Killesher Church

When I visited Florence Court in 2013 I motored the shortish distance along the country road to the closest place of worship within what used to be the vast Florence Court estate.

Killesher parish church sits loftily on a hill. Its spire can be seen from the big house.

I wished to see evidence of the Enniskillens. Their plot is beside the little church, where there are several members of the Cole family buried, including two or three Earls.

David, 6th Earl, MBE, is interred here.

I  encountered an elderly member of the congregation, a former school teacher. he told me about Herbert Moisley, the last member of staff to serve the 5th Earl (I think). Mr Moisley is buried beside the Coles, quite an honour for him and his family; a measure of the esteem with which he was held.

The old schoolmaster also recounted how he taught the 7th or 8th Earl to read and write, prior to the boy's entrance exams for Eton.

Killesher church suffered a disastrous fire about thirty years ago, the result of an accident on the roof, caused by a workman. Only the spire has survived; the rest of the structure was reconstructed following the fire.