New Antrim DL

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LIEUTENANT

Mr David McCorkell, Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim, has been pleased to appoint

Mrs Jenny Lendrum

To be a Deputy Lieutenant of the County her Commission bearing date the 8th day of June 2026

Lord Lieutenant of the County

The King's Official Birthday

HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY CHARLES THE THIRD, OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, AND OF HIS OTHER REALMS AND TERRITORIES KING, HEAD OF THE COMMONWEALTH, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, Sovereign of the Orders of the Garter and the Thistle, Order of St Patrick, Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael & St George, Royal Victorian Order, and Order of the British Empire.

Today is The King's Official Birthday.

Since 1748, the Trooping the Colour ceremony or The King's Birthday Parade at Horse Guards Parade in London has marked the Sovereign's official birthday.

The list of Birthday Honours is also usually announced on the eve of the Official Birthday celebrations.

Benvarden House

THE MONTGOMERYS OWNED 6,792 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

This family claims to be a branch of the great Scottish house of MONTGOMERY. 

ROBERT MONTGOMERY, of Glenarm, County Antrim, born in 1711, married, in 1742, Isabella Stewart, and was father of

HUGH MONTGOMERY (1743-1832), of Glenarm, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1804, who wedded, in 1785, Margaret, daughter of John Allen, of Kilmandil, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;
Hugh (1794-1867), of BALLYDRAIN, Co Antrim;
Alexander, of Potter's Wall, Co Antrim;
Thomas, JP, of Birch Hill, Co Antrim;
Barbara; Isabella; Marion; Victoria.

Mr Montgomery was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN MONTGOMERY JP DL (1790-1876), of Benvarden, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1819, who married, in 1819, Jane, daughter of SIR ANDREW FERGUSON Bt, and had surviving issue,

ROBERT JAMES, his heir;
Barbara Anne; Isabella Dorothea.

Mr Montgomery was succeeded by his only son,

ROBERT JAMES MONTGOMERY JP DL (1829-93), of Benvarden, and Potter's Walls, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1867 and 1870, Captain, 5th Dragoon Guards, who espoused, in 1864, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert James White, of WHITE HALL, County Antrim, and had issue,

JOHN ALEXANDER, his heir;
Francis James;
Janet Maude; Elizabeth Barbara Isabel.

Mr Montgomery was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN ALEXANDER MONTGOMERY JP DL (1866-1928), of Benvarden and Potter's Walls, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1910, Major, Royal Irish Rifles, who married, in 1900, Elizabeth Ferguson, daughter of the Rev Canon Edward Newland, Rector of Buncrana, and had issue,

JOHN ALEXANDER JAMES, b 1904, High Sheriff, 1936;
Elizabeth Barbara Ethne; Isabel Frances Ellen.

*****

John Montgomery, later of Benvarden, County Antrim, was president of the Belfast chamber of commerce, 1802-03, and founder, 1809, of Montgomery's Bank, aforementioned precursor of the Northern Bank.

*****

The Montgomerys resided at 4-6, Donegall Place, Belfast.

*****

Hugh Montgomery (1794-1867), who purchased Ballydrain House, Dunmurry (now Malone Golf Club), was the second son of Hugh Montgomery and he, too, was involved with the Northern Bank, being a director for 43 years.

He and his wife, Emily Ferguson, had six sons and one daughter.

After his death, in 1867, the Ballydrain estate became the property of his second son, John Ferguson Montgomery, the eldest son, Hugh, having been killed at the Charge of the Light Brigade, Battle of Balaclava in 1854.

BENVARDEN HOUSE, near Ballymoney, County Antrim, was established in the late 17th century on the River Bush.

The house was improved and enlarged in the late 18th century and remains largely unaltered.

Benvarden, originally the seat of the MACNAGHTENS, is a two-storey, 18th century house with a central curved bow in each of its two fronts, one containing the entrance hall.

Hugh Montgomery purchased Benvarden in 1798, having returned from Virginia, USA.

He enlarged the house ca 1805, by adding two wings with three-sided bows of the same height as the 18th century block, but with higher ground-floor ceilings.

These additions included a ballroom/drawing-room and a dining-room.

At the same time or later, a service wing with a curved bow was added at one end, prolonging the façade still further.

In the mid-19th century an Italianate porch with flanking corridors was added on the entrance front and another service wing was built.

Also in the 19th century, the astragals were removed from the windows.

There is an elegant semi-circular, cantilevered stair with an oval light in the hall; good plasterwork; and a rhomboidal stable courtyard with a pedimented archway crowned by a wooden lantern.

The grounds are fully maintained. Lawns sweep to the river and to the cast-iron Victorian bridge of ca 1870 (restored in 2010).

A mid-19th century oval pond near the river is surrounded with yews and rhododendrons.

New tree-planting reinforces mature shelter planting, most necessary as the site is exposed to wind.

There is a substantial belt on the north, east and west sides of the walled garden.

This walled garden is cultivated with herbaceous borders, a rose garden, a parterre garden, glass-house sites utilized ornamentally, vegetables and soft fruit.

There is a good account of the ‘… large walled garden and an orchard, well stocked and very productive …’, in the Ordnance Survey Memoirs of 1832.

The gardens are still kept to a high order but the design and planting have been altered from the traditional to a more convenient (though no less attractive) contemporary layout.

One ca 1830 gate lodge remains, in good order, at the north-east gate.

The Montgomery family still live at their ancestral home today.

The estate now comprises ca 600 acres. 

Benvarden Garden is open to the public.

Part of the demesne, to the north-east, was formerly a safari (lion) park and has now reverted to the estate.

First published in December, 2010.

Derryquin Castle

THE BLANDS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY KERRY, WITH 25,576 ACRES

SIR CHRISTOPHER BLAND WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE BBC BOARD OF GOVERNORS, 1996-2001

This family was originally seated in Yorkshire. The first who settled in Ireland was THE VERY REV JAMES BLAND, Archdeacon of Limerick and Dean of Ardfert. In a deed of sale registered in Wakefield, 1717, he is described as "of Killarney, County Kerry", and as disposing of his estates in Sedbergh, Yorkshire, to Richard Willen. Dr Bland was the son of John Bland, of Sedbergh, as proved by the records of St John's College, Cambridge, where he was admitted in 1684. He went to Ireland as Chaplain to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Henry Sydney, Earl of Romney, in 1692.

Dr Bland wedded Lucy, eldest daughter of Sir Francis Brewster, Lord Mayor of Dublin, 1674-5, by whom he had issue, and was father of the Rev Francis Bland (whose great-grandson, THE VEN NATHANIEL BLAND, Archdeacon of Aghadoe, was the head of the family); and of

NATHANIEL BLAND LL.D, Judge of the Prerogative Court of Dublin, Vicar-General of the Diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, who married firstly, Diana, only daughter and heiress of Nicholas Kemeys, and had issue,

JAMES, his heir;
John.

He wedded secondly, Lucy, daughter of Francis Heaton, and had further issue,

Francis;
Nathaniel;
George;
Lucy; Hester; Dorothea.

Dr Bland was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE REV JAMES BLAND, of Derryquin Castle, who espoused firstly, Elizabeth, daughter of Christopher Julian, and had issue,

FRANCIS CHRISTOPHER, his heir;
Nathaniel;
James;
Letitia; Diana; Maria; Elizabeth.

He married secondly, Barbara, daughter of _____ Nash.

The Rev James Bland was succeeded by his eldest son,

FRANCIS CHRISTOPHER BLAND, of Derryquin Castle, High Sheriff of County Kerry, 1806, who wedded, in 1798, Lucinda, daughter of Arthur Bastable Herbert, of Brewstersfield, near Killarney, by his wife Barbara, daughter of Maurice FitzGerald, Knight of Kerry, and had issue,

JAMES FRANKLIN, his heir;
Arthur;
John;
Edward;
Nathaniel;
George;
Francis Christopher;
Elizabeth; Lucy; Frances Diana; Mary Matilda;
Christina Frances; Laetitia; Barbara; Laetitia; Clara Delinda.

Mr Bland died in 1838, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

JAMES FRANKLIN BLAND JP (1799-1863), of Derryquin Castle, High Sheriff of County Kerry, 1835, who espoused, in 1825, Emma, daughter of Major Joseph Taylor, of Dunkerron Castle, County Kerry, and had issue,

FRANCIS CHRISTOPHER, his heir;
James Franklin;
Nathaniel Franklin;
Alice Phillis.

Mr Bland was succeeded by his eldest son,

FRANCIS CHRISTOPHER BLAND JP (1826-94), of Derryquin Castle, High Sheriff of County Kerry, 1859, who married, in 1849, Jane, daughter of the Rev Archibald Robert Hamilton, and had issue,

JAMES FRANKLIN, his heir;
Archibald Robert Hamilton;
Francis Christpher Earle;
Richard Townsend Herbert;
Emma Alice; Jane Hamilton; Catherine Cotter;
Alice Phillis; Mary Evelyn.

Mr Bland was succeeded by his eldest son,

JAMES FRANKLIN BLAND (1850-1927),  late of Derryquin Castle, and of Drimina House, Sneem, County Kerry, who wedded, in 1873, Agnes Margaret, eldest daughter of Samuel Wilson Block, of 15, Talbot Square, Hyde Park, London, and had issue,

FRANCIS CHRISTOPHER CECIL, his heir;
Archibald Franklin Wilson;
Godfrey Hamilton;
Agnes Emma; Evaleen Wilson; Ethel Hamilton.

Mr Bland was succeeded by his eldest son,

FRANCIS CHRISTOPHER CECIL BLAND (1875-1953), of Drimina House, who married, in 1904, Mary Green, daughter of Henry Albert Uprichard, and had issue,

JAMES FRANKLIN McMAHON;
Henry Archibald Forster.

Mr Bland was succeeded by his elder son,

JAMES FRANKLIN McMAHON BLAND (1905-84), of 14, Tullybrannigan Road, Newcastle, County Down, who married, in 1936, Jess Buchan, daughter of Major Harry Campbell Brodie, and had issue,

FRANCIS CHRISTOPHER BUCHAN;
Godfrey Hamilton.

The elder son,

SIR (FRANCIS) CHRISTOPHER BUCHAN BLAND (1938-2017).

DERRYQUIN CASTLE, Sneem, County Kerry, was a Victorian pile of rough-hewn stone by James Franklin Fuller, built for the Bland family.

The main block was of three storeys, with a four-storey octagonal tower running through its centre.

The entrance door was at one end, flanked by a two-storey, part-curved wing.

There were rectangular, pointed and camber-headed windows; battlements, and machicolations.

The castle was eventually sold by the Blands to the Warden family.

In 1906, it was owned by Colonel Charles W Warden and valued at £70.

The Wardens resided there until it was burnt in 1922.

It was located in the grounds of what is now the Parknasilla Hotel, but the ruins were demolished in 1969.

In 1732, the Rev Dr Nathaniel Bland obtained his grant of the Parknasilla area, the grantors being described as 'Rt Hon Clotworthy, Lord Viscount Massareene, and Philip Doyne, with the consent of James Stopford.'

The link with these three gentlemen is Elizabeth Smyth.

Her father, the Rt Rev Edward Smyth, Lord Bishop of Down and Connor, married secondly, the Hon Mary Skeffington.

She was the daughter of Clothworthy, 3rd Viscount Massareene. Elizabeth married James Stopford in 1726.

In 1762, he was created Viscount Stopford and Earl of Courtown.

His sister, also Elizabeth Stopford, was the third wife of Philip Doyne.

The Rt Rev Richard Pococke, Lord Bishop of Ossory, visited the area in 1758.

He was an avid traveller who published accounts of his visits to the Middle East, Scotland and England.

The Bishop went in search of Dr Bland's house, which was a summer residence located between the Sneem River and the Owreagh River.

He found the house, known as 'The White House', abandoned by its owner, in favour of Parknasilla, a fine Georgian residence a little further east.

Nathaniel Bland's first wife Diana, was the daughter of Nicholas Kerneys or Kemis of County Wexford. They had two sons, John and Rev James.

It was to Rev James that Nathaniel left the bulk of his estate and we shall return to him presently.

John served in the army at Dettingen, Fontenoy and Clifton Moor.

Nathaniel's son Francis, by his second marriage, was a captain in the army and gave it up to become and actor in Thomas Sheridan's company in Dublin.

He fell in love with Grace Phillips, a Welsh actress, and married her in 1758.

They had several children. Grace was the daughter of the Rev Phillips of St. Thomas's Haverfordwest.

Nathaniel  died in 1760 just before the birth of Francis and Grace's child, a daughter, in 1761.

She was christened Dorothea and known as Dorothy, although she referred to herself as Dora and acquired a surfeit of names.

In 1774, Francis decided to leave Grace and his family and marry an heiress.

This time he chose the well-to-do Catherine Mahony from Kerry.

Dora became an actress and was also known by her stage name, Mrs Jordan. She was seduced by her actor manager in Dublin.

Shortly afterwards she became pregnant and fled to England and fell in love with Richard Ford , a handsome lawyer, who was knighted some years later.

She lived with Ford and had three children by him.

When he failed to do the decent thing and marry her, she left him.

She became mistress to William Henry, Duke of Clarence, 3rd son of George III in 1790. He became William IV upon the death of his brother George IV.

They lived together in Busy House in Teddington, near Hampton Court from 1797 until 1811, when he took a new mistress.

Their children, ten in total and all illegitimate, were known as the FitzClarences. The boys were ennobled, the eldest was created Earl of Munster.

The girls married well, viz. two earls, a viscount, the younger son of a duke and a general in the army.

The Duke pensioned Dora off. She was swindled out of money by a son-in-law.

When Nathaniel Bland died in 1760, his son, the Rev James Bland, inherited the estate. Derryquin Castle was probably built during his era.

His son, Francis Christopher Bland, married Lucinda Herbert in 1798.

His son, James Franklin Bland, was born in 1799. Under him the Derryquin estate witnessed its golden years and was self-supporting.

His sister Frances "Fanny" Diana married Thomas Harnett Fuller of Glasnacree and their son James Franklin Fuller was to become the architect of the new Parknasilla hotel in 1897.

James Franklin Bland was succeeded in turn by his son Francis Christopher.

This Francis Christopher joined the Plymouth Brethren.

He neglected his estate and devoted his energy to preaching.

Land agitation was rife in Ireland at this juncture and it was unfortunate that Bland decided to absent himself.

The estate inevitably went into rapid decline.

First published in September, 2012.  Bland arms courtesy of the NLI.

Agnew of Kilwaughter

THE AGNEWS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY ANTRIM, WITH 9,770 ACRES

This ancient family held for many generations the office of hereditary sheriff of Wigtownshire, from 1451 until the jurisdiction was abolished in 1747.

PATRICK AGNEW, of Lochnaw, Wigtownshire, said to be a kinsman of the Agnew Baronets, Collector of Rents for the EARL OF ANTRIM, married, in 1622, JANET SHAW, and built a castle at KILWAUGHTER, County Antrim.

Mr Agnew was succeeded by his son,

JOHN AGNEW, who wedded his cousin, Eleanor Shaw, and was succeeded by his son,

PATRICK AGNEW, who married and purchased the remaining lands at Kilwaughter which, until 1660, had been in the possession of the Agnews of Lochnaw:

Sir Patrick Agnew, 1st Baronet, 8th Hereditary Sheriff of Galloway, father of Colonel Alexander Agnew, of Whitehills, who, with Andrew Agnew, his brother, afterwards the 9th Sheriff, was frequently in Ulster.

Mr Agnew, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1669, was succeeded by his son,

PATRICK AGNEW, who married and had issue,

PATRICK, of whom we treat;
Margaret, m James Crawford;
Jean, m Robert Blair, of Blairmount;
Helen, m James Stewart.

Mr Agnew died in 1724, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

PATRICK AGNEW, who espoused Martha Houston (or Houseton) and had issue,

WILLIAM, of whom we treat;
Frances;
John;
James (?);
Patrick (?);
Henry;
Hugh (?).

The eldest son,

WILLIAM "SQUIRE" AGNEW, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1744, married his cousin, Margaret Stewart, of KILLYMOON CASTLE, Cookstown, County Tyrone, and had issue,

James, died unmarried;
William, died unmarried;
MARIA, of whom we treat;
Jane, m Henry Shaw, later of Ballygally.

MARIA AGNEW wedded firstly, James Ross; and secondly, in 1763, VALENTINE JONES, by whom she had issue, one son, Edward; and a daughter, Margaret.

Valentine Jones (1712-1806) was a merchant with West Indian interests and founding member of the Belfast Charitable Society. He was at the Society’s inaugural meeting in August 1752. 

The Valentine Jones dynasty, which had premises at Winecellar Entry off High Street, Belfast, were wine merchants and rum and sugar importers who had established a thriving agency in Barbados where they bought goods from the planters and also sold goods to them.

The only son,

EDWARD JONES (1767-1834), MP for Antrim County, 1792-96, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1803, succeeded his grandfather and assumed the additional surname of AGNEW.

He married Eleanor Galbraith and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Maria, m Dr T C Simon; mother of MARIA AUGUSTA.

Mr Jones Agnew was succeeded by his son and heir,

WILLIAM AGNEW (1824-91), who died unmarried, and was succeeded in the Kilwaughter estate by his niece,

(MARIA) AUGUSTA, COUNTESS BALZANI (1847-95), only child of Thomas Collins Simon and Maria (née Agnew) Simon, who wedded Count Ugo Balzani, and had issue, two daughters,

Gendoluni, Madame Valensin;
Nora.

First published in June, 2016.

The Langham Baronets

 This family is descended from WILLIAM, son of Henry de Langham, who held land in Langham, Rutland, during the reign of EDWARD I.

The fourteenth in lineal descent from him was

ALDERMAN SIR JOHN LANGHAM (1584-1671), Knight, Sheriff of London, 1642, who was created a baronet in 1660, designated of Cottesbrooke, Northamptonshire.

The conferral of a baronetcy was as a recompense for his sufferings in the royal cause (having been twice committed to the Tower, with the Lord Mayor and other aldermen, for refusing to publish an act for the abolition of royalty). Sir John, who acquired a large fortune as a turkey merchant, represented the City of London in parliament in 1654, and the borough of Southwark, 1660.

He married Mary, daughter of James Bunce, and was succeeded at his decease by his eldest son,

SIR JAMES LANGHAM, 2nd Baronet (1621-99), who married thrice, but left one daughter only by his first wife Mary, daughter and co-heir of Sir Edward Alston, Knight; namely Mary, wedded to Henry, Earl of Warrington.

Following his decease the title devolved upon his brother,

SIR WILLIAM LANGHAM, 3rd Baronet (c1625-1700), of Walgrave, Sheriff of Northampton, 1672, MP for Northampton, who married thrice, but had issue by his third marriage only (with Martha, daughter of Herbert Hay), a son, his successor,

SIR JOHN LANGHAM, 4th Baronet (c1670-1747), who espoused firstly, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Samwell Bt, of Upton, Northamptonshire, and had, with other children,

JAMES &
JOHN, successive baronets;
William, father of JAMES, 7th Baronet.

Sir John married secondly, Maria, eldest daughter of Sir Richard Temple KB, and widow of the Rev Dr West, and had several children.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JAMES LANGHAM, 5th Baronet (c1696-1749); who died without issue, when the title devolved upon his brother,

SIR JOHN LANGHAM, 6th Baronet (c1698-1766), who transmitted his memory to posterity by placing £6,000 in new South-Sea annuities, in the hands of the Corporation of London, for the purpose of founding a society for the relief of distressed soldiers and sailors, and their families.

Sir John died without issue, when the title devolved upon (the son of his deceased brother, William) his nephew,

SIR JAMES LANGHAM, 7th Baronet (1736-95), High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, 1797, who married firstly, in 1767, Juliana, sister and sole heiress of Thomas Musgrave, of Old Cleve, Somerset, and had, with other issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;

JAMES, 10th Baronet.

Sir James was succeeded by his second son,

SIR WILLIAM LANGHAM, 8th Baronet (1771-1812), High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, 1797, who espoused firstly, 1795, Henrietta Elizabeth Frederica, only daughter and heiress of the Hon Charles Vane, of Mount Ida, Norfolk, and had issue,

WILLIAM HENRY, 9th Baronet;

Henrietta; Charlotte.

He wedded secondly, in 1810, Augusta Priscilla, only daughter of the Hon William Henry Irby, and niece of Lord Boston.

Sir William was succeeded by his only son,

SIR WILLIAM HENRY LANGHAM, 9th Baronet (1796-1812), who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his uncle,

SIR JAMES LANGHAM, 10th Baronet (1776-1833), MP for St Germains, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, 1816, who married, in 1800, Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Francis Burdett, and sister of Sir Francis Burdett Bt, of Foremark, Derbyshire, by whom he had, with other issue,

JAMES HAY, his successor;

Herbert;

Henrietta.

Sir James was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JAMES HAY LANGHAM, 11th Baronet (1802-93), who wedded, in 1828, Margaret Emma, eldest daughter of 2nd Baron Kenyon, and dsp 1893, and was succeeded by his nephew,

SIR HERBERT HAY LANGHAM, 12th Baronet (1840-1909), JP DL, who espoused, in 1868, Anna Maria Frances, second daughter of 3rd Baron Sandys, and had issue,

HERBERT CHARLES ARTHUR, his successor;

*Cecily (Rockfield Cottage, Portaferry, County Down).

He was succeeded by his only son,

SIR HERBERT CHARLES ARTHUR LANGHAM, 13th Baronet (1870-1951), JP DL, of Cottesbrooke, Northamptonshire, High Sheriff of County Fermanagh, 1930, who wedded, in 1893, Ethel Sarah, eldest daughter of Sir William Emerson-Tennent, 2nd Baronet, of Tempo Manor, County Fermanagh, and had issue,

JOHN CHARLES PATRICK, his successor.

He was succeeded by his only son,

SIR JOHN CHARLES PATRICK LANGHAM, 14th Baronet (1894-1972), JP DL, of Tempo Manor, who married, in 1930, Rosamond Christabel, younger daughter of Arthur Rashleigh, of Holy Well House, Malvern Wells, Worcestershire, and had issue,

JAMES MICHAEL, his successor.

Sir John was succeeded by his only son,

SIR JAMES MICHAEL LANGHAM, 15th Baronet (1932-2002), TD, of Tempo Manor, Captain, North Irish Horse, who married, in 1959, Marion Ellen Audrey Barratt, daughter of Oswald Horner Barratt, and had issue,

JOHN STEPHEN, his successor;

Rupert William;

Lucinda Jane.

Sir James was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JOHN STEPHEN LANGHAM, 16th Baronet (1960-), of Tempo Manor, who married, in 1991, Sarah Jane, daughter of John Denis Greene, and has issue,

TYRONE DENIS JAMES, his successor;

Phœbe Tara; Isabella Hay.

*****

SIR CHARLES LANGHAM, 13th Baronet, sold the ancestral seat, Cottesbrooke Park, in 1911.

He married Ethel Tennent in 1893 and they lived at TEMPO MANOR, which his wife had inherited.

The Langhams acquired the Cottesbrooke estate in around 1635-40. They progressed from very humble beginnings in Guilsborough to becoming Lord Mayor of London, accumulating huge wealth trading with Turkey and the Middle East. In 1660, John Langham was sent to Breda in Holland to petition King Charles II to return to England – he was rewarded with a baronetcy.

Langham Place, London, as the short stretch of new road linking Upper Regent Street with Portland Place was known, took its name from Sir James Langham, 10th Baronet, whom Nash secured in 1813 as client for the biggest house to be erected on the surplus Foley House plots that he had set aside for building on.

Former seats ~ Cottesbrooke Hall, Northamptonshire; Glyndebourne, East Sussex; Southend, Essex.

Former London residence ~ Langham House, Portland Place.

First published in April, 2014.

Derrymore House

WALTER GARUTH CORRY, of Dumfriesshire, born in 1620, settled in Ulster about the time of the Plantation.

His son,

WALTER CORRY (c1635-99), a cornet in the dragoons of the usurper Cromwell's army, was granted the Rockcorry estate in County Monaghan by CHARLES II in 1667.

Mr Corry, High Sheriff of County Monaghan, 1672, built the town and castle of Newtoncorry (later renamed Rockcorry).

His son,

ISAAC CORRY, born ca 1655 at Rockcorry, High Sheriff of County Monaghan, had a son,

ISAAC CORRY (c1691-1752), of Abbey Yard, Newry, County Down, merchant, who married Cæzarea Smyth, widow, daughter of Edward Smyth, of Newry, and previously of Liverpool, and by her had issue,

EDWARD, his heir;

Isaac, of Abbey Yard, Newry;

Trevor;

Martha; Rebecca; Mary.

The third and youngest son, SIR TREVOR CORRY, was born at Newry in 1724.

Corry memorial in St Mary's Parish Church, Newry
(by West Marshall - Own work)

The eldest son,

EDWARD CORRY (1723-92), MP for Newry, 1774-76, wedded Catherine, daughter of Captain Charles Bristow, of Crebilly, County Antrim, and had issue,

ISAAC, of whom hereafter;

Edward;

Catherine; Martha; Fanny.

The elder son,

THE RT HON ISAAC CORRY (1752-1813), MP for Newry, 1776-1800, CHANCELLOR OF THE IRISH EXCHEQUER, born at Newry, County Down, was unmarried, though had an intimate friendship with Jane Symms, who bore him three sons and three daughters.

DERRYMORE HOUSE, near Bessbrook, County Armagh, is a single-storey thatched cottage ornée of Palladian form.

It comprises a bow-fronted centre block and two flanking wings, joined to the main block by small canted links.

The central bow of the main block is three-sided and glazed to the ground, with astragals and mullions; flanked by two quatrefoil windows, under hood mouldings.

Each wing has a mullioned window.

Derrymore was built at some time prior to 1787 by the Rt Hon Isaac Corry, MP for Newry and Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer.

In 1810, Isaac Corry conveyed the property to William Young, son of the Rev John Young, of Eden, County Armagh.

Young, a lieutenant-colonel in the East India Company, was created a baronet in 1821.

Sir William added an entrance hall on the north side of the U-shaped courtyard, thus enclosing it entirely.

About 1828, the Youngs moved from Derrymore to Bailieborough, County Cavan.

Derrymore was sold to Edward Smyth, of Newry, whose family retained the estate until 1859.

The demesne, which hosted 140,000 trees, was then bought by a wealthy merchant, Robert Glenny, of Trevor Hill, Newry, who in turn sold it onto the linen manufacturer John Grubb Richardson who lived in the adjoining estate, The Woodhouse.

Richardson was responsible for establishing the village of Bessbrook, and building Bessbrook Friends' Meeting House, which sits in the Derrymore demesne.

In 1952, John Stephens Wakefield Richardson donated Derrymore to the National Trust, and it was opened officially in 1957 by the Lady Wakehurst, wife of the Governor of Northern Ireland.

The National Trust subsequently undertook to repair Derrymore and to demolish Sir William Young's entrance hall and later accretions, thus restoring the house to its 18th century character.

Thatching with Norfolk reed had not been a success and in 1963 a native appearance using wheat straw and omitting the block ridge was restored.

During the period of unrest in Northern Ireland known as The Troubles, the house was bombed on five separate occasions between 1972-79.

The custodian, Edmund Baillie, carried out some of the bombs to the garden.

When interviewed in February, 2000, Mr Baillie confirmed that, due to the damage suffered by the structure, most if not all of the timbers had been replaced and that some changes had been made to the interior.

A re-thatching scheme using water reed with wheat straw for the block ridge was completed in 2003.

*****

DERRYMORE'S parkland is attributed to John Sutherland, the leading designer of the day.

Thin belts of mature, mostly deciduous trees and woodland to the north-west of the house are the only reminders of the original planting.

The elms have died out, though replanting has taken place.

The parkland to the south and east of the house was used for Nissen huts during the 2nd World War.

The parkland trees were felled and concrete bases remain in what was always poor soil.

A pond was made in the quarry where stone was used for local building.

There is a small but charming ornamental garden at the house, which has a Victorian appearance.

The walled garden is part cultivated.

It was latterly an orchard used for The Woodhouse.

The head gardener’s house is called Hortus Lodge.

There are four gate lodges, described by Dean as, ‘...disappointingly nondescript’:

One, built pre-1834, two pre-1861 and one pre-1906.

First published in April, 2014.