Lyons of Old Park

THE LYONS' OWNED 1,491 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

This family was originally of Scottish extraction.

DAVID LYONS, of Belfast (son of Thomas Lyons (1624-93), who was buried at Shankill, Belfast), had issue, by Kate his wife,

DAVID, of whom presently;
Anne, m Thomas Foster.

Mr Lyons died in 1717, and was succeeded by his only son,

DAVID LYONS (1701-72), of Old Park, Belfast, who wedded firstly, Mary, daughter of Elias Boyd, and had issue.

By his second wife, Jane, he had issue,

THOMAS, of whom presently;
Henry;
William;
Mary; Anne; Eleanor; Elizabeth; Jane; Sarah.

Mr Lyons was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS LYONS (1747-1806), of Old Park, who espoused, in 1778, Sarah, daughter of Andrew Armstrong, of Clara, King's County, and Dublin, and had issue,

HENRY, his heir;
WILLIAM HOLMES, successor to his brother;
Edward Forbes;
Eliza; Juliana.

Mr Lyons was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY LYONS (1779-1839), who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his brother,

WILLIAM HOLMES LYONS (1781-1849), of Old Park, who wedded, in 1810, Anne, daughter of the Rev William Bristow, Vicar of Belfast, and Sovereign of Belfast, by Rose, his wife, daughter of George Cary, of Redcastle, County Donegal, and had issue,

WILLIAM THOMAS BRISTOW, his heir;
Sarah (1818-1905).

Mr Lyons was succeeded by his only son,

WILLIAM THOMAS BRISTOW LYONS JP DL (1812-87), of Old Park, Belfast, and Brookhill, Lisburn, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1866, who married, in 1840, Julia Maria, daughter of James Jones, of Mount Edward, County Sligo, and had issue,

WILLIAM HENRY HOLMES, his heir;
Robert Colvill Jones, of Lime Hill house, Tunbridge Wells;
Henry Kenneth Thomas, of Denver, USA;
James Bristow;
Clarence Edward;
Eliza; Julia Maria; Dorinda Anna Henrietta; Edith Arabella Louisa Florence;
Constance Adela Hastings; Julie Marie Louise.

Mr Lyons was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON WILLIAM HENRY HOLMES LYONS JP DL (1843-1924), of Brookhill, Lisburn, Old Park, Belfast, and Richmond Lodge, County Down, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1904, Grand Master, Orange Lodge of Ireland, who espoused, in 1888, Mary Eliza (Lily), eldest daughter of George Evans, of Gortmerron House, County Tyrone, and had issue, 

WILLIAM HOLMES ST JOHN, his heir;
Vera Patricia Mabel; Evyleen Sara Evans; Lily Eileen.

Mr Lyons was succeeded by his only son,

WILLIAM HOLMES ST JOHN LYONS (1888-1918), Lieutenant, Middlesex Regiment, who married, in 1907, Doris Margaret, youngest daughter of George A Walpole FRCS, of Gormanston, Tasmania.

Old Park House (Image: Richard Graham)

OLD PARK HOUSE, Belfast, would appear to have been mid-Georgian.

It was built for David Lyons, who also owned a bleach-yard in the Oldpark area of Belfast in the 1750s.

Old Park features in J A K Dean's Plight of the Big House in Northern Ireland, published in 2020.

Lyons Family Plot at Knockbreda Church-yard

David Lyons' wife, Mary, had her name recorded at Shankill graveyard in 1739, presumably before he took over or built the bleach-yard.

George Benn, the celebrated Belfast historian, described Old Park thus in 1877:

A beautiful rural home, with fine gardens and trees, and a convenient distance from the "madding crowd." Now, in our time, the 42 acres of which the demesne consists are advertised to be let in lots for villas or streets, which will doubtless be the case in due time.

Benn remarked that Old Park had been built a century ago, making its erection in the 1770s.

Old Park remained in the Lyons family until about 1868, when Thomas Lyons moved to Brookhill, near Lisburn, the Belfast boundaries having surpassed the old demesne.

Old Park House subsequently became the property of William Robertson, of Hawkins, Robertson & Ferguson, drapers, of the Bank Buildings, Belfast.

A plaque in the ambulatory of Belfast Cathedral, recording that Mr Lyons lived for some time at Brookhill, Lisburn, was placed in his memory by his mother, Anne.

The plaque was originally in St Anne's parish church.

First published in January, 2013.

Annadale Hall

Annadale Hall (Image: Alexander Robert Hogg, 1921)

ANNADALE HALL, Newtownbreda, County Down, originally known as Galwally, was first occupied, according to some records, by George Portis.

It is thought that Mr Portis (c1734-97) was Collector of Revenue and Customs for Belfast and was buried at Carlingford churchyard.

Annadale was a plain three-storey block over a basement, with five bays and lofty chimneys.

Galwally was renamed Annadale Hall after Anne, Countess of Mornington (eldest daughter of Arthur, 1st Viscount Dungannon, of Belvoir Park).

Lady Mornington was the mother of the 1st Duke of Wellington.

Annadale Hall was acquired ca 1840 by Alexander McDonnell.

Following his death, in 1855, it passed to his son-in-law, Robert Calwell.

The house was badly damaged by fire in 1914, apparently as a result of incendiary devices planted by Suffragettes.

Annadale suffered another arson attack in 1921, and remained in a ruinous condition until its demolition about 1952.

The grounds were subsequently sold for the Hampton Park housing development. 

Annadale Hall was once part of the Belvoir estate, though Lord Dungannon subsequently built a dividing wall.

Lord Donegall also lived at Annadale for a period, and it is said that Lady Blessington once resided there.

As a girl, Lady Mornington lived in the newly-built Belvoir House, and later at Annadale.

Dennis Kennedy has written an extensive article about Annadale Hall and its occupants.

First published in January, 2013.

1st Duke of Roxburghe

THE DUKES OF ROXBURGHE WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN ROXBURGHSHIRE, WITH 50,459 ACRES

This family and the Kerrs, Marquesses of Lothian, descended from two brothers, RALPH and JOHN, originally of Normandy, who passed from England into Scotland sometime in the 13th century, and laid the foundation of those two illustrious houses - Ralph, that of the Kerrs, Marquesses of Lothian; and John, that of the Kers of Cessford; of which the latter family, the eleventh in descent from the founder, SIR ROBERT KER (1570-1650), Knight, of Cessford (elder son of William Ker, of Cessford, warden of the Middle Marches, by Janet, daughter of Sir William Douglas, of Drumlanrig), was elevated to the peerage, in 1600, as Lord Roxburghe; and created, in 1616, Lord Ker of Cessford and Cavertoun, and Earl of Roxburghe.

This nobleman accompanied JAMES VI, King of Scotland, into England, and was Lord Privy Seal in the reign of CHARLES I. His lordship wedded Mary, daughter of Sir William Maitland. Upon the decease of his younger and only surviving son, Lord Roxburghe obtained, in 1646, a new charter, entailing his honours and estates upon his grandson, the Hon Sir William Drummond; and after him, upon the three sons successively of his granddaughter Jane, Countess of John, 3rd Earl of Wigtown.

The 1st Earl's aforesaid grandson,

THE HON SIR WILLIAM DRUMMOND (1622-75), succeeding as 2nd Earl of Roxburghe, assumed the surname of KER, and fulfilling the stipulation in the will by marrying his cousin, the Lady Jean Ker, was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROBERT, 3rd Earl (c1658-82) who was one of the privy council of CHARLES II, accompanying The Duke of York from London to Scotland in HMS Gloucester.

His lordship was lost on the coast of Yarmouth, in 1682, leaving issue by his wife, Mary, daughter of John, 1st Marquess of Tweeddale (who survived him and remained a widow 71 years), three sons, of whom the eldest,

ROBERT (c1677-96) succeeded as 4th Earl; at whose decease, unmarried, the honours devolved upon his brother,

JOHN, 5th Earl (c1680-1741); who, having filled the office of Secretary of State in 1704, was installed a Knight of the Garter, and created, in 1707, Viscount Broxmouth, Earl of Kelso, Marquess of Cessford and Bowmont, and DUKE OF ROXBURGHE, with remainder to the heirs who should inherit the earldom of Roxburghe.

His Grace espoused Mary, daughter of Daniel, Earl of Nottingham, and widow of William, Marquess of Halifax; and dying in 1741, was succeeded by his only son,

ROBERT, 2nd Duke, who wedded, in 1739, Essex, eldest daughter of Sir Roger Mostyn Bt; and dying in 1755, was succeeded by his son,

JOHN, 3rd Duke; the celebrated book collector, who was installed a Knight of the Garter and a Knight of the Thistle; but dying unmarried, in 1804, the British honours expired, while the Scottish devolved upon His Grace's kinsman,

WILLIAM, 7th Lord Bellenden, as 4th Duke.

• James Innes-Ker, 5th Duke (1736–1823)
• James Innes-Ker, 6th Duke (1816–79)
• James Innes-Ker, 7th Duke (1839–92)
• Henry Innes-Ker, 8th Duke (1876–1932)
• George Innes-Ker, 9th Duke (1913–74)
• Guy Innes-Ker, 10th Duke (1954-2019)
• Charles Robert George Innes-Ker, 11th Duke of Roxburghe (b 1981).

FLOORS CASTLE, near Kelso, Roxburghshire, was built in the 1720s by the architect William Adam for the 1st Duke of Roxburghe, possibly incorporating an earlier tower house

In the 19th century it was embellished with turrets and battlements by William Playfair for the 6th Duke.

Floors has the common 18th-century layout of a main block with two symmetrical service wings.

The 5th Earl of Roxburghe commissioned the Scottish architect William Adam (1689–1748), father of Robert Adam, to design a new mansion incorporating the earlier tower house.

It was built between 1721-26, and comprised a plain block, with towers at each corner.

Pavilions on either side housed stables and kitchens.

Ca 1837, the 6th Duke commissioned the fashionable architect William Playfair to remodel and rebuild the plain Georgian mansion house he had inherited.

The present form of the building is the result of Playfair's work.

In 1903, the 8th Duke married the American heiress May Goelet, who brought with her from her Long Island home a set of Gobelins Manufactory tapestries, that were incorporated into the ballroom in the 1930s, and added to the collection several modern pictures by Walter Sickert and Henri Matisse, among others.

The 10th and present Duke and Duchess undertake the huge responsibility of maintaining and protecting the treasures to ensure that they can be enjoyed by future generations.

In 2010, the installation of a biomass boiler providing a source of renewable heat energy marked the next page in the history of Floors Castle.

First published in January, 2014.  Roxburghe arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

Barcroft of The Glen

AMBROSE BARCROFT (1574-1648), of The Haigh, near Foulridge, Lancashire, and afterwards of Foulridge Hall, son of THOMAS BARCROFT, of Foulridge Hall, son of HENRY BARCROFT, of Foulridge, younger son of WILLIAM BARCROFT, of Barcroft, Lancashire (who died in 1581), where his family was seated from the earliest times to which records extend, down to the middle of the 17th century.

Barcroft passed by the marriage of one of his daughters and co-heirs of Thomas Barcroft, of Barcroft, last of his line, who died in 1668 (great-grandson of William Barcroft, above mentioned) to the Bradshaws, and afterwards by purchase to the Townleys.

Ambrose Barcroft married Mary, daughter of ________ Hartley, of Wellhead, near Colne, Lancashire, and had issue,

Thomas, of The Haigh;

Ambrose (Ven), Archdeacon of Kilmore; went to Ireland with his brother;

WILLIAM, of whom presently;

John (Rev), Rector of Roughton;

Paul, of York;

Robert. settled in Bedfordshire; ancestor of the BEARCROFT family;

Mary; Janet.

The third son,

WILLIAM BARCROFT (1612-96), went over to Ireland and settled at Ballylaking, King's County, wedded firstly, Grace, daughter of Henry Rycroft, of Moss House, within Foulridge, and by her had five children, who were drowned with their mother when crossing to Ireland to join her husband.

Mr Barcroft espoused secondly, in 1652, Margaret, daughter of Daniel Bernard, of Colne, and had issue,

AMBROSE, of whom presently;

Thomas, dsp;

John, a minister of the Society of Friends;

Ellen.

William Barcroft died at Drumcooley, King's County, and was buried at Rosenallis, Queen's County.

His eldest son,

AMBROSE BARCROFT, of Drumcooley, King's County, born near Thornton, in Yorkshire, married, in 1676, Jane, daughter of William Slade, of Athlone, and had issue,

Ambrose (died unmarried);

WILLIAM, his heir;

Thomas;

Ellen; Alice.

Mr Barcroft died at Drumcooley in 1687, and was succeeded by his second son,

WILLIAM BARCROFT (1681-1709), of Ballybrittan, King's County, who wedded, in 1705, Ellen, daughter of Joseph Inman, and had issue,

Joseph, of Dublin;

AMBROSE, of whom presently;

Elizabeth, died in infancy.

The younger son,

AMBROSE BARCROFT (1707-), of Dublin, espoused, in 1733, Abigail, daughter of Thomas Wilcocks, and had issue,

WILLIAM, of whom presently;

Thomas;

Joseph;

Ambrose;

Elizabeth.

The eldest son,

WILLIAM BARCROFT (1734-72), of Dublin, married, in 1757, Mary, daughter of John Pim, of Lackagh, and had issue,

Joseph;

JOHN, of whom hereafter;

George;

Ambrose.

The second son,

JOHN BARCROFT (1758-1815), of Lisburn, County Antrim, wedded, in 1797, Sarah, daughter of James Hogg, of Lisburn (uncle of Sir James Weir Hogg Bt), and had issue,

JOSEPH, his heir;

William James;

John Pim;

Ruth; Mary.

Mr Barcroft was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOSEPH BARCROFT (1799-1855), of Lisburn, and afterwards of Stangmore Lodge, Dungannon, County Tyrone, who espoused, in 1838, Mary, daughter of John Wandesford Wright, and had issue,

HENRY, his heir;

Elizabeth, m 1864, Sir Samuel Lee Anderson (Principal Crown Solicitor for Ireland);

Sarah, of Stangmore Lodge, m William Barcroft.

Mr Barcroft was succeeded by his son,

HENRY BARCROFT JP DL (1839-1905), of The Glen, County Armagh, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1890, who married, in 1867, Anna (The Glen, Newry), daughter of David Malcomson, of Melview, County Tipperary, and had issue,

JOSEPH, his heir;

David Malcomson;

Sarah Richardson; Mary; Anna Henrietta.

Mr Barcroft was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JOSEPH BARCROFT CBE (1872-1947), of The Glen, Newry, County Down, Fellow of the Royal Society, who wedded, in 1903, Mary Agnetta, younger daughter of Sir Robert Stawell Ball, and had issue,

HENRY;

Robert Ball, Lt-Col (1909-88).

The elder son,

HENRY BARCROFT (1904-98), of London, married Bridget Mary, daughter of Arthur Stanley Ramsey, and had issue,

John, b 1936;

Michael Joseph, b 1938;

Roger Henry, b 1947;

Sarah Agnes, b 1942.

The eldest son,

DR JOHN BARCROFT, was a consultant in child psychiatry at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

THE GLEN, Newry, County Down, formerly called Turner Hill, was once the property of Baron Frederick Lewis von Stieglitz*, who later sold it to Henry Barcroft.

*Baron von Stieglitz (1803-66), a JP for counties Armagh and Down, proceeded, in early life, to Tasmania, where he became possessed of considerable property, and was a member of the Legislative Council of Tasmania during Sir William Denison's Government.

After 1850 he returned to Ireland, and resided at The Glen.

The Baron married firstly, Mrs Ransom; and secondly, in 1859, Hester Anna, daughter of George Blacker, of Carrickblacker. 

Hester Anna accordingly became Baroness von Stieglitz, of Carrickblacker.

Baron von Stieglitz is buried in the family vault at Derryloran, near Cookstown, County Tyrone.

Do any readers possess images of The Glen House?

Athavallie House

THE LYNCH-BLOSSE BARONETS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MAYO, WITH 22,658 ACRES

The family of LYNCH was of great antiquity in the province of Connaught, being amongst the very early settlers, denominated the Tribes of Galway. In an old manuscript in Ulster King-of-Arms' office, William le Petit is stated to be the common progenitor of all the Lynches of Ireland.

The founder of the honours of the family, however, was

HENRY LYNCH, Mayor of, and MP for Galway (eldest of twelve sons of Nicholas Lynch, also Mayor of Galway).

Mr Lynch was created a baronet in 1622, designated of Galway.

This gentleman was the son of Nicholas Lynch fitz Stephen (Mayor 1584–1585) and great-grandson of Mayor Arthur Lynch (died 1539); land agent for Richard, 4th Earl of Clanricarde; mentor to Patrick D'Arcy and Richard Martyn, later senior political figures of Confederate Ireland.

He was stepfather to D'Arcy and married to an aunt of Martyn. He was among the first of his family to become a lawyer, and several of his younger sons followed him into this profession, as did, under his influence, D'Arcy, Martyn, Geoffrey Browne and subsequent generations of The Tribes of Galway.

Sir Henry married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Martin, and widow of James D'Arcy, by whom he had three sons and three daughters.

He died in 1635, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR ROBUCK LYNCH, 2nd Baronet, MP for Galway Borough, 1639-42, and was resident counsel for Connaught during the rebellion.

He wedded Ellis, daughter of Sir Peter French, Knight, by whom he had two sons, and was succeeded on his decease, 1667, by the elder, 

SIR HENRY LYNCH, 3rd Baronet, a lawyer of eminence, and one of the barons of the exchequer, in 1689, wedded firstly, Margaret, daughter of Sir Theobald Bourke, 3rd Viscount Mayo, but by that lady had no issue; and secondly, and had (with a younger son) his successor,

SIR ROBERT LYNCH (-c1720), 4th Baronet, who espoused Catherine, daughter of Henry Blake, of County Mayo, by whom he had, with two daughters, a son and heir,

SIR HENRY LYNCH (-1762), 5th Baronet, of Carracastle, who married Mary, daughter of John Moore, of Brees [sic], County Galway, and had one daughter and an only son, his successor,

SIR ROBERT LYNCH-BLOSSE, 6th Baronet, who wedded Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Francis Barker, heir of Tobias Blosse, of Little Belstead, Suffolk.

He assumed the surname of BLOSSE, in addition to, and after, that of LYNCH.

It was a condition of the marriage that Robert would assume the additional surname of BLOSSE and conform to Protestantism.

The issue of this marriage were, HENRY, who succeeded to the title; and Francis, who wedded Hatton, daughter of John Smith, and had issue, Robert, who, succeeding his uncle, became the 8th Baronet.

Sir Robert died in 1775, and was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR HENRY LYNCH-BLOSSE, 7th Baronet (1749-88), MP for Tuam, 1776-83, upon whose demise, without issue, the title reverted to his nephew, 

SIR ROBERT LYNCH-BLOSSE, 8th Baronet (1774-1818), who wedded firstly, Elizabeth, daughter of William Gorman, of Carlow, by whom he had FRANCIS, the next baronet, with several other children.

He married secondly, Charlotte, daughter of John Richards, of Cardiff.

Sir Robert  was succeeded by his son,

THE REV SIR FRANCIS LYNCH-BLOSSE, 9th Baronet (1801-40), who wedded, in 1824, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Lord Plunket, and had issue,

ROBERT, 10th Baronet;
William Conyngham, b 1826.

*****

Sir Richard Hely Lynch-Blosse (b 1953), 17th and present Baronet, lives in Oxfordshire.

ATHAVALLIE HOUSE, near Castlebar, County Mayo, is a long, low, plain, two-storey residence, its main block of five bays, with an entrance door set in a broad stone arch.

The front is extended by a four-bay range of the same height, though set back.

In 1894, Athavallie House was recorded as the seat of Sir Henry Lynch-Blosse, 11th Baronet (1857-1918), and most likely the last of the family to reside there.

In 1920, the Sisters of St Louis founded a school which catered for girls only.

It was a boarding school-cum-day school until the St Louis Sisters left in 1978 and the school became co-educational under the control of the local community.

Balla Secondary School is based here now.

Athavallie House still stands but is no longer used for educational purposes.

It was used as a military hospital during the 1st World War.

Other former seat ~ Castle Carra, County Mayo.

First published in April, 2013.

Andrews of Ardara

THE ANDREWS' OWNED 965 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DOWN 

THOMAS ANDREWS (1698-c1743), of Comber, County Down, married Agnes Reid, living in 1749. 

His son,

JOHN ANDREWS (1721-1808), wedded Mary Corbett, and had issue,

MICHAEL, his heir;

Thomas, m Ann Forde;

JAMES, of whom hereafter.

His eldest son,

MICHAEL ANDREWS (c1749-1805), of Annsborough, County Down, espoused, in 1779, Elizabeth Meek, and had issue,

Thomas John (1781-1842),  father of  PROF THOMAS ANDREWS FRS FRSE etc;

George Miller;

Michael, founder of the Belfast Savings Bank;

Mary.

John Andrews' youngest son,

JAMES ANDREWS (1762-1841), of The Old House, Comber, County Down, married Frances Glenny, and was father of

JOHN ANDREWS JP (1792-1864), of Uraghmore, near Comber, High Sheriff of County Down, 1857, who wedded, in 1826, Sarah, daughter of Dr William Drennan, of Cabin Hill, County Down, by Sarah Swanwick, his wife, and had issue,

James, JP;
William Drennan;
John, JP;
THOMAS, of whom hereafter;
Sarah; Sarah; Frances.

The fourth son,

THE RT HON THOMAS ANDREWS DL (1843-1916), of Ardara House, Comber, County Down, sworn of the Privy Council in Ireland on the occasion of the Royal Visit, 1903, married, in 1870, Eliza, daughter of James Alexander Pirrie, of Little Clandeboye, County Down, and sister of James, 1st Viscount Pirrie, and had issue,

JOHN MILLER, his heir;
Thomas;
James (Rt Hon Sir), cr Baronet, 1942;
William;
Eliza Montgomery (Nina).

The eldest son,

THE RT HON JOHN MILLER ANDREWS CH DL (1871-1956), of Maxwell Court, Comber, MP for County Down, 1921-9, Mid-Down, 1929-53, PRIME MINISTER OF NORTHERN IRELAND, 1940-3, wedded, in 1902, Jessie, eldest daughter of Joseph Ormrod, and had issue,

JOHN LAWSON ORMROD;
Nina Morie; Josephine Miller; Lizzie Jean.

The only son,

THE RT HON SIR JOHN (Jack) ORMROD MILLER ANDREWS KBE DL (1903-86), of Maxwell Court, MP for Mid-Down, 1954-64, married, in 1928, Marjorie Elaine Maynard, daughter of Alfred Morgan James, and had issue,

JOHN MAYNARD JAMES, of whom hereafter;
Thomas Miller, of Ardara, b 1938;
Charles James Morgan, of Ballymaleddy, b 1945;
Heather Lilian Elaine, b 1932.

Jack Andrews was the Northern Ireland Minister of Commerce, 1961-63, and Minister of Finance, 1963-64.

On his elevation to the NI Senate he became Leader of the Upper House, and in 1969 took on the role of Deputy Prime Minister. 

He was appointed a Privy Councillor in 1957, a Deputy Lieutenant in 1961, and was invested as a Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1974 New Year's Honours List. 

Jack was a member of the Unionist delegation which went to Downing Street in 1972 immediately before the imposition of direct rule from Westminster. In 1974 he resigned from his position as President of the Unionist Council following that body's decision to reject the Sunningdale Agreement - a move which led to the resignation of Brian Faulkner as Unionist leader. 

With Brian Faulkner he helped found the pro-power-sharing Unionist Party of Northern Ireland (UPNI) which was wound up in 1981. Jack retired from politics in the late 1970s. 

He died on 12 January 1986. His two sons Tom and John and grandson Johnny continued to manage the flax spinning mill until its closure in 1997.

His eldest son,

JOHN MAYNARD JAMES ANDREWS (1929-2014), Director, John Andrews and Company, espoused, in 1957, Edith Morna, daughter of Reginald Redvers Hunter, and had issue,

JOHN (Johnny) WILLIAM HUNTER;
Charles Robert;
Elaine Mary.

ARDARA HOUSE, Comber, County Down, was built ca 1871-2 for Thomas Andrews.

It was probably designed by Thomas Jackson, an architect who is believed to have already carried out work for the Andrews family.

The original house comprised the eastern portion of the present building, a relatively simple, hipped-roof house without the curved side bays.

Letters written by Thomas Andrews between 1871 and 1872 apprise us that his new house was built by a Ferdinand Fitzsimons, and that work appears to have been completed by September, 1872.

Between 1895 and 1900 Ardara was considerably enlarged to the west side, giving the building a slightly unorthodox, rectangular plan with a short front façade.

The curved bays were probably also added to the north and south facades of the original section at this time.

The changes, which reflected much of the original styling, may have been carried out by Thomas Jackson’s son, Anthony.

Included within the new section of the house was a large billiards-room, whose dark wood panelling is believed to have been the work of craftsmen later employed in the building of the Titanic, no doubt hired by Andrew’s son, Thomas, junior, the man who later designed, and perished on, the ill-fated liner.

About 1988, Ardara House was divided into six apartments by the architect Edward Bell.

MAXWELL COURT, near Comber, County Down, may date from the middle to later 18th century.

It was probably built by the Wilsons (David Wilson was a merchant and ship owner in Belfast, and gave his name to Wilson’s Court in that city).

There is an entry in a street directory of 1824 under the name ‘Maxwell Court’, the property of William Wilson-Maxwell, who may have given it the name.

By 1835 the house passed to a certain James Kearns (sometimes written as Cairns), who lived there until at least 1846.

By 1856 it was the residence of James Anderson, but by 1863 was apparently vacant, with ownership in the hands of "the representatives of George Crea".

Maxwell Court does not seem to have had a permanent resident until at least 1870; but by 1883 the house and its farm had been bought by John Andrews & Company, the owners of the nearby spinning-mill.

Eliza, wife of Thomas Andrews, inherited Maxwell Court on the death of her uncle, John Miller, who died without issue, his wife, Agnes (née Pirrie) having predeceased him.

Eliza Taylor later gifted the house to John Miller Andrews shortly after his marriage.

The present, two and a half storey, central section is the original house might well date from the 18th century.

The side wings may have been original, or added early in the building’s life, but discrepancies in the dimensions compiled in 1835, and their present appearance, suggests that they were completely altered (or rebuilt) in the late 19th or early 20th century.

The major changes to the house, however, appear to have been effected by the Andrews family, when they acquired the property ca 1883.

At the rear, the gabled, two-storey section may have been added (or extended) in the late 1800s or early 20th century along with the dormers.

A photograph of the house dating from the post-1883 period shows the dormers and indicates the presence of the rear section; however, the central, gabled bay and the bays to the side wings are not present, indicating that the principal Andrews’ modifications to the property were carried out at different stages.

The long rear return likely dates from ca 1915-20, a period when much of the interior appears to have been renovated also.

The front bays may have been added at this point.

The farm buildings to the south and west of the main house are in part pre-1834, but most appear to date from the late 1800s and are probably all of Andrews’ construction.

The corn mill to the south of the house was once part of the greater Maxwell Court estate, but was sold off and converted to a dwelling in the 1980s.

First published in December, 2018.

Floral Hall, Belfast

The Floral Hall is located at Belfast Zoo, Antrim Road, Belfast.

It is a substantial, two storey, modernist style concert-dance hall and café built 1935-36 for Belfast Corporation, with a capacity of up to 1,000.

The building consists of a circular, shallow, domed hall with a flat-roofed foyer, stage or service blocks, and a semi-circular portico.

The Hall, owned by Belfast City Council, last served as a concert venue in 1972.

Sadly it is currently disused and in poor repair.

The Floral Hall is situated within the grounds of Belfast Zoo, on high ground to the west of Antrim Road.

The entire façade  is finished in plain-painted render.

The Hall has a relatively shallow domed roof which is covered in bituminous felt.

Projecting from the ground floor of the taller section is a semicircular flat-roofed entrance portico with plain columns with a curving taper supporting a tall plain rendered frieze.

Within the portico (and following the semi-circular plan form) there are a series of doors (currently boarded over).

Stone semi-circular steps fan out from the base of the portico.

In the centre of the second floor there is a small, painted moulding of the Belfast coat-of-arms.

The moulding and the large window to the first floor are both set within a broad, but shallow, bay which rises to a typically Art Deco stepped parapet, upon which is set the words "floral hall" in large lettering set on a projecting frame.

These letters are in a sans-serif lower-case typeface.

Behind these letters (and directly above the coat-of-arms) is a tall, angular, Art Deco pediment moulding with reducing edges.

The Floral Hall is the only example of this type of building in the Art Deco style in Northern Ireland and one of a very few remaining Art Deco structures of any type.

Originally Belfast Corporation decided to build a playground and pleasure gardens (Bellevue Gardens) to encourage customers and provide a recreational area.

During the 1920s and 30s Bellevue was a popular destination for day excursions, and in 1933 it was decided to have a "representative zoological collection" on the site.

In 1934, twelve acres on either side of the "Grand Floral Staircase" was laid out as Bellevue Zoo, with the Hall following two years later, just to the south of the zoo itself.

The building boasted a spacious stage, seating for up to 1,000 people, with a striking interior colour scheme comprising mainly blue, gold and tangerine

It was built and fitted out by Messrs J & R Taggart at the cost of £14,520 (£900,000 today).

The Hall continued in regular use as a ballroom and concert venue during the 2nd World War, with "blackouts" fitted to the windows so that dances could continue.

It retained its popularity in the austere post-war years, attracting up to 130,000 people in 1947.

In the 1950s and 1960s it became a regular venue for show bands and, occasionally, more ground-breaking acts - the original Pink Floyd line up played there in April, 1967.

Roller-skating was introduced to the Hall in 1965.

With the outbreak of "The Troubles" in 1969 audiences declined, and the hall was closed in April, 1972.

Despite being used as a counting-centre for the Northern Ireland Border Poll in 1973, and occasional dances in the mid 1970s, the building has largely remained closed to the general public.

In recent years it has been used occasionally as a store by the zoo, which has expanded to occupy the land surrounding the hall itself.

Photo credit: Spatial Pan - http://www.flickr.com/photos/spatial_pan/4330505942/

The Belfast Buildings Trust (BBT) has been in negotiations with Belfast City Council about the possibility of restoring the Floral Hall to its former glory.

Plans have progressed and the Council is keen to see the building restored.

Discussions are now centred on the possibility of providing a wedding and conference facility in conjunction with an education facility for the zoo that would help with regeneration in north Belfast.

In advance of this, BBT is launching an oral history project to gather and document the memories associated with Floral Hall and to capture the public’s affection for the building. 

First published in January, 2015.

1st Baron Cushendun

TORQUIL MacNEILL, born ca 1380, Chief of the Clan Neill, of Taynish and Gigha, Constable of Castle Sween, in Knapdale, Argyllshire, was father of

HECTOR McNEILL, Constable of Castle Sween, 1463-72, whose eldest son, 

NEILL McNEILL, was father of

NEILL McNEILL, of Taynish, who became his heir-in-law to Gigha in 1554.

His eldest son, 

TORQUIL McNEILL, of Taynish and Gigha, had two sons, of whom the elder,

NEILL McNEILL, had, with other issue, a second son,

NEILL OGE McNEILL, of Durlocher, father of

LACHLAN McNEILL, of Terfergus and Losset, Argyllshire, who wedded firstly, Mary McNeill, of Colonsay, and had a large family.

The third son,

NEILL McNEILL, settled in County Antrim, 1676, and married Rose Stuart, of Garry, in the same county, by whom he had issue,

LACHLAN McNEILL, of Cushendun, County Antrim, who wedded Jane Macnaghten, of Benvarden, County Antrim, and had several children.

The eldest son,

NEILL McNEILL, of Cushendun, espoused Christian Hamilton, of Londonderry, and was father of

EDMUND McNEILL, of Cushendun, who married Elizabeth, daughter of John Hamilton, of Londonderry.

Mr McNeill died in 1790, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

EDMUND ALEXANDER McNEILL JP (c1785-1879), of Cushendun, who was served heir, in 1815, to the entailed estate of Ugadale, in Kintyre; but in an action to recover possession, was defeated by the prescriptive title of the occupier.

He wedded, in 1817, Rose, eldest daughter of Alexander McNeile JP, of Colliers Hall, Ballycastle, and had, with other issue,

EDMUND McNEILL JP DL (1821-1915), of Craigdun and Cushendun, County Antrim, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1879, who married, in 1851, Mary, eldest daughter of Alexander Miller, of Ballycastle, by Jane, his wife, second daughter of Alexander McNeile, of Colliers Hall, and had, with other issue,

RONALD JOHN McNEILL, 1ST BARON CUSHENDUN PC DL.

The Rt Hon Ronald John McNeill (1861-1934), statesman, parliamentarian, was elevated to the peerage, in 1927, in the dignity of BARON CUSHENDUN, of Cushendun, County Antrim.

A barrister by profession, he was elected Member of Parliament for Kent, St. Austine's Division between 1911-27; Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs between 1922-24; Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs between 1924-25; Financial Secretary to the Treasury between 1925-27.

Lord Cushendun was appointed a privy counsellor in 1927, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 1927-29.

Lord Cushendun took his title from the village designed by Clough Williams-Ellis in memory of his Cornish wife, Maud, who died in 1925.

He was acting Foreign Secretary in 1928.

Lord Cushendun retired from office in 1929, and died five years later in Cushendun.

He married Elizabeth Maud Bolitho in 1884, and they had three daughters:

Esther Rose;
Loveday Violet;
Mary Morvenna Bolitho.

Elizabeth, Lady Cushendun, died in 1925.

Lord Cushendun married Catherine Sydney Louisa Margesson as his second wife in 1930. She survived him, dying in 1939.

He died without male issue in 1934, when the title became extinct.

GLENMONA HOUSE, Neo-Georgian in style, was built in 1923 to replace an earlier house which was burnt in 1922.

The National Trust remarks that Glenmona Lodge was built around 1834 and later enlarged by Michael Harrison.

Ronald John McNeill, 1st Baron Cushendun came to live at Glenmona in 1910 and set about transforming the village.

His rebuilding of Glenmona House, however, was forced upon him when the IRA burned the house down in 1922.

He consequently commissioned Clough Williams-Ellis to design a new house, built from the remaining shell of the original. A new wing was added to the side.

The house, along with most of the McNeills' property in the village, was bought by the National Trust in 1954.

For several years the house was leased to the Health and Social Care Board and used as a nursing home.

It has since, however, been taken back by the National Trust. Since then, the local community and key stakeholders have been involved in an ongoing consultation about its future.

The family's main residence became CRAIGDUN CASTLE; while Glenmona was increasingly used as a holiday home.

Glenmona comprises two storeys at the front and three at the rear.

The principal front has two, three-sided bows joined by an arcade on Tuscan columns.

The roof is high with a solid parapet; external shutters to the windows.

Glenmona was originally a residence of General the 3rd Viscount O'Neill (1780-1855).

Former London residence ~ 18 Cadogan Place.

First published in May, 2010.

Sir James Matheson Bt

SIR JAMES NICOLAS SUTHERLAND MATHESON, BARONET, WAS THE GREATEST LANDOWNER IN ROSS-SHIRE, WITH 406,070 ACRES

Of the Shiness branch of the Mathesons, so named from their having held that place as a mortgage for several centuries, there are several notices in Sir Robert Gordon’s History of the Earldom of Sutherland, who mentions the family as chief of the name, in 1616.

Of this family was Colonel George Matheson, who accompanied Sir Donald Mackay of Farr, afterwards Lord Reay, into the service of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, and obtained a grant of the family coat of arms from CHARLES I, in 1639.

In the last century the family was represented by

NIEL MATHESON (1700-75), having had an only son,

DUNCAN MATHESON, who died young, in 1746, from wounds received in a skirmish connected with the rebellion of 1745.

He married Elizabeth Mackay, of Mowdil.

His widow married secondly, Dr Archibald Campbell, with whom she emigrated in 1772 to America, and had a numerous progeny. Her youngest son, George Washington Campbell, was finance minister of the United States in 1813, and in 1818 was appointed ambassador extraordinary to the court of St Petersburg.

Duncan Matheson had an only son,

CAPTAIN DONALD MATHESON (1746-1810), who married Catherine, eldest daughter of the Rev Thomas Mackay, minister of Lairg, by whom he had three sons and six daughters.

His second son,

JAMES NICOLAS SUTHERLAND MATHESON (1796-1878), of Achany and the Lews, married, in 1843, Mary Jane, fourth daughter of M H Perceval, of Quebec.

Mr Matheson was created a baronet in 1851, designated of The Lews, Ross-shire.

Sir James died without issue, in 1878, when the baronetcy expired.

LEWS CASTLE is located west of the town of Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland.

It was built ca 1847-57 as a country house for Sir James Matheson, who had bought the whole island for £500,000 (about £54 million today) a few years previously with his fortune from the Chinese Opium trade.

It was designed by the Glasgow architect Charles Wilson.

On Sir James's decease in 1878 the estate fell to his widow, Mary, and subsequently to his nephew Donald and grand-nephew Colonel Duncan Matheson.

For financial reasons the Lewis estate and the Castle were put on the market in 1917.

In 1918, the Lewis estate, including the castle, was bought by industrialist Lord Leverhulme from the Matheson family.

He gifted the castle to the people of Stornoway parish in 1923.

During the 2nd World War the Castle was taken over as accommodation for air and ground crew of 700 Naval Air Squadron, who operated a detachment of six Supermarine Walrus aircraft from a slipway at Cuddy Point in the Grounds. The base was referred to as HMS Mentor.

After the war, the Castle was also used for accommodation for students of Lews Castle College in the 1950s.

Today the building is owned by the local council and is protected as a category A listed building.

Lews Castle was awarded £4.6 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2011, to enable it to be converted into a bilingual museum and cultural centre.

First published in January, 2014.

Stormont House

Entrance Front

SPEAKER'S HOUSE (now Stormont House) is a neo-Georgian two-storey red-brick building of 1926, located within the Stormont Estate to the south-east of Parliament Buildings.

A stepped-stone, paved rear terrace is enclosed to the rear garden by a rough-hewn sandstone wall.

Speaker’s House was the first building to be erected as part of the redevelopment of the Stormont Estate in east Belfast.

Following the Government of Ireland Act (1920) Stormont Castle estate was selected as the home of the newly-formed Northern Ireland Government and Parliament.

The Stormont Estate was acquired by the Commissioners of Public Works and Buildings of HM Government in 1921 at a cost of £20,334 (ca £900,000 in 2015).

However, the Parliament Buildings were not completed and opened until 1932.

The architect chosen to design Speaker’s House was Ralph Knott (1878-1929), a partner in Knott & Collins.

Knott is best known for designing London County Hall opposite Westminster, and was originally selected by the Board of Works to design the Parliament Buildings.

He was, however, replaced as architect by Arnold Thornely.

Despite losing the contract for designing the main block of Parliament Buildings, Knott was still contracted to design a pair of parallel administration blocks that would accommodate the civil service offices.

Garden Front

Knott did, nevertheless, complete Speaker’s House in 1926.

Following the partition of Ireland, architecture in Ulster did not immediately follow modern trends but embraced a neo-Georgian revival.

Hugh Dixon, MBE, states that buildings of this type possessed their own distinct identities, but derived some elements from earlier buildings in Ulster.

Speaker’s House, along with T F O Rippingham’s contemporary series of police stations, possesses features such as a hipped roof, Georgian multi-pane glazing and side chimneys.

Focussing on Rippingham’s police stations, Mr Dixon wrote that neo-Georgian architecture was popular in newly-formed Northern Ireland as the style ‘was an environmental success, blending with the older buildings along the streets of Ulster’s towns, or taking its place quietly in more isolated country situations." 

In the case of Speaker’s House, it was clear that the neo-Georgian style could also be successfully applied to state buildings, remarked Mr Dixon.

Speaker’s House was the official residence of the Speaker of the NI House of Commons until 1945, when the present Lord Dunleath's grandfather, Sir Harry Mulholland Bt MP, retired.

Thereafter, it became the residence of the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Sir Basil Brooke Bt (Sir Harry Mulholland's brother-in-law).

Sir Harry purchased Sir Basil's town residence, Storbrooke, on Massey Avenue, thereby effectively doing a house-swap.

Since the devolution of government, Stormont House is no longer the Speaker's residence.

It was used by the Northern Ireland Office until 2022, when the NIO moved to a new office in Chichester Street, Belfast.

The building was extended in the 1970s when a large two-storey administration complex was added to its eastern side.

First published in October, 2014.  Acknowledgments: The Lord Dunleath and DOENI Historic Buildings Branch.

Glyde Court

THE FOSTER BARONETS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LOUTH, WITH 3,442 ACRES

JOHN FOSTER (1665-1747), of Dunleer, County Louth, Mayor of Dunleer, married, in 1704, Elizabeth, youngest daughter of William Fortescue, of Newrath, County Louth, and had issue,

Anthony (1705-79), ancestor of Lord Oriel;
THOMAS, of whom presently;
John William, MP, of Dunleer;
Margaret; Alice; Charlotte.

The second son,

THE REV DR THOMAS FOSTER (1709-84), Rector of Dunleer, wedded, in 1740, Dorothy, daughter of William Burgh, of Birt, County Kildare, and had issue, an only child,

JOHN THOMAS FOSTER (1747-96), of Dunleer, MP for Dunleer, 1776-83, who espoused, in 1776, the Lady Elizabeth Hervey, daughter of Frederick, 4th Earl of Bristol and Lord Bishop of Derry, and had issue,

Frederick Thomas, born 1777;
AUGUSTUS JOHN, of whom hereafter;
Elizabeth.

His younger son, 

THE RT HON SIR AUGUSTUS VERE FOSTER GCH (1780-1848), of Stonehouse, County Louth, married, in 1815, Albina Jane, daughter of the Hon George Vere Hobart, and had issue,

FREDERICK GEORGE, his successor;
CAVENDISH HERVEY, 3rd Baronet;
Vere Henry Lewis.

Mr Foster was knighted 1825 for his diplomatic services (which were not particularly distinguished, since his manners were not conciliating).

Sir Augustus was created a baronet in 1831, designated of Glyde Court, County Louth.

The influence of his stepfather William, 5th Duke of Devonshire, was exercised at the instance of his mother, the Duke's second wife.

The 1st Baronet, who committed suicide, was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR FREDERICK GEORGE FOSTER, 2nd Baronet (1816-1857), who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his next brother,

THE REV SIR CAVENDISH HERVEY FOSTER, 3rd Baronet (1817-1890), who married, in 1844, Isabella, daughter of the Rev John Todd, and had issue,

JOHN FREDERICK, his successor;
Hervey;
Jane Vere.

Sir Cavendish was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR AUGUSTUS VERE FOSTER, 4th Baronet (1873-1947), JP DL, Captain, Norfolk Yeomanry, who married, in 1894, Charlotte Philippa Marion, daughter of the Rev Henry Edward Browne ffolkes, and had issue,

ANTHONY VERE (1908-34);
Philippa Eugenie Vere; Dorothy Elizabeth Charlotte Vere.

The baronetcy became extinct in 1947 following the decease of the 4th and last Baronet.

GLYDE COURT, near Tallanstown, County Louth, was a late 18th century house with a long elevation, remodelled in the 19th century in Jacobean style.

The long elevation had curvilinear gables and two curved bows.

The main entrance was at one end of the house, where there was a shorter front with two gabled projections joined by an arcaded cloister.

The last baronet to live at Glyde Court, Sir Augustus, features in a romantic Edwardian family portrait by Sir William Orpen KBE, on display at the National Gallery of Ireland.

First published in April, 2013.