The farm had been occupied by a relative of his, a James MacIntyre, who lived as a bachelor. On his death, the farm had been taken over by the Stewart’s, who offered it for sale to various farmers in the district. It was offered to old John McBride of Ballymore, great grandfather of the present (1956) Charles McBride. The price asked was £20.00. McBride did not produce the money and it was offered as a last chance to Charles MacIntyre of the Old House in Knockfaugher, who bought it for his son Andrew (my grandfather) for £30.00. My grandfather got married and went to live in Derryart. It must have been some time about the end of the 1830’s or the beginning of the 1840’s. How the place was lost to us has already been told. My father’s elder brother, Charlie and his sister Anne were sent by the government to Australia on a free emigration scheme. Nothing further was heard from them. My father and his twin brother (they were nine years old at the time) lived with their uncle Cornelius MacAward, in his place at the far end of Knockfaugher for a short time.

William MacIntyre, my father’s uncle was living in the old home in Knockfaugher. He married a girl named MacElwaine, an aunt of Big Mickie’s. She would be a grand aunt to the present (1956) MacIlwaine’s. For some reason William and his wife separated. There were two children, Mary and William. Mary was afterwards married to Dennis Brennan, and was the mother of Johnnie Brennan of Massinass who lives there now (1956). William went to America. He is probably dead. His father (William) remained in the place (old House) for some years, and when he got old he left and went to live with his sister Peggy. (Peggy was an aunt of my father’s, she was mother of William McFadden and Mrs Rose Algeo, and grandmother of Charlie McFadden (Downey) recently deceased). He remained there until Peggy’s daughter, Rose, who married Pat Algeo in America, came home with her husband. There was no room for William, so he had to go to Dunfanaghy Workhouse, where he died. He is buried in Doe. When William MacIntyre left the old house he sold whatever right he had to the Stewart Estate Office for £30.00. The place was now the property of the landlord who could dispose of it as he thought fit. By some act of grace he gave it to the representatives of the late Widow MacIntyre, who were namely my father and his twin brother John. Cornelius MacAward then changed his residence from one end of the town to the other, and came to the Old House, bringing with him his own family of course, and the two orphans. I have not stated that the wife of Cornelius was Sheela MacIntyre, a sister of my grandfather, and therefore my father’s aunt. Cornelius remained in the Old House for some years.

My father was now growing up, and by his attendance at Ballymore Robertson’s school, had learned to read and write. One day, going to the bog with Cornelius, he discovered the Bog Ticket which had been issued by the Estate Office and that it was filled for the representatives of the late Widow MacIntyre. He knew then, for the first time, that the little farm in Knockfaugher belonged to himself and his brother John. He mentioned this to his uncle, who could not deny it. Some time after that my father was working all day with some of the neighbours and when he came back he found that his uncle had gone back to his own place, taking with him everything on the premises, corn, a roomful of potatoes and everything edible. My father and his brother were left in starvation. My father went to Harkins the leading shop in the district, and asked for a half hundredweight of Indian meal on trust for he had no money to pay for it. He was refused. He then came back and went to John Wilkinson, a well to do farmer who lived in the farm that the Thompson’s have now (1956).

John, a Protestant, was charitable and gave him 4/- and some money to get other provisions. My father went back to the shop and got what he wanted. He repaid the debt to Wilkinson by working for him for a certain time. Afterwards he hired with Wilkinson, and as he was capable of doing all farm work, he got £6 for the half year. That was the only time he was hired. He then went to Scotland, his brother remaining at home.

Written by Andrew MacIntyre