Maurice James Woulfe
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| Maurice James Woulfe | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1690 Athea, Ireland |
| 💀Died | December 24, 1792 (aged 101–102) Cratloe, IrelandDecember 24, 1792 (aged 101–102) |
| Resting place | Athea, Ireland |
| 💼 Occupation | Farmer, land owner |
Maurice James Woulfe (1690 – 24 December 1792), known as Old Maurice, was a wealthy Irish farmer and land owner, who made considerable land purchases in the south west of Ireland in the 18th century.[1][not in citation given]
Woulfe is one of the few recorded Irish centenarians of the 17th and 18th centuries.[citation needed]
Early life and family[edit]
Maurice James Woulfe was born in 1690 on the River Galey, probably at Inchreagh, near present-day Athea, in western County Limerick, Ireland. The Woulfes were already an established family in Limerick City. Several of Woulfes' ancestors had served as mayors, bailiffs, and sheriffs.[2]
Woulfe was the second cousin of Lieutenant General Edward Wolfe, the father of General James Wolfe.[1][not in citation given]
Career[edit]
Woulfe inherited much of the land owned by his father following his death in 1704.
Land monopolies[edit]
With an already considerable stretch of land, acquired mostly through inheritance and purchases he had made at a young age, Woulfe bought more at Templeathea, about 2.8 kilometers northeast of Athea.[2]
Following the death of his wife in circa 1750, her cemetery was in plain sight of Woulfe's land at Athea. He could not bear to look at it, and so left Beenmore and leased more than 2,000 acres at Cratloe in 1760. Part of this estate was formed by "The Glen", where Woulfe resided for some time. Following this purchase, he owned the entire townland of Cratloe, as well as several other estates in the south western counties.[2]
Personal life[edit]
Marriage[edit]
Woulfe gave dowries to his six sisters, which postponed his marriage until he was 40 years old, at which point he married Kathleen Rearden, who was twenty-six years younger than him; they moved to the settlement at Beenmore, near Athea. Kathleen died after about 20 years of marriage and was buried at Templeathea, County Limerick.[2]
Death and burial[edit]
Woulfe died at the age of 102 on Christmas Eve 1792. Of his death, a descendent wrote that "he had eaten his supper, possibly too good a one for his years, and was sitting in a corner of the kitchen beside the fire watching a dance of the young people that was in full swing, when he appeared to fall asleep. It was noticed that he had 31 of his own teeth in his mouth and the 32nd was in his waistcoat pocket, when he died that night, so that he was practically intact."[2]
The majority of his land, including "The Glen", passed to his eldest son, Richard Maurice Woulfe.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wolfe, Brendan. "Maurice J. "Old Maurice" Woulfe (1690–1792)". thewolfes.family.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Wolfe, Brendan (2019). Wolfe's History: A Family Story. Ireland: Lulu.com. p. 248. ISBN 9780578564012. Search this book on
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