Hezlett House

Hezlett House (Image: Northern Ireland Tourist Board)

The first of the Hezlett family to reside at Liffock,

ISAAC HEZLETT (1720-90), married firstly, Margaret Kerr, and had issue, a son,

SAMUEL.

He wedded secondly, Esther _______, and had further issue,

JOHN (Jack), emigrated to America.

The elder son,

SAMUEL HEZLETT (1753-1821), of Liffock, espoused Esther Steel, and had issue, eight children, of whom the eldest son,

ISAAC HEZLETT (1796-1883), married, in 1823, Jane Swan, of Bannbrook House, and was father of

HUGH HEZLETT (1825-1906), father of

HUGH HEZLETT (1872-1946), who wedded, in 1910, Margaret Ann Mark, by whom he had issue, three children, of whom

HUGH HEZLETT JP (1911-88), married, in 1945, Molly Douglas.

Their adopted son, Hugh Douglas Hezlett, born in 1960, lives in the Isle of Man.

HEZLETT HOUSE, near Castlerock, County Londonderry, is a single-storey thatched cottage dating from ca 1691.

The cottage served as the rectory for the Archdeacon of Derry, the Ven Roger fford, from 1693 to 1719; and for four of his successors until 1761.

The walls are built of un-coursed rubble with roughcast and a core of earth and sand.

This historic farmhouse is noted for its cruck construction, a method seldom used in the Province during that period.

Some sections of the cottage are left bare to expose the cruck trusses and other structural details.

Isaac Hezlett (1720-1790) was the first Hezlett to live in the cottage at Liffock.

His ancestors came to Liffock from the townland of Grange, which was part of the church lands on the west bank of the river Bann near its estuary.

Isaac acquired the cottage and some land in 1766.

At this point in his life he was married to his second wife Esther and had two sons; Samuel from his first marriage with Margaret Kerr and Jack, half-brother to Samuel.

When Samuel’s father died, he inherited the farm at the age of 37, and about five years later he married Esther Steel. She was 22 years his junior and they had eight children.

Samuel was intimidated by local insurgents to join the United Irishmen; his half-brother Jack was an ardent supporter.

He was threatened to be hanged from the Spanish chestnut tree in his own garden.

By 1798 the Irish rebellion was at its height and the two brothers were on opposite sides of the war. 

30,000 lives were lost when the rebels were finally defeated.

Jack escaped to the recently created United States of America while Samuel remained with his family in their home at Liffock until he died in 1821.

Samuel's eldest son, Isaac (1796-1883), married Jane Swan (1805-1896) in 1823.

He built a two-storey extension to form a new self-contained unit for his mother and sisters.

This extension could be regarded as forerunner of what we call today a "granny-flat."

Isaac also increased the acreage farmed at Liffock.

Jane was an educated and capable woman and by marrying her, Isaac ensured that his offspring would be well nurtured and given encouragement to develop their abilities.

At least two of their sons were sent for a formal education to Templemoyle Seminary; an agricultural school.

A third son attended Royal Belfast Academical Institution (Inst); and another one became a bank official.

Hugh Hezlett (1825-1906), Samuel and Jane’s eldest son, increased the acreage of the farm once more.

By putting his education to good use he made the farm more productive; more cash crops were grown and the herds of dairy cattle and sheep were increased.

The outputs from the farm which generated income included the cash crops of flax, barley, potatoes, oats and turnips, in addition to wool, milk, calves, pigs and eggs.

Hugh also oversaw an extensive re-modelling of the farmyard and outbuildings.

The Land Act paved the way for further acts which enabled tenant farmers to buy the land they had hitherto rented; so, by the early 20th century, the Hezletts were not tenant farmers but owner-occupiers.

The second Hugh Hezlett (1872-1946) inherited the farm in 1906 when his father (the first Hugh) died.

He managed the farm and dairy, while his brother Thomas performed much practical labour and ran a daily milk round in Castlerock.

He married Margaret Ann Mark in 1910 and they had three children.

As he got older Hugh spent much of his time and energy devoted to public life.

The third Hugh Hezlett (1911-1988) married Molly Douglas in 1945.

They adopted a child (Hugh Douglas, born in 1960), who moved to the Isle of Man.

In 1976, with funds provided by Ulster Land Fund and the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, the National Trust acquired the house from Hugh Hezlett.

Following a fire in 1987 further restoration was required, and although as much of the remaining structure was re-used, some replication was required.

The building was re-thatched in 2000.

First published in October, 2022.