Huntington Castle

THE DURDIN-ROBERTSONS OWNED 296 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY CARLOW

ALEXANDER REID, younger son of John Reid, feudally styled 4th Baron Ruadh of Straloch, assumed the name of ROBERTSON at the same time as his elder brother, John Reid, styled 5th Baron Ruadh of Straloch, who, in 1567, married his cousin Marjory, daughter of John Robertson, of Lude, and thereupon assumed the name of ROBERTSON, and was ancestor of the succeeding Barons Ruadh (a title which continued to be borne until this, the elder line, expired in 1807); and also of the Robertsons of Cray, and of West and East Bleaton.

This Alexander Reid, of Dounie, in Strathardle, Perthshire, married Mary, daughter of Thomas Scott, of Dounie, and had issue (besides a younger son, Walter, of Middle Dounie), an elder son,

JOHN REID or ROBERTSON, of East Dounie, who was father of

ALEXANDER ROBERTSON, of Dounie, born in 1585, who had, with other issue,

Alexander;
JAMES, of whom we treat.

The younger son,

JAMES ROBERTSON, born in 1608, removed to Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, in 1630, and settled at Orphir.

He had nine sons, who left numerous descendants; of whom the eldest son,

THOMAS ROBERTSON, born at Orphir, 1642, married a daughter of Magnus Halcro, and had issue,

James;
NICOL, of whom presently;
John.

The second son,

NICOL ROBERTSON, born in 1670, settled at Groundwater, and left by Catherine his wife, with other issue, a son,

GEORGE ROBERTSON (1706-80), of Upper Groundwater, who wedded Helen, daughter of Magnus Wilson, and had, with four daughters,

JAMES, his heir;
Thomas;
George;
Magnus;
John;
Andrew.

Mr Robertson was succeeded by his eldest son,

JAMES ROBERTSON (1734-), of Upper Groundwater, who wedded, in 1763, Catherine Heddle, and had issue,

THOMAS, his heir;
Robert;
James;
William;
Helline; Catherine.

The eldest son,

THOMAS ROBERTSON (1765-1847), was the first of the family to leave Scotland.

After having spent his life at sea, he settled in London, and married, in 1807, Maria, daughter of Joseph Howell, of Cheltenham, by whom he had issue, an only son,

THOMAS STORM ROBERTSON MD FRCS (1809-59), who wedded, in 1843, Annabella, daughter of George Bland.

She dsp the following March.

He married secondly, in 1846, Maria Louisa, only daughter of Robert Manning, of Clapham, and had issue,

(THOMAS) HERBERT, his heir;
Maria Louisa; Eveline Constance.

Dr Robertson was succeeded by his only son,

(THOMAS) HERBERT ROBERTSON JP (1849-1916), of Huntington Castle, Hasketon Manor, Woodbridge, and 36, Bedford Square, London, Barrister, MP for South Hackney, 1896-1906, who espoused, in 1880, HELEN ALEXANDRIA MELIAN DURDIN, of Huntington Castle, by Melian Jones his wife, second daughter of Matthew Hayman, of South Abbey, County Cork, and had issue,

MANNING DURDIN, his heir;
Nevill Warham, b 1890;
Magnus Storm, b 1893;
Helen Manning; Brenda Melian Manning.

Mr Robertson was succeeded by his eldest son,

MANNING DURDIN ROBERTSON (1887-1945), who wedded, in 1912, Norah Kathleen, daughter of Lieutenant-General Sir Lawrence Worthington Parsons, and had issue,

LAWRENCE ALEXANDER;
Barbara Helen;
Olivia Melian (1917-2013).

Mr Robertson added the additional name of DURDIN in 1972.

He was succeeded by his son,

THE REV LAWRENCE ALEXANDER DURDIN-ROBERTSON (1920-94), who espoused, in 1949, Pamela Mary, daughter of Major Maurice Edward Barclay, and had issue,

DAVID MAURICE, his heir;
Mary Melian; Anna Margaret.

The son and heir,

DAVID MAURICE DURDIN-ROBERTSON (1952-2009), of Huntington Castle, married, in 1978, Moira, daughter of John McCaffrey, and had issue,

ALEXANDER J L;
Matthew;
Harry;
Sarah.

Mr Durdin-Robertson was succeeded by his eldest son,

ALEXANDER J L DURDIN-ROBERTSON, who married Clare, daughter of John Ormerod, and has issue,

Herbert David, b 2010;
Casper Esmonde John, b 2012;
Alexander Frederick Lawrence, b 2014.

Family of Durdin

It is stated that this family is a branch of a very ancient Essex family, and that JOHN DURDIN, a magistrate for that county, died in the early 17th century and was interred in Westminster Abbey, where there was a tablet to his memory.

JOHN DURDIN, his son, settled in County Cork ca 1639, and had a son,

MICHAEL DURDIN, of Ballymagooley, County Cork, 1663, who espoused Anne, daughter of Edmund Cotter, and sister of Sir James Cotter, Knight, and was father of

JOHN DURDIN (1676-1772), of Fortarabia, County Cork, who wedded Anne, daughter of Alexander Cole, and had a son,

ALEXANDER DURDIN (1712-1807), of Shanagarry, County Cork, and Huntington, County Carlow, who was married four times.

His sixth son,

WILLIAM LEADER DURDIN (1778-1849), of Huntington Castle, County Carlow, married, in 1820, Mary Anne, daughter of William Drury, of Ballinderry, County Wicklow, and had issue,

ALEXANDER, his heir;
Fidelia.

Dr Durdin was succeeded by his son,

ALEXANDER DURDIN LL.D JP (1821-82), of Huntington Castle, and Albany, Monkstown, County Dublin, who married, in 1851, Melian Jones, second daughter of Matthew Hayman, of South Abbey, Youghal, and had issue,

HELEN ALEXANDRINA MELIAN, as above;
Florence Amy; Melian Lucy Anne; Harriette Emily Hayman.

HUNTINGTON CASTLE, Clonegal, County Carlow, was built in 1625 by Lawrence, 1st (and last) Baron Esmonde, in a valley on the borders of counties Carlow and Wexford.

The site, which was previously occupied by an abbey and a 14th century castle, guards a pass through the Blackstairs Mountains, on the important route from Dublin to Wexford.

Huntington is a large tower-house of rough-hewn granite.

It was altered ca 1680 and again in 1720, when it was given a regular façade and a long wing on the northern side.

The Castle passed by marriage to the Durdin family, long established in County Cork where they had inherited the estates of William Penn.

In 1880, Helen, the Durdin heiress, married Herbert Robertson.

Victorian additions were made at the rear of the castle, while Manning Durdin-Robertson, a professional architect (and early devotee of concrete) carried out further alterations in the 1920s.

With her brother Lawrence, the writer and mystic Olivia Durdin-Robertson converted the under-croft into a temple to the goddess Isis in the 1970s while her nephew David, the late owner, and his wife Moira, completed a thorough restoration of the castle, garden and outbuildings.

Huntington contains a number of early panelled rooms and an eclectic family collection, all carefully arranged.

Outside are terraced gardens, an ancient yew walk and seventeenth century formal gardens, laid out in the Italian manner and recently restored.

The woods contain some fine specimen trees and the castle is connected to the village of Clonegal by a magnificent avenue of tall lime trees.

Huntington is now home to Alexander Durdin Robertson, his wife Clare and their sons.

The family is unusually talented and numbers artists, architects, writers and intellectuals amongst its ranks.

Alexander’s great-grandmother, Nora, wrote Crowned Harp.

First published in November, 2017.

Ringdufferin House

THE BAILIES OWNED 670 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DOWN

DAVID BAILLIE, of Lamington, Lanarkshire, second son of Sir William Baillie, of Lamington, and Marion his wife, daughter of Sir John Seton, of Seton, was father of

ALEXANDER BAILLIE, of Dunragit, Wigtownshire, born ca 1540, an officer in the English army, who purchased the lands of Innishargy, near Kircubbin, County Down, and had a son,

ALEXANDER BAILIE (1587-1682), of Innishargy and Ringdufferin, County Down, who changed the spelling of his surname, and left issue,

John (1623-87), of Innishargy;

EDWARD, of whom we treat.

The younger son,

EDWARD BAILIE, settled at Ringdufferin, and married Elizabeth, sole daughter and heiress of James Dunbar, of Toye, County Down.

Ringdufferin was mortgaged from James, 1st Viscount Claneboye, in 1636. Edward Bailie came over and settled there.

Sir James Hamilton had granted Toye, at an annual rent of £5, to James Dunbar; and, on his father-in-law's death, Edward Bailie succeeded to Toye, and obtained a further mortgage of Ringdufferin from Henry, 2nd Earl of Clanbrassil, in 1668.

Mr Bailie was succeeded by his eldest son,

ALEXANDER BAILIE, who became the absolute purchaser of Ringdufferin, 1674, and was succeeded by his son,

EDWARD BAILIE, of Ringdufferin, who died in 1774.

His second son,

JAMES BAILIE JP (1735-1810), of Ringdufferin,  Deputy Governor of County Down, wedded, in 1793, Sophia Loudon, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

JAMES BAILIE JP DL (1797-1863), of Ringdufferin, a barrister, who wedded, in 1821, Charlotte, daughter of the Very Rev Peter Carleton, Dean of St Patrick's, Dublin, by whom (who died in 1825) he had a son,

JAMES, his heir.

He espoused secondly, in 1829, Harriet Alice,  daughter of the Rev Henry Mahon, and had further issue,

Louisa Anne;

Sophia Emily;

Harriet Alice Gertrude.

Mr Bailie was succeeded by his only son,

MAJOR JAMES BAILIE JP (1823-96), of Ringdufferin, who inherited a small portion of the old Innishargy estate.

Major Bailie served in the 87th Royal Irish Fusiliers; the 60th Rifles; ten years' service in India, where he was awarded a medal for the Indian mutiny.

In 1850, Major Bailie married his cousin, Charlotte Jemima, eldest daughter of Captain William Cossart Carleton, fourth son of Dean Carleton (see above), and had issue,

Edward Robert, died in infancy, 1855;
Harriett Louisa b 1852;
Kathleen, b 1856;
Louisa, 1861-1941.

Major Bailie was buried at Killyleagh churchyard.

I have written about Miss Louisa Bailie, the last of the family to live at Ringdufferin.

RINGDUFFERIN HOUSE, Toye, near Killyleagh, County Down, is a large gentleman's residence dating from ca 1790-1800, though likely incorporating parts of an earlier house.

The entrance front is Georgian, with an Adamesque doorway.

There is a hipped roof concealed behind a parapet, with Classical statues.

A three-storey return is behind this, with a rubble facade; having, however, a plain, rendered section to the north-west side, which might represent part of an earlier house.

The south-west elevation has a considerably smaller two-storey wing, possibly added later in the 19th century.

To the north of the house there is a walled garden.

To the east there are outbuildings, including stables, a blacksmith's forge, a piggery, boat house, and ruins of what appears to be a watch tower.

The mansion house is built close to the site a tower-house of ca 1600.

*****

THE earliest reference to Ringdufferin occurs ca 1602, alluding to a castle built by John White "on a neck of land", leased to him by Sir Ralph Lane, called Randuffren.

The exact position of the original castle is uncertain; the consensus, nevertheless, including most maps of the area since 1859, favours a site close to the present house.

However, the existence of Castle Island, at the end of the isthmus just to the south of this, may indicate otherwise.

*****

IN 1636, Alexander Bailie acquired the lands of Ringdufferin on mortgage from the 1st Viscount Claneboye.

In 1945, Ringdufferin estate was purchased by the Mackie family, who continue to live there today.

Arthur Patrick Pringle (Paddy) Mackie was appointed MBE in 2004 for services to wildlife in Northern Ireland.

The remains of a windmill exist within the grounds, the north face of which has a doorway and small window.

The grounds of Ringdufferin include outbuildings, walling, old watch-tower, and gates, built by James Baillie, who succeeded to the property in 1774.

The House stands on a naturally beautiful site on the shores of Strangford Lough, County Down.

Mature trees lie to the east and west.

The planting was increased during the mid 20th century.

Native and exotic trees are planted, as specimens, in mown grass to the south-west of the house and along the avenue, which winds along the shore.

There is an informal shrub area in an old oak wood to the west of the house, with a pond.

Castle Island, a peninsula to the south, was planted with two semi-circles of trees at some period prior to 1834.

The walled garden is fully cultivated and maintained, including a glasshouse.

There are gravel and grass paths, wide borders, mature yew features, wall fruit and many interesting plants.

There is a former land steward’s house.

First published in November, 2018.

McCalmont of Abbeylands

THE McCALMONTS OWNED 148 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

THOMAS McCALMONT, of The Farm, Cairncastle, County Antrim, had issue,

THOMAS, of whom presently;
James, of Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, USA;
John, of Clarkstown, Co Antrim, afterwards of Delaware, USA;
Robert;
Hugh.

The eldest son,

THOMAS McCALMONT, of The Farm, born ca 1700, drowned near Delaware, USA, leaving (with a daughter, Margaret) an only son,

ROBERT McCALMONT, of Newtownabbey, County Antrim, who married, in 1764, Margaret, daughter of Hugh Mumford, of Drumalis, County Antrim, and had issue,

HUGH, of whom presently;
James, a surgeon.

The eldest son,

HUGH McCALMONT (1765-1838), of Abbeylands, County Antrim, wedded, in 1807, Elizabeth Allen, daughter of Thomas Barklie, of Inver, County Antrim, and had issue,

Robert, of Gatton Park, dsp;
THOMAS (Rev);
Hugh, of Abbeylands (1809-87);
John;
Barklie;
JAMES, of whom hereafter;
Jane; Margaret Jane; Elizabeth; Roseanna.

Mr McCalmont was succeeded by his youngest son,

JAMES McCALMONT JP (1819-49), of Abbeylands, and Breen, both in County Antrim, who espoused, in 1843, Emily Anne, daughter of James Martin JP DL, of Ross, County Galway, and had issue,

HUGH, his heir;
James Martin, of Magheramorne, MP.

The elder son,

Maj-Gen Sir Hugh McCalmont KCB CVO (Image: National Portrait Gallery)

MAJOR-GENERAL SIR HUGH McCALMONT KCB CVO JP (1845-1924), of Abbeylands, Whiteabbey, County Antrim, MP for North Antrim, 1895-9, married, in 1885, Rose Elizabeth Bingham, daughter of John, 4th Baron Clanmorris, and had issue,

DERMOT HUGH BINGHAM McCALMONT (1887-1968).


THE 1st Earl Cairns was baptized Hugh McCalmont Cairns.

Abbeylands House, Whiteabbey, County Antrim, was a two-storey Victorian house, with mullioned windows in the centre of its symmetrical front.

It had shallow, curved bows on either side of the front; a single-storey Ionic porch; narrow pedimented attic storey with three narrow windows in the centre; and a balustraded roof parapet.

Abbeylands was burnt to the ground in 1914 by the Suffragette movement.

First published in November, 2016.

The Leigh Baronetcy

THIS (AND GORE) WAS THE FIRST BARONETCY TO BE CREATED IN ULSTER

The LEIGH entry for arms at Ulster's (King of Arms) office, dated 1608, reads as follows:

CAPTAIN EDMUND LEIGH, Commander of the Army in County Tyrone: "azure, on a chevron, between three ducal coronets or, as many hurts, a crescent for difference."

County Tyrone was planted by nine English and seventeen Scottish undertakers, and five servitors, of whom:-

• Sir Arthur Chichester, Lord Deputy of Ireland;
• Sir Thomas Ridgeway, Vice-Treasurer and Treasurer of War;
• Sir Richard Wingfield, Marshal of Ireland;
• Sir Toby Caulfeild, Master-General of the Ordnance;
• Sir Francis Roe.

The undertakers for the barony of Clogher were:-

• Sir Thomas Ridgeway: 2,000 acres at Portclare and Ballykerigire (in addition to his allocation as a servitor);
• Francis Willoughby, son of Sir Perceval Willoughby: 2,000 acres at Fentonagh;
• George Ridgeway (Sir Thomas's brother): 1,000 acres at Ballymackell.

Captain John Ridgeway possessed 1,000 acres near Lough Ramor, County Cavan.

JOHN LEIGH, CAPTAIN EDMUND LEIGH, AND DANIEL LEIGH

Captain Edmund Leigh was appointed sheriff in 1607.

He was said to have been detested by the Earl of Tyrone, who called him 'that whispering companion' sent to spy on him.

A document drawn up by Sir Arthur Chichester on 25 January 1608 indicates that Lower Tyrone (an area which surrounded the town of Omagh, or Omey), was governed by Captain John Leigh. 

John Leigh and his brothers were  'adventurers' who funded the war effort and were entitled to lands in return.

The portion allocated to Francis Willoughby was either sold by him or confiscated, when he failed to comply with his undertakings.

This land was consequently taken over by John Leigh who, with his two brothers, Daniel and Captain Edmund, had built the English fort on the Strule at Omagh, where Edmond had been granted 330 acres, as warden of the fort.

John and Daniel were appointed wardens when he died.

The brothers had come to Ulster under the auspices of Henry Bagenal.

In 1611, disputes arose between Mr Clapham, Sir Thomas Boyde, Sir John Davyes, and Captain John Leigh, regarding land in County Tyrone.

The friary lands of Omagh, which were owned by the Leigh brothers, had been unwittingly allocated to undertakers.

The dispute was settled when John Leigh surrendered his church lands, and this so impressed the King, that he allowed Leigh to take the lands on his own terms.

In 1612-13, a survey of undertakers planted in county Tyrone, in 1609, reported as follows under the headings: 2,000 acres, Clogher, Undertakers.

Sir Daniel Leigh is mentioned in a Chancery Inquisition Juries Summoner's Roll, for Tyrone quarter Sessions in the reign of JAMES I, 1624/5.

In 1629-30, a listing of able-bodied men (capable of combat), which was called the Muster Roll, was compiled, and John Leigh gave seventeen names, less than most of the other undertakers.

Many of the names on this list were Irish, so Leigh was not in favour in London, on account of his tolerance for so many of the 'meere Irish' on his land.

It was recorded that Sir Daniel Leigh died in 1630, and that John Leigh, lord of the manor of Fintona, died in 1631, and his nephew, Sir Arthur Leigh, knight, son of Daniel, succeeded to the manor at Fintona, which was called Castle Leigh.

The summoner's roll for Tyrone assizes in 1636 records that 

"Arthur Leigh, Baronet, was fined £15 because at Assizes of 20 August, 11 Charles I, 1635, he was paid for building a bridge across the river at Omagh which he had not done".

In the civil survey of 1654-56, in the barony of Clogher and parish of Doncavie (which included Fintona), 

"lands amounting to 1,682 acres, (960 profitable, and 722 barren, bogg and mountaine); and 200 acres in the same parish, of church lands, are now in possession of the widow of Sir Daniel Leigh,an English Protestant, and her new husband, Alderman William Smith of Dublin. She is named as 'ye Lady Leigh' and 'Lady Ley', in the same document.

Another account declares:-

Petition to the King of Dame Mary Leigh [daughter of John Stanton], relict and administratrix of Sir Daniel Leigh, Kt. and Bart., showing that : — King James by letters of 26 October, 1609, granted to John Leigh and Daniel Leigh, afterwards Sir Daniel Leigh, the constableship of the fort of Omagh, with 20 warders, viz. : — 6 horsemen and 14 footmen. 

The constableship was given him in reward for his service in The Queen's Irish wars. The patent stated that Daniel or John should hold during pleasure, and the garrison was not to be diminished without his knowledge.

It has been so diminished that, by 1629, all the warders had been lost. 

Petitioner's husband never received a return of the money he spent in building the fort of Omagh, and had left her with heavy debts and an expensive family. 

The now Lord Deputy was anxious to help her; but, under the recent establishments, his hands were tied. She prays for relief from the Irish Treasury or Court of Wards.

The Leighs served as sheriffs of Tyrone as follows:-

• Edmund, 1607
• John, 1610 and 1614
• and Sir Daniel Leigh, 1624.

The national archives state:-

"The Fort of the Omye: Here is a good fort, fairly walled with lime and stone, about 30 foot high above the ground with a parapet, the river on one side and a large deep ditch about the rest, within which is built a fair house of timber after the English manner.

Other buildings described. All begun by Captain Ormond [Edmund] Leigh and finished by his brothers John and Daniel Leigh at their own charges upon the lands of the Abbey of Omye, at which place are many families of English and Irish who have built them good dwelling-houses, which is a safety and comfort for passengers between Donganon and the Liffer.

The fort is a place of good import upon all occasions of service and fit to be maintained."

John Leigh was an engineer by profession, and came to Ulster with the Earl of Essex in 1572.

Before the time of the Plantation he had visited many localities in this province as an engineer, and knew many of its leading Irish inhabitants.

He appears to have bought the proportion of Fintona from Sir Francis Willoughby, even before the latter had taken out a patent, for the grant was made in Leigh's own name.

Leigh apparently had no particular taste for planting for, instead of bringing strangers on his lands, he leased them to the Irish, at the risk of being forfeited for thus doing. 

At his death, he was succeeded by his nephew, Sir Arthur Leigh, who sold the estate to Captain James Mervyn.

SIR ARTHUR LEIGH, 2nd Baronet, of Omagh and Fintona, County Tyrone, only son and heir of his father, Sir Daniel Leigh, 1st Baronet, succeeded to the baronetcy in 1633.

He wedded Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sir William Ryves, one of the Justices of the King's Bench in Ireland.

Sir Arthur died without an heir, in 1638, in County Londonderry, when the baronetcy expired.

First published in May, 2011. 

Blessington House

Arms of the Viscounts Blessington

THE MARQUESSES OF DOWNSHIRE WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WICKLOW, WITH 15,766 ACRES

BLESSINGTON HOUSE, County Wicklow, was one of the largest late 17th century houses in the Kingdom of Ireland. It was built ca 1673 by the Most Rev and Rt Hon Dr Michael Boyle, Lord Archbishop of Armagh and the last ecclesiastical Lord Chancellor of Ireland. This prelate had been granted the Manor of Blessington in 1669 by CHARLES II, and laid out the town.

THE MOST REV MICHAEL BOYLE (c1609-1702), son of the Most Rev Richard Boyle, Lord Archbishop of Tuam, and grandson of Michael Boyle, who was the youngest brother of RICHARD, the first and great Earl of Cork, died at the advanced age of 93, leaving, with other issue, by his first wife Margaret, daughter of the Rt Rev Dr George Synge, Lord Bishop of Cloyne, an only surviving son,

MURROUGH BOYLE (c1645-1718), who had been elevated to the peerage, in 1673, in the dignities of Baron Boyle and VISCOUNT BLESSINGTON, in the County of Wicklow, with limitation to the heirs male of his father.

He wedded firstly, Mary, daughter of the Most Rev Dr John Parker, Lord Archbishop of Dublin, by whom he had an only child, MARY; and secondly, in 1672, Anne, daughter of Charles Coote, 2nd Earl of Mountrath, by whom he had further issue,

CHARLES, his successor;

Alicia; Anne.

His lordship, who was governor of Limerick and constable of Limerick Castle, a privy counsellor in Ireland, one of the commissioners of the Great Seal in that kingdom in 1693, and Lord justice in 1696, died in 1718, and was succeeded by his son,

CHARLES, 2nd Viscount, who married firstly, Rose, daughter of Colonel Richard Coote; and secondly, Martha, eldest daughter of Samuel Matthews, of Bonnettstown, County Kilkenny, but had no surviving issue.

His lordship died in 1732, when his estates devolved upon his only surviving sister, Anne, Viscountess Mountjoy, but the viscountcy of Blessington expired.

The 1st Viscount's eldest daughter, Mary, espoused, in 1684, Sir John Talbot Dillon Bt, by whom they had issue a daughter, Mary, married in 1708 to Captain Dunbar; who dying without issue, in 1778, left his estate to Lord Hillsborough, Lord de Vesci, and Lord Longford, as descendants of Lord Primate Boyle.

BLESSINGTON HOUSE, Blessington, County Wicklow, comprised two storeys with a dormered attic in its high-pitched roof.

The principal front had a five-bay centre recessed between two, three-bay projecting wings joined by a balustraded colonnade.

The house stood at the end of an avenue in an exquisite demesne with a deer-park.

The Blessington estate passed through marriage to the 1st Marquess of Downshire, whose great-grandmother was a daughter of Archbishop Boyle.

In her article about Blessington and the Downshire connection, Kathy Trant tells us that Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire, was a great-grandson of Archbishop Boyle's daughter Eleanor, who had married William Hill of Hillsborough.

Thus began the Downshire association with Blessington, which continued until 1908, when the tenants bought out their holdings under the Wyndham Land Act.

The estate stretched from the Kildare boundary to the uplands of the Wicklow mountains comprised 36 townlands, 31 of which were in County Wicklow and five in County Kildare.

The 2nd Marquess also had residences at Hillsborough Castle, County Down, Hanover Square, London, Gloucester Street, Dublin, Hertford Castle, Hertfordshire,

Blessington House was burnt by insurgents in 1798.

The raids on Blessington continued into September but by then many of the tenants had left the estate.

The town was now in ruins and the surrounding countryside devastated.

When life gradually returned to normal, people began assessing the damage to their property and many submissions were made to the commission established by the Government to consider the claims of those who had suffered losses during the rebellion.

Lord Downshire received over £9,000 for the destruction to his property but he never rebuilt the mansion.

On the Downshire estates, the question now was not whether but when the landlord would sell to the tenants.

This happened on the Blessington estate under the 6th Marquess, who had inherited in 1892, and the sale was completed by 1908.

In reality, the connection between the Downshires and Blessington had virtually ceased four decades earlier upon the death of the 4th Marquess.

The once great dynasties of the Boyles and the Hills, which for so long had dominated the lives of the people of Blessington, quietly came to an end.

Today, the principal reminders of their reign in Blessington are St Mary's Church; the agent's house (until recently, the Downshire Hotel); the Market House (now Credit Union House); the Inn (now the Ulster Bank).

The monument in the square commemorates the coming of age in 1865 of Lord Hillsborough, later 5th Marquess of Downshire.

First published in August, 2012.  Blessington arms courtesy of European Heraldry.   Excerpts of The Blessington Estate And The Downshire Connection, by Kathy Trant.

Knocktarna House

THE LYLES WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LONDONDERRY, WITH 3,071 ACRES OF LAND

HUGH LYLE, of Coleraine, County Londonderry, Captain in a Regiment of Dragoons, said to have come originally from Renfrewshire, married, before 1717, Eleanor, daughter of Hugh Bankhead, of Killowen, County Londonderry, and had issue,

HUGH, his heir;
Elizabeth, mother of Lt-Gen Sir Hugh Lyle Carmichael;
Martha.

The only son,

HUGH LYLE (1717-), of Coleraine, wedded, in 1749, Eleanor, daughter of Samuel Hyde, of Belfast, son of John Hyde, of Haughton, Cheshire, and had issue,

HUGH, his heir;
Samuel;
James, of Philadelphia, USA;
Mary; Eleanor.

The eldest son,

HUGH LYLE (1756-1812), of Jackson Hall, Coleraine, espoused Sarah, daughter of Thomas Greg, of Belfast, and had issue,

HUGH, his heir;
Thomas;
Samuel;
Elizabeth; Eleanor; May; Sarah.

The eldest son,

HUGH LYLE, of Knocktarna, County Londonderry, Mayor of Coleraine, married Harriet, daughter of John Cromie, of Cromore, County Londonderry, and had issue,

Hugh Thomas (1815-34);
JOHN, of whom hereafter;
James Acheson, of Portstewart;
Thomas Cromie (1819-54);
George Robert (1821-53);
Henry;
Edward Augustus (Rev);
Octavius Godfrey;
Anne Frances; Sarah Olivia; Harriet Ellen; Ellen Jane; Frances Louisa.

The eldest surviving son,

THE REV JOHN LYLE (1817-), of Knocktarna, Rector of Kildolla, wedded firstly, in 1851, Elizabeth (died 1852), eldest daughter of the Rev Andrew McCreight, Rector of Belturbet; and secondly, in 1857, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Major Thomas Scott, of Willsboro, County Londonderry, by whom he had issue,

HUGH THOMAS, his heir;
John Cromie;
Thomas William;
Charles Acheson;
George Herbert;
Kathleen Annette; Florence Emily; Harriette.

The eldest son,

HUGH THOMAS LYLE CBE DSO DL (1858-1942), Lieutenant-Colonel and Brevet Colonel, Royal Welch Fusiliers, wedded, in 1886, Alice Fanny, daughter of Sir Warren Hastings D'Oyly Bt, and had issue,

HUGH D'OYLY (1895-1977);
Kathleen Annie; Phyllis Mary.

KNOCKTARNA HOUSE, Coleraine, County Londonderry, formerly known as Knockantern House, is a two-storey, three-bay rendered house with a basement to the rear.

It was built ca 1830 on the north bank of the River Bann, to the south of Coleraine.

Knocktarna's features are typical of the period, characterised by restrained and plain detailing; a well-preserved example of a typical early-Victorian country house.

Set in large grounds, the fairly austere character of the house is significantly enhanced by a group of well-preserved rubble-stone and red-brick outbuildings, good quality gate-screen, and an unspoiled natural setting with views over the River Bann.

Of local interest, Knocktarna House makes a significant contribution to the architectural character and quality of Coleraine district.

The house featured in a map of 1830, with outbuildings to the rear forming two sides of a stable courtyard.

It was the seat of Hugh Lyle, linen merchant and Mayor of Coleraine, and was built in the early 19th century.

Knocktarna, comprising twenty-five rooms, continued to pass down through the Lyle family for some years.

It was recorded that a school was established in an outbuilding of the house in 1835, catering for 18 pupils.

The Lyles contributed towards the running of the school and the schoolmistress resided in the house.

Books were supplied by the London Hibernian Society and the Authorised Version of scripture was taught.

At the time of the 1901 census, the occupiers were the elderly Rev John Lyle and his wife who lived with their two daughters, their daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

The household included a substantial staff of six, including a nurse and a groom.

The Rev John Lyle was still at the house, aged 95, in 1911 and completed the census form in his own hand.

His slightly reduced staff included a cook, housemaid, kitchen maid and butler.

At the time of the First General Revaluation in the 1930s the accommodation comprised, on the ground floor: four receptions, two servants’ bedrooms, a servants’ bathroom, servants’ WC and a pantry.

In the basement were the servants’ hall, box room, dairy, wine cellars, store, kitchen, scullery and pantry; and on the first floor, six bedrooms, a dressing room, two servants’ bedrooms, a bathroom and two WCs.

In the 1930s the house was heated by radiators and lighting was supplied by an acetylene gas plant on the premises.

The gardens included a ‘rough’ lawn, 1½ acres of vegetable and fruit garden, ½ acre rough garden and 2 acres of orchard.

There was also a grass tennis court.

In 1948 a single-storey addition was made to the rear and the house was redecorated internally.

The house passed to Fred W Young in 1952, and subsequently became the Vice-Chancellor’s Lodge for the University of Ulster.

First published in November, 2016.

1st Viscount Bryce

The family of BRYCE was settled at Dechmont Law, Lanarkshire, as early as 1659. It is known that two members of the family fought in the covenanting army at the battle of Bothwell Bridge in 1679.

ALEXANDER BRYCE, of Dechmont, died about sixty years later, and was father of

JOHN BRYCE, the last of the family to reside at Dechmont.

His eldest son,

THE REV JAMES BRYCE (1767-1857) died at Killaig, near Coleraine, County Londonderry.

His third son,

JAMES BRYCE (1806-77), married, in 1836, Margaret, daughter of James Young, of Abbeyville, County Antrim, and had issue,

JAMES, of whom hereafter;
John Annan;
Mary; Katharine.

Mr Bryce's elder son,

THE RT HON JAMES, VISCOUNT BRYCE OM GCVO PC,

One of the most remarkable men of his era; eminent in many fields, including politics, law, academia, diplomacy and history, as well as mountaineering.

Born at (Upper) Arthur Street, Belfast, on the 10th May, 1838, he spent most of his early years at his grandfather’s home on the shores of Belfast Lough.

After a period in Glasgow, he returned to Belfast at the age of fourteen, where he studied at the Belfast Royal Academy while staying with his uncle, Reuben Bryce, the school’s headmaster.

He completed his education at the University of Glasgow and Trinity College Oxford, where he became a Doctor of Civil Law in 1870, and where he wrote an essay on the Holy Roman Empire, which later became an internationally acclaimed book.

Bryce was called to the Bar in 1867, and from 1870 to 1893 he served as Regius Professor of Civil Law at Oxford. But that was just one facet of his extraordinary career.

Passionately committed to the Liberal Party, he became MP for Tower Hamlets in East London in 1880, later representing South Aberdeen for over twenty years.

He briefly held the post of Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under William Gladstone; and also served in Gladstone’s last cabinet. 

A reluctant "Home Ruler" at the time, he contributed his expertise to the second Home Rule Bill, nevertheless warning Gladstone of the opposition he would encounter from Liberal Presbyterians in Ulster.

Bryce was appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1905 by the Prime Minister, Henry Campbell-Bannerman.

Never afraid to speak his mind, he was an outspoken critic of the treatment of women and children during the Second Boer War, which saw the introduction of concentration camps.

In 1907, Bryce was appointed HM Ambassador to the United States of America (above), a country of which he was a great admirer.

Indeed he had written a well-received book about US political institutions, The American Commonwealth, in 1888, which proved to be very influential.

He served in this post until 1913, and it is said that his role was crucial in strengthening British relations with the US during an important time.

One of the many friends he made during this period was the US President, Theodore Roosevelt, but he was also very popular with the ordinary American public.

Not long after retiring from diplomatic service, in 1913, James Bryce was elevated to the peerage, in the dignity of VISCOUNT BRYCE, of Dechmont, Lanarkshire.

He supported the temporary exclusion of Ulster from the terms of the third Home Rule bill while in the House of Lords and became a member of the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

Such was Lord Bryce's reputation in the US that his report on alleged German atrocities against civilians was used to influence American public opinion to push for involvement in the First World War.

He was also a strong advocate for the establishment of an American-backed League of Nations following the war.

His final speech in the House of Lords was in support of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December, 1921.

Lord Bryce died the following year, when the title became extinct.

Lord and Lady Bryce lived at Hindleap, Forest Row, Sussex, and 3 Buckingham Gate, London. 

First published in April, 2011.

Lord Archbishop of Tuam

Sapphire, three persons erect, under as many canopies of stalls, their faces, arms, and legs, proper: The first represents an archbishop, habited in his pontificals, holding a crozier in his left hand; 

the second, the Virgin Mary, crowned, with our Saviour on her left arm; and the third, an Angel having his right arm elevated, and a lamb on his left arm, all topaz.

The last Anglican Archbishop of Tuam and Primate of Connaught was the Most Rev and Hon Dr Power le Poer Trench (1770-1839).

The archiepiscopal Palace, at Bishop Street, Tuam, County Galway, was built between 1716-41, by Archbishop Synge.

In 1837 the palace was described as being "large and handsomely built, though not possessing much architectural embellishment."

The old palace is now a supermarket and restaurant.

First published in August, 2014.

Warren House

THE CHARLEYS OWNED 348 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

The family of CHARLEY or CHORLEY, passing over from the north of England, settled in Ulster in the 17th century, at first at Belfast, where they were owners of house property for two hundred years; and afterwards at Finaghy, County Antrim, where  

RALPH CHARLEY (1664-1746), of Finaghy House, County Antrim, left a son,

JOHN CHARLEY (1712-93), of Finaghy House, who died aged 81, leaving a son and successor,

JOHN CHARLEY (1744-1812), of Finaghy House, who married, in 1783, Anne Jane, daughter of Richard Wolfenden, of Harmony Hill, County Down. 

His second son, 

MATTHEW CHARLEY (1788-1846), of Finaghy House, married, in 1819, Mary Anne, daughter of Walter Roberts, of Colin House. His eldest son,

JOHN STOUPPE CHARLEY JP (1825-78), of Finaghy House, and of Arranmore Island, County Donegal,

a magistrate for counties Donegal, Antrim, and Belfast; High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1875-6. Mr Charley owned 6,498 acres of land in County Donegal.

This gentleman married, in 1851, Mary, daughter of Francis Forster JP, of Roshine Lodge, County Donegal.

His third son,

WILLIAM CHARLEY, of Seymour Hill, Dunmurry, married, in 1817, Isabella, eldest daughter of William Hunter JP, of Dunmurry; and dying in 1838, was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN CHARLEY, of Seymour Hill,  who died unmarried in 1843, aged 25, and was succeeded by his brother, 

WILLIAM CHARLEY JP DL (1826-1904), of Seymour Hill, who wedded, in 1856, Ellen Anna Matilda, daughter of Edward Johnson JP, of Ballymacash, near Lisburn, and granddaughter of Rev Philip Johnson JP DL. 

Mr Charley was juror of Great Exhibition, 1851; chairman of J & W Charley & Company. He wrote the book Flax And Its Products.

He was succeeded by his son,

EDWARD JOHNSON CHARLEY (1859-1932), of Seymour Hill; whose sixth son, 

COLONEL HAROLD RICHARD CHARLEY CBE DL (1875-1956), of Seymour Hill,

officer, 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles; fought in the Boer War, and 1st World War, with 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles; wounded and became a PoW. In 1916 he started workshops for interned British servicemen at Murren. He was Officer-in-Charge for Technical Instruction for servicemen interned in Switzerland, 1917; Commissioner, British Red Cross Society, Switzerland, 1918; commander, 1st Royal Ulster Rifles, 1919-23. CBE, 1920; City Commandant, Ulster Special Constabulary, 1924-52; originator of the British Legion Car Park Attendants scheme (adopted throughout Great Britain); Honorary Colonel, 1938, Antrim Coast Regiment (Territorial Army). 

His eldest son, 

COLONEL WILLIAM ROBERT (Robin) HUNTER CHARLEY OBE (1924-2019), married Catherine Janet, daughter of William Sinclair Kingan, in 1960.

WARREN HOUSE, originally called Warren View, formed part of the Charley estate though, until 1922, was occupied by different members of the Johnston family. 

In 1923, Edward Charley, of Seymour Hill, presented it to his brother, Colonel Harold Charley (1875-1956) on his marriage to Phyllis Hunter MBE (1893-1988). 

They extended the house and enlarged it over a number of years. 

Estate agents describe it thus:

Detached house; six bedrooms; three reception rooms; self-contained annex set on ca 1 acre of gardens; approved guest-house, full of potential. Once the home of flamboyant car magnate John De Lorean; also former home of the Charley family involved in the linen industry, this historic Edwardian dwelling is now run as a successful guest-house. Set in tranquil riverside gardens, the impressive façade gives way to a sumptuous living space. 

Warren House looks across the river Derriaghy to an ancient mound and rabbit warren.

The Charleys sold the house in 1951.

It was sold again thereafter, and is is understood that one later owner converted the large drawing-room into a Plymouth Brethren chapel.

In 1970, when the De Lorean factory was built in the nearby fields, Warren House became John De Lorean's residence.

A special road-way was made directly from the factory to the house.

First published in March, 2011.

Scottish Provident Building

THE SCOTTISH PROVIDENT BUILDING (SPB), Donegall Square West, Belfast, is a grand, symmetrical, multi-bay, sandstone Italianate office block.

This august edifice directly overlooks Belfast City Hall's western facade and the Lord Mayor's official suite of rooms.

It comprises six-storeys over a basement, with an attic-storey; dated 1902, to the designs of Young & Mackenzie.

The building is U-shaped in plan, with a central pedimented bow and chamfered corner elevations surmounted by octagonal domed pavilions.

Retail units are on the ground floor of the building, which was extensively renovated ca 2009.

One of the most prominent buildings in Donegall Square, this large-scaled Victorian commercial edifice displays much sculptural stonework to the facade in addition to its copper roof features.

The neo-Palladian idiom is loosely interpreted with hints of Baroque and art nouveau.

Much historic fabric and detailing survives.

The SPB is undoubtedly one of the most impressive late Victorian or early Edwardian structures in the city by notable local architects, representing the commercial development of the city in its later stages.

The SPB comprises one of two large office blocks built in Donegall Square to the designs of Young and MacKenzie during the late 19th century.

The Royal Linen Warehouse for Robinson & Cleaver was constructed first, on the north of the Square, in 1888, followed by the larger Scottish Provident Institution, built in Donegall Square West between 1897-1902.

This site was previously occupied by the offices and yards of linen merchants and the Donegall/Union Hotel.

The new building was initially occupied by the Scottish Provident Institution, and a number of offices had been leased to other businesses, including the architects Young & MacKenzie.

The ground floor contained a number of commercial units, including McGee & Co, Tailors; Erskine Mayne, bookseller; lantern and photo specialists; and at 8 Wellington Place, J Lizar, which remains there today.

The building continues to function with cafes, shops and restaurants on the ground floor; offices and meeting spaces on the floors above.

This grand Italian-Renaissance-style building was constructed by the builder Robert Corry, to designs prepared by Robert Young of Young and MacKenzie.

Carvings and sculpture were executed by Purdy & Millard; while Ward & Partners created the stained glass in the first floor lobby, which depicts Scottish coat-of-arms.

The ornamental sculpture includes detailed carvings of female heads, representing Scotland, Ireland, England, India, Sudan and Canada.

The central bay, which bows outward, is also adorned with panels depicting the prevalent industries of the day including shipbuilding, rope making and weaving.

During the late 20th century the stonework was restored, a projecting central canopy was added over the Donegall Square entrance, and some statues were removed from the facade.

First published in July, 2014.