Balleclonangre, a ballibeatach
containing xvi. tates.
To Breine McCabe Fitz Alexander 5 tates.
To Edmond McCabe Fitz Alexander 1 tate.
To Cormocke McCabe 2 tates.
To Breine Kiagh McCabe 2 tates.
To Edmond boy, McCabe 1 tate.
To Rosse McCabe McMelaghen 1 tate.
To Gilpatric McCowla McCabe 1 tate.
To Toole McAlexander McCabe 1 tate.
To James McTirlogh McCabe 1 tate.
To Arte McMelaghlin Dale McMahon 1 tate.
——
16

A fresh survey of the same district was made by Sir John Davies in 1607;[278] the record for this same bailebiatagh is as follows:—

Patrick M'Brian M'Cabe being found by a jurythe legitimate son of Brian M'Cabe Fitz-Alexander,in demesne, 5 tates 1. Lissenarte.
 2. Cremoyle.
 3. Sharaghanadan.
 4. Nealoste.
 5. Tirehannely.
Patrick M'Edmond M'Cabe Fitz-Alexander, indemesne, 1 tate 6. Curleighe.
Cormock M'Cabe, in demesne, 2 tates 7. Aghenelogh.
 8. Derraghlin.
Rosse M'Arte Moyle, in demesne, 2 tates 9. Benage.
10. Cowlerasack.
James M'Edmond boy M'Cabe, in demesne, 1 tate11. Tollagheisce.
Colloe M'Art Oge M'Mahowne, in demesne, 1 tate12. Dromegeryne.
Patrick M'Art Oge M'Mahowne, in regard thereis good hope of his honest deserts, and thatthe first patentee disclaimeth, in demesne, 1tate13. Corevanane.
Toole M'Toole M'Alexander M'Cabe, in demesne,1 tate14. Turrgher.
James M'Tirleogh M'Cabe, in demesne, 1 tate15.
Brian M'Art Oge M'Mahowne, in demesne, 1 tate16.

The tribesmen blood relations.

Now, by comparison it will be seen that at both dates there were sixteen tates in the bailebiatagh, and that the holders were evidently blood relations. In some cases the name of a son takes the place of his father (the genealogy being kept up), and in others new tenants appear.

The tates family holdings.

There is also reason to suppose that these tates were family homesteads (like the tyddyns of the Welsh 'family land'), with smaller internal divisions, and embracing a considerable number of lesser households. The fact that one person only is named as holding the tate, or the two tates, as the case may be, suggests that he is so named as the common ancestor or head of the chief household representing all the belongings to the tate. Within the tate the subdivision of land seems to have been carried to an indefinite extent. The following extract from Sir John Davies' report will probably give the best account of the actual and, to his eye, somewhat confused condition of things within the tates, as he found them. It relates to the county of Fermanagh, and is in the form of a letter to the Earl of Salisbury, dated 1607:[279]— [p218]

Sir John Davies' description of the septs.

For the several possessions of all these lands we took this course to find them out, and set them down for his lordship's information. We called unto us the inhabitants of every barony severally. . . We had present certain of the clerks or scholars of the country, who know all the septs and families, and all their branches, and the dignity[280] of one sept above another, and what families or persons were chief of every sept, and who were next, and who were of a third rank, and so forth, till they descended to the most inferior man in all the baronies; moreover, they took upon them to tell what quantity of land every man ought to have by the custom of their country, which is of the nature of gavelkind. Whereby, as their septs or families did multiply, their possessions have been from time to time divided and subdivided and broken into so many small parcels as almost every acre of land hath a several owner, which termeth himself a lord, and his portion of land his country: notwithstanding, as McGuyre himself had a chiefry over all the country, and some demesnes that did ever pass to him only who carried that title; so was there a chief of every sept who had certain services, duties, or demesnes, that ever passed to the tannist of that sept, and never was subject to division. When this was understood, we first inquired whether one or more septs did possess that barony which we had in hand. That being set down, we took the names of the chief parties of the sept or septs that did possess the baronies, and also the names of such as were second in them, and so of others that were inferior unto them again in rank and in possessions. Then, whereas every barony containeth seven ballibetaghs and a half, we caused the name of every ballibetagh to be written down; and thereupon we made inquiry what portion of land or services every man held in every ballibetagh, beginning with such first as had land and services; and after naming such as had the greatest quantity of land, and so descending unto such as possess only two taths; then we stayed, for lower we could not go,[281] because we knew the purpose of the State was only to establish such freeholders as are fit to serve on juries; at least, we had found by experience in the county of Monaghan that such as had less than two taths allotted to them had not 40s. freehold per annum ultra reprisalem; and therefore were not of competent ability for that service; and yet the number of freeholders named in the county was above 200.

Sir John Davies, in the same report, also gives a graphic description of the difficulty he had in [p219] obtaining from the aged Brehon of the district the roll on which were inscribed the particulars of the various holdings, including those on the demesne or mensal land of the chief.[282]