2-8-1993 From the Times. To illustrate the fact that a not inconsiderable number of people in the lower stratum of society did not use hereditary surnames even as late as 1650, MacLysaght's Irish Families mentions a case where a witness signed himself James Mac Thomas, where there was evidence that this man's father was Thomas Mac Teige. In his "Surnames of Ireland" he calls those names ephemeral cognomina, these being names formed by prefixing Mac to a Christian name. A great many of these are to be found in the Ormond Deeds, especially those of the sixteenth century i.e. Mac Nicholas, Mac Phelim, Mac Rory, Mac Walter, and Mac Thomas. This latter, also rendered Fitz Thomas, was especially applicable to such well known families as the Fitzgeralds. The surname Thomas, of comparatively recent introduction, but now fairly numerous throughout Ireland was in some cases an abbreviation of the medieval Mac Thomas. Mac Thomas however was quite numerous when the 1659 Census was compiled, being amongst the principal Irish names in Cork City and two baronies of that County, in three baronies of County Kerry, two each in County Limerick and County Tipperary, and in six baronies of County Waterford. Not a single person of that name was listed as a Titulado, thought the County Tipperary Civil Survey Book (1654) lists William Mac Thomas as sharing 74 acres with William Shanaghan of Glankeene. Now spelled Glenkeen this is the name of a town land and parish in County Tipperary, as well as towns lands in Mayo, Derry, Laois, Donegal, Tyrone, and Fermanagh, and appears to be Gleann Caoin, "Pleasant Valley". It is not possible to say what percentage of those bearing the surname Thomas are in fact Mac Thomas. The 1814 Directory lists Thomases in Co. Wicklow, Carlow, Kildare, Laois and Galway, though not a single Mac Thomas. "Owners of Land of one acre and upwards" (1876), lists Thomases (again no Mac Thomas) in the Leinster counties of Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois and Wexford and also in Cork and Armagh. The largest landowner among them was Francis A. Thomas, Martinstown, Killinick, Co. Wexford, who had 494 acres in that County, as well as 39 acres in Carlow, and 1968 acres in Kilkenny. In "Irish Family Names" Brian de Breffny writes of a rare Co. Cavan name in Irish Mac Thamhais, a name which is close to the translation of Thom(p)son as son of Thomas, which would be Mac Thomais or Mac Thomais in Irish. Although we find no reference in either Mac Lysaght or Cottle's "The Penguin Dictionary of Surnames" to the surname Mac Comas or Mac Comish, we wonder if this is not the anglicised form of Mac Thomais. In the late 18th century Samuel M'Comas kept a tailoring establishment in Dame Street, and the 1836 Dublin Directory lists Samuel M'Comas, draper and merchant tailor at 2 Lower Abbey Street, with William M'Comas & Son, military and merchant tailors, at 51 Grafton Street and George Street, Kingstown. The 1850 Dublin Directory had M'Comases at Westmoreland Street, 46 Grafton Street, and Samuel at 2 Lower Abbey Street. Current telephone directories list two McComases and seven McComishes in the Dublin area, and 30 McComishes in the North of Ireland. Sometime in the 1520's Morina Eny ne Thomas (Mor Inion nic Thomais), widow, was killed by Edmund Toben Fitz Walter late of Modessel, and on the same day, said Edmund at Modessel raped one Graynee Iny Loyn (Grainne Inion Ui Laighin) single woman against her will. In the margin of this account next to Edmund's name was mortuus est. (MORTUUS EST. A return made by the sheriff, when the defendant is dead, as an excuse for not executing the writ.)