GA-STNL-0086

Record Date: 
7 December 2024
Exact wording of epitaph: 

Underneath lies interred in the blessed ho[us]e of Everlasting life Mrs Eliz[abe]th Frances Simc ocke otherwise Hulehingen the lamented wife of Mr Samuel Simcocke of this town she dep arted this mortal state on the 3d day of March 1817 in the 91st year of her Age

Grave location
County: 
Latitude: 
53.272641388889
Longitude: 
-9.0533730555556
People commemorated: 
Surname: 
SIMCOCKE and HULEHINGEN
Notes: 

A R.S. which has been reused as paving in the graveyard. The stone is badly broken. Inc'd. Ins.. For Samuel Simcockes who was elected Protestant Warden of Galway in 1734 see Kelly (1909- 10), "The Wardenship of Galway”, fJ. Galwav Archaeol. Hist. Soc. 6 (1909-10), 119). Samuel is also mentioned on numerous occasions over a period of several years in the largely unpublished Galway Corporation Mss. Book G (now at the Library of University College Galway). He is listed as being present at various Council meetings over a long period. It would seem that Samuel is descended from Thomas Simcocks who was sheriff in 1680 and 1681 and was mayor in 1694 and again in 1695. (Hely Dutton (1824), 287-8 and 302-3). He was in fact mayor 1694-6 and Justice of Peace for the town as well as Captain of the Militia. See Rabbitte (Ed.) (1920-21), Vol. XI No. Ill and IV, p. 83 and Hardiman (1820), 234. His son Samuel, whose name is variously spelt as Simcocks or Simcockes, was sheriff in 1699 and 1700 and mayor in 1719 and again in 1720. Samuel Simcocks was Chamberlain in 1730 and there is a fine account (Published in Hely Dutton (1835), 310-11) of the materials for a "shift" which was made for him "... for the encouragement of the new fair at Bohermore". As with much of the Galwegian hierarchy at the time sons frequently followed their fathers into positions of power whether as members of the "Common Council", as aldermen, sheriffs, recorders, clerks and mayors. A few examples from the Simcockes family will suffice, Francis (who was mayor in 1694) and Samuel have already been mentioned. A Francis Simcocks was sheriff in 1728 and John Simcocks (who died in office) was sheriff in 1734. George Simcocks was sheriff in 1742 and mayor in 1754 (See lists in Hely Dutton (1824), 298-317 and Hardiman (1820)). Samuel Simcockes A.M. was also one of the Vicars of St. Nicholas' and was Justice of the Peace for the County of the Town of Galway. Anon (1914) ("Report on the State of Popery in Ireland, 1731"), 147, 148, 149 and 151. See also No. 3 for other related Simcockes.