The Tithe Applotment List of 1823 for Aughamore Lower has two relevant entries: “Patt Higgins N Division” assessed for 12 acres, and “Patt Higgins S Division” assessed for 20 acres. It’s not clear whether these refer to two different Patrick Higginses, or to two separate plots occupied by the same person. Assuming that this is one person, this Patrick may well be the son of Peter, mentioned above. There is also an entry in the Columbkille parish records for a burial of ‘Patrick Higgins, Ahamore’ on 27th January 1850[ 4].

 

Although firm documentary evidence is lacking, it's likely that this Patrick is the father of Peter (b. 1808), John (b.1817) and William (b.1827). All three of these named their first son ‘Patrick’; given the naming conventions of the time the first-born son was likely to be called after his paternal grandfather. This suggests that these three were brothers whose father was called Patrick.

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Well into the 20th century there were two adjoining farms both occupied by Higginses in Aghamore. At the time of Griffiths’ Valuation (1860s) Peter occupied plots 3a and 3b; and plots 4a and 4b were occupied by John. From the shape of the plots on the map it’s not too difficult to imagine that 3a and 4a had once formed one plot, as had 3b and 4b. In the 18th and early 19th century, it was common to divide plots among sons. But this resulted in increasingly smaller uneconomic holdings, which contributed greatly to the disaster of the Famine (1847-50). After the famine, this practice died out, and only one son inherited to land – the others mostly emigrated. The third son we know of, William, appears to have obtained a holding in Rathmore, a nearby townland. He was known as ‘Lazy’ William, for reasons we can now only guess at.

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When Peter’s and John’s sons took over the farms, both were called Patrick, but the cousins were known as Little Pat (or Pat Peter) and Big Pat (or Pat John).

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Thanks to the well-preserved parish records, there are details of these three families. In total, the three brothers had about thirty children. However, disentangling them is difficult as they relied on a limited range of first names for their children. The names Mary, Anne, Patrick and Thomas occur in all three families. Elizabeth, Catherine, Bridget, William and Peter occur in two of them. Only John, Edward, James and Francis are unique to a single family. The descendants of these must now number in the hundreds, so this account can only deal with a few strands.