The structure of the Seskinore estate can be further understood through surviving lease records, which provide insight into landholding, tenancy, and estate management during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
These documents illustrate how the Perry family, and later the McClintock family, administered the estate through a network of tenants.
Lease Records
A number of leases recorded in PRONI provide details of landholding at Seskinore and surrounding townlands.
On 30 November 1785, a lease was granted by George Perry of Perrymount to Alexander Moore of Seskinore:
• 24 acres (Irish Plantation Measure)
• Term: one life or 31 years from 1 November 1784
• Rent: £21 13s. 6d. per annum
On 29 June 1791, a further lease was granted to Edward Delany of Tullyrush:
• 8 acres, 3 roods (Irish Plantation Measure)
• Term: three lives or 31 years from 29 September 1790
• Rent: £18 15s. per annum
(PRONI references: D526/1/123, D526/1/119)
Estate Management and Tenure
These leases reflect a typical structure of estate management in which land was held by tenants under renewable lease agreements, often tied to lives or fixed terms.
They demonstrate:
• The subdivision of the estate into smaller holdings
• The role of local tenants in agricultural production
• The continued control of the estate by the Perry family as landlords
Transition to McClintock Control
Following the death of George Perry (1824) and the later transfer of the estate to Samuel McClintock, this system of leases and tenantry continued under the new ownership.
The continuity of tenancy arrangements highlights the stability of the estate structure across the transfer from Perry to McClintock control.
Significance
These records are important for understanding:
• The economic operation of the Seskinore estate
• The relationship between landlord and tenant
• The continuity of estate management across generations
They provide a valuable complement to the broader narrative of ownership and inheritance.
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