After twenty years of extensive family history research, Jeff Homes from Pennsylvania visits Monreagh in the hope of locating the grave of his tenth great grandfather, Rev John Hart. We were pleased to help him find the actual site in the grounds of Taughboyne Church. The site is immediately below the bell tower at the far end of the church. During a very stormy night the Church bell fell on the grave and cracked the flat stone.
The inscriptions are written in Latin. Fortunately, Jeff can read and interpret Latin which helped us to confirm that this was indeed the site.
Four members of the Laggan Presbytery, notably John Hart of Monreagh, met on February 2, 1681, to arrange a day of fasting and prayer for the Church. They decided upon the 17th day of each month. For this, they were summoned before a Bench of Magistrates at St Johnston. In June they were summoned to appear before the Lord Lieutenant and his council in Dublin. They were fined £20 each and ended up in Lifford gaol for more than eight months. The case reflects the poor tolerance for Presbyterians at the time. John Hart is buried at Taughboyne Church.
John Hart died on 8 January 1687 and was buried at the Taughboyne Church of Ireland, St. Johnstowne, Co. Donegal.
The Latin inscription reads: “Hic iacet corpus M__ Ioannis Hart Illustrisso Stemmate Oriundi Pasto[ris] Vigi[lantis] Pientiss [Phi]losophi Theoligi Exemi qui Christum Praedicando Eccles Taboynensi Mag cum Fr[ui] Tu Supra 30 Annos Sud Avit et Multa Prop[ter] Christus Passus Tandem Maturam Animam Deo Didit Aetat 70 Ian 8 An 1687
Translation: Here lieth the body of Master John Hart of noble descent [descending from a distinguished or illustrious or famous family tree], a noble [alert or vigilant] pastor, a devout philosopher, a distinguished devine, who labored over thirty years preaching Christ with much success in the church of Taughboyne and, after much suffering for Christ’s sake, at length gave up his ripened spirit to God on 8th January 1687, aged 70 years.”
