The exchange rate for the pound was very favorable, one point two five punts to the UK pound. This softened the blow from the increased prices. Copies from the general Register Office are still £1-50 though a copy of a memorial from the Registry of Deeds has gone up from £4 to £10. Perhaps this is to offset the latest electronic wizardry which has been recently installed there. It came into action on the 2nd Feb our first day and our first port of call.
Most of my most exciting discoveries have taken place in the Registry of Deeds and I do not begrudge the price they charges as we (the public) get to inspect the indexes and the original copy memorials. This trip proved no exception, I will come back to this in a moment. Having an uncommon surname has it's advantages and a trawl through the surname indexes from 1708 to the present day was a simple task completed several years ago. this time we were looking for Wilton entries and only one hundred or so were found from 1708 to 1828. These as usual proved to be a mine of information and Alan was in his element pouring over the various deeds we had found. Four thirty came around far too quickly and it was time to adjourn for the day.
The second day we started in the National Archives Dublin, no change there, though readers tickets with photographs on will be introduced later on this year. Again the indexes were searched this time for wills, grants of administration, marriage licences and such like. This is where I made one of those accidental discoveries which can, like this one, change the course of your research. I was looking for Wilton entries and was in one of the first index volumes which are housed on open access in the reading room. This one was titled "Index to Prerogative Wills. Unproven wills 1689 - 1958" In here I came across on an entry which simple read, Waugh, Walter, Ballinaboy, Leitrim, 1777. Now for those of you that know, this is a bit of a finding. For those of you that don't know check out the deed R05.
One other book, Vol XX29 Diocese of Ardagh District Registry Cavan, I
found the following
Waugh, Arnott, Belnaboy Co Leitrim 1750
Waugh, James, Ballinaboy, 1706 (see
here for a full list of
our findings)
This is a bit of a revelation as the only other spelling I have for the name is to be found in Musgraves book concerning the rebellion of 1778. This book first printed in 1802 gives lists of people who suffered a loss during the rebellion. In the list for Co Leitrim is found James and John Wagh. the deed I mentioned above also gives Vough for Vaugh and whilst I'm on the subject there is a will for Vouga Abram otherwise Abreham in the PCC index for may 1770. What does all this mean ? they could not spell in those days? well perhaps not but it does give several avenues for further research. The Waugh spelling is another can of worms (please forgive the analogy) which I shall have to open sooner or later. There is a splendid web site covering the variations of the name Wauchope at this site, The Family Wauchope this site also covers some Waugh history and possible corelations between the two family names.
Back to the Registry of Deeds on the Friday and more revelations and links between the names Vaugh and Waugh. The very first deed I found, oh so many years ago now, had always proved to be a bit of an odd one. See deed R01 for Catherine Vaugh in Kinsale Co Cork, I had no other reference to this family. I do now, we found several other deeds listed for the name Waugh.
All in all it was a splendid trip with a visit up to Co Cavan to see some of the old Wilton property and visit some of the graves of my ancestors from that part of the country.