She had no means of payment; all her means were
swallowed up in this property.
The creditors could not collect it off
the property, it was not held liable for the debt, neither was Lord
Leitrim, who had seized the property. Her sense of honesty and the honor
of her husband's name made her fret over this debt. The doctor had
declared her illness heart disease brought on by a shock, and her death
imminent. To soothe her mind her sister again came forward and out of
her own pocket paid the money. The widow died and was buried. Their only
relative tried what the law would do to redress the grievances of the
orphans. The presiding judge, the chairman of the quarter sessions,
lifted up his hands saying, "Must I issue a decree that will rob these
helpless orphans." The decree was issued, and the children ejected
without a farthing of compensation. To leave no stone unturned, the
children went in a body to Lord Leitrim to ask, as justice had been
powerless, for mercy from him. He ordered his servant to put them out.
At the time these orphans were turned out of the house their father
built, there was not a farthing of rent due, all had been paid up at the
unjust Earl's own estimate.
This case had been heard by the Royal Commissioners sent to enquire into
these things, but it appears that there is no law to redress a tenant's
wrong. This occurred under the tenant custom of Ulster.
I drove round this fine property in Milford. It was pointed out to me
that almost all the houses in the town were acquired by Lord Leitrim, by
the strong hand, in the same way. Passed the house from which the
Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Mr. White, was evicted. It was his own
private property. It stands windowless and roofless, a monument to the
dead earl. The priest of the parish had no house of his own; he was a
boarder with one of his flock, who had built himself a house in the time
of the good earl. When Lord Leitrim fancied that he had cause of quarrel
with the priest he obliged his tenant to put him out, on pain of losing
the house which he had built. After he had got rid of priest and
minister, he built a little Episcopal Church, that the people might
worship at his shrine. The little church stands empty now. The graveyard
about this little church was a rocky corner with little soil. The
minister ventured to request that the people might have leave to draw a
little clay from a hill nearby, to cover the bodies interred there, as
there was not soil enough. "I'll not give a spoonful; let their bones
bleach there," said the earl.
During the life-time of the good earl, the people being encouraged to
improve their lands, crept up the mountain side, reclaiming whatever
land they could.
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