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Background on the County Longford Moffatt Families
The Moffat name has approximately twenty recognized spellings, but most common in this area during the 1700s and 1800s was Moffett and Moffit. The spelling was variable, even for a single individual. Thomas Moffit of Kilmore Townland who married Jane McCloughrey of Abbeyderg in 1746 had his name spelled at least four different ways in various records.
The Moffat families of Co. Longford—
The Moffat family traditions include several different bits of information. One says the family came with Sir Arthur Forbes (which one and when is open to question) and another tradition says the first to emigrate to Co. Longford from Scotland was a soldier. This is possible, and if so, perhaps in Clondara. See Pender's 1659 Census. Still another tradition says four brothers emigrated together.
Whatever the 1600s origins of the Moffat families in Co. Longford, by early to mid-1700s some of the Moffat families appear to have been well established in Killashee and Clongish Parishes. Note that before the 1780s, the northern part of Killashee Parish was called Clonodonnell Parish.
It appears the family spread out from its roots in the Clondara and Clongish area, southwards into southern Killashee, into Kilcommock and Taghsheenod, plus later into Rathcline and Shrule.
Several of the families were successful farmers by mid-1700s. This is important since a number of lease transfers and freeholder lists form an important series of records for the Moffat families. See also the pedigree chart of the Moffat families in the National Archives, Dublin, found there in file M5685.
Thomas Moffat of Upper Kilmore Townland was one such prosperous farmer, and appears to be the ancestor of a number of the families.
Another family which by the mid-1700s had lands in Knockmarten Townland, Parish Clongish, became very successful, with several members being ordained in the Church of Ireland. One of these became the personal adviser to Lady Rosse. See list. This family had very similar first names to the other, including Samuel, Robert and others.
It may well be that these Moffat families originating in Knockmarten Townland in Clongish Parish are related to those in the SW. Clongish area, but solid information is elusive.
The 1800s
In the 1800s the fortunes of some of these families declined with that of Ireland in general, and many emigrated. After the Napoleonic Wars were finished in 1815, agricultural prices plummeted in Ireland. The first to leave were those with some financial resources - the modest Protestant farmers.
This website does not follow the families in North America except for the families of Tom Moffatt and Laura Miller, but we have extensive information on some others, so contact tmoffatt@nbnet.nb.ca for more details. The pedigree chart in the National Archives does follow some of the family within Ireland.
Others of these Moffat families, especially the more successful families, moved to Dublin especially. While the Moffat name disappeared by about 1920 in Co. Longford, many families now in Co. Longford no doubt are descended through various female lines.
Contact Tom Moffatt for more information on links to 20th century families.