THE VISCOUNTS GORT OWNED 940 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY GALWAY
WILLIAM SMYTH, of Rossdale, Yorkshire, passed over into Ulster in the reign of CHARLES I, and settling at Dundrum, County Down, became ancestor of the family which we are treating, and of the Smyths of Drumcree, Gaybrook, etc.
His son,
WILLIAM SMYTH, of Dundrum, married Mary, daughter of Thomas Dewdall, and by her had two sons, viz.
THE RT REV THOMAS SMYTH (1650-1725), was, for his great piety and learning, at the recommendation of Dr Tenison, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, promoted to the see of Limerick in 1696.
His lordship married Dorothea, daughter of the Rt Rev Ulysses Burgh, Lord Bishop of Ardagh, and had issue,
CHARLES SMYTH (1698-1784), who succeeded to the estates of his father, MP for Limerick City, 1731-76, espoused Elizabeth, sister and heir of Sir Thomas Prendergast, last baronet of that name, and widow of John Dixon Haman, and had issue,
JOHN PRENDERGAST-SMYTH, was elevated to the peerage, in 1810, in the dignity of Baron Kiltarton, with remainder to his nephew, Charles Vereker, the son of his sister Juliana.
His lordship was advanced to a viscountcy, in 1816, as VISCOUNT GORT, of Gort, County Galway.
The 1st Viscount died unmarried in 1817, when the family honours devolved upon his nephew,
CHARLES, 2nd Viscount (1768-1842), PC, Constable of the City of Limerick, Colonel of its Militia, Privy Counsellor, who married firstly, in 1789, Jane, widow of William Stamer, and had issue,
JOHN PRENDERGAST, 3rd Viscount (1790-1865), MP for Limerick, 1817-20, Mayor of Limerick, 1831-2, who espoused firstly, in 1814, Maria, daughter of Standish, 1st Viscount Guillamore, and had issue,
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,
STANDISH PRENDERGAST, 4th Viscount (1819-1900), JP, High Sheriff of County Galway, 1843, who married, in 1847, Caroline Harriet, daughter of Henry, 4th Viscount Gage, and had issue,
JOHN GAGE PRENDERGAST, 5th Viscount (1849-1902), JP, who wedded, in 1885, Eleanor, daughter of Edward Smith Surtees, and had issue,
JOHN STANDISH SURTEES PRENDERGAST, 6th Viscount (1886-1946), VC GCB CBE DSO MVO MC, FIELD-MARSHAL.
LOUGH CUTRA CASTLE, once known as Loughcooter Castle, is near Gort in County Galway.
It was designed by John Nash and is located in a romantic setting above a lough.
The Castle was built from 1811 for the 2nd Viscount Gort, who had an admiration for East Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight and stipulated that his new home should be similar in design.
Lough Cutra Castle is battlemented with machicolations.
The 3rd Viscount suffered ruinous financial losses as a result of the Irish famine, since he refused to collect any rents and donated large sums to charity.
Consequently, Lough Cutra was sold by the Encumbered Estates Court in 1851.
The Gort family subsequently moved to the Isle of Wight, where they, somewhat ironically, acquired East Cowes Castle.
Lough Cutra was purchased in 1854 by Field-Marshal the Viscount Gough, who added a wing and clock-tower two years later.
During the Victorian era, the estate comprised 6,628 acres.
Interestingly, Lord Gough commissioned wallpaper by Cole & Son for a design featuring Union Flags and coronets.
The Castle was sold by the Gough family later in the 19th century and remained empty for many years; until it was bought back post-1945 by the 7th Viscount Gort for his great-niece, Elizabeth Sidney.
Thereafter the Castle was sold again and is now privately owned.
In May, 2015, TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited Lough Cutra Castle.
First published in May, 2015. Gort arms courtesy of European Heraldry.
THOMAS, his heir;The elder son,
James.
THE RT REV THOMAS SMYTH (1650-1725), was, for his great piety and learning, at the recommendation of Dr Tenison, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, promoted to the see of Limerick in 1696.
His lordship married Dorothea, daughter of the Rt Rev Ulysses Burgh, Lord Bishop of Ardagh, and had issue,
William (Very Rev), Dean of Ardfert, dsp;The eldest surviving son,
CHARLES, of whom presently;
John;
Michael;
Henry;
Thomas;
George;
Arthur;
Edward;
James;
Mary; Dorothea; Elizabeth.
CHARLES SMYTH (1698-1784), who succeeded to the estates of his father, MP for Limerick City, 1731-76, espoused Elizabeth, sister and heir of Sir Thomas Prendergast, last baronet of that name, and widow of John Dixon Haman, and had issue,
Thomas, MP, dsp;The second son,
JOHN PRENDERGAST, of whom we treat;
Charles Lennox;
Juliana, mother of CHARLES, 2nd Viscount.
JOHN PRENDERGAST-SMYTH, was elevated to the peerage, in 1810, in the dignity of Baron Kiltarton, with remainder to his nephew, Charles Vereker, the son of his sister Juliana.
His lordship was advanced to a viscountcy, in 1816, as VISCOUNT GORT, of Gort, County Galway.
The 1st Viscount died unmarried in 1817, when the family honours devolved upon his nephew,
CHARLES, 2nd Viscount (1768-1842), PC, Constable of the City of Limerick, Colonel of its Militia, Privy Counsellor, who married firstly, in 1789, Jane, widow of William Stamer, and had issue,
JOHN PRENDERGAST, his successor;He wedded secondly, in 1810, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of John Palliser, by whom he had a son,
Juliana; Georgiana.
Charles, born in 1818.His eldest son,
JOHN PRENDERGAST, 3rd Viscount (1790-1865), MP for Limerick, 1817-20, Mayor of Limerick, 1831-2, who espoused firstly, in 1814, Maria, daughter of Standish, 1st Viscount Guillamore, and had issue,
STANDISH, his successor;He wedded secondly, in 1861, Elizabeth Mary, daughter of John Jones.
John;
Henry;
Richard;
Adolphus Edward Prendergast;
Maria Corinna; Emily Henrietta.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,
STANDISH PRENDERGAST, 4th Viscount (1819-1900), JP, High Sheriff of County Galway, 1843, who married, in 1847, Caroline Harriet, daughter of Henry, 4th Viscount Gage, and had issue,
JOHN GAGE PRENDERGAST, his successor;His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,
Foley Charles Prendergast;
Standish William Prendergast;
Jeffrey Edward Prendergast;
Elizabeth Maria; Isolda Caroline; Mabel Elizabeth; Laline Maria; Corinna Julia.
JOHN GAGE PRENDERGAST, 5th Viscount (1849-1902), JP, who wedded, in 1885, Eleanor, daughter of Edward Smith Surtees, and had issue,
JOHN STANDISH SURTEES PRENDERGAST, his successor;His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,
Standish Robert Gage.
JOHN STANDISH SURTEES PRENDERGAST, 6th Viscount (1886-1946), VC GCB CBE DSO MVO MC, FIELD-MARSHAL.
LOUGH CUTRA CASTLE, once known as Loughcooter Castle, is near Gort in County Galway.
It was designed by John Nash and is located in a romantic setting above a lough.
The Castle was built from 1811 for the 2nd Viscount Gort, who had an admiration for East Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight and stipulated that his new home should be similar in design.
Lough Cutra Castle is battlemented with machicolations.
The 3rd Viscount suffered ruinous financial losses as a result of the Irish famine, since he refused to collect any rents and donated large sums to charity.
Consequently, Lough Cutra was sold by the Encumbered Estates Court in 1851.
The Gort family subsequently moved to the Isle of Wight, where they, somewhat ironically, acquired East Cowes Castle.
Lough Cutra was purchased in 1854 by Field-Marshal the Viscount Gough, who added a wing and clock-tower two years later.
During the Victorian era, the estate comprised 6,628 acres.
Interestingly, Lord Gough commissioned wallpaper by Cole & Son for a design featuring Union Flags and coronets.
The Castle was sold by the Gough family later in the 19th century and remained empty for many years; until it was bought back post-1945 by the 7th Viscount Gort for his great-niece, Elizabeth Sidney.
Thereafter the Castle was sold again and is now privately owned.
In May, 2015, TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited Lough Cutra Castle.
First published in May, 2015. Gort arms courtesy of European Heraldry.
1 comment :
Interesting history of a castle Tim. I felt sad that someone who cared more for the people around him so took care of them instead of paying his tax bill had to lose it.
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