Fagans of Dublin

(What follows is an excerpt from The History of the County of Dublin By John D'Alton, Published 1838, Hodges and Smith, 943 pages, Original from the University of Michigan) ...a copy of which can be viewed via Google. Since it is in the public domain, I felt it was safe to provide a copy here. (Pages 215 - 219)

THE FAMILY OF FAGAN

so intimately connected with this locality, is of high antiquity in Ireland, and much distinguished in its annals, as well as in the history of other countries.

    In the year 1022, died Flan O'Fagan, archdean of Durrow in the King's County, "a man in real estimation for goodness, wisdom and exemplary piety." In the thirteenth century the name was established as one of tenure in Meath, as the ancient denominations of Faganstown and Derry-Fagan testify; and there tha Fagans early connected themselves with the de Lacys; the Plunketts, ancestors of the Earls of Louth; the Barnewalls of Crickstown, ancestors of the Viscounts Kingsland, and the Barons of Turvey and Trimlestown. About the year 1275 Nicholas de Hynteberg and others confirmed to Sir Robert Bagod a certain stone house with all its appurtenances of wood and stone, situated within the walls of the city of Dublin, and in the parish of St. Martin near St. Werburgh's gate, which had been theretofore the land of William Fagan, together with a certain tower beyond said gate.

    In 1334, Richard Fagan had a pension of twenty marks charged on the treasury of Ireland, in consideration of his good service against O'Reilly and Bermingham, and in 1343 had a further grant of part of the lands forfeited by his father-in-law, Sir Hugh de Lacy, for the term of his own life and that of his son John. This John was in 1358 high sheriff of the Liberties of Meath, and in 1373 was appointed governor of the castle of Trim. In 1402 Nicholas Fagan was one of two commissioners deputed to collect state supplies in the barony of Morgallion, and in 1423 Sir John Fagan was constituted high sheriff of the liberties of Meath, and received a writ of mandamus to muster the forces of his district, in order to repel the incursions of the O'Connors and O'reillys, "the avowed enemies of the English Pale." His son Richard Fagan, was in 1457 high sheriff of the liberties of Meath, and in the following year obtained a pension of twenty marks, on account of the heavy expense he had sustained in the king's service during his employment.

    Christopher Fagan, the representative of the Meath line and the inheritor of their estates, was involved in the civil wars that arose in Ireland during the reign of Henry the Seventh, and in particular in the assertion of Perkin Warbeck's title to the crown. This Christopher was (with as it is said four of his sons) slain at the siege of Carlow, and having been attained, his estates were on inquisition of 1494 ascertained, and subsequently granted over to the Aylmers, Barnewalls, and other nobles of the Pale. John, the youngest son of Christopher, escaped the fatal field where his father aand brothers perished, and flying to Cork, intermarried about the year 1514 with the daughter of William Skiddy of Skiddy's Castle, by whom he had Thomas Fagan, afterwards one of the citizens of Cork, who not only opposed the proclaiming of King James, and the entrance of the Lord Mountjoy into the city, but even took forcible possession of Skiddy's Castle.

    To return to the line of Christopher, – his eldest son Richard, who fell with him at Carlow, left a son, Thomas Fagan, who acquired the estate of Feltrim, and had two sons, Christopher and Richard; the former was one of the sheriffs of the city of Dublin in 1565, and again in 1573, as was the latter in 1575, and Lord Mayor in 1587. In 1604 this Richard obtained a pardon of alienation for himself and his son and heir John Fagan of Feltrim, and dying in 1609, was buried in the family vault at St. Audeon's. John intermarried with Alicia, the daughter of Walter Segrave, by whom he had issue four sons. A short time after the decease of his father he surrendered his estates to the Crown, and not only obtained a new grant thereof by letters patent in 1611, but also got a grant of several lands in the county of Wexford in 1637. His eldest son, Richard, intermarried with Eleanor Fagan, the heiress of the Meath estates, by which event all the estates of the Fagan family vested in the house of Feltrim. By her he had Christopher Fagan who succeeded thereto, but was declared a forfeiting proprietor during the civil wars of 1641. On proof, however, of his innocence, he was in 1670 decreed to the possession thereof, qualified into an estate in tail male. The other three sons of John Fagan were Thomas and George, who both died unmarried, and John, who became founder of the Munster line, the last representatives of the Fagans of Feltrim.

    Early in the seventeenth century, branches of the family were settled in the county Carlow; while in 1617 died the learned Nicholas Fagan, whom the Pope had preferred from the abbey of Inislaunaght, to the see of Waterford. He was interred in the religious house over which he had presided.

    In 1666, Patrick Fagan preferred his memorial to the Court of Claims, as a soldier, for certain lands in the county Louth enumerated in his petition and schedule; and in 1682 died Christopher Fagan, as mentioned in the notice of "Feltrim", leaving two sons, Richard and Peter, and a daughter, Elizabeth, who intermarried with Claude, the fourth Lord Strabane. Richard was a zealous adherent of King James the Second, and distinguished himself at the siege of Derry, as commemorated in the quaint lines on the subject:

   Bellew left Duleek, and his ancient hall,
      To see his monarch righted;
   Fagan of Feltrim, with Fingal,
      His cavalry united;
   'Twas part of the plan, that Lord Strabane
      Should give his neighbors warning
   But they packed him off with a shot and a scoff
      His hollow council scorning.

    Richard also fought for the Stuart at the battle of Aughrim, and consequently forfeited all his estates. He left three daughters by his wife Eleanor Aylmer, of Lyons, one of whom, Helen, was married, as mentioned hereafter, to John Taylor of Swords; another, Mary, to John Eustace, of Confee Castle; and the third, Anne, died unmarried. Peter, the younger brother, is noticed at "St. Doulogh's;" he died without issue.

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