Beardiville House

THE LECKYS OWNED 1,492 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

This family is of Scottish extraction, and settled, it is stated, in County Londonderry, in the 17th century.

ALEXANDER LECKIE OF THAT ILK (1599-1643), a laird from Stirlingshire, owing to various troubles of that period, had to take refuge in Ulster where he spent the years 1633-40.

He wedded Grizel, daughter of Sir John Murray of Polmais; and dying in 1643, he was succeeded by his younger son, 

CAPTAIN ALEXANDER LECKY (c1631-c1717), who, like his father, removed to Ulster and settled at Derry.

He was High Sheriff of Londonderry, 1677, and Mayor, 1691 and 1695.

Captain Lecky took a considerable part in the siege of Derry, being captain of one of the six companies raised for the protection of the city; but on his refusal to accept the Test Act of 1704, he had to relinquish his office of alderman of the city and all his other offices.

His younger son, 

HENRY LECKY (1689-1761), of Agivey, County Londonderry, married, in 1715, Mary, daughter of Randal McColIum, of Lemnalary, Glenarm, County Antrim, and had a son,

HUGH LECKY, of Agivey, who married, in 1765, Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev John Gage, of Rathlin, County Antrim, and had issue,

JOHN GAGE, his heir;
Hugh, father of HUGH;
Mary; Anne.

Mr Lecky died in 1796, and was succeeded by his elder son,

JOHN GAGE LECKY (1773-1819), of Agivey and Bushmills, who wedded, in 1818, Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev Oliver McCausland; though died without issue, when he was succeeded by his nephew,

HUGH LECKY (1804-81), of Beardiville, County Antrim, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1835, who espoused, in 1837, Matilda, daughter of George Hutchinson, of Ballymoney, County Antrim, and had issue,

HUGH, his heir;
George;
John Gage;
Harry;
Elizabeth.

Mr Lecky was succeeded by his eldest son, 

HUGH LECKY JP (1845-1918), of Beardiville, who married, in 1876, Rebecca Mary, daughter of Robert Crookshank, of Glenmanus House, Portrush, and had issue,

HUGH, his heir;
Robert;
Randall and
James, twins;
Olivia.

Mr Lecky was succeeded by his eldest son,

CAPTAIN HUGH LECKY DL (1880-1962), High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1930, who wedded, in 1905, Annie Margaret, daughter of Anthony Traill, though the marriage was without issue.

BEARDIVILLE HOUSE is situated at Cloyfin, between Coleraine and Bushmills, County Antrim.

This is a mid-18th century house originally inhabited by the Macnaghtens of Dundarave.

It comprises two storeys over a basement, with five bays.

The central bay breaks forward.

There is a porch with Tuscan-style columns, which were added afterwards.

The drawing-room was in the single-storey 19th century wing.

There is a simple pedimented archway at the demesne's entrance, flanked by single-storey lodges. Diocletian windows are partly blocked up.

The demesne was established in the 17th century and the present house dates from around 1710-12.

The property had been leased by Francis Macnaghten from the Earl of Antrim in 1709 and the house, with its steep, hipped roof (which once had dormers), has an armorial plaque over the main door bearing the date 1715.

An earlier survey by Thomas Roe of the demesne in 1712 shows ‘house, orchard, garding, stead and meadow or moss’.

There is part of a shelter belt of trees on the west side, which is most necessary in this area of the county, but a continuation along the road to the south has gone.

Two clumps of trees in parkland to the south of the house, and other trees near the house, remain from late 18th or early 19th century planting.

There is a walled garden, set out as an ornamental garden for a dwelling that is occupied.

The building may have originally been an apple store.

The area south of the walled garden was formally an orchard.

There is a pond fed from a spring, mature shrubs, herbaceous border, lawns, a tennis court and wall plants in the walled garden.

It appears that improvements in landscaping took place in the early 19th century, as a winding avenue through parkland was emphasised through the addition of a new gate lodge on the south side.

This is maintained as a folly.

It was built ca 1810 in basalt rubble, with two rooms and a joining arch, possibly by Richard Elsam.

Another matching pair of lodges, ca 1790 at the north entrance, probably flanked the original entrance and are now derelict.

The property passed hands in 1845 to Hugh Lecky, whose son, also Hugh, went to live in the Apple House in the walled garden just before the start of the 2nd World War.

Beardiville House remained empty until sold in 1965.

It has subsequently been restored.

First published in August, 2011.