Waterford Palace

THE sees of Waterford and Lismore were united in 1536.

The bishopric of Lismore had been founded in the beginning of the 7th century; but that of Waterford was not founded until about the close of the 11th century by the Ostmen of Waterford, soon after their conversion to Christianity.

During the prelacy of Thomas le Reve, who succeeded in 1363, the sees of Lismore and Waterford were consolidated by Pope URBAN V, and this union, which had been long contemplated and frequently attempted without success, was confirmed by EDWARD III.

Hugh Gore, who was consecrated Bishop of the united sees in 1666, expended large sums in repairing and beautifying the cathedral, and bequeathed £300 for bells for the churches of Lismore and Clonmel, and £1,200 for the erection and endowment of an almshouse for ten clergymen's widows, to each of whom he assigned £10 per annum.

Nathaniel Foy, who was appointed Bishop in 1691, greatly improved the episcopal palace, and bequeathed funds for the erection and endowment of a school for 50 children, afterwards extended to 75, and for the improvement of the estates, the surplus funds to be applied to clothing and apprenticing the scholars.

The two sees continued to be held together till the decease of Bishop Bourke, when both were annexed to the archiepiscopal province of Cashel, and the temporalities became vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

This very small diocese is confined to the eastern part of County Waterford, and does not extend above 13 miles in length and 9 in breadth.

But the diocese of Lismore is 38 miles long and about 37 broad, including the greatest part of County Waterford and a considerable portion of Tipperary.

THE PALACE, WATERFORD, County Waterford, is reputedly one of the largest and finest episcopal residences in Ireland.

Building began in 1741 by Bishop Este, to the design of Richard Castle.

The garden front, facing the Mall, comprises three storeys.

The rusticated ground floor serves as a basement.

Its centre breaks forward with three arches which form the base of the pedimented Doric centrepiece above, which incorporates three windows.

The centre of the top storey features a circular niche between two windows.

Bishop Este died in 1745, before the palace was completed.

It ceased to function as an episcopal residence in 1919, following the retirement of Bishop O'Hara.

Thereafter it was occupied by the Bishop Foy boarding school until 1967.

It served as municipal offices for Waterford City Council till 2010.

The former episcopal palace is now a museum.

First published in November, 2015.

Hamilton Tower

Hamilton Tower (Archiseek.com)

HAMILTON TOWER, built in 1906 by the architect Dr Robert Cochrane, served as the porter's gate lodge for The Queen's College, now The Queen's University of Belfast.

This building was designed in the Tudor-Revival style.

A single-storey lodge was beside the tower.

There was a fine carriage arch below the two-storey entrance tower.

Hamilton Tower (Alexander Hogg/NMNI)

The spandrel had elegant stone carving and there were armorial bearings above the arch-way.

Behind the tower was an octagonal, battlemented turret.

The elegant wrought-iron railings, which surrounded the Lanyon Building's campus, were probably removed during the 2nd World War and are notable for their absence today.

The Hamilton Tower existed for a mere sixteen years, before it was demolished in 1922.

Entrance front today

It was named after the Rt Hon and Rev Thomas Hamilton, the third President of Queen’s College and the first Vice-Chancellor of The Queen’s University of Belfast.

He was the longest serving President and Vice-Chancellor.

He was in office for almost thirty-five years, until his retirement in 1923.

The Lanyon Building in 2018

Hamilton played a vital role in persuading Government and the local community to support generously the expansion of the College and later the University.

It was felt that Hamilton is not sufficiently acknowledged for the hugely significant contribution he made to Queen’s.

No portrait exists of him, only a photograph.

The Tower and gate lodge were criticised at the time on aesthetic grounds; and subsequently demolished in 1922, a year before Hamilton’s retirement.

First published in February, 2014.

Colville of Galgorm

PHILIP DE COLVILLE owned Heaton and Oxnam, Roxburghshire, in the 12th century; and his grandson and great-grandson added Kinnaird, Stirlingshire, and Ochiltree, Ayrshire, to the family possessions.

His descendant,

SIR ROBERT COLVILLE, of Hiltoun and Ochiltree, Master of the household to JAMES IV, King of Scots, wedded Elizabeth, daughter of Walter Arnot, and had issue,

JAMES;

Margaret; Janet.

Sir Robert fell with his royal master at the battle of Flodden in 1513.

His only son,

SIR JAMES COLVILLE, of Ochiltree and East Wemyss, Judge of the Court of Session, 1532, married firstly, Alison, daughter of Sir David Bruce, and had issue,

James.

He espoused secondly, Margaret, daughter of ________ Forrester, and had issue,

Alexander.

Sir James had another son, Robert Colville of Cleish, born out of wedlock.

His heir,

SIR JAMES COLVILLE (1532-c1561), of East Wemyss, married Janet, daughter of Sir Robert Douglas of Lochleven, and had issue, two sons,

James (1532-c1561), his heir; created Lord Colville of Culross;

Alexander, likely ancestor of the Rev Alexander Colville DD.

The younger son,

ALEXANDER COLVILLE (c1536-97), who had a charter of the whole abbey of Culross in 1567, and was thence styled Commendator of Culross, wedded Nicola, daughter of Alexander Dundas of Fingask, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;

James;

Robert;

Alexander;

Margaret; Susanna; Katherine; Grizel; Jean.

The son and heir,

JOHN COLVILLE (1573-c1647), Commendator of Culross, espoused Elizabeth, daughter of Sir James Melville.

Grave-stone at Newtownards Priory

THE founder of the Ulster branch of the family,

THE REV DR ALEXANDER COLVILLE (c1597-c1679), likely brother of John, 3rd Lord Colville of Culross, came over to Ulster about 1630.

This Alexander Colville, a kinsman of Bishop Echlin (whose mother was Grizel Colville), was appointed Rector of Skerry, in the diocese of Connor, 1634, and the adjoining parish of Rathcavan, in 1661.

He purchased GALGORM CASTLE in the 1640s.

Dr Colville's son and heir,

THE RT HON SIR ROBERT COLVILLE (1625-97), MP for Hillsborough, 1661-6, CountyAntrim, 1692-3, and 1695-7, married four times, and had issue,

William;

Francis, died 1683;

HUGH, of whom presently;

Penelope; Elizabeth; Anne; Rose.

The eldest surviving son,

HUGH COLVILLE (c1676-1701), MP for County Antrim, 1697-9, married Sarah, daughter of John Margetson (granddaughter of the Most Rev James Margetson, Lord Archbishop of Armagh), and had issue,

ROBERT, his heir;

Alicia, of whom hereafter.

The son and heir,

ROBERT COLVILLE (c1697-1749), MP for Killybegs, 1719-27, Antrim Borough, 1727-49, died unmarried, when the family estates passed to his sister,

ALICIA COLVILLE (1700-62), who married Stephen, 1st Viscount Mount Cashell.

• Hugh Colville was maternal grandfather of Stephen, 1st Earl Mount Cashell, who inherited Galgorm Castle from his mother, Alicia Colville.
• The cross moline in the Colville arms is contained within the armorial bearings of the borough of Newtownards.

*****

THE COLVILLES were landlords of Newtownards from 1675 until 1744.

The Colville family traces its origins to Scotland in the 1100s, when Philip de Colville settled there following the Norman Conquest.

The first member of the family to settle in Ulster was Dr Alexander Colville, a professor of divinity at St Andrews University before coming to the Province in 1630.

Dr Colville may have been invited to Ulster by Bishop Robert Echlin, whose mother was Grizel Colville. 

He was appointed Rector of Skerry in 1634, and reputedly built Galgorm Castle near Ballymena.

His son, Sir Robert, joined the army and in 1651 was a Captain.

He married four times, and was knighted at some period between 1675 and 1679.

Sir Robert later purchased the Montgomery estates at Newtownards and Comber.

He rebuilt the ruined Montgomery home, Newtown House, which had been accidentally burned down in 1664; and built a private chapel at Movilla cemetery.

A relative, Alexander Colville, was brought from Scotland to become Minister at the Presbyterian Church in Newtownards in 1696.

Sir Robert Colville died in 1697, with a memorial at the PRIORY in Newtownards.

His third wife, Rose, died in 1693 and was also interred at the Priory.

Their son, Hugh, died in 1701 aged 25, with a similar memorial.

By 1744, the memorial inscriptions had been removed from the family tomb, described as “...A large Tomb of the Colville Family (to a descendant of which the town now belongs), stands in the North Isle, raised five or six feet above the Floor, but naked of any inscription...”

Hugh Colville's daughter, Alicia, sold the estates to Alexander Stewart in 1744 for £42,000 (equivalent to about £11.2 million in 2021).

First published in February, 2022.

Cecil Manor

THE GERVAISES OWNED 7,727 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY TYRONE 

JEAN GERVAIS, of Tournon, Guyenne, France, married Anne Fabre, and had two sons,

PIERRE, of whom we treat;
DANIEL.

After their parents' death, and while still children, they fled with an uncle following the revocation of the edict of Nantes, and settled in England.

In 1710, DANIEL, the younger, was naturalized, and subsequently became a captain in the Army and gentleman usher to Queen Anne.

He wedded Pauline Belagnier, daughter of the minister of the French protestant church, Dublin, but dsp.

Daniel's brother, elder son of Jean Gervais, 

PIERRE GERVAIS, espoused, in 1717, Marie Françoise Girard, and died in 1730, having had three sons, the eldest of whom,

PETER GERVAIS (1722-1800), Collector of Revenue, Armagh, wedded, in 1763, Elizabeth, fourth daughter of the REV SAMUEL CLOSE, of Elm Park, County Armagh.

Peter Gervais, Photo Credit: Armagh County Museum

They both died in 1800, leaving issue,

FRANCIS, his heir;
Mary Anne, m Rev D Kelly;
Elizabeth, m Captain John Winder.

The only son,

THE REV FRANCIS GERVAIS JP (1764-1849), of Cecil, Rector of Tartaraghan, Carlingford, married, in 1807, Katherine Jane, daughter of Michael Tisdall, of Charlesfort, County Meath, and had issue,

FRANCIS JOHN, his heir;
Elizabeth; Catherine; Juliana Henrietta.

Francis Gervais (1764-1849), Photo Credit: Armagh County Museum

The only son,

FRANCIS JOHN GERVAIS JP DL (1819-82)), of Cecil Manor, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1846, wedded, in 1852, Annie Catherine, eldest daughter of the Rev John Richardson Young, of Kilmarron Rectory, County Monaghan, and had issue,

FRANCIS PETER, his heir;
Katherine Mary; Frances Elizabeth Haton.

Francis John Gervais, Photo Credit: Armagh County Museum

The only son,

Francis Peter Gervais, Photo Credit: Armagh County Museum

FRANCIS PETER GERVAIS JP DL (1858-1918), of Cecil Manor, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1902, a barrister,

Mrs Georgina Frances Gervais, Photo Credit: Armagh County Museum 

married, in 1884, Georgina Frances Dalrymple, daughter of James Gilmour, of Warren Hill, County Londonderry, and had issue,

DOROTHY, born ca 1886.

Click to Enlarge

CECIL MANOR, near Augher, County Tyrone, was a rather austere three-storey, early 19th century block, probably attributed to William Farrell.

It was built ca 1830 for the Rev Francis Gervais, who had purchased the estate from the Cairnes family in 1811.

The windows were set wide apart in the solid expanses of wall.

Its entrance front had a Classical porch, prolonged by a wing of the same height.

There was a slightly overhanging roof with a bracket cornice; and chimney-stacks grouped together in a long line.

The mansion, originally called Saville Lodge, is now demolished.

I'm seeking more images of Cecil Manor.

The demesne had four gate lodges, of which two seem to have survived, albeit in a parlous state.

This was formerly a fine demesne on the lower slopes of Knockmany.

There is still an avenue of Douglas Fir and forest planting, and a lake.

A garden house is at the site of a formerly productive garden.

There was a boys and girls school, on Erasmus Smith's foundation, endowed with two acres of land by the Rev Francis and Mrs Gervais, who, in conjunction with the trustees of that charity, built the schoolhouse.

Much of the estate is now part of the Northern Ireland Forest Service's Knockmany Forest.

Former London residence  ~ 2 Strathmore Gardens.

First published in September, 2010.

Farragh House

THE BONDS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LONGFORD, WITH 6,574 ACRES

EPHRAIM BOND, from Yorkshire, settled in the city of Londonderry about 1650, and acquired a considerable property by commercial pursuits there.

He married Miss Dewin, and had two sons,

WILLIAM, his heir;
John, of County Londonderry.

The elder son,  

WILLIAM BOND, of Glenlough, County Londonderry, was father of,

JAMES BOND, of Glenlough, who married Miss Burns, and had five sons, viz,

William;
JAMES;
Oliver;
Thomas;
Saint.

The second son,

THE REV JAMES BOND (-1762), a Presbyterian minister, of Corboy, County Longford, espoused Catherine, daughter of the Rev Thomas Wensley, of Lifford, County Donegal, and had, with four daughters, as many sons, viz.

Wensley (Very Rev), Dean of Ross;
James (Sir), 1st Baronet, of Coolamber;
WILLIAM, of whom presently;
Thomas.

The third son,

WILLIAM BOND (-1811), of Edgeworthstown, County Longford, High Sheriff of County Longford, 1794, married Elizabeth, daughter of Alexander Perry, and had issue,

James Wensley, 1822-43;
Alexander Perry;
Thomas;
WILLOUGHBY, of whom we treat.

The youngest son,

WILLOUGHBY BOND JP DL (1790-1875), of Farragh, County Longford, High Sheriff of County Longford, 1832, wedded, in 1829, Alicia Sidney, daughter of William Gosselin, of Abbey Derg, County Longford, and had issue,

William Wensley, 1834-54;
JAMES WILLOUGHBY, his heir;
Sidney Margaret.

The only surviving son,

JAMES WILLOUGHBY BOND JP DL (1837-1918), of Farragh, High Sheriff of County Longford, 1870, espoused, in 1864, Emma Georgiana Charlotte, daughter of William Hunter Little, DL, of Llanvair Grange, Monmouthshire, and had issue,

WILLOUGHBY JAMES, his heir;
Wensley Hunter, b 1876;
Georgiana Sidney; Henrietta Letitia; Alicia Mabel; Ethel Emma Louisa.

The eldest son,

WILLOUGHBY JAMES BOND JP DL (1867-1942), of Farragh, High Sheriff of County Longford, 1905, married, in 1892, Mary Rosa Kerr, daughter of Captain William Bond, of Newtown Bond, County Longford, and had issue,

BRIAN WILLOUGHBY, of Farragh;
Francis Willoughby, 1901-53;
Mary Hunter; Kathleen Sidney.

FARRAGH, or Farraghroe House, was originally a shooting-box, though considerably enlarged by Willoughby Bond between 1811-33, the architect being Hargrave of Cork.

Additions were also made during the Victorian era.

The entrance front comprises three storeys and five bays; Wyatt windows in the centre above a pillared porch.

The side elevation was of two storeys and three bays framed by huge, plain pilasters.

There was a large, two-storey central hall with a gallery; stained-glass incorporated the Bond family motto, Deus Providebit.

Farragh was sold ca 1960 by Mr Brian Willoughby Bond (1894-1963) and subsequently demolished.

First published in March, 2012.  Bond arms courtesy of the NLI.

1st Baron Lurgan

THE BARONS LURGAN WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY ARMAGH, WITH 15,166 ACRES

JOHN BROWNLOW, of Epworth, in the Isle of Axholme, Lincolnshire, removed to Ulster and settled in County Armagh, where he had a grant of Doughcoron (or Doughcarron) and other lands in the barony of ONeilland, 1610, which lands were erected into the manor of Doughcoron, with liberty to impark 450 acres in demesne.

This John Brownlow had (with two younger sons, John, died unmarried 1640, and Richard, died unmarried 1661) an eldest son and heir,

SIR WILLIAM BROWNLOW (1591-1661), Knight, of Doughcoron, who was knighted by Henry Cary, Viscount Falkland, Lord Deputy of Ireland, 1622.

He wedded Elinor, daughter and co-heir of John O'Dogherty, of Derry, County Armagh, and by her had three daughters, his co-heiresses,

LETTICE, of whom hereafter;

Rose; Eleanor.

Sir William died in 1661.

His eldest daughter,

LETTICE BROWNLOW, espoused firstly, Patrick Chamberlain, of County Louth, by whom she had a son, ARTHUR, devisee of his grandfather.

She married secondly, Christopher Clinton; thirdly, Alexander Aston; and fourthly, ________ Beversham.

Her son by her first husband,

ARTHUR CHAMBERLAIN (1645-1711), became heir to his maternal grandfather, and adopted the surname of BROWNLOW.

He was High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1668-9, MP for Armagh County, 1689-1711, and wedded, about 1679, Jane, daughter of Sir Standish Hartstonge Bt, by whom he had, with other issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Anne, m Matthew Forde;
Lettice, m Robert Cope.

Mr Brownlow was succeeded by his eldest son, 

WILLIAM BROWNLOW (1683-1739), MP for Armagh County, 1711-39, who married, in 1712, the Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, daughter of James, 6th Earl of Abercorn, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Jane, died unmarried;
Elizabeth, m to John, Lord Knapton;
Anne; Mary; Isabella.

Mr Brownlow was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON WILLIAM BROWNLOW (1726-94), of Lurgan, MP for Armagh County, 1753-94, who married firstly, in 1754, Judith Letitia, eldest daughter of the Very Rev Charles Meredyth, Dean of Ardfert, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
CHARLES, heir to his brother.

He wedded secondly, in 1765, Catherine, daughter of Roger Hall, of Mount Hall, County Down, and had further issue,

James (1772-1832);
Francis (Rev), b 1779; m Catherine, 6th daughter of 8th Earl of Meath;
Catherine, m, in 1783, M Forde, of Seaforde;
Isabella, m, in 1796, Richard, 4th Viscount Powerscourt;
Elizabeth, m, in 1791, John, 4th Earl of Darnley;
Mary Anne, died unmarried 1791;
Frances Letitia, m, in 1800, John, 2nd Viscount de Vesci;
Selina; Louisa.

Mr Brownlow was succeeded by his eldest son,

WILLIAM BROWNLOW, who dsp 1815, and was succeeded by his brother,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CHARLES BROWNLOW (1757-1822), of Lurgan, who wedded, in 1785, Caroline, daughter and co-heir of Benjamin Ashe, of Bath, and had issue,

William, a military officer, killed in Spain, 1813;
CHARLES, of whom we treat;
John (Rev), b 1798;
Frederick, b 1800; army major;
George, b 1805; East India Company;
Henry, b 1807; East India Company;
Isabella, m, in 1818, R Macneill, of Barra;
Anna, m, in 1821, Col Maxwell Close, of Drumbanagher;
Mary, m, in 1822, Rev John F Close.

Colonel Brownlow was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON CHARLES BROWNLOW (1795-1847), of Lurgan, MP for County Armagh, 1818-32, who married firstly, in 1822, the Lady Mary Bligh, second daughter of John, 4th Earl of Darnley, by whom he had a daughter, Mary Elizabeth.

He wedded secondly, in 1828, Jane, fourth daughter of Roderick Macneill, of Barra, Inverness-shire, and had further issue,

CHARLES, his successor;
Edward;
Clara Anne Jane.

Mr Brownlow was elevated to the peerage, in 1839, in the dignity of BARON LURGAN, of Lurgan, County Armagh.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

CHARLES, 2nd Baron (1831-82), KP, of Lurgan, Knight of St Patrick, who espoused, in 1853, Emily Anne, fourth daughter of John, 3rd Baron Kilmaine, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;
John Roderick;
Francis Cecil, father of 5th Baron;
Mary Emily Jane; Clara Agnes; Louisa Helene; Isabella Anna;
Clementina Georgiana; Emmeline Harriet Annette.

His lordship, Lord-Lieutenant of County Armagh, 1864-82, was succeeded by his eldest son,

WILLIAM, 3rd Baron (1858-1937), KCVO, of Lurgan, State Steward to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1895-1905, who married, in 1893, the Lady Emily Julia Cadogan, eldest daughter of George, 5th Earl Cadogan, and had issue, an only child, 

WILLIAM GEORGE EDWARD, 4th Baron (1902-84), who wedded, in 1979, (Florence) May Cooper, widow of Eric Cooper, of Johnannesburg, South Africa, and daughter of Louis Francis Squire Webster, of Johannesburg.

His lordship died without issue, when the title reverted to his cousin,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOHN DESMOND CAVENDISH, 5th Baron (1911-91), OBE.

The title expired following the death of the 5th Baron in 1991.

 *****      

UNDER the Plantation of Ulster, John Brownlow, of Nottingham, offered himself as an undertaker of land at Oneilland, County Armagh.

Brownlow stated Nottingham as his place of origin, his family's native city and where his father had served as Mayor; but he himself had actually been living in Epworth, Lincolnshire, and had only returned to Nottingham on his father's death to claim his inheritance.

He was granted the 'middle proportion' of Doughcoron in the barony of Oneilland by patent from JAMES I in 1610.

Doughcoron contained 1,500 acres and included many townlands.

In 1610, John Brownlow's son William was granted 1,000 acres by James I, the proportion of Ballynemony.

This land also lay on the southern shore of Lough Neagh, adjacent to his father's land, and stretched from the upper Bann eastward to Doughcoron.

With the death of John Brownlow, his son, William inherited his father's property; and in 1622 William was knighted by Lord Falkland, the lord deputy of Ireland.

The existing Brownlow estate was not only consolidating and prospering but also being extended, for on the death of Sir William Brownlow in 1660, he was succeeded by his grandson, Arthur Chamberlain, eldest son of Lettice Brownlow. 

Arthur Chamberlain assumed the surname of Brownlow as directed in the will of his grandfather Sir William Brownlow and resided in Brownlow's-derry.

Arthur Brownlow, alias Chamberlain, was a prudent manager and accumulated a considerable amount of money which he invested in other lands, chiefly in County Armagh were he acquired the manor of Richmount and thus became one of the largest property owners in the county.

Meanwhile throughout the 17th and 18th centuries the County Armagh Brownlow estate in the manors of Brownlowsderry and Richmound continued to prosper and with it the Brownlows, while Lurgan continued to grow as a town.

However, the changing political situation in Ireland, especially in regard to the land question, and the introduction of the Land Acts, meant the end of the great estate.

This, coupled with family financial crisis, forced the Brownlow family to sell off most of their remaining estate, including Brownlow House, in 1893. 

They moved to London, although maintaining their contact and links with the town and people of Lurgan.

The barony of Lurgan was created in 1839 for Charles Brownlow, MP for County Armagh.

His son, the 2nd Baron, joined the Liberal Party and became a government whip in the Upper House; and he was appointed a Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick (KP) in 1864.

The 2nd Lord Lurgan owned the celebrated greyhound, Master McGrath; and his brother-in-law was Mr Maxwell Close whose home, incidentally, was DRUMBANAGHER HOUSE, built to the design of William Playfair who also designed Brownlow House.

The barony expired in 1991, following the death of the 5th Baron.

Stained Glass Window at Brownlow House

BROWNLOW HOUSE, near Lurgan, County Armagh, is a large Elizabethan-Revival mansion, built by William Playfair about 1836.

This large mansion is built of a honey-coloured stone, with numerous gables and lofty finials; abundant tall chimney-pots; oriels crowned with strap-work; and a tower with a dome and lantern.

The walls of three main reception rooms are decorated with panels painted to look like verd-antique; the ceilings grained to resemble various woods.

The windows overlooking the great staircase boast heraldic stained glass.

Brownlow House was sold by the Lurgan family to the Orange Order in 1903.

The surrounding parkland is reputedly the largest public park in Northern Ireland.

The Brownlow Papers are held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

By 1883, the Brownlow estate was valued at £20,589 a year (£1.8 million today).

This consisted of the manors of Brownlowsderry and Richmount.

The memory of the Lurgan family lives on, in the form of a charitable trust.

First published in November, 2009.

Derrynoid Lodge

THE TORRENSES OWNED 4,844 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY LONDONDERRY

This family is reputed to have derived its descent from a noble house of Sweden. 

THOMAS TORRENS, a cavalry officer from Sweden who served in the army of WILLIAM III, resigned his commission and settled, about 1690, at Dungiven, County Londonderry.

He married and had issue,

Thomas, d 1735;
Henry, d 1755;
JOHN, of whom we treat;
Robert (Rev), Rector of Hervey Hill; father of Robert Torrens;

The third son,

THE REV JOHN TORRENS (1708-87), of Templemore, County Londonderry, Rector of Ballynascreen, 1722, Headmaster of Derry Diocesan School, 1734-5, Prebendary of Derry, 1747, Vicar-General of the Diocese of Derry, married firstly, in 1733, Anne, daughter of the Rev Roger Blackhall, headmaster of Derry Diocesan School, 1702-34, and had issue,

Roger, 1733-1804;
THOMAS, of whom presently;
Robert, b 1748;
Martha; Jane; Anne; Elizabeth.

Mr Torrens wedded secondly, in 1752, Elizabeth Fisher.

His second son,

THE REV THOMAS TORRENS (1741-79), of Londonderry, espoused, in 1765, Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Curry, and had issue,

John (Ven), Archdeacon of Dublin;
Samuel, captain, 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot;
ROBERT, of whom hereafter;
Henry (Sir), Major-General, KCB.

Major-General Sir Henry Torrens KCB

The Rev Thomas Torrens's third son,

ROBERT TORRENS (1775-1856), of Derrynoid Lodge, Draperstown, County Londonderry, was a senior judge, having been appointed, in 1823, a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in Ireland.

The Hon Mr Justice Torrens married, in 1809, his cousin Anne, daughter of Thomas Torrens, and had issue,

THOMAS FRANCIS, b 1810, died in Italy;
Robert Samuel (1818-51), captain, 42nd Regiment;
Samuel John (1825-46), died in Madeira;
HENRIETTA, of whom presently;
Ann, 1829-32.

Mr Justice Torrens's elder daughter,

HENRIETTA TORRENS (1819-57), espoused William, 1st Baron O'Neill, and had issue,

Edward, 2nd Baron O'Neill;
Arthur;
ROBERT TORRENS, of whom we treat;
Anne.

The Lady O'Neill died in 1857, and bequeathed the Derrynoid estate to her third son,

MAJOR THE HON ROBERT TORRENS O'NEILL (1845-1910), of Tullymore Lodge, County Antrim, who died unmarried.

DERRYNOID LODGE, near Draperstown, was built ca 1809 for the Hon Mr Justice Torrens.

It was originally a thatched cottage though, about 1816, the house was extended and a slate roof was erected.

The Lodge was last inhabited before the start of the 2nd World War.

In 1952, Derrynoid Lodge suffered severe fire damage and was subsequently demolished.

*****

In 1995, with funding from the Department of Agriculture, International Fund for Ireland and the European Union, the former land steward’s house and other servants’ quarters were refurbished to form a striking sandstone frontage to the Derrynoid Centre.

THE DERRYNOID CENTRE is situated in 250 acres of secluded forest woodland, on the site of the Georgian manor house, Derrynoid Lodge.

It contains 40 en-suite bedrooms, an on-site restaurant & bar and leisure facilities.

Conference facilities include a multi-media lecture theatre which could accommodate 110 guests, and 8 fully equipped syndicate rooms.

Hobby & leisure courses, and training & consultancy services are available.

The Centre closed down in March, 2011.

First published in March, 2014. Torrens arms courtesy of the NLI.

Smyly of Camus

THE SMYLYS OWNED 1,069 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY TYRONE

JOHN SMYLY came from Scotland, and settled at Carrigullin, near Camus, County Tyrone, in 1628.

He left three sons,

JOHN;
Robert, b 1636;
Thomas, b 1638.

The eldest son,

JOHN SMYLY, married and was father of

ROBERT SMYLY (1676-1742), of Camus, who left issue, two sons,

JOHN, his heir;
Robert, of Carrigullin.

The elder son,

JOHN SMYLY (1700-87), of Camus, wedded firstly, in 1727, Prudence Williams, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Catherine.

He espoused secondly, 1752, Margaret Moore.

The elder son,

WILLIAM SMYLY (1730-1812), of Camus, married, in 1759, Jane, eldest daughter and co-heir of John Armstrong, of Strabane, County Tyrone, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;
Anne.

The son and heir,

JOHN SMYLY KC (1767-1821), Barrister, wedded, in 1796, Belissa, daughter of John Crampton, of Merrion Square, Dublin, and sister of Sir Philip Crampton Bt, the celebrated surgeon, and had issue,

JOHN GEORGE, his heir;
Cecil (Rev), Vicar of Carlingford;
Josiah (Dr), of Merrion Square;
William (Rev), Rector of Aghanloo;
Philip, Major-General in the army;
Belissa; Anne; Charlotte.

The eldest son,

JOHN GEORGE SMYLY QC DL (1797-1866), of Upper Merrion Street, Dublin, and Castlederg, County Tyrone, a barrister, espoused, in 1828, Eliza, daughter and co-heir of SIR ANDREW FERGUSON Bt, of Castlederg, County Tyrone (by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Alexander, and niece of the 1st Earl of Caledon), and had issue,

JOHN GEORGE, his heir;
Andrew Ferguson (Very Rev), Dean of Derry;
WILLIAM CECIL, succeeded his brother;
Elizabeth Ferguson; Ellen Belissa.

The eldest son,

JOHN GEORGE SMYLY (1829-1912), of Camus and Castlederg, County Tyrone, Major, Derry Militia, died unmarried, and was succeeded by his brother,

HIS HONOUR JUDGE WILLIAM CECIL SMYLY KC (1840-1921), of Camus and Castlederg, County Court Judge at Bow and Shoreditch, who married, in 1884, Alice, only daughter of Samuel Brooks, of Watford, and had issue,

CECIL FERGUSON, b 1884;
Alexander Ferguson, b 1886;
Alice Eileen; Sylvia Mary.

Click to Enlarge

CAMUS HOUSE, near Strabane, County Tyrone, was built ca 1870 on the site of an earlier dwelling.

This is a three-bay, two-storey house, located to the east side of Lisky Road.

This large house displays good style and proportions and retains many of its original features including a richly detailed Victorian interior.

The relatively plain exterior appearance of the house is enriched by corbelled eaves and sandstone dressings.

The building, which incorporates an earlier rear return of equal importance, remains an important architectural feature of the local area.

The site is given further interest by the extensive range of outbuildings to the south-east of the house.

The outbuildings remain intact and well maintained, and the presence of a flax-drying green and flax mill to the east supplement the significance of this site in the context of rural industry in the local area.

The front of the main house is partly on the site of older buildings, though no other buildings overlap with the 1855 group.

I'm seeking images of Camus House (also known as The Grange).

London residence ~ 84 St George's Square.

First published in February, 2018.  Selective bibliography ~ Foyle Civic Trust.

Tempo Manor

THE EMERSON-TENNENT BARONETS OWNED 2,408 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY FERMANAGH 

The family of EMERSON came originally from Foxton, County Durham.

GEORGE EMERSON, of Ardmore, County Armagh, was succeeded by his son,

WILLIAM EMERSON, a merchant of Belfast, who married Sarah, youngest daughter of William Arbuthnot, of Rockville, County Down (by his cousin, Miss Scott), and had issue,

George;
Arbuthnot;
JAMES, of whom we treat;
Eliza.

The third son,

JAMES EMERSON JP DL (1804-69), wedded Letitia, daughter and co-heiress of William Tennent, of Tempo, County Fermanagh, a banker in Belfast, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Eleanor; Edith; Sarah.

Mr Emerson, MP for Belfast, 1832-5, Lisburn, 1852, assumed, upon his marriage, the additional surname of TENNENT.

Mr Emerson-Tennent, Colonial Secretary of Ceylon, was created a baronet in 1867, designated of Tempo Manor, County Fermanagh.

He was succeeded by his son,

SIR WILLIAM EMERSON-TENNENT, 2nd Baronet (1835-76), of Tempo Manor, County Fermanagh, and The lodge, County Antrim, who married and had issue,

ETHEL SARAH, m  SIR ARTHUR HUBERT CHARLES LANGHAM, Bt;
Edith Letitia Anna (1876-1953).

Sir William died without male issue, when the baronetcy expired.

Family of Tennent

THE FAMILY of TENNENT, originally DANAND, or TENAND, was of respectability in Scotland, and the principal branch resided at Glasgow.

WILLIAM TENNENT (1759-1832), of Hercules Lane (now Royal Avenue), Belfast, and TEMPO MANOR, son of the Rev John Tennent (1727-1808), of Roseyards, County Antrim,

Served as an apprentice with John Campbell, a Belfast merchant and banker; joined Belfast Chamber of Commerce, 1783, and was junior manager in the New Sugar House in Waring Street.

He eventually became a partner in this business, and he held partnerships in the distilling firm of John Porter & Co. and the Belfast Insurance Co; was co-founder, in 1809, of the Commercial Bank, and he worked in the bank until it became Belfast Banking Co. in 1827; was on the Board of the Spring Water Commissioners and the Belfast Banking Company, and was manager of the Belfast Academical Institution and Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce.

After the rebellion of 1798, he was arrested on suspicion of belonging to the United Irishmen, and imprisoned in Scotland for two years; returned to Belfast and in 1814, purchased the village and demesne of Tempo, County Fermanagh; bequeathed property to the Presbyterian Church, and died in the cholera epidemic.

The Hon John Bew has broadcast a very good documentary about him, entitled Belfast's Richest Radical.

Mural plaque in memory of William Tennent at Rosemary Street
Presbyterian Church, Belfast(Image: Timothy Ferres, 2022)

Mr Tennent's only daughter and heiress,

MISS LETITIA TENNENT, of Tempo Manor, married James Emerson, later Emerson-Tennent.

Photo Credit: Belfast City Hall

Sir James Emerson-Tennent was MP for Belfast, 1832-45 (his full-length portrait hangs in the Reception Hall of Belfast City Hall); Joint Secretary to the India Board, 1841-45; Colonial Secretary in Ceylon, 1845-49; Permanent Secretary to the Board of Trade, 1852-67 (and usually regarded as the inventor of competitive examination for the Civil Service).

He was an author of major books on Greece, Ceylon, natural history, antiquities, etc; friend of Dickens and other literary and artistic people; and builder of Tempo Manor in County Fermanagh (to the designs of Sir Charles Lanyon), 1861-69.

Emerson-Tennent was knighted in 1845, and was created a baronet on his retirement from the Board of Trade in 1867.

The 1st Baronet survived for a mere two years after receiving his baronetcy.

The title became extinct on the death of his son, Sir William, 2nd Baronet, in 1876, aged 41.

Sir William had an only daughter,

ETHEL SARAH EMERSON-TENNENT,  who married, in 1893, Sir Herbert Charles Arthur Langham, 13th Baronet.

The Emerson Tennent Papers are held at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

TEMPO MANOR, County Fermanagh, is between Enniskillen and Fivemiletown.

The original manor was an old castle of the Maguires.

The estate was acquired in 1815 by William Tennent, a Belfast banker, whose daughter and heiress was the wife of Sir James Emerson-Tennent Bt MP, an illustrious politician, colonial administrator and writer.

A new house, incorporating part of the old castle, was built in 1863 in a rather curious Victorian-Jacobean style.

There are curvilinear gables; and rectangular, round-headed, plate-glass windows, some with entablatures crowned with strap-work.

The house is of two storeys, the upper storey being an attic in the high-pitched roof.

One end has a turret with a belfry and spire.

Tempo Manor passed by marriage to the Langham Baronets.

The present demesne comprises 300 acres of parkland and woodland.

The part-walled 17th century demesne, also edged by the Tempo River, is adjacent to the village of Tempo. There are fine stands of mature trees in the shelter belts and woodland.

The park was said to have been the setting for Maria Edgeworth’s novel, Castle Rackrent.

Mature exotics are in evidence.

A winding avenue of open grass and woodland leads past a lough to the present mansion, which incorporates part of the old Maguire house on the site and is successfully juxtaposed with contemporary terraced lawns.

These dip down to a small lough, which is surrounded by a romantic garden at the core of the demesne.

It is a notable example of an informal-style ‘Robinsonian’ garden that was fashionable in the early part of the 20th century.

The view from the house is of the lough, an island ‘Tempo Dessell’, and surrounding planting of flowering shrubs, enhanced by evergreen trees beyond.

There is a walk meandering round the lough, part of which has an embanked rockery.

Although not fully maintained, the rockery is an important and rare survival in Ulster.

The coach-house dates back to the Maguire ownership of the property.

The two gate lodges are of the same era as the Lanyon house.

Former seats ~ Francfort, County Sligo; Tempo Manor, County Fermanagh; The Lodge, County Antrim. Former London residence ~ 25 Duke Street.

Photo credits: Sir John Langham Bt.   First published in September, 2010. Emerson-Tennent arms courtesy of the NLI.,