Friday 26 March 2021

Castlerea House

THE BARONS MOUNT SANDFORD WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY ROSCOMMON, WITH 24,410 ACRES

THEOPHILUS SANDFORD, descended from a good family in Yorkshire, obtained grants of land in Ireland for his services during the civil wars, as a captain in Reynolds' regiment.

He settled at Castlerea, County Roscommon; and from him lineally descended

COLONEL HENRY SANDFORD, of Castlerea, MP for Roscommon Borough, 1692-1713, who married, in 1692, Elizabeth, daughter of the Rt Hon Robert FitzGerald, and was succeeded at his decease by his eldest son,

ROBERT SANDFORD, MP for County Roscommon, 1768-76, who wedded, in 1717, Henrietta, second daughter of William, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin, and had issue,
HENRY, his heir;
Robert, major-general, Governor of Galway;
Henrietta.
Mr Sandford died in 1777, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY SANDFORD (1719-97), MP for Roscommon County, 1741-5, who married, in 1750, Sarah, eldest daughter of Stephen, 1st Viscount Mount Cashell, and had issue,
HENRY MOORE, of whom we treat;
William (Rev); father of HENRY, 2nd Baron;
GEORGE, 3rd Baron;
Louisa.
Mr Sandford was succeeded by his eldest son, 

HENRY MOORE SANDFORD (1751-1814), MP for Roscommon Borough, 1776, 1791-99, who was elevated to the peerage, in 1800, in the dignity of BARON MOUNT SANDFORD, of Castlerea, County Roscommon, with remainder, in default of male issue, to his brothers and their male descendants.

His lordship espoused, in 1780, Catherine, eldest daughter of the Rt Hon Silver Oliver, of Castle Oliver, County Limerick; but dying childless, in 1814, the barony devolved, according to the limitation, upon his nephew,

HENRY, 2nd Baron (1805-28); who, being brutally slain in a riot at Windsor, and dying unmarried, the barony reverted to his uncle,

GEORGE, 3rd Baron (1756-1846), MP for Roscommon, 1783-97.

The title became extinct in 1846 following the death of the 3rd Baron.


CASTLEREA HOUSE, near Castlerea, County Roscommon, was a large 17th century (ca 1640) block of three storeys over a basement, with 19th century wings of two storeys over a basement.

The main block of seven bays was plain; while the wings had balustraded parapets.

The three-bay side of the left wing served as the entrance front.

The house is now demolished and the demesne serves as a public park.

Mount Sandford arms courtesy of European Heraldry.   First published in January, 2012.

Wednesday 24 March 2021

Charleville Forest

THE EARLS OF CHARLEVILLE WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN THE KING'S COUNTY, WITH 20,032 ACRES

This family derives maternally from the extinct house of MOORE, Barons Moore, of Tullamore, and Earls of Charleville of the first creation, which sprang from a common ancestor with the Moores, EARLS and MARQUESSES OF DROGHEDA.

THOMAS MOORE, living in the reign of EDWARD II, was ancestor, after ten generations, of

JOHN MOORE, of Benenden Place, Kent, living in 1519, who had issue,
EDWARD (Sir), father of the EARLS OF DROGHEDA.
THOMAS (Sir), of whom we treat.
Sir Edward and Sir Thomas went over to Ireland, as soldiers of fortune, in the reign of ELIZABETH I.

Sir Edward founded the noble house of DROGHEDA; and

THOMAS MOORE obtained by grant from the Crown, 1577, the castle of Castletown, with 758 acres of land thereunto adjoining, in the King's County, being styled in the said grant, "Thomas Moore of Croghan."

Mr Moore received, subsequently, the honour of knighthood for his services against the Irish, by whom he was eventually put to death in his castle.

He was succeeded by his son,

SIR JOHN MOORE, of Croghan Castle, who, with other considerable territorial possessions, had a grant from the Crown, 1622, of the town and lands of TULLAMORE, King's County, to the extent of 1,147 acres.

Sir John married Dorothy, fifth daughter of Dr Adam Loftus, Lord Archbishop of Dublin; and dying in 1633, was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS MOORE, of Croghan, MP for Philipstown, 1634, who wedded Margaret, daughter of Sir Ambrose Forth, of County Dublin, Judge of the Prerogative Court in Ireland, and was succeeded at his decease by his eldest son,

JOHN MOORE, of Croghan, who espoused a daughter of Sir William Sambach, Attorney-General for Ireland, but by that lady had no surviving issue.

He married secondly, in 1669, Ellen, second daughter of Dudley Colley, of Castle Carbery, County Kildare, by whom he had Dudley, who fell in a duel with Cornet Castine, 1714; and an elder brother, his heir,

THE RT HON JOHN MOORE (c1676-1725), of Croghan, MP for Philipstown, 1703-13, King's County, 1713-14, who was called to the Privy Council by GEORGE I in 1714; and, in 1715, by the same monarch, was elevated to the peerage, in the dignity of Baron Moore, of Mellefont, County Louth.

His lordship obtained a reversionary grant of the office of Muster-master General of Ireland.

He wedded, in 1697, Mary, daughter of Elnathan Lunn, banker, of Dublin, by whom he had, with an only surviving daughter, an only surviving son,

CHARLES, 2nd Baron (1712-64), appointed Privy Counsellor, Governor of King's County, and Muster-master-General in Ireland; who was created, in 1758, EARL OF CHARLEVILLE.

His lordship, having died in a childless marriage, 1764, when the titles expired, was succeeded by his nephew,

JOHN BURY, eldest son of the Hon Jane Bury (sister of the 2nd Baron), born in 1725, whose only son,

CHARLES WILLIAM BURY (1764-1835), was created Baron Tullamore, of Charleville Forest, King's County (2nd creation) in 1797.

He was advanced to a viscountcy, in 1800, as Viscount Charleville.

His lordship was further advanced, in 1806, to the dignity of an earldom, as EARL OF CHARLEVILLE (second creation).

The following account of the Bury family, Earls of Charleville, is taken from Mark Girouard's account of Charleville published in Country Life, 27 September, 1962:
... Charles William Bury (1764-1835) [was] a landowner of considerable wealth, derived partly from [Shannongrove], the Bury estate in Co. Limerick (where the family had settled in 1666), and partly from property in [and around] Tullamore, King's County, inherited through his father's mother, the only sister and heiress of Charles Moore (1712-1764), Earl of Charleville and Baron Moore of Tullamoore [as the Moores liked to call it]. He himself was created Lord Tullamoore in 1797, Viscount Charleville in 1800 and Earl of Charleville in 1806.

[This was mainly because in 1795 he had purchased political control of the borough of Carlow, which continued to be represented in the Parliament of the UK after the Union, and used his nomination of members for Carlow to bargain for his advancement in the peerage.]
The titles descended from father to son until the early death of his grandson, the 4th Earl, in 1874, who was succeeded by his uncle, the 5th Earl.

The 5th Earl died childless in 1875, when the titles expired.

*****

Lady Emily Howard-Bury, daughter of the 3rd Earl, married Kenneth Howard, son of the Hon James Howard.

She succeeded to the Charleville estates, including Charleville Castle, on the death of her brother the 5th Earl in 1875 and in 1881 she and her husband assumed by royal license the additional surname of BURY.

The property passed in 1931 to her son, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury DSO JP DL.
He was the leader of the first Everest expedition to find a route through Tibet to the North Col (1921), and is best known for that achievement. He is said to have abhorred Charleville Forest and stripped it of its contents at a now notorious auction in 1949. 
The HOWARD-BURY PAPERS are held at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.


CHARLEVILLE FOREST, near Tullamore, County Offaly, is thought to be the finest and most spectacular early 19th century castle in Ireland.

It was built between 1800-12 for Charles, 1st Earl of Charleville (2nd creation).

The Castle is nestled among the huge and ancient oak trees that were once held sacred by the Druids.

The building site was originally home to the Lynally monastic community, which existed as a part of the Durrow settlement.

By the 1500s, the site was no longer ecclesiastical in nature, but used as a plantation settlement for the Moores.

This thickly wooded acreage at the very centre of Ireland has been occupied through generational succession until the late 19th century.


The castle itself, Ireland’s premier example of Gothic Revival architecture, was a work in progress from 1798 until it was completed in 1812.

It was designed and erected in the style of a “tin soldier fortress” partly to commemorate Cornwallis’s victory over French revolutionary forces that had made their way into the Irish midlands.


Following the death of the 5th Earl in 1875, the titles became extinct.

Charleville passed to the sister of the 4th Earl; then to her son; and then to the grandson of another of the 4th Earl's sisters.

From 1912 until 1971, the unoccupied castle fell victim to the ravages of time.

The years that followed the war for independence and the accompanying economic difficulties reduced the structure to a nearly roofless, ruined condition by 1968.

The restoration and renovation work that was begun in 1971 by Michael McMullen continued under the supervision of Constance Heavey Seaquist and Bonnie Vance.

The Castle is open to the public and is currently funded by a charitable trust under the direction of Dudley Stuart.

It occupies 30 acres of land that includes gardens as well as densely wooded areas.

The castle building was designed by Francis Johnston, and Charles Bury was the original owner.

Johnston was responsible for several classic Georgian buildings in Dublin, including the General Post Office.

The exterior of the building is dominated by stately turrets and a flag tower, and features many mullioned windows.

A large window located above the main entrance is the focal point of the façade.

Inside, the rooms are gigantic, including the dining room designed by William Morris that still bears its original stenciled wallpaper.

The estate also includes a small outbuilding that resembles a gothic chapel and actually houses the kitchen and storage area.

The stable yard is located just beyond this building.

Lord Byron visited Charleville Forest Castle often and it is said that he held many parties here.

The castle grounds are now the object of a massive restoration project that, when finished, will clear the area of overgrowth, discern the original plantings from the old English flower garden, and design and build new garden and relaxation areas for visitors.

Volunteers are on hand to do this work from UK, France, the USA and Canada.

They also assist in the regular maintenance of the property.

The house and the surrounding grounds are said to be haunted by Druids and past occupants of the castle.

It has been featured on several television programmes, including Most Haunted and Scariest Places on Earth.

The huge staircase is reportedly visited often by the ghost of a young girl named Harriet, who was killed accidentally while sliding down the balustrade.

Visitors have felt the chill of her presence while climbing the stairs, and have seen her ghostly figure skipping past.

Sometimes, she is seen in the company of a small boy.

Another haunting, reported by Bonnie Vance, included an early morning visitation of the ghosts of Charles Bury and Francis Johnston, accompanied by a large group of Druids.

They appeared to be invoking a blessing upon Bonnie as she lay in her bed.

Also, disembodied voices of two men have been heard as they spent the evening drinking at the castle, as well as children’s voices and shrieks in the empty playroom.

Many of the visitors that arrive are paranormal experts, investigating the reports of various hauntings.

People also come to attend a diverse range of events that includes plays, shows and auctions.

Many ancient oak trees line the driveway. One of the largest is referred to as “King Oak”.

Legend says that a member of the Charleville family has died every time the tree lost a branch to weather or old age.

Colonel Howard-Bury died in 1963, two weeks after the tree was nearly destroyed by a lightning strike.

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

Friday 19 March 2021

Rossmore Park

THE BARONS ROSSMORE WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MONAGHAN, WITH 14,839 ACRES


THE WESTENRAS, descended from the family of VAN WASSENAER, of Wassenburg, were of great antiquity in Holland, and they bore the augmentation of the SEAHORSE, in reference to the valour of an ancestor who, during the Duke of Alba's campaigns, was actively employed against the enemy, and undertook to swim across an arm of the sea with important intelligence to his besieged countrymen.

WARNER WESTENRA settled in Ireland during the reign of CHARLES II, and with his brothers, Derrick and Peter Westenra, became a free denizen of that kingdom, by act of parliament, in 1662.

In 1667, Colonel Grace sold the town and lands of "Clonlee, Brickanagh, and Lyagh" [sic], in the King's County, to this Warner Westenra, merchant, of the city of Dublin.

He married Elizabeth Wyhrantz, and had issue,
HENRY, his successor;
Elizabeth, m Rt Rev Simon Digby.
Mr Westenra died in 1676, and was succeeded by his son,

HENRY WESTENRA, who inherited likewise the estates of his cousin, Peter Westenra, MP for Athboy, 1692.

Mr Westenra wedded, in 1700, Eleanor, second daughter of Sir Joshua Allen, Knight, and sister of John, 1st Viscount Allen, by whom he had surviving issue,
WARNER, his successor;
Henry;
Peter;
Elizabeth; Jane; Penelope.
He died in 1719, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

WARNER WESTENRA, MP for Maryborough, 1728-55, who espoused, in 1738, the Lady Hester Lambert, second daughter of Richard, 4th Earl of Cavan, and had issue,
HENRY, his successor;
Richard;
Joseph;
Castilinna; Eleanor.
Mr Westenra was was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY WESTENRA, MP for Monaghan, 1818-26, Seneschal of the King's Manors in Ireland, who married, in 1764, Harriet, daughter of Colonel John Murray MP, and had issue,
WARNER WILLIAM, his heir;
Henry;
Mary Frances; Harriet Hesther.
He was succeeded by his eldest son,

WARNER WILLIAM WESTENRA (1765-1842), of Rossmore Park, County Monaghan, who wedded firstly, in 1791, Mary Anne, second daughter of Charles Walsh, of Walsh Park, County Tipperary, and had issue,
HENRY ROBERT, his successor;
Richard;
John Craven;
Charles;
Marianne.
He espoused secondly, in 1819, Augusta, fourth daughter of of Francis, Lord Elcho, and sister of Francis, 7th Earl of Wemyss.

Mr Westenra succeeded to the barony of ROSSMORE on the decease of ROBERT CUNINGHAME, 1st Baron Rossmore, in 1801.

***********************

ROBERT CUNINGHAME (1726-1801), son of the late Colonel David Cuninghame, of Seabegs, Stirling, a General in the army, and Colonel, 5th Dragoons; MP for Tulske, 1751-60, for Armagh, 1761-8, for Monaghan, 1769-96, and for East Grinstead, 1788-9; was elevated to the peerage, in 1796, in the dignity of BARON ROSSMORE, of Rossmore Park; and having no issue by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of John Murray, and co-heir of her mother Mary, Dowager Lady Blayney, sole heir of Sir Alexander Cairnes Bt, the patent of creation contained a reversionary clause conferring the Barony, at his lordship's decease, upon the heirs male, at the time being, of two of her ladyship's sisters successively; namely, Anne, the wife of the Rt Hon Theophilus Jones; and Harriet, the wife of Henry Westenra.

His lordship died in 1801, and the only son of Mrs Jones, Alexander Jones, having predeceased him, unmarried, the barony devolved upon Mrs Westenra's eldest son, WARNER WILLIAM WESTENRA, 2nd Baron Rossmore.

The heir apparent is the present holder's only son, the Hon Benedict William Westenra (b 1983).

ROSSMORE CASTLE, County Monaghan, was a very large and complex mansion, constructed on the outskirts of Monaghan town in Tudor-Gothic style in 1827 by the the 3rd Lord Rossmore, to the designs of William Vitruvius Morrison.

An extension was added in 1858 in Scottish-Baronial style, designed by William Henry Lynn.

A main feature of the original building was a large square tower and turret with crow-step battlements.

(Image: Henry Skeath)

The extension also featured two towers, one with a polygonal turret and cupola, the other a smaller square tower with a spire.

The building underwent further smaller changes, a number of which were inspired by a competition which had developed over the years between Lord Rossmore and Mr Shirley of Lough Fea, as to which of them could claim to have the largest room in County Monaghan.

The remarkable consequence was that the drawing-room in Rossmore Castle was enlarged five times.

(Image: Henry Skeath)

Eventually the combined changes and additions resulted in a building with three towers and over 117 windows in 53 different shapes and sizes.

After the 2nd World War, the house developed a severe case of dry rot, and the 6th Baron and his family were forced to leave the castle and take up residence in Camla Vale, a Georgian house owned by the family and situated within the estate grounds.


The mansion was demolished in 1975.

(Image: Henry Skeath)

The former demesne is now a forest park.

First published in January, 2012.

Monday 15 March 2021

Loughcrew House

THE NAPERS WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MEATH, WITH 18,863 ACRES

JAMES NAPER (fourth son of Sir Samuel Naper MP, of Moor Crichel, Dorset, and grandson of Sir Robert Napper (Napier) MP, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, 1593), High Sheriff of County Meath, 1671, married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Anthony Petty, of Romsey, Hampshire, and sister of the celebrated Sir William Petty, ancestor of the Marquess of Lansdowne.

By this lady he left at his decease, in 1676, three sons and two daughters,
William, of Loughcrew, died unmarried;
JAMES, succeeded his brother;
Robert, lieutenant-general;
Elizabeth; Frances.
The second son,

JAMES NAPER (-1718), of Loughcrew, High Sheriff of County Meath, 1702, married firstly, in 1684, Elizabeth, daughter of James Tandy, of Drewstown, County Meath, and by her had two daughters,
Dorothy;
Sarah.
He wedded secondly, in 1695, Elizabeth Barry; and thirdly, Anne, daughter of Sir Ralph Dutton Bt, of Sherborne, Gloucestershire, by whom he had two sons and a daughter,
JAMES LENOX, his heir;
William;
Anna Maria.
The eldest son,

JAMES LENOX NAPER (1712-76), of Loughcrew, High Sheriff of County Meath, 1740, assumed the surname and arms of DUTTON.


He espoused firstly, in 1734, Catherine, daughter of Henry Ingoldsby, by whom he had an only child,
John, who died unmarried, 1771.
He married secondly, Jane, daughter of Christopher Bond, of Newland, Gloucestershire, and had further issue,
JAMES, created 1st BARON SHERBORNE;
WILLIAM, who inherited the Naper estates;
Ralph;
Anne; Mary; Frances; Jane.
Mr Dutton was succeeded in his Irish estates by his second son, William, who, resuming the name and arms of NAPER, became

WILLIAM NAPER (1749-91) of Loughcrew, who married, in 1787, Jane, daughter of the Rev Ferdinando Tracy Travell, of Gloucestershire, and left one daughter, Jane, and one son,

James Lenox William Naper (Image: The National Trust)

JAMES LENOX WILLIAM NAPER JP DL (1791-1868), of Loughcrew, MP for Weobley, 1813-18, High Sheriff of County Meath, 1822, who wedded, in 1824, Selina, second daughter of Sir Grey Skipworth Bt, of Newbold Hall, Warwickshire, and had issue,
JAMES LENOX, his heir;
William Dutton;
Lelia Jane; Anna Selina.
Mr Naper's eldest son,

JAMES LENOX NAPER JP DL (1825-1901), of Loughcrew, High Sheriff of County Meath, 1853, espoused, in 1877, Catherine Frances Rowley, only daughter of Clotworthy, 3rd Baron Langford, and had issue, a son,

WILLIAM LENOX NAPER MC JP DL (1879-1942), of Loughcrew, who wedded, in 1902, Adela Mary Charlotte, eldest daughter of Colonel the Hon W R Trefusis CB, Scots Guards, and the Lady Mary Trefusis.

*****

THE NAPER ESTATES eventually grew to 180,000 acres in counties Meath, Westmeath and Cavan, helped by the Colonel`s marriage to the sister of Sir William Petty, a senior Dublin Castle official.

James Lennox William Naper (1791-1868) commissioned the building of Loughcrew House in 1823, a year after he was appointed High Sheriff of Meath.

A busy landlord and writer, he served as chairman of the Poor Law Guardians during the Famine years and subsidised the emigration of tenants to Canada in the 1830s.

His son, James Lenox Naper, also served as High Sheriff and was a major in the Meath Militia while also enduring the first major fire at Loughcrew House in 1888.
His son, William Lenox Naper, was awarded the Military Cross for services in the Royal Horse Guard during World War One but he died without issue and his widow Adela married the colourful adventurer, Rodney Matthews in 1946. His spending seriously impacted on the estate before he disappeared in his plane in the Irish Sea in 1953.
A cousin of William Lenox, Merrick Naper, died in Africa that same year before he could inherit and Merrick`s brother, Nigel, inherited the 1,500-acre estate before suffering two major fires in the house in 1959 and 1964.

The Irish Land Commission took 600 acres of the estate in 1967 and it was divided between his three sons on Nigel`s death in 1978.

Emily and Charles Naper have converted the old conservatory, pavilions, servant quarters and stables into the current living area, school of gilding and studio area.
Emily Jane Dashwood was born in 1958, eldest child of Sir Francis John Vernon Hereward Dashwood Bt (Premier Baronet of Great Britain). She married Charles William Lennox Naper in 1981.
They have revived the 17th century gardens and established Loughcrew Garden Opera.


LOUGHCREW, Oldcastle, County Meath, today comprises the vestiges of Loughcrew House, the Gardens, ancillary accommodation and about 200 acres of parkland and grounds. 

Loughcrew Garden Opera has been holding operas and concerts in the grounds of the estate since 2000 during the summer months, which has proved immensely popular.

Weddings, exhibitions and craft workshops have also been held in the large rooms within the courtyard buildings.

Remaining within the Naper family from the 17th Century to the present day, Loughcrew has had a turbulent and fascinating history. 


Originally the seat of the Plunkett family, its most famous member being St Oliver Plunkett, whose church still remains today on the estate, the first Loughcrew House was built in the 1600s by the Naper family, where the current formal gardens exist, amidst an awesome 180,000 acre estate.

Subsequently destroyed by fire, the next Loughcrew House was designed by Charles Cockerel in 1821 for the Naper family.


In 1964 this house, too, was destroyed by fire and all that remains today is the giant portico, rebuilt and free-standing as a modern day folly, and a hard tennis court within the old footprint.

Mark Bence Jones, in his guide to Irish Country Houses, describes the vast stones and fallen capitals of the 1820's neo-classical house, designed by Cockerell, once strewn about the ground like the remains of some lost city of antiquity.

The current house grew out of The Garden House, a large and interesting stone building attached to the original courtyards, unusual in its design, and which used to house an array of flora and exotic plant-life. 

The rooms that make up the house were in fact originally the palm houses, the azalea houses and the furnace rooms.

It currently comprises two principal reception rooms, including a particularly fine drawing-room, two sun-rooms, kitchen, five bedrooms, a basement, and a guest wing with three further bedrooms.



LOUGHCREW GARDENS have been created by generations of the Naper family since the 1660s. The Gardens are open to the public for a number of months during the year.

The result is a stunning combination of vistas, with water and archaeological features and many unusual trees, shrubs and flowers. 

A host of enchanting features are displayed in a setting steeped in atmosphere and history, including a medieval motte and the ruins of Saint Oliver Plunkett's family church and tower house.

The surviving 17th century features include a magnificent yew walk, foundations of a longhouse and a walled garden from which a canal and a parterre have been relocated in replica. 

In the 19th century these earlier elements were enveloped in a comprehensive development of parkland, water gardens, specimen trees, follies, rockeries, wood walks and magnificent vistas. 

The central area of approximately six acres now includes a lime avenue, extensive lawns and terraces, magnificent herbaceous border, ‘Grotesque Rockery and Grotto’, Hellfire garden, watermill, fountain, and symbolic statues and sculptures.

A large, log-cabin-style visitor centre with car park is located at the entrance to the gardens.

This contains a spacious coffee shop on the ground floor with small kitchen and lavatories. 

A covered decked area provides outdoor seating. On the first floor is a large room for a crèche or craft centre with lavatories.

First published in June, 2011.

Tuesday 9 March 2021

Rokeby Hall

THE ROBINSON BARONETS OWNED 2,941 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY LOUTH

GRACE ROBINSON (1718-76), youngest daughter of Thomas Robinson, of Rokeby, Yorkshire, and sister of Sir Thomas Robinson, 1st Baronet,  and of the Most Rev Richard Robinson, Lord Archbishop of Armagh (created BARON ROKEBY), married, in 1739, the Very Rev Dr William Freind, of Whitney, Oxfordshire, Dean of Canterbury, and had, with other issue,
William Maximilian;
Robert;
JOHN, of whom we treat;
Grace.
The youngest son,

JOHN FREIND (1754-1832), assumed, in 1793, his maternal surname of ROBINSON.

Mr Robinson was created a baronet in 1819, designated of Rokeby Hall.

This gentleman wedded, in 1786, Mary Anne, second daughter of James Spencer, of Rathangan, County Kildare, and had issue,
RICHARD, his successor;
William;
John;
Henry James;
Charles;
Robert Spencer (Admiral Sir), KCB;
Jane; Louisa; Charlotte; Mary Anne; Henrietta; Grace Alicia; Emily;
Caroline; Frances; Sophia; Selina; Isabella Esther.
Sir John was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD ROBINSON, 2nd Baronet (1787-1847), who espoused, in 1813, the Lady Eleanor Helena Moore, daughter of Stephen, 2nd Earl Mount Cashell, and had issue,
JOHN STEPHEN, his successor;
RICHARD HARCOURT, 5th Baronet;
Helena Esther Florence; Elizabeth Selina.
Sir Richard was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JOHN STEPHEN ROBINSON, 3rd Baronet (1816-95), JP DL, High Sheriff of County Louth, 1849, who married, in 1841, Sarah, only daughter of Anthony Denny, of Barham Wood, Hertfordshire, and granddaughter of the celebrated Lord Collingwood, and had issue,
Richard Collingwood;
GERALD WILLIAM COLLINGWOOD, his successor;
Maud Helena Collingwood.
Sir John was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

SIR GERALD WILLIAM COLLINGWOOD ROBINSON, 4th Baronet (1857-1903), who was succeeded by his nephew,

SIR RICHARD HARCOURT ROBINSON, 5th Baronet (1828-1910), Lieutenant-Colonel, 60th Rifles, who died without male issue, when the baronetcy expired.


ROKEBY HALL, Dunleer, County Louth, is a mansion built in the neo-classical style ca 1785 for the Most Rev Richard Robinson, Lord Archbishop of Armagh (later 1st Baron Rokeby).

The original design of the house was probably by Thomas Cooley.

Rokeby Hall comprises two storeys over a rusticated basement.


There are two bays on either side of the central pedimented feature, which is of three bays.


The pediment apex is adorned with Lord Rokeby's coat-of-arms.

This elegant and noble house is topped by a high roof parapet.

The front is constructed with a fine, crisp ashlar; and the steps leading up to the front door curve elegantly, too.

First published in June, 2018.

Monday 1 March 2021

1st Baron Ormathwaite

THE BARONS ORMATHWAITE WERE THE LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN RADNORSHIRE, WITH 12,428 ACRES

JOHN BENN, of Moor Row, Whitehaven, Cumberland, married Mary, daughter of William Grayson, and died about 1729, leaving issue,
WILLIAM;
Mary, m John Bell.
The only son,

WILLIAM BENN, of Moor Row, wedded Mary, daughter of Timothy Nicholson, and died in 1759, leaving issue, 
JOHN, his heir;
Mary, m the Rev Clement Watts.
The only son,

JOHN BENN (1759-1825), High Sheriff of Radnorshire, 1798, MP for Bletchingley, 1802-4, married, in 1778, Margaret, daughter of Joseph Fowke, of Bexley, Kent (by Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Walsh, Governor of Madras, and sister of John Walsh, of Warfield Park), and took the surname and arms of WALSH only, in 1795, pursuant to the will of the said John Walsh), and had issue,
JOHN BENN, his successor;
Elizabeth.
Mr Walsh was created a baronet in 1804, designated of Ormathwaite, Cumberland.

He was succeeded by his only son,

SIR JOHN BENN WALSH, 2nd Baronet (1798-1881), JP DL, of Warfield Park, and 28, Berkeley Square, London, High Sheriff of Radnorshire, 1823, MP for Sudbury, 1830-4, 1838-40, Radnorshire, 1840-68, who wedded, in 1825, the Lady Jane Grey, daughter of George, 6th Earl of Stamford, and had issue,
ARTHUR, his successor;
Digby (Rev);
Augusta Rose; Maria Katherine.
His lordship was elevated to the peerage, in 1868, in the dignity of BARON ORMATHWAITE, of Ormathwaite, Cumberland.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

ARTHUR, 2nd Baron (1827-1920),
Arthur Walsh, 2nd Baron (1827–1920)
Arthur Henry John Walsh, 3rd Baron (1859–1937)
George Harry William Walsh, 4th Baron (1863–1943)
Reginald Walsh, 5th Baron (1868–1944)
John Arthur Charles Walsh, 6th Baron (1912–1984)
Seats ~ Ormathwaite, Keswick, Cumberland; Warfield Park, Bracknell, Berkshire; Eywood, Titley, Herefordshire.  Town House ~ 28, Berkeley Square.