RootsIreland.ie has uploaded 579 Lease Abstracts for the Manor and Lordship of Monaghan. They span 1679–1810.
These leases not only name the people who have agreed the lease, they often include mention of other people and their properties. As such they are a useful census sustitute for the county.
For an example of the records provided in this small collection, I ran a search this morning for surname Smyth and found a lease drawn up by the Earl of Clermont in July 1792; it related to the townland of Nart in the civil parish of Kilmore.
It mentions the lessee, James Smyth, and his sons, Patrick, aged 10, and Owen, aged 8. The term of the lease was to run for the lives of the three men, plus an extra 31 years. Details of the rent, exemptions, and penalties were also noted.
For an up-to-date menu of searchable online sources for Monaghan, including several other census substitutes collections, click the Monaghan Genealogy logo above.
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