Wednesday 29 July 2020

Adare Manor

THE EARLS OF DUNRAVEN AND MOUNT-EARL WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LIMERICK, WITH 14,298 ACRES 



The descent of the Earls of Dunraven from the ancient Milesian princes is certified by the recognition of the pedigree of their ancestor, Thady Quin, of Adare, in a record entered in Ulster King-of-Arms' office by Sir Richard Carney, Knight, Ulster King of Arms, 1688.

Con Cead Caha, or Con of the Hundred Battles, described by genealogists as monarch in Ireland during the 2nd century, is represented as the founder of the family of QUIN; his grandson, Cormac, who is said to have reigned in AD 254, was the first who adopted the surname of QUIN, which signifies a descendant of Con. The family certainly possessed large territories in Ireland, and governed as hereditary chieftains, before the invasion of the English in the reign of HENRY II

The Earls of Dunraven descended from a branch which for many centuries possessed great feudal power in County Clare, whence their ancestors were finally expelled by the more powerful family of O'Brien, and settled in County Limerick.

JAMES QUIN, of Kilmallock, County Limerick (whose brother, John Quin, a Dominican friar, was Bishop of Limerick, 1521), had a son,

DONOUGH QUIN, who was father of

DONOUGH QUIN, who married Judith, heiress of the family of O'Riordan, which had been settled for more than five centuries in County Limerick.

He died in 1621, leaving a son,

THADY QUIN (1645-1726), of Adare, who wedded firstly, Bridget, daughter and heir of Andrew Rice, of Dingle, County Kerry; and secondly, Frances, daughter of Major Hull, son of Sir William Hull, Knight; and thirdly, Catherine, daughter of Piers Morony, by whom he had issue,
VALENTINE, his heir;
John;
James;
Catherine; Eleanor; Judith.
Thady Quin was succeeded by his eldest son,

VALENTINE QUIN, of Adare, who espoused Mary, eldest daughter and co-heir of Henry Widenham, of The Court, County Limerick, and had issue,
WINDHAM, his heir;
George, of Quinsborough;
Mary; Margaret; Alice; Catharine; Anne.
Mr Quin died in 1744, and was succeeded by his elder son,

WINDHAM QUIN (1717-89), of Adare, High Sheriff of County Limerick, 1747, MP for Kilmallock, 1768-76, who married, in 1748, Frances, daughter of Richard Dawson, of Dawson's Grove, County Monaghan, and had issue,
VALENTINE RICHARD, his successor;
Windham, lt-col in the army;
John, in holy orders;
Elizabeth; Mary; Catherine; Frances.
Mr Quin's eldest son,

VALENTINE RICHARD QUIN (1732–1824), MP for Kilmallock, 1800, was created a baronet in 1781, designated of Adare, County Limerick.

Sir Valentine was elevated to the peerage, in 1800, in the dignity of Baron Adare, of Adare, County Limerick; and advanced to a viscountcy, in 1816, as Viscount Mount Earl.

His lordship was further advanced, in 1822, to the dignities of Viscount Adare and EARL OF DUNRAVEN AND MOUNT EARL.

He wedded firstly, in 1777, Frances, daughter of Stephen, 1st Earl of Ilchester, and had issue,
WINDHAM HENRY, his successor;
Richard George;
Elizabeth; Harriett.
His lordship espoused secondly, Mrs Blennerhasset, widow of Colonel Blennerhasset, but had no further issue.

He was succeeded by his elder son,

2nd Earl of Dunraven (Image: National Library of Wales)

WINDHAM HENRY, 2nd Earl (1782-1850), MP for County Limerick, 1802-20, who married, in 1810, Caroline, daughter of Thomas Wyndham, and had issue,
EDWIN RICHARD, his successor;
Windham Henry, father of the 5th Earl;
Anna Maria Charlotte.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

EDWIN RICHARD, 3rd Earl (1812-71), KP, MP for Glamorgan, 1837-51, who wedded firstly, in 1836, Augusta, daughter of Thomas Gould, and had issue,
WINDHAM THOMAS, his successor;
Augusta Emily; Mary Frances; Caroline Adelaide; Edith; Emily Anna.
His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

WINDHAM THOMAS, 4th Earl (1841-1926), KP CMG OBE PC, who espoused, in 1869, Florence Elizabeth, daughter of Lord Charles Lennox Kerr, and had issue, three daughters,
Florence Enid; Rachael Charlotte; Aileen May.
His lordship died without male issue, when the titles reverted to his cousin,

WINDHAM HENRY, 5th Earl (1857-1952), CB DSO DL, High Sheriff of County Kilkenny, 1914, who married, in 1885, the Lady Eva Constance Aline Bourke, daughter of Richard, 6th Earl of Mayo, and had issue,
RICHARD SOUTHWELL WINDHAM ROBERT, his successor;
Valentine Maurice;
Olein Eva Constance; Kathleen Sybil.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD SOUTHWELL WINDHAM ROBERT, 6th Earl (1887-1965), CB CBE MC, who espoused firstly, in 1915, Helen Lindsay, daughter of John Swire; and secondly, in 1934, Nancy, daughter of Thomas B Yuille, by whom he had issue,
THADY WINDHAM THOMAS, his successor;
Melissa Eva Caroline; Caroline Olein Geraldine.
His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

THADY WINDHAM THOMAS, 7th Earl (1939-2011), who married, in 1969, Geraldine, daughter of Air Commodore Gerald Ward McAleer CBE, and had issue, an only child,

THE LADY ANNA ELIZABETH WYNDHAM-QUIN (1972-), who wedded, in 2009, Duncan Yeats, son of Patrick Johnson, and has issue,
Tarka Valentine Mary (b 2015);
India Catherine Nancy (b 2016).
Following the death of the 7th Earl without male issue, the titles expired.

Unable to bear the expense of maintaining Adare Manor, the 7th Earl sold it and its contents in 1984.

The mansion was purchased by an Irish-American businessman, Tom Kane, and subsequently converted into a hotel.


Adare Manor was originally a two-storey, seven-bay early 18th century house, most likely built about 1725 by Valentine Quin, grandfather of the 1st Earl of Dunraven.

From 1832, the 2nd Earl, started rebuilding the house in the Tudor-Revival style as a way of occupying himself (his wife was handicapped).


When the house was almost completed in 1846, A W Pugin was commissioned to design some features of the Great Hall.

Between 1850-62, the 3rd Earl finally completed the mansion by building the principal garden front.


The Great Hall is a room of vast size and height, divided down the middle by a screen of giant Gothic arches of stone.

A carved oak Minstrels' Gallery runs along one side; originally there was once an organ loft.

Mark Bence-Jones remarks that Adare Manor, as completed, is a picturesque and grey stone pile, composed of various elements that are rather loosely tied together; some of which are reproduced from Tudor originals in England. viz. the entrance tower, bearing a verisimilitude to the Cloister Court at Eton College.


The Long Gallery above is 132 feet long and 26 feet in height.

The mansion is set in a 840-acre estate and now operates as a luxury hotel, featuring the Adare Golf Club, Elemis Treatment Rooms, Townhouses and Villas on the rest of the resort.

President Clinton stayed at Adare Manor in September, 1998.

First published in August, 2011.

Friday 24 July 2020

Bessborough House

THE EARLS OF BESSBOROUGH WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY KILKENNY, WITH 23,967 ACRES


This ancient and noble family derives its origin from Picardy, in France.

Their ancestor accompanied William, Duke of Normandy, in his expedition to England, and his descendants established their residence at Haile, near Whitehaven, in Cumberland.

They assumed their surname from the lordship of Ponsonby, in Cumberland.

The office of Barber to the King was conferred upon them about the same time as the Earl of Arran's ancestor was appointed Butler.

JOHN PONSONBY, of Haile Hall, was great-grandfather of

SIR JOHN PONSONBY (c1609-78), Knight, of Haile, Colonel of a regiment of horse in the service of CROMWELL, who wedded Dorothy, daughter of John Brisco, of Crofton, Cumberland, and had by her a son, JOHN, ancestor of MILES PONSONBY, of Haile.

Sir John married secondly, Elizabeth, daughter of Henry, 1st Baron Folliott, and widow of Richard, son and heir of Sir Edward Wingfield, and by her had issue, from which derives the family of which we are about to treat.

Colonel Ponsonby, removing himself into Ireland, was appointed one of the commissioners for taking the depositions of the Protestants, concerning murders said to have been committed during the war, and was Sheriff of counties Wicklow and Kilkenny in 1654.

He represented the latter county in the first parliament called after the Restoration; had two grants of lands under the acts of settlement, and, by accumulating debentures, left a very considerable fortune.

Sir John was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR HENRY PONSONBY, Knight, at whose decease, in the reign of WILLIAM III, without issue, the estates devolved upon his brother,

THE RT HON WILLIAM PONSONBY (1659-1724), of Bessborough, MP for County Kilkenny in the reigns of ANNE and GEORGE I, who was sworn of the Privy Council in 1715, and elevated to the peerage, in 1721, in the dignity of Baron Bessborough. of Bessborough, County Kilkenny.

His lordship was advanced to a viscountcy, in 1723, as Viscount Duncannon, of Duncannon, County Wexford.

He married Mary, sister of Brabazon Moore, of Ardee, County Louth, and had, with six daughters, three sons,
BRABAZON, his heir;
Henry, major-general;
Folliott.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

BRABAZON, 2nd Viscount (1679-1758), who was advanced to an earldom, in 1739, as EARL OF BESSBOROUGH; and created a peer of Great Britain, 1749, as Baron Ponsonby of Sysonsby, Leicestershire.

His lordship wedded firstly, Sarah, widow of Hugh Colville, and daughter of James Margetson (son and heir of the Most Rev James Margetson, Lord Archbishop of Armagh), and had issue,
WILLIAM, his successor;
John, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons;
Richard;
Sarah, m to Edward, 5th Earl of Drogheda;
Anne, m to Benjamin Burton;
Elizabeth, m to Rt Hon Sir W Fownes Bt;
Letitia, m to Hervey, Viscount Mountmorres.
The 1st Earl espoused secondly, in 1733, Elizabeth, eldest daughter and co-heir of John Sankey, of Tenelick, County Longford (and widow of Sir John King, and of John Moore, Lord Tullamore), but by that lady had no issue.

He was succeeded by his elder son,

WILLIAM, 2nd Earl (1704-93), who married, in 1739, Lady Caroline Cavendish, eldest daughter of William, Duke of Devonshire, and had surviving issue,
FREDERICK, his successor;
Catherine, m to Aubrey, 5th Duke of St Albans;
Charlotte, m to William, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam.
His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

FREDERICK, 3rd Earl (1758-1844), who wedded, in 1780, Henrietta Frances, second daughter of John, 1st Earl Spencer, and had issue,
JOHN WILLIAM, his successor;
Frederick Cavendish (Sir);
William Francis, 1st Baron de Mauley;
Caroline.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN WILLIAM, 4th Earl (1781-1847), LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND, 1846-7, who espoused, in 1805, the Lady Maria Fane, daughter of John, 10th Earl of Westmorland, and had issue,
JOHN GEORGE BRABAZON, his successor;
William Wentworth Brabazon;
FREDERICK GEORGE BRABAZON, 6th Earl;
George Arthur Brabazon;
WALTER WILLIAM BRABAZON, 7th Earl;
Spender Cecil (Rt Hon Sir);
Gerald Henry Brabazon;
Maria Jane Elizabeth; Kathleen Louisa Georgina; Georgiana Sarah; Augusta Lavinia Priscilla.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN GEORGE BRABAZON (1809-80), 5th Earl, who wedded twice, though the marriages were without issue, and the family honours devolved upon his brother,

FREDERICK GEORGE BRABAZON (1815-95), 6th Earl, DL, who died unmarried, when the titles devolved upon his brother,

THE REV WALTER WILLIAM BRABAZON (1821-1906), 7th Earl, who married, in 1850, the Lady Louisa Susan Cornwallis Eliot, daughter of Edward, 3rd Earl of St Germans, and had issue,
EDWARD, his successor;
Cyril Walter;
Granville;
Arthur Cornwallis;
Walter Gerald;
Ethel Jemima; Sara Kathleen; Maria.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

EDWARD, 8th Earl (1851-1920), KP CB CVO JP DL, who wedded, in 1875, Blanche Vere, daughter of Sir Josiah John Guest, 1st Baronet, and had issue,
VERE BRABAZON, his successor;
Cyril Myles Brabazon;
Bertie Brabazon;
Olwen Verena; Helena Blanche Irene; Gweneth Frida.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

VERE BRABAZON (1880-1956), 9th Earl, GCMG PC DL,
The heir apparent is the present holder's son, Frederick Arthur William Ponsonby, styled Viscount Duncannon.

BESSBOROUGH HOUSE is located in Kildalton near Piltown in County Kilkenny.

It was first built in 1745 by Francis Bindon for the 1st Earl of Bessborough.

Bessborough House, as stated by Mark Bence-Jones, consists of a centre block of two storeys over a basement joined to two-storey wings by curved sweeps.


The entrance front has nine bays; a three-bay pedimented breakfront with a niche above the pedimented Doric doorway.

The roof parapet has urns, while the basement is rusticated; perron and double stairway with ironwork railings in front of the entrance door.

The Hall has a screen of Ionic columns made of Kilkenny marble.

The Saloon has a ceiling of Rococo plasterwork; and a notable chimney-piece.

Bessborough House had to be rebuilt in 1929 following a catastrophic fire in 1923, and the Bessboroughs never returned to it as a consequence.


In 1940, the Oblate Fathers established a seminary at Bessborough House.

The Oblates worked their own bakery, and farmed dairy cows, poultry, cattle, pigs, sheep. They grew potatoes, grain and other crops.

They also had a very good orchard.

Alas, the great mansion has been altered and added-to since the Ponsonbys left: The urns have been removed from the parapet and are now at Belline.

From 1941 to 1971, 360 priests were ordained in Bessborough House, Kildalton.

By 1970, numbers joining the order had fallen and the Oblates decided to sell the property.

It was bought for £250,000 by the Irish Department of Agriculture in 1971.

It was then opened as an agricultural and horticultural college and renamed Kildalton College.

Other seats ~ Parkstead House, Surrey; Sysonby, Leicestershire; Stansted Park, West Sussex.

First published in September, 2011.  Bessborough arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

Monday 13 July 2020

Kenmare House

THE EARLS OF KENMARE WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY KERRY, WITH 91,080 ACRES 

This family deduces its descent from

SIR VALENTINE BROWNE, Knight, of Croft, Lincolnshire, treasurer of the town of Berwick, auditor of the exchequer in England; and constituted Auditor-General of Ireland in the reigns of EDWARD VI and QUEEN MARY.

Sir Valentine died in 1567, leaving a son,

THE RT HON SIR VALENTINE BROWNE (d 1589), his heir, who, in 1583, received instruction, jointly with Sir Henry Wallop, for the survey of several escheated lands in Ireland.

He was subsequently sworn of the Privy Council, and represented County Sligo in parliament in 1585.

In the same year, Sir Valentine purchased from Donald, Earl of Clancare, all the lands, manors, etc in counties Kerry and Cork, which had been in the possession of Teige Dermot MacCormac and Rorie Donoghoemore.

Sir Valentine married firstly, Alice or Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Alexander, of London, and had issue, a son.

He wedded secondly, Thomasine, sister of the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, Sir Nicholas Bacon, and had further issue (with a daughter), two sons.

Sir Valentine's eldest surviving son,

SIR NICHOLAS BROWNE, Knight, of Ross, County Kerry, who wedded Sicheley Sheela, daughter of O'Sullivan Beake, and had issue,
VALENTINE, his heir;
Anne.
Sir Nicholas died in 1616, and was succeeded by his son,

VALENTINE BROWNE, High Sheriff of County Kerry, 1623, who was created a baronet in 1622, designated of Molahiffe, County Kerry.

Sir Valentine, after his father's decease, presented a petition to JAMES I, praying an abatement of the yearly rent reserved on the estate which he held from the Crown, as an undertaker, at the annual sum of £113 6s 8d, in regard of the small profit he made of it, being set out in the most barren and remote part of County Kerry; which request was complied with, and he received a confirmation, by patent, of all his lands at a reduced rent.

He married Elizabeth, fifth daughter of Gerald, Earl of Kildare, and was succeeded by his grandson,

THE RT HON SIR VALENTINE BROWNE, 3rd Baronet (1638-94); who was sworn of the Privy Council of JAMES II, and created by that monarch, subsequently to his abdication, in 1689, Baron Castlerosse and Viscount Kenmare.

His lordship, who was Colonel of Infantry in the army of JAMES II, forfeited his estates by his inviolable fidelity to that unfortunate monarch.

He wedded Jane, only daughter and heir of Sir Nicholas Plunket, and niece of Lucas, Earl of Fingall, and had five sons and four daughters.

The 1st Viscount was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR NICHOLAS BROWNE, 4th Baronet (called 2nd Viscount); an officer of rank in the service of JAMES II, and attainted in consequence, who espoused, in 1664, Helen, eldest daughter and co-heir of Thomas Brown, by whom he obtained a very considerable fortune, but which, with his own estates, became forfeited for his life.

The crown, however, allowed his lady a rent-charge of £400 per year for the maintenance of herself and her children.

Sir Nicholas died in 1720, leaving four daughters and his son and successor,

SIR VALENTINE BROWNE, 5th Baronet (called 3rd Viscount) (1695-1736), who continued outlawed by the attainder of his father and grandfather.

He married, in 1720, Honora, second daughter of Colonel Thomas Butler, and great-grandniece of James, Duke of Ormonde, by whom he had issue, Thomas, his successor, and two daughters.

Sir Valentine espoused secondly, in 1735, Mary, Dowager Countess of Fingall, by whom he left a posthumous daughter, Mary Frances.

He was succeeded by his only son,

SIR THOMAS BROWNE, 6th Baronet (called 4th Viscount) (1726-95), who wedded, in 1750, Anne, only daughter of Thomas Cooke, of Painstown, County Carlow, by whom he had a son and a daughter, Catherine, married to Count de Durfort-Civrac.

He was succeeded by his son,

SIR VALENTINE BROWNE, 7th Baronet (called 5th Viscount) (1754-1812), who was created (the viscountcy of JAMES II never having been acknowledged in law), in 1798, Baron Castlerosse and Viscount Kenmare.

His lordship was further advanced to the dignity of an earldom, in 1800, as EARL OF KENMARE.

He married firstly, in 1777, Charlotte, daughter of Henry, 11th Viscount Dillon, and had an only daughter, Charlotte.

His lordship wedded secondly, in 1785, Mary, eldest daughter of Michael Aylmer, of Lyons, County Kildare, and had issue,
VALENTINE, his successor;
Thomas;
William;
Michael;
Marianne; Frances.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

VALENTINE, 2nd Earl (1788-1853), PC, who espoused, in 1816, Augusta, daughter of Sir Robert Wilmot, 2nd Baronet, though the marriage was without issue, when the family honours devolved upon his brother,

THOMAS, 3rd Earl (1789-1871), who married, in 1822, Catherine, daughter of Edmond O'Callaghan, and had issue,
VALENTINE AUGUSTUS, his successor;
Ellen Maria; Mary Caroline.
His lordship was succeeded by his son,

VALENTINE AUGUSTUS, 4th Earl (1825-1905), KP PC JP, High Sheriff of County Kerry, 1851, Knight of St Patrick, 1872, who wedded, in 1858, Gertrude Harriet, daughter of the Rev Lord Charles Thynne, and had issue,
VALENTINE CHARLES, his successor;
Cecil Augustine;
Margaret Theodora May Catherine.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

VALENTINE CHARLES, 5th Earl (1860-1941), CVO, last Lord-Lieutenant of County Kerry, 1905-22, who espoused, in 1887, Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Charles Baring, and had issue,
VALENTINE EDWARD CHARLES, his successor;
Maurice Henry Dermot (1894-1915);
GERALD RALPH DESMOND, 7th Earl;
Dorothy Margaret; Cecilia Kathleen.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

VALENTINE EDWARD CHARLES, 6th Earl (1891-1943), Captain, Irish Guards, who married twice, without issue, when the titles devolved upon his brother,

GERALD RALPH DESMOND, 7th Earl (1896-1952), OBE, Major, 1st Dragoons, who died unmarried, when the titles expired.


The original Kenmare House (above) was built in 1726, after the estates were recovered by Sir Valentine Browne, 5th Baronet and 3rd Viscount Kenmare in the Jacobite peerage.

It was a grandiose structure with the characteristics of a French château, perhaps influenced by the Brownes' time spent exiled in France with JAMES II.

Lord Kenmare designed the house himself: It was two stories high and had dormered attics and steep, slated roofs.

There were thirteen bays in front of the house, with three bays on each side of the centre breaking forward. A servant’s wing was added around 1775.

In 1861 Valentine, Lord Castlerosse, played host to Queen Victoria at Killarney.

During the visit of the Queen to Kenmare House, Her Majesty chose the site of Killarney House, a vast Victorian-Tudor mansion, which was the successor to Kenmare House.


The 4th Earl of Kenmare decided to build a new mansion (above), on a hillside with spectacular views of Lough Leane in 1872.

The old house was demolished and an Elizabethan-Revival manor house erected on a more elevated site at a cost exceeding £100,000.


This house was supposed to have been instigated by Lady Kenmare (Gertrude Thynne, granddaughter of Thomas, 2nd Marquess of Bath, and inspired by Lord Bath's genuinely Elizabethan seat, Longleat in Wiltshire (which is not red-brick).

It was not unusual for the descendants of Elizabethan or Jacobean settlers in Ireland to assert their comparative antiquity in this period by building "Jacobethan" houses.


The house, which in addition to its other defects apparently did not sit happily in the landscape as it had many gables and oriels.

The interior was panelled and hung with Spanish leather.


It was considered to be one of the finest mansions in Ireland.


Kenmare House was burnt twice: once, in 1879, just after its completion; and again, and finally, in November, 1913.

It was never rebuilt.

The stable block of the older Kenmare House, however, was converted for family use.

Killarney House and the Browne estate in Kerry were donated by Mrs Grosvenor (niece of 7th Earl) to form Killarney National Park.

The Victorian mansion was demolished in 1872 by the 4th Earl, when it was accidentally destroyed by fire in 1913 and never rebuilt; instead, the stable block was converted into the present Kenmare House.

In 1866, King Leopold II of Belgium visited the Kenmares at Killarney.

Sir Edwin Lutyens (the architect for Lady Kenmare's brother, the 3rd Baron Revelstoke, at Lambay Castle on Lambay Island, County Dublin, advised Lord Kenmare to build the new Kenmare House.

This Kenmare House was later abandoned and sold when a new Kenmare House was built.

This new manor was confusingly constructed on the site of the former Killarney House by Mrs Beatrice Grosvenor in 1956.

Less than twenty years later, in 1974, the house was replaced.

This last Kenmare House was built on the Killorglin Road, beside the Killarney golf course and the Castlerosse Hotel.

The sale of Kenmare House in 1985 to Denis P Kelleher effectively marked the end of the Kenmare family's proprietary connection with Killarney, after 450 years.

First published in August, 2011.  Kenmare arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

Sunday 12 July 2020

Ballynahinch Castle

RICHARD BERRIDGE WAS THE GREATEST VICTORIAN LANDOWNER IN IRELAND, WITH 160,152 ACRES


RICHARD MARTIN MP
 (1754-1834) owned much of Connemara, so much so that he boasted to GEORGE IV that he had "an approach from my gatehouse to my hall of thirty miles' length".

He was nicknamed "Humanity Dick" due to his beneficence towards the RSPCA.

Colonel Martin was born in 1754, the son of Robert Martin FitzAnthony, a member of an old tribal family of Connemara.

His mother died when Richard was only nine years old and his father soon remarried to Mary Lynch, who later gave Richard two brothers.

The families' combined wealth allowed Richard to receive an excellent Anglican education.

He attended Harrow and Cambridge while studying law, and afterwards started a most extensive 'Gentleman's Tour' to round out his knowledge.

With his cousin, James Jordan, Richard travelled all over Europe.

They eventually left Bordeaux bound for Jamaica, and later ended up in New England for the start of the American War of Independence.

The two young men promptly returned home, and by the end of the 1770s, Richard's education and his family's influence combined to make him an MP; a Colonel in the Galway Volunteers; and gained him a wife, Elizabeth Vesey.

His duties kept him away from home quite a bit, but the couple had several children, one of whom is rumoured to be the child of a liaison between Elizabeth and the tutor hired to educate Richard's sons, Theobald Wolfe Tone.

It was during this period that he began to acquire a reputation and nickname relating to his many duels, as "Trigger Dick", a nickname which was also held by his uncle.

In 1783, he duelled with "Fighting" Fitzgerald, a Mayo Landlord, over the man's shooting of a friend's dog.

He also apparently made friends with the Prince of Wales, later GEORGE IV, as the two men shared many ideals and both were seen in Parliament quite often.

Richard's wife Elizabeth continued to show her knack for indiscretion, and the two divorced in 1794 after a scandal over her affair with a Mr Petrie of Paris. Dick Martin remarried in 1797, and had several more children.

By the early 1800s, Martin's estate was vast and the biggest in Ireland, encompassing over 200,000 acres.

His wealth and friendship with the Prince of Wales continued to increase his influence in Parliament and elsewhere.

Dick was persuaded to vote for the Act of Union in 1800, something he soon bitterly regretted, and was responsible for excising the death penalty for forgery.

In 1809, Lord Erskine presented a bill in Parliament to prevent cruelty to such animals as horses, pigs, oxen, and sheep.

The bill failed, however and, later in 1822, Richard was responsible for the passing of the Martin Act, which applied to large domestic animals.

It is at this time that Dick acquired the nickname of "Humanity".

His friend, the Prince of Wales, later GEORGE IV,  gave him the nickname.

Two years later, Richard created the first animal welfare society - the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with other like-minded people.

Richard Martin remained a Member of Parliament until his election to Westminster in 1826 was invalidated.

The scandal and his ensuing debt forced Richard to flee to Boulogne in France.

He died peacefully on the January 6th, 1834.

The great family estate, which he helped to create, was lost during the Great Potato famine within 20 years.

Richard Martin's life is largely marked by his efforts to attain human and animal rights. He supported Catholic Emancipation, and is generally considered the founder of the RSPCA.

It is rather ironic, that his families' great wealth, some of which came out of human injustice, was later lost during the Irish Famine.

His estates were heavily mortgaged and, as a consequence of this, his granddaughter and heiress, Mary Martin, was ruined after the Irish famine.

Ballynahinch was disposed of by the Encumbered Estates Court. Mary Martin and her husband emigrated to the USA, where she died shortly afterwards during childbirth.

Ballynahinch Estate was bought by Richard Berridge, whose son sold it in 1925; thereafter it was acquired by a celebrated cricketer, "Ranji".

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

The seat of Richard Berridge was Ballynahinch Castle, County Galway, Ireland, which became the residence of his son, Richard, who was a justice of the peace for the county and, in 1894, High Sheriff.

Richard Berridge the elder lived for over twenty years in Bloomsbury, first at 36 Bloomsbury Square, then, from about 1856 to 1877, at 18 Great Russell Street. Prior to this he had resided in Rochester, Kent, and he acquired property in that county as well as in Middlesex.

A return of landowners in 1873 describes his holdings in Middlesex as over 300 acres with a gross estimated rental of £577, and a smaller amount in Kent, 79 acres worth £184.15s. He also had mining interests and property in other counties.

Berridge entered into partnership with Sir Henry Meux of the Horse Shoe Brewery, Tottenham Court Road. He retired in July 1878 on the establishment of the new firm of Meux and Company.

In the late 1870s Berridge left Bloomsbury for an address in Putney, Surrey, and, after a few years, went to live in Bridgewater, Somerset. He died on 20 September 1887 leaving five daughters and one son, Richard, born in 1870.

The estate was administered by trustees until Richard Berridge the younger came of age. In his will, Berridge bequeathed a charity legacy of £200,000 to be applied for the advancement and propagation of education in economic and sanitary sciences in Great Britain.
The legacy was administered by his trustees, who donated large sums to the Worshipful Company of Plumbers and the British Institute of Preventive Medicine, and smaller amounts to other institutions and societies, such as the Sanitary Inspectors' Association and Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute for Nurses.


Berridge's name was legally changed to Richard Berridge when he adopted his mother's surname in lieu of his father's surname. He was born with the name of Richard MacCarthy.

Richard Berridge, a London brewer, from the Law Life Assurance Society, also acquired Clifden estate (as well as Ballynahinch Castle).

In the mid 1870s, Berridge is recorded as owning over 160,152 acres, making him by far the largest landowner in County Galway.

The Berridge family retained a house in the locality and some fishing at Screebe until the late 20th century.

A grandson of Richard Berridge married an Orme of Owenmore, Crossmolina, County Mayo; and a great-grandson currently produces well known Irish cheeses on his farm in county Wexford.



BALLYNAHINCH CASTLE, Connemara, County Galway, is a long mansion with an abundance of windows, built in the late 18th century by Richard Martin MP.


Both the entrance front and the garden front (eight bays) have battlements and other distinguishing features.


Inside, the main rooms have particularly thick mahogany doors; the drawing-room, a chimney-piece of Connemara marble.

First published in April, 2011.

Friday 10 July 2020

Portballintrae Visit

Seaport Lodge (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020)

Portballintrae is a pretty village on the north County Antrim coast, within a few miles of the famous Giant's Causeway.

The village of Bushmills is inland, a mile or so from Portballintrae, on the River Bush.

When I was twelve years old, in 1972, we spent a few days at the Beach Hotel, which stood at a picturesque little bay named after the Salmon Rock.

The Beach Hotel, image from a picture postcard

I have happy memories of our times there.

The hotel was demolished several decades ago for a new apartment block called, I think, the Beach Apartments.

Today Portballintrae has one hotel, a boat club, a nine-hole golf club, and a small shop and village hall at the main car-park.

I spent a few days at Portballintrae this week. After breakfast, I usually strolled past the cliffs, with their sand martins dashing in and out, to Seaport Lodge, probably the oldest building in the village, which was built about 1770.

The Lodge is a handsome building, presently being restored by its owner.

The white paint which formerly covered the stone has been stripped away, revealing the fine craftsmanship.

The building work now seems to be focussed on the interior.

Dunseverick Harbour (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020)

The next morning I drove along the coast to Dunseverick Harbour, a charming haven far from the madding crowd.

A winding, narrow road leads down to it, and the prospect is spectacular.


The National Trust owns part of the coast here, a spot equidistant from Portbraddan and Dunseverick Castle, popular with ramblers.

When I stopped off at the Castle (or its site; only the ruinous gate lodge remains) there were two tents there.

Lamb Cutlets at Ramore (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020)

In the evening I went to the popular and busy Ramore Harbour restaurant for dinner.

Portrush Harbour from Ramore (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020)

THE next day I went for a walk from Portballintrae to Runkerry, a distance of about two miles, where the little narrow-gauge railway begins for Bushmills.

Giant's Causeway Railway (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020)

It wasn't operating on Thursday, though the verges of the railway line have been trimmed and cut very recently, so perhaps it will reopen imminently.

(Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020)

On my way home I paid a visit to Bushmills Garden Centre, where I encountered a young fox.

House of Brownlow

The first member of this family to settle in Ulster was

JOHN BROWNLOW, of Nottingham, who offered himself as an undertaker, at the barony of Oneilland, County Armagh, during the plantation.

His son,

SIR WILLIAM BROWNLOW (1591-1661), of Brownlows Derry, County Armagh, born at Epworth, Derbyshire, settled in Ulster, and was knighted, 1622, by Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland, Lord Deputy of Ireland.

Sir William, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1623, was granted 1,000 acres of land by JAMES I, close to the southern shore of Lough Neagh.

He married Eleanor, daughter of Sir John O'Doherty, of Londonderry, by whom he had several daughters, the eldest of whom,

LETTICE, married Patrick Chamberlain, of County Louth, and had issue,

ARTHUR CHAMBERLAIN (1645-1711), High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1668-9,  who assumed the arms and name of BROWNLOW.

He wedded Jane, daughter of Sir Standish Hartstonge Bt, of Hereford, and of Bruff, County Limerick.

Mr Brownlow was succeeded by his son and heir,

WILLIAM BROWNLOW (1683-1739), of Lurgan, County Armagh, MP for Armagh County, 1711-39, who married, in 1712, the Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, eldest daughter of James, 6th Earl of Abercorn, and had issue,
WILLIAM, his heir;
Jane; Elizabeth; Anne; Mary; Isabella.
Mr Brownlow was succeeded by his son,


THE RT HON WILLIAM BROWNLOW (1726-94), High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1750, MP for Armagh County, 1753-94, who espoused firstly, in 1754, Judith Letitia, daughter of the Very Rev Charles Meredyth, Dean of Ardfert, of Newtown, County Meath, and had issue,
William, dsp;
CHARLES, his heir;
Arthur;
Letitia.
He married secondly, in 1765, Catherine, third daughter of Roger Hall, of Mount Hall, County Down, and had issue,
James;
Henry;
Francis (Rev);
Catherine; Elizabeth; Isabella; Frances Letitia; Mary Anne; Selina; Louisa.
Mr Brownlow was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CHARLES BROWNLOW (1757-1822), of Lurgan, who wedded, in 1785, Caroline, daughter of Benjamin Ashe, of Bath, and had issue,
William (1787-1813);
CHARLES, of whom hereafter;
John (Rev);
Frederick;
George;
Henry;
Isabella; Anna; Mary.
Colonel Brownlow was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

CHARLES (1795-1847), who wedded firstly, in 1822, the Lady Mary Bligh, daughter of John, 4th Earl of Darnley, and had issue,
Clara Anne Jane;
Mary Elizabeth.
He espoused secondly, in 1828, Jane, daughter of Roderick Macneill, of Barra, and had issue,
CHARLES, his successor.
Mr Brownlow, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1834, was elevated to the peerage, in 1839, in the dignity of BARON LURGAN, of Lurgan, County Armagh.

His lordship was succeeded by his son,

CHARLES, 2nd Baron (1831-82), KP,  who married, in 1853, Emily Anne, daughter of John, 3rd Baron Kilmaine, and had issue,
WILLIAM, his successor;
Louisa Helene; Isabella.
His lordship was appointed a Knight of St Patrick in 1864.
  • William George Edward Brownlow, 4th Baron Lurgan (1902–84);
  • John Desmond Cavendish Brownlow, 5th Baron Lurgan (1911–91).
I have written about Brownlow House and the Barons Lurgan here.

The Brownlow Papers are deposited at PRONI. 

First published in February, 2012.

Wednesday 8 July 2020

Fermanagh DLs

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LIEUTENANTS


The Viscount Brookeborough KG, Lord-Lieutenant of County Fermanagh, has been pleased to appoint:-

Mrs Jennifer Hannah Irvine
Irvinestown
County Fermanagh


Mrs Jenifer Alison Johnston
Enniskillen
County Fermanagh


Mr Jisbinder Singh Sembhi
Derrylin
County Fermanagh


To be Deputy Lieutenants of the County, their Commissions bearing date, the 29th day of June, 2020.
Lord Lieutenant of the County

Ballymoyer Painting


Anthony Knight, director and trustee of Beleura House and Garden, Australia, has sent me a watercolour of Ballymoyer House, Newtownhamilton, County Armagh.
"In the early 19th century a more imposing house in the classical style, with a stucco façade of three stories and a colonnaded porch, had been added onto the earlier, rougher building, and the two were linked with creaking corridors and staircases.
"The library, the smaller bedrooms, and the servants' hall were in the old section at the back, but the principal bedrooms, drawing room, and dining room were in the grander addition, looking across the lawns and parkland to stands of beech on the hillside."
Comprising some 7,000 acres of low hills, moorland and small tenant farms, Ballymoyer was one of the largest demesnes in County Armagh.

The Synnots had made their money in the linen trade and mining and had always been resident landlords.

Ballymoyer House was later demolished and Brigadier-General Hart-Synnot gave the demesne to the National Trust ca 1938.

I have written about the Synnot family here.

First published in April, 2012.

Carrick-a-Rede


It has been five years since I visited Northern Ireland’s legendary rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede, near Ballintoy, County Antrim.

It was at that time, March, 2015, that I lost a dental crown at the car-park when chewing a fruit pastille.


The rope bridge has become a mecca for tourists and travellers alike.


The bridge is made from planks between cables and robust rope handrails.


Salmon fishermen crossed from the cliffs - a sea chasm of 100 feet - to their fishery cottage on Carrick Island.

The bridge was formerly assembled in May and dismantled in September, though it now opens for longer.


On the island the fishing boats were hoisted and lowered by derricks.
Ballintoy and Carrick-a-Rede were granted to Archibald Stewart in 1625 by Randal, 1st Earl of Antrim, for the annual rent of £9. 
This grant included Sheep Island and the isle of Portcampbell.
The National Trust acquired 56 acres of the property in 1967 from Frank Gailey and Iris Bushell.
The prospect is truly spectacular.


The Weighbridge Tearoom serves light lunches and refreshments:

I enjoyed a bowl of piping-hot leek & potato soup, with a thick slice of fresh wheaten bread.

Sunday 5 July 2020

Hillsborough Forest

Hillsborough Fort. Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020

Hillsborough, County Down, is undoubtedly one of the pleasantest and most interesting villages in Northern Ireland.

It has been ages since I last paid Hillsborough Forest a visit, so I wasn't disappointed today.

Hillsborough Forest Lake. Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020

The Fort, former home of the Hills, Earls of Hillsborough and Marquesses of Downshire, stands overlooking the lake in the forest.

It seems to be in good order, and the old stone steps leading down through the undergrowth towards the parish church can still be seen.

The church and fort are adjacent to each other.

It was a joy to see so many young families with their toddlers and children enjoying the forest walks and the swans, geese, and ducks feeding at the edge of the lake.

Today I walked around its circumference, then out through the gates, via Park Lane, to the Square; and down the main street to the junction where the parish church can be seen from its long avenue.

Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020

The statue of Arthur, 4th Marquess of Downshire, KP, faces the church directly from across the road.

The town-houses on the hilly main street, with their courtyards and mews, are simply charming; as are the little artisan shops and gastro-bars.

Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020

At the top of the main street, on the Square, stands the old court-house, which itself stands opposite the main entrance to Hillsborough Castle, former home of the Downshires, then the Governors of Northern Ireland, Royalty, and Secretaries of State.

Saturday 4 July 2020

Fermanagh DL

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LIEUTENANT

The Viscount Brookeborough KG, Lord-Lieutenant of County Fermanagh, has been pleased to appoint:-
Mrs Catherine Mary Maguire
Lisnarick
County Fermanagh
To be a Deputy Lieutenant of the County, her Commission bearing date, the 29th June, 2020.

Lord Lieutenant of the County