Wednesday 10 September 2014

Finnebrogue House

I'm delighted to learn that Finnebrogue House, near Downpatrick, County Down, has been fully restored.

Cordial congratulations to the owner for such an admirable undertaking.

This is an important country house, originally dating from the mid to later 17th century; but extensively remodelled internally, and to a lesser extent, externally, in the 1790s, with some changes to the rear in ca 1880s; largely cleared away in the 1930s.

The building is roughly H-shaped, with a recessed central entrance section and projecting side wings.

The central portion contains two floors; whereas the wings have three.

The attic level (and dormer windows) to the centre was removed in the 1790s to permit the heightening of the first floor rooms.

The walls are rough-casted, the roof slated; almost all windows Georgian-paned sashes, and the remaining tall prominent chimney-stacks rendered.

4 comments :

Anonymous said...

My great grandfather Daniel Sleigh, was the head gardener on the Finnebrogue/Maxwell Est,for 40 years. He lived in the estate grounds with his wife Eliza along with their four children. George,Julia Laura and James. Julia was born on the est in 1879 as were Laura and James. Daniel died in 1934.

Unknown said...

My grandmother was born in one of the semi detached houses that is still standing in cotter hill road, the one with the leaded windows ,she was born in 1894 and lived there with her mother Jane (Seay) Skillen and father John Skillen and brothers Thomas and Charles and sister Jane.
She often spoke of her uncles working for the Maxwell Estate and I think her father did as well ,she has told me lots of stories of when she was a young girl so I feel I have a connection with the area of Finnabrogue.I was also lucky enough to see the old kitchen and servants quarters some years ago before the renovations. Gran passed away in 1984 but I am trying to trace my ancestors that lived in that area.
Norma Callagher.

Unknown said...

Norma Callagher,
My great grandfather Daniel Sleigh,married Eliza Ann Skillen. Her parents were John Skillen
and Margaret McMurray,from Co-Down.
Patrick.

mcmvjp@iprimus.com.au

Anonymous said...

My great grandfather Watterson was a Gardner at Finnebrougue and my Morrison family lived at Pikestone and worked for the Maxwells too.