Margaret Elliott 1784 : Short Biography

She lost her husband qute early and spent her life on Trasna Island in Lough Erne. She was a staunch Orange supporter and commonly known as Orange Peggy and Queen of Trasna.

Husband was William Elliott  died 1838, drowned in Lough Erne.
She & William had nine sons, 2 of whom also drowned in the Lough. 
She lived on Trasna Island, was buried in Old Magheracross cemetery.

Her memorial stone says MARGARET ELLIOTT  POPULARLY KNOWN AS QUEEN OF TRASNA AND FAMILIARLY AS ORANGE PEGGY WHO DIED 10TH AUGUST 1891.

REGRETTED NOT ONLY BY THE PROTESTANTS OF FERMANAGH BUT BY ALL CLASSES, WHO FOR GENERATIONS HAD LEARNED TO RESPECT HER. AGED 108 YEARS

6 Feb 2021 Carol Elliott

The following information has been researched by Carol Elliott, a great great great grand-daughter of Margaret Elliott and extracted from the family history book ‘Orange Peggy Queen of Trasna’ written and published by Carol in 2020. The book is fully referenced. 

It is likely Margaret Elliott, Orange Peggy, Queen of Trasna was born in the Enniskillen area. Baptized as Margaret, Peggy’s maiden name may have been DAVIS or Robinson.   

It is recorded by many and seems to be the normal thought that Peggy was born on or around the 12th July and her birth year as 1783. Peggy was interviewed in 1890 by Seaton Milligan (article ‘Some Recent Cases of Remarkable Longevity’, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland) and she stated that she “clearly remembers her mother telling her that her birth day was 11th June”. She also said that her year of birth 1784 is correct because she remembers the time of the uniting in 1798 and the soldiers marching in the streets of Enniskillen and she was 14 years old. Another source has stated that her baptism was the 12th July and she was wrapped in an orange flag [if referring to the strong orange connection, the timing is wrong]. Maybe this is where the confusion comes in with her birthdate. 

Peggy married William Elliott, but the date is as yet unknown.  William and Peggy had nine sons and most likely they were young when they started a family, as it is reported that many of the sons were mature men when William drowned in 1838. William drowned in Lough Erne on 3rd March 1838 along with his son John. The story goes that the boat William and John were in tipped in rough conditions and both drowned while in sight of the island.  Another son Thomas also drowned close to the shore of Trasna Island. 

A memorial stone sits next to or near to Peggy’s headstone in Magheracross Cemetery. It reads: 

Erected by Andrew Elliott of Tresiney in memory of his Father Wm and John his Brother who were drowned 3rd March 1838. Also Brother Thos was drowned 12th August 1865 

The fatherless family would have endured two famines, the Great Famine of 1845 to 1849 and the Irish Famine of 1879, and the 1800’s Home Rule crisis. An article in ‘The Spark’ (vol 11) written by Jack Brien said that “Peggy and her family on little Trasna Island could be seen as a perfect symbol of their own situation, not only in tenacity and defiance, but cheerfulness and hospitality – surrounded but not overwhelmed”. However, like many other Fermanagh folk, at least two sons and their families immigrated abroad.

A brief family summary :

• The earliest record of a known son is John, born in 1820. John drowned with his father William in 1838. 
• William born in 1833 emigrated to Lancashire, England with his wife Ellen (Armstrong) and children in the mid 1860’s but leaving behind the eldest son William born in 1855. 
• Andrew born in 1834 married Ellen Graham. They had 5 children and it seems Andrew lived and farmed on Trasna Island after Peggy died.
• Thomas was born in 1837 and also drowned on the lake in 1863. As yet it is unknown if he married and had children. 
• It appears her last son John (two sons were named John) was born after William died, 1838/39. John also immigrated to Australia at the age of 26, in 1867 with his young wife Margaret (Johnston) and children. 

Five sons have been accounted for. As yet the other 4 sons are yet to find their place on the family tree.

From all accounts Peggy was a fine character, a hard-working mother, grandmother and farmer of award-winning cattle; staunch and independent; friendly, playful and welcoming of all. Many stories about Peggy have her dressed from head to toe in orange, adorned with ribbons, banging on her Lambeg drum, flying flags, brewing poteen and feeding the many who arrived at her door. When she was interviewed by Seaton Milligan at the age of 107, she had no teeth, was hard of hearing, her eyesight was poor, but she was still hale and hearty. Peggy was described as a large-boned, strongly built woman, about 5ft 4in and very deeply furrowed, temperate in her habits, lived as she always had on simple foods, and did not smoke. She was very welcoming along with the other occupant of the house at the time, her granddaughter of about 25 years old. 

Peggy spent more than half her life on Trasna Island without her husband. She would have been about 52yrs old when William drowned. Her cottage, being the only habitation on the island in 1890, was surrounded by a shelterbelt of trees. It had a thatched roof, one room, and no ceiling or chimney flu. The smoke from the fire escaped through a hole in the roof. There was a jamb sheltering the hearth from the door, with her favourite place to sit, in the corner by the fire.  Apart from the cottage there were at least 6 farm out-buildings.

There are accounts referring to Peggy as being a great oarswoman. Rowing across to Trory, or making the long journey to Enniskillen, with fresh produce and bringing back stores for herself, and guests. Trasna Island sits at Lower Lough Erne, near the famous Devenish Island and across the water from Trory. The following are some anecdotes:

• Her visits to Enniskillen apparently caused a stir. My great aunt Lena, Peggy’s great grand-daughter was reported to have said, “I don’t think it’s true, as the guide book says, that every stitch of clothing she wore in her life was orange, but she never visited Enniskillen without wearing two great crossed orange sashes. She caused such a commotion whenever she walked through the town that my mother, as a young woman, hated walking with her”. 
• If you had been at an Orange demonstration in Enniskillen in the early days of the Orange Institution, following the historic Battle of the Diamond near Loughgall in Co. Armagh, you could hardly have missed seeing Margaret Elliott.  She would have been noticeable by reason of the fact that she wore orange emblems, and had Orange streamers adorning her hat, all symbolic of her deep attachment to the Protestant and orange cause. 
• She could play the Pigeon Gate, the Geese in the Bog and many other tune on her Lambeg drum, and liked nothing better - with the exception of making poteen for sale – than thumping the goatskin on the shore…  
• When well over 80 she could still tighten a hide for sweetness of tone. 
• She was famous for rearing fine, black cattle and there was never any haggling about price when buying from Peggy Elliott. 
• Curiously enough, no matter when you met Mrs. Elliott, after shaking you by the hand and welcoming you to her place, she would frankly say, “If I live to the next 12th of July and hear the drums beat and fifes play I will die contentedly.” 

Peggy died on the 10th August 1891 and was buried on the 12th August at the Magheracross Churchyard.  From the obituaries at the time it is said she was amused on occasions to hear she had passed, but her old age had finally caught up with her. 

The weather was very stormy on the day of her funeral and the men tasked with transporting her body from Trasna Island had a great deal of trouble in getting the coffin across in a cot (boat) to Ballycassidy where it was met by the Orangemen of the surrounding district. 

A procession was formed headed by the Trory band, with drums and draped colours; the lodges in regalia, formed in behind the coffin, which was covered with Orange lilies and blue rockets. The funeral procession passed on its way through Ballinamallard to Magheracross Churchyard, it was joined by large numbers, anxious to honour the remains of Orange Peggy. 

There is a beautiful poem written about Peggy. Who wrote it is unknown? It was found in an attic in Ballinamallard.   

Tribute to Trasna’s queen  

Farewell to Peggy Elliott my first love and the last. 

She lived on Trasna Island well sheltered from the blast. 

She was the Queen of Trasna, defender of the faith, a true blue Ulster lady, unfeard to meet her death. 

She lived to be a hundred, and then for eight years more, and many were the pilgrims, who landed on her shore. 

She entertained them royally, with tea and fresh made scones. 

Wild stories she would tell them of round towers and of bawns. 

She loved her lonely island, and she kept a Lambeg drum, to batter out a welcome to all who chose to come. 

She roved to Enniskillen to get in fresh supplies. 

Her cot it nearly foundered, as waves would fall and rise. 

At times she’d sell her produce including island eggs. 

She always took back oatmeal and twenty packs of fegs. 

She didn’t brew the poteen that kept her welcome sure. 

The mountain men that made it put in fornenst her door. 

Her kitchen walls were spotless. 

Outside were loads of peat. 

The bellows at the hearthside kept all the place in heat. 

Poor Peggy will be welcomed in heaven, that’s for sure. 

For ne’er a travelling person was ousted from her door. 

They all supped and drank together and all enjoyed her potage. 

The birds were always nesting above her lowly cottage. 

While Peggy may be dead now her memory is bright. 

We’ll not forget her message: 

‘Fear God… and do the right.’