References:
Bur. Reed. Vol. 2 (1889), "Joseph de Montmorency, abode Belmore, buried 13th November 1889, aged 68 years". The Galway Express. November 16th. (1889). Obituary. "... General De Montmorency entered the army in 1840 and served in the 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment at Newry. He retired in 1882 with the rank of Major-General his last employment being commandant of the 88th Regimental District, a depot of the Connaught Rangers at Galway. ... served with the old 59th Regiment in the China war of 1857, taking part in the capture of Canton". The Montmorencys were a branch of the Pratt family who settled in Leics. in 1641. Two of three brothers of that family, Joseph and Benjamin, went from there to Ireland while the third went to Jamaica. See Burke's (1976), 352-4 for a detailed account and genealogy. The arms on the plaque can be described as follows Arms or, between four eaglets gz, a cross, gu, Crest Out of ducal coronet a peacock in its pride, ppr. Motto Dieu Ayde. In 1831 Major Harvey Randall Saville Pratt De Montmorency assumed the surname and arms of De Montmorency in lieu of his patronymic by Royal License, 27th September 1831 (Burke's (ibid), 345). For the 49th Regiment see The Galway Mercury. October 16th. (1847). "The 49th Regiment.... The 5th, 7th and 8th companies under the command of Captain De Montmorency marched on Tuesday to Dublin, they were followed by another detachment and the Grand Division marched the next day." On the 13th July (1891), according to the Vestrv Minute Book. Mrs. De Montmorency "... having offered to improve the S.W. pillar under the tower at her own cost, the thanks of the V(estry) was voted, and the Church Wardens (Ch. Wds) were instructed to have the work carried out. - Mrs (sis.) de Mont's offer to provide a new carpet for the Chancel within the Communion rails was also accepted." The work on the repair of the piers probably also allowed the De Montmorency monument (No. 401) to be erected. Many of the stones have been retooled and some replaced with 19th century ashlar. /
