Ecclesville Estate - Ploughing Match, Fintona, Co. Tyrone February 1856

Extracted from the Tyrone Constitution, February 27, 1856

Transcribed, Compiled and Submitted by
Len Swindley, Melbourne, Australia
len_swindley[at]hotmail.com

ECCLESVILLE ESTATE FARMING SOCIETY PLOUGHING MATCH

The annual ploughing match of this society came off in a field adjoining Fintona on Wednesday last. Eleven ploughs started at one o’clock, and all had finished their lots shortly after three. The Judges, who had not been previously admitted to the field, then entered on their inspection, and having agreed in their decision reserved its announcement until after dinner. A large number of persons were assembled in the field from an early hour, and although the two or three lots which will be found foremost in the ground received the largest share of admiration, a general opinion prevailed that the whole of the work had been executed in a style creditable to the society and the estate. The Judges were –

Mr. William BARNETT, Ballagh

Mr. James SCOTT, Waringbank

Mr. John BRIAN, Lungs

Nearly fifty persons – members of the society and others – assembled at dinner at six o’clock in the Eccles Arms Hotel. CHARLES ECCLES, Esq., J.P., presided, and JAMES BUCHANAN, Esq., and WILLIAM CAMPBELL, Esq., S.I., acted as croupiers. When the dishes had been removed, the toasts of “The Queen”, “Prince Albert and the Royal Family” were given from the chair, and loyally responded to.

Mr. McLANNAGHAN having read the award of the judges to the numbers which represented the several competitors, a desultery conversation arouse out of the circumstance that some of the ploughmen who were thus placed first on the list of prizes had not completed their lots in the time appointed by Mr. McLannaghan on the field. The question was finally decided by Mr. Eccles offering to pay the amount of the prize to each of thos who, it was alleged, had forfeited it by delay. The list of prizes then stands as follows, the first table representing the award of the judges, and the next those who succeeded to the prizes from some of the former having forfieted them by loss of time: -

Merit to:

Prize to: