Montgomery of Grey Abbey

This is the Braidstane line of the noble house of EGLINTON.

ROBERT MONTGOMERIE, second son of Alexander, Master of Montgomerie, and brother of Alexander, 2nd Lord Montgomerie, ancestor of the Earls of Eglinton, obtained for his patrimony, from his grandfather, Alexander, 1st Lord, in 1452, the lands of Braidstane, and thus became its laird.

Mr Montgomerie was succeeded by his eldest son, 

ROBERT, 2nd Laird of Braidstone, who dsp and was succeeded by his brother,

ROBERT, 3rd Laird, who dsp and was succeeded by his only surviving brother,

ADAM, 4th Laird, who was succeeded by his son,

ADAM JOHN MONTGOMERY, 5th Laird, who married the eldest daughter of Sir John Colquhoun, of Luss.

He died about 1550, having had four sons, viz.

ADAM, ancestor of the EARLS OF MOUNT ALEXANDER;
George (Very Rev), Dean of Norwich, afterwards Bishop of Meath;
Patrick, colonel in the French army during the reign of HENRY IV;
ROBERT, of whom hereafter.

The youngest son, 

ROBERT MONTGOMERY, was father of 

JOHN MONTGOMERY,

Who went over to Ulster in the early part of the reign of JAMES I with his cousin Hugh, 6th Laird of Braidstane, afterwards VISCOUNT MONTGOMERY, of the Great Ardes, his lordship having brought several of his clan from Scotland, that they might settle upon his new estates, and assist upon the plantation of the country. 

To this John he granted lands at Gransha, in the Ards, where he settled, where he was esteemed a man of opulence, which supposition caused his house to be attacked by robbers, himself, his wife, and all his servants were inhumanely murdered, save one, who escaped with his son HUGH. This John espoused an heiress of the family of Stewart, in Scotland.

His son,

HUGH MONTGOMERY, of Maghera, County Londonderry,

Who had been left for dead in attempting to defend his father, but recovering from his wounds, he lived to an old age, on his property at Maghera, to which he removed after the attack on his paternal dwelling. 

He represented the borough of Newtownards in Parliament, from 1634-39, and lies buried with his father in the church of Donaghadee.

Hugh Montgomery left two sons,

HUGH;
John.

The elder son,

HUGH MONTGOMERY, of Maghera, wedded a daughter of Sir Robert McClelland, by whom he had several daughters and an only son, his successor,

WILLIAM MONTGOMERY, of Maghera, who married Mary, eldest daughter and co-heir of Captain James Magill, of Kirkistown, County Down, and had, with one daughter, Lucy, an only son, his successor,

WILLIAM MONTGOMERY (1700-55), who wedded firstly, in 1719, Catherine, daughter of Edward Hall, of Strangford, and by her had,

Edward, died 1726;
WILLIAM, his successor.

He wedded secondly, in 1725, Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Hill, of Buckinghamshire, by whom he had further issue (with three daughters), four sons,

Hugh, died unmarried 1765;
James, died unmarried 1796;
Robert, died unmarried 1758;
Samuel, dsp.

Mr Montgomery purchased, ca 1715, the estate of Grey Abbey from his kinsman, James Montgomery, and rebuilt the mansion-house, the former having been burnt accidentally in 1695.

He was succeeded by his second son,

WILLIAM MONTGOMERY (1721-99), of Grey Abbey, MP for Hillsborough, 1761-99, who espoused, in 1749, Susanna, daughter and sole heir of John Jelly, of Rathmullen, County Down, and had issue,

William, killed in America, 1781;
HUGH, heir to his father;
Edward, Royal Navy, died unmarried;
Francis, died unmarried 1808;
Dorcas, died unmarried 1824.

Mr Montgomery was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

THE REV HUGH MONTGOMERY (1754-1815), of Grey Abbey, who married, in 1782, Emilia Ward, youngest daughter of Bernard, 1st Viscount Bangor (by his wife, the Lady Anne Bligh, daughter of John, Earl of Darnley), and had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;
Hugh Bernard;
Edward (Rev), Rector of Portaferry;
Arthur Hill, of Tyrella, Co Down;
John Charles;
Francis Octavius;
George Augustus Frederick Sandys;
Anne Catherine; Emilia Georgiana Susanna.

Mr Montgomery died at Grey Abbey, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

WILLIAM MONTGOMERY JP DL (1786-1831), of Grey Abbey, High Sheriff of County Down, 1824, who wedded, at Brussels, 1817, the Lady Amelia Elizabeth Parker, second daughter of Thomas, 5th Earl of Macclesfield.

Mr Montgomery was succeeded by his only child,

HUGH MONTGOMERY JP DL (1821-94), of Grey Abbey, High Sheriff of County Down, 1845, who wedded, in 1846, the Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Herbert, second daughter of Edward, 2nd Earl of Powis KG, and had issue,

WILLIAM EDWARD, his successor;
ROBERT ARTHUR, succeeded his brother;
Percy Hugh Seymour, Chinese Imperial Customs Service (CICS);
FRANCIS HENRY, succeeded his brother;
George Fitzmaurice, CICS, father of HUGH EDWARD;
Lucy Florentia; Edith Cecilia; Charlotte Henrietta Emily; Evelyn Mary.

Mr Montgomery was succeeded by his eldest son,

MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM EDWARD MONTGOMERY JP DL (1847-1927), of Grey Abbey, High Sheriff of County Down, 1900, who married, in 1891, Alberta Victoria, daughter of Major-General the Rt Hon Sir Henry Ponsonby GCB, though the marriage was without issue.

General Montgomery was succeeded by his brother,

MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT ARTHUR MONTGOMERY CB CVO JP DL (1848-1931), of Grey Abbey, who was succeeded by his brother,

FRANCIS HENRY MONTGOMERY (1857-1941), of Grey Abbey, who died unmarried, when the estate devolved upon his nephew,

HUGH EDWARD MONTGOMERY JP DL (1906-69), of Grey Abbey, Major, 43rd and 52nd Light Infantry, High Sheriff of County Down, 1955, who married, in 1938, Anne, only daughter of Brigadier Charles Graeme Higgins CMG DSO DL, of Badbury Hill, Faringdon, and had issue,

WILLIAM HOWARD CLIVE MONTGOMERY, (1940-),who married, in 1965, Daphne, daughter of Brigadier the Hon Geoffrey John Orlando Bridgeman, and has issue,

Hugh Geoffrey Clive, b 1966;
Rose Evelyn, b 1968;
Frances Mary, b 1970;
Flora Anne Selina, b 1974.

First published in February, 2012.