Courtesy of the South Mayo Research Centre Melletts of South Mayo The Mellett Sept By P. Waldron of South Mayo THE SURNAME MELLETT occurs today in many spelling variations including Mellot,Mellotte, Millett, Myllett and Moylett. The family is of English origin and has been recorded in various parts of England, including Wiltshire, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire and Oxfordshire since the early thirteenth century. (1) Families of the surname came to Ireland either at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1169, or in the two centuries immediately afterwards. Father Woulfe, one of the main authorities on Irish surnames, says that the surname derives from "Milot", a diminutive or pet-form of the Christian name "Milo", while Edward MacLysaght suggests that its derivation is from miles meaning "soldier". Both Wolfe and MacLysaght state that the surname was found in the south of Ireland counties of Tipperary and Kilkenny from the early fourteenth century.(2) Whether the Melletts of Mayo are descended from,these families is not clear, but certainly the surname was well known in Mayo by the end of the sixteenth century. While the name is found throughout County Mayo, The following is concerned with the Melletts in the southern half of the county, particularly in the country around Ballenrobe town. (3) There are two Irish forms of the surname in use, both of which can be used with or without the prefix "O" Mealoid, Mioloid.(4) The Melletts first make an appearance in Mayo history in the 1580s and several members of the family are mentioned in sixteenth and seventeenth century sources. These scattered references all concern individuals who lived and owned land in the parish of Robeen, north of Ballinrobe: Richard oge Mac Thomas Malode, kern (lightly-armed soldier), was one of seventeen men pardoned by Queen Elizabeth on the 18th of January 1584. (5) In 1589 Richard Bourke and Sir Murrough 0'Flaherty and their followers, including some shipwrecked survivors of the Spanish Armada, travelled through South Mayo raising disturbances as part of a campaign to intimidate "loyalist" settlers in the area. Their progress was recorded in a letter dated the 19th of March 1589, written by Thomas Nolan to Sir Richard Bingham, President of Connacht. Nolan describes how the group left the Lehinch area and "...... came up as far as the river of Clongowla or Ballenrobe, cessed themselves upon the Rochfords, Malods and Clannevallies (MacEnallys), and going thus in troops to the terror of the subjects." (6)Cloongowla is immediately north of Ballinrobe town. Amongst the lands in County Mayo leased to John Rawson and Henry Deane, under a lease dated 5th June 1594 was "one quarter of land called Carrowekiltrone, in said co., the lands of Ricard beg Malodd, of Kiltrone,attained."(7) The Strafford Inquisition which lists the land-owners in Mayo in 1625 names four land-owners of the four land-owners of the surname in County Mayo: Moyler, Gilleduffe, Walter and Richard Malodd alias Moilodd .All four owned land in the townland spelt variously Carrownshenagh, Carrowneshennagh, Carrownshannogh and Carrowsheana alias Ballagara. (8) Though this placename is now obsolete and the location cannot be fixed with absolute certainty, it most probably refers to an area in the vicinity of Ballygarries in the parish of Robeen about six miles north of Ballinrobe town (Ballagara seems to be a version of Ballygarries). None of these are listed in the Books of Survey and Distribution which records the names of land-holders in 1641, and the later seventeenth century. Unfortunately, sources for genealogy in South Mayo through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries are virtually non-existant, especially in relation to Catholic families, which the Melletts undoubtedly were. A census of Ballenrobe and district, taken in 1783 lists the following Melletts: Andrew Mellot Glebe St James Mellott Friarsquarter John Mellott Rahard Patt,Mick and Edward Mellott Rathcarreen John, Martin and Mick Mellett Lavally Patt Mellott Carrantihane John Mellett Cregduff Laurence Mellett Cahernablaha Many of the graveyards in the general Ballinrobe area have inscribed memorials commemorating Melletts who lived through the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. These individuals include the following: name born died aged buried in Henry Mellott 1710 1790 80 Killcommon Bridgett Mellott 1735 1818 85 Ballinrobe Friary (Mrs. William Size) John Mellott 1754 1830 76 Ballinrobe Friary John Millett 1759 1825 66 Crossboyne Thomas Mylotte 1785 1857 72 Ballinrobe Friary The Tithe Applotment Books, an incomplete list of land-holders dating from the 1820s, 30s and 40s, lists the following Melletts as tithe-payers in South Mayo. ( The spellings are those given in the actual record): Mellot & Co Ruslara Thomas Mellot Currabee French Tom Mellot Carramore John Mellot Cavanquarter Tom Mellot Cavanquarter James Mellot & Co Cloonenagh John Mellot Curragh Pat Mellot Curragh Redmond Mellot Demesne Barret, Mellott & Co Greenane, Ballinrobe 1837 Daniel Mellett Brodolough, Shrule 1826 Martin Mellotte Carranagour, Ballinchalla 1828 P. Mellet Neale Demesne, Kilmolara c. 1830 Patrick Millott Ballybackagh, Kilmainebeg c. 1830 Patrick Millett Curraghadooey, Crossboyne 1842 Patrick Mellotte Lackane, Ballinchalla 1828 Patrick Mellett Rushill, Manulla 1840 The earliest available list of land-holders (or heads of households) in the entire country is the General Valuation of Rateable Property in Ireland, which for County Mayo dates from 1855. An analysis of this source shows a concentration of Mellett families in Ballinrobe and surrounding parishes: BALLINCHALLA Patrick Cahernichol West (heads house), land in Cahernichole East BALLINROBE John, Ballinrobe Demesne Patrick, Ballinrobe Demesne (heads house) John, Cahernabudogy Thomas, Cahernabudogy Martin, Carrowmore, land in Knockroe, Kilmolara Partick, Cavanquarter John, Clooncorraun Patrick, Clooncorraun land in Cloonenagh Thomas, Cloonenagh William, Cloonee Henry, The Common, Ballenrobe Anne, Cregduff Michael, Curraboy,land in Cahercroobeen,Kilmaine and Knockroe,Kilmolara James, Abbey St Ballinrobe John, Knockadoon Bernard, Knocklahard Patrick, Knocklahard James, Rahard (lessor) Michael, Rathcarreen Redmond, land in Ballinrobe Demesne and Cahernabudogy BREAGHWY Patrick, Ahanroe land in Pollanaskan CONG John, Knockalassa Martin, Creevagh North land in Kiltogarra (held with Jos. Huddy) Martin, Houndswood Middle CONG-IN-ROSS Catherine, Carrowbaun Henry, Carrick Middle John, Claggan Thomas, Carrowbaun CROSSBOYNE John, Crossboyne land in Derry ISLANDEADY Edmond, Derrycooraun James, Derrycooraun Patrick,(Michael) Derrycooraun Patrick,(Patrick) Derrycooraun Patrick,(Thomas) Derrycooraun Richard, Derrycooraun Thomas, Derrycooraun Edmond, Kilfea KILCOLMAN Henry, Ballintaffy KILLCOMMON Henry, Lissatava Martin, Lissatava Thomas, Lissatava Michael, Carrowkeel North Patrick, Carrowkeel North Thomas, Corracrow KILMACLASSER Dominick, Derryribbeen KILMAINEBEG David, Ballybackagh Patrick, Ballybackagh Patrick, Kilkeeran KILMAINEMORE Michael, Cartron Kirwan land in Caherrevagh & Cloonameeltoge KILMEENA Patrick, Cross KILMOLARA Bridget, Knockroe Martin, Nealpark John, Creevagh Thomas, Creevagh South land in Carrownakilly MAYO Daniel, Drishaghaun OUGHAVAL Patrick, Tubber hill, Westport ROBEEN Patrick, Curraboy Thomas, Curraboy SHRULE Ellen, Mounthenry Patrick, Cahernabrock TAGHEEN John, Cloonkeeghan Mel Gibson, the Hollywood actor is descended from the South Mayo Melletts - his great-grandfather was Patrick Mellett from Clooncormick, Hollymount (parish of robeen) who emigrated to Australia in the 1840s Another Mellett with a background in acting is Joe Mellotte of The Neale, who was John Wayne's understudy during the filming of "The Quiet Man". In conclusion, the Mellett family seem to be of English origin, probably having come to Ireland during the Anglo-Norman Invasion of 1169, or in the centuries immediately after. By the late sixteenth century they seem to have had their headquarters in the south-western corner of Robeen parish, in the country around Ballygarries and Brownstown, about six miles north of Ballinrobe town. Through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the Mellotts settled throughout the general Ballinrobe area and, in line with the population explosion in late eighteenth century Ireland, became quite numerous. By the middle of the nineteenth century Mellott was synonymous with, and was one of the commonest surnames in South Mayo. Several Melletts are prominent business people in Ballinrobe and surrounding villages including Thomas Mellett, plumbing and heating contractor Kilkeeran, Ballinrobe; Harry Mellot of Mellott's Joinery, New St. Ballinrobe ; Joseph Mellotte, retired merchant and publican, The Neale; Richard Mellotte, merchant and publican, The Neale. (1) Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, London and Boston 1976, p.240 This work lists the earliest found references to surnames, with sources and locations abbreviated. The relevant entry reads: Milot 1206 Cur (Nf); Roger Millot 1275 RH(Nt); Richard Mileth 1279 RH (0); RichardMyles or Mylot 1453 RochW. A diminutive of Mile. v MILES. (2) Woulfe, Rev. Patrick, Sloinnte Gaedheal isGall, lrish Names and Surnames, Dublin 1923,pp. 429, 30. MacLysaght, Edward A.,TheIreland, Dublin 1991, p.216. (3) The Author is aware too of a landed Millett family of Munster origin who resided for some time in the Bohola area (4) Woulfe, op.cit. (5) The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns Dublin 1994, vol. II, p. 656, fiant no.4580 (6) Knox, Hubert T.,The History of the County of Mayo to the close of the Sixteenth Century, Dublin 1908, facsimile reprint, Castlebar 1982,pp. 222,3. (7) The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns,Dublin 1994, vol. III, p.235, fiant no.5865. The epithet beg, is from the Irish Beag meaning "small". (8) O'Sullivan, William (ed.), The Strafford Inquistion of County Mayo, Dublin 1958, p.58. The relavant text reads:"Moyler Mallad (or Moilood) is, and has been for the space of ten years before the last day of June last hath been, the reputed possessor or owner of the half gnive of Carrowneshenagh until that he did mortgage the same unto Moyler Malad and his heirs for L3 10s sterling. Gilleduffe Malad is, and has been for the space of ten years before the last day of June last hath been, the reputed possessor or owner of the half gnive of Carrowneshenagh aforessaid from the last day of June1625 until that about 7 years since he did mortgage the same unto the same Moyler Malad and his heirs for L4 sterling. Walter Malod is, and has been for the space of ten years before the last day of June last hath been, the reputed possessor or owner of the half gnive of Carrowneshenagh aforessaid from the last day of June1625 until that about two years since he did mortgage the same unto the same Moyler Malad and his heirs for two garrons price L4 sterling. Richard Malod is,and has been for the space of ten years before the last day of June last hath been , the reputed possessor or owner of half quarter of Ballagara, alias Carrowneshennagh; and half gnive in ____ ." This source also records that one John ffitz Gibbons(or McGibbons) held a half gnive of Carrowneshennagh "untill that he did mortgage the sameunto Moyler Malard (sic) and hie heirs for L4 sterling." From the South Mayo County Research Center Journal 1996 by P. Waldron Special thanks to the South Mayo Research Centre