THE EVANSES WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY OFFALY, WITH 6,035 ACRES
AND 1,456 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DUBLIN
The family of EVANS is originally from Wales, and claims descent from the renowned Elystan Glodrydd. In the 16th century, two of the family settled in Ireland: JOHN EVANS, ancestor of the Barons Carbery; and ROBERT EVANS, from whom derived the family of Evans of Baymount, County Dublin, and Robinstown, County Westmeath.
The former, JOHN EVANS, settled in the city of Limerick, where he was living in 1628.
Mr Evans left at his decease two sons and three daughters, viz.
GEORGE, his heir;The elder son,
John;
Deborah; Catherine; Eleanor.
COLONEL GEORGE EVANS MP, of Ballygrennan Castle, served in the army raised to supress the rebellion of 1641, and at the restoration of tranquillity, settled at Ballygrennan Castle, County Limerick, where, and in the adjacent county of Cork, he acquired large estates by grants from the Crown, and by purchase.
He wedded Anne, daughter of Thomas Bowerman, of County Cork, and had issue,
GEORGE, his heir;Colonel Evans, MP for Limerick County, 1692, died in 1707, at a very advanced age, having passed a most eventful life, and was succeeded by his elder son,
John, of Milltown Castle;
Anne.
THE RT HON GEORGE EVANS MP (1658-1720), of Caherass and Bulgaden Hall, County Limerick, MP for Limerick County, 1692-3, Askeaton, 1695-9, Charleville, 1703-20.
This gentleman was bred to the Bar, but following the example of his father and brother, became an active partisan of the revolution, and after the establishment of the new government in Ireland, was sworn of the Privy Council and returned to Parliament by the borough of Charleville
He wedded, in 1679, Mary, daughter of John Eyre MP, of Eyre Court Castle, County Galway, and sister of the 1st Lord Eyre, and had issue,
GEORGE, 1st Baron Carbery;
EYRE, of Portrane, of whom we treat;
Thomas, of Milltown Castle, County Cork;
Jane, m Chidley Coote, ancestor of the Barons Castle Coote;
Elizabeth, m Hugh Massy, father of 1st Baron Massy and Clarina;
Dorothy; Emilia; Catherine.
The Right Hon George Evans, who was a distinguished public character, refused a peerage on the accession of GEORGE I, when the honour was conferred upon his eldest son.
His embalmed body lay in state in the parliament house until the next month, when it was removed for interment at Ballygrennan.
His second son,
EYRE EVANS, of Portrane, County Dublin, MP for Limerick County, 1721-59, espoused Sarah, second daughter and co-heir (with her sister, Mrs Waller, of Castletown) of Thomas Dixon, of Ballylackin, County Cork, and had six sons, all who dsp except the fourth; and three daughters, of whom the youngest, Elizabeth, the wife of William Evans, of Ardreigh, County Kildare, left issue.
The fourth son,
HAMPDEN EVANS, of Portrane, an officer in the army, succeeded his eldest brother, George Evans, MP for Queen's County, who married, in 1769, Margaret, daughter of Joshua Davis, and had issue,
THE RT HON GEORGE HAMPDEN EVANS, of Portrane, MP for County Dublin, 1832-7, who wedded, in 1805, Sophia, only daughter of the Rt Hon Sir John Parnell Bt, of Rathleague, Queen's County, but had no issue.
He died in 1842 and was succeeded by his brother,
JOSHUA EVANS, one of the commissioners of the Court of Bankruptcy, who wedded Eleanor, only child of Robert Harrison.
His next brother,
EYRE DIXON EVANS, a merchant in Liverpool, inherited his brother's estate.
He died in 1862, and was succeeded by his only son,
GEORGE EVANS (1831-73), of Portrane, who married, though died without issue, and was succeeded by his only sister,
MARGARET EVANS, who inherited the Portrane property on the death of her brother, George, without issue in 1873.
She married, in 1852, John Donald MacNeale.
Dying in 1874, she left three daughters, joint heiresses of her property, of whom the eldest,
MARGARET MacNEALE, married, in 1889, Captain S G Rathborne or Rathbourne, Royal Engineers, and had issue,
St George Ronald MacNeale Rathborne, born in 1893.
DESPITE owning a substantial amount of land in County Offaly, it would seem that the family of Evans never any notable residence in the county.
The family seat was Portrane House, or Mount Evans, Donabate, County Dublin.
When George Hampden Evans died in 1842, his widow erected an Irish round tower in his memory, at Portrane.
The Rev Patrick Comerford has written an article about Portrane Castle.
First published in June, 2013.
His embalmed body lay in state in the parliament house until the next month, when it was removed for interment at Ballygrennan.
His second son,
EYRE EVANS, of Portrane, County Dublin, MP for Limerick County, 1721-59, espoused Sarah, second daughter and co-heir (with her sister, Mrs Waller, of Castletown) of Thomas Dixon, of Ballylackin, County Cork, and had six sons, all who dsp except the fourth; and three daughters, of whom the youngest, Elizabeth, the wife of William Evans, of Ardreigh, County Kildare, left issue.
The fourth son,
HAMPDEN EVANS, of Portrane, an officer in the army, succeeded his eldest brother, George Evans, MP for Queen's County, who married, in 1769, Margaret, daughter of Joshua Davis, and had issue,
GEORGE, his heir;Mr Evans was succeeded by his eldest son,
JOSHUA;
Eyre Dixon, of Liverpool;
Mary; Anne Dorothea; Sydney Elizabeth.
THE RT HON GEORGE HAMPDEN EVANS, of Portrane, MP for County Dublin, 1832-7, who wedded, in 1805, Sophia, only daughter of the Rt Hon Sir John Parnell Bt, of Rathleague, Queen's County, but had no issue.
He died in 1842 and was succeeded by his brother,
JOSHUA EVANS, one of the commissioners of the Court of Bankruptcy, who wedded Eleanor, only child of Robert Harrison.
His next brother,
EYRE DIXON EVANS, a merchant in Liverpool, inherited his brother's estate.
He died in 1862, and was succeeded by his only son,
GEORGE EVANS (1831-73), of Portrane, who married, though died without issue, and was succeeded by his only sister,
MARGARET EVANS, who inherited the Portrane property on the death of her brother, George, without issue in 1873.
She married, in 1852, John Donald MacNeale.
Dying in 1874, she left three daughters, joint heiresses of her property, of whom the eldest,
MARGARET MacNEALE, married, in 1889, Captain S G Rathborne or Rathbourne, Royal Engineers, and had issue,
St George Ronald MacNeale Rathborne, born in 1893.
The family seat was Portrane House, or Mount Evans, Donabate, County Dublin.
When George Hampden Evans died in 1842, his widow erected an Irish round tower in his memory, at Portrane.
The Rev Patrick Comerford has written an article about Portrane Castle.
First published in June, 2013.
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