Rev. Alexander Calhoun

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Sources

1. Notable Southern Families, Volume I, Page 46 (attached). Comment: There is an account of the Calhoun family, primarily that of John C.Calhoun, to be found in Notable Southern Families, Armstrong, Vol. I, II,Gen. Pub. Co. 1918-22, Chattanooga, pp. 46-58 . It is quite certain that James Calhoun, Sr. was a member of the same family.

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Birth: 1662 County Tyrone, Northern Ireland Death: 1716 Carn County Donegal, Ireland

At a huge remove both culturally and socially from the life and death of highwayman Prionsias McHugh who lies in these same grounds, was the Reverend Alexander Calhoun, Vicar of Templecarne between 1698 and 1716. Due to weathering Rev Calhoun's headstone no longer records his dates, but his great-grandson John Caldwell Calhoun brought him a certain fame by becoming 7th Vice-President of the United States (1824-1832).

Alexander Colquhoun (or Calhoun) was born to William Campbell Colquhoun (1643-1718) and his wife Catherine {McCausland} Colquhoun (1643-1678), at Crosh House Estate, Newton-Stewart, County Tyrone, (Northern) Ireland.

The Calhoun Family Paper traces this family back to Sir Gilbert Colquhoun, Laird of all Colquhoun lands in Scotland, who was deposed in 1220 AD. His lands were forfeited to the Crown because of his continuous fighting with the other Clans. Descendants of the Laird emigrated from Dumbartonshire, Scotland, to County Tyrone in the early 1640s.

In 1684, Alexander Colquhoun married Lady Judith Hamilton (b. 1642 at Manor Hamilton, Newton-Stewart, County Tyrone). Twelve children were born of the marriage:

• William (1686-26 Sept 1756)
• Audley (1687-Sept 1756)
• James Patrick (1688-1741), m. Catherine Montgomery; emigrated to the British Colonies and changed the spelling from Colquhoun to Calhoun. Had issue two sons, incl. Patrick Calhoun (1727-1796), who was the father of Vice-President John C. Calhoun [noted above]
• Frances (1690-1750)
• Judith (1690-1772)
• Hugh (1692-1753), m. Agnes Jane McCleary
• Humphry (1694-1723)
• Catherine (1696-1772)
• Helen (1698-1772)
• Frances (1703-1787)
• Alexander (1705-7 Nov 1788)
• Alice (1705-12 Nov 1753)

During his term as Protestant incumbent of Templecarne parish, the Reverend Calhoun made his own mark in his unique treatment of the Lough Derg pilgrimages. When he would have been expected to do his utmost to suppress the Roman Catholics' pilgrimage, instead he turned it to his own great profit. He controlled the boat which took the pilgrims to the holy island to do their stations, and his men collected the fares. Pilgrims were charged for the grazing of their horses while they were praying, and any animals found to be stabled without payment were driven off. He collected money for the Pope (known as 'Peter's pence'), and employed a Franciscan friar for this duty. Moreover, Rev. Calhoun licensed the dealers in food and drink who supplied the outgoing pilgrims.

All in all the Rector of Templecarne Parish made an excellent income from the regular pilgrimages, so much so that a local landholder and prominent Ulster merchantman, Sir James Caldwell (d. 1717), wrote a letter to the then Bishop of Clogher laying complaints against the Rev. Mr. Calhoun. The letter alleged that instead of helping to suppress the Roman Catholics' pilgrimage to Lough Derg, as he should have been doing as Protestant Pastor of the parish in which the pilgrimage lay, Calhoun was instead, to a large degree, running the pilgrimage for his own financial benefit. The motives behind Caldwell's letter of complaint are not hard to fathom, but it is interesting to speculate on their nature. Perhaps he may have written because of his deeply held Protestant beliefs as a very concerned parishioner of Templecarn parish who wished to have the parish rid of a man who, according to him, was so willing to compromise protestantism for financial gain. Sir James may have written as one envious of the Rev. Calhoun's good fortune in cornering the market in a very profitable activity of supplying pilgrims with provisions, transport, and grazing for their horses etc, etc, and perhaps as the leading citizen in the parish, Sir James may have hoped to move into this activity himself if the Bishop had removed Calhoun. Or perhaps the real reason for Caldwell's objections simply lay in the character of the man himself, in that he was known to be a very cantankerous person who was inordinately fond of litigation and legal strife, and indeed strife of all kinds.

Reverend Alexander Calhoun died in 1716 (some sources indicate 1717), aged 54 years, at Ardstraw, county Tyrone. His body was laid to rest in Templecarne (Carne) Cemetery, in which parish he had served as Vicar for nearly eighteen years.

Family links:

Spouse:

 Lady Judith Hamilton Calhoun (1662 - 1707)*

Children:

 James Patrick Calhoun (1688 - 1741)*

 Judith Calhoun (1690 - 1772)*

 Hugh Calhoun (1692 - 1753)*

 Frances Calhoun Hamilton (1703 - 1788)*

*Calculated relationship

Burial: Carne Graveyard Carn County Donegal, Ireland

Created by: ohSunnyOne Record added: Jul 23, 2013 Find A Grave Memorial# 114249649

Sources:

1) LDS Familysearch.org

Alexander CALHOUN (AFN: KJX9-RR)

Sex: M

Event(s)

Birth: 1662 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone, Ireland

Death: Abt 1716, Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland

Burial: 1716

Parents

_____Father: William Campbell COLQUHOUN (AFN: NJBJ-9K)

_____Mother: Catherine MACCAUSELAND (AFN: NJBK-Z5)

Marriage(s)

_____Spouse: Judith (Lady) HAMILTON (AFN: KJX9-SX)

_____Marriage: Abt 1684, Ireland

Birth: ABT 1662 Newton-Stewart, Tyrone, Ireland

Death: Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland

Gender: Female

Parents:

Father: Rev, James H. Hamilton

Mother: Leslie, Catherine

Family:

Spouse: Reverend, Alexander Calhoun

Birth: ABT 1662 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: ABT 1716 Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland

Gender: Male

Parents:

Father: Colquhoun, William Campbell

Mother: McCausland, Catherine

Children:

Major, William Calhoun

Birth: ABT 1686 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: 29 SEP 1756 Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland

Gender: Male

Calhoun, Audley

Birth: ABT 1687 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: ABT 1756 Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland

Gender: Male

Calhoun, James Patrick

Birth: ABT 1688 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: ABT 1741 Chestnut Level, Lancaster, Pennsylvania,

Gender: Male

Calhoun, Judith

Birth: ABT 1690 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: AFT 1772

Gender: Female

Calhoun, Hugh

Calhoun, John

Birth: ABT 1695 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: 10 APR 1755 Strabane, , , Ireland

Gender: Male

Calhoun, Humphry

Birth: ABT 1696 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: ABT 1723 , Donegal, Ireland

Gender: Male

Calhoun, Catherine

Birth: ABT 1696 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: , , USA

Gender: Female

Calhoun, Helen

Birth: ABT 1698 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: BEF 1772 Strabane, , , Ireland

Gender: Female

Calhoun, Andrew

Birth: ABT 1700 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: AFT 1789 Ardstraw, , , Ireland

Gender: Male

Calhoun, Frances

Birth: ABT 1703 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: ABT 1788 Augusta, Richmond, Georgia, USA

Gender: Female

Reverend, Alexander Calhoun

Birth: ABT 1705 Crosh House Est, Newton-Stewart, Tyrone,

Death: 7 NOV 1788 Clogherny Yard, , , Ireland

Gender: Male

Rev. Alexander Colhoun lived with his wife Lady Judith Hamilton at Crosh House Estate. Judith was the daughter of Sir James Hamilton descendent of The Gegent Arrn, for Mary, Queen of Scots.

Alexander Colquhoun (or Calhoun) was born to William Campbell Colquhoun (1643-1718) and his wife Catherine {McCausland} Colquhoun (1643-1678), at Crosh House Estate, Newton-Stewart, County Tyrone, (Northern) Ireland.

The Calhoun Family Paper traces this family back to Sir Gilbert Colquhoun, Laird of all Colquhoun lands in Scotland, who was deposed in 1220 AD. His lands were forfeited to the Crown because of his continuous fighting with the other Clans. Descendants of the Laird emigrated from Dumbartonshire, Scotland, to County Tyrone in the early 1640s.

In 1684, Alexander Colquhoun married Lady Judith Hamilton (b. 1642 at Manor Hamilton, Newton-Stewart, County Tyrone). Twelve children were born of the marriage:

• William (1686-26 Sept 1756)
• Audley (1687-Sept 1756)
• James Patrick (1688-1741), m. Catherine Montgomery; emigrated to the British Colonies and changed the spelling from Colquhoun to Calhoun. Had issue two sons, incl. Patrick Calhoun (1727-1796), who was the father of Vice-President John C. Calhoun [noted above]
• Frances (1690-1750)
• Judith (1690-1772)
• Hugh (1692-1753), m. Agnes Jane McCleary
• Humphry (1694-1723)
• Catherine (1696-1772)
• Helen (1698-1772)
• Frances (1703-1787)
• Alexander (1705-7 Nov 1788)
• Alice (1705-12 Nov 1753)

During his term as Protestant incumbent of Templecarne parish, the Reverend Calhoun made his own mark in his unique treatment of the Lough Derg pilgrimages. When he would have been expected to do his utmost to suppress the Roman Catholics' pilgrimage, instead he turned it to his own great profit. He controlled the boat which took the pilgrims to the holy island to do their stations, and his men collected the fares. Pilgrims were charged for the grazing of their horses while they were praying, and any animals found to be stabled without payment were driven off. He collected money for the Pope (known as 'Peter's pence'), and employed a Franciscan friar for this duty. Moreover, Rev. Calhoun licensed the dealers in food and drink who supplied the outgoing pilgrims.

All in all the Rector of Templecarne Parish made an excellent income from the regular pilgrimages, so much so that a local landholder and prominent Ulster merchantman, Sir James Caldwell (d. 1717), wrote a letter to the then Bishop of Clogher laying complaints against the Rev. Mr. Calhoun. The letter alleged that instead of helping to suppress the Roman Catholics' pilgrimage to Lough Derg, as he should have been doing as Protestant Pastor of the parish in which the pilgrimage lay, Calhoun was instead, to a large degree, running the pilgrimage for his own financial benefit. The motives behind Caldwell's letter of complaint are not hard to fathom, but it is interesting to speculate on their nature. Perhaps he may have written because of his deeply held Protestant beliefs as a very concerned parishioner of Templecarn parish who wished to have the parish rid of a man who, according to him, was so willing to compromise protestantism for financial gain. Sir James may have written as one envious of the Rev. Calhoun's good fortune in cornering the market in a very profitable activity of supplying pilgrims with provisions, transport, and grazing for their horses etc, etc, and perhaps as the leading citizen in the parish, Sir James may have hoped to move into this activity himself if the Bishop had removed Calhoun. Or perhaps the real reason for Caldwell's objections simply lay in the character of the man himself, in that he was known to be a very cantankerous person who was inordinately fond of litigation and legal strife, and indeed strife of all kinds.

Reverend Alexander Calhoun died in 1716 (some sources indicate 1717), aged 54 years, at Ardstraw, county Tyrone. His body was laid to rest in Templecarne (Carne) Cemetery, in which parish he had served as Vicar for nearly eighteen years.
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Rev. Alexander Calhoun is our 6th cousin 10 times removed.via Ruby Maude Stewart (Gorton)
Janet Milburn
8/10/23
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