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Rev Alexander Colhoun

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Rev Alexander Colhoun

Birth
County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Death
22 Jan 1716 (aged 54)
Carn, County Donegal, Ireland
Burial
Carn, County Donegal, Ireland GPS-Latitude: 54.5725472, Longitude: -7.8401667
Memorial ID
View Source
At a huge remove both culturally and socially from the life and death of highwayman Prionsias McHugh who lies in these same grounds, was the Reverend Alexander Calhoun, Vicar of Templecarne between 1698 and 1716. Due to weathering Rev Calhoun's headstone no longer records his dates, but his great-grandson John Caldwell Calhoun brought him a certain fame by becoming 7th Vice-President of the United States (1824-1832).

Alexander Colquhoun (Colhoun, or Calhoun) was born to William Campbell Colquhoun (1643-1718) and his wife Catherine {McCausland} Colquhoun (1643-1678), at Crosh House Estate, Newton-Stewart, County Tyrone, (Northern) Ireland.

The Calhoun Family Paper traces this family back to Sir Gilbert Colquhoun, Laird of all Colquhoun lands in Scotland, who was deposed in 1220 AD. His lands were forfeited to the Crown because of his continuous fighting with the other Clans. Descendants of the Laird emigrated from Dumbartonshire, Scotland, to County Tyrone in the early 1640s.

In 1684, Alexander Colquhoun married Lady Judith Hamilton (b. 1642 at Manor Hamilton, Newton-Stewart, County Tyrone). Twelve children were born of the marriage:

* William (1686-26 Sept 1756)
* Audley (1687-Sept 1756)
* James Patrick (1688-1741), m. Catherine Montgomery; emigrated to the British Colonies and changed the spelling from Colquhoun to Calhoun. Had issue two sons, incl. Patrick Calhoun (1727-1796), who was the father of Vice-President John C. Calhoun [noted above]
* Frances (1690-1750)
* Judith (1690-1772)
* Hugh (1692-1753), m. Agnes Jane McCleary
* Humphry (1694-1723)
* Catherine (1696-1772)
* Helen (1698-1772)
* Frances (1703-1787)
* Alexander (1705-7 Nov 1788)
* Alice (1705-12 Nov 1753)

During his term as Protestant incumbent of Templecarne parish, the Reverend Calhoun made his own mark in his unique treatment of the Lough Derg pilgrimages. When he would have been expected to do his utmost to suppress the Roman Catholics' pilgrimage, instead he turned it to his own great profit. He controlled the boat which took the pilgrims to the holy island to do their stations, and his men collected the fares. Pilgrims were charged for the grazing of their horses while they were praying, and any animals found to be stabled without payment were driven off. He collected money for the Pope (known as 'Peter's pence'), and employed a Franciscan friar for this duty. Moreover, Rev. Calhoun licensed the dealers in food and drink who supplied the outgoing pilgrims.

All in all the Rector of Templecarne Parish made an excellent income from the regular pilgrimages, so much so that a local landholder and prominent Ulster merchantman, Sir James Caldwell (d. 1717), wrote a letter to the then Bishop of Clogher laying complaints against the Rev. Mr. Calhoun. The letter alleged that instead of helping to suppress the Roman Catholics' pilgrimage to Lough Derg, as he should have been doing as Protestant Pastor of the parish in which the pilgrimage lay, Calhoun was instead, to a large degree, running the pilgrimage for his own financial benefit. The motives behind Caldwell's letter of complaint are not hard to fathom, but it is interesting to speculate on their nature. Perhaps he may have written because of his deeply held Protestant beliefs as a very concerned parishioner of Templecarn parish who wished to have the parish rid of a man who, according to him, was so willing to compromise protestantism for financial gain. Sir James may have written as one envious of the Rev. Calhoun's good fortune in cornering the market in a very profitable activity of supplying pilgrims with provisions, transport, and grazing for their horses etc, etc, and perhaps as the leading citizen in the parish, Sir James may have hoped to move into this activity himself if the Bishop had removed Calhoun. Or perhaps the real reason for Caldwell's objections simply lay in the character of the man himself, in that he was known to be a very cantankerous person who was inordinately fond of litigation and legal strife, and indeed strife of all kinds.

Reverend Alexander Calhoun died in 1716 (some sources indicate 1717), aged 54 years, at Ardstraw, county Tyrone. His body was laid to rest in Templecarne (Carne) Cemetery, in which parish he had served as Vicar for nearly eighteen years.
At a huge remove both culturally and socially from the life and death of highwayman Prionsias McHugh who lies in these same grounds, was the Reverend Alexander Calhoun, Vicar of Templecarne between 1698 and 1716. Due to weathering Rev Calhoun's headstone no longer records his dates, but his great-grandson John Caldwell Calhoun brought him a certain fame by becoming 7th Vice-President of the United States (1824-1832).

Alexander Colquhoun (Colhoun, or Calhoun) was born to William Campbell Colquhoun (1643-1718) and his wife Catherine {McCausland} Colquhoun (1643-1678), at Crosh House Estate, Newton-Stewart, County Tyrone, (Northern) Ireland.

The Calhoun Family Paper traces this family back to Sir Gilbert Colquhoun, Laird of all Colquhoun lands in Scotland, who was deposed in 1220 AD. His lands were forfeited to the Crown because of his continuous fighting with the other Clans. Descendants of the Laird emigrated from Dumbartonshire, Scotland, to County Tyrone in the early 1640s.

In 1684, Alexander Colquhoun married Lady Judith Hamilton (b. 1642 at Manor Hamilton, Newton-Stewart, County Tyrone). Twelve children were born of the marriage:

* William (1686-26 Sept 1756)
* Audley (1687-Sept 1756)
* James Patrick (1688-1741), m. Catherine Montgomery; emigrated to the British Colonies and changed the spelling from Colquhoun to Calhoun. Had issue two sons, incl. Patrick Calhoun (1727-1796), who was the father of Vice-President John C. Calhoun [noted above]
* Frances (1690-1750)
* Judith (1690-1772)
* Hugh (1692-1753), m. Agnes Jane McCleary
* Humphry (1694-1723)
* Catherine (1696-1772)
* Helen (1698-1772)
* Frances (1703-1787)
* Alexander (1705-7 Nov 1788)
* Alice (1705-12 Nov 1753)

During his term as Protestant incumbent of Templecarne parish, the Reverend Calhoun made his own mark in his unique treatment of the Lough Derg pilgrimages. When he would have been expected to do his utmost to suppress the Roman Catholics' pilgrimage, instead he turned it to his own great profit. He controlled the boat which took the pilgrims to the holy island to do their stations, and his men collected the fares. Pilgrims were charged for the grazing of their horses while they were praying, and any animals found to be stabled without payment were driven off. He collected money for the Pope (known as 'Peter's pence'), and employed a Franciscan friar for this duty. Moreover, Rev. Calhoun licensed the dealers in food and drink who supplied the outgoing pilgrims.

All in all the Rector of Templecarne Parish made an excellent income from the regular pilgrimages, so much so that a local landholder and prominent Ulster merchantman, Sir James Caldwell (d. 1717), wrote a letter to the then Bishop of Clogher laying complaints against the Rev. Mr. Calhoun. The letter alleged that instead of helping to suppress the Roman Catholics' pilgrimage to Lough Derg, as he should have been doing as Protestant Pastor of the parish in which the pilgrimage lay, Calhoun was instead, to a large degree, running the pilgrimage for his own financial benefit. The motives behind Caldwell's letter of complaint are not hard to fathom, but it is interesting to speculate on their nature. Perhaps he may have written because of his deeply held Protestant beliefs as a very concerned parishioner of Templecarn parish who wished to have the parish rid of a man who, according to him, was so willing to compromise protestantism for financial gain. Sir James may have written as one envious of the Rev. Calhoun's good fortune in cornering the market in a very profitable activity of supplying pilgrims with provisions, transport, and grazing for their horses etc, etc, and perhaps as the leading citizen in the parish, Sir James may have hoped to move into this activity himself if the Bishop had removed Calhoun. Or perhaps the real reason for Caldwell's objections simply lay in the character of the man himself, in that he was known to be a very cantankerous person who was inordinately fond of litigation and legal strife, and indeed strife of all kinds.

Reverend Alexander Calhoun died in 1716 (some sources indicate 1717), aged 54 years, at Ardstraw, county Tyrone. His body was laid to rest in Templecarne (Carne) Cemetery, in which parish he had served as Vicar for nearly eighteen years.


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