Gilbert Eccles Monument

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Wall-mounted memorial stone, dated 1694, located in the south wall of the church ruin in centre of Donacavey Old Churchyard, to the east of Church Street. The memorial is constructed of sandstone with carved relief.

Rectangular memorial consists of aedicule of fluted Corinthian collonettes on simple bases each surmounted by winged motif; open scrolled pediment; fleur-de-lys to apex. Enclosed within aedicule is skull and crossbones emblem to base surmounted by inscription; largely illegible (recorded to read ‘Memento mori’) and Coat of Arms.

Set within rubble walling to south-east corner within church ruin; partially overgrown. The surrounding churchyard contains selection of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and twentieth-century grave markers (see HB11/02/018). Bounded to road at west by rubble retaining wall surmounted by cast-iron railings; access via pair of square sandstone pillars supporting cast-iron gates.

Roof N/A
Walling Sandstone
Windows N/A
RWG N/A

Historical information

The Latin inscription can be translated thus; “This cenotaph Charles/Eccles of Fintona in Co/unty Tyrone, esquire/caused to be made in memory/ of his father Gilbert Eccles/of Shanock in County/Fermanagh, esquire, who/honourably lived and piously died/on the 6th of the Kalends of August in the year of our Lord/1694, in the 92nd year of his age.” (Dillon and Jefferies eds p.302) The inscription is surmounted by the Eccles coat of arms and motto ‘Nec animus deficit’ which Dillon and Jefferies translate as ‘Do not lose heart’. They comment that, “The placing of the…monument near the communion table in the theologically-privileged east end of the church, built itself without a chancel, shows his son commandeering a special place for the memorial.” (Dillon and Jefferies eds p.302)

Burke’s history of the landed gentry of Ireland has the following entry for Gilbert Eccles; “Gilbert Eccles b. 1602 settled in Ireland temp. Charles I and acquired large estates in Cos Tyrone and Fermanagh…son of John Eccles of Kildonan, Ayr and Janet Cathcart of Carleton family…Surname of Eccles assumed by proprietors of lands and barony of Eccles, Co Dumfries” (p.283)

Gilbert Eccles appears to have been part of the second wave of plantation, mostly of Scots, that occurred following the rebellion of Irish lords in 1641. (Mallory & McNeill p.303)

According to Dillon and Jefferies, Eccles ‘acquired the plantation estate, originally English granted, based on Fintona in c.1659’ (p.300) O Gallachair states that the son, Charles Eccles, built the original Ecclesville manor house in 1703. (p.22)

Ancestry Ireland comments, “He is described as ‘of Shanock’ which refers to the estate in Co. Fermanagh which he purchased from Henry Gilbert in 1656. He served as high sheriff of Fermanagh in 1665 and …became high sheriff of Tyrone in 1673.”

References:

Secondary Sources:

1. Ancestry Ireland. [Internet Source]. Available from: http://www.ancestryireland.com - Accessed 20.2.09
2. Burke, Sir B ‘A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland’, Harrison & Sons, 1899
3. Dillon, C and Jefferies, H A, eds. ‘Tyrone History and Society’, Geography Publications, 2000
4. Mallory, J P and McNeill, T E ‘The Archaeology of Ulster – from Colonization to Plantation’, Institute of Irish Studies, 1991
5. O Gallachair, P. ‘Old Fintona’, Cumann Seanchais Chlochair, 1974

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A wall-mounted memorial stone, dated 1694, located in the south wall of the church ruin in centre of Donacavey Old Churchyard, to the east of Church Street. The memorial is a well preserved example of seventeenth century stonework displaying some fine decorative relief carvings. The significance of the stone is not solely due to age; Gilbert Eccles was an important figure in the local area gaining title of ‘Manor of Fentonagh’ and later, High Sheriff of Fermanagh and Tyrone. However, the church is a scheduled monument and this is a more appropriate form of protection for the memorial.