The Mount Stewart Acquisition

SELECTIVE ACQUISITIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

PROPERTY: Mount Stewart Gardens, County Down

DATE: 1955

EXTENT: 77.38 acres

DONOR: Derek, Viscount Bury

*****

PROPERTY: Temple of the Winds, Mount Stewart Estate

DATE: 1963

EXTENT: 3.61 acres

DONOR: Mairi, Viscountess Bury (the Lady Mairi Bury)

*****

PROPERTY: Mount Stewart House

DATE: 1976

EXTENT: 13.03 acres

DONOR: The Lady Mairi Bury

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PROPERTY: Mount Stewart Land and Buildings

DATE: 1987-2009

EXTENT: 6.43 acres

DONOR: The Lady Mairi Bury

*****

PROPERTY: Mount Stewart Lands

DATE: 2015

EXTENT: 900 acres.

First published in January, 2015.

The Langford Baronetcy

The family of LANGFORD was once prominent in the borough of Carrickfergus, County Antrim, and had formerly considerable property in the town's corporation. Both Sir Roger Langford and Sir Hercules Langford were Mayors of Carrickfergus, 1614, 1615, 1623, 1631, and 1639.

Captain Roger Langford, sometime joint governor of Carrickfergus, commanded 100 foot-soldiers at Carrickfergus in 1603.

He was granted the abbey (or priory) and lands of Muckamore in 1621; and we find 

HERCULES LANGFORD (1626-83), another of the family, who began to build a castle in the town, which was called by the family name, and was completed in the early 17th century.

Mr Langford was created a baronet in 1667, designated of Kilmakevit, County Antrim, and of Summer Hill, County Meath.

Sir Hercules, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1661, married Mary, daughter of Henry Upton (MP for Carrickfergus, 1634), of Castle Upton, County Antrim, and had issue, Arthur, Henry, Theophilus, Mary and Martha. 

MARY LANGFORD was the wife of Sir John Rowley MP, ancestor of Lord Langford. Their grandson, Hercules Langford Rowley, married Elizabeth Upton, who was created Viscountess Langford in 1766. Their daughter, the Hon Jane Rowley, married Thomas Taylour, 1st Earl of Bective. Lord and Lady Bective's fourth son was created Baron Langford in 1800. 

Sir Hercules died in 1683, and was buried at St Michan's Church, Dublin; when the Summer Hill estate devolved upon Lady Rowley.  

Bishop Jones (Lord Bishop of Meath, 1661-82) sold Summerhill in County Meath and many other townlands to Sir Hercules Langford.

Sir Hercules' eldest son, 

SIR ARTHUR LANGFORD, 2nd Baronet (c1652-1716), MP for Duleek, 1692-3, Coleraine, 1695-1713, County Antrim, 1715-16, was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and admitted to Lincoln's Inn, London, in 1671.

He was said to be a fervent Presbyterian and gave funds to the Church in Dublin. He leased Rahinstown in 1691 to Thomas Bomford.

Sir Henry Langford, 3rd Baronet
(Image: Royal Albert Museum and Art Gallery)

Sir Arthur was succeeded by his younger brother,

SIR HENRY LANGFORD, 3rd Baronet (c1655-c1725), MP for St Johnstown (Donegal), 1695-9, who possessed estates in Devon at Bradninch and Combsatchfield, near Silverton.

Sir Henry acquired Barton Hall estate, near Torquay, in 1710. 

He was the third High Sheriff of Devon and a judge at Greys Inn, London.

In 1710, Sir Henry bought the manor of Kingskerswell, and bequeathed all his estates to his godson, Thomas Brown, who later built the family vault and buried Sir Henry therein.

On Sir Henry's death the title expired.

First published in March, 2011.  Langford arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

House of Cromwell

Thomas Cromwell (son of Walter Cromwell alias Smith, a blacksmith at Putney, Surrey), upon his return from foreign service under the Duke of Bourbon, obtained a situation in the suite of Cardinal Wolsey, and, after the fall of that celebrated prelate, was taken into the service of the King (at HENRY VIII's special command, from his fidelity to his old master), in which he evinced so much zeal and ability, that the road to the highest honours of the state presented very soon an unimpeded course for his ambition.

In a short time he filled successively the important situations of Master of the Jewel Office, Clerk of the Hanaper, Principal Secretary, Justice of the Forests, Master of the Rolls, and Lord Privy Seal, and was elevated to the peerage, in 1536, in the dignity of BARON CROMWELL, of Oakham.

He was afterwards constituted the King's Vice-Regent of Spirituals, honoured with the Garter, and finally created EARL OF ESSEX, when he was invested with the Lord High Chamberlainship of England.

His instrumentality in allying the King with Anne of Cleves was the rock upon which his fortunes foundered. 

Unprepared for such a proceeding, Cromwell was arrested, under the King's especial order, by the Duke of Norfolk, at the Control Board, 1540, hurried off to the Tower, attainted unheard, and beheaded, notwithstanding Archbishop Cranmer's powerful exertions in his behalf; and all the honours of the ex-minister were of course forfeited under the attainder; but his son, Gregory, who, in his lifetime, had been summoned to Parliament as Lord Cromwell, had that dignity confirmed to him in the December following his father's execution.

Thomas Cromwell, Earlof Essex

SIR GREGORY CROMWELL KB (c1514-51), born at Putney, Surrey, was tutored by Richard Southwell and attended Cambridge University.

In 1539, he was summoned to Parliament as Lord Cromwell, servant of HENRY VIII, and in 1540 he was created BARON CROMWELL.

He wedded Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Seymour, sister of Edward, Duke of Somerset, and widow of Sir Anthony Oughtred; by whom he had three sons, of whom the eldest,

HENRY, 2nd Baron (1538-92), summoned to parliament in the reign of ELIZABETH I, wedded Mary, daughter of John, Marquess of Winchester.

His elder son,

EDWARD, 3rd Baron (1559-1607), was with the Earl of Essex in his expedition at sea against the Spaniards, and joined in the insurrection three years afterwards, which cost Lord Essex his head.

The 3rd Baron, however, received an especial pardon in 1601. 

His lordship, having alienated his estates in England by sale, purchased the barony of Lecale in County Down from Mountjoy Blount, 1st Earl of Newport, or "made an exchange thereof".

He married twice, and, dying in Ulster, was succeeded by his son,

THOMAS, 4th Baron (1594-1653), who was created by CHARLES I, in 1624, Viscount Lecale. 

His lordship was advanced to the dignity of an earldom, in 1645, as EARL OF ARDGLASS.

Lord Ardglass remained firmly attached to the interests of the King during the civil wars, notwithstanding his friendship with the Earl of Essex. 

Ardglass was an important town during the middle ages, which would explain Cromwell's choice of title.
 
The 1st Earl was commander of the Regiment of Horse in Ireland for CHARLES I during the Civil War; and subsequently made his peace with Parliament, paying £460 for his "delinquency".

The 1st Earl married Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Robert Meverell, of Throwleigh, Staffordshire.

He was succeeded by his eldest son, 

WINGFIELD, 2nd Earl (1622-68), who was educated at Stone School in Staffordshire; matriculated at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1637/8; was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Laws at Oxford University in 1642. In 1649, he was taken prisoner in the Royalist cause.

His only son,

THOMAS, 3rd Earl (1653-82), married a daughter of the Most Rev Michael Boyle, Lord Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland; but dying without issue, 1682, the family honours reverted to his uncle,

VERE ESSEX, 4th Earl (1623-87), PC, a son of the 1st Earl, who married, in 1672, Catherine Hamilton.

He died at Bonecastle, County Down, and was buried at Downpatrick Abbey [Down Cathedral].

Lord Ardglass was educated at Stowe School and at Finstock, Oxfordshire.

This nobleman married, though died without male issue, when the titles expired; except the barony of CROMWELL, originating in the writ of 1539, devolved upon his daughter,

ELIZABETH CROMWELL, as Baroness Cromwell, in which rank her ladyship assisted at the funeral of MARY II, and the coronation of Queen Anne.

She wedded the Rt Hon Edward Southwell MP, Principal Secretary of State in Ireland, and had issue, two sons and a daughter, who all died sine prole; and another, a son, Edward Southwell, who, marrying Catherine, daughter of Edward Watson, Viscount Sondes, and sole heiress of her brothers, Lewis and Thomas, Earls of Rockingham.

Her ladyship's son,

EDWARD SOUTHWELL (1705-55), succeeded to the barony of DE CLIFFORD.

The Lady Cromwell died in 1709, and the barony of CROMWELL is now considered to be vested in the Barons de Clifford.

Dundrum Castle was held by the 1st Earl between 1605-36.

The colours of Downpatrick High School's crest are taken from the arms of Elizabeth, Baroness Cromwell, owner of the Downpatrick estate.

The Earls of Ardglass were landlords of most of the barony of Lecale.

Dr Eileen Black has written about the Southwells here.

The lands of Lecale were held, prior to the Reformation, either by the great religious corporations in Downpatrick or by the descendants of the early English colonists.

The Church lands, having become vested in the Crown, were leased to the Earl of Kildare and, after the expiration of that lease, came into the possession of the Cromwells, Earls of Ardglass.

They still form the Downpatrick estate, except large portions of them that have been sold or leased by the Cromwells or their descendants.

The estates held by the descendants of the early English colonists were almost all confiscated under the Act of Settlement, after the termination of the civil wars of 1641.

Throwley Old Hall, Staffordshire, was a seat of the Cromwells through marriage. Elizabeth, the last of the Meverells, married Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's chief minister, responsible for the disillusion of the monasteries. A descendant of them was Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector.

The writer and poet Charles Cotton married into the Cromwell family in 1669 – his 2nd wife Mary was a widow of Wingfield Cromwell. He spent time fishing the local river with his great friend Izaak Newton and building his famous fishing lodge on the River Dove.

Following the Cromwells the house passed to the last Baron de Clifford, Edward Southwell, who sold to Sir Samuel Crompton in 1790, who let the property to the reputable Phillips family.

Several members of the family are interred at Down Cathedral. The 1st Earl held Dundrum Castle between 1605-36.

First published in February, 2012.

Castle Martyr

THE EARLS OF SHANNON OWNED 11,232 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY CORK

This is a branch of the noble house of BOYLE, Earls of Cork and Orrery, springing from THE HON HENRY BOYLE (1682-1764), second son of Roger, 1st Earl of Orrery, whose son, by the Lady Mary O'Brien, daughter of Murrough, 1st Earl of Inchiquin, HENRY BOYLE, of Castle Martyr, being sworn of the Privy Council in Ireland, filled some of the highest political offices in that kingdom (Speaker of the House of Commons, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Justice etc).

Mr Boyle was elevated to the peerage, in 1756, in the dignities of Baron Castle Martyr, Viscount Boyle, and EARL OF SHANNON.

His lordship married firstly, in 1715, Catherine, daughter of Chidley Coote, of Killester, by whom he had no issue; and secondly, in 1726, the Lady Henrietta Boyle, youngest daughter of Charles, 3rd Earl of Cork, and had issue,

RICHARD, his successor;
Henry;
William;
Charles;
Robert;
Juliana.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD, 2nd Earl (1728-1807), KP, PC, who, having filled some high political offices, and being sworn of the Privy Council, was enrolled amongst the peers of Great Britain, in 1786, as Baron Carleton, of Carleton, Yorkshire.

His lordship was a Knight Founder of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, 1783.

He wedded, in 1763, Catherine, eldest daughter of Mr Speaker Ponsonby, of the Irish house of commons, and had issue,

HENRY, his successor;
Catherine Henrietta.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

HENRY, 3rd Earl (1771-1842), KP, PC, who espoused, in 1798, Sarah, fourth daughter of John Hyde, of Castle Hyde, and had issue,

RICHARD, his successor;
Henry Charles;
Robert Francis;
Catherine; Sarah; Louisa Grace; Jane; Elizabeth; Charlotte Anne.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

• Richard Boyle, 4th Earl (1809–68);

• Henry Bentinck Boyle, 5th Earl (1833–90)

• Richard Henry Boyle, 6th Earl (1860–1906);

• Richard Bernard Boyle, 7th Earl (1897–1917);

• Robert Henry Boyle, 8th Earl (1900–63);

• Richard Bentinck Boyle, 9th Earl (1924–2013);

• Richard Henry John Boyle, 10th Earl (b 1960).

The heir presumptive is the present holder's second cousin, Robert Francis Boyle. 

CASTLE MARTYR, County Cork, was built in the early 18th century by Henry Boyle, Speaker of the Irish house of commons, afterwards 1st Earl of Shannon.

The house was substantially enlarged by the 2nd Earl between 1764-71; and further re-modelled in the late Georgian period.

The entrance front is of two storeys and seventeen bays, comprising a five-bay recessed centre and giant pedimented portico between projecting wings.

The entrance front of the house overlooks a sheet of water which is part of the remarkable artificial river made before 1750 by the 1st Earl.

Castle Martyr was sold early in the 20th century to the Arnott family; then became a Carmelite college.

It now forms the nucleus of a luxury hotel resort.

Former town residence ~ 7 Connaught Place, London.

First published in July, 2013. 

The Minnowburn Acquisition

SELECTIVE ACQUISITIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

PROPERTY: Terrace Hill, Minnowburn, near Belfast, County Down.

DATE: 1963

EXTENT: 9.01 acres

DONOR: Messrs H W and F M Clokey

*****

PROPERTY: Land at Terrace Hill

DATE: 1992

EXTENT: 0.35 acres

DONOR: Department of Health & Social Services for Northern Ireland

First published in January, 2015.

Eglantine House

EGLANTINE HOUSE, near Hillsborough, County Down, is a two-storey, three-bay Georgian house of ca 1780.

It has a concealed basement.

Eglantine House is Italianate in style and stucco-fronted.

It was renovated about 1845 to the designs of Sir Charles Lanyon.

One of its most remarkable features is a very fine, curved stone staircase.

The original building on the Eglantine demesne is thought to have dated from the late 18th century.

P J Rankin considers that it was originally intended as a dower house for the Marquesses of Downshire.

Eglantine House first appears in 1803 on a survey map of the Kilwarlin estate in the townland of Carnbane on land which is noted as belonging to Hugh Moore.

This map records that Moore’s estate covered "70 Acres and one Rood."

In 1837, documents recorded that Eglantine House was a "gentleman’s residence ... Hugh Moore of Carnbane has an elegant seat, finely ornamented with plantations of young firs."

In 1841, Eglantine House was acquired by Sinclair Kelburn Mulholland (1798-1872), uncle of the 1st Baron Dunleath.

The well-known architect Sir Charles Lanyon renovated the house ca 1845 and refaced it in the neo-classical style, adding "a central projecting open Doric porch, refurbishing the interior, and replacing the two old gate lodges."

Many believe that Lanyon may have practically rebuilt the house, as it was believed to date from about 1845, though no evidence could be found of an earlier style.

Sinclair Mulholland retired in 1850 and spent the remainder of his days at Eglantine.

His family and friends erected All Saints' Parish Church in memory of Mr Mulholland and his only son, also called Sinclair Kelburn Mulholland, who predeceased his father in 1861.

The Mulhollands continued to live at Eglantine until 1917.

Mary Filgate Mulholland (1830-1917) was the last of the family to live at Eglantine House.

In those days the estate comprised two stables, one coach-house, one harness-room, three cow-houses, two calf-houses, one dairy, two piggeries, two fowl-houses, one boiling-house, a barn, a turf-house, a potato house, a workshop and a shed.

When Miss Mulholland died in 1917 the house was occupied for a short period by Joseph Coulter, whose family at one time owned Newport coal quay.

Mr Coulter sold the 300-acre estate to Edward Thomas Green, proprietor of ET Green, millers.

In 1972 it was purchased by Anthony Lyle Skyrme.

Anthony Skyrme's mother, the Hon Suzanne Lyle (1915-94), youngest daughter of the 1st Baron Lyle of Westbourne, married, in 1938, Sir William Thomas Charles Skyrme KCVO CB CBE TD JP, and had issue, two daughters and a son, 

Anthony Lyle Skyrme (37 South Eaton Place, SW1), who wedded, in 1972, Carole-June, daughter of W J Glover, of Sandown House, Belfast.

Eglantine House remained vacant until 1987 or 1988.

The estate was thereafter divided into two farms and both were sold.

Two-thirds of the land and Eglantine House were bought by the Falloon family with the intention of converting the house into a hotel or country club.

However, planning permission could not be obtained for this project and the house lay mostly unoccupied until it suffered a catastrophic fire on the night of Sunday, 23rd September, 1990.

A number of modern cottages have been constructed on the site of the old estate office houses.

In 2012, Eglantine House was completely restored with the aid of a government heritage grant.

The work was carried out by the Boyd Partnership.

First published in September, 2016.

Belfast Cathedral Design

Belfast Cathedral ~ the Cathedral Church of Saint Anne in Belfast ~ is a relatively recent ecclesiastical building.

Construction began, in fact, during the end of Queen Victoria's reign.

Belfast itself is of relatively recent growth; unlike, for instance, ancient cathedral cities like Canterbury, York, or Dublin.

The Cathedral's foundation stone was laid down in 1899 by the Countess of Shaftesbury, and blessed by the Rt Rev Thomas Welland, Lord Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore.

The last public service in the original St Anne's parish church was held on the 31st December, 1903, prior to demolition.

Sir Thomas Drew's original design

The nave of the new cathedral church was, in fact, built around the old church of 1776.

St Anne's Parish Church was provided at the sole expense of the landlord of the town, Arthur, 1st Marquess of Donegall. The traditional name by which the church should have been called was St Patrick's, but the noble donor wished to honour the name of his first wife (née the Lady Anne Hamilton, daughter of James, 5th Duke of Hamilton) and so it was dedicated in the name of SAINT ANNE, the mother of the Virgin Mary.

The Cathedral chapter, board and vestry had ambitious plans for the new cathedral.

It was intended to build a lady chapel at the east end of the cathedral, 76 feet long and 30 feet wide, terminating at an apse with a domed roof.

The present apse constitutes the eastern end of the cathedral, though the lady chapel was intended to accommodate a congregation of about 200 people with a small chamber organ.

CLICK TO ENLARGE ~ Architectural Design for Completion

A TOWER was also planned (or proposed), rising to a pinnacle and linked to the north-east side of the Cathedral by a covered cloister and vestibule.

It was to be 210 feet in height, twice the height of the nave's roof.

At its base, the Tower was to have an exterior measurement of 40 feet square, progressively stepped down to 32 feet square.

The lower portion of the Tower was intended to serve as a Chapter House.

This tower was to house a campanile or bell chamber, 24 feet square, and containing a grand peal of bells.

The lady chapel and the tower are two primary features which were abandoned.

In 2007, a stainless steel pinnacle, 130 feet in height, was installed on top of the cathedral.

It was named the "Spire of Hope".

The structure can be illuminated at night.

The base section of the pinnacle protrudes through a glass platform in the cathedral's roof directly above the choir stalls, allowing visitors to view it from the nave.

First published in September, 2014.