Westropp — Fortified Headlands Sf Castles, S. Coast of Minister. 119 



privilege to him and his heirs to wear their hats before the King. For all 

 of this there is no contemporary evidence. Nor, in fact, is any known to me 

 before 1662 ; Lord Conrcy, " Baron of Eingrom . . . claimed a privilege . . . 

 to be covered in the king's presence," as Fuller writes. 1 It has never been 

 established before a competent heraldic court. The family springs from 

 Patrick de Courcey, who married the daughter and heiress of Milo de Cogan, 

 who brought him lands and claims to portions of the kingdom of Cork, 

 before 1236- ; there is no evidence to show who was Patrick's father ; tradition 

 is possibly right in saying Milo. Milo was a son of a John de Courci, junior, 3 

 a hostage for, and perhaps a kinsman of, the famous Earl in 1205. 



The title was, of course, merely territorial; the family were lords of 

 Einrone, of Kinsale, and of Chriehchursi, but most usually Lord de Curci. 

 The earliest mention known to me of their connexion with the Old Head 

 is near the close of the century in the time of John, usually reckoned 

 the fifth lord. John de Curci of Kinsale was slain in 1293 by Donald 

 MacCarthy of Cork, and Donald Baskenagh of Kerry ; his infant son, 

 succeeded to Thaosaxe (Tisaxon), Crocheran (Croghane, near the Old Head), 

 and Lisshiben in Oldernas. Vainly did Hubert, John's brother, call on the 

 law for vengeance; for MacCarthy (prudently) " would not let himself be 

 judged," and Baskenagh had " fled to the wilds of Kerry." MacCarthy was 

 " among the Irish in waste places, where no serjeant or bailiff of the king 

 would go to attach him" in 1279. 4 The Escheats and "Wards Eecord (1303-6) 

 mentions that Annora, John's wife, had dower in 1299 off Ballycouig (in 

 Killbrittain), Belagh, Barretstown, Kempestown, Oldernast or Oldernase, 

 Binron and its mill, the weir of Tithsax, and the prise of fish at Kinsale, 

 besides Ballwny, Glenardule, and Finwath, in Kerry, with rabbit warrens 



1 " Worthies of England" (1662), Somerset, p. 26. No such'grant is on record, but 

 similar ones remain for persons with diseases in the head ("Peerage and Pedigree," 

 vol. ii, p. 299). 



2 Cal. Documents 1293, No. 75, p. 39, 1302, No. 85, p. 43, Justiciary Roll (ed. Mills), 

 1297, p. 143, Close Roll, xxx Ed. I, m. 11 ; Patent Soil, xxi Edw. I, in 5 ; Cal. Inq. 

 Hen. Ill, p. 64. 



3 Not " Young Milo son of John," as in Sweetman's " Cal. Documents Ir.," vol. i, p. 39. 

 The text is not "Milo Fitz Jo de Courcy Juv (Juvenis)," but " Milonem fil. Johis de 

 Courcey Junioris," in Patent Rolls, vi John, m. 4, which distinguishes John from th 

 conqueror of Ulster. The Carew Calendar, last vol., p. 390, gives from Lambeth library, 

 vol. 621, p. 75, an early charter of John de Courcey (of Ulster) and his wife Affrica, ante 

 1193, referring to Johnf son of the grantor's brother William de Courcey — was this 

 "John Junior " father of Milo ? Giraldus says John de Courcey had no issue by his wife 

 Affrica, daughter of the King of Man. (Expug. Hib. Lib. ii, cap. xviii.) 



4 Cal. Documents Ir., 1293, No. 75, p. 39 ; 1302, No. 85, p. 43 ; Justiciary Roll Cal. 

 (ed. Mills), 1297, p. 143 ; Close Roll, xxx Ed. I, m. 11, Patent Roll, xxi Ed. I, m. 5. 



