THE EARLS OF KINGSTON WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY CORK, WITH 24,421 ACRES
The family of KING was originally of Feathercock Hall, near Northallerton, Yorkshire.
The first of its members we find upon record in Ireland is
SIR JOHN KING, Knight (c1560-1637), who obtained, from ELIZABETH I, in requital of his military services, a lease of Boyle Abbey, County Roscommon; and, from JAMES I, numerous valuable territorial grants, and several of the highest and most lucrative political employments.
He married Catherine, daughter of Robert Drury, and grand-niece of the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir William Drury, and had, with other issue,
MITCHELSTOWN CASTLE was the ancestral seat of the Earls of Kingston.
It was one of the largest Gothic-Revival houses in Ireland, a noble and sumptuous structure of hewn stone, in the castellated style, erected after a design by Mr Pain, of Cork, at an expense of more than £100,000.
Mitchelstown is about thirty miles north of the city of Cork.
The buildings occupied three sides of a quadrangle, the fourth being occupied by a terrace, under which are various offices.
The principal entrance, on the eastern range, was flanked by two lofty square towers rising to the height of 106 feet, one of which was called the White Knight's tower, from its being built on the site of the tower of that name which formed part of the old mansion.
At the northern extremity of the same range were two octagonal towers of lofty elevation.
The entrance hall opened into a stately hall or gallery, eighty feet in length, with an elaborately groined roof, richly ornamented with fine tracery, and furnished with elegant stoves of bronze, and with figures of warriors armed cap-a-pie; at the further extremity was the grand staircase.
Parallel with the gallery, and forming the south front and principal range, were the dining and drawing-rooms, both noble apartments superbly fitted up and opening into the library, which was between them.
The whole pile had a character of stately baronial magnificence, and from its great extent and elevation formed a conspicuous feature in the surrounding scenery.
Near the Castle was a large fish-pond, and from a small tower on its margin, water was conveyed to the baths and to the upper apartments of the castle, and across the demesne to the gardens, by machinery of superior construction.
The gardens were spacious and tastefully laid out, the conservatory 100 feet in length and ornamented with a range of beautiful Ionic pilasters.
The parkland, which comprised 1,300 acres, was embellished with luxuriant plantations, and included a farming establishment on an extensive scale, with buildings and offices of a superior description, on the erection of which more than £40,000 was expended.
It was estimated that the castle, with the conservatories, farm, and the general improvement of the demesne, cost its noble proprietor little less, if not more, than £200,000 (£8.3 million today).
"Big George", the 3rd Earl, was renowned for his extravagant hospitality.
The 4th Earl continued to entertain his visitors regally at Mitchelstown.
One of the under-cooks was a young man called Claridge.
Lord Kingston suffered a financial downfall: His lordship - and house guests - locked the doors against the bailiffs and were besieged therein for a fortnight, until finally the Castle was possessed, creditors satisfied and much of the estate was sold.
What remained of the estate was inherited by the 5th Earl's widow. Thereafter, Economy reigned.
The house was looted and burned in 1922 by the IRA, which had occupied it for the previous six weeks.
The order to burn the building, to prevent the newly established Irish Free State army from having use of it, was made by a local Republican commandant, Patrick Luddy, with the approval of General Liam Lynch.
It is clear that one of the motivations for the burning was to try to cover up the looting of the castle's contents, including large amounts of furniture, a grand piano, paintings by Conrad, Beechy and Gainsborough.
Many of these objects have come up for sale in recent years and some, such as the piano, are still kept locally.
The Castle was severely damaged by the fire.
However, it is clear from documents in the National Archives of Ireland that, for example, in places where the fire had not reached, 'mantelpieces had been forcibly wrenched from the walls and carted.'
As this episode took place at the height of the Irish Civil War, there was no appetite afterwards to prosecute anyone for their role in the looting and burning.
The ashlar limestone of the castle was later removed to build the new Cistercian abbey at Mount Melleray, County Water.
The site of the building is now occupied by a milk powder processing plant and the surrounding 1,214 acre demesne (private park) of the castle has been destroyed.
Lord Kingston's town residence between 1826-32 was 3 Whitehall Place, London, now part of the Department of Energy & Climate Change.
First published in February, 2012.
SIR JOHN KING, Knight (c1560-1637), who obtained, from ELIZABETH I, in requital of his military services, a lease of Boyle Abbey, County Roscommon; and, from JAMES I, numerous valuable territorial grants, and several of the highest and most lucrative political employments.
He married Catherine, daughter of Robert Drury, and grand-niece of the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir William Drury, and had, with other issue,
ROBERT, his heir;Sir John was succeeded by his eldest son,
John;
Edward;
Dorothy; Mary.
SIR ROBERT KING, Knight, of Boyle Abbey, Muster Master-general of Ireland, who wedded firstly, Frances, daughter of Sir Henry Folliott, 1st Baron Folliott, of Ballyshannon, and had, with other children,
JOHN (Sir), 1st Baron Kingston;Sir Robert died in 1657, and was succeeded by his youngest son,
ROBERT, created a Baronet.
THE RT HON ROBERT KING (c1625-1707), of Rockingham, County Roscommon, MP for Ballyshannon, 1661-6, County Roscommon, 1692-9, and for Boyle, 1703-7.
Mr King was created a baronet, 1682, designated of Boyle Abbey, County Roscommon.
He wedded Frances, daughter and co-heiress of Colonel Henry Gore, and died in 1707, leaving issue, his eldest surviving son,
SIR JOHN KING, 2nd Baronet (1673-1720), MP for Boyle, 1695, 1703, and 1713, and for County Roscommon, 1715-20, who espoused Elizabeth, daughter of John Sankey, of Tennalick, County Longford, and dsp 1720, when the title devolved upon his brother,
SIR HENRY KING, 3rd Baronet (1680-1739), PC, MP for Boyle, 1707-27, and for County Roscommon, 1727-40, who married, in 1722, Isabella, who was 13th in descent from EDWARD III, and sister of 1st Viscount Powerscourt, by whom he had issue,
ROBERT, created Baron Kingsborough;EDWARD, 1st Earl of Kingston;Isabella; Anne.
The eldest son,
SIR ROBERT KING, 4th Baronet (1724-55), was raised to the Peerage, in 1748, in the dignity of BARON KINGSBOROUGH, but died unmarried in 1755, when that dignity expired, while the baronetcy devolved upon his brother,
SIR EDWARD KING, 5th Baronet (1726-97), created Baron Kingston, 1764, Viscount Kingsborough, 1766, and EARL OF KINGSTON, 1768.
He wedded, in 1752, Jane, daughter of Thomas Caulfeild, of Donamon, County Roscommon, and had, with other issue,
ROBERT, his successor;Jane.
The heir apparent is the present holder's son Charles Avery Edward King-Tenison, styled Viscount Kingsborough (b 2000).
- Robert King, 2nd Earl (1754–99);
- George King, 3rd Earl (1771–1839);
- Edward King, Viscount Kingsborough (1795–1837);
- Robert Henry King, 4th Earl (1796–1867);
- James King, 5th Earl (1800–69);
- Robert King, 6th Earl (1804–69);
- Robert Edward King, 7th Earl (1831–71);
- Henry Ernest Newcomen King-Tenison, 8th Earl (1848–96);
- Edward King, Viscount Kingsborough (1873–73);
- Henry Edwyn King-Tenison, 9th Earl (1874–1946);
- Robert Henry Ethelbert King-Tenison, 10th Earl (1897–1948);
- Barclay Robert Edwin King-Tenison, 11th Earl (1943–2002);
- Robert Charles Henry King-Tenison, 12th Earl (b 1969).
It was one of the largest Gothic-Revival houses in Ireland, a noble and sumptuous structure of hewn stone, in the castellated style, erected after a design by Mr Pain, of Cork, at an expense of more than £100,000.
Mitchelstown is about thirty miles north of the city of Cork.
The principal entrance, on the eastern range, was flanked by two lofty square towers rising to the height of 106 feet, one of which was called the White Knight's tower, from its being built on the site of the tower of that name which formed part of the old mansion.
At the northern extremity of the same range were two octagonal towers of lofty elevation.
The entrance hall opened into a stately hall or gallery, eighty feet in length, with an elaborately groined roof, richly ornamented with fine tracery, and furnished with elegant stoves of bronze, and with figures of warriors armed cap-a-pie; at the further extremity was the grand staircase.
 |
| Gallery |
Parallel with the gallery, and forming the south front and principal range, were the dining and drawing-rooms, both noble apartments superbly fitted up and opening into the library, which was between them.
 |
| Entrance Hall |
The whole pile had a character of stately baronial magnificence, and from its great extent and elevation formed a conspicuous feature in the surrounding scenery.
Near the Castle was a large fish-pond, and from a small tower on its margin, water was conveyed to the baths and to the upper apartments of the castle, and across the demesne to the gardens, by machinery of superior construction.
The gardens were spacious and tastefully laid out, the conservatory 100 feet in length and ornamented with a range of beautiful Ionic pilasters.
The parkland, which comprised 1,300 acres, was embellished with luxuriant plantations, and included a farming establishment on an extensive scale, with buildings and offices of a superior description, on the erection of which more than £40,000 was expended.
It was estimated that the castle, with the conservatories, farm, and the general improvement of the demesne, cost its noble proprietor little less, if not more, than £200,000 (£8.3 million today).
"Big George", the 3rd Earl, was renowned for his extravagant hospitality.
The 4th Earl continued to entertain his visitors regally at Mitchelstown.
One of the under-cooks was a young man called Claridge.
Lord Kingston suffered a financial downfall: His lordship - and house guests - locked the doors against the bailiffs and were besieged therein for a fortnight, until finally the Castle was possessed, creditors satisfied and much of the estate was sold.
What remained of the estate was inherited by the 5th Earl's widow. Thereafter, Economy reigned.
The house was looted and burned in 1922 by the IRA, which had occupied it for the previous six weeks.
The order to burn the building, to prevent the newly established Irish Free State army from having use of it, was made by a local Republican commandant, Patrick Luddy, with the approval of General Liam Lynch.
It is clear that one of the motivations for the burning was to try to cover up the looting of the castle's contents, including large amounts of furniture, a grand piano, paintings by Conrad, Beechy and Gainsborough.
Many of these objects have come up for sale in recent years and some, such as the piano, are still kept locally.
The Castle was severely damaged by the fire.
However, it is clear from documents in the National Archives of Ireland that, for example, in places where the fire had not reached, 'mantelpieces had been forcibly wrenched from the walls and carted.'
As this episode took place at the height of the Irish Civil War, there was no appetite afterwards to prosecute anyone for their role in the looting and burning.
The ashlar limestone of the castle was later removed to build the new Cistercian abbey at Mount Melleray, County Water.
The site of the building is now occupied by a milk powder processing plant and the surrounding 1,214 acre demesne (private park) of the castle has been destroyed.
Lord Kingston's town residence between 1826-32 was 3 Whitehall Place, London, now part of the Department of Energy & Climate Change.
First published in February, 2012.
1 comment :
Fascinating. I love Mitchelstown, particularly the area around Kingston College, built for the 'poor gentleman and gentlewomen of the Church of Ireland'. Theirishaesthete.com has an interesting item on this.
Some of the stone from Mitchelstown Castle was apparently used in the building of Mount Melleray Abbey.
I recommend 'Different and the Same' by Deirdre Nuttall, which gives oral history about the experience of Protestants in Independent Ireland, including the effects of the burnings of Big Houses and the side issue of protestants losing employment and leaving rural areas.
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