unmarried in 1866
Anna Maria died unmarried
Harriet died unmarried
Charlotte died unmarried
And David died young.
Miss D'Olier's father was Richard D'Olier and his wife Sarah was a daughter of Nicholas Ogle of Westmeath.
Mr. and Mrs. Kingstone had a large family, six sons and six daughters, the Henry Courtneys had two sons and seven daughters, and the old house at Mosstown was a happy hunting ground for all the cousin-ship - Gosselins, Galbraiths and later, Father and his brother Wensley - for as usually happens with very long families, the eldest and youngest differed so widely in age that the generations were not so far apart as they seem to be when neatly described in family trees. Mr. Kingstone kept a wonderful record of everyone's height on the inside of the old hall door at Mosstown. Not only everyone's height, but their heights at different ages; it was a formidable list. When I remember him, Mr. Kingstone was a very tall spare man, very erect in spite of his age, with an old fahioned and (to us) stilted way of expressing himself, and though most courteous, he had remarkably strong views of his own. Oddly enough he paid more attention to Father's opinion on business matters than he did to his own son's ideas. He kept them so much under his thumb that those who managed his salt mines in America always had to write home for leave to do this or that - and by the time the permission was granted, opportunities were frequently lost. Latterly when he started any extra wonderful (with a total disregard of œ. s. d.) Father was sent for to talk him round. No easy task. Mrs. Kingstone was a gentle voiced shadow, with a transparently pretty complexion, and very delicate. She always gave way to him dutifully, and upheld his views as long as she was able. She became a little childish towards the end of her life, but he could not or would not see it, until one day when she flatly contradicted him - he was very startled indeed, then gently tapped his forehead and said to his daughters "My dears! Your poor Mother -". Gentle soul, she would never have contradicted him however wrong he might have been, while her powers remained. He out-lived her by many years. It was she and her eldest daughter, Anna Maria (Nannie) who worked so hard at the soup kitchen in the Famine times: Uncle Wensley referred to that in one of his letters.
On one occaison Mr. Kingstone took two or three of his daughters into Longford and was vexed because they attracted some attention. On their return home he ordered them to take off their bonnets and give them to him. He then tore out and burnt the flowers with which they were ornamented, and announced that in future his daughters were to be plainly dressed!

The Mosstown children were treated rather curiously in some ways. When they wished to do a silly thing they were given leave to do it and had to carry it out, in order that they might prove for themselves how foolish they were. Once they thought it would be grand to sit up all night, and they had to do it! Another time they wanted to walk barefoot in the snow and had to do that too. Of course it saved a great deal of the modern child's "Why not? Why? Why? but - poor little things!

Sophia Kingstone once told me that when they were going back to school after the Christmas holidays, they had to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and sit on the canal bank in the dark and cold, waiting for the Fly boat to take them to Dublin. It was called the Fly boat to denote its speed, but it cannot have been a very rapid mode of transport.

There was a legend of Mosstown, dating from the days of the Newcomens, that when death threatened a member of the family residing there, a phantom hearse was heard to drive up to the door. One wintry night, when Uncle Kingstone was reading prayers in the hall as usual, the household was startled at hearing the sound of wheels. Nearer and nearer came the sound till it stopped at the hall door, everyone expected to hear the bell ring, but it did not. Uncle Kingstone quite unperturbed, finished his reading. Then the younger members of the party (Father was one of them), threw open the hall door - and saw nothing! However they procured lights and found clear traces of unghostly wheels - and following these up, they came upon a driverless long car, the horses of which were very busy grazing. The car was taken round to the yard and then from the well of it emerged a very sleepy boy. His story was that the long car had been engaged to take a party to Longford, and as it was returning empty to Ballymahon the driver had offered him a lift. He was very tired and went to sleep and knew no more till he woke up at Mosstown. It transpired afterwards that the driver had stopped at a pub and was so long over his refreshments that the horses moved on without him - the gates of Mosstown stood open and they turned in, stopped according to custom at the house, and as nobody attended them, they went quietly on to the grass and betook themselves to grazing.
Uncle Kingstone's children were:-

Alexander Crawford, married Annabella Tredennick
Arthur Johnston, died 11th November, 1884, in Florida, aged 62
Frederick William, of Toronto. Married Henrietta Grisette and died 17th October,
1914, aged 78. Left sons and daughters (George m. Wilhelmina Kingstone)
Henry, He wished to go into the Army, but not being allowed to, he became a
doctor, joined the R.A.M.C. and did very well. Died in India.
Charles, Died in Florida
Isaac
The last three died unmarried, as did also Arthur, the second brother.

The daughters were:-
1. Sydney, Died quite young.
2. Anna Maria, who was first Mrs. Murray, and secondly Mrs. Hackett.
3. Charlotte Elizabeth, "Otta" died 7th Feb. 1911, aged 80.
4. Mary Adelaide, Died 19th April, 1909, aged 74.
5. Harriet Jane, Died 2nd April, 1928, aged 90.
6. Augusta
7. Sophia Georgina, Died 2nd November, 1926
It was of Alexander, the eldest of the family, that Colonel King Harman said "he is the only man in the world I would like to buy at his own valuation of himself, and sell again at mine". He succeeded to Mosstown on the death of his father and was in turn succeeded by James Murray, the only surviving son of Anna Maria, the second daughter. Uncle Kingstone always allowed "the grandson" far more latitude than any of his own children, and did not even say much when Mosstown ran the risk of being burnt down because James Murray had taken down the Christmas decorations, and made a mighty blaze of dead holly in the big fireplace in the hall - and, of course, set the chimney alight. He rode the first bicycle ever seen in the county and scared the natives very much. The report went round that Mr. Murray had been seen flying into Mosstown with a lion by his side. The "lion" being a big yellow dog, cross between a mastiff and a St. Bernard. A more peaceable animal than Leo never existed. He lived many years at Farragh after he was given to Father, but never quite got over the rheumatism which was the result of being kept in a coal cellar in Dublin when he was young. He was a slow and sedate animal, but the reputation earned by his lion-like looks caused him to be held in great awe about the place.
James Murray was so nearly of an age with his younger aunts that he called them by their names without the prefix "Aunt", but the youngest one, Sophia, objected strongly to this, so her mercurial nephew always referred to her (behind her back) as "So". They were all most wonderfully kind and did not like to think evil of anyone. Once Harriet came to Mother and said that a great friend of hers was so afraid that people thought she touched up her complexion - she was SO anxious that the report should be contradicted. "Dear Harriet" said Mother, "I don't need anyone to tell me she rouges - it is patent to anyone who looks at her!" "Oh Emma," answered Harriet with a sudden smile "Do you know I have sometimes thought so myself!" Harriet outlived all the rest, and her nephew James Murray too, and died at the age of ninety.
The only Kingstones left are those in Canada. Mr. Frederick Kingstone and his wife were at Mosstown once with three children, Harry, Fanny and Courtney - known as "Wee Wee", others were born later. Harry, Willoughby and I made efforts to catch a young heron on one of the islands with the help of Niger, the big black dog, but we did not succeed.
Mosstown lives in one's memory as a beautiful and peaceful old home, the long many-windowed house with the bowling green at the side, and Mary's geraniums, which she always said owed their beauty to their having a share of the teapot every morning. Then there was the wide pathed garden, with its terraces and hedges, where the mauve and white primroses grew - and some were brought to Farragh by Margaret Gosselin and have flourished there ever since. And there was the tulip tree which we used to admire so much. Then there were the peacocks which used to strut on the lawn, and the water-lilies on the pond by the church path. When Uncle Kingstone died Harriet made a wreath of the beech leaves from the garden hedge, glowing autumn leaves - and grey moss from the trees; nothing could have been more beautiful, and nothing could have been more perfectly appropriate.

Alexander married Sydney JOHNSTONE in Jan 1778. (Sydney JOHNSTONE was born in 1758 in Lisleen, County Tyrone, Ireland ¹.)