Hereditary Abbots

The Needhams, EARLS OF KILMOREY, have been Hereditary Abbots of the Exempt Jurisdiction of Newry and Mourne for centuries.

Sir Richard Needham, the 6th and present Earl (he doesn't use the title), a good friend of Northern Ireland, is the current hereditary abbot.

Sir Richard receiving a box of fish from County Down

In medieval times Newry and Mourne was beyond episcopal influence, being controlled instead by a 'mitred' abbot.

Following the dissolution of the monasteries, between 1536 and 1541, the BAGENAL family was granted monastic property in Newry and Mourne.

Through intermarriage the exempt jurisdiction was afterwards controlled by the Kilmorey and Anglesey families.

As lay abbots, the Earls of Kilmorey exercised their right to appoint a Vicar-General, to issue marriage licences; grants of probate of letters and wills of administration in intestacies; and to hear ecclesiastical and matrimonial causes.

Any appeals in these causes were not to the Lord Primate (Archbishop of Armagh), but directly to the Sovereign in chancery and a court of delegates.

Neither the pre-Reformation abbots nor the Earls of Kilmorey, however, could exercise the rite of confirmation.

The Archbishop of Armagh and the Bishop of Down were, therefore, invited into the exempt jurisdiction at certain times to carry out this function.

The General Synod of the Church of Ireland passed a bill in 1873 in which it was declared that Lord Kilmorey had been Lord of the Exempt Jurisdiction of Newry and Mourne until the passing of the Irish Church Act of 1869; that the Jurisdiction comprised the parish of Newry with St Patrick's Church, the parish of Kilkeel, and the chapelries of Kilmegan, Kilcoo, and Tamlaght.

First published in June, 2020.

The Prince of Wales

His Royal Highness The Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Rothesay, and Cambridge, Earl of Carrick and Strathearn, Baron of Renfrew, Baron Carrickfergus, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, KG, KT, GCB, is 44 today.

• Royal Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter 
• Extra Knight of the Most Ancient & Most Noble Order of the Thistle
• Colonel, Welsh Guards
• Commander, Royal Navy
• Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army
• Wing Commander, Royal Air Force
• Personal Aide-de-Camp to HM The King
• Privy Counsellor, 2016
• Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, 2024

Royal Sussex Regiment

Click to Enlarge

If you happen to be walking past Anderson & McAuley's former premises at 1, Donegall Place, Belfast, you shall see a metal plaque which records the fact that, on the 28th June, 1701, ARTHUR, 3RD EARL OF DONEGALL (1666-1706), formed the 35th Regiment of Foot, which became part of the Royal Sussex Regiment.

Lord Donegall was 35 years of age when this occurred, and was killed in action merely five years later, at Fort Montjuich, near Barcelona, Spain.

Possible portrait of Arthur, 3rd Earl of Donegall
(Image: Ulster Museum)

The encampment of first recruits was within the precincts of the Jacobean BELFAST CASTLE (accidentally burned to the ground seven years later, in 1708).

Manor of Florida: II

 HRH The Duke of Kent visits the Sexton's House, Kilmood, with the
Rev Dr Stanley Gamble, Vicar of Kilmood (Image: Diocese of Down & Dromore)

FROM Florida Manor we drove the short distance, along windy, narrow, country roads, to Kilmood, a historic village or hamlet.

We parked opposite the parish church, in a car park beside the former school-house.

Stanley took me across the road to see the former sexton's cottage, a delightful, tiny, two-room dwelling.

Sexton's House prior to Restoration (Image: St Mary's Kilmood Festival of Flowers)

This stone cottage, restored ca 2019, has pointed windows and door, with Georgian window glazing.

The photograph at the top was taken in 2019 during a visit by His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, accompanied by the Vicar of Kilmood, the Rev Dr Stanley Gamble.

Stanley pointed out the features in the two rooms, including an open fireplace with griddle.

It was hard to imagine a family of seven once living here, though we can assume that they were almost always out-and-about at work or play during the day.

This rustic cottage was built about the same year as the church, and its architecture isn't dissimilar to a gate lodge at Florida Manor.

Thence we walked across the road to see the old schoolhouse.

The Old Schoolhouse (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2021)

This is a single-storey, whitewashed building with a projecting porch, pointed windows, and Gothic glazing.

This former school was established by the Erasmus Smith institution, and opened in 1822 with the assistance of David Gordon, of Florida Manor, and Lord Londonderrry.

It is believed that the schoolhouse also contained a teacher’s dwelling as well as the schoolroom.

I'm told that as many as 45 pupils were taught here at one stage.

The premises were renovated in 1972 and converted to a parish hall.

Today, 2021, the old schoolhouse serves as a children's playgroup centre.

The Old Courthouse (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2021)

A little further along the road, perhaps 30 yards, is the former manor courthouse, today a private home.

This distinctive building is deceptive in appearance because, although it seems to be single-storey, it has a kind of undercroft at the rear, once used as a coach-house with stabling for horses.

The central bay above the entrance is crow-stepped, with finial-like features at the ends, and a sort of bellcote at the apex.

Crow-stepped Entrance (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2021)

There's also a roundel with the inscription "Florida Manor Court House Date of Patent 1638." 

This building was, in fact, built in 1822 and remained in use as a courthouse for almost exactly one hundred years.

In 1922 it became a private dwelling.

In 1984 Nick and Kathy Price purchased the old courthouse from the parish and it was reincarnated as Nick's restaurant.

The Courthouse ca 1984 (Image: Nick Price)

Nick and Kathy closed the restaurant in 1989 and opened a new establishment at 35-39 Hill Street, Belfast, called Nick's Warehouse (now the Harp Bar).

The old courthouse continued to operate as a restaurant under new management for about three years.

Today the old courthouse is a private home.

First published in March, 2021.

1st Baron Trevor

THE BARONS TREVOR WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY DOWN, WITH 11,010 ACRES

JOHN AP DAVID, of Brynkinalt, Denbighshire, descended from TUDOR TREVOR, assumed the surname of TREVOR, married Agnes, daughter and heiress of Peter Cambre, and had, with other issue,

ROBERT, his heir;

Richard, ancestor of the extinct Lords Trevor, Viscounts Hampden.

The eldest son,

ROBERT TREVOR, of Brynkinalt, wedded Katherine, daughter and heiress of Llewellyn ap Ithel, of Mold and Plasteg, Flintshire, and was ancestor of TREVOR, of Brynkinalt, whose representative,

SIR EDWARD TREVOR (c1580-1642), Knight, of Brynkinalt, espoused firstly, Anne Balle, and secondly, Rose, daughter of the Most Rev Henry Ussher DD, Lord Archbishop of Armagh, and was succeeded by his eldest son by his first wife,

JOHN TREVOR, of Brynkinalt, who married Margaret, daughter of John Jeffreys, of Acton, Denbighshire, and had, with an elder son, Edward (dsp), a successor,

THE RT HON SIR JOHN TREVOR (c1637-1717), Knight, of Brynkinalt, Speaker of the House of Commons, who wedded Jane, daughter of Sir Roger Mostyn Bt, of Mostyn, and had issue,

EDWARD, dsp;

Arthur, dsp;

John, dsp;

Tudor, dsp;

ANNE, of whom presently.

The only daughter,

ANNE TREVOR, espoused firstly, the Rt Hon Michael Hill MP, of Hillsborough, County Down; and secondly, in 1716, 1st Viscount Midleton, Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

Anne, Viscountess Midleton, died in 1747, leaving by her first husband two sons,

TREVOR, created VISCOUNT HILLSBOROUGH, ancestor of the Marquesses of Downshire, and of the Lords Trevor;

ARTHUR, who succeeded to the Brynkinalt estates, and was created VISCOUNT DUNGANNON.

Sir John died in 1717, and was succeeded on the extinction of his heirs male by his grandson,

ARTHUR HILL-TREVOR (c1694-1771),  of Brynkinalt, 1st Viscount Dungannon, MP for County Down, 1727, who succeeded to the estates of his maternal grandfather, and assumed, 1759, the name of TREVOR.

*****

ARTHUR HILL-TREVOR, 3RD VISCOUNT DUNGANNON (on whose death the viscountcy became extinct), this branch of the Hill family succeeded to the Trevor and Dungannon estates.

By arrangement, parts of the estates, including Brynkinalt in Denbighshire, passed to Lord Edwin, who assumed, by royal license, the additional surname of TREVOR.

Lord Edwin was elevated to the peerage, in 1880, in the dignity of BARON TREVOR, of Brynkinalt, Denbighshire (third creation).

His lordship married firstly, in 1848, Mary Emily, daughter of Sir Richard Sutton, 2nd Baronet.

After her death, in 1855, he married secondly, in 1858, Mary Catherine, daughter of the Rev and Hon Alfred Curzon. 

The Trevors owned a further 8,372 acres in County Antrim, 1,219 in County Armagh, 1,743 in Shropshire, 954 in Flintshire, and 396 acres in Denbighshire.

 1st Baron Trevor (third creation).
Image: Camille Silvy/NPG, 1861

Lord Trevor died in 1894, aged 75, and was succeeded by his son from his first marriage, the Hon Arthur Hill-Trevor.

Lady Trevor died in 1912.

• Arthur William Hill-Trevor, 2nd Baron Trevor (1852–1923);
• Charles Edward Hill-Trevor, 3rd Baron Trevor (1863–1950);
• Charles Edwin Hill-Trevor, 4th Baron Trevor (1928–97);
• Marke Charles Hill-Trevor, 5th Baron Trevor (b 1970).

The Trevor Family has a rich and illustrious lineage: They remained loyal to the Crown throughout the Civil War and, in 1662, Mark Trevor was created Viscount Dungannon by CHARLES II for gallantry in wounding Oliver Cromwell at the Battle of Marston Moor.

Upon his death, the house and estates passed to the Rt Hon Sir John Trevor.

In 1717, his daughter Anne, the only surviving child, inherited Brynkinalt and estates.

Anne Trevor’s first marriage was to the Rt Hon Michael Hill MP, ancestor of the Marquess of Downshire.

Anne was a direct ancestor of the present Lord Trevor.

In the 18th century, Anne Trevor and Michael Hill’s second son, Arthur Hill, inherited the Brynkinalt Estates and was created Viscount Dungannon of the 2nd Creation.

On the death of Lord Dungannon in 1771, the title passed to Lord Dungannon’s grandson, Arthur Hill-Trevor.

Arthur, 2nd Viscount Dungannon (of 2nd Creation), married Charlotte, daughter of the 1st Baron Southampton.

It was under Lady Dungannon’s imaginative hands that the original Jacobean house, together with its early 18th Century wings and open courtyard, was transformed into the present design.

In addition to creating the Great Hall and re-aligning and re-designing the north front of the house, Charlotte created the original formal and informal gardens.

In 1819, Lord Edwin Hill succeeded to the Brynkinalt estate.

He was persuaded by the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, to accept a peerage and was thus created Baron Trevor in 1880.

Today the Brynkinalt Estate is managed by the Hon Iain Robert Hill-Trevor, younger brother of the 5th Lord Trevor, and his wife Kate, who have made Brynkinalt Hall their family home.

Belvoir Park, Newtownbreda, County Down, was a seat of the Viscounts Dungannon.

I have written about Belvoir House here.

First published in July, 2010.  Trevor arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

Manor of Florida: I

(Image: Florida Manor Estate)

I had never been to Kilmood before.

My cousin Robert was married in the parish church many decades ago; though for some reason I wasn't at his wedding.

Kilmood's former courthouse, in 1984, became Nick's restaurant (Nick Price went on to open a well-known restaurant in Hill Street, Belfast, which is now, I believe, the Harp Bar).

The Vicar of Kilmood, the Rev Dr Stanley Gamble, and I both share a passion for heritage and the preservation of historic buildings; and, cognizant of my passion, Stanley got in touch and suggested that we meet at his parish for a tour.

Naturally I was eager to do this.

Accordingly we arranged to meet at Florida Manor, a private estate near Killinchy, County Down.

I've already written about the manor of Florida and its Georgian mansion house.

Michael Lagan purchased the 250-acre estate in 2005, and has been restoring it to its former glory since then.

The demesne and parkland has already been restored; former paths and drives realigned; ponds and a lake revived; and the 17th century courtyard completely rejuvenated as apartments and living accommodation.

Therese showed us the manor house, which awaits imminent restoration inside.

The exterior of the house has been secured, including major repairs to the roof and new window-frames, and so on.

We saw the extensive basement, the ground floor, and the first floor. 

The second floor also awaits restoration.

Florida Manor and its demesne are one of the most historic properties in County Down, and when the manor house is restored there's no doubt that it will be one of the finest in the county and beyond.

Stanley and I drove throughout the estate roads, past paddocks, rolling hillocks, little lakes, ponds, as far as the East Lodge of ca 1840; ruinous and dilapidated in 1994, though fully restored today. 

Restoration work began on this lodge in January, 2007, a complex structure comprising two hexagonal buildings, with elongated sides adjoined by a quadrilateral.

The stones used for East Lodge were excavated from the grounds of the manor.

THE walled garden is roughly two acres in extent.

The stone walls had to be rebuilt in places, sand-blasted, and pointed in lime mortar.

A small potting-shed within the walled garden was rebuilt and re-roofed.

There are currently temporary paths within the garden, where a handsome new orangery has been built.

The new orangery will be used to host receptions, catering functions, and weddings. It has a basement with a kitchen and cloakrooms.

This very handsome neo-classical 1½-storey building is clad in sandstone.

The walled garden will have a formal central lawn, with a vegetable garden around its perimeter; fruit trees have already been planted.

THE former land steward's house has been completely restored, work having commenced in 2006.

It was in a parlous condition, though skilled craftsmen have brought it back to its former glory, including the original bell-tower and bell.

Stanley and I caught up with Michael and Therese in the estate courtyard, completely restored in 2007.

(Image: Florida Manor Estate)

This courtyard pre-dates the manor house by about a century, and was built in 1676.

During restoration, many sections of the stone walls needed to be rebuilt and sand-blasted; re-roofing and slating; underpinning; and major mechanical electrical work.

At one stage more than 90 people were working on this site.

DURING 2008 work began on the west gate lodge or West Lodge, and at the moment it awaits restoration.

The old piggery has been restored, and contains a new generator and technical installations.

This was the building where the Florida Yeomanry militia met during exercises in the early 19th century.

The estate perimeter wall, about one mile in length, had fallen into disrepair and needed to be totally rebuilt.

At one stage during 2008, 22 stone-masons and assistants were employed during this project.

First published in March, 2021.

Florida Manor

THE GORDONS OWNED 4,768 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DOWN

AND 8,806 ACRES IN COUNTY TYRONE

THE MANOR OF FLORIDA WAS GRANTED BY KING CHARLES I, WITH MANORIAL RIGHTS AND ROYALTIES. It was established in 1638 on lands previously acquired by Sir James Montgomery (second son of SIR HUGH MONTGOMERY) from Con O'Neill, the name Florida apparently having been derived from Sir James's fondness for flora or flowers. During the Commonwealth (1649-60), the lands were placed in the custody of a Colonel Barrow, but returned to Montgomery hands, after much wrangling, in 1664.

In 1691-2, the Manor came into possession of the Crawford family and passed to Robert Gordon of DELAMONT PARK, through marriage to Ann, the niece and sole heiress to the estate of David Crawford, ca 1770. It was undoubtedly one of the Gordons who built the present house, probably ca 1780-1800, possibly constructed around an earlier Montgomery dwelling which (if a later date stone in the adjacent farmyard is to be believed) may have dated from in or around 1676.

The Manor House is shown on a map of 1834 (along with the large farmyard to the rear, the steward's house and the gate lodges to the east and north).

The rear conservatory or porch and the early Victorian chimney pots may have been added around this time also.

In the later 1800s, with the passing of successive land acts, much of the Gordon lands began to be sold off.

By the 1880s, the manor house itself appears to have been leased by Thomas Brand.

By 1917 (at least), the demesne and its buildings had been acquired by William Devenney, a local farmer who appears to have lived in the steward's house.

Thus Florida, unoccupied, fell into disrepair; but after the 2nd World War, it was bought by Milo Pickaar, who renovated much of the building.

The estate now belongs to the Lagan family.

The manor of Florida, near Killinchy, County Down, comprised the townlands of Ballybunden, Drumreagh and part of the townland of Kilmood.

Photo Credit: Florida Manor NI

The house is a Listed Building as being of special architectural and historic interest. The lands of Killinchy and Kilmood were constituted as the Manor of Florida in 1638. The present Florida Manor is thought to date from the period 1796.

The Department of Environment lists the house B+ and suggests construction dates of 1780 to 1799. It is a substantial Georgian three storey rendered house of the handsome boxy variety. 

The entrance front has three wide bays. A balustraded porch with four Ionic columns projects from the narrower central bay which is recessed. The porch has a window on its side elevations and a window on either side of the entrance door which is surmounted by a semicircular fanlight.

The entrance front is made charmingly asymmetric by a curving curtain wall reaching out to a single storey wing attached to the stables quadrangle. Doric pilasters at regular intervals demarcate this section of the house.

The side elevation is similarly treated to the entrance front although the three bays are equal in width. However each bay contains two windows on each floor rather than one as on the entrance front. 

A string course below the first floor windows is aligned with the top of the porch balustrade. It is repeated as an entablature under the very slim parapet. Hipped roofs slope up to the chimneys which unusually are Elizabethan in appearance.

Agar Murdoch & Deane record that the ground floor includes the entrance hall with decorative plasterwork and a “massive carved oak chimney-piece and inset mirror”.  

Three reception rooms, a conservatory, and the kitchen, scullery and pantry are also noted. Four bedrooms and a bathroom are recorded on the first floor. The second floor was laid out as a flat with three bedrooms and two reception rooms. The estate agents described the gardens as follows:-

“With ‘island’ lawn, gravelled drive with trees and shrubs. Formal garden – walled and with perimeter flowerbeds and lawns. Side garden with lawn, flowerbeds and shrubs. Greenhouse and stonewall with arched recessed and bench seats.”

Photo Credit: Florida Manor NI

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) states that the Crawford family purchased part of the estate from the Montgomerys of Rosemount, Greyabbey, in 1691.

It later became the seat of the Gordon family through marriage.

The architect of the house is unknown.

A memorandum of agreement dated 1775 in the PRONI archive between Robert Gordon and Hugh Agnew, a brick-maker, is for ‘fifty thousand bricks or any greater number…’

This may relate to the construction of the house.

The late Sir Charles Brett wrote in his book Buildings of North County Down,

Florida Manor itself is a rather mysterious house, probably of 17th century origin but much altered, with a disconcerting combination of possibly late 18th century pompous tetra-style Ionic porch and sprouting polygonal Elizabethan-style chimney-pots.

On the basis of the latter, Hugh Dixon has suggested it may have been rebuilt around 1810, and, on the model of Narrow Water Castle, proposed a possible attribution to Thomas Duff.

In 1791, the estate was described as containing 1,300 acres of arable land and 400 acres of bog and it was let for £1,000 per annum.

In 1867, when Robert Francis Gordon took possession of the Florida Manor estate, it was valued at £4,634.

However, the bulk of Florida Manor, including the townlands of Ballygraffan, Ballyminstragh, Kilmood, Lisbarnet, Raffrey, Ravara and Tullynagee, formed part of the Londonderry Estates.

There is very little information relating directly to Florida Manor itself, though it is possible to draw together some information about the building of the house or, at least, to establish an approximate date of when the house was completed.

A bill of complaint declares that, when John Crawford Gordon died in 1797, his brother David succeeded to the estate, which included the manor-house and demesne.

Moreover, a survey of 1794 for the Florida demesne of John Crawford recorded that it comprised just over 100 acres.

A memorandum of agreement between Robert Gordon and Hugh Agnew, a brick-maker, for 'fifty thousand bricks or any greater number...' is dated 1775.

The Gordons sold Florida Manor in 1910.

More recently, the demesne was purchased by Michael Lagan.

Today, within the demesne's original stone perimeter wall lie 200 acres of extensive landscaped grasslands, private lakes, walkways and bridal paths.

The house still appears derelict at the time of writing, though the original stable-yard has been restored to form apartments of a high calibre.

The restoration and conversion of the stable-yard has transformed it into private dwellings and stables, at a cost of £2 million.

The original stable block dates back to at least the 17th Century as a small cast iron plaque dated July 18th, 1676, has been uncovered and restored within the original grounds.

The design & restoration has been carried out taking into account the unique aspects of the site and using traditional materials such as a natural slate roof, sash windows and stone archways, all adding to create an aesthetically pleasing form to this distinctive development.

The former land-steward’s dwelling, a short distance away from the stables, has also been restored.

In 1755, Robert Gordon married the widow Alice Whyte and through this connection the Gordons acquired Florida Manor.

The Loyal Florida Infantry Yeomanry Corps (Gordon Yeomanry)

In 1797, David Gordon, son of Robert Gordon, succeeded to the estate on the death of his brother John Gordon.

The estate included the mansion house called Florida Manor and demesne.

David Gordon was a Magistrate and records show that a Court operated at the manor and they highlight the myriad of offences that could be brought before the manor Court.

The court still appeared to be in operation by the early 19th century, as case papers dated 1805 recite David Gordon's title to the lordship of the manor and his accompanying rights.

Records also state that the court met at least once a year, when petty constables were appointed.

David Gordon was also one of the magistrates who collected evidence about the 1803 rebellion.

During the latter part of the 1700s, Yeomanry forces were raised by landed gentry to support the  Crown and the regular army to combat the impending French invasion/Irish rebellion against the Crown [1796-1798].

The local landowner, magistrate and lord of the manor at Killinchy, David Gordon, raised such a force and named it the "Loyal Florida Infantry" Yeomanry Corps [Gordon Yeomanry].

Kilmood Parish Church

KILMOOD, a parish in the barony of Lower Castlereagh, 2¼ miles north-north-west of Killinchy, County Down.

The surface consists in general of good land; and is drained chiefly by the river Blackwater.

The road from Comber to Killyleagh passes through the interior; and the demesne of Florida is in the south.

St Mary’s Church, Kilmood, was open for worship in 1822.

The site on which the church is built has been a place of worship since medieval times, having once been part of the monastic settlement in Comber.

The building of the present church was financed by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners who gave £900; Lord Dufferin, who gave the bell; and the local squire, David Gordon of Florida Manor, who paid the remainder of the £2,215 bill.

Consequently the Gordons were, for many years, patrons of St Mary’s Kilmood, retaining the right to appoint the vicar.

St Mary’s Kilmood was regarded as the estate church of Florida Manor until 1928, when it was brought into the parish of Killinchy Union.

First published in May, 2012.