The Thomple Graveyard, Parish of Thomastown, county Kilkenny

The Thomple,Thomple Tha Haun,Thompletheàghawin, The Church of Grenan, Thomastown Co Kilkenny.

East window

The name of this local early Irish christian saint, St Teghàn survives in the name of this Church and the many interpretations of it.  The Church stands is relief on the west hill above the Nore valley on the main access route to the Castle of Grenan. Thomas FitzAnthony who with his many Norman settlers oversaw the development of the town of Grenan, present day Thomastown. Thomastown means the town of Fitz (son of) Anthony.

Mary Casteleyn and myself surveyed and recorded this graveyard in 2015. A housing estate now sweeps right up to the boundary of this enclosed graveyard.  The surrounding graveyard wall has been broken allowing access, unfortunately of animals, to the interior of the enclosure.  There has been deterioration noticably since this graveyard was surveyed some time ago  by local historian Jerry Doyle and his son Joe.

There are signs of vandalism the graveyard is in a sorry state many broken stones lying around.

The ruined church has a magnificently carved east window.

The inscriptions are as follows;

1. James S. Blake of Ballinamona Co Kilkenny who died 16th Sept 1873 aged 56 years.

Erected by Cornelia his wife.

Blessed are those worthy, whom the Lord, when He shall find them watching St. John.X11.27.

2. Isidore Blake born June 16th 1854,  Died May 1856.

Isidore Blake  Ballinamona

Dates noted on the Memorial of Isodore

Parents James S. and Cornelia Blake Ballinamona, and on the right, within the railing their child Isidore

3. Sacred to the memory of Mr Robert Clifford of Mill View who departed this life on the 9th day of April 18(5?)1 in the (uncut) year of this age.

4. Mr John Duke late of Thomastown, Apothecary who departed this life September 5th 1815.

Here also interred his father and mother, grandfather and grandmother, aunt and sisters Mary Anne and Rebecca.  Also his infant nephew Wilm Duke who died April 25th? 1819 aged 7 months.

Also Mr Samuel Allen Duke who departed this life the 20th (30th)? day  of March in the year of our Lord 1819 in the 53rd ? of his age.

5.  J  Cody R.I.P.

6. Here lieth interd near the remains of his father Walter Devereaux and his mother Elenor Devereaux als Grace, the body of Frencis Devereaux who departed this life on the 26th of May 1794 aged 56 years. Erected by his wife Elenor Devereaux als Reade.

Iconography on this tomb; Ciboria each side of Sunburst containing within the rays the Christogram IHS with a cross resting on the bar of the H... fading. Stone may not be in its original position.

7. Devereaux vault below the church ruin broken open long since.

8. Sacred to the memory Anthony and Mary Graves ..see (d) below

9. Small stone with ancient Crucifix used as a marker or ancient grave, no name.

10. Small stone of Crucifixion on internal boundary  north wall outside of Church window.

 

Insert in north wall

11. Broken and partial stone. To the memory of....Somerset Rob..youngest ..Rev Ric...who d...

The earlier recording mentioned above and kindly clarified for us by Joe Doyle reads

"To the memory of Somerset Robert Cooke youngest son of Rev. Richard Cooke who departed this life on Saturday August the? 1815 aged?"

James B Leslie in his book Ossory Clergy under Thomastown p.366 records the following Rev. Richard Cooke was appointed Rector and Vicar of St Mary's Thomastown on 3rd July 1824. He was first appointed Curate to Ennisnag in 1817. He married Harriet Henrietta French  in 1808 he had sons John, Richard, and Somerset Robert (d) 7th August 1836 aged 16 years.

He had three daughters Harriet, Frances and Anne.

Rev. Richard died 5th Nov. 1835 Tomb being located at Grennan Thomastown.

12. The white marble base of this tomb found only, by us but listed in the earlier recording as:-

Henry Innes died  August 31st 1816 aged 15 years. Bessie Innes died January 21st 1855 aged 46 years.

13. From Vol 6 (1906/7) of the Memorials of the Dead and collected by Miss Vigors 

'Lieutenant Colonel Nichols died 1939'

We did not find this stone.

East Window

14. A note from the same volume of Memorials of the Dead

states that Mrs James Graves was the wife of the Rev. James Graves.  We did not find a memorial to Mrs James Graves in June 2015.

I found on line at http://www.gravesfa.org/gen364/htm the following references to the Graves Family burials at the Thomple for which there are no visible headstones or memorials. The information on this website concerning these Graves family burials at the Thomple are taken from a private manuscript noted as in the possession of Mrs R.E. Graves, Greedy's Orchard, Halse, Taunton in Devon, England and from Extracts taken from Thomastown Registers done by Rev. James Graves in 1871 and Anna Maria Barrington and copied by R. E. Graves in 1912. These references have not been consulted by us but they do have the ring of authenticity.

a) Richard Graves born 1713, died 1813 and buried in Thomple Tha Haun.

Richard was married to Margaret Bull born 1720, daughter of James Bull of Thomastown.

Margaret is buried at Thomastown but we do not have a date of death for her.

b) Charles Graves born Sept 1765 buried  1784 at Thomastown.

c) Margaret Graves born 1755 died 1786 and buried in Thomple Tha Haun.

d) Anthony Graves, Abbeyview House, Thomastown born 10th July 1751 died 31st January 1816 and buried at the Thomple Tha Haun.  His wife Mary Graves nèe Brett, Abbeyview House, died 4th April 1819 and buried at the Thomple Tha Haun.

e) Richard Graves bapt 14th Sept 1772 died Thomastown at 7 (years).

f) Edward Graves died at 17 (years).

g) Margaret Derenzi nèe Graves died 14th March 1828, Ballystraw, buried in the Thomple Tha Haun.

She was the wife of Captain Banjamin Derenzi.

h) James Mercer Graves, M.D Edinburgh, died at Abbeyview 21st May 1819 and buried at the Thomple Tha Haun.

i) Jane Mercer Graves never married, died 9th November 1851 and buried at the Thomple Tha Haun burial ground at Thomastown..

j) Charlotte Graves baptised 20th September 1794 and died in infancy.

k) Lydia graves died 1806 aged 14 years and buried in the Thomple Tha Haun.

l) James Graves was buried in 1788 at Thomastown. His wife Mary Flanagan born in 1762 died in 1842.

m) Elizabeth (Bessy) Graves Davis, Millview, Thomastown, died 26th July 1813 and buried at Thomple Tha Haun. She was wife of Amyas Davis.

n) Julia Davis died young.

o)William Cameron Graves, Grennan Cottage, Thomastown. Also of Wellington, Bannow, County Wexford, born 20th Jan 1820, died 23 May 1846 and  buried in the  Thomple Tha Haun.

p) Maria Graves died 25th February 1849 at Abbeyview and buried at the Thomple Tha Haun.

Taken from the Clergy of Ossory:-  Rev.James Graves was eldest son of Rev. Richard Graves and his wife Johana Anderson (whom he married 10th April 1813 at Kilkenny).

Rev. James was born in Kilkenny, entered TCD July 1st 1834 aged 19 years and B.A. in 1839.

He married Maria Dann Nicholls the daughter of Liet-Col William Dann Nicholls, R. A.

Rev. James Graves formed the Kilkenny Archaelogical Society with Prim in 1849.

He died on 20th March 1886. His tombstone in St Canices Cathedral, Kilkenny is a Celtic Cross designed by R Langrishe and modelled on the |High Cross of Clonmacnoise and is

inscribed " In loving memory of Revd. James Graves, Rector of Inisnag A. D. 1863- 86. Born 1816 Died 20th March 1886"

Index to names

Blake, 1,2. 

Brett, d).

Cameron, o). 

Clifford, 3.

Duke, 4.

Cody, 5.

Cooke, 11.

Davis, m) n)

Derenzi, g).

Devereaux, 6, 7.

Flanagan, l).  

Grace,  6. 

Graves, 8, 14. a), b,) c), d), e), g), h,) i), j),k),l),m),o),p).

Innes 12.

Mercer, h) i).

Nicholls, 13.

Reade, 6.

A beautiful window in need of protection

Index of Places 

Abbeyview, h) p)

Abbeyview House, d)

Ballinamona, 1.

Ballystraw, g)

Bannow, o)

Edinburgh, h)

Grennan, 11

Grennan Cottage, o)

Kilkenny county,  1

Mill View, 3

Millview, m)

Thomastown, 4, b) d ) e) i) l) o)

Wellington, o)

Wexford, o)

List of Occupations

Apothecary 4

Doctor h)

Rector 11, 14.