Vice Lord-Lieutenant

APPOINTMENT OF VICE LORD-LIEUTENANT

Mr Robert Scott OBE, Lord-Lieutenant of County Tyrone, with the approval of Her Majesty The Queen, has been pleased to appoint

Mrs Frances Beatrice Nolan MBE DL
Dungannon
County Tyrone

Vice Lord-Lieutenant for the said County, her Commission bearing date the 26th day of November 2020

Lord-Lieutenant of the County

NI Peers Index

AN INDEX OF NORTHERN IRELAND PEERS, EXTANT AND EXTINCT: SELECTIVE AND PERTAINING TO NORTHERN IRELAND

ABERCORN, DUKE OF

ANNESLEY, EARL

ANTRIM, EARL OF

ARDGLASS, EARL OF

ARMAGHDALE, BARON

BANGOR, VISCOUNT

Belfast, Earl of; courtesy lord; see Donegall

BELMORE, EARL OF

BLOOMFIELD, BARON

BROOKEBOROUGH, VISCOUNT

BRYCE, VISCOUNT

CAIRNS, EARL

CALEDON, EARL OF

Castlereagh, Viscount; courtesy lord; see Londonderry

CASTLE STEWART, EARL

CHARLEMONT, VISCOUNT

CLANBRASSIL, EARL OF

Cole, Viscount; courtesy lord; see Enniskillen

Corry, Viscount; courtesy lord; see Belmore

CRAIGAVON, VISCOUNT

CUSHENDUN, BARON

DE BLAQUIERE, BARON

DERAMORE, BARON

DE ROS, BARON

DONEGALL, MARQUESS OF

DORCHESTER, BARON

DOWNSHIRE, MARQUESS OF

DUFFERIN AND AVA, MARQUESS OF

DUNGANNON, VISCOUNT

DUNLEATH, BARON

Dunluce, Viscount; courtesy lord

ELY, MARQUESS OF

ENNISKILLEN, EARL OF

ERNE, EARL OF

GARVAGH, BARON

GLENTORAN, BARON

GOSFORD, EARL OF

Hamilton, Marquess of; courtesy lord

HASTINGS, MARQUESS OF

Hillsborough, Earl of; courtesy lord; see Downshire

KELVIN, BARON

KILMOREY, EARL OF

LECALE, BARON

LONDONDERRY, MARQUESS OF

LURGAN, BARON

MACARTNEY, EARL

MAGHERAMORNE, BARON

MASSEREENE & FERRARD, VISCOUNT

MOIRA, EARL OF; see Hastings

MOUNT ALEXANDER, EARL OF

Newry and Mourne, Viscount; courtesy lord; see Kilmorey

O'NEILL, BARON

PIRRIE, VISCOUNT

RANFURLY, EARL OF

RATHCAVAN, BARON

RODEN, EARL OF

ROKEBY, BARON (89th Lord Archbishop of Armagh)

Stuart, Viscount; courtesy lord; see Castle Stewart

TEMPLETOWN, VISCOUNT

TREVOR, BARON

WAVENEY, BARON

WESTMINSTER, 6TH DUKE OF (b 1951 at Omagh, Co Tyrone)

First published in February, 2013.

Brackenber Day

THE HEADMASTER'S VALEDICTORY LETTER

Here is the final correspondence I received from Brackenber's last headmaster, Mr John Craig, following his retirement.

It is clearly valedictory in nature.

Click on the image to read it.

It reflects Mr Craig's feelings about Brackenber; his profound devotion and deep affection for what became his home and his life; his dedication, care and passion for our school:-

click to enlarge

First published in February, 2011.

Hamwood House

THE HAMILTONS OF HAMWOOD OWNED 352 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY MEATH

HUGH HAMILTON (1572-1655) settled in Lisbane, County Down, during the reign of JAMES I, and was made a denizen of Ireland, 1616.

This Hugh Hamilton married, and had issue,

John, of Ballymenoch;

ALEXANDER, of whom presently;

Robert.

The second son,

ALEXANDER HAMILTON, of Killyleagh, County Down, wedded Jean, daughter of John Hamilton, of Belfast, and had issue,

HUGH, his heir;

Jane, married William Sloane, of Chelsea.

Mr Hamilton died in 1676, and was succeeded by his son,

HUGH HAMILTON (1664-1728), of Ballybredagh, County Down, who married Mary, sister of Robert Ross, of Rostrevor, County Down, and daughter of George Ross, of Portavo, by Ursula his wife, daughter of Captain Hans Hamilton, of Carnesure, and had issue (with three daughters), two sons,

George;

ALEXANDER.

The younger son,

ALEXANDER HAMILTON (1690-1768), of Knock, County Dublin, and Newtownhamilton, County Armagh, MP for Killyleagh, 1730-61, wedded Isabella, daughter of Robert Maxwell, of Finnebrogue, County Down, and had issue,

Hugh (Rt Rev), Lord Bishop of Ossory;

George, MP for Belfast, 1769-76;

CHARLES, of whom hereafter;

Anne.

The youngest son,

CHARLES HAMILTON (1738-1818), married Elizabeth, daughter of Crewe Chetwood, of Woodbrook, Queen's County, and had issue,

CHARLES, his heir;
Robert, of Liverpool;
George, of Quebec, and Hawkesbury, Canada;
William Henry;
John, of Liverpool;
Henrietta.

Mr Hamilton was succeeded by his eldest son,

CHARLES HAMILTON (1772-1857), of Hamwood, County Meath, who wedded, in 1801, Marianne Caroline, daughter of William Tighe MP, of Rossana, County Wicklow, by Sarah his wife, only child of Sir William Fownes Bt, of Woodstock, County Kilkenny, and had issue,

CHARLES WILLIAM, his heir;
William Tighe;
Frederick John Henry Fownes;
Sarah; Mary; Caroline Elizabeth.

Mr Hamilton was succeeded by his eldest son,

CHARLES WILLIAM HAMILTON JP (1802-80), of Hamwood, who espoused, in 1841, Letitia Charlotte, eldest daughter of William Henry Armstrong MP, of Mount Heaton, King's County, and had issue,

CHARLES ROBERT, his heir;
Edward Chetwood;
Arthur, of Hollybrook.

Mr Hamilton was succeeded by his eldest son,

CHARLES ROBERT HAMILTON JP (1846-1913), of Hamwood, who married, in 1874, Louisa Caroline Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Richard Brooke, of Somerton, County Dublin, by his wife, the Hon Henrietta Monck, eldest daughter of 3rd Viscount Monck, and had issue,

Charles George (1875-77);
GERALD FRANCIS CHARLES, of whom hereafter;
Frederick Arthur (1880-1962);
Henry John;
Eva Henrietta; Letitia Marion; Amy Kathleen; Ethel Grace; Constance Louisa; Lilian Mary.

Mr Hamilton was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

GERALD FRANCIS CHARLES HAMILTON JP (1877-1961), of Hamwood, who wedded firstly, in 1911, Violet Travers, daughter of Robert Craigie Hamilton, and had issue,

CHARLES ROBERT FRANCIS, his heir;
Esme Violet; Elizabeth Mary.

He married secondly, in 1949, Rosamund Mary, daughter of Maurice Bauer.

Mr Hamilton was succeeded by his son,

MAJOR CHARLES ROBERT FRANCIS HAMILTON (1918-2005), of Hamwood, who wedded, in 1958, Margaret Anne Lanfear, daughter of Captain Simon Ralph Fane Spicer, and had issue,

CHARLES RALPH, b 1960;
Annabel Honor, b 1959.

HAMWOOD HOUSE, Dunboyne, County Meath, is a small Palladian house of the 1764, with a central block joined to little octagonal ‘pepper-pot’ wings by elegantly curved sweeps.

Unusually, one wing contains the main entrance, since the house (as originally built) was reputedly so cold that the family decided to place the hall door as far away from the main rooms as possible.

The removal of the front entrance from the main block creates an interesting internal arrangement with a double drawing-room, unusual in a house of this size.

There is good late-18th century decoration and an interesting family collection, including the intriguing drawings and paintings of Caroline Hamilton.

Hamwood’s builder, Charles Hamilton, acted as land agent for the Dukes of Leinster whose principal seat, Carton, is nearby; and the Duke generously gave the Hamiltons a present of the impressive fights of granite steps leading to the doors in the end pavilions.

Successive generations of the family acted as the Leinsters' agents until the present owner's husband, Charles Hamilton (1918-2005), retired in the 1970s.

*****

MRS ANNE HAMILTON, Major Charles Hamilton's widow, died suddenly on the 4th December, 2013.

She represented the family at a function in Farmleigh House in 2012 honouring the Irish team at the 1948 Olympics in London.

A relative, Letitia Hamilton, was the only Irish medal-winner at those Games, for her painting of a scene at the Meath Hunt Point-to-Point races. 

Anne Hamilton was born Anne Spicer in Wiltshire, England. Her father, Ralph Spicer, had married Mary Graham, whose family lived at Spye Park, near Bromham, Wiltshire, since 1855.

The Grahams were originally from Lisburn in Northern Ireland, involved in the linen industry.

Anne and her siblings holidays at their grandparents’ place at Sallins every summer, and to escape the rationing and austerity England in the years following the 2nd World War, her mother moved them to Carnew in County Wicklow.

In 1958, Anne married Charles Hamilton, who had served in the 2nd World War.

He was a farm estate manager and they lived in County Galway for a period before returning to Hamwood in 1963, following the death of Charles’ father, who was the land agent at Carton House.

Charles also managed the Slane Castle estate for a period.

At Hamwood, they were involved in bloodstock breeding and a pure-bred Charolais herd.

The gardens were also a great treasure and open to the public.

In an interview for the Irish Life and Lore Collection at South Dublin Libraries, Mrs Hamilton was critical of how the Irish Land Commission had broken up large estates and the manner in which they allowed fine houses to decay.

In recent years, she continued to open the gardens and house at Dunboyne to the public.

Mrs Hamilton was survived by her son, Charles, of London, and Annabel, of Paris, and her sister in County Cork.

Her funeral service took place at St Peter’s parish church, Dunboyne, County Meath, followed by burial in the adjoining graveyard.

First published in November, 2017.  Select bibliography: Irish historic Houses Association.

Baron Rees-Mogg

JOHN REES, of Wick, Glamorganshire, was father of

THE REV JOHN REES (1772-1835), Prebendary of Tytherington, Cheshire, Chaplain to HRH The Duke of Cumberland, who married, in 1805, Mary Mogg, daughter of William Wooldridge, and assumed the additional surname and arms of MOGG.

By his wife he had issue,

WILLIAM REES-MOGG (1815-1909), of Cholwell House, Somerset, who wedded, in 1847, Ann, daughter of William Coxeter James, and had issue,

WILLIAM WOOLDRIDGE, his heir;
Henry James (Rev), Vicar of Midgham.

The elder son,

WILLIAM WOOLDRIDGE REES-MOGG (1848-1913), of Cholwell House, who espoused, in 1884, Emily Walcot, daughter of the Rev Henry Stiles Savory, and had issue (with a daughter),

EDMUND FLETCHER REES-MOGG JP (1889-1962), of Cholwell House, High Sheriff of Somerset, 1945, who married, in 1920, Beatrice, daughter of Daniel Warren, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Elizabeth.

The only son and heir,

WILLIAM REES-MOGG (1928-2012), of the Old Rectory, Hinton Blewett, Somerset, High Sheriff of Somerset, 1978, wedded, in 1962, Gillian Shakespeare, daughter of Thomas Richard Morris, and had issue,

Thomas Fletcher (1962-);
JACOB WILLIAM, of whom we treat;
Emma Beatrice; Charlotte Louise; Annunziata Mary.

Mr Rees-Mogg, Director, Times Newspapers, 1978-81, Vice-Chairman, BBC Board of Governors, 1981-6, was appointed a Knight Bachelor in 1981.

Sir William was created a life peer, in 1986, in the dignity of BARON REES-MOGG, of Hinton Blewett, Somerset.

Lord Rees-Mogg's younger son, the Rt Hon Jacob William Rees-Mogg (1969-), is Member of Parliament for North East Somerset.

First published in November, 2018.

Days of Yore

Here I am, about 1960, with darling mother, probably on or close to Spence's Mountain in the glorious and legendary mountains of Mourne, County Down.

First published in April, 2014.

The Stewart Baronets

This is a branch of the royal house of STEWART, springing from Robert, Duke of Albany and Regent of Scotland, third legitimate son of ROBERT II, King of Scotland.

MURDOCH, 2nd Duke of Albany (1362-1425), succeeded his father, Robert, as Regent of the Kingdom, but was beheaded with his two eldest sons, 1425.

His third son, JAMES MOR STEWART, called James the Fat, fled to Ulster, and was father of

ANDREW STEWART, 1st Lord Avondale (c1420-88), who died without issue; and of WALTER, whose son,

ANDREW (c1505-48), succeeding to the titles and estates of his uncle, became 2nd Lord Avondale, and "exchanged" the title for that of OCHILTREE.

His lordship married Margaret, natural daughter of James, 1st Earl of Arran, and had issue,

ANDREW, his successor;
Walter;
Isobel.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

ANDREW (c1521-91), 2nd Lord Ochiltree, who married Agnes Cunningham, and had a son and heir, Andrew Stewart, styled Master of Ochiltree, who predeceased him in 1578, and was succeeded by his grandson,

ANDREW, 3rd Lord Ochiltree (c1560-1629), who having sold the feudal barony of OCHILTREE to his cousin, Sir James Stuart, of Killeith, was created, 1619, Baron Castle Stewart, of County Tyrone, where he possessed considerable estates.

His lordship wedded, ca 1587, Margaret, daughter of Sir John Kennedy, of Blairquhan, and had issue,

ANDREW, his successor;
JOHN, 5th Baron;
Robert, ancestor of the Earl Castle Stewart;
Margaret, m George Crawford, of Crawfordsburn;
Maria, m John Kennedy, of Cultra;
Anna.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR ANDREW, 2nd Baron (1590-1629), who had been previously created a baronet.

*****

ARTHUR PATRICK AVONDALE, 8TH EARL CASTLE STEWART is the 15th and present Stewart Baronet.

Seat ~ Stuart Hall, Stewartstown, County Tyrone.

First published in April, 2011.

New Tyrone DL

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LIEUTENANT

Mr Robert Scott OBE, Lord-Lieutenant of County Tyrone, has been pleased to appoint:-

Mr Christopher Leonard Kerr QFSM 

Cookstown 

County Tyrone 

To be a Deputy Lieutenant of the County his Commission bearing date the TENTH day of NOVEMBER 2020 

Signed:  RWL Scott

Lord-Lieutenant of the County

7th Earl's Havoc

Patrick Marnham wrote a book entitled Trail Of Havoc.

This is a favourite of mine, telling the tale of the 7th Earl of Lucan, missing since 1974.

"Missing" is a misnomer, since many believe him to be long dead, his remains attached to a rope and stone, many fathoms under the English Channel.

The 7th Earl was officially declared dead by a court of law in 1999 and, though no proof exists of his decease, a death certificate was issued in 2016.

His son George has now succeeded to the earldom as 8th Earl and has an heir, styled Lord Bingham, born in 2020.

7th  Earl of Lucan

Despite it being a true story, Trail of Havoc reads like a terrific "whodunit".

Lucan Arms courtesy of European Heritage.  First published in December, 2011.

Blunden Villa

THE BLUNDEN BARONETS OWNED 1,846 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY KILKENNY

This family springs from

OVERINGTON BLUNDEN, of Southwark, London, who, in 1667, was granted Glenmore, "to be for ever called Blunden's Castle", and other lands in County Kilkenny, Queen's County and County Waterford.

This gentleman's grandson,

JOHN BLUNDEN (c1718-83), only surviving son of John Blunden, of Castle Blunden, MP for Kilkenny City, 1761-76, by Martha, daughter of Agmondesham Cuffe, and sister of John, 1st Baron Desart, was created a baronet in 1766, designated of Blunden Castle, County Kilkenny.

Sir John was a distinguished member of the Irish bar, and represented the City of Kilkenny in Parliament.

He married, in 1755, his cousin Susanna, daughter of John, 1st Baron Desart, and had issue (with seven daughters) three sons, of whom,

JOHN, his successor;
William Pitt, father of JOHN, 3rd Baronet;
Overington, Lieutenant-General; MP.

Sir John was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JOHN BLUNDEN, 2nd Baronet (1767-1818), High Sheriff of County Kilkenny, 1805 and 1813, who wedded firstly, Miss Hewitson (d 1808); and secondly, in 1812, Hester, daughter of John Helsham, of Leggetsrath, County Kilkenny, though the marriages were without issue, and the baronetcy reverted to his nephew,

SIR JOHN BLUNDEN, 3rd Baronet (1814-90), DL, High Sheriff of County Kilkenny, 1843, 44 and 47, a barrister, who wedded, in 1839, Elizabeth, daughter of Major John Knox, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;
John Overington;
Edward Herbert;
Maurice Robert;
Arthur Henry;
Abraham;
Kate; Harriette; Nicola Sophia.

Sir John was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR WILLIAM BLUNDEN, 4th Baronet (1840-1923), High Sheriff of County Kilkenny, 1904, who espoused, in 1879, Florence Caroline, daughter of Henry Shuttleworth, and had issue,

JOHN, his successor;
Eric Overington;
Muriel.

Sir William was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR JOHN BLUNDEN, 5th Baronet (1880-1923), who married, in 1918, Phyllis Dorothy, daughter of Philip Crampton Creaghe, and had issue,

WILLIAM, 6th Baronet;
PHILIP OVERINGTON, 7th Baronet.

Sir John was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR WILLIAM BLUNDEN, 6th Baronet (1919-85), Lieutenant-Commander RN, who wedded, in 1945, Pamela Mary, daughter of John Purser, and had issue,

Sarah Vanessa; Griselda Jane; Caroline Susan;
Rowena Mary; Elizabeth Anne Gabrielle; Fiona Christine.

Sir William died without male issue, when the title devolved upon his brother,

SIR PHILIP OVERINGTON BLUNDEN, 7th Baronet (1922-2007), who wedded, in 1945, Jeanette Francesca Alexandra, daughter of Captain D Macdonald, and had issue,

HUBERT CHISHOLM, his successor;
John Maurice Patrick;
Marguerite Eugenie.

Sir Philip was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR HUBERT CHISHOLM BLUNDEN, 8th Baronet (1948-), who married, in 1975, Ellish O'Brien, and had issue,

Edmund, b 1982;
Amelia, b 1977.

BLUNDEN VILLA, Castle Blunden, County Kilkenny, is a delightful small Regency house with a high ground floor above a semi-basement.

At the end of the 18th century Sir John Blunden built Blunden Villa near the gates of his family home, just outside the mediaeval city of Kilkenny.

By family tradition this elegant Georgian villa was built as a dower house for Sir John’s mother, the daughter of a neighbour, Lord Desart, to provide her with her own establishment when he married and brought home his heiress bride.

The façade of the villa comprises three bays, with the front door at the upper level approached by a wide flight of stone steps with contemporary iron railings.

The door is surmounted by a fanlight and has delicate Wyatt windows to either side.

The plan is very slightly over square, as the façade is marginally shorter than the width from front to back, while the interior has high ceilings and well-proportioned rooms.

For many years Blunden Villa was used as a gate lodge to the principal house, but in 2006 Jane and Caroline Blunden, twin daughters of the 6th baronet, decided to restore the building, which is now their Irish home.

First published in January, 2018.  Select bibliography ~ Irish Historic Houses Association

High Flyer

I was thirteen years old when this picture was taken.

Believe it or not, I won the senior 100 yards, long jump, triple jump and, I think, the 220 yards; and went on to win the Victor Ludorum.

The occasion was the annual Brackenber House School sports day, which took place at North of Ireland Cricket Club grounds, Ormeau Road, Belfast, in 1973.

The gentleman wearing the hat was Mr Bull, the PE teacher; Mike Bull's father.

First published in January, 2013.

Ballinderry Park

THE COMYNS OF BALLINDERRY OWNED 1,473 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY GALWAY

ANDREW COMYN, of Ryefield, County Roscommon, married, in 1786, the sister and heir of Lewis Ward, of Ballymacward and Ballinderry, County Galway, and had an eldest son,

NICHOLAS COMYN (1787-1843), of Ballinderry and Ryefield, who wedded, in 1830, Sabina, daughter of John Joyes, of Woodquay, County Galway, and had issue,

ANDREW NUGENT, his heir;
John Ward;
Mary Ellen; Sabina; Elizabeth.

Mr Comyn was succeeded by his eldest son,

ANDREW NUGENT COMYN JP (1831-1917), of Ballinderry and Ryefield, who married, in 1867, Mary, second daughter of John O'Connell MP, and granddaughter of Daniel O'Connell, of Derrynane, and had issue,

NICHOLAS O'CONNELL, his heir;
Andrew Daniel;
Lewis James;
Elizabeth Mary; Geraldine Mary; Eily Mary.

The eldest son,

NICHOLAS O'CONNELL COMYN JP (1869-1945), of Ballinderry, High Sheriff of County Galway, 1917, wedded, in 1911, Mary Cecilia Hyacinth, daughter of Francis Walter Mahony, of St Helen's, Blarney, County Cork, and had issue,

ANDREW FRANCIS MICHAEL O'CONNELL;
Nugent Gerald Ward;
Arthur;
Reginald;
Frederick;
Marguerite Mary Cecilia; Maureen; Veronica Joan Mary.

BALLINDERRY PARK, Kilconnell, Ballinasloe, County Galway, is a plain Georgian house of ca 1740, rising from the plans of east County Galway.

It originally belonged to Kilconnell Friary, a Franciscan foundation of 1280.

In the late 17th century the land passed to the Diocese of Clonfert and was leased to Henry Stanford, who shortly afterwards leased his house to Lawrence Ward from a local family in the vicinity.

His tenancy was inherited by his sister and passed to her son, Nicholas Comyn.

Nicholas Comyn's descendants farmed this small property, sandwiched between some of County Galway’s largest estates, where they were closely involved with horses and hunting.

They purchased the freehold from the Church of Ireland following its disestablishment in 1871.

Nicholas’s son Andrew married Mary, granddaughter of Daniel O’Connell ‘The Liberator’.

Nicholas O'Connell Comyn was the last of the family to live at Ballinderry and when he died, in 1945, the estate was acquired by the Irish Land Commission, which subdivided the property.

The house thereafter became derelict.

George and Susie Gossip bought Ballinderry in 2000 and began a careful restoration.

They reversed some Victorian alterations to the façade and, by 2005, work had progressed sufficiently to allow them to move in.

The hall, staircase and landings, which take up a third of the house, have been authentically restored; while the principal rooms have been panelled in the early 18th century style and given early chimney-pieces.

The Gossips have filled the house with their collection of furniture, pictures, porcelain and objects.

Much of this was passed down from Susie’s ancestors, the Dillon family from nearby Clonbrock, so that it is, in effect, returning home.

Ballinderry is surrounded by fine specimen trees, including a large and remarkable London plane tree, rarely, seldom found in a parkland setting.

First published in November, 2017.  Select bibliography: Irish Historic Houses Association.

Jameson of Windfield

THE JAMESONS OWNED 3,123 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY GALWAY

WILLIAM JAMESON, of Alloa, Clackmannanshire, married, in 1737, Helen Horne, of Thomanean, Kinross-shire, and had, with other issue, a son,

JOHN JAMESON (1740-1824), Sheriff Clerk of Clackmannanshire, who wedded, in 1768, Margaret, elder sister of James Haig, of Blairhill, Perthshire, and Lochrin, Midlothian, and had issue,

Robert (1771-1847), died unmarried;
John, of Prussia St, Dublin;
William, b 1777; dsp;
JAMES, of whom presently;
Andrew, b 1783;
Margaret; Anne; Jennett.

JAMES JAMESON (1781-1847), succeeded to the fortune of his immediate elder brother, William, of Merrion Square, Dublin, and purchased the estate of Windfield, County Galway, and the demesne of Montrose, County Dublin.

He married, in 1815, Elizabeth Sophia, youngest daughter of the Rev William Woolsey, of Priorland, County Louth, by his wife Mary Anne, youngest sister of Sir William Bellingham Bt, of Castle Bellingham, County Louth, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;
William, of Montrose;
James, of Airfield;
Sydney Bellingham;
Robert O'Brien;
Mary Anne; Elizabeth Sophia.

Mr Jameson, a director of the Bank of Ireland and Deputy Governor at the time of his death, was succeeded in his Windfield estate by his eldest son,

THE REV JOHN JAMESON (1816-72), of Windfield, who espoused, in 1845, Isabella Anne, eldest daughter of General Sir Henry David Jones GCB, and had issue,

JAMES FRANCIS, his heir;
Harry William, Lt-Col RIR;
Arthur Bellingham;
Charlotte Elizabeth; Edith Sophia Inkerman.

The eldest son,

JAMES FRANCIS JAMESON JP (1848-96), of Windfield, Major, 4th Battalion, Connaught Rangers, wedded, in 1879, Helen Maud, eldest daughter of William Jameson, of Montrose, County Dublin, and had issue,

MAURICE EYRE FRANCIS BELLINGHAM JAMESON (1888-1950), of Windfield, who espoused, in 1915, Amelia May Moss, and had issue,

JOHN MAURICE RICHARD, born 1917;
Patricia Joan, born 1915.

THE JAMESONS were best known as distillers of Irish whiskey.

Portmarnock Hotel

THE PORTMARNOCK HOTEL, Portmarnock, County Dublin, stands on land which was originally part of the Jameson family estate.

The house itself was called St Marnock's.

EDWARD VII often visited the Jamesons.

On his last official visit in 1907, His Majesty unveiled a plaque which was designed specially for the occasion of the marriage between members of two great distilling families, Jameson and Haig. The plaque is still to be seen in what was the secret south garden.

The Jameson family had a nine-hole golf course on the site over a century ago.

This course is now part of both Portmarnock Golf Club and the Bernhard Langer-designed Dublin Golf Links course.

Sutton House

SUTTON HOUSE, Sutton, County Dublin, was also a Jameson residence.

It is Victorian-Tudor in style, with mullions, gables and huge chimneys.

One end of the mansion has a tower of four storeys.

Sutton House subsequently became a hotel.

*****

WINDFIELD HOUSE, County Galway, was purchased by James Jameson in the 1820s.

The family owned Windfield for over a century.

First published in October 2017.

Hold your tongue, Ross!

A Caricature of Richard Dowse, by Ape,
published in Vanity Fair in 1871

An extract from Chapter XVI of The Years of my Pilgrimage, by the Rt Hon Sir John Ross Bt, last Lord Chancellor of Ireland:-

"It was several years before I learned the first duty of a Judge, and that is, to hold his tongue on the Bench.

There is a great temptation to be facetious in the presence of a most appreciative audience, but in the case of the ordinary Judge, it is well to resist the temptation.

The parties interested in the matter look upon the hearing as  very serious affair; their whole future and the future of their families may depend on the result; their minds have been obsessed by it night and day for many months.

To find the presiding Judge treating it all as a subject for jesting, disturbs them and weakens their confidence in the administration of the law.

On the other hand, where you have Judges like the late Baron Dowse, or Lord Darling, with such an intense sense of humour, the case is different.

The jests pour out naturally and spontaneously; the Judge would not be himself at all, if he were compelled to refrain.

The litigants soon get to understand in such cases, and do not resent it."

Prince Edward in NI

THE EARL OF WESSEX has arrived in Northern Ireland for a series of engagements.

His Royal Highness was greeted at Belfast City Airport by Mr Adrian Donaldson MBE DL.

HRH, Royal Colonel, The Rifles, visited the 2nd Battalion at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn, County Antrim.

Prince Edward afterwards visited Lisburn City Church Community Trust, and was received by Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim, Mr David McCorkell.

During the afternoon The Earl of Wessex visited Unicorn Group, Lisburn.

His Royal Highness later visited Denroy Plastics, Bangor, County Down, and was received by the Lord-Lieutenant of County Down, Mr David Lindsay.

Royal Visit

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall have arrived in Belfast on a one-day visit.

Their Royal Highnesses were greeted by the Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast, Mrs Fionnuala Jay-O'Boyle CBE.

During their engagements TRH will visit the Florence Nightingale Exhibition at the Ulster Museum, and meet newly qualified nursing staff and museum staff.

Fountain Pen Ink

When I attended Primary and Prep school in the 1960s and early 1970s some of the wooden desks had little ink wells.

These old desks had a lid at the top which opened upwards for storage of books, writing pads etc.

Fountain pens were still commonly used in the 1960s, though ballpoint pens were beginning to supersede them.

I seldom use my fountain pens today; I hardly use any writing instruments, in fact. Instead I type on desktop, iPad, and iPhone keyboards.

Nowadays I use the fountain pen for signing documents, cards, and so on.

It's a shame, really, that I don't use my fountain pens more frequently.

I inherited a lovely vintage De La Rue Onoto pen from my father in 2002.

About 2000, I think, I purchased a very grand Mont Blanc fountain pen and ballpoint.

I wrote an article about the Onoto here.

Dear reader, do you have any notion of how difficult it is to purchase fountain pen ink in Belfast today?

I mean ordinary black ink, not the Mont Blanc or calligraphic premium variety.

I sent out a plea for help on Twitter and Facebook; and, lo and behold! My friend Mags asked me if I had tried Proctor's of Belfast, printers, suppliers of offices, arts and crafts, wedding stationery, not to mention a vast array of miscellaneous goods.

I called them and inquired about fountain pen ink. To my surprise they sell it, Parker Quink, to be precise.

Proctor's, 201-213, Castlereagh Road, Belfast, was established about 1966.

What a Godsend.

Portmore Lough

On Sunday, 20th September, 2020, I paid a visit to Portmore Lough and a section of the disused Lagan Canal.

A stretch of the towpath runs from just beyond Lock 26 (Chapel Lock), under Crannagh Bridge, to Annaghdroghal Bridge.

Annaghdroghal Bridge was the first bridge on the journey from Lough Neagh to Belfast on the Lagan Canal.

The walk terminates abruptly at this old humped-back bridge because the stretch of land from here to Lough Neagh is privately owned.

I watched an equestrian event for awhile at Portmore Equestrian Centre, which is beside the lake.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) maintains Portmore Lough today. 

I enjoyed a packed lunch seated on a bench overlooking the lake.

The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland, dated 1844-45, describes Portmore thus:-

"PORTMORE, or Beg Lough, is a lake in the parishes of Glenavy and Ballinderry, barony of Upper Massereene, County Antrim.

It lies half a mile south and east of the nearest parts of Lough Neagh, ¾ north-west of the village of Ballinderry, and 2¾ miles south-west of the village of Glenavy.

It is nearly circular in outline, and covers an area of 283 acres.

It is stored with pike, bream, trout, perch, roach, and eels, and is frequented by a variety of wildfowl.

About 1740, Arthur Dobbs, author of a pamphlet on the Trade of Ireland, then agent to Lord Conway, and afterwards Governor of North Carolina, drained or rather emptied the lake by means of a windmill and buckets; but the water returning either through springs or by a subterraneous communication with Lough Neagh, he was compelled to abandon his attempt to convert its bed into arable land.

On the flat shores of the lake are the prostrate ruins of Portmore Castle, erected in 1664 by Lord Conway; and either within the walls of this castle, or in a sequestered spot in the lake called Sally Island, the learned and pious Jeremy Taylor, chaplain to CHARLES I, and Bishop of Dromore, and Down and Connor, found a retreat during the Protectorate of Cromwell, and composed some of his celebrated and justly admired works.

The preface of the Ductor Dubitantium, in particular, is dated from his study in Portmore, in Killultagh, on the banks of Lough Beg."

The Hon Barry Bingham VC OBE

IN COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND, 31ST MAY-1ST JUNE, 1916

REAR-ADMIRAL THE HON EDWARD BARRY STEWART BINGHAM VC OBE

The Hon Edward Barry Stewart Bingham (1881-1939), of Bangor Castle, County Down, third son of John, 5th Baron Clanmorris JP DL, ADC to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Matilda Catherine, daughter of Robert Edward Ward JP DL, of Bangor Castle.

This is a branch of the noble house of BINGHAM, Earls of Lucan.

The Hon Barry Bingham joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman, after school at Arnold House, Llanddulas, Carnarvonshire; and a spell on HMS Britannia, a permanently-moored training ship at Dartmouth, Devon.

He was commissioned Lieutenant RN and served a year (1904-5) on HMS Cormorant based at Gibraltar; then was given his own command, of the torpedo boat destroyer HMS Star.

In 1915, Bingham was promoted Commander RN, and given HMS Hornet, a destroyer.

Clanmorris arms

In May, 1916, during the Battle of Jutland, Commander Bingham commanded a destroyer division.

He led his division in their attack, first on enemy destroyers and then on the battle cruisers of the German High Seas Fleet.

Once the enemy was sighted Bingham ordered his own destroyer, HMS Nestor, and the one remaining destroyer of his division, HMS Nicator, to close to within 3,000 yards of the opposing battle fleet so that he could bring his torpedoes to bear.

While making this attack, Nestor and Nicator were under concentrated fire of the secondary batteries of the German fleet and Nestor was subsequently sunk.

For his actions, Commander Bingham earned the Victoria Cross, one of relatively few awarded for naval bravery during the 1st World War

The citation reads:

For the extremely gallant way in which he led his division in their attack, first on enemy destroyers and then on their battlecruisers.

He finally sighted the enemy battle-fleet, and, followed by the one remaining destroyer of his division (Nicator), with dauntless courage he closed to within 3,000 yards of the enemy in order to attain a favourable position for firing the torpedoes.

While making this attack, Nestor and Nicator were under concentrated fire of the secondary batteries of the High Sea Fleet. Nestor was subsequently sunk.

Bingham was picked up by the Germans at Jutland, and remained a prisoner of war (latterly at Holzminden) until the Armistice.

After the war, he stayed in the Royal Navy, was promoted several times and retired in 1932 with the rank of Rear-Admiral, having for a year held the position of Senior Officer of the Reserve Fleet, Devonport.

He had several commands, including HMS Resolution, in the Mediterranean.

Admiral Bingham served as Chief of Staff in the Nore Command, 1927-9, and was appointed ADC to GEORGE V.

Outside the Navy, he interests were equestrian; he was a keen jockey and polo player.

In addition to his VC, Bingham was also awarded the OBE and was mentioned in dispatches.

He was also awarded the (Tsarist) Russian Order of St Stanislaus.

He published a memoir of his naval career in 1919, notable for his description of the worst part of naval life being, not nearly being blown to pieces in battle, nor the nervous hours and minutes before battle; it was the ordeal, in that pre-diesel age, of coaling.

Bingham had, in 1915, married Vera Temple-Patterson; this was dissolved in 1937 though they had a son and a daughter.

His nephew, the 7th Baron Clanmorris, was a successful novelist, as John Bingham, whose daughter Charlotte in turn would follow in these of her father's footsteps.

Some maintain that his espionage activity during the 2nd World War provided a model for the fictional writings of John le Carré, the successful English writer of spy fiction.

Admiral Bingham, who latterly resided at Evershot, Dorset, died in London.

First published in May, 2013.

The Plain Loaf

I happened to be entering a major supermarket one morning when I was accosted by Hazel, a reader of the blog, from Portaferry, County Down.

Hazel was quite effusive about my alter ego, Lord Belmont, reminding me of past articles including the one about Irwin's Nutty Krust high-fibre wholemeal plain loaf, which was made until March, 2020.

Mark Thompson the wrapper, in fact.

Here was a loaf of bread which was a perennial favourite of mine: Irwin’s Nutty Krust high-fibre plain loaf.

It toasted very well indeed.

Some batches had a tendency occasionally to be slightly misshapen upon purchase, which necessitated trimming the edges a little for insertion into the toaster.

No matter.

The lucky birds used to get the crumbs.

The standard white Nutty Krust loaf remains on the shelves and continues to be popular.

THE PLAIN LOAF  is a traditional Ulster-Scots style of loaf.

It has a dark, well-fired crust on the top and bottom of the bread.

There is no crust on the sides due to the unbaked loaves being stuck together in batches, baked together then torn into individual loaves afterwards.

This style of bread does not fit well in most modern toasters due to the greater height of the loaf.

This was once the more widely available style of loaf in comparison to the now more common pan loaf.

Irwin's bakery is based in Portadown, County Armagh.

First published in November, 2012.

Prince William in Belfast

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE, Baron Carrickfergus, has been greeted by the Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast, Mrs Fionnuala Jay-O'Boyle CBE, on a visit to the city.

His Royal Highness is undertaking a range of engagements with the Northern Ireland emergency services and frontline responders.

HRH has been received at the Police Training College, Garnerville, Belfast, by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast, Sir Nigel Hamilton KCB DL, where he has met members of the fire, police, and ambulance services.

Prince William afterwards visited the Community Rescue Service at Cave Hill Country Park, Antrim Road, Belfast, and was received by Mr Mukesh Sharma MBE DL (Deputy Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast).

New DL

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LIEUTENANT

Mrs Alison Millar, Lord-Lieutenant of County Londonderry, has been pleased to appoint:

Mr William Oliver
Castlerock
County Londonderry

To be a Deputy Lieutenant of the County, his Commission bearing date, the 29th day of June, 2020.

Lord Lieutenant of the County