Gartside-Tipping of Rossferry

The family of TIPPING (anciently Typpinge) had its origin from a village or hamlet of the same name, situated in the township of Clayton-le-Dale, Lancashire. The mansion house, called Tipping Hall, appears to have been possessed by a family bearing the local name certainly as early as the reign of EDWARD III, but probably much earlier.

The family became divided into two branches at the beginning of the 16th century, the elder of which was eventually dignified with a baronetcy, in the person of Sir Thomas Tipping, of Wheatfield, Oxfordshire. The younger Lancashire branch settled at Preston, and afterwards removed to Manchester, where they became possessed of good estates.

RICHARD TIPPING, an alderman of Preston, Lancashire, during the reign of HENRY VII, is recorded as such in the corporation rolls, 1500.

He was succeeded by (most probably his son),

THOMAS TIPPING, Alderman and Mayor of Preston, 1534, 1541-4, who married and had issue, four sons,

Robert, whose descendants remained at Preston;

RICHARD, of whom hereafter;

Evan;

Thomas.

Thomas Tipping was Mayor of the Guild of Preston when his four sons are recorded in the rolls as attending.

His second son,

RICHARD TIPPING, of Manchester, gave to his mansion house the name of Tipping Gates.

He married and had issue, three sons and four daughters.

Mr Tipping died in 1592, and was succeeded by his son,

RICHARD TIPPING, of Tipping Gates, Manchester, who espoused, in 1614, Alice Diggles, of Booth Hall, near Manchester, and had issue.

He died in 1621, and was succeeded by his son and heir,

GEORGE TIPPING (1618-84), of Tipping Gates, Manchester, and of Cheetham Hill, who left, by Jane his wife, a son and heir,

SAMUEL TIPPING (1649-1733), merchant, of Tipping Gates, Manchester, and Cheetham Hill, who wedded Constance, daughter (it is believed) of Adam Byrom, of Kersal, Lancashire, and had issue,

THOMAS TIPPING (1690-1760), of Cheetham Hill, who wedded, in 1716-17, Martha Taylor, of Manchester, and had issue, eleven sons and five daughters, of whom

THOMAS TIPPING (1716-83), of Cheetham Hill, married firstly, in 1741, Esther, daughter of Joseph Bancroft, of Manchester, and had issue, four sons and two daughters; and secondly, in 1773, Katherine Mundy, of Markeaton, Derbyshire, but by her had no issue.

He was succeeded by his son,

JOSEPH TIPPING (1743-1800), of Crumpsall Hall, Lancashire, who married, in 1768, Anne, daughter and heir of Robert Gartside, of Little Bolton Manor, Lancashire, and had issue, three daughters and one surviving son,

THOMAS TIPPING (1774-1886), Lord of the Manor of Bolton, Lancashire, resident at Davenport Hall, Cheshire, who wedded, in 1810, Anna, eldest daughter of Robert Hibbert, of Birtles, Cheshire, and Chalfont Park, Buckinghamshire, and had issue,

GARTSIDE, of whom hereafter;

Vernon (Rev), Rector of Lawton;

Edmond Joseph, of Davenport Hall;

Alfred, of Longparish House;

Francis Gartside (Rev).

Mr Tipping was succeeded by his eldest son,

GARTSIDE GARTSIDE-TIPPING JP (1810-90), of Bolton, Lancashire, and Ross Ferry House, County Fermanagh, who espoused, in 1844, Jane Margaret, eldest daughter of Robert Fowler, of Rahinston, County Meath, by the Lady Jane Crichton his wife, sister of John, 3rd Earl of Erne, of Crom Castle, and had issue,

Henry Thomas, late of Quarr Wood and Bolton;

ROBERT FRANCIS, CB, of whom we treat;

Cavendish Walter, Brigadier, Army Service Corps;

Louisa Letitia Jane; Anna Selina; Mildred Harriette; Alice Margaret.

Mr Gartside-Tipping's second son,

ROBERT FRANCIS GARTSIDE-TIPPING CB (1852-1926), of Ross Ferry, County Fermanagh, 1st Duke of York's Own Lancers (Skinner's Horse), Colonel, Bengal Cavalry, wedded, in 1885, Jane, daughter of James Henry Sclater, of Newick Park, Sussex, and had issue, two daughters,

Margaret Cecil;

Evelyn Rachel.

Having retired, by 1911 Colonel Gartside-Tipping was living at Davenport Hall, Cheshire, with his wife, daughter and a staff of seven.

He died at Kensington on the 16th December, 1926, and is buried at Brompton Cemetery.

Rossferry House (Image: Lisnaskea Historical Society/Richard Gordon)

ROSS FERRY HOUSE, County Fermanagh, stood directly south-east of St Hubert's, opposite the island of Inish Rath, Upper Lough Erne.

Mark Bence-Jones, in Burke's Guide to Country Houses, describes it very briefly as a house of mixed 19th century aspect; Wyatt windows with Georgian astragals; pointed gables, some with bargeboards; and a tall tower capped with fancily-bargeboarded gables. 

Ross Ferry demesne (historic OS map)

To my knowledge, little has been recounted of Ross Ferry, or Rossferry, a close neighbour of St Hubert's, located in a singularly idyllic spot on Lough Erne overlooking Inish Rath.

J A K Dean, in his Plight of the Big House in Northern Ireland, has written about Rossferry on page 108.

Rossferry (Image: Lisnaskea Historical Society/Richard Gordon)

Rossferry was leased in the late 1890s and early 1900s by Captain the Hon Cyril Ward MVO RN (1876-1930), whose brother William, 2nd Earl of Dudley (Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1902-5), stayed with him during the yachting season on Lough Erne.

I am grateful to Linda Swindle of Lisnaskea Historical Society for invaluable assistance in obtaining images of Rossferry House.