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.

Manor of Joymount

Artist's impression of Joymount (Mid & East Antrim Council)

Extract from The History and Antiquities of the County of the Town of Carrickfergus, by Samuel Miskimmin, 1832.

ABOUT the latter end of 1606, and in the three following years, SIR ARTHUR CHICHESTER purchased several lots of ground on the east of Castle Worraigh [an ageing stone tower in the middle of Carrickfergus's high street] from Thomas Whitager, Carew Hart, Thomas Stevenson, Owen Magee, and William Dobbin.

At the same time he also obtained a grant of the ruined abbey of St Francis adjoining, and in 1610, he began to erect a magnificent building on the grounds, the north part of which was built on the south end of the said abbey.

This mansion was called Joymount, in honour of Sir Arthur's late patron, LORD MOUNTJOY, and was not finished till 1618, as appeared from that date over the great entrance on the south-east.

The oral history of this place says that it was built by the celebrated Inigo Jones, and was a large building, 112 feet in front [the White House, Washington DC, is 168 feet long, by comparison], with two wings extending northward, the same length, having 365 windows, 52 doors, and 12 chimneys.

In front of the chief entrance was a gatehouse with lofty turrets, between which and the main building was a court, from whence was an ascent of a few steps to a fine terrace that extended the entire length of the front, in the centre of which was the hall-door.

The following account of Joymount is given by Sir William Brereton Bt, who landed here in 1634:-

"The only grace of this town is the lord Chichester's house, which is a very stately house, or rather like a prince's palace; whereunto there belongs a stately gatehouse and graceful terrace, and walks before the house, as at Denton, my lord Fairfax's house." 

"A very fine hall there is, and a stately staircase, and fair dining-room, carrying the proportion of the hall: fine gardens, and mighty spacious orchards, and they say they have good store of fruit." 

"I observed on either side of his garden there is a dove-house, placed one opposite the other to the corner of the garden, and 'twixt the garden and orchards a most convenient place for apricots or some such tender fruit, to be planted against the dove-house wall, that by the advantage of the heat thereof they may be rendered most fruitful, and come sooner to maturity, but this use is not made thereof." 

"Very rich furniture belongs unto this house, which seems much to be neglected and begins to go something to decay."

"It is a most stately building, only the windows and rooms and whole frame of the house is over-large and vast; and in this house you may observe the inconvenience of great buildings which require an unreasonable charge to keep them in repair, so as they are a burden to the owners of them."

Some difference taking place between the noble family of Chichester and the inhabitants, the family ceased to reside there about 1724, from which time the building was suffered to go to ruin.

In the latter end of 1768, it began to be taken down, and its oak timber was divided amongst those who were attached to the interests of the family; but its marble chimneypieces, and the like valuable articles, were taken to FISHERWICK PARK, Staffordshire.

Joymount is reputed to have cost in excess of £20,000 (equivalent to about £3.5 million in 2021) to construct.

Carrickfergus town hall now occupies the site of Joymount.

First published in July, 2022.

The Mulholland Baronets

THE HON HENRY GEORGE HILL MULHOLLAND (1888-1971), third son of Henry, 2nd Baron Dunleath, MP for County Down, 1921-9, Ards, 1929-45, Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons, married, in 1914, Sheelah, daughter of Sir Arthur Brooke Bt (and sister of Sir Basil Brooke Bt, later 1st Viscount Brookeborough, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland), and had issue,

MICHAEL HENRY, his successor;
Sylvia Patricia Norah, m T P Palmer.

He was appointed a Privy Counsellor of Northern Ireland in 1930.

Rt Hon Sir Henry (Harry) Mulholland (Image: Castledawson Review, Facebook)

Speaker Mulholland was created a baronet in 1945, designated of Ballyscullion Park, County Londonderry.

The present Lord Dunleath tells me that, until he became Speaker, Sir Henry was based largely in England, living at Woodspean Grange, near Newbury, Berkshire. 

A room was kept for him at Ballywalter Park, where he could meet constituents when he was in Northern Ireland. 

There was, in fact, a small family enclave at that time around Newbury, as his sister, the Hon Eva Mulholland, who was married to John Saunderson [Castle Saunderson], lived near by at Honeybottom House, a beautiful property near the village of Bagnor and also close to Newbury. 

Their son, Squadron Leader John Saunderson DSO DFC, lived there until his death ca 2006, after which the property was sold.

Sir Henry was succeeded by his son,

SIR MICHAEL HENRY MULHOLLAND, 2nd Baronet (1915-97), who wedded firstly, in 1942, Rosemary, daughter of Major David Alfred William Ker, though the marriage was without issue.

He wedded secondly, in 1949, Elizabeth, daughter of Laurence Hyde, and had an only child,

BRIAN HENRY, his successor.

In 1993, Sir Michael succeeded his cousin, Charles Edward Henry John, 4th Baron Dunleath, as 5th Baron Dunleath.

In 1993, the Mulholland baronetcy merged with the barony of Dunleath.

Sir Michael (5th Baron) lived at Storbrooke, Massey Avenue, Belfast, near the side gates of the Stormont Estate.

Storbrooke was the Belfast home of Sir Basil Brooke Bt, later 1st Viscount Brookeborough, from 1934-43.

It then became the home of Sir Harry Mulholland, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Parliament from 1943 until his death in 1971.

His son Sir Michael lived at Storbrooke till his death, in 1997.

Sir Michael could often be seen shopping with a wicker basket at Strandtown; he worshipped at St Mark's parish church, Dundela.

BRIAN HENRY, 6th Baron and 3rd Baronet (1950-), DL, of Ballywalter Park, County Down, married firstly, in 1976, Mary Joan, daughter of Major Robert John Fuller Whistler, and had issue,

Andrew Henry, born 1981;
William Alexander, born 1986;
Tara Miranda, born 1980.

He wedded secondly, Vibeke (Vibse) Lunn.

First published in May, 2010.

Rathlin Manor House

Arms of the Viscount Gage

THE GAGES OWNED 3,311 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

This family is a branch of GAGE of Firle.

JOHN GAGE, whose name is found in deeds during the time of HENRY IV, and who was lineally descended from the Norman, left a son,

JOHN GAGE, who married Joan, daughter and co-heir of John Sudgrove, of Sudgrove, Gloucestershire.

The son and successor of this John,

SIR JOHN GAGE (c1420-75/6), Knight, made great additions to his estate by purchases, and, further, by marrying Eleanor, daughter and heir of Thomas St Clere, lord of the manor of Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, and had issue,

William, ancestor of GENERAL GAGE;
JOHN, of whom we treat.

The younger son,

JOHN GAGE, married Margaret, daughter of John Tawyer, and had issue, an only child,

HENRY GAGE, of Raunds, Northamptonshire, espoused Margaret, daughter of George Boyvill, and had issue,

GEORGE;

Mary; Anne.

The son and heir,

GEORGE GAGE, of Raunds, wedded Cecily, daughter of William Wolston, and had issue,

Henry;

John;

ROBERT;

Thomas;

William;

Mary; Elizabeth; Allane.

The third son,

ROBERT GAGE, of Raunds, married, in 1573, Anne, daughter of Robert Pemberton, and had issue,

JOHN, of whom presently;

Thomas;

William;

Mary; Anne.

The first of the family to settle in Ulster,

JOHN GAGE, married, before 1608, Jane, daughter of Richard Goodwin, and had issue,

Richard;
Charles;
William;
John, ancestor of GAGE OF BELLARENA;
ROBERT, of whom hereafter;
Jane; Anne; Alice; Florinda; Elizabeth; Margaret; Mary.

Mr Gage, Clerk of the Peace for Northamptonshire, 1611-22, acquired the Magilligan estates, County Londonderry, in 1635.

His younger brother, William, purchased the lease of Magilligan in 1630 from the Lord Bishop of Derry, and was Mayor of Londonderry, 1631-2.

The youngest son,

THE REV ROBERT GAGE (c1659-1725), Chaplain to QUEEN ANNE, and to Lionel, Duke of Dorset, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, for many years Prebendary of Aghadowey, County Londonderry, and in which he was succeeded by his son,

THE REV JOHN GAGE (1693-1763), Prebendary of Aghadowey, who wedded, in 1733, Susannah, daughter of the Rev John Johnston, Rector of Clondevadogue, in the Diocese of Raphoe, and had issue,

John, died unmarried;
Frederick, died unmarried;
ROBERT, his heir;
Barbara, m R Harvey, of Malin Hall;
Susan; Mary Anne.

The Rev John Gage, who purchased Rathlin Island in 1746, was succeeded by his third son,

ROBERT GAGE JP (1739-1801), of Rathlin Island, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1787, who married, in 1776, Barbara, daughter of the Rev John Richardson, of Somerset, Coleraine, County Londonderry, and had issue,

John, died unmarried;
Frederick; RN; died unmarried;
ROBERT, his heir;
Barbara Frances; Susanna Maria; Elizabeth; Mary Anne;
Henrietta; Catherine; Jane; Elizabeth Harriet.

Mr Gage was succeeded by his third son,

THE REV ROBERT GAGE JP (1790-1862), of Rathlin Island, who wedded, in 1812, Catherine, daughter of Ezekiel Davis-Boyd, of Ballycastle, County Antrim, and had issue,

ROBERT, his heir;
EZEKIEL, succeeded his brother;
John;
John;
Catherine; Barbara; Rosetta; Amelia; Susan; Elizabeth; Adelaide;
Dorothea, m HSH Prince Albrecht of Waldeck & Pyrmont.

Mr Gage was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROBERT GAGE JP (1813-91), of Rathlin Island, who died unmarried, when the family estates devolved upon his next brother,

MAJOR-GENERAL EZEKIEL GAGE (1819-1906), of Raghery House and Rathlin Island, who espoused, in 1848, Maria, daughter of John Dobbs, and had issue,

ROBERT CHARLES, his heir;
RICHARD STEWART, succeeded his brother;
FRANCIS (Dr);
ALEXANDER HUGH (Rev);
Marianne;

CATHERINE (1854-1918), m Col. AS Grove ;

Amy Boyd. 

General Gage devised Rathlin Island between his four sons, the eldest of whom,

ROBERT CHARLES GAGE (1851-88), of Rathlin Island, espoused Georgina, daughter of William Braddell, and died leaving a son, ROBERT HARVEY, who married and had issue, one son and a daughter.

General Gage's second son,

RICHARD STEWART GAGE (1862-1909), of Rathlin Island, Captain, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, wedded, in 1895, Norah Lilian, daughter of O'Donnell Grimshaw, and had issue,

EZEKIEL HUGH;
RICHARD FRANCIS O'DONNELL.

Captain Gage's elder son,

EZEKIEL HUGH GAGE MC (1896-1931), Captain, Royal Horse Artillery, died unmarried, when the family estates devolved upon his only brother,

BRIGADIER RICHARD FRANCIS O'DONNELL (Rex) GAGE CBE MC (1897-1973), of Rathlin Island, who wedded, in 1931, Marjorie, daughter of Captain Conn Alexander, and had issue,

EZEKIEL CONN;
Patrick Richard, OBE, Commander RN;
Patricia Ruth.

Brigadier Gage was succeeded by his eldest son,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL EZEKIEL CONN GAGE (1933-), of Rathlin Island, who married, in 1965, Frances Elizabeth, daughter of Major Frederick George Bolam, and had issue,

Matthew James George, b 1967;
Victoria Louise, b 1968;
Alexander Richard, b 1972.

THE MANOR HOUSE, Rathlin Island, was home to the Gage family for over 200 years.

The last member of the family to live there was Brigadier Rex Gage, who died in 1973.

It is thought that the Gages left the manor-house in 1975, though still spend holidays on the island at the Old Glebe House.

The Manor-house, Rathlin Island, ante 1936 (Welch Collection/NMNI)

The Gages added a walled garden, other walled enclosures, a corn mill, boat-house and kelp store.

The Rev John Gage bought Rathlin Island from the 5th Earl of Antrim in 1746 for £1,750 (equivalent to £324,000 in 2024).

Mark Bence-Jones describes the Manor House thus:

a long, low range of buildings on the water-front of Church Bay; incorporating work-rooms for weavers which were built in the 1760s by Robert Gage, former cottages and a two-storey, six-bay late-Georgian house. The house is entered by a porch at one end - and at the extreme left-hand end of the whole long range - with a doorway of rusticated quoins surmounted by an oculus, or oeil de boeuf.

Various additions were made in 1816; a stone archway was built in 1819; and still further additions in 1831.

Some of the rooms have Victorian marble chimney-pieces.

After 1975, the manor-house lay vacant and derelict for a period till it was restored by the Rathlin Island Trust.

Following his rescue off the coast of Rathlin on his hot-air balloon in 1987, Sir Richard Branson generously donated £25,000 to the Rathlin Island Trust towards the restoration.

The National Trust acquired the Manor House in 1998 and it opened as accommodation shortly thereafter.

*****

CATHERINE GAGE (1854-1918) married, in 1873, Colonel Alexander Sinclair Grove DSO MC, and had issue, eight daughters, of whom MARY GRACE MONTGOMERY GROVE wedded, in 1897, Colonel Alan James Campbell DSO, of Lisvarna, Ballycastle.

Their younger son, MAJOR-GENERAL SIR ALEXANDER DOUGLAS CAMPBELL KBE CB DSO, was the father of COMMANDER PETER CAMPBELL LVO OBE DL RN, born in 1927.

Commander Campbell married, in 1966, the Lady Moyra Kathleen Hamilton (Lady Moyra Campbell CVO), daughter of James, 4th Duke of Abercorn.

Commander Campbell, a cousin of the Gages, retained the shooting and fishing rights on Rathlin Island.

First published in July, 2009.

Glanomera House

THE ARTHURS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY CLARE, WITH 10,534 ACRES

The Arthurs are stated to have been originally 'Artureighs', and to derive their descent from a common ancestor with the O'Briens, viz. Cormac Cas, King of Munster. The name, it is further asserted, was anglicised, in common with many others, on the invasion of Ireland by HENRY II, who is stated to have conferred honours and grants of land on one of that name in 1178.

In the records of Limerick, the name of ARTHUR frequently occurs from the earliest period down to the time of CHARLES I, when the family estates in County Limerick were confiscated by the usurper CROMWELL for loyalty to the royal cause.

The Arthurs subsequently removed to County Clare, and became seated at Glenomera. On the municipal roll of the city of Limerick are given the names of no less than forty-eight ARTHURS as mayors etc of that city.

From John Arthur, Mayor of Limerick in 1340, and Sir Dominick Arthur, also Mayor of that city, we pass to Sir Nicholas Arthur, Knight, Mayor in 1591.

Thomas Arthur was Bishop of Limerick in 1470; Richard Arthur was RC Bishop, 1643.

The Rev Geoffrey Arthur, of the Church of Rome, Treasurer of Limerick Cathedral, died in 1519, and was buried there, where his monument, with a curious Latin inscription, may still be seen.

Edward Arthur was MP for the city of Limerick, 1599; and Thomas Arthur, MP in 1585.

THOMAS ARTHUR, of Glanomera, son of Piers Arthur, wedded Elizabeth, daughter of Captain John Butler, heiress of the BUTLERS of Kilmoyler, County Tipperary, descended from the 9th Earl of Ormonde and the 11th Earl of Desmond; and was father of

THOMAS ARTHUR DL, of Glanomera, who wedded Lucy, fourth daughter of Sir Edward O'Brien Bt, of Dromoland, and left by her at his decease, 1803 (with a daughter, Mary), an only son and successor, 

THOMAS ARTHUR DL (1778-1845), of Glanomera, who espoused, in 1803, Harriet, second daughter and co-heir (with her only sister, Charlotte, wife of Sir Edward O'Brien Bt, of Dromoland) of William Smith, of Cahermoyle, County Limerick, and had (with nine daughters) seven sons,

THOMAS, his heir;
William Smith;
LUCIUS (Rev);
Edward;
Augustus;
Henry;
Frederick Brian Boru (Rev).

Mr Arthur was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS ARTHUR (1806-84),  of Glanomera, who wedded Elizabeth, daughter of Captain John Butler, of Kilmoyler, descended from Piers, seventh son of James, 9th Earl of Ormonde.

He was succeeded by his brother,

THE REV LUCIUS ARTHUR (1810-87), of Glanomera, who married, in 1840, Caroline Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of John Haycock Jervis, of Moseley, Warwickshire, and had issue,

THOMAS LUCIUS JERVIS, his heir;
Edward Henry Frederick;
Charles William Augustus;
Harriet Elizabeth Augusta; Ellen Lucy Julia; Maria Anne Florence;
Charlotte Katherine Susan; Grace Caroline Frances.

The eldest son,

THOMAS LUCIUS JERVIS ARTHUR JP (1847-88), of Glanomera, Captain, 6th R V Regiment, married, in 1881, Constance Helen, daughter of William Steele Studdert, of Clonboy, County Clare, by Constance his wife, daughter of Robert George Massy, and had issue,

CHARLES WILLIAM AUGUSTUS, his heir;
Desmond Phelps Pery Lucius Studdert, b 1884.

His elder son, 

CHARLES WILLIAM AUGUSTUS ARTHUR (1882-1934), of Glanomera, County Clare, wedded, in 1904, Rose Violet, daughter of John Joseph Roche-Kelly, of Rockstown Castle and Islandmore, County Limerick, and had issue,

Charles Augustus, died in infancy;
LUCIUS, of whom hereafter.

His second son, 

LUCIUS ARTHUR, born in 1913, was the grandfather of the surviving members of that line.

Photo Credit: Limerick City Museum; © Michael Kelly; Paul Kelly

GLANOMERA HOUSE, County Clare, was burnt in 1905.

Select Bibliography: Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland, 1912, page 15.   First published in March, 2013.