Persse of Roxborough & Moyode

THE PERSSES OWNED 19,623 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY GALWAY

THE FAMILY OF PERSSE HAVE THE SAME CREST AS THE PERCYS, DUKES OF NORTHUMBERLAND.

THE REV ROBERT PERSSE, Vicar of Caragh and Downings, County Kildare, 1605-12, is believed to have come to Ireland from Northumberland in the very late 16th century.

He died in 1612, and was buried at Bodenstown, County Kildare, leaving issue several sons, the seniority of whom is unknown,

Francis, of Killadirge, Co Wicklow;

Edward (Rev), Vicar of Caragh;

HENRY, of whom hereafter.

His son,

HENRY PERSSE, of Clane, County Kildare, died ca 1673, and was buried at Bodenstown.

By his wife Elizabeth he left issue,

DUDLEY;

Sybil.

The only son,

THE VERY REV DUDLEY PERSSE (1625-99), Dean of Kilmacduagh, Archdeacon of Tuam, etc, matriculated at Trinity College, Dublin, 1641-2, aged 16.

Dean Persse received grants of lands in counties Galway and Roscommon, 1677 and 1678.

He married Sarah, daughter of John Crofton, of Lissadorn, County Roscommon, and had issue, two sons and seven daughters,

HENRY, his heir;

William, of Spring Garden, Co Galway;

Catherine; Alice; Sarah; four other daughters.

The Dean purchased Spring Garden, County Galway, and lived there until he purchased Roxborough, in the same county.

His daughters were married as follows: the eldest, Catherine, to Major Hugh Galbraith, of Capard; the second, Alice, to Captain William Colles, of Co Sligo; the third to Nethercott; the fourth to Ormsby; the fifth to Hickman; the sixth, Sarah, to Blakeney; the seventh to Walsh.

The eldest son,

HENRY PERSSE (1657-1733), of Roxborough, High Sheriff of County Galway, 1701, wedded, in 1688, Mary, daughter of Robert Stratford MP, aunt of John, 1st Earl of Aldborough, and died in 1733, having had issue,  two sons and a daughter, namely,

ROBERT, his heir;

Francis, of Ballymerret, High Sheriff of co Galway, 1734;

Grace, m Col J Blakeney MP.

The elder son,

ROBERT PERSSE (1689-1781), of Roxborough, High Sheriff of County Galway, 1742, espoused, in 1727, Elizabeth, daughter of William Parsons and sister of Sir Laurence Parsons Bt, of Birr Castle, and had issue,

Henry, dsp;

WILLIAM, his heir, of Roxborough;

Robert, m Anne, daughter of Sir Arthur Brooke Bt, of Colebrooke;

Dudley;

Parsons;

BURTON, of whom we treat;

Sarah, m Sir Richard St George Bt, of Woodsgift.

The youngest son,

BURTON PERSSE, married, in 1770, Sarah Pennefather, of County Tipperary, and died in 1829, leaving issue,

BURTON DE BURGH, his heir;

William, CB (Companion of the Order of the Bath), Colonel, 16th Lancers;

Maria; Eliza; Sarah; Frances; Matilda; Grace Anne.

The elder son,

BURTON DE BURGH PERSSE JP DL, of Moyode Castle, County Galway, High Sheriff of County Galway, 1816, wedded firstly, in 1820, Anchoretta, third daughter of Giles Eyre, of Eyrescourt Castle, County Galway, and had issue with a son, born and died 1822, three daughters,

Anne; Eliza; Anchoretta Maria.

He espoused secondly, in 1825, his cousin, Matilda, daughter of Henry Persse, of Galway, by his wife Miss Sadleir, of Cork, and died in 1859, having by her had issue,

BURTON ROBERT PARSONS, his heir;

William Henry, dsp;

Henry Sadleir;

Theophilus, dsp;

Charles Graham;

Dudley Thomas;

De Burgh Parsons;

Sarah Selina; Maria Sadleir; Matilda; Henrietta Burton.

The eldest son,

ROBERT BURTON PARSONS JP DL (1828-85), of Moyode Castle, High Sheriff of County Galway, 1862, who married, in 1852, his cousin, Madeline Eliza, daughter of Colonel William Persse, CB, and had issue,

BURTON WALTER, his heir;

William Beauchamp, m 1898, Emily M McDonnell, of Queensland, Australia;

Arthur Moore;

Theophylis;

Arabella Eliza; Madeline Beatrice;Frances Moore; Maria Tucker.

The eldest son,

BURTON WALTER PERSSE JP (1854-1935), of Mackney, Ballinasloe, County Galway, dsp.

Moyode Castle (Image: Skehana & District Heritage Group)

MOYODE CASTLE, near Athenry, County Galway, Bence-Jones remarks (Burke's Guide to Country Houses, Ireland, page 220), was an imposing 19th century house, with a three-sided bow in the middle of its front, a storey higher than the bay on either side of it, and flanked by two little battlemented turrets.

A higher tower, and a very tall polygonal machicolated corner turret, at one end of the front.

This mansion, erected about 1820, was burned to the ground by the IRA in 1920.

ROXBOROUGH, near Loughrea, County Galway, another seat of the family, was an 18th century house of two storeys over a basement, with a gable-ended front and gable-ended return (Bence-Jones,  Burke's Guide, page 249).

The front comprised five bays, with fanlighted doorway.

It was the childhood home of Lady Gregory (née Persse).

Roxborough was burnt by the IRA in 1922.