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of Robert's father and mother and so therefore, when David Watson died in 1890. his descendants were compelled to forfeit the estates. 139

A codicil dated 18 April 1801 to the will of Thomas Ruttledge of Bloomfield (above) names a ` natural son. John Ruttledge 'now Quartermaster in the 9th Dragoons'. John (b.c 1763 d.c. 1842) was married in Athy, Co. Kildare, on 29 April 1790 and had the following children, with birth years in brackets: Thomas (1795) Peter (I796) William (1800) Sarah (1802) John (1805) Robert (1807) James (1809) Francis (1812) Mary (1815) and Ann (1822) 140

Three of the sons can be identified. Thomas was of Creggavatta, 141 2 miles south-east of Hollymount, and had sons, William (c. 1840) and James (c. 1844) 142 Peter was of 3rd Dragoons and had sons, John (1824) and Robert (1828) 143 and James was of Castlevilla. 6 miles south-east of Hollymount and had sons, William (1844) James (1850) and Campbell (1853) 144 Their relationship to each other is clear from James' lease of Castlevilla dated 1 Nov. 1845 145 where two of the lives' are William 'aged about 9' (son of Thomas of Creggavatta) and `John aged about 17' (son of Peter of 3rd Dragoons). In fact William was five and John twenty-one, but James of Castlevilla was never reliable on ages: his wifes tomb in Ballinrobe churchyard reads 'in her 32nd year' while the Burial Register gives her age as 41. James of Castlevilla was land-agent for Lords Erne and Kilmaine. and in 1866 became the formers tenant at Lough Mask House. 146 In the following year he took an action for slander against a man called Bacon who had said that he was 'broken and smashed and fled the countrv. 147 By 1869 he was seriously in debt, l48 had lost his jobs with their Lordships and his tenancy of Lough Mask. where his successor was the famous Captain Boycott. James Ruttledge died 20 July 1887. 144 His wife had died in May 1858. 149

WILLIAM RU'ITLEDGE, Younger son of Peter of Cornfield/Carrowkillen was born c. 1719. In 1747 he married Jane. 3rd daughter of Richard Walker of Dublin, Merchant 150 and in 1752 he started up an ironworks at Boyle, Co. Roscommon. In this venture he would have had the help of his uncle. Andrew Ruttledge of Foxford. Co. Mayo, who was an experienced ironmaster (see D below). On 9 February 1752 he purchased the 'timber woods and underwoods' in thirty-five townlands in Cos. Roscommon and Sligo from Baron Kingsborough for £13.500 151 and two months later he advertised in Faulkner's Dublin Journal for 'tradesmen capable of working at woods and iron works'. 152 An ironworks was a vast undertaking. many supported quite considerable colonies of people. and may be compared to present-day industrial developments in rural areas. The land necessary, with workers houses and plots, was between 200 and 400 acres and incredible amounts of timber were used. 153 In Faulkner of 28-31 December 1754 he was advertising his Dublin house for sale and in the issue of 9-12 February 1760 he was selling `The Woods of Mackmoine. Standing

139. William Green: (ed.) The Irish Reports, Chancery. i. 1895, pp. 96-103 Case of Ruttledge to Read. Tuam Herald 7 March 1896.

140. PRO. WO. 25/772. f.336.

141. RD. 1842. 16.15~ At the time of his marriage, James Ruttledge was a tenant of one of the two Carravillas on Cahirvosty townland. See footnote 37. PROI. House Books of 1842. b. of Kilmaine, p. of Kilcommon for Thomas Ruttledge of Creggavatta.

142. Ballinrobe Chronicle, 5 Sept. & 3 Oct. 1868 under 'Ballinrobe Union. PROI. LEC. Vol. 121, item 17, lease dated 30 April 1848. RCB. Library. Ballinrobe PR. (Burials) 'Thomas Rutledge 29 July 1863, James Rutledge 31 July 1875.

143. RCH. Library, Ballinrobe PR. (Births) 13 Oct. 1824 21 July 1828.

144: PROI. T. 19096 a & b: will of James Ruttledge of Castlevilla. RD. 1866. 16.45.

145: ibid. LEC. Vol. 25, item 3. lot 17. .

146. RD. 1866.16.45.

147. Irish Times, 29 May 1867; Ballinrobe Chronicle, 1 June 1867.

148. RD. 1869.24.253, 1869.23.238. 1869.18.86 & 87. 1870.19.255. 1873.28.80.

149. Moyo Constitution 23 May 1858.

150. RD. 126.447.88272.

151. RD. 150.361.102281.

152. issue of 7-1l April 1752.

153. E. McCracken, The Irish woods since Tudor times (Newton Abbot, 1971).