A shared tenancy in Castlegore

In the Parish of Connor the townlands of Maxwell's Walls and Castlegore  share a boundary and adjacent to McIlhagga lands in Maxwell's Walls was the farm of Francis Gardiner in Castlegore. In the Castlegore section of the Connor Valuation Continuation Book A, at Map 36 we find that in January 1866, to the name of Francis Gardiner there was added the name of Nathaniel McElhagga. It appears to indicate that they have equal shares. The name of the Immediate Lessor is 'Same'. Perhaps Francis was 'getting on' and needed a younger man to share the work, or perhaps it was a case of giving an opportunity to a younger man. The house(s), offices and land were quite large at Acres 61, Rood 1, Perches 5 (which had been slightly altered in 1864 to A61, R0, P10 when the rent on the land of £22.10.0 becomes £24 plus buildings £1). In 1865 Francis and Nathaniel appear to be paying £12.10.0 each.

I blogged about this situation on 10 October 2010, but on that occasion did not address the question of who Nathaniel was. There is really only one candidate. William and Margaret McIlhaggo's second son was Nathaniel Owens who we know chiefly because he had a very successful business career as an Oil Merchant. However, we now know that first, for ten years, he was a farmer in partnership with Francis Gardiner. We know the time period because in the Castlegore section of Book B, in 1876, against Map 36 we have the name of Nathaniel McIlhagga deleted and that of James Boyd inserted. This was at the same time as the name of Henry McIlhagga was deleted from Map 37, a small plot within plot 36, and James Boyd also inserted. The name of Nathl. McIlhagga was also deleted as the Immediate Lessor. James Boyd was the husband of Nathaniel's younger sister Jane. She and James had been married four years before in 1872. They were still in Castlegore in 1901.