Duneane Church of Ireland is the final burial place of Roddy (Roger) McCorley who was executed in Toomebridge on 2nd March 1800. He is remembered in a popular ballad which remembers him him as a martyr in the United Irishmen. There is no evidnece he was ever a United Irishman and he appears to have been convicted and executed because was a member of the Archer gang who regularly robbed people in the area. Article from the Belfast Newsletter 7th March 1800:
Extract of a letter from Ballymena, Sunday 2nd March.
“Upon Friday last a most awful procession took here, namely the escorting of Roger McCorley, who was lately convicted at a court martial, to the place of execution, Toome-bridge, the unfortunate man having been bred in that neighbourhood. As a warning to others it is proper to observe that the whole course of his life was devoted to disorderly proceedings of every kind; for many years past scarcely a Quarter Session occurred, but that the name Roger McCorley appeared in a variety of criminal cases! His body was given up to dissection, and afterwards buried under the gallows.
Tomorrow Caskey will be executed at Ahoghill, and upon Tuesday, the celebrated Dr Linn, at Randalstown; thus of late we have got rid of six of those nefarious wretches, who have kept this neighbourhood in the greatest misery for some time past, namely Stewart, Dunn, Ryan, McCorley, Caskey and Dr Linn – in consequence of some information given by those unhappy men, there is reason to believe that the noted ARCHER will soon be in our guard –room.
Notwithstanding the awful examples that have been made in the course of ten days past, only think of it, that upon last Friday night, the house of a John Montgomery of Dunaird, near Broughshane, was robbed of about one hundred pounds, together with all his bedding, clothes etc, etc! The Court-Martial will recommence upon Wednesday.
Ive been researching my Ancestry and I have an ancester buried in this church yard, his name is John Carey 1800 - 1891, He is buried in the church yard here at Duneane Church of Ireland Church. He was known for building the Temple of Liberty in Toombe also a history of commiting murder which he was aquitted of. Interesting doing the research, if anyone has any other information re John Carey I would love to hear about it. I hope to visit this area on my next visit home.
There’s a notice in the Northern Whig for 22nd June 1892: “In the goods of John Carey, late of Rarity Cottage, Cloghogue, near Toome, in the county of Antrim, Gentleman deceased. All persons claiming to be relatives of the abovenamed deceased are hereby required to furnish to me full particulars of such relationship. 20th June 1892, John K. Currie Solicitor for the trustees, Ballymena.”
John Carey is listed in the Valuation Revision records as renting plot 10b, a house, outbuildings and small garden in Cloghogue. Presumably that was Rarity Cottage.
PRONI has this document relating to him, dated 1850, relating to a farmer who was in financial difficulties, presumably caused by potato blight, prevalent at that time:
D1242/26/2 Record from the Court for Relief of Insolvent Debtors recording the debts contracted by William Neill, senior, late of Lake Hill, Co. Antrim, farmer, committed to Carrickfergus Gaol at the suit of John Carey of Cloghogue, Co. Antrim. Neill states that the cause of his present insolvency is 'attributable to the losses in the potato crop.'
Thank you Elwyn for the information I will research the documemt. Sharon
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