Lowry of Pomeroy

THE LOWRYS OWNED 8,158 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY TYRONE

This is a junior branch of the Earls of Belmore. STEPHEN LAURIE or LOWRY purchased the Maxwelton estate, Dumfriesshire, during the reign of JAMES VI, King of Scots, from the Earl of Glencairn.

He had issue, three sons,

John, whose son was created a baronet in 1685, designated of Maxwelton;
Robert, who settled in Cumberland;
JAMES, of whom hereafter.

The youngest son,

JAMES LOWRY or LAURIE, settled at Ballymagorry, County Tyrone, before 1641.

The Lowry coat-of-arms contains a garland of laurel branches.

Ballymagorry lies several miles north of Strabane, County Tyrone, and has been a settlement since Plantation times, being founded in the early 17th century by Sir George Hamilton, of Greenlaw, brother to James, 1st Earl of Abercorn.

He died in 1665, and was succeeded by his son,

JOHN LOWRY (1609-89), who settled at Aghenis, County Tyrone, and married firstly, Jane, daughter of William Hamilton, of Ballyfallow, by whom he had issue,

William, died unmarried;
Elizabeth; Margaret; Mary.

He wedded secondly, Miss Mary Buchanan, a Scottish lady, and had further issue,

John, died unmarried;
ROBERT, succeeded his brother;
Catherine; Rebecca; Anne; Jane.

Mr Lowry died at the celebrated siege of Londonderry, and was succeeded by his surviving son,

ROBERT LOWRY (c1660-1729), of Aghenis, who espoused Anne, daughter of the Rev James Sinclair, of Hollyhill, County Tyrone, Rector of Clogherny, and afterwards of Desertcreat, County Tyrone (second son of Sir James Sinclair, of Caithness), and had issue,

Robert, of Melbury, dsp;
Galbraith, ancestor of THE EARLS OF BELMORE;
JAMES, of whom we treat.

Robert Lowry, Photo Credit: The National Trust

Mr Lowry was succeeded in his principal estates by his elder surviving son, while the younger,

THE REV JAMES LOWRY (1707-87), of Tullyhogue, County Tyrone, Rector of Clogherny, founded the branch seated at Pomeroy House.

He married Hester, daughter of William Richardson, of Richhill, MP for Armagh, and sister of Mary, Viscountess Gosford, and had issue,

ROBERT, his heir;
John (Rev);
James, from whom the ROCKDALE branch;
Hester.

The eldest son,

ROBERT LOWRY (1748-1802), of Pomeroy, wedded, in 1777, Elizabeth, daughter of Major William Tighe, of Ballyshannon, and had issue,

James, died unmarried;
ROBERT WILLIAM, of Pomeroy;
John;
Armar;
William, of Drumreagh, Commander RN;
Everina; Hester; Elizabeth; Maria.

The eldest surviving son,

ROBERT WILLIAM LOWRY JP DL (1787-1869), of Pomeroy, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1812, espoused, in 1815, Anna, eldest daughter of Admiral Samuel Graves, the elder brother of of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Graves KB, and had issue,

ROBERT WILLIAM, of Pomeroy;
John Fetherstonhaugh;
Anna Jane.

Mr Lowry was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROBERT WILLIAM LOWRY JP DL (1816-99), of Pomeroy House, Barrister, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1849, who married, in 1852, Frances Elizabeth, youngest daughter and co-heir of Benjamin Humphrey Geale Brady, of Mount Geale, County Kilkenny, and had issue,

Robert Geale, died in infancy;
ROBERT THOMAS GRAVES, of whom hereafter;
Mary Anna Catherine; Letitia Maria Isabella.

He wedded secondly, in 1880, Dorothea Elizabeth, second daughter of George Folliott, of Vicar's Cross, Cheshire.

The surviving son,

ROBERT THOMAS GRAVES LOWRY JP DL (1857-1947), of Pomeroy House, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1896, Major, 1st Dragoon Guards, was succeeded by his sister,

MISS MARY ANNA CATHERINE LOWRY (d 1951), who wedded Colonel Charles Murray Alexander, of Termon House and Enagh House, and had issue, a son and heir,  

MAJOR CHARLES ADAM MURRAY ALEXANDER MC JP DL (1889-1958), Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, of Termon House and Pomeroy House, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1936, who married, in 1918, (Gladys) Sylvia Macgregor Greer (b 1896), by whom he had issue,

(Evelyn) Ruth Dorinda Mary (1921-2010);

Margaret Sylvia Daphne, born in 1925.

Major Alexander fought in 1st World War, was wounded and mentioned in despatches, and was awarded the Military Cross in 1917. He was a director of the Ulster Bank; on the board of the Pigs Marketing Board, Northern Ireland, the Great Northern Railway, and the Electricity Board, Northern Ireland; Ferguson Ltd, Dublin; Bessbrook Spinning Company Ltd; Harry Ferguson Motors Ltd; J N Richardson Sons & Owden Ltd.

Former estates ~ The Manor of Chichester and Leggin, including Pomeroy; and property at Baskine, County Westmeath, acquired by marriage. 

Pomeroy House: garden front (Image: Society of Irish Foresters)

POMEROY HOUSE, near Pomeroy, County Tyrone, was built 1789-92 for Robert Lowry.

It consisted of three storeys over a basement, the top storey treated as an attic, above the cornice.

A single-storey extension of about 1850 was added on its east side by Robert William Lowry.

The house was orientated north-west, facing the rectangular stable-yard, eighty feet in distance from the front door.

Later in the 19th century a second rectangular yard was added on its north side, some ranges of which also still survive.

Further north of this a kennel building ca 1860 survives.

The entrance front had a central, three-sided bow, one bay on either side of it.

(Historic OSNI map)

Later there was a projecting porch added to the bow, with Ionic corner-pilasters.

The garden front (above) was of five bays, prolonged by a single-storey dining-room wing of 1815, with Wyatt windows in a three-sided bow and a polygonal lantern on the roof.

The main reception rooms were at the garden front.

Pomeroy House: entrance front opposite stableyard ca 1958 (Image: McClintock of Seskinore)

Following Major Alexander's death, Pomeroy House was sold by his widow in 1960 to the Northern Ireland Forest Service.

It is thought that the mansion house was demolished about 1970; presumably it was still standing for some years after the forestry school was built and opened in front of it in 1963.

The mansion house stood in a commanding position on top of a hill, now the location of a new visitor centre.

The site is now largely forestry

There is, however, a very fine stand of Scots pine within the forest.

There are other old demesne trees and the management is replacing hard-woods. 

The walled garden, on lower ground about 500 feet to the east of Pomeroy House, is practically ruinous with a few crumbling walls remaining.

Shoots and Christmas trees add to the commercial use. 

On land not owned by the forestry service, now outside the demesne on the south side of the road, is the Alexander Vault, which is listed, with the last few specimen of a monkey puzzle avenue to the vault.

There were two gate lodges.

First published in January, 2012.