Justice Town to Ireland
Dean George Story, brother Thomas "Quaker" & Ensign Christopher


Dean George Story was living at Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim 1695-6 and was a close friend of Dean Jonathan Swift. Before that he had been in London in 1689 when the Williamite Army was being raised for the Irish Campaign. The Jacobite army under James, the other Pretender to the English Throne, was hopeful of French support in his attempt to recapture the Throne.

This then is the political situation faced by the most famous Irish Story / Storey - Dean George Warter Story. Dean George was born at Justice Town near Longtown, Cumberland in 1659. When I stood in front of this famous Manor House in the Summer of 2003 for the second time I felt touched by the grandeur and the wonderful house where he started his eventful life. His brother known as Thomas "Quaker" Story became a close friend of William Penn of Pennsylvania. Another brother Christopher Story served as an Ensign in the Army of William 111 and lost his life at the Battle of Birr (1691). (other accounts give this as "Charlemont")

Dean George started his Clerical career as Rector of Kirklinton, a small but historic Church near Longtown and just a few miles from Carlisle. Surrounded by history he knew where Hadrian's Wall was, he knew about the Battle of Solway Moss in the shadow of Arthuret Church where Dean George preached a number of times. This Church was made famous during "Reiver Times" as a centre for the payment of "blackmail" or "blackmeal" as it was then. The small porch at the Church was where people paid their "Protection Money" or "blackmeal" to the Reiver Godfathers of that period (1400-1600). Prominent among these Reiver Godfathers were the Graham, Kerr, Armstrong and Story families who dominated the area. Arthuret Church contains a huge tablet to the memory of the Storys of Justice Town (now known as Lyne How). This area around Carlisle and stretching right over to Newcastle in Northumberland was known as the "Debateable Lands" because the residents did not give allegiance to either Scotland or England, preferring to play the Border game of "debateable" loyalty.

I stood at Arthuret Church with Iver Gray, an authority on Border families, while he pointed out the swamp area where the Battle of Solway Moss took place. From the same spot you can look into the Graveyard and see the graves of Storys, Grahams, Armstrongs, Bells, Kerrs and Croziers, descendants of those who had fought at Solway Moss. Dean George and his brothers would have been fully aware of the residual grudges and feuds which still lingered in the mid 1600s as a result of the Battle. Dean George was appointed Chaplain to the Countess Dowager of Carlisle at Castle Howard. In August 1689 he was appointed Chaplain to Sir Thomas Gower's Regiment which was ready to leave for Ireland. Sir Thomas Gower died in 1690 prior to the Boyne and was succeeded by Henry, third Earl of Drogheda. Carrickfergus was the main port for Ulster in 1689 and this is where much of William's army was assembled. En route to the Boyne the army passed through Lisburn, a strong Huguenot Settlement following the expulsion by Louis XIV of many thousands of French Protestants. One of these Huguenots, a Dutch lady, Rene Bulmer (now "Boomer") greeted William in his Dutch language. This and the warmth of his welcome to Ireland made a big impression on William. It is recorded that this greeting by Rene Bulmer occurred at the Priory, Lambeg and it is co-incidental that property at this very spot is still owned by the Storeys. The "Boomer" name still exists proudly in the South Antrim area.

William's army was made up of Dutch Blues, Danish troops, exiled Huguenots, local Regiments like the Inniskillings from Enniskillen and many professional soldiers from all parts of Europe, including the most famous mercenary of them all - the Duke of Schomberg and his son Meinhard Schomberg. Dean George quickly became part of the team that was William's army and his two books "An Impartial Account of the Wars in Ireland" and a "Continuation of the Account of the Wars in Ireland" describe the conditions suffered by the army as they travelled south towards the Boyne. It should be known that this War was considered of very high importance because of the side issues it involved. The Pope - Alexander VIII - was clearly on William's side while :Louis XIV of France was half-heartedly committed to James, having sent some soldiers and military supplies to Kinsale in 1689.

On the morning of the Battle of the Boyne Story describes the scene as follows - "The day was very clear, as if the sun itself had a mind to see what would happen ; about six o'clock, Lt Gen Douglas marched towards the right with the Foot, and Count Schomberg, with the Horse, which the enemy perceiving, drew out their Horse and Foot towards their left, in order to oppose us : the right wing at first were ordered to pass all at Slane, but being better informed, several Regiments were commanded to pass at other Fordes, between our Camp and that place......................." Story's account of the Battle is best left to the reader of these books at Belfast's Linenhall Library......his descriptions of events bring the Battle to life in glorious technicolour. The books refer frequently to the Cromwellian period in Ireland in 1648. It was clearly understood by William that the reason for Cromwell's Campaign in Ireland was the "1641 Rebellion" and the resulting slaughter of upwards of 30,000 English & Irish Protestants.

After the Boyne Dean George was appointed Dean of Limerick and it was while there that he entertained brother Thomas "Quaker" who had brought his friend William Penn to meet the famous Williamite Army Chaplain. Dean George married Catherine Warter of Doon, near Limerick and adopted her maiden name into his name in her honour. From this point on he wished to be known as Dean George Warter Story. The Records of Trinity College, Dublin, show that he was awarded a Doctorate of Divinity.
Story was instituted as Bishop of Connor and is reported preaching at St. Dunstan's in London on 23rd October 1714. His sermon included references to the "1641 Rebellion" and he gave thanks on behalf of the Irish Parliament for deliverance from that massacre.

Dean George Warter Story D.D. died in 1721. He had inherited Justice Town from his father and left it to his widow in his Will which he deposited at the Diocese of Cashel & Emly in county Tipperary. Catherine sold Justice Town to Thomas "Quaker" who, in turn, passed it on to Ann Elliott his daughter. She willed it to Ann, her daughter, who eventually settled in County Monaghan. The Warter Residence at Doon was subsequently burned by Patrick Sarsfield's men in revenge for their defeat at the Siege of Limerick.