County Monaghan
Contae Mhuineacháin; Muineachán, a place of thickets
Sir Thomas Ridgeway had instigated a private plantation in Lurgan-Glaslough, county Monaghan, where he had built a cattle enclosure, or bawn, a few years ahead of the 1609 Plantation of Ulster.
On the death of Patrick McKenna of lower Truagh in 1614, the wardship of his son and heir Neale McKenna, was given to Sir Thomas Ridgeway, from his 12th to the boy's 18th birthday.
On 1 March [18th of James 1] 1621, an inquisition found that;
a parcel of land called Donagh, containing 1 tate of land in the barony of Trough and parish of Donagh, [was] now or lately in possession of Thomas Lord Ridgeway or his assigns, with the patronage of Donagh with its tithes.
Donagh is in the north-east of the county, near Armagh.
The Plantation of Ulster of 1610 did not include Monaghan, which was deemed to have been planted in 1591-2, when it was confiscated or 'surrendered' and allocated as 'regrants' to various McMahon chieftains - except so-called church lands, which were given to servitors - and the county remained mainly in Irish hands until the Cromwellian land-confiscations, when 38 per cent was allocated to soldiers and adventurers.
The arrival of Richard Ley in Monaghan, probably sometime in the third or fourth decade of the century, may have been by purchase, as it is apparent from the Inquisitions that a great deal of land was sold by the Irish proprietors, before the rebellion, to English adventurers.
In the depositions taken regarding outrages in 1641, the year of the rebellion, when thousands of Protestant settlers were massacred, it is apparent that many English settlers had moved into the area around Clones in the period since the plantation.
Bridget, widow of Richard Lee, a carpenter, of Monaghan, described how her husband had killed five rebels before they killed him. She lost 'cattle worth £14, working tools worth £10, wearing clothes and household stuff £10'. Five men were hanged for these offences.
There is no documented connection with the family we are concerned with, although he was probably related. Clearly, he was not Irish.
Some of Emanuell Ley's descendants established themselves at Leysborough, also written Leyborow, Leyborough and even Laynborough, east of Clones, county Monaghan, and others remained in the original area.
Emanuell's son Richard, and Richard's son, William, obtained land after the Cromwellian confiscations.

Richard and his son, William Ley
Pender's Census from circa 1659, but based on data from 1654 - 1659, has in the parish of Dartry which was also called Galloone, [the name of the neighbouring parish of which it was sometimes a part], Curraghastee [2 English, un-named], Doohailee [2 Irish, un-named], Cornewall [2 English], Corkalier [6 Irish], Richard Ley, [next entry is Kileleagh, which is probably the Killilea which is given as the address for William Ley on his will].
Richard moved to Aghabog parish, and in the Hearth Money Roll for 1665, he is living near to the townlands of Drumnaghkeel, Drumannar, Corraculter, and Doohat, near to Correvan, Clones, co Monaghan (the area later known as Leysboro). His name is not included in the roll for 1663, which may indicate that he arrived between 1663 and 1665.
Aghabog is Achadh bog, soft field.
Richard's son was William, as we shall see.
A list of Soldiers of the Commonwealth, who fought in Cromwell's army, includes Ensign William Ley, of Monaghan.
Lands in Aghabog parish which had been owned in 1640 by: the heirs of Owen McRory McMahon, Irish Papist, were divided as follows; Aghereagh, two tates, between Peter Beaghan and Ensigne William Lye; and those of James Macabe, Irish Papist, Correvan, one tate; to Ensigne William Lye; and of the heirs of Redmond Mc Rory McMahon, Irish Papist, Duhalty (Doohat?), one tate; between Peter Beaghan and Ensigne William Lye.
The confiscations undertaken to pay Cromwell's officers took place about this time.
A memorial to the Ley or Lee family, recorded in 1879, names Richard as the son of Emanuell, and spells his name as LEE. The memorial is dedicated by Richard's son, William LEY:

In the parish of Killevan, barony of Dartry, in the townland of Drumswords is a ruined church, and on the western gable there is a mural tablet to the memory of the Lee or Ley family of Leyborough, in Aghabog parish.
The inscription and arms are much defaced; the latter would appear to be a lion rampant (Az., a lion rampant guardant or, tail forked, is the coat of Lee of Lee in Sussex), below is the following;
"This monument was erected by William Ley of Leyborow in memory of his Father Richard Lee Esq Son of Emmanuel Ley Esq and likewise in memory of his Mother Mrs Elizabeth Ley who both died in the year of Our Lord ______"
(the rest defaced).
The arms described: on a blue ('Az'., is azure, blue) shield, an upright (rampant) lion with its face toward (guardant) the observer, and coloured gold ('Or' is gold).

Spellings are problematic; in the inscription, the spelling for Emmanuel is not consistent with the man's signature, but the spelling of the surname, which is different for each generation, (and Richard's wife!) may nevertheless indicate a certain ambiguity regarding the usage of surnames, or poor quality workmanship on the part of the stone engravers.

Drumswords Church gable wall

Drumswords Church engraving
A later and more complete version reads:

"This monument was erected by William Ley of Leysborough in memory of his father. Richard Ley Esqr., son of Emmanuel Ley Esqr., and likewise in memory of his mother, Elizabeth Ley who both died in the year of Our Lord 1728."

This inscription is on a mural tablet, surmounted by a coat of arms, on the western gable of the ruined church within the graveyard. The surface of the stone has disintegrated and the inscription has been preserved by Rev.Victor H Foster who recorded it in his book A History of Killeevan Parish (Monaghan 1958), p 10. Shirley in his History of the County of Monaghan, London, 1879. p. 336, only partially quotes this inscription. Leysborough is the former name of Annaghmakerrig, and is located in Mullaghmore townland. Annaghmakerrig Lough is listed as Leysborough Lough on the 1835 0.S. map.
In the past, Killevan parish was united with Aghabog and at times was also a parish in its own right. Killevan is Kill Laghbhain, ie of St Lebhan, who was supposedly contemporaneous with St Patrick.
The church at Drumswords is first recorded on a map of 1793, and the ruined building still stands in 1998, although the inscription has gone, the stone used being of slate, much of which has flaked away. The coat of arms, on a separate stone, is still quite clear. It is of a lion rampant, but not guardant, and with a normal tail, not forked. The demi-lion crest (the half-lion on the top) is holding an ornate cross or a fleur-de-lis. The carving is quite ornate. The tablets take up most of the wall, and clearly imply that the family was a significant contributor to the building of this church. The lower tablet measures 57 inches from top to bottom, and 49 inches wide, and the upper stone is 29 inches square, with a surrounding stone frame.
A representation of the engraving on the upper stone.

This coat of arms is very similar to that of the Leigh family of East Hall, Cheshire, two of whom, James and Francis, lived in Drogheda, and leased lands in county Cavan, and at Cloghernagh, Cabragh and Roosky, Monaghan.

There was a burial ground at this church, which may possibly be the final resting place of Emanuell. There is no will recorded, although the surviving will records are not a reliable indicator. His employer, Thomas Ridgeway, and his brother, Captain John Ridgeway, both returned to Devon and died there, [the other brother, George died in Tyrone], and Emanuell may have retired to his place of origin also.
Drumswords is a few miles from Clones, about half-way between Scotstown and Newbliss, and some distance from Leysborough.
In the Williamite/Jacobite War, Clones was attacked by the forces of James, as a letter of 14 April 1690, relates:

the time your town was burnt Ensign Ley and fourteen of the Dawsons who fled into the castle for sanctuary from the Irish defended it against 2,000 (200?) of the enemy for twelve hours until they were relieved by friends of the Enniskillen forces and in the action they lost not a man. They killed about 40 of the Irish.
After the war, Clones (Cluain-Eois; the meadow of a man named Eos; Clownish) was badly damaged, and abandoned, as described in a letter of 31 July, 1690,
Clownish ... castle wants a deal of slating and one of the joysts above the dining-room floor is from the wall. It was I am told full of dung but it is now clean and a part of it inhabited by Ensign Lee...

An ensign was a junior officer of rank equivalent to, or lower than, the modern rank of lieutenant, and in some instances, he might be aged all of fourteen years!
Ensign William Ley seems to be the one whose will is dated 1702, and he was probably married to the Elizabeth Ley, alias Dawson, whose will is also dated 1702.
The Dawson family of Dawson Grove, descended from John Dawson of Armagh, and Ann Richardson, whose eldest son, Walter, also of Armagh, married Ann, daughter of John Jeeves of Drogheda, marriage licence dated 29 December 1680, and had children Walter, Thomas, Edward, Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth, and an un-named youngest daughter who married a Mr Ley, presumably sometime after about 1700. It is highly likely that Elizabeth and the un-named daughter are in fact, one and the same.
Ensign William Ley had two sons, William, who was High Sheriff of Monaghan for the year 1710, and Richard.
There were two men named Richard Lee or Ley in Monaghan in the 1730's and it is possible that one used the spelling Lee to distinguish him from the other, who used the spelling Ley. This may also have been because of the association with Cromwell, which was a social stigma in many circles; 'Oliver's whelp' was a stinging insult.
One of them is named in the index to administration bonds, in 1746.
Richard Ley of Dukattin, Monaghan, had three children, and according to a deed dated 20 Nov 1738, they were: Edward, the eldest, Daniel, and Mary.
[92/365/64960 and 92/366/64961 20.11.1738 Richard Ley, Dubhall co Monaghan, re eldest son Edward, and Daniel and Mary.]
In a deed of 27 Aug 1745, Edward, son of Richard, contracted to marry Jane Cranston, a niece of Archdeacon John Cranston, of Clogher.
[121/40/81983 27.8.1745 Richard Ley of Dukattin Monaghan, and Edward, on his marriage to Jane Cranston, niece of Archdeacon Cranston of Clogher.]
In 1754, an Edward Lee was living in Cootehill, co Cavan (Dawson will, reg deed 189/531/126483), and an administration bond is recorded in 1754 for Edward Ley, Creesill, Diocese of Clogher.
The second son, Daniel Lee, was a Lieutenant in the Independent Troops and Companies, in 1745.
The other Richard Lee, of Correvan, who seems to be the Richard recorded in Clogher in 1708, had a son and heir William, and a daughter Elizabeth, recorded in 1737. We must assume that Garret Lee is a son of this man, although this is not stated. It is reasonably certain that he was the father of (Rev) Michael Lee, as recorded in Michael's entry details for Trinity College, although mentioned nowhere else.
38/513/25202 28.1.1713 Richard Ley, and William Ley, Correvan in Monaghan.
56/145/37337 9.4.1728 Richard Ley, of Correvan, son and heir William Ley.
87/50/62832 10.2.1737 Richard Ley and William Ley, his eldest son.
92/328/64780 Richard and William Ley, a mortgage re Coreevan, co Monaghan, Aughareagh, and Glen.
William married Elizabeth, daughter of John Bradshaw, of Lisnamuck, according to a deed dated 28 March 1725; Elizabeth married Gerard Walsh, according to a deed of 2 June 1746.
119/532/83512 2.6.1746 Richard Lee of Correvan, Monaghan, his daughter Elizabeth to Gerrard Walsh. Witnesses: William Lee and Rev Michael Lee.
The name William seems to have occurred in each subsequent generation.
In the Volunteers, Militia and Yeomanry of co Monaghan; in 1756, captain William Ley was a volunteer in the Regiment of Foot, in Monaghan, and William Ley of Leysborough was made High Sheriff on 29 January 1762.
He seems to be the same Captain Lee (sic) who married Elizabeth Graydon, and died without children.
Deed ref 204/122/134658 dated 7.5.1759 between William Ley Cootehill, with land at Correvan, Agheragh, Drummany, and Glen, in Monaghan, re a marriage to Eliz Graydon, widow, of Fintona, co Tyrone, nee Eccles, daughter of Charles Eccles of Ecclesville, Tyrone. Witness, William Ley of Leysboro.

See Cavan.
Under the 1793 Militia Act, a list of men compiled in Monaghan included W E Ley.
The Dartrey 2nd infantry for 1803 - 1805, and 1807 - 1815 included Richard Ley.
William Ley was made High Sheriff on 18 February 1804.
See Armagh wills 1806.
The family is not recorded thereafter.
Samuel Lewis, writing of Aghabog in 1837, says that:
Within the limits of the parish are five lakes, of which that near Leysborough demesne is the largest.
This is named Leesborough Lake in Griffith's Valuation of 1850.
The 1851 census index of townlands does not include Leysborough, so the family presumably had ceased to have significance between 1837 and 1851, although there were several Lee householders - not landowners - in Doohat in the 1850s.
The area is now known as Annaghmakerrig and Mullaghmore, to the north and east of Lough Annaghmakerrig, as it is now known, about half-way between Newbliss and Drum, county Monaghan, and not far from Cootehill, in county Cavan.
Annamakerrig House is a centre for musicians and artists, and was bequeathed to the state by William Tyrone Guthrie (1900 - 1971).

The government awarded a premium for growing flax in 1796 to
Leigh, Edward, Aghabog
Leigh, George, Aghabog
Leigh, John, Aghabog
Leigh, Michael, Aghabog
Leigh, Patrick, Tullycorbet
Leigh, William, Currin
Leigh, William, Ematris

A Householder's index, compiled from the Tithe Applotment Books from the 1820s and Griffith's Valuation from the 1850s record households only, with the surname as follows (Tithe Applotment indicates occurrences only, with no number given; Griffiths gives a number):

There were 33 Lee properties in 1856.

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