James Purcell of Loughmoe

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James Purcell, Baron of Loughmoe (1609 – 13 September 1652) was an Irish noble.

Purcell married Elizabeth, sister of the Marquess of Ormond, around 1640. The estate of James Purcell at this time consisted of lands spread over Tipperary, reaching from Holy Cross to Templemore; it totalled about 11,000 acres, and was valued at about 878 pounds per year. On these lands the castles of Loughmore, Rathelty, Dovea, Ballynahow and Lisheentagirt remain; Brownestown and Rorodstown are almost demolished, and several others have disappeared altogether. These castles were inhabited by relations of James Purcell when the rebellion broke out in 1641, but after the civil war they were probably all, excluding Loughmoe, abandoned.

James most likely died around 1652, leaving an infant heir named Nicholas. He left, it would appear, a jointure of 300 pounds per ann. to his wife, and a fortune of 500 pounds to each of his four daughters. His widow, being considered an 'innocent papist', was transferred to Connaught, whilst his son became the ward of his uncle, the Duke of Ormond.

James was buried in the Holy Cross Abbey and his tombstone reads with an eight armed cross in the centre of the slab "hic (?) . iacet. noblis | ac . generosus . bir . Jacobus . Pursell . baro . de . Corkhyny, et Libolby, et Ballcormmyc . ac . dns (?) . de | chripursellya . q . obiit . 11|die mensis Maiji a:d: [illegible word] mcccccb et ..... a Butler uror eius."

It as assumed that without Loughmoe or land in Connaught, Elizabeth Purcell and her four young children lived for a period with her family, possibly in Kilkenny Castle. On 19 May 1653 Elizabeth sent a petition of the Commissioners of Transplantation sitting at Loughrea, stating that she had a jointure of £300 a year on certain lands in Tipperary from her late husband. By order dated 19 February 1654, the Council assigned to Elizabeth Purcell lands in Ffurrour (sic.) and Clomnoelane in Galway. After a further petition requesting more land, the Council on 13 November 1655 awarded to the Baroness the half barony of Legtrim and ordered that the Sheriff of Galway was to put her in possession and aid her. This did not settle the affair. Immediately after she again petitioned the Council of Ireland to the effect that she experience great difficulty in obtaining possession of the lands granted to her and requesting further confirmation of the land otherwise she cannot get any tenants to inhabit and improve the said lands. An order was endorsed on 6 December 1655, directing that the High Sheriff of Galway put her in possession of the land. By November 1656 it seems the Baroness had been dispossessed of the land and an order of the Council dated 14th of November, 1656, orders her re-establishment in the lands she had been granted totaling 800 acres. Finally, the matter seems to have been brought to a conclusion by an Order in Council dated 22nd of December, 1656, that she was to be continued in possession of as much land in Connaught as shall amount to £200 per annum.

With the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660, the fortunes of the family took a turn for the better. Elizabeth Purcell returned to Loughmoe and again enjoyed her jointure of £300 a year. The young Baron Nicholas would have been seven or eight at this time and it was probably the first time he had seen his ancestral home. About this time, Elizabeth Purcell married Colonel John Fitzpatrick at Loughmoe, people present included her now married three daughters and her son, Baron Nicholas. By King's Order in a letter dated 31st of October, 1661 (?) the Duke of Ormonde, Baron Nicholas' maternal uncle, was appointed guardian of the young Baron. It would appear that the majority of work in respect to the recovery and management of the Baron's estate fell to Colonel Fitzpatrick who discharged his duty with scrupulous fidelity. Under the Down Survey of 1663 all of the following lands, historically Purcell lands, were confirmed to Baron Nicholas: Loughmoe, Cloghraile, Garranbarry, Graigue, Ratheasty, Rorardstown, Dovea, Lisheentaggart, Ballybristy, Clondoty, Killahara, Kilrush, Kilkillahara, Ballinahow, Beakstown, Cormuckstown, Farteana, Rathelty, one third of Athnidmore with Coolaculla Woods, Brownstown, Clonmuckogebeg, Ballyduag, half Curraghmore, and one colpe of land in Kilnalongford - a total of 11,489 acres. These lands ran from Holy Cross to Templemore, and included the castles of Loughmoe, Rathelty, Dovea, Lisheentagirt, Brownestown and Rorodstown.