Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 3.djvu/10

 NOTES, AND QUERIES. [ii s. m. JAN. 7, 1911.

The son, Thomas Chamney, of Flatten, near Drogheda, co. Meath, married 24 Janu- ary, 1715, Margaret, d. of Francis Graves of Drogheda, and had issue :

1. Graves Chamney, Alderman, of Flatten. Died s.p., October, 1794.

2. John Chamney, married Van-

homrigh (nearly related to Swift's "*' Vanessa "), a quo John Vanhomrigh Chamney, Captain 25th Foot. Will dated 1796.

(1) Elizabeth, bom 4 March, 1717; married, 1746, Edward Archer of Mount John, co. Wicklow.

(2) Jane, born 1718, married William Aickin.

(3) Esther, born 1719, married Henry Cusack.

(4) Frances, born 1720, married Thomas Jones, patentee of the Theatre Royal, Dublin.

(5) Catherine, born 1726, married Joseph Swan of Tombrean, co. Wicklow.

(6) Susannah, born 1727, married John Blacker.

Edward and Elizabeth Archer had with other issue a daughter Jane, who married in 1781 Dr. John Haughton, a Dublin physician. Dr. Haughton' s second son was Sir Graves Chamney Haughton (1788-1849), Orientalist. In the ' D.N.B.' the latter 's second Christian name is erroneously given as Champney. But Champney, of course, has nothing to do with Chamney, being derived from the French " Champagnois," a native of Cham- pagne.

The Rev. Joseph Chamney first drew my attention to the tradition that his family were a branch of the Cholmondeleys, and the romantic circumstances that had prompted the corruption of the surname. He, how- ever, had not been able to verify the state- ment as to John Chamney 's real name and lineage being inscribed on his tomb. It was only the other day that I myself was able to visit Carnew with this object in view. Unfortunately, I could not find this grave in the churchyard, nor was any official connected with the church forthcoming who might have assisted me. I have since dis- covered, however, that the Carnew inscrip- tions have been dealt with by the Associa- tion for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland, and that the inscrip- tion I was in search of is given as follows :

" Here lyeth the body of Jn Chamney, Esq., who departed this life the 11 th day of April, 1733, in the 81 th year of his age." Vol. vii. p. 205.

Not a word about the alleged addition of his " real name and lineage," which would hardly have escaped the transcriber's notice if present.

The church at Camew is about sixty years old, for it replaced an edifice con- demned as unsafe. The square tower, sur- mounted by a spire, of the former church is separated from the body of the present one. There is a Chamney memorial inside the church, viz., a mural tablet with the follow- ing inscription :

" Sacred to the Memory | of Joseph Chamney, Esq., of Ballyrahin, late Captain of | the Coolat- tin Corps of Yeomany Infantry in the County of Wicklow. | On the 2 nd day of July, 179S, and the 52 nd year of his age, He was killed | with his nephew a most amiable youth both fighting | the battles of their God and of their King | in defence of their religion and their country. | In testimony public and private virtues | which are indelibly graven on the hearts of his numerous and sorrow- ing friends | they have erected this monument I A.D. 1806."
 * of the high sense entertained of his many

The nephew was Capt. Nickson of the Coolkenna Corps. The engagement was the last of three reverses, or " melancholy affairs," as the Protestant historians term them, which the King's troops suffered in this neighbourhood within a few days. It took place half-way between Tinnahely and Carnew. The Yeomanry after their repulse took refuge in Capt. Chamney 's house at the foot of the hill, where under Capt. Morton and Lieut. Chamney, a son of the deceased, they sustained during fourteen hours the attacks of the rebels, who attempted repeatedly to fire the house. Some (particu- larly a large man from Gorey, named John Redmond, nicknamed Shaun Plunder) advanced under a covering of feather-beds to the hall-door, with the design of applying a torch to it ; but they were shot down in the attempt, despite this thick tegument. This incident is illustrated by Cruikshank in Maxwell's ' History of the Rebellion.'

The Ballyrahin Chamneys were probably descended from another son of John Cham- ney, not included in the above pedigree. In Vicars' s ' Prerogative Wills of Ireland ' there is "Joseph Chamney, The Forge, co. Wicklow, 1742."

Colour is lent to the assertion that the original name of the family was Cholmonde- ley by the fact that they bore the same arms. ' Chamney silver Irish silver of the early part of the eighteenth century has passed through my hands, and it bears the Cholmon- deley coat of arms and crest, which are also attached to the memorial to Capt. Chamney.