Thursday 5 October 2023

1st Baron Magheramorne

THE BARONY OF MAGHERAMORNE WAS CREATED IN 1887 FOR SIR JAMES McGAREL-HOGG, BARONET, KCB


WILLIAM HOGG, having moved to Ulster from Scotland towards the latter end of the 17th century, settled in Lisburn, County Antrim.

He married Abigail Hamilton, and had issue (with one daughter),
William;
EDWARD, of whom presently;
James, of Lisburn.

The second son,

EDWARD HOGG (1722-1809), of Lisburn, espoused, in 1752, Rose, daughter of the Rev John O'Neill, of Largy, and had issue, two sons and three daughters, of whom,

WILLIAM, his successor;
James;
Abigail; Mary.
The eldest son,

WILLIAM HOGG (1754-1824), of Lisburn, who married, in 1783, Mary, daughter of James Dickey, of Dunmore, County Antrim, and had issue,
JAMES WEIR, his successor;
Charles;
Mary; Clara; Rosina; Lily Anne Maria.

Mr Hogg was succeeded by his elder son,

JAMES WEIR HOGG (1790-1876), who wedded, in 1822, Mary Claudine, daughter of Samuel Swinton, and had issue, no less than fourteen children.

Mr Hogg, a distinguished lawyer, MP, and Privy Counsellor, was created a baronet in 1846, designated of Upper Grosvenor Street, London.

Sir James was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JAMES MacNAGHTEN McGAREL-HOGG, 2nd Baronet, KCB (1823-90), who married, in 1857, Caroline Elizabeth Emma, daughter of Edward, 1st Baron Penrhyn, and had issue,
JAMES DOUGLAS, 2nd Baron;
DUDLEY STUART, 3rd Baron;
RONALD TRACEY, 4th Baron;
Archibald Campbell;
Gerald Francis;
Edith Mary.
Sir James was elevated to the peerage, in 1887, in the dignity of BARON MAGHERAMORNE, of Magheramorne, County Antrim.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

JAMES DOUGLAS, 2nd Baron (1861-1903), who wedded, in 1889, the Lady Evelyn Ashley-Cooper, daughter of Anthony, 8th Earl of Shaftesbury, and had issue, a daughter, Norah Evelyn McGarel-Hogg.

His lordship died without male issue, when the titles devolved upon his next brother,

DUDLEY STUART, 3rd Baron (1863-1946), who died a bachelor, when the titles devolved upon his brother,

RONALD TRACY, 4th Baron (1863-1957), who died unmarried.

Thereafter the barony expired, though the baronetcy remains extant.

The merchant and philanthropist Quintin Hogg, seventh son of the 1st Baronet, was the father of Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham, twice Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom.



MAGHERAMORNE HOUSE, near Larne, County Antrim, was built in 1881 by Sir James McGarel-Hogg Bt, KCB, afterwards 1st Lord Magheramorne.

It replaced an earlier house of 1817 called Ballylig House.

Magheramorne House is listed, as is the lodge (dated 1881) and outbuildings.

There is evidence of planting from both eras but the layout of the grounds is essentially in the style of the late 19th century, though there has been further upgrading in the 1930s.

The house is set on a fine site in a declivity with views to the north-east over Larne Lough.

The ground rises steeply to the west and south and there are two glens immediately behind the house which are planted with trees and have paths and bridges to give ornamental walks up through the glens.

The streams level out to the immediate east of the house and there are woodland walks in this area.


There is a maintained formal terrace garden to the north-east of the house with a stone fountain.

The avenue is of lime and a small area of parkland between this and the road contains mature trees.

The House was formerly a hotel.

The grounds have been adapted to a low maintenance regime whilst retaining the bare bones of a late-Victorian layout. 

Magheramorne House was the country seat of the Hogg family till 1904, when Colonel James McCalmont acquired it. 

Around 1932, the Magheramorne Estate, including the house, was purchased by Major Harold Robinson, who is attributed with transforming the house and grounds by recreating the gardens and walks but also planting many of the 150 difference species of woodland trees.

Many of these are still located within the grounds today. 

Magheramorne House is now a listed building and during the last century was a residential home before becoming a privately-owned hotel in the 1970s.

The hotel closed in the late 1990s, prior to Rex Maughan’s purchase in 2000. 

The estate was purchased in 2020 by the Allen family, and is now run as a venue for weddings and private functions.

First published in August, 2010.

4 comments :

Anonymous said...

Magheramorne looks very Loire Valley to me...

W.

Jonathan Kennedy said...

Would that be one of the same McCalmonts who bought Mount Juliet, the Earl of Carrick's seat in Co Kilkenny?

I'm sure I read in one of Mark Bence-Jones's books that they had a connection in Co Antrim somewhere...

Jo T said...

I remember attending wedding receptions here - I didn't realise how long ago it must have been!!!

Anonymous said...

shortly after he had been made a peer he turned up at a reception at the Dorchester. He handed his invitation card to be announced the door. The Englishman had no idea how to pronounce his peerage title so he announced him as the LATE sir James M'Garel-Hogg