The Wests of Clogher

There are no definitive links that show how Godfrey West is related to the main branch of Richard West. Blackwood calls him Godfrey West of Clogher, and we can assume from the age of his wife, Elizabeth Hadzor, that he was born in Clogher some time around 1730. There are records of a number of other Wests in Clogher at this time that may provide some clues however. They include:

• Richard West (1703-1788), who married Elizabeth. He is of an age to be Godfrey's father.
• John West (1745-1822), who married Margaret (died 1833). He is of an age to be a younger brother of Godfrey.

Also extant is the 1726 will of another John West of Clogher, which begins:

Sept 9, 1726 John West of Clogher, Parish of downe, County Down, first did appoint his brother Gadson should be paid forty-one pounds, ten shillings out of a bond of forty-three pounds, eight shillings and sixpence due him by his mother Hanah and brother Francis West, and the remainder of said bond he devises to his sister (Mary) Teale, he further devises to his brother Richard West the half of his house and tenement in Killough forever. 

The Richard West referred to in the will could conceivably be the same Richard West noted by Blackwood, and Godfrey's father. Equally, his father could be the John West, whose will it is, particularly when we recall that Godfrey was to name his first and only son, John.

The details in the will, given the reference to lands in Killough, may link up with the history of the West family of Ballydugan originally published by Edward Parkinson in 1906, where he states that in a: 

lease dated 12 January, 1709, Michael Ward of Castleward leased certain messuages, tenements, a garden, and two acres of land, situated in the town of Killough, to James West of Ballydergan, for the lives of the said James West and his sons, Richard and Francis. 

Killough Harbour - the original harbour was built by the Wards of
Castle Ward, Strangford. Photo from Wikipedia.

Parkinson considers it most likely that this James West was a son or grandson of the original Captain Richard West. A grandson, surely, given the time-spans involved.

The John West who married Margaret does have recorded children however, including Richard West (died 1872) The Reverend James Maxwell West (died 1883), Elizabeth West (died 1871) and Mary West (died 1875). Of these children, James Maxwell West married Annie Norman of Lisburn. Parkinson however refers to James as the Reverend Samuel Maxwell West, confirms the 1883 date of death and further tells us that Samuel was the last West of Clogher (or Clougher). He also mentions that the Thomas West who died in 1900 was the last male West of Quoile.

Putting all this together, this is about the best guess we can make:

1) Captain Richard West had a grandson, James West.
2) James West had a number of children, including, possibly, Gadson, Richard, Francis, John and Mary. He may have been married to Hanah.
3) Godfrey West was a child of one of those brothers, most likely, John.
4) Godfrey was therefore a x2 great-grandson of the original Captain Richard West, who was granted lands in County Down by Thomas Lord Cromwell.