Dromana House

THE VILLIERS-STUARTS WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WATERFORD, WITH 30,882 ACRES

LORD HENRY STUART (1777-1809), third son of John, 1st Marquess of Bute, married, in 1802, the Lady Gertrude Amelia Mason-Villiers, only daughter and heir of George, 2nd Earl Grandison, of Dromana, and had issue,

HENRY, his heir;
William;
Charles;
Gertrude Anelia.

Lord Henry was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON HENRY STUART (1803-74), of Dromana, County Waterford, Privy Counsellor, MP for Banbury, 1830-1, Colonel, Waterford Militia, who was alleged to have wedded, in 1826, Theresia Pauline Ott, and had issue, an only child,

HENRY WINDSOR.

Mr Stuart, Lord-Lieutenant of County Waterford, 1831-74, was elevated to the peerage, 1839, in the dignity of BARON STUART DE DECIES, of Dromana, within the Decies, County Waterford.

He added the surname of VILLIERS to his name in 1822.

Without a lawful heir, the peerage expired following Lord Stuart de Decies's decease in 1874.

His only son,

THE HON HENRY WINDSOR VILLIERS-STUART JP DL (1827-95), of Dromana-within-the-Decies, County Waterford, MP for County Waterford, 1873-85, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of County Waterford, 1871-73, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1889, wedded, in 1865, Mary, second daughter of the Ven. Ambrose Power, Archdeacon of Lismore, fourth son of Sir John Power Bt, and had issue,

HENRY CHARLES WINDSOR, his heir;
Gerald;
Maurice Ambrose;
Horace Gervase;
Patrick;
Mary Therese; Gertrude Gwendoline; May; Winifred Frances.

Mr Villiers-Stuart was the author of Nile Gleanings, Egypt After the War, and other works; and was commissioned by the Government in 1882 to visit Egypt, and report upon the condition of the populace after the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir.

His eldest son,

HENRY CHARLES WINDSOR VILLIERS-STUART JP (1867-1908), of Dromana, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1898, espoused, in 1895, Grace Frances, only daughter of J A R Newman DL, of Dromore House, County Cork, and had issue,

ION HENRY FITZGERALD, his heir;
Geraldine Mary; Nesta Mona.

Mr Villiers-Stuart was succeeded by his son,

ION HENRY FITZGERALD VILLIERS-STUART (1900-48), of Dromana, who wedded, in 1928, Elspeth Richardson, and was succeeded by his only son,

JAMES HENRY ION VILLIERS-STUART (1928-2004), of Dromana, who married, in 1952, Emily Constance Lanfear, daughter of Major Charles Plenderleath Graham, and had issue,

Caroline Elspeth, b 1955;
Barbara Emily, b 1955.

THE MEDIEVAL CASTLE of Dromana occupied a spectacular site, high above the River Blackwater.From the 13th century onwards this was the seat of the FitzGeralds, Lords of the Decies, a junior branch of the Earls of Desmond.

In the 1670s the FitzGerald heiress, Katherine, the ‘Lady of the Decies’, ward to CHARLES II, married Colonel Villiers, son of Lord Grandison.

Their descendants succeeded as the Earls Grandison until 1800, when the only child of the 2nd Earl (of the second creation) married Lord Henry Stuart, younger son of Lord Bute. 

Their son was subsequently created Lord Stuart de Decies, a title that recalled his long family connection with the region. 

The castle of Dromana was attacked and damaged in the wars of the 1640s and 50s, though its base can still be identified from the river, and indeed is still inhabited. 

About 1700, instead of rebuilding the castle, two new ranges were built at right angles to one another along the courtyard walls. 

Both were simple gable-ended two storey structures, possibly just intended for occasional occupation, their only decoration being a robust, pedimented block-and-start door case in the manner of James Gibbs.

Work on a larger new house commenced in about 1780, directly in front of the longer 1700s range.

The principal façade was of two storey and nine bays, quite plain, with a parapet and a rather curious segmental-headed armorial doorcase.

The river façade contained a shallow double-height bow and was actually an extension of the smaller 1700s range.

Together these three buildings faithfully followed the line of the original bawn or courtyard.

The interior was elaborately fitted out for Lord Stuart in the 1840s, with a suite of very grand reception rooms and a massive imperial staircase but by the 1960s Dromana had become something of a white elephant.

The estate was sold and subdivided, and the house bought by a cousin who demolished the 1780s block and reduced it to more manageable proportions.

Happily, James Villiers-Stuart was able to repurchase the house in the 1980s.

His widow Emily still lives there, along with her daughter and family.

The Dromana demesne extends to 600 acres.

The steeply sloping riverbanks are covered with oak woods and the important mid-eighteenth century garden layout, with its follies, the Rock House and the Bastion, is currently being restored.

To the north of the estate, on a bridge across the River Finisk, is the renowned Hindu-Gothic lodge, originally erected to welcome the owner and his bride on their return from honeymoon in 1826.

They were so taken with this temporary structure in the latest Brighton Pavilion mode, that they had it rebuilt in more durable materials.

The most notable person associated with Dromana was Katherine, Dowager Countess of Desmond.

Born a daughter of the house, she died there in 1604, supposedly from falling out of a cherry tree at the reputed age of 140, having allegedly worn out three natural sets of teeth.

Another remarkable man was Lord Stuart de Decies himself, a Protestant aristocrat and large landowner with radical views.

As a young man he defeated the Waterford establishment in the famous 1826 election to give Daniel O'Connell and the Catholic Emancipation movement their first Member of Parliament.

First published in October, 2011.   SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY: THE DROMANA HOUSE WEBSITE.

Curraghmore

THE MARQUESSES OF WATERFORD WERE THE GREATEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WATERFORD, WITH 39,883 ACRES 

Lineage of Le Poer

The ancient and noble family of DE POWER, or LE POER, was established in Ireland by ROBERT DE POHER, Knight Marshal, and Joint Governor of Ireland with Hugh de Lacy, 1179.

He obtained a grant of that portion of the present county of Waterford, extending from the River Suir to the sea, excepting the cantred of the Danes, and the city of Waterford. From him descended the BARONS OF DONISLE, the POWERS of Iverk, and the POWERS of Curraghmore.

The representative of the last-mentioned house,

RICHARD POER, Lord of Curraghmore, living 1452-76, was Sheriff for County Waterford. 

He married Catherine, daughter of Sir Richard Butler, Knight, of Polestown, second son of 3rd Earl of Ormonde, and died in 1483, having had issue,

PIERS, his heir;

Richard, of Feddans;

Edmond (Sir).

The eldest son,

PIERS POER, Lord of Curraghmore, Sheriff of County Waterford, wedded a daughter of Gerald FitzGerald, Lord of the Decies, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;

Piers;

Nicholas;

William;

Katherine.

The eldest son,

SIR RICHARD POWER, Lord of Curraghmore, Sheriff of County Waterford, was created by patent, 1535, LORD LE POWER and Coraghmore (Curraghmore).

He espoused the Lady Katherine Butler, second daughter of Piers, Earl of Ormonde and Ossory, and by her had, with other issue,

PIERS, his successor;

JOHN, heir to his brother;

Katherine; Elice.

He was slain in battle by Owen O'Callaghan, 1539, and was succeeded by his son,

PIERS, 2nd LORD POWER AND CURRAGHMORE, who served at the siege of Boulogne, and died there unmarried, of wounds, 1545, and was succeeded by his brother,

SIR JOHN, 3rd Lord, born in 1516, who married firstly, the Lady Eleanor FitzGerald, third daughter of 14th Earl of Desmond, by whom he had six sons and two daughters, of whom,

RICHARD, his successor;

Piers;

Katherine; Margaret.

His lordship wedded secondly, Ellen, widow of 3rd Viscount Buttevant.

He died in 1592, when he was succeeded by his son,

RICHARD, 4th Lord, who married Katherine, only daughter and heiress of James, Viscount of Buttevant, and had issue,

JOHN "Oge," killed by the White Knight;

Piers;

Julia; Elizabeth; Eleanor.

His lordship died in 1607, and was succeeded by his grandson,

JOHN, 5th Lord, who wedded Ruth, daughter and heiress of Robert Phypoe, of St Mary's Abbey, Dublin, and had, with other issue,

RICHARD, his successor;

Piers;

Katherine.

His lordship died in 1661-2, and was succeeded by his son,

RICHARD, 1ST EARL OF TYRONE (1630-90), created Viscount Decies and Earl of Tyrone, 1672; who espoused, in 1654, the Lady Dorothy Annesley, daughter of 1st Earl of Anglesey, and had issue,

JOHN, his successor;

JAMES, 3rd Earl.

His lordship died a Jacobite prisoner in the Tower of London, 1690, and was succeeded by his elder surviving son,

JOHN, 2nd Earl, who died unmarried, 1693, and was succeeded by his brother,

JAMES, 3rd Earl (1667-1704), who wedded, in 1692, Anne, eldest daughter and co-heir of Andrew Rickard, of Dangan Spidoge, County Kilkenny, and left an only daughter and heiress,

THE LADY CATHARINE POWER, who espoused, in 1717, SIR MARCUS BERESFORD, created Earl of Tyrone, 1746, by whom she had, with other issue, a son,

GEORGE DE LA POER BERESFORD, 1ST MARQUESS OF WATERFORD, so created, 1789.

Her ladyship was allowed the Barony of LA POER in fee by resolution of the Irish House of Lords, 1767, confirmed by THE KING, 19th December following.

His lordship died in 1704, when the Viscountcy and Earldom became extinct, while the Barony, created in 1535,  would, but for the attainders against him, have been held by

JOHN POWER, 9TH LORD POWER AND CURRAGHMORE.

Lineage of Beresford

The surname of BERESFORD was assumed from Beresford, in the parish of Alstonefield, Staffordshire, of which manor JOHN DE BERESFORD  was possessed in 1087, during the reign of WILLIAM II, and was succeeded therein by his son, HUGH DE BERESFORD, from whom lineally descended

JOHN BERESFORD, Lord of Beresford and Enson, who married Elizabeth, daughter of William Basset, of Blore, Staffordshire, and had, with other issue,

JOHN, his heir;
THOMAS, of whom hereafter.

Mr Beresford died in 1475, and was succeeded at Beresford by his eldest son; while the second,

THOMAS BERESFORD, seated himself at Newton Grange, Derbyshire, where he was resident in the reigns of HENRY VI and EDWARD IV; the former of whom he served in his French wars, and according to tradition, mustered a troop of horse at Chesterfield, consisting alone of his sons, and his own and their attendants.

Mr Beresford wedded Agnes, daughter and heiress of Robert Hassal, of Arclid, Cheshire, by whom he had sixteen sons and five daughters, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Aden; but we pass to the seventh,

HUMPHREY BERESFORD, who eventually became of Newton Grange.

This gentleman espoused Margery, daughter of Edmond Berdesey, or Beresley,  and was succeeded by his second son (the eldest having left a daughter only at his decease),

GEORGE BERESFORD, whose eldest son,

MICHAEL BERESFORD, was an officer in the Court of Wards, and was seated at Oxford, and The Squerries, in Kent.

Mr Beresford, who was living in 1574, married Rose, daughter of John Knevitt, and had seven sons and four daughters; of whom

TRISTRAM BERESFORD (c1574-1666), the third son,

Going into Ulster in the reign of JAMES I, as manager of the Corporation of London, known by the name of the Society of the New Plantation in Ulster, settled at Coleraine, County Londonderry, and was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR TRISTRAM BERESFORD (1595-1673), who was created a baronet in 1665, designated of Coleraine, County Londonderry.

He married firstly, Anne, eldest daughter of John Rowley, of Castleroe, County Londonderry, by whom he had one son, RANDAL, his heir, and two daughters; and secondly, Sarah Sackville, and had three sons and three daughters, viz.

Tristram;
Michael;
Sackville;
Susanna; Sarah; Anne.

Sir Tristram was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RANDAL BERESFORD, 2nd Baronet (c1636-81), MP for Coleraine, 1661-68, who married Catherine, younger daughter of Francis, Viscount Valentia, and niece, maternally, of Philip, 1st Earl of Chesterfield; and dying in 1681, left issue,

TRISTRAM, his heir;
Jane; Catherine.

Sir Randal was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

SIR TRISTRAM BERESFORD, 3rd Baronet (1669-1701), MP for Londonderry County, 1692-99, who commanded a foot regiment against JAMES II, and was attainted by the parliament of that monarch.

Sir Tristram wedded, in 1687, Nichola Sophia, youngest daughter and co-heiress of  Hugh Hamilton, 1st Viscount Glenawly, and had issue,

MARCUS, his heir;
Susanna Catherina; Arabella Maria; Jane; Aramintha.

He was succeeded by his son,

SIR MARCUS BERESFORD, 4th Baronet (1694-1763), MP for Coleraine, 1715-20, who espoused, in 1717, Catherine, BARONESS LE POER, daughter and heiress of James, 3rd Earl of Tyrone, and in consequence of that alliance, was elevated to the peerage, in 1720, in the dignity of Baron Beresford and Viscount Tyrone.

His lordship was further advanced to an earldom, in 1746, as EARL OF TYRONE.

He had surviving issue,

GEORGE DE LA POER, his successor;
John;
William (Most Rev), created BARON DECIES;
Anne; Jane; Catherine; Aramintha; Frances Maria; Elizabeth.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

GEORGE, 2nd Earl (1735-1800), KP, who married, in 1769, Elizabeth, only daughter and heiress of Henry Monck, of Charleville, and the Lady Isabella Bentinck, daughter of Henry, 1st Duke of Portland, and had issue,

GEORGE DE LA POER, his successor;
John George (Most Rev), Lord Archbishop of Armagh;
George Thomas (Rt Hon), Lt-Gen, GCH;
Isabella Anne; Catherine; Anne; Elizabeth Louisa.

He inherited the ancient Barony of de la Poer at the decease of his mother in 1769.

George, 1st Marquess of Waterford KP

His lordship was enrolled amongst the peers of Great Britain, in 1786, as Baron Tyrone; and created, in 1789, MARQUESS OF WATERFORD.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY, 2nd Marquess (1772-1826), who wedded, in 1805, Susanna, only daughter and heiress of George, 2nd Earl of Tyrconnell, and had issue,

HENRY, his successor;
William;
John;
James;
Sarah Elizabeth.

His lordship, who was a Knight of St Patrick, a Privy Counsellor in Ireland, Governor of County Waterford, and Colonel of the Waterford Militia, was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY, 3rd Marquess (1811-59), KP, who espoused, in 1842, Louisa, daughter of Charles, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay; the marriage, however, was without issue, and the titles devolved upon his brother,

THE REV JOHN, 4th Marquess (1814-66), Incumbent of Mullaghbrack, County Armagh, who wedded, in 1843, Christiana, daughter of Colonel Charles P Leslie, and had issue,

JOHN HENRY, his successor;

Charles William, created BARON BERESFORD;

William Leslie;

Marcus Talbot;

Delaval James.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN HENRY, 5th Marquess (1844-95), KP, PC, DL, 

• John Henry de La Poer Beresford, 5th Marquess (1844–95)

• Henry de La Poer Beresford, 6th Marquess (1875–1911)

• John Charles de La Poer Beresford, 7th Marquess (1901–34)

• John Hubert de La Poer Beresford, 8th Marquess (1933–2015)

• Henry Nicholas de la Poer Beresford, 9th Marquess (b 1958)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son, Richard John de la Poer Beresford, styled Earl of Tyrone, a polo professional who is known as Richard Le Poer.

*****

The Waterfords were a Patrick family, four members of whom were Knights of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick.

CURRAGHMORE, near Portlaw, County Waterford, is the ancestral seat of the 9th and present Marquess of Waterford.

Some 2,500 acres of formal gardens, woodland and grazing fields make this one of the largest private demesnes in Ireland and one of the finest places to visit.

A Sitka Spruce planted on the estate in the 1830s is among the tallest tree in Ireland and stands guard over King John's Bridge.

Built in 1205, this stone-arched structure, spanning the Clodagh River, is the oldest bridge in Ireland.

Twelve miles of famine relief boundary wall and four sturdy wrought iron gates surround the estate.

Gnarled pink chestnut trees line the approach to the big house and original castle tower.

St Hubert's stag with crucifix between its antlers - genuine horns on the de la Poer family emblem - gazes across the large Courtyard from atop the old castle.

Today, the formal gardens surrounding Curraghmore House are open for the public to visit on Thursday afternoons from 2pm to 5pm between Easter and mid-October.

Group tours of the main reception rooms of Curraghmore House can be arranged by prior appointment.

This tour takes in some of the finest Neo-Classical rooms in Ireland which feature the magnificent plaster work of James Wyatt and grisaille panels by Peter de Gree.

Curraghmore, near Portlaw, meaning great bog, is the last of four castles built by the de la Poer family after their arrival in Ireland in 1167.

The Castle walls are about 12 feet thick and within one, a tight spiral stairway connects the lower ground floor with the roof above.

Of the many curious and interesting features of Curraghmore, the most striking is the courtyard front of the house, where the original castle is encased in a spectacular Victorian mansion with flanking Georgian ranges.

The combination of architectural features from several periods around the ancient core of the original castle produces a most striking composition; "immediately recognizable and undeniably moving", as it was described by Country Life magazine.

In more than 800 years the property has passed through the female line only once, and that was prior to Catherine de la Poer marrying Sir Marcus Beresford Bt in 1715, when she was a mere teenager.

Together with her husband, it was she who carried out much of the remodelling of the house and grounds and it was Catherine, Lady Beresford, who created the unique Shell-house herself.

The quality of the craftsmanship employed on the developments on Curraghmore through the ages, has secured the House's reputation as one of the most important country houses in Ireland.

In the late 18th century, the 2nd Earl, afterwards 1st Marquess of Waterford, secured the famous architect James Wyatt to design the next phase of modernisation of Curraghmore.

Here he created a series of rooms, with decoration considered by many to be among his most successful.

After Wyatt's Georgian developments, work at Curraghmore in the 19th century concentrated on the gardens and the Victorian refacing to the front of the house.

Formal parterre, tiered lawns, lake, arboretum and kitchen gardens were all developed during this time and survive to today.

At this time some of Ireland's most remarkable surviving trees were planted in the estate's arboretum.

Today these trees frame miles of beautiful river walks.

Developments in the gardens are still under-way and a Japanese garden has been laid out by the present Lady Waterford.

The present day Beresfords are country people by tradition.

Farming, hunting, breeding hounds and horses and an active social calendar continues as it did centuries ago.

Weekly game-shooting parties are held every season (November through to January); and in spring, calves, foals and lambs can be seen in abundance on Curraghmore's verdant fields.

Polo is still played on the estate in summer.

Throughout Ireland's turbulent history, this family have never been 'absentee landlords' and they still provide diverse employment for a number of local people.

Change comes slowly to Curraghmore - table linen, cutlery and dishes from the early 19th century are still in use.

Other former seat ~ Ford Castle, Northumberland.

I am grateful to Lord Waterford for the information provided from Curraghmore's website.

First published in July, 2011. 

Ballynatray House

THE SMYTHS OWNED 7,124 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY WATERFORD

The ancient and influential family of SMYTH was settled in Ireland for more than three and a half centuries, intermarrying with the houses of England, and always maintaining a distinguished position amongst its great landed proprietors. Sir Richard Smyth appears to have been established there before the beginning of the 17th century: for an indenture, dated 1602, made between Sir Walter Raleigh and Richard Boyle, Clerk of the Council in Munster, and recorded in the Rolls' Office, Dublin, for the sale by Sir Walter, to the said Richard, of certain lands in counties Cork and Waterford. Sir Richard Smyth, of Ballynatray, was appointed by the deed a trustee, in conjunction with Edmund Colthurst and Edmund Coppinger.

SIR RICHARD SMYTH, Knight, of Ballynatray, County Waterford, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1613, and Rathcogan, County Cork, who flourished in the reign of ELIZABETH I, married Mary, daughter of Roger Boyle, of Preston, Kent, and sister of RICHARD BOYLE, the first and Great Earl of Cork, and had issue,

PERCY (Sir), his heir;
Catherine; Dorothy; Alice.

Sir Richard commanded as captain in the defeat and expulsion of the Spaniards at Castle Ny Parke, Kinsale, County Cork.

He was succeeded by his son,

SIR PERCY SMYTH, Knight, of Ballynatray, distinguished for his loyalty and courage in the rebellion of 1641.

He raised 100 men to assist Sir William St Leger, Lord President of Munster, and obtained at the same time, with Lord Broghill and Captain Brodrick, his commission as Captain of Foot.

Captain Smyth was knighted in 1629, and was military governor of Youghal, 1645.

Sir Percy married firstly, Mary, daughter of Robert Meade, of Broghill, and had issue, two daughters, Mabella and Joan; and secondly, in 1635, Isabella, daughter of Arthur Ussher, by Isabella his wife, daughter of the Most Rev Dr Adam Loftus, Lord Archbishop of Dublin and Lord High Chancellor of Ireland, and had issue,

Boyle, MP for Tallow;
Percy;
William, his heir;
RICHARD, of whom we treat;
John;
Margaret; Elizabeth; Isabella; Maria; Catherine.

The fourth son,

RICHARD SMYTH, of Ballynatray, wedded firstly, Susanna, daughter of John Gore, of Clonrone, County Clare, who dsp.

He espoused secondly, Alice, daughter of Richard Grice, of Ballycullane, County Limerick, and had (with a daughter, Isabella) a son,

GRICE SMYTH, of Ballynatray, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1710, who married Gertrude, daughter of William Taylor, of Burton, County Cork, and had issue, RICHARD, his heir, and Deborah.

Mr Smyth died intestate in 1724, and was succeeded by his son and heir,

RICHARD SMYTH (1706-68), of Ballynatray, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1739, who wedded firstly, in 1764, Jane, daughter and co-heir of George Rogers, of Cork, and by her had one daughter, Gertrude.

Mr Smyth espoused secondly, in 1756, Penelope, daughter of John Bateman, of Oak Park, County Kerry, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;
GRICE, heir to his brother;
John;
Rowland;
Elizabeth; Penelope.

Mr Smyth was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD SMYTH, of Ballynatray, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1793, who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his brother,

GRICE SMYTH (1762-1816), of Ballynatray, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1803, who wedded, in 1795, Mary Brodrick, daughter and co-heir of Henry Mitchell, of Mitchell's Fort, County Cork, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;
Henry Mitchell, ancestor of SMYTH of Castle Widenham;
Grice Blakeney (Rev);
Rowland;
John Rowland (Sir), KCB, General in the Army;
Ellen; Penelope; Gertrude.

Mr Smyth was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD SMYTH JP DL (1796-1858), of Ballynatray, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1821, who married, in 1821, Harriet, daughter of Hayes, 2nd Viscount Doneraile, by Charlotte his wife, sister of the 1st Earl of Bandon, and had an only surviving child, CHARLOTTE MARY.

Mr Smyth was succeeded by his daughter,

MISS CHARLOTTE MARY SMYTH, of Ballynatray, who wedded, in 1848, Charles William, 5th EARL MOUNT CASHELL, who assumed, in 1858, the additional name and arms of SMYTH, and was High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1862.

Her ladyship died in 1892, having had issue,

Richard Charles More (1859-88), dvm;
HARRIETTE GERTRUDE ISABELLA, her successor;
Helena Anna Mary; Charlotte Adelaide Louisa Riversdale.

The Countess Mount Cashell, having no surviving male issue, was succeeded by her elder daughter.

The 5th Earl died in 1898, when the Moore Park estates passed to his eldest daughter,

THE LADY HARRIETTE GERTRUDE ISABELLA MOORE (1849-1904), of Ballynatray, and Moore Park, Kilworth, County Cork, who married, in 1872, Colonel John Henry Graham Holroyd-Smyth CMG JP DL, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1902, and had issue,

ROWLAND HENRY TYSSEN;
Charles Edward Ridley;
William Baker;
Isabelle Charlotte Sophie Wilmot; Helena Anne Mary Moore;
Gwendoline Harriette; Sophia Beryl Sheila; Penelope Victoria Minna.

The eldest son,

ROWLAND HENRY TYSSEN HOLROYD-SMYTH DL (1874-1959), married, in 1902, Alice Isabelle, youngest daughter of Chambré Brabazon Ponsonby, of Kilcooley Abbey, and had issue,

John Rowland Chambré, b 1903;
Henry Horace Digby, b 1905;
Bryan Hubert Holroyd, b 1908;
Mary Lavender, b 1910.

BALLYNATRAY HOUSE, near Youghal, County Cork, stands on the River Blackwater, County Waterford.

It was granted to Sir Richard Smyth, brother-in-law to the Great Earl of Cork, in the early 17th century.

His son’s "castellated residence" was largely destroyed in the rebellion of 1641, and his successor built a larger, Dutch-gabled dwelling in the 1690s.

In 1795 this was incorporated into a very large Palladian house, built by Grice Smyth to the designs of Alexander Dean, of Cork.

The house is eleven bays long and five bays wide, with two storeys over a basement and a ballustraded parapet, originally decorated with elaborate urns.

The river façade has a pedimented breakfront, while the three central bays of the entrance front are deeply recessed and filled by with a long, single-storey porch.

The interior was clearly built for entertaining on the grandest scale.

There is a sumptuous suite of interconnecting rooms, all with stupendous views; wide, double mahogany doors and some fine early 19th century plasterwork.

The hall has a frieze of bull’s heads (the Smyth crest) and the billiards-room an imaginative cornice of billiards balls and cues.

The Hall

Originally, the bedroom floor had a curious curvilinear corridor but this has since been altered.

In 1843, Charlotte Smyth married the 5th Earl Mount Cashell.

Her son predeceased her, as did her young grandson, Lord Kilworth, so the estate passed to her daughter, the wife of Colonel Holroyd, who assumed the name and arms of SMYTH.

In 1969 their grandson, Horace Holroyd-Smyth, bequeathed Ballynatray to his cousins, the Ponsonby family of Kilcooley Abbey, who sold the house to Serge and Henriette Boissevain in the late 1990s.

They subsequently carried out a major restoration programme and today Ballynatray is the home of Henry Gwyn-Jones.

The situation, on a double bend of the river which gives the impression of a very large lake, is unrivalled.

Steep, oak-covered hills slope downwards on all sides while the ruins of Molana Abbey nestle amongst the trees on the riverbank.

These contain the classical Coade stone ‘tomb’ of Raymond Le Gros, one of Strongbow’s knights, and a statue of the abbey’s founder, St Molanside.

Select bibliography: Irish Historic Houses Association. First published in November, 2017.

Annestown House

 THE PALLISERS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WATERFORD, WITH 9,825 ACRES

This family paternally descends from that of BURY, Earl of Charleville, extinct, and is now the male representative of that family.

JOHN BURY, nephew of WILLIAM BURY, the grandfather of the first Earl of Charleville of the second creation, assumed the surname of PALLISER, upon succeeding to the estates of his maternal grandmother.

JOHN PALLISER (1550-1623), of Newby Wiske, Yorkshire, married Anne, daughter of Michael Meeke, leaving issue,

THOMAS, his successor;
John;
Anne; Jane; Elizabeth; Mary.

Mr Palliser was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS PALLISER (1606-), of Newby Wiske, who wedded Joan, daughter of Richard Frankland, of Blobberhouse, Yorkshire, and had issue,

JOHN, grandfather of ADMIRAL SIR HUGH PALLISER Bt;
WILLIAM (Most Rev), of whom hereafter;
George.

Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser Bt
Photo Credit: National Maritime Museum

Mr Palliser was still living in 1665.

His second son,

THE MOST REV WILLIAM PALLISER (1646-1726), Lord Archbishop of Cashel, espoused Elizabeth Hoye, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;
Jane, mother of JOHN BURY PALLISER.

His Grace was succeeded by his only son,

WILLIAM PALLISER (1695-1768), of Rathfarnham, who married, in 1728, Mary, daughter of Matthew Pennefather, of Cashel, Comptroller and Accountant-General for Ireland, and sister of Elizabeth, wife of Alexander, 5th Earl of Antrim, by whom he had no issue.

He was succeeded by his nephew,

JOHN PALLISER (formerly BURY), of Comeragh, County Waterford, who assumed the name of PALLISER, and wedded, in 1762, a daughter of Richard Taylor, of Cork.

He died in 1769, and was succeeded by his son,

WRAY PALLISER, of Derryluskan, who wedded Mary, daughter of the Ven Richard Chaloner, Archdeacon of Cashel, and was father of

JOHN PALLISER (1760-1833), of Derryluskan, who married, in 1784, Grace, eldest daughter of William Barton, of Grove, County Tipperary, and had issue,

WRAY, father of Sir W Palliser CB & John Palliser CMG;
JOHN BURY (Rev);
Richard Bury;
Elizabeth; Margaret; Grace; Anna.

Mr Palliser's second son,

THE REV JOHN BURY PALLISER (1791-1864), of Annestown, Rector of Clonmel, wedded, in 1830, Julia, daughter of Captain John Howe, East India Company, and had issue,

WRAY BURY;
John Richard.

The elder son,

CAPTAIN WRAY BURY PALLISER JP DL (1831-1906), of Annestown, espoused, in 1861, Maria Victoria Josephine, youngest daughter of Joseph Gubbins, of County Limerick, and had issue,

Alice Grace (1863-78).

Palliser crest and motto

MRS MARY JANE SYBIL GALLOWAY (1874-1940), daughter of Major Sir William Palliser CB, married, in 1908, Captain Harold Bessemer Galloway, of Blervie, Morayshire, and had issue,

IAN CHARLES PALLISER, born 1910;
Sybil Evelyn, born 1909.

ANNESTOWN HOUSE, Annestown, County Waterford, has been a seat of the Palliser family and their descendants since about 1830.

This is a rambling, three-storey house, at right-angles to the street in the village of Annestown.

It is actually two houses joined together. The main front faces the sea, though the gable end is on the street.

The rooms have low ceilings, though they are commodious.

The long drawing-room is divided by an arch with plain Victorian plasterwork; while a large library is approached along a passage.

Annestown House was owned at the beginning of the 19th century by Henry St George Cole; bought about 1830 by the Pallisers, from whom it was inherited by the Galloways.

It remained with the Galloway family until 2008.

COMERAGH HOUSE (above) was another seat of the Pallisers; as was Blervie, Morayshire.

First published in June, 2013.  Palliser arms and crest courtesy of the NLI.

Tourin House

THE MUSGRAVE BARONETS, OF TOURIN, WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WATERFORD, WITH 8,282 ACRES

This is a junior branch of the ancient family of MUSGRAVE, of Great Musgrave, Westmorland, springing more immediately from

RICHARD MUSGRAVE, of Wortley, Yorkshire, who settled in Ireland, wedded Jane Proctor, and had two sons,

Richard;
CHRISTOPHER, of whom we treat.

The younger son,

CHRISTOPHER MUSGRAVE, settled at Tourin, County Waterford, and marrying Susannah, daughter of James Usher, of Ballintaylor, he died in 1787, having had three sons,

RICHARD, his heir;

John, of Ballylin, dsp 1800;

CHRISTOPHER, succeeded his brother as 2nd Baronet.

The eldest son,

RICHARD MUSGRAVE (1757-1818), was created a baronet in 1782, designated of Tourin, with remainder to the issue male of his father.

Sir Richard wedded, in the same year, Deborah, daughter of Sir Henry Cavendish Bt, by his wife Sarah, Baroness Waterpark, of Doveridge, Derbyshire, by whom he had no issue.

Sir Richard, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1786, Collector of Excise in the port of Dublin, was known as a political writer, particularly by his history of the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

He died in 1818, when the title, according to the limitation, devolved upon his surviving brother,

SIR CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK MUSGRAVE, 2nd Baronet (1738-1826), who espoused, in 1781, Jane, daughter of John Beere, of Ballyboy, County Tipperary, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;
John;
Anne.

Sir Christopher wedded secondly, in 1797, Elizabeth, daughter of William Nicholson, of Wilmer, County Tipperary, who died issueless in 1798; and thirdly, in 1801, Catherine, daughter of Pierce Power, of Affane, County Waterford, and had a son,

Christopher Frederick, born in 1802.

Sir Christopher was succeeded by his eldest son, 

SIR RICHARD MUSGRAVE MP, 3rd Baronet (1790-1859), High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1820, who married, in 1815, Frances, daughter of the Most Rev William Newcome, Lord Archbishop of Armagh, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;
Christopher;
John;
Robert;
Edward.

His eldest son, 

SIR RICHARD MUSGRAVE, 4th Baronet (1820-74), High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1851, was Lord-Lieutenant of County Waterford from March until July, 1874.

SIR RICHARD JOHN MUSGRAVE, 5th Baronet, JP DL (1850-1930), High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1880, married, in 1891, Jessie Sophia, daughter of Robert Dunsmuir.

Sir Richard died without male issue.

His elder daughter, Joan Moira Maud Jameson (née Musgrave) inherited the Tourin estate and her descendants live at Tourin today.

His cousin,

SIR CHRISTOPHER NORMAN MUSGRAVE, 6th Baronet, OBE (1892-1956), of Norwood Tower, Strandtown, Belfast, Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Engineers, Chief Commissioner of Scouts, Northern Ireland, wedded, in 1918, Kathleen, daughter of Robert Spencer Chapman, and had issue,

RICHARD JAMES, his successor;
Christopher Michael (1923-44), killed in action;
John Anthony Newcome (1926-29);
Elizabeth Anne.

Sir Christopher inherited Norwood Tower in 1934.

Norwood Tower, Strandtown, Belfast

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD JAMES MUSGRAVE, 7th Baronet (1922-2000), Captain, Indian Army, who married, in 1958, Maria, daughter of Colonel Mario Cambanis, of Athens, Greece, and had issue,

CHRISTOPHER JOHN SHANE;
Michael Shane;
Olivia Mirabel; Anastasia Maria; Charlotte Elizabeth; Alexandra Victoria.

His son and heir,

SIR CHRISTOPHER JOHN SHANE MUSGRAVE, 8th and present Baronet, was born in 1959.

The heir presumptive of the baronetcy is Michael Shane Musgrave (b 1968), younger brother of the present Baronet.

The Six Golden Amulets 

From Mucegros, near Écouen, France: This name, so largely represented in England, is repeated further on in its modernized form of Musgrave; and the heralds, ignoring its origin, labour to affiliate it to the German graf.

They declare that, like Land-grave, Burg-grave, Mar-grave, &c, it is "a name of office:" and as Mews in old days meant the cage or place where hawks were kept while mewing (moulting), and in after times came to signify a stable, boldly announce that "Musgrave or Mewsgrave is clearly either the keeper of the King's hawks or the King's equerry."

In support of this etymological vagary, they tell us that once upon a time an Emperor of Germany or Archduke of Austria (we will accept either) had a beautiful daughter who was courted by two valiant nobles.

Each of them had done him such "singular good service that he did not care to prefer one to the other."

At last it was agreed that they should ride at the ring for the princess; and whichever succeeded in carrying it off should marry her.

Musgrave triumphantly drove his spear through the ring, became the Emperor's son-in-law, and in memory of his exploit, had the six golden annulets now borne by the Musgraves of Westmorland granted him for his coat-of-arms.

TOURIN HOUSE, near Cappoquin, County Waterford, was owned by the Roche family in the 17th century, passed to a family called Nettles and was purchased by Sir Richard Musgrave, 1st Baronet, MP for Lismore and sheriff of County Waterford, in 1778.

The family lived in a 17th century E-shaped dwelling with gables and tall chimneys, attached to the mediaeval tower of Tourin Castle, until the 3rd Baronet decided to build a new house on a more elevated site above the River Blackwater.

Built in 1840, the new Tourin House is a handsome Italianate villa in what would then have been the very latest style, possibly to the designs of the Waterford architect Abraham Denny.

There are four formal fronts, all rendered and with beautifully crisply cut stone details.

These include an elaborate cornice, which supports the overhanging eaves, and a profusion of quoins and stringcourses.

The five-bay façade has a pair of projecting porches at both ends, both single storey and framed with limestone pilasters, which in turn flank an arcade of three round-headed windows.

The remaining fronts are mainly of four bays, though the ground floor of the rear facade is of five bays, with a delicate, bowed, iron verandah; while the garden front has a more robust single storey central bow.

Internally, Tourin is largely unaltered, with a splendid bifurcating imperial staircase of oak, which arises behind the hall.

The elder daughter of the 5th baronet inherited Tourin.

She married Thomas Jameson, and their granddaughters live in the house today.

THE GARDENS were laid out at the beginning of the 20th century by Richard Musgrave, with the help of his friend, the Cork brewer Richard Beamish.

The fine collection of rhododendrons, camellias, and magnolias are the creation of his grandson and his wife (the present owners' parents); while a number of mature oak and cedar trees, and a champion London plane, remain from the earlier garden and parkland layout.

The walled garden produces fruit, vegetables, herbs and cut flowers, and is home to an important collection of over a hundred bearded irises, which flower in May and June. 

Former residence ~ Headfort Court, Kells, County Meath.

First published in May, 2013.

Mount Congreve

THE CONGREVES OWNED 2,016 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY WATERFORD,

2,295 IN COUNTY KILKENNY, AND 2,998 IN COUNTY CORK

This family claims descent from the Congreves of Congreve, Staffordshire.

THE REV JOHN CONGREVE (1654-1710), of Kilmacow, County Kilkenny, son of John Congreve, of County Cork, married Rebecca, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver Jones, and sister and co-heir of Ambrose Jones, and had issue,

AMBROSE, his heir;

Mary;

Elizabeth;

Jane.

The Rev J Congreve was succeeded by his son,

AMBROSE CONGREVE (1698-1741), of Waterford, who wedded Eleanor, daughter of John Lapp, and widow of _______ Roche, and by her (who espoused thirdly, the Most Rev John Whitcomb, Lord Archbishop of Cashel) had issue,

JOHN CONGREVE, of Mount Congreve, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1755, who married, in 1758, Mary, daughter of Beverley Ussher, of Kilmeaden, by his first wife, Mary, daughter of Nicholas Lysaght, and sister of the first Baron Lisle, and had two sons,

John, of Landscape, High Sheriff of Waterford, 1792, who dsp 1801;

AMBROSE, of whom presently.

The younger son,

AMBROSE USSHER CONGREVE (c1767-c1809), of Mount Congreve, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1806, wedded Anne, daughter of John Jenkins, and had issue,

JOHN;

Ambrose (1801-39);

Jane.

The eldest son,

JOHN CONGREVE DL (1800-63), of Mount Congreve, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1823, espoused, in 1827, Harriet Louisa, daughter of Luke, 2nd Baron Clonbrock, and had issue,

AMBROSE, his heir;

Louisa Anne; Augusta Mary; Jane.

The only son,

AMBROSE CONGREVE JP DL (1832-1901), High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1871, married, in 1866, his cousin Alice Elizabeth Dillon, sixth daughter of Robert, 3rd Baron Clonbrock, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;

Ambrose;

Leopold Hugh;

Caroline Mabel; Eleanor Augusta; Violet Jane.

Mr Congreve was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN CONGREVE JP DL (1872-1957), High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1906, Major, Border Regiment, South African War, 1900-1, who wedded, in 1904, the Lady Helena Blanche Irene Ponsonby, second daughter of Edward, 8th Earl of Bessborough, and had issue,

AMBROSE CHRISTIAN CONGREVE CBE (1907-2011), of Mount Congreve, Kilmeaden, County Waterford, and Winkfield Manor, Ascot, Berkshire, who married, in 1935, Margaret Cholson, daughter of Arthur Graham Glasgow.

Mount Congreve House (Image: Mount Congreve Gardens)

MOUNT CONGREVE, Kilmeaden, County Waterford, is a Georgian mansion of ca 1750, comprising a central block of three storeys and seven bays; and two-storey, three-bay, overlapping wings.

Single-storey pavilions are adjoined the wings by screen walls.

Entrance Front with Bow (Image: Tripadvisor)

The centre block has a three-bay breakfront with an Ionic door-case.

Mount Congreve House underwent considerable embellishment and re-modelling between 1965-69, when a great, full-height bow was constructed in the centre of the entrance front.

Cupolas adorned the pavilions; and stately new gateways were added, adjoining the garden front; as well as statuary.

Ambrose Christian Congreve CBE (Image: Irish Arts Review)

The last owner of Mount Congreve, Ambrose Congreve, created superb gardens along the bank of the River Suir, extending to about 100 acres; where abundant exotic flora, magnolias, rhododendrons were planted.

18th Century Greenhouse

A Georgian greenhouse is contained within the walled garden.