"DOCUMENT, SOUTH EAST PROSPECT DEVENISH BUILDINGS, 1808"

1808-1808

John Frith Philomath

Inscribed

Width: 33cm

Letter to Bishop of Clogher in 1808 illustrated by a sketch of Church ruins on Devenish. In 1808 John Frith, a teacher, addressed this letter to John Porter, Bishop of Clogher, reporting the theft of an inscribed 15th century stone from Devenish. The accompanying sketch, useful historically as a record of the condition of the buildings at that time, includes the Latin text of the missing stone, which records the building of st Mary’s Priory in 1449. The thief was Captain Fitzmairs, who with a group of artillery soldiers under his command, travelled by cot to Devenish to collect stones to make an outdoor toilet in his garden in the Military Barracks. The toilet was made to please his Italian wife, but when she discovered the stones had been taken from a church, she was not a bit pleased and insisted that the inscribed stone be returned. Kindly donated by Miss Lavinia Baird, Belle Isle, Lisbellaw The document reads: 'To the right Revd John, Lord Bishop of Clogher; This South East Prospect of the ruins of Devenish Buildings, Is hereby inscribed; By John Frith Philomath.1808. An accurate copy of a Latin Inscription on a stone, St Mary's Abbey Devenish, in the Old Saxon Characters. Explanation of the Inscription. Matheus O Dubagan hoc opus fecit. Bartholomas O'Flannagan Priori: De Damynis. A.D. 1449 Translation Matthew Dagan executed this work when Bartholomew Flanagan was prior of Devenish in the year of Our Lord 1449. Reference Part of Lough Erne. A A white thorn tree, of enormous size of great beauty. B the lower church ?? feet long 23 wide dedicated to St Mullushes (Molaise). C Mullushes (Molaise's) Bed 6 Feet long 16 inches wide. D Mullushes (Molaise's) House 30 feet long 18 wide. E The round tower 84 feet high and 49 feet in circumference. Built with cut stones quite.. as the destructive hand of corroding time has never yet made the least impression on it. Supposed to be built about the year 560 when Arthur was king of Britain and Justinian emperor of Rome. F Mullushes (Molaise's) Well. G the Abbey. Dedicated to St. Mary. Built with black marble. 98 feet long and 28 wide, about the centre there is a Belfry Arch supported with 4 Gothic Pillars and a very nice winding staircase of 33 steps to ascend the same; so that this venerable and magnificent piece of architecture far exceeds my description, or the readers conception. Built in the year 1449, as by the above Inscription. People afflicted with a pain on their backs, lie in Mullushes (Molaise's) Bed(which is only a stone trough with a rough bottom) for a cure; And people with sore eyes and back going children wash in his well for a cure likewise, and each tie a rag on the thorn at the well. But both it and Mullushes (Molaise's) Bed have greatly lost their repute and but little frequented especially of late years. As superstition is wearing away every day more and more. So storms of late years have thrown 5 different parts of these buildings.

FCM_2003_309