Tuesday 4 April 2023

Lisburn Manor House

THE STANNUSES OWNED 22 ACRES OF LAND IN LISBURN, COUNTY ANTRIM


The first mention of the family in Ireland is found in a patent of naturalization (consequent upon the plantation of Ulster by JAMES I), dated 1618, and granted to WILLIAM STANEHOUSE, of Carbolzie [sic], in Scotland, whereby all the rights and privileges of an English subject were fully secured to him and other persons of consideration.

The son of this William was

JAMES STANNUS, of Carlingford, the principal part of which town and manor he was seised of, including several townlands.

His interment in the church of Knock, County Down, previous to 1683, is recorded in a very interesting family document.

His son,

WILLIAM STANNUS (d 1717), also styled of Carlingford, was High Sheriff of County Louth, 1704.

It is to be remarked that, on the Sheriff's roll, the name is spelled Stanehouse.

Mr Stannus married Mabella, sister of Ephraim Dawson, of Dawson's Court, MP for the Queen's County, 1715-46 (whose grandson was created Earl of Portarlington), and had issue,
James, (1686-1721); MP for Carlingford 1713-21;
William, (1695-1732); MP for Carlingford, 1721-27, Portarlington, 1730;
Ephraim, b 1697; died in Gambia;
TREVOR, of whom we treat;
Mabella; Anne; Sophia.
The youngest son, 

TREVOR STANNUS (1700-71), denominated of Portarlington, succeeded to part of the Carlingford estates, and wedded, in 1728, Jane, daughter of Robert Sibthorp, MP for Louth, and had issue,
THOMAS, his heir;
William, 1730-58;
James, 1738-1808;
Ephraim;
Jane.
Mr Stannus, High Sheriff of County Louth, 1744, was buried in The French Church (St Paul's) at Portarlington.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS STANNUS (1736-1813), MP for Portarlington, 1789-99, who served during the American War of Independence, where he was severely wounded.

He espoused, in 1784, Caroline, sister of Hans Hamilton MP, of Abbotstown, County Dublin, and had issue,
Thomas, his heir;
JAMES, of whom we treat;
Trevor;
Caroline; Charlotte; Sophia; Jane; Harriette.
The second son,

THE VERY REV JAMES STANNUS (1788-1876), Dean of Ross, Rector of Lisburn, married, in 1816, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Erasmus Dixon Borrowes Bt, and had issue,
BEAUCHAMP WALTER (Rev);
Henry James, a general in the army;
Thomas Robert;
WALTER TREVOR, of whom we treat;
Harriet Jane; Elizabeth Emily Sophia.
The Dean's youngest son,

WALTER TREVOR STANNUS JP DL (1827-95), of Lisburn, County Antrim, and Moneymore, County Londonderry, married, in 1856, Catherine Geraldine, daughter of the Very Rev Henry Vesey-Fitzgerald, 3rd Baron Fitzgerald and Vesci, and had issue,
HENRY VESEY FITZGERALD, died young;
Gerald Walter James Fitzgerald;
Louisa Mabel Georgina, of The Manor House, Lisburn;
Geraldine Maude.
*****

Walter Trevor Stannus was Agent was the Worshipful Company of Drapers and his official residence was The Manor House, Moneymore.

The Manor House, Lisburn (Image: ILC&LM\Denis Agnew Collection)

THE MANOR HOUSE, Lisburn, County Antrim, was built ca 1860 for Walter Trevor Stannus.

In his Gate Lodges of Ulster, JAK Dean describes it thus:
A rather plain Regency villa of about 1860 for the Stannus family, whose splendid crest (a talbot's head catching a dove) and motto ET VI ET VIRTUTE decorate the hall gable.
The grounds extended to a relatively modest twenty-one acres.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

The gate lodge of the former main entrance survives at Manor Drive, Lisburn.

The Manor House, Moneymore

THE MANOR HOUSE, Moneymore, County Londonderry, was built by the Worshipful Company of Drapers in 1835 and designed by W J Booth.

It was described thus:
a handsome end spacious mansion, three storey, with a lesser wing at each end. It is built of cut sandstone and has a portico supported by massive stone columns.
The lesser wings were originally two storeys high.

The cut sandstone was probably similar to that of the market house of 1839.

In 1875, alterations were carried out: The wings gained additional floors; the centre block received a cornice and balustrading parapet, and lost its stone facing which was not plastered over.

The Deputation visited Moneymore in the same year, where the renovated Manor House was ready for reception, but "the plaster was not dry ... the Agent was complimented on having the building ready on time".

Featherstone of Belfast was the architect, being appointed in 1873.

Walter Trevor Stannus succeeded Rowley Miller as Agent.

The Company disposed of the Manor House ca 1900.

In 1882, Sir William Fitzwilliam Conynghan was appointed Agent.

Later, the Manor House became a hotel and restaurant.


In recent renovations the building has lost its former substantial projecting porch.

First published in March, 2013.

2 comments :

Unknown said...

Just a couple of corrections:
Walter Stannus succeeded Henry Rowley Miller as the Agent of the Drapers in 1873 not Rowley Miller. Henry Rowley Miller was the grandson of Rowley Miller who died in 1866. Rowley Miller had succeeded his father, John Miller on his death in 1820. John Miller had taken over the Agency in 1779 when the Drapers' Estate was leased to the Rowley Family and continued as Agent when the Drapers took back direct management. Rowley held a joint agent with his son John Rowley Miller who died in 1854. Grandson, Henry Rowley Miller became Rowley's assistant following the death of his father and succeeded his grandfather in 1866. Henry Rowley Miller married Elizabeth Sawyer. Her father was the Secretary of the Drapers' Company in London. The death of Henry Rowley Miler at the age of 34 years in 1882 ended four generations of Miller family management of the Drapers' Estate.

Walter Stannus' Agency was not considered satisfactory by the Drapers and he was replaced by the Drapers in 1882. The successful applicant (there were over 70 applicants) was Sir William Lenox-Conyngham from nearby Springhill.

Annette Miller
Melbourne, Australia

Timothy Belmont said...

Annette, Many thanks for the information. I'll amend it. Tim.