1st Baron Athlumney

THE BARONS ATHLUMNEY WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MEATH, WITH 10,213 ACRES

This is a branch of the very eminent Scottish family of SOMERVILLE.

The first of the family that settled in Ireland was

JAMES SOMERVILLE (1571-1642), of Tullykelter Castle, near Monea, County Fermanagh, son of  James Somerville, of Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire. 

He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Hamilton, of Brimhill.

Tullykelter, County Fermanagh ca 1830 (OS historic map)

His third son,

THOMAS SOMERVILLE, of Drumadown, County Fermanagh, wedded Jean, daughter of Thomas Warnock, of Enniskillen, and died in 1669, having by her (who married secondly, Robert Galbraith, attainted 1689, and had issue), had issue.

His third son,

THOMAS SOMERVILLE, Alderman of Dublin, espoused Katherine, daughter of James King, of Corrard (and sister of Alderman Robert King, of that city; and dying in 1718, leaving, with four daughters, an only son,

SIR JAMES SOMERVILLE (c1698-1748), Knight, Lord Mayor of Dublin, 1736-37, MP for that city, 1729; succeeded to the Meath estates of his uncle, James King, of Corrard and Dublin, who dsp 1726.

He was created a baronet in 1748, designated of Somerville, County Meath.

Sir James wedded firstly, Elizabeth, daughter of Alderman William Quaile, of the same city (of a Manx family), and had issue,

QUAILE, his successor;

William.

He was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR QUAILE SOMERVILLE, 2nd Baronet (1714-72), of Brownstown, County Meath, who espoused firstly, Mary, only daughter and heiress of George Warburton, by whom he had three sons.

He married a second time, and had an only daughter, Martha, who wedded Gustavus, 5th Viscount Boyne.

Sir Quaile was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JAMES QUAILE SOMERVILLE, 3rd Baronet (c1742-c1802), of Somerville, County Meath, who married, in 1771, Catherine, daughter of Sir Marcus Lowther-Crofton Bt, of The Moate, County Roscommon, by whom he had two sons, Marcus and James.

Sir James was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR MARCUS SOMERVILLE, 4th Baronet (1772-1831), MP for County Meath, 1800, who married Mary Anne, daughter of Sir Richard Gorges-Meredyth Bt, and had issue,

WILLIAM MEREDYTH, his successor;
James Richard, lieutenant, Scots Greys.

Sir Marcus's elder son, 

THE RT HON SIR WILLIAM MEREDYTH SOMERVILLE, 5th Baronet (1802-73), was elevated to the peerage, in 1863, in the dignity of BARON ATHLUMNEY, of Somerville and Dollarstown, County Meath.

He married firstly, in 1832, the Lady Maria Harriet Conyngham, second daughter of Henry, 1st Marquess Conyngham, and had issue,

William Henry Marcus, died in infancy;
Elizabeth Jane.

His lordship wedded secondly, in 1860, Maria Georgiana Elizabeth, only daughter of Herbert George Jones, and had further numerous issue, including

JAMES HERBERT GUSTAVUS MEREDYTH, his successor;
Marcus Edward Francis Meredyth (1867-71).

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

JAMES HERBERT GUSTAVUS MEREDYTH, 2nd Baron (1865-1929), DL, who married, in 1919, Margery, daughter of Henry Boan, of Australia, though the marriage was without issue, and the titles expired.

Somerville House was inherited by Sir Quentin Charles Agnew-Somerville, 2nd Baronet (1929-2010), nephew by marriage of James, 2nd Baron Athlumney and 6th Somerville Baronet.

Somerville House, County Meath

First published in 2012.