Edited Obituary 20th April 2007:
CUNNINGHAM
April 19, 2007, Canon Robert Stewart CUNNINGHAM, dearly loved husband of
Maureen, formerly of
Former Incumbencies:
Last Rector of Portglenone Parish
(Connor) which is now with Ahoghill Parish,
St. Columba Parish of White Rock (Connor),
Sallaghy Parish (Clogher),
St. Patrick Group of Parishes (Clogher).
Funeral service was in St. Mark's
Psalm 23 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
A little History Of
The church is
situated at the junction of the Townhill and Cullybackey roads, was erected about the year 1735 by
Bishop Hutchinson. Plain and rectangular
it is constructed of fieldstones well limed, and measures fifty-six by
twenty-one feet. The ceiling is of
plaster work. With three windows on the
south side and one in the east end, the lighting is ample.
There is a tablet -
the oldest and most interesting in the church - to the memory of Dr. Francis Hutchinson. This tablet bears the following inscription,
the spelling of some of the words of which, as will be noted, appears rather
peculiar:
" In a vault under the
Communion Table
Lye
the Remains
of Dr.Francis
Hutchinson
late Bishop of Down and Connor
at whose expence
chiefly
this church was erected.
He
was born at
and was minister of St.James's
at
St.Edmundsbury.
He
was a careful, diligent, charitable
pastor,
A
learned prelate, and an honest good man.
He
departed this life June 23rd 1739,
In
the same place is interred
Anne,
his widow
who survd him 19
years.
Lettering on the font
shows that it was the gift of the Rev. M. Leslie, in 1735. The fact that the bell bears the same date
would confirm the time of the erection of the church to be in or about the year
1735. Some of the old Communion service,
also an ancient copper collection plate bear inscription which indicate that St.John O'Neill
presented them as gifts.
The enclosure in which
the church stands is locally known as the churchyard. Here lie successive generations of
Protestants of various denominations, and here too rest the mortal remains of
many more whose forefathers at one time or another identified themselves with different faith. In that one little bit of space all sleep
deep down in the bosom of the mother earth with not a symbol to tell of past
dissensions, political or religion.
(R.M. Sibbett in "ON THE SHINING BANN)
Conflict Resolution
1797
Rev. Edward Hudson in
Charlemont MS Volume 2: Charlemont,
Lord, Manuscripts and Correspondence, 2 vols. Historical Manuscripts
Commission, 1891-4. Two
volumes at Armagh Public Library, Founded in 1771 by Primate Richard Robinson,
Armagh Public Library
Web site:
http://members.aol.com/armroblib/
Pages
301,302.
1797 June 1st,
Portglenone, Ballymena
Prolonging the term
for receiving surrenders was an act equally wise and humane, and has produced
excellent effects, and there were many more that I could have well supposed unsworn. This time,
however, they bear no proportion to the sworn.
But the deluded and unintimidated form an
immense majority of the whole.
I felt it necessary
to enquire, too, strictly into the state of my own little flock of church
established. They had not escaped the
contagion in some degree, but have been candid with me, and have told me of
some very curious circumstances. I am
somewhat like lady Arabella (Lady Arabella
Denny, foundress of the Magdalen
Asylum, opened in
On Tuesday last a
party of the Kerry Militia marched into this town from Kilrea
in the Co. Derry, followed by two Rectors on horseback, and a curate on
foot. Before they left home, they and a
soldier had given a country fellow seventy lashes "which was all the dog was able to bear without fainting for they were
well laid on". These words are not
mine.
The party came here
to seize a man in whose house meetings of the United Irishmen were said (and I
believe truly) to have been held, at which some of the Kerry (militia) had been
put up.
They had notice,
however, from the serjeant of the party (as I am well
informed) and fled. The officer, after
breaking the windows etc. proceeded to the next house and took every atom of
furniture out of it, which they burned on the street. This house happened, very luckily, to belong
to one of the greatest miscreants on earth.
The officer
threatened to burn these two houses, which are in the middle of the town,
declaring he had orders to do so.
Luckily for us all, he did not carry his threat into execution.
He then seized two
young men (of the name of Knox, they are respectable family) who keep a grocery
and cloth shop in this town. They were marched
off in triumph to Kilrea (seven miles) on foot, and
went home the next day, there being no charge against them. Two others whom they had taken up they sent
to Coleraine, where they were dismissed by Lieut.
Col. Crosby for the same reason.
Our magistrates are
not in unison. Some administer the short
form of oath, some the yeoman's oath, and some an oath longer than both put
together, but what divides them still more, some take fees, and some do not. I believe there are two of the former who
have levied above one hundred pounds each in this way. From the letter of Mr. Pelham's which I have
seen, I know Government disapproves of this, and I have added a good deal to
their popularity by making it as well known as I can.
A very decent man, a seceder, came to me, and told me a magistrate had sent two
constables to bring him before him to take the oath of allegiance. He said he would take it cheerfully and add
to it an attestation of his never having been a United Irishman nor concerning
in any association of the kind, but hoped he would be allowed to serve with an
uplifted hand and not on the book, to which people off his persuasion felt an
objection, in which the legislature had indulged them. The magistrate swore he would send him to
jail. He did not keep his oath however.
The man took the oath with an uplifted hand before another magistrate.
Now, my lord, the seceders are a very weighty body of people and I think it
highly material that they should be brought in to swear in any way. I do not wish to ask anything that would be
irksome to your lordship, but perhaps you could have this last circumstance
mentioned to people in power. If I had a
letter from your lordship, mentioning that Government approved of admitting
these people to swear in their own way, I pledge myself to do a great deal of
good with it.
I have good hopes of
the country, I may be disappointed, "