There are probably hundreds of people buried at St. Finian’s Esker church site & graveyard, Esker, Co. Dublin under the ground as it has likely been in use as a graveyard for a millennia or more.
Two such people buried at St. Finian’s are the (very wealthy) couple, Reginald Weston and his wife, Alice Yong. Their will, from 1474, reads:
“Inventory of all the goods of Reginald Weston and Alice Yong, his wife, made the fourth day of the month of December in the year of our Lord 1474.
First, they have 13 acres of wheat and barley in the fields worth £3. 5∫.
Item, all grain in the haggard worth 40∫.
Item, five cart horses worth 25∫.
Item, 4 cows worth 20’∫.
Item, they have 30 sheep worth I2∫
Item, 6 hogs worth 6∫
Item, all vessels of brass worth 13∫ 4.ͩ.
Item, all household stuff worth 6∫ 8.ͩ.
Sum of the goods £9 8∫ o.ͩ
These are the debts which they owe :
first, to the lord the King 21∫.
Item, to Nicholas Yong 13∫ 4.ͩ
Item, to Andrew Norreis 12.ͩ
Item, to John Ryane 2∫ 8.ͩ
Item, they owe Maurice Archer 12 1/2.ͩ
Item, to William Wystman 2 1/2.ͩ
Item, to Richard Dalaharne 2.ͩ
Item, to Laurence Walsh 2.ͩ.
Item, they owe to Simon Bryse 3.ͩ
Item, to Thomas Ogg 4.ͩ
Sum of the debts 39∫. 7 1/2.ͩ
Portion of the deceased 49∫ 4 1/2.ͩ
In the name of God. Amen. I, the aforesaid Reginald, being sound in mind though weak in body, do make my testament in this manner : first, I bequeath my soul to Almighty God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the Saints, and my body to be buried in the cemetery of St, Finian, the bishop, at Esker.
Item, I leave to the church of Esker aforesaid 2∫.
Item, I leave to the church of Palmerstown 12.ͩ.
Item, to the 4 orders of friars 4∫.
Item, I ordain and constitute Alice Yong, my wife, and Katherine Weston, my daughter, my executrices, to dispose of all my goods as to them shall seem most expedient.”
FROM: Register of wills and inventories of the Diocese of Dublin in the time of Archbishops Tregury and Walton, 1457-1483 : from the original manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin
By Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland; Barry, Henry Fitz-Patrick, 1847-1923?
Dublin : University Press for the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 1898
Here is a link to the book ONLINE, with “Lucan” and “Esker” results highlighted: https://archive.org/…/registerofwi…/page/266/mode/2up…
PHOTO: Paul Butler, St. Finian’s in snow, 2019
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