William J. Thoms.
The Roscommon Peerage (Vol. ii., p. 469.).—My attention has been called to an article in No. 58. respecting the descendants of the first Earl of Roscommon.
As I am very interested in the subject, I beg An Hiberian, should this meet his eye, to allow me to correspond with him.
He is quite right as to the old tombstone. When I was a boy, some five or six and forty years ago, my father, one day as we were passing by the churchyard, mentioned that stone to me; but as I had then several cousins living whose claims were prior to mine, the matter made but little impression upon my mind.
My father was Thomas, the second son of Garrett, who was the son of Thomas, down to whom the genealogy from the first Earl was traced upon the stone.
That stone and another, as I learn, were removed and destroyed, or concealed, many years ago, doubtless through some interested motive; and, unfortunately, no copies of the inscriptions have, that I can discover, been preserved by any branch of the family.
When the late Earl became a claimant, it was not known whether the descendants of Patrick, my father's elder brother, who had all emigrated, were living or dead; which circumstance, it was considered, would be an impediment to my claim.
Besides which it was also thought, the testimony on the stone having been lost, that the traditions in the family would not be sufficient to establish a claim: under these circumstances I refrained from coming forward to oppose the claims of the late Earl. But now, as it is believed that there are none of my cousins living, I am endeavouring to collect evidence in support of my claim; and proof of what your correspondent states would be exceedingly useful.
Garrett Dillon, M.D.
8. Queen's Parade, Bath.