Rockdale House

THE LOWRYS OF ROCKDALE OWNED 3,141 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY TYRONE

JAMES LOWRY, of Rockdale, County Tyrone (third son of the REV JAMES LOWRY, Rector of Desertcreat), married, in 1785, Martha, daughter of the Rt Rev Dr James Leslie, Lord Bishop of Limerick, by his wife Joice, sister and eventual heir of Thomas Lyster, of Lysterfield, County Roscommon, and had issue,

JAMES, of whom presently;
Hester, m W Colvill, an eminent merchant in Dublin and director of Bank of Ireland.

Mr Lowry died in 1790, and was succeeded by his son,

JAMES LOWRY (1787-1847), of Rockdale, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1813, who wedded firstly, Harriet, youngest daughter of Thomas Pepper, of Ballygarth Castle, County Meath, and had issue,

JAMES CORRY, his heir;
Edward Leslie (1811-33);
Thomas William (1814-52);
Hercules (1817-51);
Armar, m Jane, 2nd daughter of J Greer, of The Grange, Co Tyrone;
Octavius;
Robert;
Henrietta Martha; Charlotte; Joice; Georgina; Mary L Pepper.

Mr Lowry espoused secondly, in 1835, Emily, eldest daughter of Joseph Greer, of The Grange, County Tyrone, and had further issue,

Henry MacGregor;
Emily; Martha Leslie.

Mr Lowry was succeeded by his eldest son,

JAMES CORRY LOWRY QC (1809-69), of Rockdale, Master of the Court of Exchequer in Ireland, who married firstly, in 1832, Dorinda, second daughter of James Jones, of Mount Edward, County Sligo, Captain, Sligo Militia, and had issue,

JAMES CORRY JONES, his heir;
EDWARD LESLIE BARNWELL, succeeded his brother;
Thomas Pepper, (1839-47);
George Pepper, (1843-82);
John Robert Colvill;
Harriett; April; Eliza.

Mr Lowry wedded secondly, in 1848, Ellen, widow of Frederick Gamble; and thirdly, in 1850, Jane, eldest daughter of Booth Jones, of Streedagh, County Sligo, and had further issue, a son,

Somerset Thomas Corry (Rev), Rector of Wonston, Micheldever, Hampshire, b 1855; m, in 1896, Alice Venables Vernon, daughter of the 6th Baron Vernon.

Mr Lowry was succeeded by his eldest son,

JAMES CORRY JONES LOWRY JP DL (1835-97), of Rockdale, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1874, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of County Tyrone, 1889-92, Captain, Royal Artillery, Colonel Commanding, Donegal Artillery Militia, who married, in 1863, Elizabeth Jackson, second daughter of Thomas Greer, of Tullylagan, County Tyrone, and widow of the Rev Thomas Bushe, and had issue,

Dorinda Florence, m 1892 T M Greer, of Sea Park, Co Antrim;
Mina Ethel, m 1899 Major W Lenox-Conyngham, of SPRING HILL, Co Londonderry.

Colonel Lowry's second son,

EDWARD LESLIE BARNWELL LOWRY DL (1837-1928), of Rockdale, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1905, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of County Tyrone, 1906, Captain, 41st, 31st, and 81st Regiment, married firstly, in 1865, Eliza (d 1869), only child of Thomas John Taylor, of Earsdon, Northumberland, and had issue,

Evelyn Eliza;
Mary Emily.

He wedded secondly, in 1872, Edith Clara Halyma, only child of Samuel Saunders, of Alexandria, and had further issue,

James Taylor, Lieutenant, Inniskilling Fusiliers, 1875-1900;
Hilda Clare Leslie;
Joice Leslie, m 1904 Edward Turnour Master.

ROCKDALE HOUSE, Sandholes, near Cookstown, County Tyrone, is a three-storey early Georgian house, built for James Corry Lowry QC.

It has a basement and three bays.

A breakfront was added to the east by one bay.

The house uses Classical dressing, with tall sash windows and stepped quoins.

The main door is painted and pedimented. Above the door there is a Venetian window.

The roof is slated and hipped behind a cornice.

Rockdale was previously rendered.

An exterior step in the basement well (at the front next to the cold-room under the main entrance steps) is inscribed '1791 R'.

However, there are features typical of an earlier house that support the argument for a mid-18th century date.

A stone outbuilding is dated 1827, and the walled garden is dated 1823.

The gate lodge stylistically may be dated to the mid-19th century, as may the extension to the main house on its east elevation.

First published in February, 2015.