Dunleckney Manor

THE NEWTONS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY CARLOW, WITH 5,134 ACRES

This family, originally from Lancashire or Cheshire, accompanied WILLIAM III to Ireland in 1688.

The first settler was Bartholomew Newtown, whose son,

JOHN NEWTOWN, wedded, in 1730, Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Lodge, of County Kilkenny and the city of Dublin, and founded the family residence at Bennekerry, a short distance from the town of Carlow, which, though still in the family's possession, was not then the family seat.

He died in 1748, leaving an eldest son,

BARTHOLOMEW NEWTOWN (d 1780), of Busherstown, County Carlow, who married, in 1767, Anne, daughter of Philip Bernard (by whom he acquired considerable property in the town of Carlow), and had issue (with a daughter, Catherine) two sons,

JOHN, Colonel, Carlow Militia, High Sheriff of Co Carlow, 1797; d unm;
PHILIP, of whom we treat.

The second son, 

PHILIP NEWTON (1770-1833), married, in 1785, Sarah, daughter of Beauchamp Bagenal, of Dunleckney, and had issue,

WALTER, his heir;

John;

Henry;

Philip;

Beauchamp Bartholomew. 

Sir Nicholas Bagenal came to Ulster as Marshal of ELIZABETH I's army, settled in County Carlow and founded Bagenalstown.

The family's first house at Dunleckney was built ca 1610, but a new house was built for Walter Newton, who inherited the estate from his mother, the Bagenal heiress, about 1850.

Mr Newton was succeeded by his son,

WALTER NEWTON (1790-1853), of Dunleckney, County Carlow, High Sheriff of County Carlow, 1827, who married, in 1817, Anne, fifth daughter of the Hon George Jocelyn (second son of Robert, 1st Earl of Roden), and had issue,

PHILIP JOCELYN, his heir;
Thomasina Jocelyn.

Mr Newton was succeeded by his only son,

PHILIP JOCELYN NEWTON JP DL (1818-95), of Dunleckney Manor, High Sheriff of County Carlow, 1846, who married, in 1841, Henrietta Maria, daughter of John Kennedy, of Dunbrody, County Wexford, and Cultra, County Down, and had issue,

Maria Charlotte;
ANNE HENRIETTA, of whom hereafter;
Adeline Sarah.

Mr Newton died without male issue, and was succeeded by his second daughter,

ANNE HENRIETTA, MRS W M VESEY (d 1927), of Dunleckney Manor, whose elder son,

SYDNEY PHILIP CHARLES VESEY CBE JP (1873-1932), Captain, King's Royal Rifle Corps, married, in 1902, Edith Blanch Power.

Dunleckney was sold in 1942.

It was subsequently owned by Mr Thomas Donnelly, who re-sold in 1958.

DUNLECKNEY MANOR, Bagenalstown, County Carlow, is a 19th century Tudor-Gothic house by Daniel Robertson of Kilkenny.

An early Irish example of the Tudor-Gothic style, the manor house, built about 1850, incorporates parts of an earlier house.

Robertson was a talented architect with a large country house practise, who worked comfortably in a variety of styles, from Classical to Gothic. His major buildings are at All Souls, Oxford, Johnstown Castle and Castle Boro, both in County Wexford.

Robinson's work at Dunleckney is certainly of a very high order.

The smooth ashlar surfaces make a superb foil to the crisp, delicately carved tracery details of the tower, door-case and oriel windows.

The interior has fine plaster fan vaulting in the late Perpendicular-Gothic style, and an elaborate wooden staircase which incorporates number of medieval wooden carvings ‘rescued’ from St Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny.

Helen and Derek Sheane purchased the house in 1989, and have spent the ensuing years in restoration.

They have carried out considerable works to the garden and parkland though the superb, straight, 18th century lime avenue was a casualty of long neglect.

First published in November, 2012.

Loughanmore House

THE ADAIRS OF LOUGHANMORE OWNED 2,071 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

This is a scion of the ancient family of ADAIR. Early in the 17th century Captain James Adair settled at Loughanmore, County Antrim.

Captain Adair married Annabel Blair, and dying about 1686, left issue, a son,

BENJAMIN ADAIR (1655-1730), of Loughanmore, who married Anne, daughter of Waterhouse Crymble, of Ballygallagh, County Antrim, was father of

THOMAS BENJAMIN ADAIR (1705-65), of Loughanmore, who wedded Margaret, eldest daughter of Charles Crymble, of Ballygallagh, County Antrim, and had (with two other sons, Benjamin and William Robert, and two daughters, Anne and Elizabeth) an eldest son and successor,

CHARLES ADAIR (1737-1810), of Loughanmore, who espoused, in 1776, Millicent, eldest daughter of Henry Ellis, of Prospect, Carrickfergus, County Antrim, and had issue,

THOMAS BENJAMIN, his heir;
Henry.

The elder son,

THOMAS BENJAMIN ADAIR (1776-1855), of Loughanmore, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1801, Mayor of Carrickfergus, 1832, married, in 1806, Amelia, second daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Benjamin Adair, Royal Marines, and had issue,

CHARLES, died unmarried;
HENRY, succeeded his brother;
Benjamin Clements, died unmarried;
Thomas Benjamin, in holy orders; died unmarried;
William Robert, died unmarried;
Millicent;
AMELIA SOPHIA, succeeded her brother;
Susanna;
ELEANOR MARGARET, succeeded her sister.

The second son,

HENRY ADAIR JP DL, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1871, who restored Donegore Parish Church in 1871, died unmarried, and was succeeded by his sister,

MISS AMELIA SOPHIA ADAIR, who, in turn, was succeeded by her sister,

MISS ELEANOR MARGARET ADAIR, who married the Rev James Hunt, Rector of Ahascragh, County Galway (who predeceased her).

Mrs Hunt died on the 13th April, 1909, without having had issue, whereupon the Loughanmore estate (including some property near Ahoghill) devolved upon General Sir William Thompson Adair KCB,  a great-great-grandson of Benjamin Adair (1655-1730).

LOUGHANMORE HOUSE, near Donegore, County Antrim, was built in 1798 by Thomas Benjamin Adair.

It was remodelled following Henry Adair's succession to the estate in 1866, when it was crenellated, towered, and turreted.

A tower was in course of erection in 1870 when flags were hoisted on it to celebrate the visit of Prince Arthur to nearby Castle Upton (as recorded by Peden in 1878).

Further alterations were carried out after the property was bought by Charles MacKean in 1920, designs being prepared for him by Guy Elwes, architect of London, in 1936, for a new dining-room with canted end, new stairs and landings, and the removal of the front tower.

In 1961 more renovations were carried out under the direction of the Belfast architect Arthur Jury, when the top floor was taken down and crenellations were removed.

Finally, in 1988, the house was demolished.

It was described in the first survey in 1972 as

A two-storey, five-bay house with basement, much altered in 19th century, now partly restored to original appearance. 

Windows are plain sashed; on first floor, central window is surmounted by a triangular pediment, side windows by segmental pediments. 

Ground floor windows are in eaved architraves; extensions have splayed ends; keystones on ground floor of main roughcast block have sculptured masks. 

There are modern lamp-holders before this block and a Doric porch front service entrance.

The 1857 Ordnance Survey map shows a gate lodge at that south-west entrance, on the opposite side of the road from it, as well as a lodge and main entrance to the north-east, rebuilt in 1929.

There is another gate lodge further to the north-east (demolished to make way for the M2 motorway about 1967).

In 1880 the demesne wall was built.

Other structures on the estate include an ice house surmounted by a columnar tower and a garden tower with spire, both of uncertain date.

General Sir William Thompson Adair KCB (1850-1931)

The Adair family connection ceased when General Adair sold the estate to Charles MacKean of Larne in 1920.

*****

The former stable block, coach-houses and outbuildings survive.

The exact date of building is uncertain as the structure evolved over a period of time.

The courtyard layout appeared on a map of 1832, and most of the blocks to the rear may be taken to date from then.

Most of the front block presumably dates from 1866, when Henry Adair succeeded to the estate and is known to have begun alterations and improvements.

The architect for the remodelling of the stable block seems to have been John Boyd of Belfast, who is known to have been involved in re-roofing the stable offices for Henry Adair in 1887.

Incidentally, Boyd was employed by Adair in the virtual rebuilding of Donegore Parish Church in 1871, and was in charge of building the demesne wall for him at Loughanmore in 1880.

Following Henry Adair's death in 1887, a chapel was created out of a coach-house, in the mid-to-late 1890s, to the right of the clock tower.

This chapel was converted to domestic purposes about 1984, when the stained-glass windows were removed to Donegore Parish Church, and the entire front block was renovated to become the main residence on the estate.

The chapel had been built in consequence of the unfriendly conduct of the then clergyman of Donegore Parish Church toward the Adair family, and was instituted as a memorial to the Rev James Hunt, of Loughanmore, who had married a daughter of Colonel Benjamin Adair, and who had died in 1894.

There seems to be no record of its consecration.

The chapel's congregation, which comprised about twenty family and staff, preferred to worship there in severe weather rather than walk up to the parish church.

It had an organ, communion table, reading-desk, chairs, and a communion service of silver.

When General Adair sold the estate to Charles MacKean in 1920 he offered to pass the furnishings to the tenant for life of Loughanmore if the chapel's function was intended to be continued.

The date when the crenellations were removed from the clock tower of the stable block is uncertain, but may have been connected to the renovations to Loughanmore House in 1961.

*****

The setting for the former dwellings is a fine and extensive parkland, with mature shelter belts, clumps, avenue trees and new planting.

Former productive and ornamental gardens that were in a partially walled garden decorated with crenellations, have now gone but a stone tower and weather vane remain.

Three of four gate lodges survive: two of pre-1832 and the Arts-and-Crafts gate lodge of ca 1910.

The lodge of ca 1860 is listed.

First published in February, 2018.

St Patrick's School

ST PATRICK'S NATIONAL SCHOOL, Donegall Street, Belfast, was built in 1828 to the designs of the Newry architect, Timothy Hevey.

It was the first Roman Catholic school to be built in the city of Belfast.

The land was donated by the 2nd Marquess of Donegall, and had been the town dump until the school was built.

Operated by the Christian Brothers for a large portion of its history, the school continued to serve the educational needs of north Belfast until it closed in 1982.

Before then it had been the place of schooling for the comedian Frank Carson; the Lord Fitt, founding Leader of the SDLP; and former World Champion boxer, Rinty Monaghan, as well as countless generations of children from across north Belfast.

Squat and brown bricked, people speak fondly of its pointed Gothic windows and Dutch gable.

After it closed it served briefly as a parish community centre and survived until a fire caused severe damage in late 1995.

The damage so severe that the owners wished to have the building demolished for public safety and to enable expansion of a car park.

The threat to the future of Belfast’s last remaining Neo-Gothic building was the impetus for the foundation of the Belfast Buildings Trust.

With a package of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Architectural Heritage Fund, various charitable trusts and the Belfast Building Trust's own borrowings, the group ensured a completed project at a cost of £1.2 million.

Reopened in 1999 by the Lord Dubs, Minister for the Environment, St Patrick’s now houses offices, a bookshop and a restored classroom that is used for events ranging from creative writing classes to business seminars.

First published in August, 2011. 

Lowry of Pomeroy

THE LOWRYS OWNED 8,158 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY TYRONE

This is a junior branch of the Earls of Belmore. STEPHEN LAURIE or LOWRY purchased the Maxwelton estate, Dumfriesshire, during the reign of JAMES VI, King of Scots, from the Earl of Glencairn.

He had issue, three sons,

John, whose son was created a baronet in 1685, designated of Maxwelton;
Robert, who settled in Cumberland;
JAMES, of whom hereafter.

The youngest son,

JAMES LOWRY or LAURIE, settled at Ballymagorry, County Tyrone, before 1641.

The Lowry coat-of-arms contains a garland of laurel branches.

Ballymagorry lies several miles north of Strabane, County Tyrone, and has been a settlement since Plantation times, being founded in the early 17th century by Sir George Hamilton, of Greenlaw, brother to James, 1st Earl of Abercorn.

He died in 1665, and was succeeded by his son,

JOHN LOWRY (1609-89), who settled at Aghenis, County Tyrone, and married firstly, Jane, daughter of William Hamilton, of Ballyfallow, by whom he had issue,

William, died unmarried;
Elizabeth; Margaret; Mary.

He wedded secondly, Miss Mary Buchanan, a Scottish lady, and had further issue,

John, died unmarried;
ROBERT, succeeded his brother;
Catherine; Rebecca; Anne; Jane.

Mr Lowry died at the celebrated siege of Londonderry, and was succeeded by his surviving son,

ROBERT LOWRY (c1660-1729), of Aghenis, who espoused Anne, daughter of the Rev James Sinclair, of Hollyhill, County Tyrone, Rector of Clogherny, and afterwards of Desertcreat, County Tyrone (second son of Sir James Sinclair, of Caithness), and had issue,

Robert, of Melbury, dsp;
Galbraith, ancestor of THE EARLS OF BELMORE;
JAMES, of whom we treat.

Robert Lowry, Photo Credit: The National Trust

Mr Lowry was succeeded in his principal estates by his elder surviving son, while the younger,

THE REV JAMES LOWRY (1707-87), of Tullyhogue, County Tyrone, Rector of Clogherny, founded the branch seated at Pomeroy House.

He married Hester, daughter of William Richardson, of Richhill, MP for Armagh, and sister of Mary, Viscountess Gosford, and had issue,

ROBERT, his heir;
John (Rev);
James, from whom the ROCKDALE branch;
Hester.

The eldest son,

ROBERT LOWRY (1748-1802), of Pomeroy, wedded, in 1777, Elizabeth, daughter of Major William Tighe, of Ballyshannon, and had issue,

James, died unmarried;
ROBERT WILLIAM, of Pomeroy;
John;
Armar;
William, of Drumreagh, Commander RN;
Everina; Hester; Elizabeth; Maria.

The eldest surviving son,

ROBERT WILLIAM LOWRY JP DL (1787-1869), of Pomeroy, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1812, espoused, in 1815, Anna, eldest daughter of Admiral Samuel Graves, the elder brother of of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Graves KB, and had issue,

ROBERT WILLIAM, of Pomeroy;
John Fetherstonhaugh;
Anna Jane.

Mr Lowry was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROBERT WILLIAM LOWRY JP DL (1816-99), of Pomeroy House, Barrister, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1849, who married, in 1852, Frances Elizabeth, youngest daughter and co-heir of Benjamin Humphrey Geale Brady, of Mount Geale, County Kilkenny, and had issue,

Robert Geale, died in infancy;
ROBERT THOMAS GRAVES, of whom hereafter;
Mary Anna Catherine; Letitia Maria Isabella.

He wedded secondly, in 1880, Dorothea Elizabeth, second daughter of George Folliott, of Vicar's Cross, Cheshire.

The surviving son,

ROBERT THOMAS GRAVES LOWRY JP DL (1857-1947), of Pomeroy House, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1896, Major, 1st Dragoon Guards, was succeeded by his sister,

MISS MARY ANNA CATHERINE LOWRY (d 1951), who wedded Colonel Charles Murray Alexander, of Termon House and Enagh House, and had issue, a son and heir,  

MAJOR CHARLES ADAM MURRAY ALEXANDER MC JP DL (1889-1958), Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, of Termon House and Pomeroy House, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1936, who married, in 1918, (Gladys) Sylvia Macgregor Greer (b 1896), by whom he had issue,

(Evelyn) Ruth Dorinda Mary (1921-2010);

Margaret Sylvia Daphne, born in 1925.

Major Alexander fought in 1st World War, was wounded and mentioned in despatches, and was awarded the Military Cross in 1917. He was a director of the Ulster Bank; on the board of the Pigs Marketing Board, Northern Ireland, the Great Northern Railway, and the Electricity Board, Northern Ireland; Ferguson Ltd, Dublin; Bessbrook Spinning Company Ltd; Harry Ferguson Motors Ltd; J N Richardson Sons & Owden Ltd.

Former estates ~ The Manor of Chichester and Leggin, including Pomeroy; and property at Baskine, County Westmeath, acquired by marriage. 

Pomeroy House: garden front (Image: Society of Irish Foresters)

POMEROY HOUSE, near Pomeroy, County Tyrone, was built 1789-92 for Robert Lowry.

It consisted of three storeys over a basement, the top storey treated as an attic, above the cornice.

A single-storey extension of about 1850 was added on its east side by Robert William Lowry.

The house was orientated north-west, facing the rectangular stable-yard, eighty feet in distance from the front door.

Later in the 19th century a second rectangular yard was added on its north side, some ranges of which also still survive.

Further north of this a kennel building ca 1860 survives.

The entrance front had a central, three-sided bow, one bay on either side of it.

(Historic OSNI map)

Later there was a projecting porch added to the bow, with Ionic corner-pilasters.

The garden front (above) was of five bays, prolonged by a single-storey dining-room wing of 1815, with Wyatt windows in a three-sided bow and a polygonal lantern on the roof.

The main reception rooms were at the garden front.

Pomeroy House: entrance front opposite stableyard ca 1958 (Image: McClintock of Seskinore)

Following Major Alexander's death, Pomeroy House was sold by his widow in 1960 to the Northern Ireland Forest Service.

It is thought that the mansion house was demolished about 1970; presumably it was still standing for some years after the forestry school was built and opened in front of it in 1963.

The mansion house stood in a commanding position on top of a hill, now the location of a new visitor centre.

The site is now largely forestry

There is, however, a very fine stand of Scots pine within the forest.

There are other old demesne trees and the management is replacing hard-woods. 

The walled garden, on lower ground about 500 feet to the east of Pomeroy House, is practically ruinous with a few crumbling walls remaining.

Shoots and Christmas trees add to the commercial use. 

On land not owned by the forestry service, now outside the demesne on the south side of the road, is the Alexander Vault, which is listed, with the last few specimen of a monkey puzzle avenue to the vault.

There were two gate lodges.

First published in January, 2012.

Coollattin Park

THE EARLS FITZWILLIAM WERE THE GREATEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WICKLOW, WITH 89,981 ACRES

In 1565, HUGH FITZWILLIAM (c1534-c1576), of Emley, Sprotbrough, and Haddlesey, Yorkshire, collected the records of his family, and from these records the following particulars are partly deduced: SIR WILLIAM FITZ GODRIC, cousin to EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, left a son and heir, SIR WILLIAM FITZWILLIAM, who, being ambassador at the court of WILLIAM, Duke of Normandy, attended that prince in his victorious expedition against England, as marshal of the army, in 1066; and for his valour at the battle of Hastings, THE CONQUEROR presented him with a scarf from his own arm.

This Sir William was father of

SIR WILLIAM FITZWILLIAM, Knight, who wedded Eleanor, daughter and heiress of Sir John Emley, of Emley and Sprotbrough, by which marriage the Fitzwilliams obtained the lordships of Emley and Sprotbrough, which continued with them until the reign of HENRY VIII, when those lordships were carried, by co-heirs, into the families of Suthill and Copley.

Sir William was succeeded by his son,

SIR WILLIAM FITZWILLIAM,

Lord of Emley and Sprotbrough, living in 1117, as appears from a grant made by him of a piece of the wood in Emley to the monks of Byland. To this grant, in a round seal, is represented a man on horseback, completely armed and circumscribed S. Willmi Filij Willmi Dni de Emmalaia; and on the reverse, the arms of FITZWILLIAM, viz. Lozenge. This Sir William, or one of his descendants, caused a cross to be set up in the high street of Sprotbrough; which cross was pulled down in 1520.

From Sir William we pass to his descendant,

SIR JOHN FITZWILLIAM, who founded, in 1372, the Chantry of St Edward in the church of Sprotbrough; and having married Elizabeth, daughter of William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, had three sons, the eldest of whom,

SIR WILLIAM FITZWILLIAM, married Maud, daughter of Ralph, 3rd Lord Cromwell, of Tattershall, and co-heir of the Lord Treasurer Cromwell, by whom he had one son and two daughters.

He was succeeded by his son,

SIR JOHN FITZWILLIAM, who wedded Eleanor, daughter of Sir Henry Green, of Drayton, and had six sons.

The youngest son,

JOHN FITZWILLIAM, of Milton Hall and Greens Norton, in Northamptonshire, espoused Eleanor, daughter of William Villiers, of Brooksby, Leicestershire, by whom he had three sons and two daughters, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON SIR WILLIAM FITZWILLIAM (c1460-1534), Knight, of Milton and Gaynes Park, Essex, and also of the city of London, of which he was sheriff in 1506.

Sir William married firstly, Anne, daughter of Sir John Hawes, Knight, of the city of London, and had,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Richard;
Elizabeth; Anne.

He wedded secondly, Mildred, daughter of Richard Sackville, of Withyham, Sussex, and had three sons and two daughters,

Christopher;
Francis;
Thomas;
Eleanor; Mary.

Sir William was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR WILLIAM FITZWILLIAM, Knight, who espoused Anne, daughter of Sir Richard Sapcote, of Elton, Huntingdonshire; and was succeeded by his son and heir,

SIR WILLIAM FITZWILLIAM (1526-99), Lord Deputy of Ireland and Lord Justice, who wedded Anne, daughter of Sir William Sydney, and aunt of the 1st Earl of Leicester, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
John;
Mary; Philippa; Margaret.

Sir William was succeeded by his son,

SIR WILLIAM FITZWILLIAM, Knight, of Milton and Gaynes Park Hall, who was elevated to the peerage, in 1620, in the dignity of Baron Fitzwilliam, of Lifford, County Donegal.

His lordship wedded Catherine, daughter of William Hyde, of Denchworth, Berkshire; and dying in 1644, was succeeded by his elder son,

WILLIAM, 2nd Baron (c1609-58), who espoused, in 1638, Jane, daughter and co-heir of Alderman Hugh Perry, of London, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Charles;
Jane, m Sir Christopher Wren, the celebrated architect.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

WILLIAM, 3rd Baron (1643-1719), who was advanced, in 1716, to the dignities of Viscount Milton, County Westmeath, and EARL FITZWILLIAM, of County Tyrone.

His lordship married Anne, daughter and sole heir of Edmund Cremor, of West Winch, Norfolk, by whom he had four sons and six daughters.

He was succeeded by his third, but eldest surviving son,

JOHN, 2nd Earl (1681-1728), who wedded Anne, daughter and sole heir of John Stringer, of Sutton-cum-Lound, Nottinghamshire, and left, with three daughters, a son and successor,

WILLIAM, 3rd Earl (1719-56), then a minor, who was, in 1742, enrolled amongst the peers of Great Britain, by GEORGE II, by the style and title of Lord Fitzwilliam, Baron Milton, in Northamptonshire.

His lordship was advanced, in 1746, to the dignities of Viscount Milton and EARL FITZWILLIAM, in the same county.

He espoused, in 1744, the Lady Anne Watson-Wentworth, eldest daughter of Thomas, Marquess of Rockingham, and sister and co-heir of Charles, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, by whom he had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;
Charlotte; Frances Henrietta.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

WILLIAM, 4th Earl (1748-1833), Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for a very short period, in 1795, who married firstly, in 1770, the Lady Charlotte Ponsonby, second daughter of William, 2nd Earl of Bessborough, by whom he had an only child, CHARLES WILLIAM WENTWORTH, his heir.

Charles William, 5th Earl (1786-1857);
William Charles, Viscount Milton (1812-35);
William Thomas Spencer, 6th Earl (1815-1902);
William, Viscount Milton (1839-77);
William Charles de Meuron, 7th Earl (1872-1943);
(William Henry Lawrence) Peter, 8th Earl (1910-48);
Eric Spencer, 9th Earl (1883-1952);
William Thomas George, 10th Earl (1904-79). 

The titles expired following the decease of the 10th and last Earl.

COOLLATTIN PARK, is near Shillelagh in County Wicklow.

The history of the Wentworth/Fitzwilliam families has been well documented, but what is less well known is the influence they had on the history of the kingdom of Ireland.

As well as the family seat of Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire (where they owned 22,000 acres in 1870), the Earls Fitzwilliam also resided at Malton House (later Coollattin House) in County Wicklow, from where they managed their vast estate.

Coollattin is now a golf club.

The 4th Earl built Coollattin House (it was originally called Malton, one of his grandfather’s titles as Earl of Malton).

The house was designed by the leading architect John Carr, who was also responsible for the grandiose “stable block” at Wentworth Woodhouse as well as the Keppel’s Column and Mausoleum monuments near Wentworth.

The building was started around 1794 but before completion it was burned down in a rebellion in 1798 (along with 160 other houses in the nearby village of Carnew and several Catholic churches).

Work resumed again in 1800 and the house was completed in 1807.

As well as rebuilding their house and the village, the Fitzwilliams contributed to the repairs of the Catholic churches and gave land for other churches (whilst other landlords would not even allow a Catholic church on their estate).

Throughout the family’s time in Ireland they did not take sides in the various Irish struggles through the centuries, and perhaps as a consequence their house was left untouched in the last dash for independence.

As well as undertaking building and agricultural projects, the 4th Earl was also the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for a short time in 1795.

In 2003, The Times newspaper wrote: 

When the 10th and last Earl died in 1979 the remnants of the huge Coollattin estate, for centuries the Irish seat of the Earls Fitzwilliam, was sold by the last Earl’s widow, Lady Juliet De Chairoff, and in the following years, it was broken up and sold on bit by bit.

In 1983, the sprawling Coollattin House, with its vast lands attached, was resold for €128,000. 

When the farm land value was removed, this amounted to just £8,000 for the house itself — which, with its 120-plus rooms, is still among the largest private houses in the country. 

In the same year the average price of a standard new home in Dublin was more than four times that, at £35,000.

In living memory, the once-grand Coollattin estate had spanned 88,000 acres, had 20,000 tenants and comprised one quarter of Co Wicklow. 

There has long been a rumour that the estate harboured a vast tunnel used by inhabitants of the house to escape to the lodge.

The estate began falling apart in 1948 when the last earl, Peter Fitzwilliam, was killed in a plane crash with JFK’s sister, Kathleen (Kick) Kennedy, with whom, it was speculated, he had been having an affair.

His estate tenants genuinely grieved. 

The Fitzwilliams had a history of being among the most liberal landlords in Ireland. 

They had paid tenants more, invested in their education and had worked hard to ensure that the built environment in their towns was above average.

When the Great Famine came, the Fitzwilliam family were at least decent enough to ship their excess tenants to America rather than simply turn them off the land as many landlords did. 

Thousands were sent abroad to start new lives in this manner.

Perhaps this was the reason Coollattin House survived the great burning sprees that erupted through and after the war of independence, when working classes took their revenge on the less benevolent owners of big house.

Former seats ~ Coollattin Park, County Wicklow; Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire; Milton Hall, Cambridgeshire.

Former town residence ~ 4 Grosvenor Square, London.

First published in July, 2011. 

Ballyward Lodge

THE LESLIES OWNED 589 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DOWN

SIR WILLIAM LESLIE (c1400-67), 4th of Balquhain, having descended from a common ancestor with the Earls of Rothes, was knighted at the coronation of JAMES I.

He married firstly, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Alexander Fraser of Lovat, and had issue,

Alexander, ancestor of the Leslies of Balquhain;
WILLIAM, of whom presently;
Galdaea.

Sir William wedded secondly, Agnes, daughter of Alexander Irvine, of Drum, and by her was ancestor of the Leslie Baronets of Wardis; Leslie of New Leslie; Leslie of Kininvie; and Leslie, Viscount Balgownie.

He espoused thirdly, Euphemia, daughter of Sir William Lindsay, of Cairney, Fife, and by her was ancestor of Leslie of Pitcaple.

The younger son by his first marriage,

WILLIAM LESLIE, of Kincraigie, married Mary, daughter of Francis Ross, of Auchlossan, Aberdeenshire, and had an only son,

WILLIAM LESLIE, of Kincraigie, who wedded Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Strachan, of Balhousie, Forfar, and had issue,

ALEXANDER, of whom presently;
Patrick, of Loch Tulloch, Aberdeenshire;
James, dsp;
Elizabeth.

The eldest son,

ALEXANDER LESLIE, of Kincraigie, espoused Margaret, daughter of George Gordon, of Halhead, Aberdeenshire, and had issue,

GEORGE, of whom presently;
John, of Durno;
Margaret.

The elder son,

GEORGE LESLIE, of Kincraigie, married Mary, daughter of Patrick Leith, of Edingarrock, and had issue,

PATRICK (Sir), of whom presently;
Isabella; Margaret; Elizabeth.

The eldest son,

SIR PATRICK LESLIE, Knight, of Kincraigie, Provost of Aberdeen, wedded Jane, daughter of John Leslie, 10th of Balquhain, and had issue,

George, of Kincraigie;
JOHN, of whom we treat.

The younger son,

JOHN LESLIE, of the city of Aberdeen, espoused Margery, daughter of William Strachan, of Tippartie, Banff, and had issue,

PATRICK, of whom presently;
William, settled & died in America;
Isabella; Margery.

The elder son,

PATRICK LESLIE, settling in Ulster, married Mary, daughter of John Forbes, of the city of Aberdeen, and had issue, a son,

JOHN LESLIE, of Kincraigy, County Donegal, and had issue (with a daughter, Margaret), a son,

CHARLES LESLIE, of Kincraigy, who wedded Elizabeth, daughter of John Griffith, of Dublin, and had issue, a son,

THE VEN. DR CHARLES LESLIE, Archdeacon and Vicar-General of the Diocese of Raphoe, who espoused Elizabeth, daughter of James Grove, of Grove Hall, County Donegal, and had issue,

Charles, dsp;
John (Rev), of Kincraigy, died unmarried;
Robert Grove, died unmarried;
JANE, of whom presently.

The Archdeacon died in 1781, and was succeeded by his only daughter,

JANE LESLIE (c1764-1833), heiress in her issue to her brothers, who married, in 1795, William Beers, of Ballygorian and Ballyward, County Down, son of William Beers, and grandson of Philip Beers, by whom he had issue,

FRANCIS CHARLES, of whom presently;
William Philip, died in infancy;
William, JP, of Brook Cottage, Newcastle;
Leslie;
John, JP, of Leslie Hill, Co Donegal;
Philip Grove, died in New Zealand;
James Annesley (Rev), Rector of Drumballyroney;
Elizabeth.

The eldest son,

FRANCIS CHARLES BEERS (1796-1866), of Ballyward, County Down, and Kincraigy, County Donegal, assumed, in 1850, the surname and arms of LESLIE in lieu of his patronymic.

He wedded, in 1837, Hannah Theodosia, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Thompson, 27th Regiment, and had issue,

JOHN, his successor;
Harriet Jane.

The only son,

JOHN LESLIE (1839-), of Ballyward Lodge, Lieutenant, 5th Fusiliers, Captain, Donegal Militia, espoused, in 1862, Harriet Anne, daughter of Sir David William Barclay Bt, and had issue,

MAY FLORENCE DE RUNE LESLIE, who married, in 1888, Colonel Frank Robert Lowth CB, Lincolnshire Regiment, and had issue,

Francis Robert Leslie, b 1889;
John Leslie, b 1890;
Norman Charles Leslie, b 1891;
William Barclay Leslie, b 1893;
Doris May Leslie.

Photo Credit: David Byers

BALLYWARD LODGE, near Castlewellan, County Down, has been described as a "gentleman's cottage" of ca 1800.

This house, situated picturesquely beside a lake, was originally the residence of William Beers.

Ballyward comprises two storeys, the upper storey being partly in the attic; dormer gables; projecting single-storey porch.

There is a large, elegant fan-lighted doorway.

Several upstairs windows are pointed, with Georgian-Gothic astragals.

The library has a low ceiling, with columns which formerly graced Downhill Castle; and a spacious bedroom landing.

The formal garden to the south of the house is equally impressive, with statuary and urns.

*****

Ballyward estate was purchased in 1954 by WING COMMANDER JOHN SYDNEY HIGGINSON CBE JP DL RAF (1910-2000), Honorary ADC to His Excellency the Governor of Northern Ireland, 1952, who farmed it himself until 1985.

At that time the grounds comprised 134 acres, of which 63 were agricultural land, 3 acres were garden, and 68 acres were woodland and wetland.

Many improvements to the house and grounds were initiated by Wing Commander Higginson.

Wing Commander Higginson, scion of HIGGINSON of Ballinderry and Carnalea, died in 2000, when the estate devolved upon his nephew,

ANDREW HIGGINSON OBE, who sold Ballyward in 2001 for £1.15 million.

*****

THE ESTATE today is spread over 300 acres, consisting of mature woodland, surrounded by sloping hills.

There are also significant wetlands thus attracting a wide variety of game.

Ballyward has established itself as a shooting estate.

First published in November, 2013.

Dobbin of Armagh

THE DOBBINS OWNED 1,097 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ARMAGH

The family of DOBBIN is of ancient standing in Ulster. Numerous members of the family served the office of Mayor of Carrickfergus between 1571 and 1725. About the period of the Glorious Revolution, 1690, two brothers of this family removed from Carrickfergus, County Antrim, to County Armagh, viz. THOMAS DOBBIN and ROBERT DOBBIN.

The younger brother,

ROBERT DOBBIN (c1660-1735), settled at Tirnascobe, County Armagh, and named his abode Mount Dobbin.

He and his brother held 357 acres in the townlands of Tirnascobe, Altaturk, and Rathdrumgran, all in County Armagh.

Mr Dobbin married Isabella Stewart, and had issue,

Archibald;
Henry;
Robert;
John;
James;
LEONARD, of whom hereafter;
Elizabeth; Jane; Rosanna; Ann.

The youngest son,

LEONARD DOBBIN (1699-1770), of Tirnascobe, wedded Mary, daughter of Thomas Oates, and niece of General Murray (distinguished at the siege of Derry), and had issue,

THOMAS, his heir;
Leonard (1762-1844), MP for Armagh (see image below);
John;
Anne; Jane; Mary.

Leonard Dobbin MP (Image: Armagh County Museum)

The eldest son,

THOMAS DOBBIN (1754-1807), espoused, in 1787, Rhoda, daughter of Robert Brown, of Kiltown, County Donegal, and had issue,

LEONARD, his heir;
Robert Brown;
Thomas;
Alexander John;
Lucinda; Mary; Jane; Anne; Rhoda.

The eldest son,

LEONARD DOBBIN (1789-1881), of the City of Armagh, Woodpark, County Armagh, and Templeport, County Cavan, High Sheriff of County Armagh, MP for Armagh, 1832-38, Clerk of the Peace for County Armagh, married, in 1822, Mary, fourth daughter of the Rev Dr George Miller, Rector of Derryvullan, County Fermanagh, and had issue,

Leonard (1825-48);
Thomas (1831-65);
GEORGE MILLER, of whom hereafter;
Robert Alexander;
William;
Henry Brooke;
Charles Edward;
Elizabeth; Rhoda Mary.

Mr Dobbin, who was nephew and heir-at-law of Leonard Dobbin MP, was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

GEORGE MILLER DOBBIN JP (1833-1919), of Drumullagh House, County Louth, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1884, Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Artillery, who wedded, in 1868, Elizabeth Jane, daughter of Colonel George Turnbull Marshall, Bengal Army, and had issue,

LEONARD GEORGE WILLIAM, Major, DSO (b 1871), of Drummullagh House;
Herbert Thomas, CBE DSO, Brigadier;
George Henry;
Arthur William;
Rhoda Margaret Elizabeth; Mary Marshall; Annie.

Drumullagh House (Omeath District Development)

First published in February, 2018.