Ballymachugh Parish Church

        Ballymachugh Parish Church is situated in the Parish of Ballymachugh, Diocese of Kilmore, Barony of Clanamahon,Co Cavan It is approx 4-5 miles from Killnaleck and is on the shores of Lough Sheelin (probably one of the most famous trout lakes in Western Europe)
      It again was built with money from the "First Fruits "fund and dates from the same period as Kildrumferton. The grounds contain the graves of both Protestants and Catholics which is usually a sign here in Ireland that the graveyard is quite ancient and indeed the remains of the original church can still be seen

   On the left is the memorial to the Carmichael family and here also is a tombstone to the Freemans (George Wilton's mother in law, Mary Maxwell in the 1821 census return for Crover had her grandson George Carmichael living with her, Freeman Wilton is some relation probably an uncle to our Roger)

     It is here also that Henry Maxwell,father of Harriet Maxwell,wife of George Wilton is buried but the unfortunate situation is that his tombstone has vanished.(see website "Capt George Wilton")
I remember vividly searching the whole graveyard one winters day in gale force winds,freezing conditions and pouring rain to no avail and saying to myself "What the hell was I doing here and why hadn't I had the sense to emigrate as well as my ancestors"

    The reason why I couldn't find it became apparent several months later:--
  The then minister decided to tidy up the graveyard along with an extension to the nearby road.A letter was published in the local papers asking if anyone had any claim to the gravestones. Several gravestones were removed--I even found bits of one incorporated in a nearby stone wall. Henry Maxwell's was one of them.

                       
                                       (a)                                                                                 (b)

        (a) Ballymachugh Parish Church from the rear

         (b) gravestone erected by Maria Maxwell nee Kilroy to her father. I think this is part of the old church wall

   Crover House today,once home of Henry Maxwell. It is right on the shore of Lough Sheelin and to think all I would have to do is to walk to the bottom of the lawn ,catch a few trout,come back and have my breakfast and do all this in my pyjamas--It makes me wonder why honourable ancestors left--they obviously were not thinking of me in the future!!

        View of Lough Sheelin from Ballymachugh church---not a bad spot to buried--pity you wouldn't be able to admire the view or fish