The Cullintraw Acquisition

SELECTIVE ACQUISITIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

PROPERTY: Cullintraw, Ballydrain, County Down

DATE: 1994

EXTENT: 13.91 acres

DONOR: Joan Morrow

This site is a field adjacent to the northern shores of Strangford Lough.

(Image: Craig McCoy)

The soil is relatively low in nutrients and there are some interesting damp flushes throughout the field, so there is great potential for increasing its biodiversity value.

The National Trust's goal is to increase the numbers of wild flowers in the grassland and hope that it might attract some breeding waders in the summer.

It is felt, however, that there are too many rushes, and the Trust been trying to reduce the amount of this plant.

Click on image to enlarge

Several years ago the field was grazed with traditional breeds of livestock such as Dexter and Galloway cattle, and Konik ponies.

These tough animals thrive on rough ground like this and their grazing helps to improve the species composition of the grassland.

They nibble at the rushes when they are young and tender, and do a great job at reducing them.

First published in January, 2015.

Stradone House

THE BURROWES' WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY CAVAN, WITH 9,572 ACRES

This family was established in Ireland by ROBERT BOROWES, who settled at Drumlane, County Cavan, on the settlement of Ulster by JAMES I. His eldest son and heir, THOMAS BOROWES, became possessed of Stradone, of which estate he also received a patent of confirmation from CHARLES I, 1638. 

THOMAS BURROWES, of Stradone House, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1743, married Jane, daughter of Thomas Nesbitt, of Lismore House, County Cavan, and had issue,

ROBERT, his heir;
Thomas, of Dangan Castle;
Arnold (Rev);
Cosby;
Margery; Anne; Martha; Jane.

The eldest son,

ROBERT BURROWES, of Stradone House, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1773, married Sophia, daughter of the Ven Joseph Story, Archdeacon of Kilmore, and had issue,

THOMAS, his heir;

Jane; Sophia; Anne; Frances.

Mr Burrowes died in 1741, and was succeeded by his son,

MAJOR THOMAS BURROWES (1772-1836), of Stradone House, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1803, who married, in 1807, Susan, daughter of the Rev Henry Seward, of Badsey, Worcestershire, and had issue,

ROBERT, his heir;
James Edward;
Henry;
Honora Seward.

Major Borrowes was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROBERT BURROWES JP DL MP (1810-81), of Stradone House, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1838, MP for Cavan, 1855-57, who wedded, in 1838, Anne Frances, only daughter of John Garden, of Barnane, County Tipperary, and had issue,

Thomas, died in infancy;
ROBERT JAMES, his heir;
Arnold Henry (1846-48);
Frances Susan; Honora; Mary Anne Cecilia.

Mr Borrowes was succeeded by his only surviving son,

ROBERT JAMES BURROWES JP DL (1844-93), of Stradone House, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1883, Captain, 1st Dragoon Guards, who married, in 1876, Ella (44, Thurloe Square), daughter of Commodore Magruder, US Navy, and niece of Major-General JB Magruder, and had issue,

THOMAS JAMES, his heir;
Robert Philip;
Helena Mary; Kathleen Fanny.

Mr Borrowes was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS JAMES BURROWES JP DL (1880-1935), of Stradone House, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1902,  who espoused, in 1920, Blanche Wilson, daughter of Joseph Charles Mappin, and had issue,

Robert Philip (1920-91);
James Edward;
Anne Seward Francis; Susan Honora.

STRADONE HOUSE, near Stradone, County Cavan, was a late Georgian mansion by John Keane, with a two-storey front, and a large return with an extra mezzanine storey.

(Image: Darryl Davey)

The entrance front had five bays, the central bay recessed under a massive arch, beneath a pediment.

The ground-floor windows on either side of the entrance were set in shallow arched recesses.

(Image: Darryl Davey)

The house had an eaved roof on a bracket cornice.

Stradone House was burnt by the IRA in 1921 and subsequently demolished. 

Former London residence ~ 22 Lowndes Street.

First published in August, 2012.

Belfast Steamship Company

Full steam ahead!

I couldn't resist posting the nostalgic advertisement (below) placed the in the 1974 street directory.

We frequently sailed to Liverpool on these ships.

They were very popular in Northern Ireland.

I seem to recall that it took ages for the ferries to negotiate the series of docks at Liverpool!

Do any readers have memories of their voyages in the MV Ulster Prince or MV Ulster Queen?

I believe there was an MV Ulster Monarch, too.

The Belfast Steamship Company was taken over by P&O in 1975.

First published in May, 2010.

Clandeboye House Guest

Clandeboye House (Image: Katybird)

Celia Lyttelton, in a Daily Telegraph article, spent some time with Lindy, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, at her country seat, Clandeboye, County Down.  Lady Dufferin died in 2020. 

CLANDEBOYE, County Down, home to the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, is filled with memorabilia collected by the 1st Marquess, a 19th-century diplomat, and provides a dramatic glimpse into his life.

As you pass between the cannons that flank its gates, Clandeboye seems to rise over the mist on the lake like a Chinese watercolour.

This romantic early-Georgian mansion and its 2,000-acre estate in County Down, Northern Ireland, is home to Lindy, the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, and is sustained by a series of enterprises.

'We are free of foundations and trusts,’ Lady Dufferin says proudly.

Helping to keep the estate self-sufficient is its golf course, the Ava art gallery, a banqueting hall used for weddings, a classical music festival and Clandeboye’s own brand of yogurt, courtesy of the estate’s award-winning herd of Holstein and Jersey cows.

The settlement dates from the 17th century, but the building we see today was built in the early 1800s by Robert Woodgate (formerly an engineer to Sir John Soane), who was commissioned by the politician Sir James Blackwood, 2nd Baron Dufferin and Clandeboye.

Incorporating elements of an earlier building, Woodgate created two wings at right angles to each other.

About 50 years later, it became home to Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, the 5th Baron and 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (Lindy was married to the last Marquess, Sheridan; the title is now extinct).

The great-grandson of the playwright Richard Sheridan, Frederick travelled widely as Governor-General of Canada and then Viceroy of India, and put his own stamp on Clandeboye.

Like many of his generation he was a passionate collector, and the interior at Clandeboye (sometimes known by its original name, Bally­leidy) is a reflection of the countries he served.

The breadth of this passion is evident the moment one enters Clandeboye through its Doric portico.

In the outer hall the walls are decorated with symmetrical displays of weaponry: daggers, pistols and cutlasses presented to the 1st Marquess.

In the pistachio-green Long Gallery there are more surprises.

The grand staircase is flanked by a pair of narwhal tusks and on either side lie two ornate daybeds.

These belonged to King Tibor of Burma.

Frederick bought them when the contents of the palace at Mandalay were auctioned off after he annexed Upper Burma. 

Upstairs the names of the bedrooms recall the many places that he served as a diplomat: France, St Petersburg, Canada, Rome.

France is the most exquisite, decorated in neoclassical gilt motifs copied from a Pompeiian fresco.

The mythological Europa and the bull are pictured on the bed head.

The gilt empire furniture complements the theme.

The house was designed to take maximum advantage of the light: the south-facing corner of the L-shaped layout is made up of 16 bay windows.

Frederick also had a mania for glass roofing and skylights.

The Simla corridor on the upper floor – named after the hill station in India where the British went on holiday – illuminated by oculi, small hemispherical skylights.

'Clandeboye needs constant attention,’ Lady Dufferin, a successful artist who works using her maiden name, Lindy Guinness, says.

On the day I visited, the Rev Ian Paisley was scheduled to come and see a portrait she had painted of him.

'The studio is somewhere I feel safe,’ she says.

Several chiaroscuro black-and-white gouaches in the studio, destined for a show in Paris, are studies of light in the rooms at Clandeboye – a subject she returned to often.

Outside is a walled garden with its thousands of saplings.

It has been planted over the past 25 years by Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland, which has brought Protestant and Catholic communities together to work in tandem.

Deeper in the woods is Helen’s Tower, a turreted folly with views over the rolling parkland, immortalised in Tennyson’s poem of the same name.

Commissioned by Frederick and completed in 1861, it was designed by the Scottish architect William Burn, its name in honour of Dufferin’s mother.

Lady Dufferin and her husband worked tirelessly to restore Clandeboye to its former glory and have created a lasting memorial to Frederick’s unique vision.

It has been a major project, and the work continues.

'This is a real, living estate with no dead hand of institutional discipline,’ she says. 'I look upon Clandeboye as a gift.’

  
First published in November, 2011.

Island Taggart Acquisition

SELECTIVE ACQUISITIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

PROPERTY: Island Taggart, Strangford Lough, County Down

DATE: 1984

EXTENT: 85.38 acres

DONOR: Patrick & Kathleen Mackie

First published in October, 2015.

Blessington House

Arms of the Viscounts Blessington

THE MARQUESSES OF DOWNSHIRE WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WICKLOW, WITH 15,766 ACRES

BLESSINGTON HOUSE, County Wicklow, was one of the largest late 17th century houses in the Kingdom of Ireland. It was built ca 1673 by the Most Rev and Rt Hon Dr Michael Boyle, Lord Archbishop of Armagh and the last ecclesiastical Lord Chancellor of Ireland. This prelate had been granted the Manor of Blessington in 1669 by CHARLES II, and laid out the town.

THE MOST REV MICHAEL BOYLE (c1609-1702), son of the Most Rev Richard Boyle, Lord Archbishop of Tuam, and grandson of Michael Boyle, who was the youngest brother of RICHARD, the first and great Earl of Cork, died at the advanced age of 93, leaving, with other issue, by his first wife Margaret, daughter of the Rt Rev Dr George Synge, Lord Bishop of Cloyne, an only surviving son,

MURROUGH BOYLE (c1645-1718), who had been elevated to the peerage, in 1673, in the dignities of Baron Boyle and VISCOUNT BLESSINGTON, in the County of Wicklow, with limitation to the heirs male of his father.

He wedded firstly, Mary, daughter of the Most Rev Dr John Parker, Lord Archbishop of Dublin, by whom he had an only child, MARY; and secondly, in 1672, Anne, daughter of Charles Coote, 2nd Earl of Mountrath, by whom he had further issue,

CHARLES, his successor;

Alicia; Anne.

His lordship, who was governor of Limerick and constable of Limerick Castle, a privy counsellor in Ireland, one of the commissioners of the Great Seal in that kingdom in 1693, and Lord justice in 1696, died in 1718, and was succeeded by his son,

CHARLES, 2nd Viscount, who married firstly, Rose, daughter of Colonel Richard Coote; and secondly, Martha, eldest daughter of Samuel Matthews, of Bonnettstown, County Kilkenny, but had no surviving issue.

His lordship died in 1732, when his estates devolved upon his only surviving sister, Anne, Viscountess Mountjoy, but the viscountcy of Blessington expired.

The 1st Viscount's eldest daughter, Mary, espoused, in 1684, Sir John Talbot Dillon Bt, by whom they had issue a daughter, Mary, married in 1708 to Captain Dunbar; who dying without issue, in 1778, left his estate to Lord Hillsborough, Lord de Vesci, and Lord Longford, as descendants of Lord Primate Boyle.

BLESSINGTON HOUSE, Blessington, County Wicklow, comprised two storeys with a dormered attic in its high-pitched roof.

The principal front had a five-bay centre recessed between two, three-bay projecting wings joined by a balustraded colonnade.

The house stood at the end of an avenue in an exquisite demesne with a deer-park.

The Blessington estate passed through marriage to the 1st Marquess of Downshire, whose great-grandmother was a daughter of Archbishop Boyle.

In her article about Blessington and the Downshire connection, Kathy Trant tells us that Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire, was a great-grandson of Archbishop Boyle's daughter Eleanor, who had married William Hill of Hillsborough.

Thus began the Downshire association with Blessington, which continued until 1908, when the tenants bought out their holdings under the Wyndham Land Act.

The estate stretched from the Kildare boundary to the uplands of the Wicklow mountains comprised 36 townlands, 31 of which were in County Wicklow and five in County Kildare.

The 2nd Marquess also had residences at Hillsborough Castle, County Down, Hanover Square, London, Gloucester Street, Dublin, Hertford Castle, Hertfordshire,

Blessington House was burnt by insurgents in 1798.

The raids on Blessington continued into September but by then many of the tenants had left the estate.

The town was now in ruins and the surrounding countryside devastated.

When life gradually returned to normal, people began assessing the damage to their property and many submissions were made to the commission established by the Government to consider the claims of those who had suffered losses during the rebellion.

Lord Downshire received over £9,000 for the destruction to his property but he never rebuilt the mansion.

On the Downshire estates, the question now was not whether but when the landlord would sell to the tenants.

This happened on the Blessington estate under the 6th Marquess, who had inherited in 1892, and the sale was completed by 1908.

In reality, the connection between the Downshires and Blessington had virtually ceased four decades earlier upon the death of the 4th Marquess.

The once great dynasties of the Boyles and the Hills, which for so long had dominated the lives of the people of Blessington, quietly came to an end.

Today, the principal reminders of their reign in Blessington are St Mary's Church; the agent's house (until recently, the Downshire Hotel); the Market House (now Credit Union House); the Inn (now the Ulster Bank).

The monument in the square commemorates the coming of age in 1865 of Lord Hillsborough, later 5th Marquess of Downshire.

First published in August, 2012.  Blessington arms courtesy of European Heraldry.   Excerpts of The Blessington Estate And The Downshire Connection, by Kathy Trant.

Wilton Castle

THE ALCOCKS OWNED 1,775 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY WEXFORD

Tradition states that the first of this family came to Ireland with HENRY II, from Surrey, and settled at Downpatrick, County Down; there is, however, no knowledge that any persons of this name inhabited that town.

JOHN ALCOCK, of Downpatrick, County Down, had issue (with three daughters), three sons,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Alexander (Very Rev), Dean of Lismore, 1725-47;
Simon, of Dublin.

The eldest son,

WILLIAM ALCOCK, of Wilton, County Wexford, married, in 1670, Jane, daughter of John Bamber, of Bamber Hall, Lancashire, and had issue,

Richard, dsp;
WILLIAM, his heir;
John;
Mary; Elizabeth; Alice; Jane.

The younger son,

WILLIAM ALCOCK (1705-1779), of Wilton, High Sheriff of County Wexford, 1740, MP for Fethard, 1764-8, Colonel, Waterford Militia, wedded, in 1734, Mary, eldest daughter of Nicholas, Viscount Loftus, and in her descendants co-heir to her brother Henry, Earl of Ely; and had issue,

HENRY, his heir;
William, of Springfield House, County Wexford;
John (Sir), Knight, of Waterford;
Mary; Henrietta.

Colonel Alcock was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY ALCOCK (1735-1812), of Wilton, MP for Waterford City, 1783-97, Fethard, 1797-9, an officer in the 13th Light Dragoons, who espoused firstly, in 1764, Philippa Melosina, daughter of the Rt Rev Richard Chenevix, Lord Bishop of Waterford and Lismore; she died with her infant son, 1765.

He married secondly, in 1766, Elizabeth Catharine, daughter of Beverley Ussher, MP for Waterford for thirty-six years, and had issue,

William Henry, died unmarried;
Ussher, died unmarried;
WILLIAM CONGREVE, died unmarried;
HARRY, succeeded his brother;
Eliza Jane; Mary Anne; Henrietta.

Mr Alcock was succeeded by his third son,

WILLIAM CONGREVE ALCOCK (1771-1812), MP for Waterford, 1801-3, County Wexford, 1807-12, who died unmarried, when Wilton devolved upon his only surviving brother,

HARRY ALCOCK (1792-1840), of Wilton, High Sheriff of County Wexford, 1822, who married, in 1818, Margaret Elinor, daughter and heir of James Savage, of Kilgibbon, County Wexford, a descendant of the old Anglo-Norman family of Savage, of Portaferry, County Down, and had issue,

HARRY, his heir;
Ussher William;
Philip Savage, of Park House, Wexford, father of PHILIP CLAYTON ALCOCK;
George Augustus (Rev);
Elinor Catherine; Henrietta; Elizabeth Louisa; Margaret Charlotte; Sarah.

The eldest son,

HARRY ALCOCK JP DL (1821-93), of Wilton, Honorary Colonel, Wexford Militia, High Sheriff of County Wexford, 1846, died unmarried, leaving his property to his nephew,

PHILIP CLAYTON ALCOCK JP DL (1861-1949), of Wilton, and Overton Lodge, Ludlow, Shropshire, Captain, Gloucester Regiment, High Sheriff of County Wexford, 1900, who wedded, in 1914, Kathleen, daughter of Thomas Robinson, and had issue,

Kathleen Annette; Philippa; Mary Clayton; Margaret Savage.

WILTON CASTLE, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, is a magnificent 19th century mansion built to the designs of the architect Daniel Robertson, of Kilkenny.

It was erected on a moated platform surrounded by parapet walls and sham fortifications.

The house is greatly machiolated and castellated.

The main block comprises three storeys, with a two-storey wing.

The Victorian castle is dominated by a lofty square tower at one end, and a tall polygonal tower and turret at the other.

The porch has an oriel over it.

Wilton Castle was burnt to the ground by the IRA in 1923.

Mr Sean Windsor, whose grandfather was land steward of the estate, purchased it in 2004 and proceeded to restore the two-storey wing and tower.

Wilton Castle is now open to guests.

First published in August, 2018.

Knockdrin Castle

THE LEVINGE BARONETS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WESTMEATH, WITH 5,017 ACRES

The first of this name on record is LEVINGE or Lyfing, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1013, who crowned CANUTE in 1017, and died in 1020; next is LEVINGE or Lyfing, Bishop of Worcester and Crediton in 1046, whose nephew possessed, at the time of the Domesday survey, six lordships in Derbyshire and two in Nottinghamshire.

From him descended

SIR WALTER LEVINGE, a soldier of the Cross, and companion in arms of the lion-hearted RICHARD I.

This Sir Walter bore the arms the family still use; he was ancestor of

THOMAS LEVINGE, of Baddesley Ensor, Warwickshire, living in 1434, great-grandfather of

RICHARD LEVINGE, of Parwich, Derbyshire, who married, in 1653, Anne, daughter of George Parker, of Park Hill, Staffordshire, aunt of Thomas, Earl of Macclesfield, LORD CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND, and was father of

THE RT HON SIR RICHARD LEVINGE (1656-1724), Knight, of Parwich, Recorder of, and MP for Chester, 1690-95, who wedded firstly, in 1680, Mary, daughter and co-heir of Sir Gawen Corbyn, Knight, of London, by whom he had three sons and three daughters; and secondly, in 1723, Mary, daughter of the Hon Robert Johnson, one of the Barons of the Exchequer in Ireland, and by her had one son, Richard, of Calverstown, County Kildare.

Sir Richard Levinge, 1st Baronet (Chester Town Hall)

Sir Richard, MP for Blessington, 1692-3, Longford Borough, 1698-9 and 1703-13, Kilkenny, 1713-14, was created a baronet in 1704, designated of High Park, County Westmeath.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD LEVINGE, 2nd Baronet (c1690-1748), of Parwich, and High Park (Knockdrin Castle), MP for County Westmeath, 1723-7, Blessington, 1727-48, who wedded, in 1718, Isabella, daughter of SIR ARTHUR RAWDON Bt, of Moira, County Down; but dying without issue, in 1748, was succeeded by his brother,

SIR CHARLES LEVINGE, 3rd Baronet (1693-1762), who espoused, in 1722, Anne, daughter and co-heir of Major Samuel Greene MP, of Killaghy Castle, County Tipperary, and was succeeded by his only child,

SIR RICHARD LEVINGE, 4th Baronet (c1723-86), High Sheriff of County Westmeath, 1764, who married firstly, in 1748, Dorothea, daughter and co-heir of William Kennedy MP, of County Longford, and had issue,

CHARLES, his successor;
Richard;
Anne; Dorothea; Frances.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR CHARLES LEVINGE, 5th Baronet (1751-96), High Sheriff of County Westmeath, 1791, who wedded, in 1779, Elizabeth Frances, only daughter of Nicholas Reynell, of Reynella, County Westmeath, and had issue,

RICHARD, his successor;
Charles, Lieutenant-Colonel;
Selina; Caroline; Anne; Frances.

Sir Charles was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD LEVINGE, 6th Baronet (1785-1848), of Knockdrin Castle, High Sheriff of County Westmeath, 1808, who espoused, in 1810, Elizabeth Anne, eldest daughter of Thomas, 1st Baron Rancliffe, and had issue,

RICHARD GEORGE AUGUSTUS, his successor;
George Charles Rawdon;
Reginald Thomas John;
Augustus Frederick;
Charles Vere;
Vere Henry;
William James, father of the 9th Baronet;
Edward Parkyns;
Harry Corbyn, High Sheriff of Co Westmeath, 1886;
Elizabeth Anne; Georgiana Frances Caroline.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD GEORGE AUGUSTUS LEVINGE, 7th Baronet (1811-84), of Knockdrin Castle, High Sheriff of County Westmeath, 1851, MP for County Westmeath, 1857-65, Lieutenant-Colonel, Westmeath Rifles, who married firstly, in 1849, Caroline Jane, daughter of Colonel Lancelot Rolleston; and secondly, in 1870, Margaret Charlotte, daughter of Sir George Campbell; the marriages, however, were without issue, when the baronetcy devolved upon his brother,

SIR VERE HENRY LEVINGE, 8th Baronet (1819-85), of the Madras Civil Service, who died unmarried, when the title reverted to his cousin,

SIR WILLIAM HENRY LEVINGE, 9th Baronet (1849-1900), who wedded, in 1876, Emily Judith, daughter of Sir Richard Sutton Bt, and had issue,

RICHARD WILLIAM, his successor;

Thomas Vere;

Reginald Augustus;

Charles Horace;

Bernard George;

Gerald Henry;

Dorothy Mary Gertrude; Beatrice Maud Cecil.

Sir William was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD WILLIAM LEVINGE, 10th Baronet (1878-1914), DL, High Sheriff of County Westmeath, 1908, who espoused, in 1910, Irene Marguerite, daughter of J H C Pix, and had issue,

RICHARD VERE HENRY, his successor.

Sir Richard, an army officer killed in action during the First World War, was succeeded by his only child,

SIR RICHARD VERE HENRY LEVINGE, 11th Baronet (1911-84), MBE, of Knockdrin Castle, who espoused firstly, in 1935, Barbara Mary, daughter of George Jardine Kidston, and had issue,

RICHARD GEORGE ROBIN, his successor;

Michael James;

Elizabeth Anne; Patricia Mary; Susan Maureen; Mary Irene.

He married secondly, in 1976, Jane Rosemary, daughter of John Thomas Stacy, without further issue.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD GEORGE ROBIN LEVINGE, 12th Baronet (1946-), who married firstly, in 1969, Hilary Jane, daughter of Dr Derek Mark, and has issue,

RICHARD MARK, born in 1970.

Sir Richard wedded secondly, in 1978, Maria Isabella, daughter of daughter of Prince Ferdinando d'Ardia Caracciolo dei Principi di Cursi, and has further issue,

Robin Edward;

Melissa Louise.

KNOCKDRIN CASTLE, near Mullingar, County Westmeath, is an impressive Gothic-Revival mansion of about 1830 by James Shiel.

It was built for Sir Richard Levinge, 6th Baronet, 

The main block comprises two square turrets, joined to a gate-tower by a lower range.

There is an arcaded Gothic central hall; oak carvings; and an Elizabethan-style staircase.

During the 2nd World War the castle was requisitioned for troop accommodation and was occupied by a company of the 6th (Dublin) Infantry of the Irish Army.

The army left in 1945 and handed the castle back to the Levinges.

Sir Richard William Levinge, 10th Baronet, was High Sheriff of County Westmeath, 1908.

The Levinge family owned Knockdrin until 1946, although the 11th Baronet (later a Director of Guinness Ltd) had not been resident there for some time.

In that year the estate was sold to Paddy Dunne-Cullinan, who remained at Knockdrin until 1961, when he in turn sold the estate to Hans and Irene Freiherr von Prondzynski from Germany.

The arable land is now leased out, but the family continues to live in the castle.

Other former seat ~ Parwich Hall, Derbyshire.

1st Earl of Cork

THE EARLS OF CORK AND ORRERY OWNED 20,195 ACRES IN COUNTY CORK

The Ancestors of this illustrious family had, for many generations, their residence in Herefordshire, where

LEWIS BOYLE lived in the reign of HENRY III; the great-grandson of this gentleman was

LEWIS BOYLE, of Bidney, and founder of the friars, in the city of Hereford, living during the reign of HENRY VI.

This gentleman had two sons,

John, who succeeded in Herefordshire;

ROGER, of whose descendants we are to treat.

The younger son,

ROGER BOYLE, married Jane, daughter of Thomas Patishall, and had issue,

ROGER, his heir;

John;

Michael, grandfather of the Most Rev Michael Boyle, Lord Archbishop of Armagh.

The eldest son,

ROGER BOYLE (d 1576), espoused, in 1564, Joan, daughter of Robert Naylor, and had issue,

John (Rt Rev), Lord Bishop of Cork and Cloyne;

RICHARD, of whom hereafter;

Mary.

The younger son,

RICHARD BOYLE (1566-1643), known as the Great Earl of Cork,

Second son of the aforesaid Roger Boyle, by Joan, his wife, daughter of John Naylor, studied law at the Middle Temple; but, despairing of success, embarked for Ireland, as an adventurer, and having obtained, after suffering some persecutions from the local authorities, the favour and protection of ELIZABETH I, amassed considerable wealth, received the honour of knighthood, was sworn of the Privy Council, and elevated to the peerage of that kingdom, in 1616, in the dignity of Baron Boyle, of Youghal.

His lordship was advanced, in 1620, to the dignities of Viscount Dungarvan and EARL OF CORK.

The Rt Hon Sir Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork (Wikipedia)

He married firstly, in 1595, Joan, daughter and co-heiress of William Apsley, of Limerick, without surviving issue; and secondly, Catherine, daughter of Sir Geoffrey Fenton, Knight, principal secretary of state for Ireland, and had issue (with eight daughters),

Roger (1606-15);

RICHARD, his successor;

Geoffrey;

Lewis, created Viscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky;

ROGER, created Earl of Orrery; ancestor of John, 5th Earl of Cork;

Francis, created Viscount Shannon;

Robert.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD, 2nd Earl (1612-98); who, having wedded, in 1635, the Lady Elizabeth Clifford, daughter and heiress of Henry, 5th Earl of Cumberland, was created a Peer of England, 1644, in the dignity of Baron Clifford of Londesborough, Yorkshire; and, in 1664, EARL OF BURLINGTON.

He had issue,

Charles, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan (1639-94); father of the 3rd Earl of Cork;

Richard, died in 1665 at the battle of Lowestoft;

Frances; Elizabeth; Mary; Henrietta.

His lordship's eldest son having predeceased him, was succeeded by his grandson,

CHARLES (c1662-1704), 3rd Earl, and 2nd Earl of Burlington, who espoused Juliana, daughter and heiress of the Hon Henry Noel, of Luffenham, Rutland, by whom he had surviving issue,

RICHARD, his successor;

Elizabeth; Juliana; Jane; Henrietta.

Charles, 3rd Earl of Cork (The National Trust, Hardwick Hall)

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

RICHARD (1694-1753), 4th Earl of Cork and 3rd Earl of Burlington, KG, who married, in 1720, the Lady Dorothy Savile, elder daughter and co-heiress of William, 2nd Marquess of Halifax, by which lady he had three daughters,

Dorothy;

Juliana; 

Charlotte Elizabeth, m William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington.

His lordship claimed, in 1727, the barony of Clifford, as great-grandson of the Lady Elizabeth Clifford, daughter and heiress of Henry, Lord Clifford, and the house of peers acknowledged and confirmed his lordship's right thereto.

This nobleman was eminent as a munificent encourager of literature and the fine arts, and as a friend of Alexander Pope he will always be remembered.

His lordship died in 1753, and leaving an only surviving daughter, Lady Charlotte, who had wedded William, 4th Duke of Devonshire, and inherited the barony of Clifford; all his lordship's other English honours ceased, while those of Ireland devolved upon his kinsman,

JOHN BOYLE (1707-62), 5th Earl of Orrery, in Ireland; Baron Boyle of Marston, in Great Britain; as 5th EARL OF CORK (refer to Roger, third son of the first Earl of Cork).

His lordship wedded firstly, in 1728, the Lady Henrietta Hamilton, youngest daughter of George, 1st Earl of Orkney KT, and had issue,

Charles, Viscount Dungarvan (1729-1759);

HAMILTON, his successor;

Elizabeth.

He espoused secondly, Margaret, daughter and sole heiress of John Hamilton, by whom he had further issue,

EDMUND, 7th Earl of Cork;

Catherine Agnes; Lucy.

His lordship distinguished himself as a writer, and was a friend of SWIFT.

He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

HAMILTON (1729-64), 6th Earl of Cork and Orrery, who died unmarried, in little more than a year after his father, when the honours devolved upon his brother,

EDMUND (1742-98), 7th Earl of Cork and Orrery, who married firstly, in 1764, Anne, daughter of Kelland Courtenay, and had issue,

John Richard, Viscount Dungarvan (1765-8);

EDMUND, of whom hereafter;

Courtenay (the Hon Sir), Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy;

Lucy Isabella.

His lordship espoused secondly, in 1786, Mary, youngest daughter of John, 1st Viscount Galway, without further issue.

He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

EDMUND (1767-1856), 8th Earl of Cork and Orrery, KP, a General in the Army, who married, in 1795, Isabella Henrietta, third daughter of William Poyntz, of Midgam house, Berkshire, and had issue,

Edmund William, Viscount Dungarvan (1798-1826);

George Richard (1799-1810);

CHARLES, of whom presently;

John, ancestor of the 12th and 13th Earls;

Robert Edward;

Richard Cavendish;

Isabella Elizabeth; Lucy Georgina; Louisa.

His lordship's eldest surviving son,

CHARLES (1800-34), styled Viscount Dungarvan, wedded, in 1828, the Lady Catherine St Lawrence, daughter of William, 2nd Earl of Howth, and had issue,

RICHARD EDMUND ST LAWRENCE, his successor;

William George;

Edmund John;

Louisa Caroline Elizabeth; Mary Emily.

His lordship predeceased his father, and the family honours devolved upon his eldest son,

RICHARD EDMUND ST LAWRENCE (1829-1904), as 9th Earl of Cork and Orrery, KP, who married, in 1853, the Lady Elizabeth Charlotte de Burgh, daughter of Ulick John, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde, and had issue,

CHARLES SPENCER CANNING, his successor;

ROBERT JOHN LASCELLES, 11th Earl;

Emily Harriet Catherine; Grace Elizabeth; Isabel Lettice Theodosia; Honora Janet; Dorothy Blanche.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

CHARLES SPENCER CANNING (1861-1925), 10th Earl, who wedded, in 1918, Mrs Rosalie Gray, daughter of William Waterman de Villiers, of Romsey, Hampshire, though the marriage was without issue, when the family honours devolved upon the 10th Earl's brother,

ROBERT JOHN LASCELLES (1864-1934), 11th Earl, who espoused, in 1890, Josephine Catherine, daughter of Jospeh P Hale; the marriage, however, was without issue, and the titles reverted to his lordship's cousin,

WILLIAM HENRY DUDLEY, 12th Earl (1873-1967), GCB, GCVO, Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy, who married, in 1902, the Lady Florence Keppel, youngest daughter of William, 7th Earl of Albemarle, though the marriage was without issue, when the honours reverted to his cousin,

REGINALD PATRICK, 13th Earl (1910-95), who married firstly, in 1952, Dorothy Kate, daughter of Robert Ramsden; and secondly, in 1978, Mary Gabrielle, daughter of Louis Ginnette.

The marriages were without issue, when the titles devolved upon the 13th Earl's brother,

JOHN WILLIAM, 14th Earl (1916-2003), DSC, VRD, Lieutenant-Commander, RNVR, who married, in 1943, Mary Leslie, daughter of General Sir Robert Gordon Finlayson KCB, CMG, DSO, and had issue,

JOHN RICHARD, his successor;

Robert William;

Charles Reginald.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN RICHARD, 15th Earl (1945-), who married, in 1973, Rebecca Juliet, daughter of Michael, Lord Glenkinglas, and has issue,

RORY JONATHAN COURTENAY, styled Viscount Dungarvan;

Cara Mary Cecilia; Davina Claire Theresa.

The family also owned 11,531 acres in County Kerry, 3,398 in Somerset, and 3,189 in County Limerick.

McCutcheon's Field Acquisition

SELECTIVE ACQUISITIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

PROPERTY: McCutcheon's Field, near Groomsport, County Down

DATE:  2000

EXTENT: 9.17 acres

DONOR:  North Down Borough Council

First published in July, 2015.

Tourin House

THE MUSGRAVE BARONETS, OF TOURIN, WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WATERFORD, WITH 8,282 ACRES

This is a junior branch of the ancient family of MUSGRAVE, of Great Musgrave, Westmorland, springing more immediately from

RICHARD MUSGRAVE, of Wortley, Yorkshire, who settled in Ireland, and wedded Jane Proctor, and had two sons,

Richard;
CHRISTOPHER, of whom we treat.

The younger son,

CHRISTOPHER MUSGRAVE, settled at Tourin, County Waterford, and marrying Susannah, daughter of James Usher, of Ballintaylor, was succeeded at his decease by his eldest son,

RICHARD MUSGRAVE (1757-1818), who was created a baronet in 1782, designated of Tourin, with remainder to the issue male of his father.

Sir Richard wedded, in the same year, Deborah, daughter of Sir Henry Cavendish Bt, by his wife Sarah, Baroness Waterpark, of Doveridge, Derbyshire, by whom he had no issue.

Sir Richard, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1786, Collector of Excise in the port of Dublin, was known as a political writer, particularly by his history of the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

He died in 1818, when the title, according to the limitation, devolved upon his brother,

SIR CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK MUSGRAVE, 2nd Baronet (1738-1826), who espoused, in 1781, Jane, daughter of John Beere, of Ballyboy, County Tipperary, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;
John;
Anne.

Sir Christopher wedded secondly, in 1797, Elizabeth, daughter of William Nicholson, of Wilmer, County Tipperary, who died issueless in 1798; and thirdly, in 1801, Catherine, daughter of Pierce Power, of Affane, County Waterford, and had a son,

Christopher Frederick, born in 1802.

Sir Christopher was succeeded by his eldest son, 

SIR RICHARD MUSGRAVE MP, 3rd Baronet (1790-1859), High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1820, who married, in 1815, Frances, daughter of the Most Rev William Newcome, Lord Archbishop of Armagh, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;
Christopher;
John;
Robert;
Edward.

His eldest son, 

SIR RICHARD MUSGRAVE, 4th Baronet (1820-74), High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1851, was Lord-Lieutenant of County Waterford from March until July, 1874.

SIR RICHARD JOHN MUSGRAVE, 5th Baronet, JP DL (1850-1930), High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1880, married, in 1891, Jessie Sophia, daughter of Robert Dunsmuir.

Sir Richard died without male issue.

His elder daughter, Joan Moira Maud Jameson (née Musgrave) inherited the Tourin estate and her descendants live at Tourin today.

His cousin,

SIR CHRISTOPHER NORMAN MUSGRAVE, 6th Baronet, OBE (1892-1956), of NORWOOD TOWER, Strandtown, Belfast, Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Engineers, Chief Commissioner of Scouts, Northern Ireland, wedded, in 1918, Kathleen, daughter of Robert Spencer Chapman, and had issue,

RICHARD JAMES, his successor;
Christopher Michael (1923-44), killed in action;
John Anthony Newcome (1926-29);
Elizabeth Anne.

Sir Christopher inherited Norwood Tower in 1934.

Norwood Tower, Strandtown, Belfast

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD JAMES MUSGRAVE, 7th Baronet (1922-2000), Captain, Indian Army, who married, in 1958, Maria, daughter of Colonel Mario Cambanis, of Athens, Greece, and had issue,

CHRISTOPHER JOHN SHANE;
Michael Shane;
Olivia Mirabel; Anastasia Maria; Charlotte Elizabeth; Alexandra Victoria.

His son and heir,

SIR CHRISTOPHER JOHN SHANE MUSGRAVE, 8th and present Baronet, was born in 1959.

The heir presumptive of the baronetcy is Michael Shane Musgrave (b 1968), younger brother of the present Baronet.

THE SIX GOLDEN ANNULETS

From Mucegros, near Écouen, France: This name, so largely represented in England, is repeated further on in its modernized form of Musgrave; and the heralds, ignoring its origin, labour to affiliate it to the German graf.

They declare that, like Land-grave, Burg-grave, Mar-grave, &c, it is "a name of office:" and as Mews in old days meant the cage or place where hawks were kept while mewing (moulting), and in after times came to signify a stable, boldly announce that "Musgrave or Mewsgrave is clearly either the keeper of the King's hawks or the King's equerry."

In support of this etymological vagary, they tell us that once upon a time an Emperor of Germany or Archduke of Austria (we will accept either) had a beautiful daughter who was courted by two valiant nobles.

Each of them had done him such "singular good service that he did not care to prefer one to the other."

At last it was agreed that they should ride at the ring for the princess; and whichever succeeded in carrying it off should marry her.

Musgrave triumphantly drove his spear through the ring, became the Emperor's son-in-law, and in memory of his exploit, had the six golden annulets now borne by the Musgraves of Westmorland granted him for his coat-of-arms.

TOURIN HOUSE, near Cappoquin, County Waterford, was owned by the Roche family in the 17th century, passed to a family called Nettles and was purchased by Sir Richard Musgrave, 1st Baronet, MP for Lismore and sheriff of County Waterford, in 1778.

The family lived in a 17th century E-shaped dwelling with gables and tall chimneys, attached to the mediaeval tower of Tourin Castle, until the 3rd Baronet decided to build a new house on a more elevated site above the River Blackwater.

Built in 1840, the new Tourin House is a handsome Italianate villa in what would then have been the very latest style, possibly to the designs of the Waterford architect Abraham Denny.

There are four formal fronts, all rendered and with beautifully crisply cut stone details.

These include an elaborate cornice, which supports the overhanging eaves, and a profusion of quoins and stringcourses.

The five-bay façade has a pair of projecting porches at both ends, both single storey and framed with limestone pilasters, which in turn flank an arcade of three round-headed windows.

The remaining fronts are mainly of four bays, though the ground floor of the rear facade is of five bays, with a delicate, bowed, iron verandah; while the garden front has a more robust single storey central bow.

Internally, Tourin is largely unaltered, with a splendid bifurcating imperial staircase of oak, which arises behind the hall.

The elder daughter of the 5th baronet inherited Tourin.

She married Thomas Jameson, and their granddaughters live in the house today.

THE GARDENS were laid out at the beginning of the 20th century by Richard Musgrave, with the help of his friend, the Cork brewer Richard Beamish.

The fine collection of rhododendrons, camellias, and magnolias are the creation of his grandson and his wife (the present owners' parents); while a number of mature oak and cedar trees, and a champion London plane, remain from the earlier garden and parkland layout.

The walled garden produces fruit, vegetables, herbs and cut flowers, and is home to an important collection of over a hundred bearded irises, which flower in May and June.

First published in May, 2013.

Dundrum House

THE VISCOUNTS HAWARDEN WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY TIPPERARY, WITH 15,272 ACRES

The family of MAUDE deduces its descent from EUSTACE DE MONTE ALTO (c1045-1112), styled The Norman Hunter, who came to the assistance of Hugh Lupus, 1st Earl of Chester, at the period of the Conquest; and having participated in the glory of that great event, shared in the spoil, and obtained, amongst other considerable grants, the castle, lordship, and manor of Hawarden, Flintshire.

This Eustace was succeeded by his eldest son,

HUGH DE MONTE ALTO, the second baron under Hugh Lupus, who gave a large portion of his possessions to the monks.

He was succeeded by his brother,

ROGER DE MONTE ALTO, 3rd Baron, to whom succeeded his son,

RALPH DE MONTALT, 4th Baron, sewer to Ranulf, 6th Earl of Chester, who had two sons and a daughter, viz.

ROBERT, his heir;
Simon;
Beatrix.

The elder son,

ROBERT DE MONTALT, first Baron by tenure, erected, during the reign of HENRY II, Mold Castle, in Flintshire.

This Robert, who was Steward of the Palatine of Chester, espoused Emma, daughter of Sir Robert Delaval, and had issue,

ROBERT, 2nd Baron by tenure;
Ralph;
John;
Matthew;
Simon;
William, in holy orders;
Roger;
ANDOMAR.

The lineal descendant of this gentleman,

CHRISTOPHER MAUDE, of Holling Hall and Woodhouse, patron of Ilkley, 1554, had issue,

THOMAS, his heir;
John, of Stainland;
Isabel.

The elder son,

THOMAS MAUDE, of West Riddlesden, died in 1633.

His grandson,

ROBERT MAUDE, of West Riddlesden and Ripon, Yorkshire, patron of Ilkley, 1640, disposed of his English estates, and purchased others in counties Kilkenny and Tipperary, whither he removed.

He died in 1685, and was succeeded by his only son,

ANTHONY MAUDE (1638-1702), of Dundrum, High Sheriff of County Tipperary, 1686, MP for Cashel, 1695-9, who was succeeded by his only son and successor,

ROBERT MAUDE (1677-1750), MP for Gowran, 1703-13, St Canice, 1713-14, Bangor, 1727-50, who was created a baronet in 1705, designated of Dundrum, County Tipperary.

Sir Robert wedded Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Francis Cornwallis, of Abermarles, Carmarthenshire, by whom he had several children.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON SIR THOMAS MAUDE, 2nd Baronet (1727-77), MP for Tipperary, 1761-76, High Sheriff of County Tipperary, 1765, Privy Counsellor, 1768, who was elevated to the peerage, in 1776, in the dignity of BARON DE MONTALT, of Hawarden; but dying without issue, the barony ceased, while the baronetcy devolved upon his brother,

SIR CORNWALLIS MAUDE (1729-1803), who represented the borough of Roscommon in parliament, and was elevated to the peerage, in 1793, in the dignity of VISCOUNT HAWARDEN.

His lordship married firstly, in 1756, Letitia, daughter of Thomas Vernon, of Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire, by whom he had one daughter, Elizabeth Letitia; and secondly, in 1766, Mary, daughter of Philip Allen, and niece of Ralph Allen, of Prior Park, Somerset, by whom he had further issue,

THOMAS RALPH, his successor;
Sophia Maria; Emma.

His lordship wedded thirdly, Anne Isabella, daughter of Thomas Monck, barrister, and niece of the Viscount Monck, by whom he had further issue,

CORNWALLIS, of whom hereafter;
Robert William Henry, Dean of Clogher, Archdeacon of Dublin;
James Ashley (Sir), Captain RN; KCH, CB;
John Charles, in holy orders;
Francis, Commander RN; CB;
Isabella Elizabeth; Georgiana; Alicia; Charlotte; Mary Anne; Emily; Catherine.

His lordship died in 1803, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS RALPH, 2nd Viscount (1767-1807), who espoused the Lady Frances Anne Agar, only daughter of His Grace Charles, Earl of Normanton, Lord Archbishop of Dublin; but dying without issue, the honours devolved upon his half-brother,

CORNWALLIS, 3rd Viscount (1780-1856).

*****

CORNWALLIS [MAUDE] (1817-1905), 4th Viscount,

Captain, 2nd Life Guards, 1849-53; a Representative Peer for Ireland (Conservative), 1862-1905; Lord in Waiting, 1866-68, 1874-80 and 1885-86; Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, 1882; Lord-Lieutenant of Tipperary, 1885-1905.

His lordship was advanced to the dignity of an earldom, in 1886, as EARL DE MONTALT.

Lord de Montalt was the last of the family to live at Dundrum House.

On Lord de Montalt's death, the earldom became extinct.

The other titles, however, devolved upon his cousin, Robert Henry [Maude], 5th Viscount.

The 9th and present Viscount lives in Kent.

DUNDRUM HOUSE, near Cashel, County Tipperary, was built about 1730, the nucleus of a fine estate once owned by the the O'Dwyers of Kilnamanagh.

The O'Dwyer estate was subsequently confiscated and Robert Maude was given all of the O'Dwyer land, including the O'Dwyer manor and castle of Dundrum.

This is a Palladian mansion, comprising a centre block of two storeys over a high basement, joined by short links to flanking pavilions.

The entrance front has seven bays, with a three-bay, pedimented breakfront.

There is an impressive, double-pedimented stable block at right-angles to the entrance front.

An additional storey, treated as an attic above the cornice, was added to the main block about 1890 by the 4th Viscount Hawarden (later 1st and last Earl de Montalt).

In 1909, when Dundrum House demesne was for sale, it was acquired by a religious order, who later established a Domestic Science College.

Until recently the mansion house was used as a retreat.

Having been acquired by Austin and Mary Crowe in 1978, with extensive renovation and restoration, Dundrum House was opened as a hotel in 1981.

First published in November, 2012.