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~ Were Felix & Mary were Church of Ireland or Roman Catholic? ~
SURNAME
Moreton/ Morton was not terribly common in these parts. Click here for a handy map of parishes where Morton clusters appeared on record after 1857.
See William Morton Esq. and Godfrey Morton (1830-1911) of Fairview Croghan; George D Morton of Ardkeenagh (1824-1875). The Mortons were most numerous around Strokestown, see Thomas Morton Esq. of Castlenode (1799-1848); John Morton Esq. of Castlenode (1837); where there were also Catholic Mortons.
In 1862, James Morton of Cloonybryan (Ardcarn) was among the cess-payers selected for the Grand-Jury of Boyle. Since 1859, he was residing at farm 1a which in 1857 had been occupied by William Patterson. James Morton Esq. of Carrick-on-Shannon (son of John Morton Esq) married Agnes Backhouse of Springfield in 1858 (Tumna Church of Ireland).
FIRST NAME
Felix, if Catholic, was actually Christened Feilim / Phelim (Feidhlim) and may even appear on record as Phillip.
FELIX MORTON
Errironagh is a townland just southeast of the village of Knockvicar on the eastern border of what was Lorton's Rockingham Demesne (see Errironagh Gate Lodge) and also the Oakport Demesne. It will sometimes turn up on record as Errona / Errerona / Erroronagh /Erronagh / Erreronagh / Errironagh / Eire róna / Eire rónach / Oronagh / Oreronagh / Orrbronagh ... so your records for 1846, 1847 and 1853 are all referring to Errironagh (map).
Can you post the link to Felix Moreton's Tithe Applotment Record? (The only townlands with the prefix "Cloon-" in the civil parish of Ardcarn are: Clooncruffer/ Cloongreaghan / and Cloonybrien).
The middleman subletting to so many small tenants in that townland was Charles J. Peyton Esq. of Knockvicar (1790-1866) a gentleman grazier.
Errironagh in 1857, has no record of any Morton Griffith's Valuation.... however, if he was a "herd" or "yeoman" for Peyton, he could well have been residing at the house [GV4a Errironagh] where Charles Peyton (named as the occupant) was most certainly not. Charles John Peyton Esq, whose "seat" was at Knockvicar (which he gave to the Guardians to house the poor during the famine) was residing in Corrigard in 1851 and died there in 1866 (his residence would have matched the calibre of Grevisk House). Peyton would have had a yeoman in there overseeing all of the labourers on his substantial grazing farm at Errironagh. "Yeomen" specialised in the fattening of cattle (i.e. grazing) as opposed to tillage or farm labouring, and generally had a fair bit of land under their management.
The animals wandering on the road was a fairly common offence in those days ... the fencing of farms wasn't the best and wandering animals were put into the village pound until paid for.
EDWARD MORTON
Now... there was an Army Private Edward Morton of the Leitrim Rifles, who was sentenced to 3 months hard labour in late 1855 for assault and robbery of a watch from a prisoner of the 65th Regiment at Naas [Limerick Chronicle - Wednesday 09 January 1856].
Perfect timing ... but not a Revenue policeman! In the period 1832 to 1857, some 4,000 men served in the Irish Revenue Police, working to suppress illicit distillation.
Are you aware of this book: Four Courts Press | The Irish Revenue Police ? In this book, Jim Herlihy shows how to find information on them, providing an excellent resource for those interested in the history of the force, and of the period.
