Capt. Ralph Smyth

See zipworld.com.au/inbdds/home/davidsmyth/ for a discussion of the validity of various editions of Burke's and other sources of information on the Smyth family of Ireland.

According to "Smyth Family History," largely based on Stephen Penny's Smyth of Barbavilla, which itself is based on primary materials -- deeds, letters, debentures, etc., Ralph Smyth was a prosperous tanner in Lisburn, Co. Antrim, who after the Cromwellian invasion of Ireland, purchased debentures and allotments from low-ranking Cromwellian soldiers who had been given land confiscated from the Irish in lieu of pay. In this way he amassed a great deal of land:

" In this way - says Penny [Smyth of Barbavilla]- Ralph became the owner of land and property apart from his own at Ballymacash, although not all of this property was confiscated from the “Rebbells.” Some land in County Down and in County Westmeath was bought from the previous owners who had probably become impoverished by the wars. A measure of his wealth may be gauged from the fact that upon the introduction of the “Hearth Tax,’ by which a sum of two shillings was levied on each hearth in a property, Ralph was taxed for five hearths. Apart from Lord Conway’s castle, he possessed the largest establishment in the Lisburn area. The records of these “Hearth Money” taxes for 1669 provide one of the rare pieces of definitive information about this period in his life. Ralph liked the lands of Ballymacash so later he built a square, comfortable home on this property, with a lodge on the road to Lisburn. This house had very thick walls and a great flagged kitchen, with a room off it with stone troughs for bacon curing. A rent table stood near the back door to the house, which had drawers round the circular top where the tenants would deposit their rents, which were entered in a small parchment account book. This book has survived amongst the Barbavilla papers, and along with the rents and tithes, carefully indexed, Ralph also kept accounts of any sums of money entrusted to him by his family."

From Stephen Penny, Smyth of Barbavilla: "The business of Ralph Smyth’s tannery continued uneventfully until King Charles was succeeded by his brother, King James II. Quite soon England grew tired of James’ Roman Catholic ways. He had to flee to Ireland, where he knew he was sure of a welcome from some, at least, of the population, and where a rather unfortunate policy of replacing the government by Catholics was nearly complete. King James raised troops in Ireland in the hope of winning back his throne. Later he plunged the country into another hard and brutal war, during which time Ralph’s house was burned down.

In 1688, Ralph, now an old man, made his will, setting out his wishes with regard to his landed property, leaving Ballymacash to his ‘dearly loved wife.’ By this time Ireland was again in a sad state, and Ralph had suffered with the rest. The final blow was the death of his wife Elizabeth, nee Hawksworth, in April 1689, so that he had to add a codicil to his will. He said that he had “sustained many and great losses by these sad and troublous times,” and that, in the circumstances, he had “thought fit to recall several legacies left unto my poor friends.” By his will he divided his property between his three elder sons, the fourth, Robert, having been provided for during his lifetime. Ralph Smyth the Tanner died at Ballymacash in July 1689, surviving his wife by only three months. He was buried in a grave at the west end of the cathedral in Lisburn. In his will he desired his “body to be buried in the Parish Church of Lisburn.” Jane Smith states that he “was interred in Lisburn Chh.” There were probably many people at his funeral, for he had been an important man in the town, and his grave was made in a fairly prominent position. The record in the burial register reads: “Lieut. Ralph Smyth of Dirr. (Derriaghy?), July ye 23rd 1689.”