Families of Carrigtwohill

Durdin Family

Burke's Peerage

It has recently been discovered that John Durdin of Glanmire, magistrate for County Cork, who it is said had fled Norwich with Mary his wife at the outbreak of the Irish rebellion of 1641 had a daughter, Mary, who was baptised at St George’s, 1649, Norwich. At a date so far unknown, John Durdin returned to Cork with his family and settled in Carrigtwohill. Yet, it is further stated by Burke, that he was interred in a vault at Westminster Abbey.

Unless Edmund Cotter of Anngrove had a son Edmund, the account given by Burke’s peerage does not jive with the date of Edmund’s death in 1660, who is buried in the family vault. Michael Durdin is said to have been born three years later, and married Edmund’s daughter. This erroneous statement by Burke is further reinforced by the actual baptismal register entry at St George Colegate Church kindly provided us by the Norfolk Family History Society. It is difficult to read, but appears to say;

“Mary the daughter of John Durdan/Durdon and Bridget his wife [… ….] the [2 nd day of September]”;

The [bracketed] items are unclear

Durdin of Carrigtwohill

According to Burke’s Peerage, John died at the great age of 108. Burke further tells us John’s namesake born 1676, married Anne, daughter of Alexander Cole of Innishannon. He died, 1772, aged 96. Michael born 1663 and of Ballmagooley (later to be known as Rockforest), married Anne, daughter of Edmond Cotter of Innismore, and sister of Sir James Cotter of Anngrove (formally known as Ballinsperrig), Carrigtwohill. Michael remained in the village naming his property ‘Fontarabia’. Unfortunately, we can find no other reference to this property. Michael’s Will Proved in 1739 describes him as a ‘Carigtohill Farmer’.

Alexander of Shanagarry, born 1712, married four times, and eventually settled in Huntingdon, Carlow. He married first Miss Dunscombe of Cork City (Dunscombe's Marsh), but by her there were no children. He then married, 1746, Mary, daughter of James Duncan of Kilmoon House, Co Westmeath. She died within a few days of giving birth in 1747 to her only son Richard, who as 4^th Baron established Huntington Castle. Alexander next married Anne (née Vaux) widow of William Penn, grandson of the Pennsylvania Founder. Upon her death Alexander acquired a large proportion of the Penn Pennsylvania Estate. On her death he lastly married, 28^th January 1768, at Rathcooney, Barbara, 2^nd daughter of Warham St Ledger of Heyward’s Hill, and by her had sons; Warham and John.

All the above were buried in Carrigtwohill. Unfortunately, no surviving headstone are to be found marking their graves. Yet, the JCHAS annual of 1908 in their biography of Admiral Penn tells us of a passage which appeared in the ‘Journal of the Memorials of the Dead Association, Ireland’, 1905 the following headstone inscription.

“This tombstone is erected by John Durdin in memory of his father, Michael Durdin, his wife and brothers; also John Durdin’s wife and sons, and for himself whensoever it shall please God to call him, aged 97. John Durdin died aged 96 years. Alexander Durdin died 20 September, 1807, aged 95 years.”

Durdin of Midleton & Cranmore House, Carlow

Thomas Grade Durdin - details to be determined. Alexander Warham Durdin married his brother Thomas Grade Durdin, 28^th February 1844, St Peter's, Dublin.

St. George’s Colegate,

The ‘History, Gazetteer, and Directory, of Norfolk’, 1851, has the following passage demonstrating that Rev Alexander Warham Durdin born Midleton circa 1811 (Not confirmed), son of Robert Atkin, an Infantry Captain, studied and qualified at Trinity College, Dublin, before returned to his ancestral home parish as the incumbent. He married, 7^th October 1847, Lydia, daughter of Solicitor Robert Pritcher, at St Margaret’s, Kings Lynn, Norfolk.

“St. George’s Colegate, a large handsome gothic structure, rebuilt at different periods, has a lofty tower in which is a clock, and three bells. The interior is nicely fitted up, and there is a good organ. In the chancel is a fine alter tomb to Robert Jannis, a great benefactor to this church and the city; and near it is a beautiful mural monument to John Herring, Esq. The window over the communion table is beautifully adorned with stained glass. The churches of St. Margaret-at-Colegate and St. Olave, in Cherry-lane, were taken down and their cures consolidated with St. George’s; the former in 1349, and the latter in 1546. The benefice is a perpetual curacy, valued in 1831 at £98, and augmented from 1736 to 1792 with £1,000 Queen Anne’s bounty. The dean and chapter are patrons; and the Rev. Alexander W. Durdin, incumbent.”

He died as Rector of Threxton, Norfolk, 18^th August 1889, and was buried in his family vault.