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Colclough

Pronounced "Coakley".

In 2013, I discovered that my grand-uncle Alec Spain (who I met before he died in 1982) descended from the Colclough family of Finnstown, Co.Dublin, who were said to descend from the Colclough family of Tintern Abbey, Co.Wexford, who have a Royal Descent.
This was interesting, but on looking into it, there is no proof that Colclough of Finnstown descends from Colclough of Tintern Abbey.
By 2023 I was confident that the claimed link (through Thomas son of Adam of Boley) is definitely false. And there is no evidence for another link.

So the following is probably not relevant to Spain, or relevant to anything on my site, but I will leave my notes up anyway.

Colclough of Tintern Abbey

Note: I used to have the Royal Descent wrong here. I used to have Dudley Bagenal's mother as Eleanora Savage, descendant of Edward III. But she is his brother's wife. Thanks to James Culotta for correcting me in 2023.
In looking at it again, I found there was a descent from Edward III anyway, through Dudley Bagenal's actual mother Ellen Griffith.

We start with:

Sir Anthony Colclough.
In 1575 he was granted Tintern Abbey, Co.Wexford.
Tintern Abbey was founded by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke. See [Marsden and McLaren, 1997]. See street view.
He had issue:

Sir Thomas Colclough,
of Tintern Abbey, Co.Wexford.
See genealogics.
He mar 1stly to Martha Loftus and was the father of Sir Adam Colclough, 1st Baronet.
He mar 2ndly, 1612, to Eleanor Bagenal [descendant of Edward III and Aoife Mac Murrough and Brian Boru].
He died 1624.
He had issue by 2nd wife:

Dudley Colclough.
He died 1663.
He had issue:

Patrick Colclough.
See genealogics.
He mar Katherine Bagenal [descendant of Edward III and Aoife Mac Murrough and Brian Boru].
He died 1691.
They had issue:

Adam Colclough,
of Boley, Co.Wexford.
See Wikitree and thepeerage and jimbate.com.
His 1st wife died 1716.
He mar 2ndly in Jan 1720 to Mary Forde.
He died 1734.
He had issue by 2nd wife:

Thomas Colclough.
See Wikitree and thepeerage and jimbate.com.
There is a lot of confusion about him.
Some sources have him identical with Thomas Colclough of Kings County but that is false because this Thomas died as a child. See proof below.
Wikitree has him born 1726, but source not given. Also it has him identical with Thomas Colclough of Kings County.
Since his father married 1720, and he is 4th son, he must be born post-1724.
He died before 1740 (age must be under 16 and apparently under 14).

Family of Adam Colclough of Boley, Co.Wexford.
From COLCLOUGH in [Burkes Irish, 1976].

Thomas Colclough, son of Adam Colclough of Boley, died young

Thomas Colclough, son of Adam Colclough of Boley, died young. This is proved. See the following.

Equity Exchequer Bill dated 12 Sept 1740.
From Beauchamp Colclough's pedigree, 2009 version, Ch.10.
To be precise, these would be notes made by Beauchamp Colclough (died 1888) from the full version of the Exchequer Bill, before it was burnt in 1922.
This says that Anthony and Mary Colclough were the only children of Adam Colclough of Boley and his 2nd wife Mary Forde who were alive in 1740. It clearly says that the other four children have died.
This means Thomas Colclough died young, before 1740 (age must be under 16 and apparently under 14).

This summary survives of the Equity Exchequer Bill dated 12 Sept 1740.
From here in Exchequer Court of Equity Bill Books, 1674-1850.
This mentions a "Thomas Colclough" as a party to the Bill. The bill of 1743 shows clearly that this Thomas is Adam's nephew (not his son).

Equity Exchequer Bill filed 14 April 1743.
(Notes made by Beauchamp Colclough before it was burnt in 1922.)
From Beauchamp Colclough's pedigree, 2009 version, Ch.10.
This makes clear that Anthony and Mary Colclough were the only surviving children of the 2nd marriage. It says the other four children died young.

Children of Adam Colclough's 2nd marriage.
From Beauchamp Colclough's pedigree, 2009 version, Ch.4.

Thomas Colclough of Kings County

The following Thomas Colclough of Kings County (Co.Offaly) is ancestor of Colclough of Finnstown and the Spain family.
His origin has been much discussed and there are multiple theories.
One theory is that he is Thomas, son of Adam of Boley, but as shown above, that Thomas died young.
The origin of Thomas Colclough of Kings County remains unproved.

Thomas Colclough,
born 1724,
of Kings County (Co.Offaly), on Co.Westmeath border.
Ancestor of Colclough of Finnstown, Co.Dublin.

The multiple theories of the origin of Thomas Colclough of Kings County.
From Beauchamp Colclough's pedigree, 2009 version, Ch.5.

The disconnected family of Colclough of Clondaleeby, Co.Meath, that Beauchamp Colclough thinks our family is probably related to.
This family has no known connection to Colclough of Tintern.
From Beauchamp Colclough's pedigree, 2009 version, Ch.5.

Thomas Colclough of Kings County (Co.Offaly) is from the area around NE Co.Offaly, at the intersection of the three counties Co.Offaly, Co.Westmeath and Co.Meath. Around the red square.
Adam Colclough is of Boley, Co.Wexford. At the other red square.
Nowhere near each other. It seems unlikely they are closely related.

References

COLCLOUGH in [Burkes Irish, 1976].
Beauchamp Colclough's pedigree:
- "Pedigree and history of the Colclough Family", by Beauchamp H.D. Colclough (of Kildavin, died 1888). Handwritten manuscript. MAN/929 COL in [RDS].
- Updated as: Pedigree and History of the Colclough Family of Staffordshire and Wexford. Compiled and arranged by Beauchamp H.D. Colclough, 1879. Collated and updated by Bernard Colclough, 2002. Edited for electronic publication by Gay Conroy, 2009.
- The previous is uploaded to site of John Colclough.
Colclough family tree, by John Colclough.
- There was a version of this dated 2001 at Family Tree Maker. See Thomas Colclough of Kings County.

Sources yet to be consulted

Pedigree and history of the Colclough family from 1356-1850
Beauchamp Colclough's pedigree mentions a pedigree by Henry Vesey Colclough which covers the family of Thomas Colclough of Kings County.
There is a reference for the Exchequer Bill of 1740: Registry of Deeds, New Record Court, Equity Exchequer Bills of 1740, file 10, p.2 of 20. This does not look like the reference for the summary. Is this the reference for the lost original?

Colclough Baronets