Castle Crine

THE BUTLERS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY CLARE, WITH 11,389 ACRES

This family is said to descend from the noble house of BUTLER, VISCOUNTS MOUNTGARRET.

WILLIAM BUTLER, of Rossroe Castle, County Clare, serving as High Sheriff of that county in 1712, left a daughter, Anne, wife of St John Bridgeman (of Woodfield), and two sons, viz.

HENRY, of Rossroe Castle;
THOMAS, of Castle Crine.

The second son,

THOMAS BUTLER, of Castle Crine, was father of 

WILLIAM BUTLER, of Castle Crine, who succeeded to the landed property of his cousin, Henry Butler, of O’Brien’s Castle, in 1791.

He wedded Anne D'Alton and had issue, a son,

JAMES BUTLER, of Castle Crine, who espoused Mary, daughter of Robert Ievers, of Mount Ievers, County Clare; and dying ca 1821, leaving issue.

The eldest son,

HENRY BUTLER JP DL, of Castle Crine, married Anna, daughter of Charles Dawson, of Charlesfort, County Wexford, and died in 1852 (buried at Bunratty), leaving,

JAMES, his heir;
Charles Eyre, 69th Regiment;
Henry, 90th Regiment;
William Dawson;
Deborah.

The eldest son,

JAMES BUTLER JP DL, of Castle Crine, High Sheriff of County Clare, 1851, wedded, in 1852, Sophia, daughter of Major Irvine, and by her (who married secondly, Major Graham), he left at his decease, in 1857, three daughters, of Castle Crine, his co-heiresses,

ANNA FRANCES;
SOPHIA MARY;
HENRIETTA JEMIMA.

The second daughter,

Sophia Mary Butler, married the 5th Lord Clarina, though had no male issue, and on the marriage of her eldest daughter, the Hon Sophia (Zoë) Butler-Massey to the Hon Eric Henderson, the Castle Crine estate was settled upon her, subject to the life interests of her mother and aunts.

Following the decease of Miss Anna Frances Butler in 1938, the last survivor, Mrs Butler-Henderson (who with her husband assumed the surname of BUTLER in addition to that of HENDERSON) succeeded to Castle Crine estate.

Her daughter, Mrs Wordsworth, resided there until 1951, when the estate was sold. 

CASTLE CRINE, near Sixmilebridge, County Clare, was a castellated late-Georgian house, comprising a two-storey block with two curved bows beside each other at one end; one with pointed Gothic windows and a three-storey tower.

Little battlements; corbelled turret on tower.

Castle Crine was demolished in 1955.

First published in November, 2012.

New DL

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LIEUTENANT

Mr Gawn Rowan-Hamilton, Lord-Lieutenant of County Down, has been pleased to appoint:-

Colonel John William Rollins MBE

Crawfordsburn, 

County Down

To be a Deputy Lieutenant of the County his Commission bearing date the 23rd day of May 2022


Signed: Gawn Rowan-Hamilton

Lord-Lieutenant of the County

Bailieborough Castle

THE YOUNG BARONETS, OF BAILIEBOROUGH, WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY CAVAN, WITH 8,924 ACRES

JOHN YOUNG (1497-1583), Burgess of Edinburgh, 1541, married Margaret Scrymgeour, the celebrated scholar, of the ancient and noble family of Scrymgoeur, and sister of Henry Scrymgeour, the celebrated scholar, professor of philosophy, and of civil law, at Geneva.

Their father was Scrymgeour of Glasswell, the descendant of an immediate branch of the Scrymgeours of Dudhope, who were created hereditary standard bearers of the Kings of Scotland, in 1057, by ALEXANDER I, and became afterwards Earls of Dundee. John Young died at Dundee, aged 86; his wife died some years previously. There appears to have been a family of that name settled in Forfarshire in the 14th century.

John Young had four sons and two daughters, viz.

John, Rector of Dysart;
PETER, of whom presently;
Alexander;
Henry;
Isabella; Johanna.

The second son,

SIR PETER YOUNG (1544-1528), was born at Dundee.

In 1569, he was appointed assistant tutor, with George Buchanan, to JAMES VI.

He appears to have attracted the notice of WILLIAM CECIL early, as we find both him and Buchanan pensioners of ELIZABETH I.

In 1598, he was appointed one of the commissioners for visiting the universities of St Andrew's, Aberdeen, and Glasgow.

In 1586, he was sent ambassador to Denmark.

Sir Peter married, in 1577, Elizabeth, daughter of John Gibb, a Gentleman of the King's Bedchamber, and had issue,

JAMES, his heir;
Henry;
Peter;
Robert;
Patrick;
John;
Michael;
Maria; Margaret; Frederica; Johanna; Anna.

His wife died in 1595, and he wedded secondly, Dame Joanna Murray, widow of Lord Torpichen.

This lady died six months after their marriage.

Sir Peter espoused thirdly, about 1600, Margery Nairne, daughter of Nairne of Sandford, Fife, by which marriage he had four daughters.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

JAMES, afterwards SIR JAMES YOUNG, Knight, who married firstly, Isabella, daughter of Arbuthnot of Findownie, and had issue,

Charles;
PETER.

He wedded secondly, Jane Steward, by whom he had one daughter, ANNE.

Sir James was one of the Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to the King, and had a grant of 1,000 acres of land given him in County Longford.

He was succeeded by his second son,

PETER YOUNG, who was succeeded to the estate of his uncle, the Dean of Winchester.

He espoused Isabel, daughter of Ochterloney of Pittenweem, and had issue,

ROBERT, his heir;
Margaret; another daughter.

In 1620, Robert Young and his father, Peter Young, conjointly, sold the Easter Seaton Estate and other lands, and purchased part of the estates of Auldbar from Sir James Sinclair, completing the purchase in 1678.

Robert married Anne Graham, daughter of Sir William Graham, and sister of the celebrated Viscount Dundee, and had issue,

David;
Anne.

A younger son of David Young was living in Aberdeen in 1758.

Nothing more is known of this branch.

Alexander Young, Bishop of Edinburgh, translated to Ross, was one of the Seaton family: he died in 1644, a prelate of distinguished learning and piety.

John Young, also of this family, was elected Bishop of Argyll in 1661, but died before he was consecrated.

Of Sir Peter Young's younger sons, the third, Peter, was attached to the train of Lord Spencer; sent on a special mission, in 1628, to invest Gustavus Adolphus with the Order of the Garter, and was knighted by that monarch, who also granted him permission to quarter  the arms of Sweden with his own proper arms.

He was gentleman usher to CHARLES I, and died unmarried in 1661.

Patrick, the fifth son, was Librarian to JAMES I and CHARLES I, Rector of Hayes, Middlesex, and Lannerage, Denbighshire, and prebendary and treasurer of St Paul's.

John Young (1585-1654), the sixth son, after completing his education, entered the Church, and was afterwards Dean of Winchester.

Some of the descendants of this family settled in Ulster; and of these, the ancestor of the Young Baronets was

THE REV JOHN YOUNG, Rector of Urney, County Tyrone, a clergyman of the established church.

His mother, Isabella, was a sister of Sir Peter Young, of Easter Seaton, who married a kinsman and namesake.

In the reign of JAMES I, this Rev John Young wedded, in Scotland, Elspa Douglas, and went to Ulster, where they settled.

After some time, he obtained church preferment, and also considerable landed property, through the lady's father, by an exchange of lands in the counties of Donegal and Londonderry with Lord Abercorn, for an equivalent in Scotland, as a settlement on his daughter and her family.

Part of these lands were in the possession of Richard Young, of Coolkeeragh, near Eglinton, their lineal descendant.

The Rev John Young had a numerous family.

His eldest son,

JAMES YOUNG, resided in County Donegal, where he married and had several children, of whom nine were sons.

Being a man of good fortune, much attached to the protestant cause, he was not only an active partisan at the siege of Londonderry, but was enabled frequently to send aid to the besieged during their arduous struggle.

He was, in consequence, one of the citizens of Londonderry attainted by JAMES II.

JOHN YOUNG, of Coolkeeragh, the great-grandson of this James Young, wedded Catherine Knox, granddaughter of the Rt Rev Andrew Knox, the second Lord Bishop of Raphoe after the Reformation, who died in that see in 1633.

By this marriage, LOUGH ESKE estate, County Donegal, came into the possession of Thomas, a younger son of John Young, to whom, while in infancy, it was willed by his uncle, Thomas Knox. This

THOMAS YOUNG, of Lough Eske, espoused, in 1740-41, Rebecca, daughter of Oliver Singleton, of Fort Singleton, County Monaghan, by Miss Anketel, of Anketel Grove, County Monaghan, and had issue (with four daughters),

Thomas;
JOHN, of whom presently;
William.

The second son,

THE REV JOHN YOUNG, of Eden, County Armagh, married, in 1766, Anne, daughter of John McClintock, of Trinta, County Donegal, and had issue,

Thomas, drowned at sea;
WILLIAM, of whom hereafter;
John (Rev), Rector of Killeeshil;
Alexander, an officer in the Royal Navy;
Susanna Maria; Rebecca; Anketell; Catherine.

The Rev John Young was succeeded by his second son,

WILLIAM YOUNG, who wedded, in 1806, Lucy, youngest daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Frederick, eldest son of Sir Charles Frederick KB, younger brother of Sir John Frederick, 4th Baronet, of Burwood Park, Surrey, and had issue,

JOHN;
Thomas;
Charles;
William;
Helenus Edward;
Anna; Lucy; Augusta Maria.

Mr Young, a director in the East India Company, was created a baronet in 1821, designated of Bailieborough, County Cavan.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON SIR JOHN YOUNG, 2nd Baronet (1807-76), GCB, GCMG, Governor-General of Canada, Governor of New South Wales, Chief Secretary for Ireland, who was elevated to the peerage, in 1870, in the dignity of BARON LISGAR, of Lisgar and Bailieborough, County Cavan.

He espoused, in 1835, Adelaide Annabella, daughter of Edward Tuite Dalton, of Fermor, County Meath, daughter of the 2nd Marchioness of Headfort, by her first husband, Edward Tuite Dalton.

His lordship died in 1876, when the peerage became extinct, and he was succeeded in the baronetcy by his nephew, William Muston Need Young (1847-1934), an official in the Indian telegraph department.

Lady Lisgar subsequently married her late husband’s former private secretary, Sir Francis Charles Fortescue Turville KCMG, of Bosworth Hall, Leicestershire.

BAILIEBOROUGH CASTLE, Bailieborough, County Cavan, was located in a fine demesne, and occupied the site of an ancient fortress, once described as a vaulted castle with a bawn and two flanking towers.

The mansion was an irregular two-storey Victorian house with a gabled, buttressed Gothic porch.

About 1895, most of the estate was sold off under the Ashboune Act; while the house was sold to Sir Stanley Herbert Cochrane Bt. 

In 1918 the house was gutted by fire.

It was partially rebuilt by the Marist Brothers in 1920, though sold for demolition in 1923.

The brothers lived in a rebuilt section until 1936, when they decided to sell the house to the Irish department of Lands.

The house was demolished soon afterwards.

First published in November, 2012.

Wodehouse Knighthood

A fellow National Trust volunteer of mine contacted me in 2020, cognizant of my esteem for Jeeves, Bertie Wooster, and their creator, Sir P G Wodehouse, KBE.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Robin sent me a cutting from The Times newspaper concerning the death of the Lord Armstrong of Ilminster, GCB, CVO, a very distinguished civil servant who served as Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to two Prime Ministers, viz. Harold Wilson and Edward Heath.

Lord Armstrong was also the Cabinet Secretary, from 1979 until 1987, during which period Margaret Thatcher served as Prime Minister.

While Wodehouse was in hospital in 1974, Armstrong, PPS to Harold Wilson at the time, persuaded the Prime Minister to 'fast-track' a knighthood for him.

Insignia: Knight Commander of the
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

In this case the honour was Knight Commander of the British Empire ~ KBE.

So in the New Year Honours List of 1975, P G Wodehouse was appointed KBE, a mere six weeks before his death.

First published in April, 2020.

Killruddery House

THE EARLS OF MEATH WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WICKLOW, WITH 14,717 ACRES

The ancestor of this family, which assumed its surname from Brabazon Castle, in Normandy, JACQUES LE BRABANCON, called the Great Warrior, appears in the roll of Battle Abbey. He was father of

JOHN LE BRABANCON, who resided at Betchworth, in Surrey, during the reign of HENRY I and HENRY II, and from him we pass to his descendant,

JOHN LE BRABAZON, who was a great commander in the martial times of EDWARD III, and a general under the BLACK PRINCE.

He resided at Moseley and Eastwell, in Leicestershire.

His grandson, 

JOHN BRABAZON, of Eastwell, fell at Bosworth Field, 1485, leaving by his wife, Matilda, daughter and heir of Nicholas Jervis, of Hardby, in Leicestershire, five sons; of whom the third son,

JOHN BRABAZON, carried on the line of the family, and wedded a lady named Chaworth, and was succeeded by his only son,

SIR WILLIAM BRABAZON, Knight, who was appointed, in 1534, vice-treasurer and general-receiver of Ireland, and remained in office until his death, at Carrickfergus, County Antrim, 1552.

Sir William was placed thrice at the head of the Irish government, as Lord Justice, in 1543 (when upon alteration of the King's style, from Lord to King of Ireland, new seals were transmitted to him for the use of the Chancery etc) in 1546, and 1550.

He espoused Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of Nicholas Clifford, of Bobbing and Holm, in Kent, and had issue,

EDWARD, his successor;

Anthony;

Anne; Elizabeth.

Sir William was succeeded by his elder son, 

THE RT HON SIR EDWARD BRABAZON (c1549-1625), MP for County Wicklow, 1585, High Sheriff of Staffordshire, 1606, who was elevated to the peerage, in 1616, in the dignity of Baron Ardee.

His lordship wedded Mary, daughter of Sir Thomas Smith, Knight, of Mitcham, Surrey, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Wallop, of Eaton, Herts;
Anthony (Sir), father of WILLIAM.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son, 

WILLIAM, 2nd Baron (c1580-1651), KB, who was created, in 1627, EARL OF MEATH, with remainder, in default of direct male issue, to his brother, Sir Anthony Brabazon, and his male heirs.

His lordship married, in 1607, Jane, eldest daughter of the Rt Hon Sir John Bingley, Knight, and was succeeded by his only son,

EDWARD, 2nd Earl (1610-75), who wedded, in 1632, Mary, younger daughter of Calcott Chambré, of Denbigh, in Wales, and of Carnowe, County Wicklow, by whom he had four sons, three of whom inherited the peerage, and the fourth died young; and two daughters.

His lordship being unfortunately drowned in his passage between Holyhead and Beaumaris, 1675, was succeeded by his eldest son,

WILLIAM, 3rd Earl (1635-85), who wedded Elizabeth, second daughter of Francis, 14th Lord Dacre, and had issue,

Edward, died young;
Elizabeth; Catherine.

His lordship was succeeded by his brother,

EDWARD, 4th Earl (1638-1707), Ranger of Phœnix Park, Dublin.

This nobleman had the command of a regiment at the battle of the Boyne, and was wounded in the subsequent attack against Limerick.

He married twice; but dying sp in 1707, was succeeded by his brother,

CHAMBRÉ, 5th Earl (1645-1715), MP for County Dublin, 1692-3, who espoused Juliana, only daughter and heir of Patrick, 3rd Viscount Chaworth, and had issue,

CHAWORTH, his successor;
EDWARD, succeeded his brother;
Juliana; Mary; Catharine; Frances.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

CHAWORTH, 6th Earl (1686-1763), MP for County Dublin, 1713-14, who wedded, in 1731, Juliana, daughter of Sir Thomas Prendergast Bt; but died issueless, when he was succeeded by his only brother,

EDWARD, 7th Earl (1691-1772),  MP for County Dublin, 1715-27-60, who espoused Martha, daughter of the Rev William Collins, of Warwick, and had issue,

ANTHONY, his successor;
William, of Tara House.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

ANTHONY, 8th Earl (1721-90),  MP for County Wicklow, 1745-60, County Dublin, 1761-8-72, who married, in 1758, Grace, daughter of John Leigh, of Rosegarland, County Wexford, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;
JOHN CHAMBRÉ, successor to his brother;
Mary; Martha; Juliana; Cecilia; Catherine; Arabella Barbara.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

WILLIAM, 9th Earl (1769-97), MP for County Dublin, 1789-90, who fell in a duel, and dying unmarried, was succeeded by his brother,

JOHN CHAMBRÉ, 10th Earl.

• Edward Brabazon, 7th Earl (1691–1772);
• Anthony Brabazon, 8th Earl (1721–90);
• William Brabazon, 9th Earl (1769–97);
• John Chambre Brabazon, 10th Earl (1772–1851);
• William Brabazon, 11th Earl (1803–87);
• Reginald Brabazon, 12th Earl (1841–1929);
• Reginald Le Normand Brabazon, 13th Earl (1869–1949);
• Anthony Windham Normand Brabazon, 14th Earl (1910–98);
• John Anthony Brabazon, 15th Earl (b 1941).

The heir apparent is the present holder's only son, Anthony Jacques Brabazon, styled Lord Ardee (b 1977).

The 13th Earl was the last Lord-Lieutenant of County Dublin, from 1898 until 1922.

John Anthony (Jack), the 15th and present Earl, lives with his family at Killruddery.

 12th Earl of Meath KP

The Brabazons, Earls of Meath, are a Patrick family; that is to say, several earls were appointed to the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick.

KILLRUDDERY HOUSE, near Bray, County Wicklow, has been described by Mark Bence-Jones as the most successful Elizabethan-Revival house in Ireland.

It used to be known as Killrudddery Castle.

Killruddery was built in 1820 for the 10th Earl of Meath to the designs of Sir Richard Morrison, incorporating a 17th century house, with 18th century additions.

There are three principal fronts, with pointed, curvilinear gables, oriels and pinnacles.

The entrance front has a central, polygonal, battlemented tower; and a forecourt with wrought-iron gates.

The garden front is irregular, with a notable domed conservatory at one end, added in 1852; now the Orangery.

The entrance hall has a segmental-pointed, plaster barrel-vaulted ceiling; a straight flight of oak stairs leading to principal rooms.

The Great Hall is forty feet in height, with arches opening into the corridor at the upper storey.

Its ceiling boasts carved beams and braces carried on corbels decorated with the Meath falcon.

In the early 1950s, when the house was found to have become infested with dry-rot, Lord Meath reduced it in size by demolishing the entrance front and the entire adjoining front, with the exception of one gabled projection.

A new, simplified entrance front was subsequently constructed.

The Killruddery estate, which now extends to 800 acres, is owned and farmed by the 15th Earl and Countess.

In 2000, Lord Meath sold his 4,100 acre sporting estate at Rathdrum for £10 million.

Other former seat ~ Eaton Court, Herefordshire.

First published in November, 2012; revised in 2014.   Meath arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

Tintern Abbey

THE COLCLOUGHS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WEXFORD, WITH 13,329 ACRES

The ancient descent of COLCLOUGH (pronounced Coke-lee) is very fully set forth in the Visitation of Staffordshire, 1583; Visitation, County Wexford, 1618; Visitation, City of London, 1634; and the registries in Ulster King-of-arms' office, Dublin Castle.

The Visitation of Staffordshire commences with

RICHARD COLCLOUGH, of Blurton, Staffordshire, 1367, who was father of

HUGH, his heir;
William;
Richard.

The eldest son, 

HUGH COLCLOUGH, granted Blurton and Cockenidge to his son during the reign of EDWARD III; namely, 

RICHARD COLCLOUGH, living in the reign of HENRY V, who married Elizabeth, daughter of John Delves.

JOHN COLCLOUGH, whose relationship to the above is not given, had a son and heir, 

THOMAS COLCLOUGH, living during the time of HENRY VI, who was father of


RICHARD COLCLOUGH, Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme in the reign of EDWARD IV, who wedded Blanche, daughter of William Davenport, of Davenport, Cheshire, and had a son,

JOHN COLCLOUGH, of Blurton, who espoused Agnes, daughter and heir of Mr Lockwood, and left two sons, namely,

RICHARD, his heir;
Thomas, who had Delfe House, alias High Haugh, gifted by his father.

The elder son,

RICHARD COLCLOUGH, of Woolstanton, Staffordshire, wedded Eleanor, daughter of Sir John Draycot, knight, of Painsley Hall, and had issue,

ANTHONY, his heir;
John;
Matthew;
Richard.

The eldest son,

ANTHONY COLCLOUGH, of Blurton, Staffordshire, in 1566, Captain of the Band of Pensioners to ELIZABETH I, was granted the abbey and lands of Tintern, County Wexford.

This gentleman first arrived in Ireland, 1542, and was knighted by the Lord Justice of that kingdom in 1500. Sir Anthony died in 1584, and is interred under a handsome monument in Tintern Abbey. His wife was Clare, daughter of Thomas Agard, who amassed a great fortune as one of the receivers of the Irish revenue.

By her, Sir Anthony had a number of children, of whom the eldest surviving son, 

SIR THOMAS COLCLOUGH (1564-1624), Knight, of Tintern Abbey, succeeded his father and had livery of his estate.

Sir Thomas married Martha, fourth daughter of the Most Rev Adam Loftus, Lord Archbishop of Dublin; and by her, who died in 1609, and was buried in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, he had issue,

ADAM, his heir; 
Thomas;
John;
Richard;
Leonard;
Anne; Jane; Martha; Mary; Eleanor.

He espoused secondly, Eleanor, second daughter of Dudley Begenal, of Dunleckney, County Carlow, second son of Sir Nicholas Bagenal, Knight, of Newry, Marshal of ELIZABETH I's armies in Ireland.

The eldest son, 

SIR ADAM COLCLOUGH (c1590-1637), of Tintern Abbey, High Sheriff of County Wexford, 1630,  was created a baronet in 1628, denominated of Tintern Abbey, County Wexford.

He married Alice, daughter of Sir Robert Rich, Knight, a Master in Chancery in England, and had issue,

CÆSAR, his heir;
Anthony.

Sir Adam was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR CÆSAR COLCLOUGH, 2nd Baronet (1624-84), of Tintern Abbey, who wedded Frances, daughter of Sir William Clarke, and had issue,

CÆSAR;
Margaret.

He was succeeded by his only son,

SIR CÆSAR  COLCLOUGH, 3rd Baronet (c1650-87), Deputy Lieutenant-Governor of County Kilkenny, 1689, who dsp, when the title expired, and the estates devolved upon his only sister,

MARGARET COLCLOUGH, who duly became heiress to her brother of his great estates.

She married firstly, in 1673, Robert Leigh, of Rosegarland, who thereupon assumed the surname of COLCLOUGH; and secondly, in 1696, John Pigott, of Kilfinney, who also assumed the surname of COLCLOUGH, and died in 1717.

She dsp 1723, when she was succeeded at Tintern by her kinsman and heir male,

CÆSAR COLCLOUGH (1696-1766), of Tintern Abbey (eldest son of Dudley Colclough, of Duffrey Hall), Colonel, Wexford Militia, MP for County Wexford, 1727-60 and 1761-6, who wedded firstly, in 1717, Frances Muschamp, daughter of Sir Thomas Vesey Bt, of Knapton, Lord Bishop of Ossory, by whom he had an only daughter, Margaret, who died young.

He married secondly, in 1721, Henrietta, daughter of Agmondisham Vesey, of Lucan, County Dublin, and had further issue,

Cæsar, b 1722; dspvp;
Vesey (1724-45), father of VESEY;
Dudley, dspvp;
Agmondisham Vesey;
Adam, of Duffrey Hall; father of MARY GREY WENTWORTH;
Thomas (Rev);
Richard;
Frances; Anne; Harriett; Mary; Margaret; Lora.

Colonel Colclough was succeeded by his grandson,

VESEY COLCLOUGH (1745-94), of Tintern Abbey, MP for County Wexford,  1766-90, High Sheriff of County Wexford, 1767, who espoused, in 1765, Katherine, daughter of John Grogan, of Johnstown, County Wexford, and had issue,

Cæsar, his heir;
John, MP for County Wexford;
Vesey.

Mr Colclough (who was known in County Wexford as "Sir Vesey"), was succeeded by his eldest son,

CÆSAR COLCLOUGH (1766-1842), MP for County Wexford, 1806, who married, in 1818, Jane Stratford, daughter of John Kirwan, Barrister, and had no issue.

He died in 1842, when Tintern Abbey and the estates descended to (and after some litigation on the part of his widow), and were settled on his second cousin and heiress-at-law,

MARY GREY WENTWORTH ROSSBOROUGH-COLCLOUGH (1811-84), of Tintern Abbey, only surviving daughter and heiress of Cæsar Colclough, of Duffrey Hall.

She succeeded her father in 1822, and her kinsman, 1842.

Mary Colclough wedded, in 1848, JOHN THOMAS ROSSBOROUGH JP DL, of Mullinagood, County Longford, eldest son of John Rossborough, of Nicholson's Court and Clancaulfield House, County Longford, and grandson of Hugh Rossborough, of Mullingoan, County Fermanagh.

Mr Rossborough assumed, in 1853, the additional surname and arms of COLCLOUGH.

He died in 1869; and Mary, Mrs Rossborough-Colclough, died in 1884, leaving issue,

LOUISE MARIA SUSANNA COLCLOUGH;
Susanna Frances Julia; Mary Grey Wentworth Fanning; Belinda Powell Leech Trumble.

The eldest daughter,

LOUISE MARIA SUSANNA COLCLOUGH BIDDULPH-COLCLOUGH, of Tintern Abbey, succeeding her mother in 1884, married, in 1885, Franc Digby Biddulph, Captain, 3rd Middlesex Militia (who assumed the surname and arms of COLCLOUGH, 1886), youngest son of Francis Wellesley Marsh Biddulph, of Rathrobin.

She died in 1912, having by him had issue,

CÆSAR FRANC THOMAS BICKERSTAFF PLANTAGENET (1886-88);
Lucy Wilmot Maria Susanna Biddulph, born 1890.

The only daughter,

LUCY WILMOT MARIA SUSANNA BIDDULPH-COLCLOUGH (1890-1984), of Tintern House, presented Tintern Abbey to the Irish state in 1958 (excluding lands).

TINTERN ABBEY, situated on the west shore of Bannow Bay, County Wexford, was one of the most powerful Cistercian foundations in the south-east of Ireland until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536.

The first Cistercian foundation in Ireland, at Mellifont, County Louth, in 1142, was part of sweeping reforms which took place in the Irish Church in the 12th century.

The early Cistercians, who had their origins in the monastery of Citeaux in France, were dedicated to a simple life of prayer and manual labour.

By 1169, when the Anglo-Normans arrived in Ireland, there were already fifteen Cistercian houses in Ireland.

In 1200, William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, set sail for Ireland on his first visit as Lord of Leinster. Threatened with shipwreck, he vowed to found an abbey wherever he could safely land.

On reaching safety in Bannow Bay, he redeemed his vow bequeathing about 9,000 acres of land for a Cistercian abbey.

Consequently, Tintern Abbey, sited on a gentle south-facing slope overlooking Tintern stream, is sometimes called Tintern de Voto, 'Tintern of the vow.'

Once established, the abbey was colonised by monks from the Cistercian abbey at Tintern in Monmouthshire, of which William Marshal was also patron.

Following its foundation, Tintern acquired large tracts of land in County Wexford and, at the Dissolution of the Monasteries, appears to have been the third richest Cistercian abbey in Ireland (after St Mary's in Dublin and Mellifont).

Shortly after, Tintern Abbey and its lands were granted to Anthony Colclough from Staffordshire, an officer in HENRY VIII's army.

The Colclough family extensively modified the abbey church, converting the crossing tower and later, the nave, chancel and Lady Chapel to domestic quarters.

In the 18th century, Sir Vesey Colclough built many of the fine battlemented walls seen around the abbey today.

In the 1790s, John Colclough converted the nave into a residence of neo-Gothic style.

He also established a flour mill, the ruins of which stand on the south bank of the stream close to the upper bridge.

At this period also, a thriving weaving industry had developed in Tintern village, located across the stream south-west of the abbey.

Following John's death, his brother Caesar inherited the estate and, shortly after 1814, built the village of Saltmills to replace the old village of Tintern which was then demolished.

The final member of the Colclough family to reside at Tintern was Miss Lucy Wilmot Maria Susanna Biddulph Colclough, who presented the Abbey to the Irish nation in 1958.

Conservation and consolidation works started at Tintern in the early 1980s and archaeological excavations between 1982-94 exposed many of the features of the original Cistercian abbey.

Constructed to the standard Cistercian plan, the abbey church was located to the north of an  enclosed cloister garth, which was surrounded on all sides by covered walks and a sequence of domestic buildings.

First published in August, 2012.

Valedictory Letter

My parents sent me to BRACKENBER HOUSE SCHOOL, a small prep school at Cleaver Avenue, off the Malone Road, Belfast.

I can't remember why I wasn't sent to Cabin Hill, though do recall paying a visit to Rockport School with my mother and Godmother to have a look.

At any rate, I enjoyed my time at Brackenber. It seemed to suit me well.

I was there from about 1971 until 1973, or thereabouts, before moving up to Campbell College.

Some years later I (and presumably everybody else) received a letter from Brackenber's last headmaster, John Craig MA, following his retirement.

This is clearly valedictory in nature.

Unfortunately the date has been omitted.

I'm fairly sure, however, that it must have been circa 1985.

If there happen to be any Old Brackenbrians reading this, perhaps you know of the school's final month and year?

It reflects Mr Craig's feelings about Brackenber, his profound devotion and deep affection for what was literally his home (he lived on the top floor) and his life:-

Click to Enlarge

First published in August, 2009.

Annestown House

 THE PALLISERS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WATERFORD, WITH 9,825 ACRES

This family paternally descends from that of BURY, Earl of Charleville, extinct, and is now the male representative of that family.

JOHN BURY, nephew of WILLIAM BURY, the grandfather of the first Earl of Charleville of the second creation, assumed the surname of PALLISER, upon succeeding to the estates of his maternal grandmother.

JOHN PALLISER (1550-1623), of Newby Wiske, Yorkshire, married Anne, daughter of Michael Meeke, leaving issue,

THOMAS, his successor;
John;
Anne; Jane; Elizabeth; Mary.

Mr Palliser was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS PALLISER (1606-), of Newby Wiske, who wedded Joan, daughter of Richard Frankland, of Blobberhouse, Yorkshire, and had issue,

JOHN, grandfather of ADMIRAL SIR HUGH PALLISER Bt;
WILLIAM (Most Rev), of whom hereafter;
George.

Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser Bt
Photo Credit: National Maritime Museum

Mr Palliser was still living in 1665.

His second son,

THE MOST REV WILLIAM PALLISER (1646-1726), Lord Archbishop of Cashel, espoused Elizabeth Hoye, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;
Jane, mother of JOHN BURY PALLISER.

His Grace was succeeded by his only son,

WILLIAM PALLISER (1695-1768), of Rathfarnham, who married, in 1728, Mary, daughter of Matthew Pennefather, of Cashel, Comptroller and Accountant-General for Ireland, and sister of Elizabeth, wife of Alexander, 5th Earl of Antrim, by whom he had no issue.

He was succeeded by his nephew,

JOHN PALLISER (formerly BURY), of Comeragh, County Waterford, who assumed the name of PALLISER, and wedded, in 1762, a daughter of Richard Taylor, of Cork.

He died in 1769, and was succeeded by his son,

WRAY PALLISER, of Derryluskan, who wedded Mary, daughter of the Ven Richard Chaloner, Archdeacon of Cashel, and was father of

JOHN PALLISER (1760-1833), of Derryluskan, who married, in 1784, Grace, eldest daughter of William Barton, of Grove, County Tipperary, and had issue,

WRAY, father of Sir W Palliser CB & John Palliser CMG;
JOHN BURY (Rev);
Richard Bury;
Elizabeth; Margaret; Grace; Anna.

Mr Palliser's second son,

THE REV JOHN BURY PALLISER (1791-1864), of Annestown, Rector of Clonmel, wedded, in 1830, Julia, daughter of Captain John Howe, East India Company, and had issue,

WRAY BURY;
John Richard.

The elder son,

CAPTAIN WRAY BURY PALLISER JP DL (1831-1906), of Annestown, espoused, in 1861, Maria Victoria Josephine, youngest daughter of Joseph Gubbins, of County Limerick, and had issue,

Alice Grace (1863-78).

*****

MRS MARY JANE SYBIL GALLOWAY (1874-1940), daughter of Major Sir William Palliser CB, married, in 1908, Captain Harold Bessemer Galloway, of Blervie, Morayshire, and had issue,

IAN CHARLES PALLISER, born 1910;
Sybil Evelyn, born 1909.

ANNESTOWN HOUSE, Annestown, County Waterford, has been a seat of the Palliser family and their descendants since about 1830.

This is a rambling, three-storey house, at right-angles to the street in the village of Annestown.

It is actually two houses joined together. The main front faces the sea, though the gable end is on the street.

The rooms have low ceilings, though they are commodious.

The long drawing-room is divided by an arch with plain Victorian plasterwork; while a large library is approached along a passage.

Annestown House was owned at the beginning of the 19th century by Henry St George Cole; bought about 1830 by the Pallisers, from whom it was inherited by the Galloways.

It remained with the Galloway family until 2008.

COMERAGH HOUSE (above) was another seat of the Pallisers; as was Blervie, Morayshire.

First published in June, 2013.

Melissa Hamilton

MELISSA HAMILTON IS A FIRST SOLOIST WITH THE ROYAL BALLET

Born at Belfast and having spent her childhood in Dromore, County Down, Melissa trained at the Jennifer Bullick School of Ballet in Lisburn, County Antrim.

Here is a two-minute clip of Melissa giving a short interview.

Aged 16, she joined Elmhurst School For Dance, where she was taught by Masha Mukhamedov who, after she left the school, trained her privately.

She won the Youth America Grand Prix in 2007.

Melissa won the 2009 Critics Circle ‘Most Outstanding Female Performance’ Award and was nominated for the Times Breakthrough Award at the South Bank Show Awards.

In 2009, she was ranked by The Sunday Times as one of the ‘Top 30 Power Players under 30’.

She has been described as British ballet's brightest hope.

Melissa, who comes from Dromore, County Down, admits her rise to the top was not a "straight line":

"I left home at 16 and trained in England for two years and then gave up school in Birmingham and moved and trained privately with a teacher in Athens for 10 months and then I joined the Royal Ballet Company," she said.

Meeting her teacher Masha Mukhamedov was the tipping point:

"Previous to that I kept being told I would never make it," she said. "That is why I left my school in Birmingham because some people don't have an eye, some people are unable to look at something in front of them and see the potential."

"It was whenever I met my teacher, she literally saw me for two seconds and said that she's a ballerina and she completely took me under her wing and I'm a product of her."

The life and hours of a ballerina are relentless:

"You sell your soul to your vocation. I call it a vocation, it is not a job, it's a complete lifestyle," she said. "It is incredibly hard. Our hours are incredible, I mean we start our days at half past nine, if we have a show we don't finish until half past ten, we're not home until after 11 and then we're straight in the next day to do the same thing."

"We rehearse all throughout the day. We finish rehearsals at half past five and then start into getting ready for our performance at half past seven."

 First published in December, 2011.

Cahir Park

THE EARLS OF GLENGALL WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY TIPPERARY, WITH 16,616 ACRES

This is a branch of the noble house of ORMONDE, springing from

JAMES, 3rd Earl of Ormond (c1359-1405); who, besides legitimate children, had two illegitimate sons, Thomas, Prior of Kilmainham and Lord Deputy of Ireland in the reigns of HENRY IV and HENRY V; and

JAMES LE BOTELLER or BUTLER, whose descendants, by the settlement of Thomas, the 10th Earl, were made next in remainder to the house of Ormonde after the family of Dunboyne.

From this James lineally descended

THOMAS BUTLER, of Cahir, who married Ellice, daughter of the Earl of Desmond, and was father of

THOMAS BUTLER (1448-76), who wedded Catherine, daughter of Sir Piers Power, of County Waterford, by whom he had two sons; the younger of whom, Piers, was father of Theobald, 3rd Baron Cahir; and the elder,

THOMAS BUTLER, was elevated to the peerage, in 1543, in the dignity of Baron Cahir.

His lordship espoused Eleanor, fifth daughter of Piers, 8th Earl of Ormond, and was succeeded by his only surviving son,

EDMUND, 2nd Baron; who died without issue, in 1560, when the barony expired, and his two half-sisters became his heirs.

The dignity was, however, revived in 1583 by a new patent granted to his lordship's first cousin,

SIR THEOBALD BUTLER, Knight, who became thus 1st Baron Cahir of the second creation.

His lordship married Mary, daughter of Sir Thomas Cusack, of Cussington, County Meath, LORD CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND, and had issue,

THOMAS, his successor;
Edmund;
James;
Ellen; Mary.

He died in 1596, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS, 2nd Baron, who died in 1627, and leaving an only daughter and heir, Margaret, who wedded Edmund, 3rd Baron Dunboyne, the barony devolved upon his nephew,

THOMAS, 3rd Baron, who espoused Eleanor, granddaughter of Lord Poer, by whom he had seven children.

His lordship died ca 1648, and was succeeded by his grandson,

PIERCE, 4th Baron; who died in 1676, when the family honours reverted to

THEOBALD, 5th Baron, son of Edmund (3rd son of the 1st Baron), who died in 1700, and was succeeded by his son,

THOMAS, 6th Baron; whose son,

JAMES, 7th Baron, succeeded in 1744, though died without issue, 1746, and was succeeded by his brother,

PIERCE, 8th Baron, at whose demise, unmarried, in 1788, the title reverted to his kinsman,

JAMES, 9th Baron, who was in India at the time of his predecessor's death and so never received the news of his elevation as he died a month later, in 1788.

RICHARD (1775–1819), 10th Baron (son of James Butler, of Fethard, County Tipperary, and grandson of Richard Butler, of Glengall, who was descended from Sir Theobald Butler, 1st Baron Cahir through his third son, the Hon Pierce Butler).

His lordship wedded, in 1793, Emily, youngest daughter of James St John Jefferyes, of Blarney Castle, County Cork, and had issue,

RICHARD, his successor;
Harriet Anne, m George, 3rd Marquess of Donegall;
Charlotte Butler; Emily Georgina Arabella.

His lordship was advanced, in 1816, to the dignities of Viscount Cahir and EARL OF GLENGALL.

He was succeeded by his only son,

RICHARD, 2nd Earl (1794-1858), who espoused, in 1834, Margaret Lauretta, younger daughter and co-heir of William Mellish, of Woodford, Essex, and had issue, two daughters.

Having no male issue, the titles expired on his decease in 1858.

Harriet Anne, Countess of Belfast 

The first Earl's daughter, the Lady Harriet Anne Butler (above), married George, 3rd Marquess of Donegall, in 1822.

Glengall Street in Belfast is named after this marital union.

Richard, 2nd Earl of Glengall

One of his daughters, the Lady Margaret Butler, inherited her father's extensive estate at Cahir, County Tipperary, following his death in 1858.

In that year she married Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon Richard Charteris (1822-74), and built Cahir Park as the family home.

She was succeeded by her eldest son, Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Butler Charteris (1866-1961), who continued to live at Caher until his death.

CAHIR CASTLE stands on an island in the River Suir by the town of Cahir.

It was built in the 13th century on a site of an earlier native fortification called a cathair (stone fort), which gave its name to the place.

The castle was built in two parts, with the side now by the street being built 200 years before the side now housing the audio-visual show.

Granted to the Butlers in the late 14th century, the castle was enlarged and remodelled between the 15th and 17th centuries.

It fell into ruin in the late 18th century, when the family ceased to live in it, though was partially restored in the 1840s. The Great Hall was partly rebuilt in 1840.

It is now a national monument managed by the Irish state.

Instead, they built a house of three storeys and five bays, now the Cahir House hotel, facing the main town square and backing on to the castle park.

Swiss Cottage, a delightful cottage orné, was built in the early 1800s by the 1st Earl, it has been said, for a mistress, to a design by the famous Regency architect John Nash.

Its interior contains a graceful spiral staircase and some elegantly decorated rooms.

The wallpaper in the salon manufactured by the Dufour factory is one of the first commercially produced Parisian wallpapers. 

Cahir Park

Following the death of the 2nd Earl in 1858, his daughter, Lady Margaret Charteris, built the house known as Cahir Park, or Cahir Lodge, across the river from the ancient Castle.

This mansion served as the family seat from then on.

It was built about 1861, designed by Lanyon, Lynn & Lanyon; though, according by Bence-Jones, was neither "worthy of its architects, nor of its glorious setting".

It was said to be exceptionally dull and dour, quasi-Baronial, with steep gables, pointed plate-glass windows, and a turret with a pyramidal roof.

Its rooms were apparently "meanly proportioned", though redeemed with some French furniture.

During the 20th century, Colonel Charteris added a billiards-room-cum-library.

The house, somewhat ingloriously, was gutted by fire shortly after it had been sold following the Colonel's death, at the advanced age of 94, in 1961.

Former London residence ~ 54 Grosvenor Street.

First published in January, 2013.  Glengall arms courtesy of European Heraldry.