Belle Isle: VII

JULIAN BROWN RECALLS VISITS TO NECARNE CASTLE, COUNTY FERMANAGH

I have written earlier about being brought up at Belle Isle Castle and of the occupants of that beautiful place whom I knew as a child.

I am now writing all of my recollections of Belle Isle, Necarne, Corrard, and Ireland in those days, and the following is an extract from my memories concerning Necarne.

I have always been fascinated by big houses and stories of people who lived in them.

Perhaps it was growing up at Belle Isle that kindled this interest but it has always been with me.

My first memory of Necarne was gossip overheard in the Belle Isle kitchens. 

Mr Hermon had sold all the furniture! The roof was leaking!

There were hens roosting in the drawing-room at night!

I had no idea what Necarne looked like except that it was a castle and Mr Hermon used to live in it.

Until one day, when I was a small boy, my father had to call at Necarne and took me along in the Land Rover for company.

I will never forget the first time I saw the castle: My father drove through the large gates and entered the grounds; he drove along the avenue and, coming suddenly round a bend and through some trees, it was there. 

I was enthralled.

A long and battlemented building, honey coloured, with a row of gables running along the top; turrets at the ends and round towers rising behind the body of the castle.

I saw tall chimneys, arched windows and massive doors.

The Land Rover kept moving but I was pressed to the window, trying to take it all in. It was wonderful.

I would have loved to get closer to it but Esmond would have none of that. 

He picked up what he came for and we left by the back road, that was all I saw of Necarne for years; but my curiosity was fully aroused.

In the years to come, I learned a great deal about Necarne and spent many memorable times there... 

*****

THE FOLLOWING IS A FURTHER EXTRACT FROM THE LAST PART OF MY NECARNE CHAPTER

Porter of Belle Isle

WHEN Nicholas Henry Archdale Porter died in 1973, Vida Leigh and Tiggy Brunt moved from Belle Isle Castle to Necarne and lived with Captain Richard Outram Hermon.

The place of residence was not Necarne Castle itself but a lovely house beside it known as the Gardener's House, a fine Georgian building, beautifully proportioned and elegant. 

I believe it would originally have been the Dower House.

I was now living in England and it was strange coming back to Ireland knowing that my old friends were no longer at Belle Isle.

When I came home in August 1974, Vida invited my parents, Esmond and Pearl; Paul, an English friend of mine; and me, to dinner one evening at Necarne.

We arrived at the Gardener's House on a warm and sunny summer evening.

This was the first time I had seen the house: It was a solid two storey Georgian structure with a central door to which Richard Hermon had added pillars, for no other reason but to make the house look more imposing. 

There were casement windows, one either side of the front door and three above.

The house had an elegant drawing-room of a good size, a small dining-room and an old-fashioned kitchen.

There was a further back kitchen and another small room downstairs. 

We sat in the drawing-room for drinks and Vida and Tiggy seemed perfectly happy and adjusted to their new home.

Dick Hermon was present and perfectly agreeable, he had always got on with my father and they chatted away about farming.

The drawing-room had two sofas and some chairs set around a marble fireplace.

There were little tables scattered about and a small desk in a recessed side window alcove.

Mahogany shelving had been fitted on the back wall and was filled with books. 

There was a gilt-edged mirror over the fireplace and some of Vida Leigh’s paintings on the walls - two interior views of Belle Isle and a portrait of Nicholas Porter.

Vida very kindly gave me a copy of one of the paintings of the hall at Belle Isle Castle.  

We all crowded into the small dining-room: a circular table surrounded by chairs, a sideboard and a crystal chandelier over the table.

There was a hatch between the dining-room and kitchen and Tiggy pushed the food through and served the meal.

We had braised duck and a selection of vegetables followed by a summer pudding. 

The pudding was made from fresh raspberries and blackcurrants soaked in wine and packed into a brown bread mould and chilled.

It was a lovely meal.

Vida chatted throughout the dinner and explained how she had prepared the dishes.

On the way home in the car later, my mother laughingly told us that Vida had not prepared anything.

She liked to take credit but Tiggy had done the work! 

It was always the same. My mother knew Vida through and through and was familiar with her ways.

Dear Tiggy had smiled demurely and said nothing!

It would be wrong, however, to give the impression that Tiggy was slighted.

The sisters were devoted and Tiggy understood her sister’s need for glory!

The walls of the long and narrow hall in the Gardener's House were covered with row after row of framed 18th and 19th century political cartoons that had been on the walls of the landing above the Tudor Gallery in Belle Isle Castle.

Lavinia Baird had disliked them and gave them all to Vida Leigh in the 1970s.  

While the party was talking after dinner I wandered across to the castle.

It was still light and the sun shone on the beautiful stonework.

It was, on close examination, a sorry sight: the glass was missing from some of the windows and I leaped over one of the sills and entered a large room. 

There was evidence of water damage everywhere, ceilings were hanging down; there was debris and muck on the floors.

Doors were missing and there were signs of vandalism.

Everywhere was desolation and damage.

There were traces of wall coverings, carvings, mouldings and intricate plasterwork.

It had clearly been a beautiful place.

A voice shouted through the window.

It was Tom McKervey, the old butler.

He was retired but still lived nearby.

I knew Tom well from my childhood and he greeted me warmly but added a warning; “don’t go up the stairs, the floors are rotten and it is dangerous.” 

I could not resist a look.

Gingerly I made my way to a landing which was even more depressing.

Tiggy told me, on a later occasion, that around that time some children ran amok in the derelict castle and tossed loose and crumbling stonework from the battlemented towers into the gardens below. 

The castle’s windows were boarded up to preserve what was left.

It was a sorry end to one of Fermanagh’s beautiful buildings.

Later that evening, we sat in the drawing-room and then Vida jumped up and said “come on,” we all followed her and trooped upstairs to her bedroom.

Vida reclined on the bed and we all sat around.

Some more drinks were produced and we chatted for a couple of hours. 

It was like old times at Belle Isle, Vida had always enjoyed holding court in her room.

It was a lovely room, too, but nothing compared to the one she had used at Belle Isle.

We were shown round the upstairs rooms and Vida remarked on a tapestry on the wall in Mr Hermon’s room.

It was old and had been with him at the castle.

I wish I had paid more attention because I cannot remember what she said, but I think it may well have been Gobelins. 

Apparently it was one of the few possessions he had retained from the castle.

Richard Hermon had been in an affable mood all evening and I broached the subject of the castle.

He said that it was not practical after the war to keep it up and it was no good rattling around a place like that on your own. 

I knew better than to pursue the matter but do recall Lavinia Baird saying once that had Mr Hermon spent a couple of thousand pounds when the roof started to leak and, repaired, it would still be sound.

She said it would now cost a fortune to bring it back.

At the end of a most enjoyable evening at Necarne, we made ready to leave.

Again, this is a memory that sticks in my mind: we walked along in front of the gardener's house, passing a small ornate stone wall; there was a donkey on the grass behind it.

It was a clear, silent night and Vida linked arms with my father as we walked back to the car.

Tiggy was chatting to me; we all embraced and said good night. 

I never saw Vida again.

In the next year she developed a swelling on one of her legs, she was taken into hospital in Omagh, County Tyrone; she died shortly afterwards.

The period that followed was interesting, because Richard Hermon had always admired Vida but had tended to be a little distant from Tiggy.

Now they were left alone together they got on remarkably well. 

I saw them out driving on a couple of occasions together.

Richard Hermon died in June 1976 and left the Necarne Estate to Tiggy’s nephew, Pierce Brunt.

Vida and Tiggy had a brother, Nigel, who never came to live in Ireland but had visited occasionally. Pierce was his son. 

 

Richard Hermon had arranged that Tiggy (right) was to be able to remain in the Gardener's House for the rest of her life.

Tiggy remained at Necarne for some years.

I always went to see her when I was in Ireland and we kept up a correspondence.

She was always cheerful and amusing but it must have been lonely for her though she never said so. 

She took on a lease of life for a while after Richard Hermon’s death and would take herself into Enniskillen and have her hair done!

Soon she settled into a quiet existence with her little dog.

She only had one now: Penny, a brown and white Jack Russell terrier.

There were still people around Irvinestown and Necarne who had worked for Richard Hermon, and they were good to Tiggy. 

I saw Tiggy a few more times, once my sister Audrey and two of her young children came with me, Helen and James.

Helen sat close to her mother and James played with the dog.

We were in the kitchen of the Gardener's House.

It was an old-fashioned room with a range, a flagstone floor and large cream-coloured glass-fronted cupboards full of blue and white china.

On one wall behind a sheet of glass were a series of impressionist watercolours. 

They had been in the summer-house at Mullaghmore originally and belonged to Vida.

I remember Vida telling me they were French.

I recall them distinctly: they were all of a young fair-haired man standing among flowers and shrubs in an idyllic landscape. 

I have a feeling they will turn up on an antiques programme one day and be worth a fortune!

Tiggy was delighted to see Audrey; they had always been friends.

Tiggy laughed and said “You were always slimming Audrey when you were growing up, look at you now, seven children later and still slim!”

Audrey laughed and responded, “Oh no!” Tiggy smiled and said “There’s not a scrap on you!”

They chatted on in this vein quite happily and I took some pictures.

The last time I saw Tiggy we spent several hours together in her kitchen, she brought out a box of old photographs and there were some fascinating glimpses of the past, including a series of pictures of the interiors of Alton Castle in the 1920s; and one picture of Nicholas Porter as a young man standing in front of Belle Isle wearing a cape, standing with his arms outstretched and bowing slightly.

He looked very whimsical, perfectly capturing the spirit of the ‘bright young things’ of the 1920s.

I wish I had asked for a copy, it was so striking.

Tiggy made some tea and produced cakes, and then we went for a short walk by the castle with the little dog.

Tiggy was so sympathetic for everyone else: “Poor Vida, how difficult it was for her, in her last days;” and “Dear Richard, he did miss Vida so.”

Never any complaint about her own situation.

We said good-bye at last and I promised to call again soon, but it was not to be. 

Tiggy died within the year and I never went back to the gardener's house.

I hope someone at Necarne looked after little Penny, but I feel sure they did.

First published in April, 2010.

Classiebawn Castle

THE VISCOUNTS PALMERSTON WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY SLIGO, WITH 12,436 ACRES

The TEMPLES, from whom this family paternally, and the ducal house of Buckingham and Chandos maternally, descend, are said to have been of Saxon origin, and to have sprung immediately from the son and heir of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia,

EDWYN, who was deprived of the earldom by WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR, and killed in defending himself against the Normans in 1071.

This Edywn left a son,

EDWYN, styled Earl of Leicester and Coventry, who is said to have assumed the surname of TEMPLE from the manor of Temple, in the hundred of Sparkenhoe, Wellsborough,

"Which manor was given by the ancient Earls of Leicester to the Knights Templar, who usually give the name of TEMPLE to their lands, and they granted it to one whose family was called Temple, of great account and livelihood in those parts."

Be this, however, as it may,

HENRY DE TEMPLE was Lord of Temple and Little Shepey in the reign of the CONQUEROR, and from him descended

THOMAS TEMPLE, of Whitney, Oxfordshire, whose great-grandson,

PETER TEMPLE, received a grant of the manor of Butlers Marston, in Warwickshire, and purchased, in 1560, the right which Laurence Denet had therein.

This Peter being likewise lord of the manor of Stowe, Buckinghamshire, his descendants fixed their residence there.

He married Millicent, daughter of William Jekyl, of Newington, Middlesex, and had two sons,

John, the elder, ancestor maternally, of the noble house of BUCKINGHAM and CHANDOS; and

ANTHONY TEMPLE, who was father of

SIR WILLIAM TEMPLE (1555-1627), a learned and eminent person in the reign of ELIZABETH I, secretary to Sir Philip Sydney, and after his decease, to the unfortunate Earl of Essex; upon whose tragic end Sir William removed into Ireland, and was appointed provost of Trinity College, Dublin, which university he represented in parliament in 1613.

He received the honour of Knighthood, in 1622, from the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir Oliver St John, and was appointed one of the Masters in Chancery.

Sir William espoused Martha, daughter of Robert Harrison, of Derbyshire, by whom he had two sons, and was succeeded in 1627 by the elder,

THE RT HON SIR JOHN TEMPLE (1600-77), Knight, was constituted Master of the Rolls in Ireland, and sworn of the Privy Council there.

He filled, for a series of years, high and confidential places in the government of Ireland; and was appointed, in 1648, Joint Commissioner of the Great Seal with Sir William Parsons.

Sir John joined, however, the standard of CROMWELL, but was nevertheless retained as Master of the Rolls after the Restoration, when he was constituted Vice-Treasurer of Ireland.

He wedded Mary, daughter of Dr John Hammond, of Chertsey, in Surrey, and had two surviving sons, viz.

WILLIAM;
JOHN.

Sir John's younger son,

SIR JOHN TEMPLE (1632-1705), Knight, Solicitor-General, Attorney-General, and Speaker of the House of Commons in Ireland, married Jane, daughter of Sir Abraham Yarner, Knight, of Dublin, and had issue, among others,

HENRY, his successor;
John.

Sir John was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY TEMPLE (c1673-1757), who was elevated to the peerage, in 1722, in the dignities of Baron Temple and VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, of Palmerston, County Dublin.

His lordship wedded firstly, in 1703, Anne, daughter of Abraham Houblon, and had issue,

HENRY, father of HENRY; d 1740;
Richard, d 1749.

He espoused secondly, in 1738, Isabella, daughter of Sir Francis Gerard Bt, and widow of Sir John Fryer Bt, but had no other issue.

His lordship was succeeded by his grandson,

HENRY, 2nd Viscount (1739-1802), who married, in 1767, Frances, only daughter of Sir Francis Poole Bt, of Poole Hall, Cheshire, but by her had no issue.

His lordship wedded secondly, in 1783, Mary, daughter of Benjamin Mee, and had issue,

HENRY JOHN, his successor;
William;
Frances; Elizabeth.

He was succeeded by his elder son,

HENRY JOHN, 3rd Viscount (1784-1865), KG GCB PC, twice PRIME MINISTER, who espoused, in 1839, Emily Mary, daughter of Peniston, 1st Viscount Melbourne, though the marriage was without issue.

The title expired following the decease of the 3rd Viscount.

Classiebawn Castle (Kent Wang - https://www.flickr.com/photos/kentwang)

CLASSIEBAWN CASTLE, near Mullaghmore, County Sligo, is a Victorian-Baronial mansion, splendidly located in a commanding position on a bare headland overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

It was built in the early 1860s, near the end of his life, by the statesman, Lord Palmerston.

The Castle was designed by Rawson Carroll.

It is of a yellow-brown sandstone, comprising a plain, gabled range and a central tower with a conical roofed turret.

The entrance front boasts a carved coat-of-arms; principal rooms are raised on a considerably high basement.

Classiebawn was bequeathed by Lord Palmerston to his wife's grandson, the Rt Hon Evelyn Ashley MP, grandfather of Edwina, Countess Mountbatten of Burma; thus becoming the Irish seat of her husband LOUIS, 1ST EARL MOUNTBATTEN OF BURMA.

Lady Mountbatten made a number of improvements to Classiebawn, including the installation of electricity and mains water.

Hugh Tunney (1928-2011) bought the castle and 3,000 acres of surrounding estate in 1991, after having leased it for many years.

It is now the home of Mr Tunney's long-term partner, Caroline Devine.

First published in April, 2012.

1st Baron Baltimore

DEDICATED TO MY AMERICAN COUSINS: THE LATE REAR-ADMIRAL CHARLES McDOWELL, MIMI AND THOMAS VAN POOLE

It is claimed that this noble family was originally Flemish. From Flanders they transported themselves into the north of England.

LEONARD CALVERT (1550-1611), of Danby Wiske, Yorkshire, son of John George Calvert, married Alicia, daughter of John Crossland, of Crossland, in the same county, by whom he had issue, a son,

THE RT HON GEORGE CALVERT (1579-1632), of St Martin's Lane, Westminster, and Kiplin Hall, Catterick, Yorkshire, MP for Bossiney, 1609, Yorkshire, 1621, Oxford University, 1624, who having served as secretary to Sir Robert Cecil, when Secretary of State, and afterwards as Clerk to the Privy Council, received the honour of knighthood, 1617, and was thereafter appointed Secretary of State to the King, who employed him in the most important affairs.

The King granted him large tracts of land in Ireland, and elevated him to the peerage of that kingdom in 1624, in the dignity of BARON BALTIMORE, of Baltimore Manor, County Longford.

Whilst Secretary of State his lordship obtained a grant of the province of Avalon, in Newfoundland, with the most expensive privileges, and expended £25,000 in the settlement thereof.

This place he visited thrice in the reign of JAMES I, but after contending with great spirit against the French encroachments, he was obliged to abandon it altogether. 

Whereupon he obtained from CHARLES I a patent of Maryland to him and his heirs forever, with the same title and royalties as in Avalon, to hold in common socage as of the manor of Windsor, paying yearly, as an acknowledgement to the Crown, to Indian arrows at Windsor Castle, upon Easter Tuesday, and the fifth part of the gold and silver ore.

His lordship did not live, however, to see the grant pass the Great Seal.

He married firstly, in 1604, Anne, daughter of George Mynne, of Hertingfordbury, Hertfordshire, and had issue,

CECIL, his successor;
Leonard, 1st Governor of Maryland;
Francis;
George;
Henry;
John;
Philip, 5th Governor of Maryland;
Anne; Mary; Dorothy; Elizabeth; Grace; Helen.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

CECIL, 2nd Baron (1605-75), Governor of Newfoundland, Proprietor of Maryland Colony.

The province of Maryland was so named by CHARLES I in the honour of his Queen, HENRIETTA MARIA.

His lordship wedded, in 1627/8, Anne, daughter of the 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour, and had issue, nine children, of whom

CHARLES, 3rd Baron (1637-1715), 8th Governor of Maryland, present at JAMES II's Irish parliament in 1689, was outlawed for high treason in Ireland, although he had never been in that kingdom; but WILLIAM III, upon his lordship's representation, caused the outlawry to be reversed in 1691.

3rd Baron Baltimore (Image: Enoch Pratt Free Library)

He espoused firstly, Mary, daughter of Ralph Darnall; and secondly, ca 1666, Jane, daughter of Vincent Lowe, by whom he had issue,

Cecil (1667/8-81);
BENEDICT LEONARD, his successor.

His lordship married thirdly, Mary Bankes; and fourthly, in 1712, Margaret, daughter of Thomas Charleton.

He was succeeded by his son and heir,

BENEDICT LEONARD, 4th Baron (1679-1715), 10th Governor of Maryland, who had conformed to the established church in 1713, MP for Harwich, 1714-15, who wedded the Lady Charlotte Lee, daughter of Edward, 1st Earl of Lichfield, and had issue,

Benedict Leonard;
Edward Henry;
CHARLES, of whom hereafter;
Cecil;
Charlotte; Jane.

He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

CHARLES, 5th Baron (1699-1751), 17th Governor of Maryland, MP for St Germains, 1734-41, Surrey, 1741-51, who espoused, in 1730, Mary, daughter of Sir Theodore Janssen Bt, and had issue,

FREDERICK, his successor;
Caroline; Louisa.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

FREDERICK, 6th Baron (1731-71), who died without legitimate issue at Naples, Italy, in 1771, when the title became EXTINCT (his lordship had sold his estates before going abroad to Mr John Trotter, of Soho, London).

*****

The City of Baltimore, Maryland, USA, is named after Cecil, 2nd Baron Baltimore, proprietor of the colony of Maryland.

The Maryland state flag is the un-differenced Arms of Calvert quartering Crossland, a strikingly attractive flag.

The history of the Barons Baltimore is detailed and extensive.

A fuller account can be found here.

 First published in April, 2012.

Mausoleum Revived

THE NATIONAL TRUST'S Downhill property apprised me of a short, two minute, animated video about the monument to George, 2nd Earl of Bristol, in the grounds.

It provides us with an idea of what it would have looked like two centuries ago.

I am very grateful to the staff at Downhill and Hezlett House; and, of course, to Peter McMullan, of Ballymoney Northern Regional College, who made the video possible.

First published in July, 2014.

1st Duke of Westminster

This noble family traces its descent in the male line to an illustrious house which flourished in Normandy for a century and a half before the conquest of England, and obtained its surname from having held the high and powerful office in that principality of LE GRAND or  LE GROS VENOUR, from which they took their surname, variously written Grosvenor, Le Grosvenour, Grovenor, Le Groveneur, and Le Grovenour.

ROBERT LE GROSVENOR, of Budworth, Cheshire, which he received as a grant from Hugh Kevelioc, 5th Earl of Chester ca 1160, married Alice, and had issue, two sons, Randle and Robert, of whom

RANDLE LE GROSVENOR, of Budworth, died ante 1232, having had issue,

RICHARD LE GROSVENOR, of Hulme, Cheshire, who was living 1234-69, and had a son,

ROBERT LE GROSVENOR, of Hulme, High Sheriff of Chester, 1284-7, who was buried 1293, at the church of the Friars' Minor in Chester, having issue by his wife, Margery, a son,

ROBERT LE GROSVENOR, a minor in 1293, but of full age in 1305, when he did homage for his manor of Allostock to the Abbot of Vale Royal, was High Sheriff of Chester, 1307-12, served in the Scottish war during the reign of EDWARD II, espoused Margery, and died in 1328, having had issue,

ROBERT LE GROSVENOR, of Rudheath, Cheshire, afterwards of Hulme, did homage for his lands in 1328, wedded before 1323, Emma, daughter and co-heir of William de Modburlegh, and died ante 1342, having had issue, with a younger son, Robert, 

RALPH LE GROSVENOR, of Hulme, who died before 1356, and was buried at Nether Peover, Cheshire, having had issue, by Joan his wife,

SIR ROBERT LE GROSVENOR, who proved his pedigree before a court of chivalry in defence of his arms (Scrope v Grosvenor), azure, a bend or, against Richard le Scrope, who challenged them.

The descent of Sir Robert was fully admitted, but the arms were adjudged to Scrope, and in conclusion Sir Robert Grosvenor was recommended to bear azure, a garb or, from the arms of the ancient Earls of Chester, which has ever since continued the cognizance of his descendants.

Sir Robert was succeeded by his son,

SIR THOMAS GROSVENOR, of Hulme, who married Katherine, daughter and heiress of Sir William Fesant, Knight, and had three sons, viz.

ROBERT, Lord of Hulme;
RALPH, of whom presently;
THOMAS.

The second son,

RALPH LE GROSVENOR, wedded firstly, Joan, only daughter and heiress of John Eton (now Eaton), of Cheshire, and had, with other issue, his heir,

ROBERT GROSVENOR, who espoused Catherine, daughter of Sir William Norris, of Speke, Lancashire, and was succeeded by his second, but eldest surviving son,

RICHARD GROSVENOR; who married, in the first year of HENRY VIII, Catherine, third daughter and one of the co-heiresses of Richard Cotton, of Hamstall Ridware, Staffordshire, and had issue,

THOMAS, his heir;
Richard;
John;
Anthony;
Elizabeth; Eleanor; Catherine; Anne; Margaret; Maud; Dorothy; Mary; Ursula.

Richard Grosvenor was succeeded at his decease, in 1542, by his eldest son,

SIR THOMAS GROSVENOR, Knight, who wedded Maud, daughter of Sir William Pole, Knight, of Poole, Cheshire, and by her had issue,

THOMAS, his heir;
Richard;
Elizabeth; Catherine; Grace.

Sir Thomas was succeeded, in 1549, by his eldest son,

THOMAS GROSVENOR, of Eaton, Cheshire, who married Anne, daughter of Roger Bradshaigh, of Haigh, Lancashire, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;
Mary; Anne;
Julian.

Mr Grosvenor was succeeded at his decease, in 1579, by his eldest son,

RICHARD GROSVENOR, of Eaton, High Sheriff of Chester, 1602, who wedded Christian, daughter of Sir Richard Brooke, of Norton Priory, Cheshire, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;
Anne; Christian; Frances; Catherine; Eleanor; Margaret.

Mr Grosvenor was succeeded at his decease, in 1619, by his only surviving son,

SIR RICHARD GROSVENOR, Knight (1585-1645), who was created a baronet in 1622, designated of Eaton, Cheshire.

He married firstly, in 1600, Lettice, second daughter of Sir Hugh Cholmondeley, Knight, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;
Christian; Mary; Grace.

He wedded secondly, in 1614, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Wilbraham, of Woodhey; and thirdly, in 1621, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Peter Warburton, of Grafton, both in Cheshire, but had no other issue.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD GROSVENOR, 2nd Baronet (1604-64), who espoused, in 1628, Sydney, daughter of Sir Roger Mostyn, Knight, of Mostyn, Flintshire, and had several children.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his grandson,

SIR THOMAS GROSVENOR, 3rd Baronet (1656-1700), who wedded, in 1677, Mary, only daughter and heiress of Alexander Davies, of Ebury, Middlesex, by which alliance the Grosvenor family acquired its great estates in London and its vicinity.

Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet. Photo Credit: The National Trust

Sir Thomas was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD GROSVENOR, 4th Baronet (1689-1732), who espoused firstly, Jane, daughter of Sir Edward Wyndham, of Orchard Wyndham, Somerset, by whom he had no surviving issue.

He married secondly, Diana, only daughter of Sir George Warburton, of Arley, Cheshire, but had no issue.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his brother,

SIR THOMAS GROSVENOR, 5th Baronet (1693-1733), MP for Chester, who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his brother,

SIR ROBERT GROSVENOR, 6th Baronet (1695-1755), who espoused, in 1730, Jane, only surviving child and heiress of Thomas Warre, and had issue,

RICHARD, his successor;
Thomas;
Mary; Elizabeth; Dorothy.

Sir Robert was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR RICHARD GROSVENOR, 7th Baronet (1731-1802), twentieth in descent from Gilbert le Grosvenor, the companion-in-arms of WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR.

Sir Richard was elevated to the peerage, in 1761, in the dignity of Baron Grosvenor.

In 1784, his lordship was advanced to the dignities of Viscount Belgrave and Earl Grosvenor.

His lordship wedded, in 1764, Henrietta, daughter of Henry Vernon, of Hilton Park, Staffordshire, and his wife, Henrietta, daughter of Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, by whom he left an only surviving child,

ROBERT, 2nd Earl (1767-1845), who espoused, in 1794, Eleanor, only daughter of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Wilton, and had issue,

RICHARD, his successor;
THOMAS, Earl of Wilton;
Robert, created BARON EBURY; ancestor of Bendor Grosvenor.

His lordship was advanced to the dignity of a marquessate, in 1831, as Marquess of Westminster.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD, 2nd Marquess (1795-1869), KG, PC, who wedded, in 1819, Elizabeth, younger daughter of George, 1st Duke of Sutherland.

His second and eldest surviving son,

HUGH LUPUS, 3rd Marquess (1825-99), KG PC JP, was advanced to the dignity of a dukedom, in 1874, as DUKE OF WESTMINSTER.

Gerald, 6th Duke of Westminster

GERALD, 6th Duke (1951-2016), KG etc, was born at Omagh, County Tyrone.

Grosvenor House, London

GROSVENOR HOUSE, the former London residence of the Dukes of Westminster, was originally hidden from Park Lane by a high fence.

The quiet garden was pleasantly secluded in the very midst of London.

The entrance to the splendid mansion was in Upper Grosvenor Street, the fine colonnade having been erected in 1842.

Ancestral and former seats ~ Eaton Hall, Cheshire; Halkin Castle, Flintshire; Motcombe House, Dorset; Moor Park, Hertfordshire, Ely Lodge, County Fermanagh.

Former London residence ~ Grosvenor House.

First published in November, 2015. 

1st Baron O'Hagan

The O'HAGANS, whose principal seat was at Tullahogue, County Tyrone, were legislators to the O'Neills, Princes of Tyrone.

THE RT HON SIR THOMAS O'HAGAN KP QC (1812-85), LORD CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND, only son of Edward O'Hagan (1779-1836) and his wife Mary, daughter of Captain Thomas Bell, of Belfast, married firstly, in 1836, Mary, daughter of Charles Hamilton Teeling, of Belfast, and had issue,

Charles (1838-40);
Madeleine; Frances Mary.

He wedded secondly, in 1871, Alice Mary, daughter and co-heiress of Colonel Charles Towneley MP, of Towneley Hall, Burnley, Lancashire, High Sheriff of Lancashire, 1857, and had further issue,

THOMAS TOWNELEY, his successor;
MAURICE HERBERT TOWNELEY, 3rd Baron;
Kathleen Mary; Mary Caroline, MBE.

Sir Thomas was elevated to the peerage, in 1870, in the dignity of BARON O'HAGAN, of Tullahogue, County Tyrone.

His lordship's father, Edward O'Hagan, carried out business in Gordon Street, Belfast, though later moved to another part of the town and became a general merchant.

Bust of the 1st Baron O'Hagan KP
(Image: Towneley Hall Art Gallery & Museum)

Upon his retirement, in 1882, Lord O'Hagan was installed as a Knight of St Patrick (KP).

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS TOWNELEY, 2nd Baron (1878-1900), Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, who served in the South African War, 1899-1900, and died of enteric fever whilst on active service.

His lordship was succeeded by his brother,

MAURICE HERBERT TOWNELEY, 3rd Baron (1882-1961), JP, who espoused firstly, in 1911, Frances Constance Magdalena, only daughter of Edward, 1st Baron Strachie, of Sutton Court, Somerset, and had issue,

(THOMAS) ANTHONY EDWARD TOWNELEY, dvp 1955; father of 4th Baron;
Helen Frances Alice.

His lordship wedded secondly, in 1937, Evelyn Violet, daughter of Harry Thornton Ross.

He was succeeded by his grandson,

CHARLES TOWNELEY STRACHEY, 4th Baron (1945-), who espoused firstly, in 1967, Her Serene Highness Princess Tamara Imeretinsky, daughter of His Serene Highness Prince Michael Imeretinsky, and had issue,

Nina Natalia O'Hagan, b 1968.

He divorced in 1984.

His lordship wedded secondly, in 1985, Mary Claire, daughter of the Rev Leslie Roose-Francis, and had issue,

Antonia Philippa Mary.

The 4th Baron divorced in 1995, and married thirdly, in 1995, Elizabeth Leslie Eve, daughter of Hubert Smith, of Exeter, Devon.

The heir is his younger brother, the Hon Richard Towneley Strachey (b 1950).

Former London residence ~ Hereford House, Mayfair; former seats ~ Towneley Hall; Little Salterns, Beaulieu, Hampshire; Raheny House, County Dublin; 34 Rutland Square West, Dublin.

The O'Hagan Papers are deposited at PRONI.

First published in September, 2014.

Kilronan Castle

THE KING-TENISONS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY ROSCOMMON, WITH 17,726 ACRES

This family is derived from the same stock as was the celebrated divine, DR THOMAS TENISON, advanced, in 1694, from the bishopric of Lincoln to the archiepiscopal see of Canterbury.

RICHARD TENISON, DD (1642-1705), born at Carrickfergus, County Antrim (second son of Major Thomas Tenison, one of the Sheriffs of the town of Carrickfergus, 1646), was stated to have been a cousin of the said Primate.

Thomas Tenison entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1659, of which he eventually became Vice-Chancellor.

Dr Tenison was appointed to the deanery of Clogher in 1675; and, in 1681, he was consecrated Lord Bishop of Killala and Achonry, from which see he was translated, successively, to those of Clogher and of Meath, of which latter diocese he died in 1705, having had issue,

HENRY, MP for Monaghan, 1695-9, Louth, 1703-9;
RICHARD, MP for Dunleer, 1715-25;
THOMAS, of whom we treat;
William;
Norbury;
Elizabeth; Maria.

The third son,

CAPTAIN THOMAS TENISON (1692-1764), married Alice, daughter of the Rev William Mosse, Rector of Maryborough, Queen's County, and had issue,

THOMAS;
Mary Jane; Ann.

Captain Tenison was succeeded by his only son,

THOMAS TENISON (1730-c1788), MP for County Monaghan, 1775-83, who wedded, in 1758, Mary Anne, second daughter of Colonel John Daniel Degennes, of Portarlington, Queen's County (where he resided for some years afterwards at Rosefield, County Monaghan), and had issue,

THOMAS, his heir;
Frances, died unmarried.

His only son,

THOMAS TENISON (1761-1835), of Castle Tenison (now Kilronan Castle), MP for Boyle, 1792-7, Lieutenant-Colonel, Roscommon Militia, married firstly, in 1803, the Lady Frances Anne King, daughter of Edward, 1st Earl of Kingston, and had issue,

THOMAS, his heir;
EDWARD KING, successor to his brother.

He wedded secondly, Mary Anne, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Coore, of Scruton, Yorkshire, and by her had an only daughter, Thomasine Sophia, who espoused Robert Saunderson, of County Cavan.

Mr Tenison was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS TENISON, of Castle Tenison, who died unmarried at Florence, Italy, 1843, and was succeeded by his brother,

EDWARD KING-TENISON JP DL (1805-78), of Kilronan Castle, who wedded, in 1838, the Lady Louisa Mary Anne Anson, eldest daughter of Thomas William, 1st Earl of Lichfield, and had issue, two daughters, 

Louisa Frances Mary, m 12th Baron Dormer;
FRANCES MARGARET CHRISTINA.

Colonel King-Tenison's younger daughter,

FRANCES MARGARET CHRISTINA KING-TENISON (1845-1907), of Kilronan Castle, espoused, in 1872, Henry, 8th Earl of Kingston.

KILRONAN CASTLE, near Ballyfarnon, County Roscommon, was formerly called Castle Tenison.

It was built in the early 19th Century and replaced a house near the site of the present outbuildings.

The entrance to the earlier house was by the short avenue later used as the farm yard entrance.

The new building was a three storey, three bay symmetrical castellated block, with slender corner turrets or minarets.

The rooms were well proportioned and there was delicate fan vaulting plaster-work on the stairs and landing.

Isaac Weld visited the place in the late 1820s and referred to the castle as a spacious and costly modern built edifice of three storeys in height, in form nearly square with a round minaret tower at each angle; the whole embattled at the summit.

This was the castle to which Lady Louisa came to make her home.

The castle was extended by the 8th Earl of Kingston in 1876, with a five-storey over basement baronial tower and battlements.

During the Edwardian period, Lord and Lady Kingston enjoyed the estate until political and social change saw the closure and sale of Kilronan.

Kilronan Castle, although furnished, was seldom occupied.

In 1939, the contents of  the castle were sold by auction.

Eventually the Irish Land Commission acquired the property.

Kilronan Castle is now a hotel.

First published in April, 2012.

The Pot-Walloper

POT-WALLOPER: one qualified as a parliamentary voter in certain English boroughs prior to 1832 because he could boil his own pot at his own fire, thus proving he was a householder.

1st Baron Altham

This family derives its surname from the lordship of Annesley, Nottinghamshire, where its patriarch, RICHARD DE ANNESLEY, was seated at the time of the general survey in 1079.

From this Richard descended

SIR JOHN ANNESLEY, Knight, of Headington, Oxfordshire, MP for Nottinghamshire, 1377-88, who married Isabel, sister and co-heir of Sir John Chandos, one of the Knights of the Garter at the institution of that noble order, Viscount of Saint Sauveur in the Cotentin, Normandy, Seneschal of Poitou, Constable of Aquitaine, etc.

Sir John died in 1410, and was succeeded by his son,

THOMAS ANNESLEY, of Annesley, MP for Nottinghamshire, whose great-grandson,

WILLIAM ANNESLEY, of Rodington, had, with other children,

ROBERT ANNESLEY, of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire; who died in 1553, and was succeeded by his son,

GEORGE ANNESLEY, of Newport Pagnell, whose eldest son,

ROBERT ANNESLEY, was a naval officer in the reign of ELIZABETH I, and also a captain in Her Majesty's army raised to suppress the Earl of Desmond's rebellion; after which he became an undertaker in the plantation of Munster.

Captain Annesley wedded Beatrice, daughter of John Cornwall, of Moor Park, Herefordshire, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR FRANCIS ANNESLEY (c1585-1660), Knight, who filled for forty years several of the highest situations in Ireland.

In 1612, he was constituted constable of Mountnorris Castle; and in 1614, Sir Francis represented County Armagh in parliament.

Sir Francis was a protagonist in the plantation of Ulster.

Upon the institution of the Order of Baronets of Ireland, Sir Francis was the second person upon whom that dignity was conferred, in 1620, designated of Mountnorris, County Armagh.

In 1621, he obtained a reversionary grant of the viscountcy of VALENTIA, at the decease of the then Viscount (first creation), Sir Henry Power.

He was put, however, into the more immediate possession of a peerage in the dignity of Baron Mountnorris, of Mountnorris, County Armagh.

His lordship married firstly, Dorothea, daughter of Sir John Philipps Bt, of Picton Castle, Pembrokeshire, by whom he had ARTHUR, his successor, and other children.

He wedded secondly, Jane, daughter of Sir John Stanhope, by whom he had several children, the eldest of whom, FRANCIS, espoused Deborah, daughter of the Most Rev Henry Jones, Lord Bishop of Meath, and was father of FRANCIS, of Thorganby, Yorkshire, who married and had issue,

FRANCIS, ancestor of the Annesleys of Bletchingdon;
Martin, in holy orders;
William, ancestor of the EARLS ANNESLEY.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

ARTHUR, 2nd Viscount (1614-86); who was enrolled amongst the peers of England, in 1661, as Baron Annesley, of Newport Pagnell, and EARL OF ANGLESEY.

His lordship, Treasurer of the Royal Navy, 1667, and Lord Privy Seal, 1673, married Elizabeth, daughter and co-heiress of Sir James Altham, of Oxhey, Hertfordshire, and had issue,

James, his successor;
ALTHAM, of whom hereafter;
RICHARD, 3rd Baron;
Arthur;
Charles;
Dorothy; Elizabeth; Frances; Philippa; Anne.

His lordship's second son,

THE HON ALTHAM ANNESLEY (1650-99), espoused firstly, in 1678, Alicia, daughter of the Hon Charles Leigh; and secondly, in 1697, Ursula, daughter of Sir Robert Markham Bt, by whom he had issue, an only child,

JAMES GEORGE.

Mr Annesley was elevated to the peerage in, 1681, in the dignity of BARON ALTHAM, of Altham, County Cork, with remainder to the issue male of his younger brothers (after his own).

He was succeeded by his only son,

JAMES GEORGE, 2nd Baron (1697-1700), who was succeeded by his uncle,

THE HON AND VERY REV DR RICHARD ANNESLEY (1655-1701), Dean of Exeter, as 3rd Baron, who married Dorothy, daughter of John Davy, and had issue,

ARTHUR, his successor;
Richard (1689-90);
RICHARD, 6th Earl of Anglesey, 5th Baron;
Elizabeth.

His lordship died in 1701, the year he inherited the peerage, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

ARTHUR, 4th Baron (1689-1727), who wedded firstly, in 1703, Phillips, daughter of John, 1st Baron Haversham; and secondly, in 1707, Mary Sheffield, natural daughter of John, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, by whom he had issue, an only child,

THE HON JAMES ANNESLEY (1715-60),

Who was kidnapped and transported by his uncle Richard, in 1728, to make room for his own accession to the honours and estates of the family. 

The historian and television presenter, Dan Cruickshank, told the story of the unfortunate James Annesley in the BBC Four programme Kidnapped: A Georgian Adventure.

As a consequence of this action, the title reverted to the 4th Baron's uncle,

RICHARD (1694-1761), 6th Earl of Anglesey, as 5th Baron.

Richard Annesley, 6th Earl of Anglesey, 5th Baron Altham (1694–1761)
Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Mountnorris, 6th Baron Altham (1744–1816)
George Annesley, 2nd Earl of Mountnorris, 7th Baron Altham (1769–1844).

First published in August, 2018.  Altham arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

Inish Rath Island

INISH RATH ISLAND is located north-west of Crom Estate on Upper Lough Erne, County Fermanagh.

It used to be called Coney Island and, more recently, it has become known as Krishna Island.

In 1915 the island comprised 23 acres.

The Victorian-Tudor style house on the island (above) was built in 1854 by the Hon Henry Cavendish Butler-Danvers (1811-91), a half-brother of the 5TH EARL OF LANESBOROUGH, of Lanesborough Lodge, near Belturbet, County Cavan.

Inish Rath ca 1915 (OSNI Historic Map)

It was subsequently purchased by the Earl of Erne for use as a hunting lodge.

During the early 20th century, the house was used for boating parties etc.

The island went through continuous change of ownership for about thirty years, when it was bought and sold.

At the height of the Northern Ireland Troubles, in 1982, property prices slumped in this border area.

Inish Rath (image: Hare Krishna)

A group of Hare Krishna monks, led by a German follower, Prithu Das, pooled their resources and took out a bank loan to buy Inish Rath, a perfect setting for a Hare Krishna centre.

The Hare Krishna temple was established in the west wing of the house with a magnificent gold altar at one end of the long room and a life size representation of Swami Prabhupada at the other.

Oriental arches frame the windows and polished pine floors add to the overall feeling of light and space.

The BBC has produced a short video clip of life on the island more recently.