Ballydrain House

HUGH MONTGOMERY OWNED 3,909 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

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

ROBERT EGBERT MONTGOMERY (1711-92), of Glenarm, County Antrim, married, in 1742, Isabella Stewart, and had issue,

HUGH, his heir;
William;
James;
Rose; Jane.

The eldest son,

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

John, his heir, of Benvarden, Co Antrim;
HUGH, of whom we treat;
Alexander, of Potter's Wall, Co Antrim;
Thomas, JP, of Birch Hill, Co Antrim;
Barbara; Isabella; Marion; Victoria.

Mr Montgomery's second son,

HUGH MONTGOMERY (1794-1867), of Ballydrain, County Antrim, married Emily, daughter of John Ferguson, of Ballysillan, and had issue,

Hugh (1830-54), killed in action;
John Ferguson (1832-76), accidentally killed;
Alexander Richard, d 1861;
James Charles, d 1870;
THOMAS, his heir;
GEORGE, of whom hereafter;
Emily Sarah; Mary Isabella; Florence Jane; Eva Victoria; Blanche Marjorie; Ellen Georgina.

Mr Montgomery's fifth son,

THOMAS MONTGOMERY JP DL (1837-1909), of Ballydrain, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1885, wedded, in 1866, Isabella, daughter of the Rev Thomas Walker, and had issue,

Hugh Ferguson (d 1908);
Emily Sarah; Mary Isabella; Florence Jane; Eva Victoria; Blanche Marjorie; Ellen Georgina.

The sixth son of Hugh Montgomery and Emily Ferguson,

GEORGE MONTGOMERY (1843-c1881), Captain, Royal Horse Artillery, wedded Blanche, third daughter of John Eveleigh Wyndham, of Sock Dennis, Somerset, and had an only son,

HUGH WYNDHAM MONTGOMERY (1875-1965), High Sheriff of County Kildare, 1911, who married, in 1898, Annie Selina Emma, daughter of Thomas Benyon Ferguson by his wife, Emma Amelia Cary, sister of 12th Viscount Falkland, and had issue,

GEORGE WYNDHAM CLAUD, his heir;
Noel Hugh, b 1910;
Shelagh Blanche; Daphne Lena.

The eldest son,

GEORGE WYNDHAM CLAUD MONTGOMERY (1899-1978), espoused, in 1923, Estella M Crane, of Dorchester, Dorset.

The Montgomerys sold Ballydrain in 1918.  

BALLYDRAIN HOUSE, Dunmurry, now Malone Golf Club, is situated opposite Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park on the outskirts of south Belfast.

The early history of the demesne, from the beginning of the 17th century until 1834, is bound up with that of the Stewart family. The first house to be built on the site, in 1608, was a bawn (or fortified farmhouse) by William Stewart, whose family was of Scottish lesser royal blood.

Little remains from those early days, except the family tombstones in Drumbeg Parish Church and a stone inscribed 'A Free Howse 1675' in the church porch. John Stewart died in 1691. The property then passed to his son Thomas (1660-1715); and later to Thomas's son John (1701-84), who married Jane Legge (1698-1778).

John and Jane had seven children. One of the grandchildren, George, inherited Ballydrain. George married Martha Rainey and had two sons, William and Robert, both of whom died abroad in early life.

Shortly before his death in 1805, George sold Ballydrain to his cousin, John Younghusband.

The estate remained in Mr Younghusband's possession until 1834, when he sold it to Hugh Montgomery for £13,500 (£1.3 million in today's money).

Image: Hugh Montgomery, of Benvarden

The present house is thought to have been built in 1835, though documents of 1837 record that Montgomery was in the process of erecting 'a fine castle' on the estate, an indication that the house was still incomplete in 1837.

The building was certainly finished by 1843, as evidenced in a survey of the estate carried out by Hugh Hanna.

Hugh Montgomery's 'fine castle' was not erected on the site of the 18th century house, but some distance north-east of this.

The house was built in the Tudor-Revival style, with coursed but undressed stone, tall diamond-set chimney stacks, shouldered gables and mullioned windows.

The new owner of Ballydrain, Hugh Montgomery (1794-1867), was the second son of Hugh Montgomery (1743-1832) of BENVARDEN, County Antrim, President of Belfast Chamber of Commerce 1802-03 and founder, in 1809, of Montgomery's Bank, forerunner of the Northern Bank.

The bank was located at Donegall Place, neat Fountain Lane.

Like his father, Hugh was involved with the Northern Bank, being a director for forty-three years.

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

John Ferguson Montgomery (1832-76) was, by all accounts, a dashing figure: Nicknamed 'Rufus', on account of his red hair and beard, he was an outgoing character, cheerfully extrovert and a fearless sportsman.

He was well-known in Turf circles throughout the British Isles, being familiarly called 'The Captain', a title he was permitted to use after his retirement from the Queen's Royal Antrim Rifles.

His tragic early death was the result of an accident at the Maze racecourse in 1876.

After his death, Ballydrain passed to his brother Thomas, Hugh Montgomery's fifth son (the third and fourth sons, Alexander Richard and James Charles having died in 1861 and 1870).

Shortly after coming into possession of Ballydrain, Thomas Montgomery began a series of alterations to the house: the main entrance door was moved from beneath the oriel window and put into a projecting porch with a Tudor arch which was part of a major insertion with a dominant gable.

The garden front was also altered, the first floor oriel window being removed and replaced by a central two-storey canter bay inserted between the one-storey bays of the ground floor.

The alterations were very well handled and gave the building a unity and clarity it had hitherto lacked.

Though family tradition held the architect to be Sir Thomas Drew, the alterations were in fact the work of William Henry Lynn.

Thomas also added a conservatory (designed by James Boyd & Sons, of Paisley, in 1880) and a billiards-room.

Montgomery coat-of-arms on headstone at
Drumbeg parish church (Timothy Ferres, 2022)

After Thomas Montgomery's death in 1909 (his only son, Captain Hugh Ferguson Montgomery having died in 1908), his wife Isabella continued to reside at Ballydrain until her death in 1917.

The estate then passed to Thomas's nephew, Hugh Wyndham Montgomery, who sold it, in 1918, to John Barbour Morrison, director of the Ulster Spinning Company.

The house was inhabited until about 1940 and, like Wilmont, was occupied by the Army during the 2nd World War.

Following Mr Morrison's death in November, 1947, Ballydrain became the property of his son, John Maynard Morrison, of Mullaghbuoy, Donaghadee and his (John Barbour's) brother, James Morrison, of Balloo, Groomsport, County Down.

Though the land continued to be farmed, the house lay empty for several years, until the estate was purchased by Malone Golf Club in 1960.

Play commenced on the course on the 2nd June, 1962, and the house was officially opened, as Malone Clubhouse, on the 19th September of that year, by the Rt Hon Sir Basil Brooke Bt, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.

Part of the grounds and the house were changed considerably by the golf club: One of the main alterations was the removal of the flower garden to make way for a car park; while the walled garden was turned into tennis courts and a bowling green.

The gate lodge at the main entrance was demolished. However, while the character of the estate - with its magnificent trees and lake - has been allowed to remain reasonably intact, this unfortunately has not been the case with the house: the Tudor chimneys and balustrades have been removed, as have the mullioned windows; and the main entrance has been altered considerably.

The present Ballydrain site is Malone Golf Club's fourth location since it was founded in 1895, moving from Newforge Lane, to Stranmillis, to the Upper Malone Road, and finally to its current location on the Upper Malone Road.

First published in December, 2010.

Ballymenoch's Fate

The Belfast Newsletter reported on the 4th July, 1914:-

BEAUTIFUL MANSION NEAR BELFAST GUTTED: DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £20,000 (£1.9 million in 2024).

BALLYMENOCH HOUSE [Holywood, County Down], one of the largest and most stately mansions in Ulster, was totally gutted by fire yesterday. Between five and six o'clock yesterday morning it was discovered that the building was on fire. 

Although the brigade remained on the scene until half-past three yesterday afternoon, they were unable to do any effective work after the water supply failed; and when they left, the whole of the roof collapsed. 

About four o'clock, when the fire seemed to have spent itself, huge sheets of flame commenced to shoot up from the cellars, and burnt fiercely until everything of a combustible nature had been destroyed. 

No explanation can be given for the origin of the fire, but two copies of The Suffragette, the organ of the militant women, were found in the grounds, and on the windows of the conservatory, which are painted white, the words 'Votes for Women' had been written.

First published in June, 2020. 

Old Market House, Belfast

BELFAST'S old Market House stood at 1, High Street, at the corner of Cornmarket (which itself runs from 1, High Street to Arthur Square).

In his indispensable Central Belfast: A Historical Gazetteer, Marcus Patton, OBE, remarks,

"The 17th century Market House was built in 1639 of "small red bricks" with sandstone dressings, and extended to provide a proper courthouse on the first floor after 1663. This was the first public hall in the town. It had an arcaded ground floor and three-stage tower with ogival-roofed turret and weathercock, and a hanging clock."

An observer, John Smyth, once recalled that

"The front of the Market House was seldom without a skeleton in chains; the corner of it never without a ghastly head rotting in the open air."

The tower had a peal of bells which were probably rung at the beginning and end of market days; and for the funerals of prominent citizens.

High Street and Market-house, Belfast, 1786, by J M Carey (Image: Ulster Hall)

The Market House, a building of considerable importance to the civic and political development of Belfast between the 17th and 19th centuries, was leased by Adam McClean in 1802.

The late historian Sir Charles Brett remarked that McClean, a local landowner who possessed many plots and leases in the centre of Belfast, accumulated his holdings from the Donegall family in the 1820s; and "it appears he was one of those who sought to benefit from the second Marquess’s financial difficulty by acquiring good, long leases at low rents which he then built up."

McClean demolished the Market House in 1812 and constructed two houses in its place.

The site was acquired in the 1860s by the tea merchant, Forster Green, of Derryvolgie House, Malone Road, Belfast, who built a new emporium (above left) with granite plinth, arcaded ground floor and stucco upper floors.

Robust chimneys and urns adorned the balustraded parapet.

This block was demolished in 1929-30, to be replaced by a purpose-built store for F W Woolworth & Co, which operated from the building 1915-2003.

The building was sold for £17.9m and subsequently underwent significant internal refurbishment.

The retail chain Dunnes Stores have occupied the present building since late 2003.

First published in July, 2014.

McCance of Knocknagoney

THE McCANCES OWNED 371 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DOWN

The family of McCance is said to have moved from Scotland to Ulster about 1710.

DAVID McCANCE (1684-1747), of Woodbourne, Dunmurry, County Antrim, married Isabella __________ (c1669-1724), and had issue,

JOHN McCANCE (1711-86), of Dunmurry, who wedded firstly, Rachel _______, and had issue,

DAVID of whom hereafter;

John, of Farmhill, Dunmurry;

William (1746-1810), of SUFFOLK HOUSE.

Mary, m James Stouppe.

The eldest son,

DAVID McCANCE (1736-93), of Knocknagoney, County Down, married Jane Wilson, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;

Sarah; Rachel.

The only son and heir,

JOHN McCANCE (1784-1807), of Knocknagoney, espoused, in 1803, Mary Eliza, daughter of the Rev Samuel Martin Stephenson, of Belfast, and had issue,

DAVID, his heir;

John (1806-81), died unmarried.

The elder son,

DAVID McCANCE (1805-71), of Knocknagoney, married, in 1838, Emily, youngest daughter of William Stevenson, of Springfield, County Antrim, and had issue,

William (1840-71), died unmarried;

JOHN, of whom presently;

Mary, m Major J P Ewing.

The younger son,

JOHN McCANCE JP (1843-1922), of Knocknagoney House, Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Irish Rifles, High Sheriff of County Down, 1890, wedded, in 1873, Margaret Davidson, eldest daughter of Henry Harrison, of Holywood House, County Down, and had issue,

DAVID, his heir;

Henry Harrison (1885-1944);

Elizabeth.

The elder son,

DAVID McCANCE (1876-1953), of Knocknagoney House, married Elizabeth, daughter of _______ Patrick, and had issue, an only child,

Anne Dickson CBE MP

ANNE LETITIA McCANCE (Mrs Anne Dickson CBE MP), born in 1928, who wedded, in 1951, James Johnson Dickson, and had issue, four children.

Knocknagoney House (Image: A R Hogg/ Ulster Museum)

KNOCKNAGONEY HOUSE, Belfast, built in 1880, replaced Clifton House.

Clifton was built by the Haliday (Halliday) family in the 18th century, and was still in their possession in the 1850s. John Harrison, Senior, bought Clifton in 1854, together with the neighbouring Holywood House and a number of other properties. Clifton House was demolished ca 1880, to become the present Knocknagoney House.

Knocknagoney House was the residence of the McCances until ca 1953, when the grounds became the location of Orchard Caravans.

The house became the Windsor Hotel in the 1960s.

The house is now police administration offices, and the grounds are the site of a large Tesco store.

McCance arms courtesy of the NLI.

The Richardson-Bunbury Baronets

Family of Bunbury

The family of Bunbury derives its name from the Manor of Bunbury, in the parish of Nantwich, Cheshire. Its pedigree is said to be derived from a cadet of the house of St Pierre in Normandy. HENRY DE BONEBERI, who lived in the reign of KING STEPHEN, was reputedly the ancestor of THOMAS BUNBURY, of Bunbury and of Stanney, Cheshire.

THOMAS BUNBURY (1605-68), youngest son of Sir Henry Bunbury, Knight, of Stanney, married firstly, Eleanor, daughter of Henry Birkenhead, of Backford, by whom he had four sons and six daughters.

He wedded secondly, Margaret, daughter of William Willcox, by whom he had five sons and two daughters.

He was succeeded by his third son, by his first wife,

BENJAMIN BUNBURY, of Killerig, County Carlow, who settled in Ireland with his younger brother, Joseph, and two of his sisters.

He espoused Elizabeth, widow of Matthew Sheppard, of Owles, Leicestershire, and had issue, with a daughter,

JOSEPH, of Johnstown, ancestor of BUNBURY, of that place;

Benjamin, of Killerig, ancestor of BUNBURY, of that place;

Thomas, of Croghna;

William;

MATTHEW, of whom hereafter.

Mr Benjamin Bunbury obtained Killerig and other lands from the Earl of Arran, 1669. His will was proved in 1711.

His fifth son,

MATTHEW BUNBURY, of Killfeacle, County Tipperary, married Anne Blount, and had, with other issue, two sons,

BENJAMIN, his successor;

Thomas.

Mr Bunbury died in 1733, and was succeeded by his elder son,

BENJAMIN BUNBURY, of Kilfeacle, who wedded, in 1724, Mary, daughter of John Kelly, of Clonreher, Queen's County, and had with three sons, issue,

ELIZABETH, of whom hereafter;

Diana, married Sir J Tydd Bt.

Mr Bunbury died in 1765. His three sons dsp.

His eldest daughter,

ELIZABETH BUNBURY, of Kilfeacle, espoused St George Richardson, MP, and had issue (see below).                                                                                                           

                           

Family of Richardson

THE estate of Drum in the parish of Kildress, County Tyrone, was in the possession of ALEXANDER RICHARDSON, at the time of Pynnar's Survey of Ulster, 1618-19.

WILLIAM RICHARDSON, of Drum, County Tyrone, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1662, acquired Augher by marriage with Mary, daughter and co-heir of the Rev Archibald Erskine, of Augher Castle, County Tyrone, Rector of Errigal Keerogue, son of Sir James Erskine MP, and grandson of Sir Alexander Erskine, of Gogar.

By her he had, with other issue,

ARCHIBALD, of whom presently;

Alexander, of Drum.

The eldest son.

ARCHIBALD RICHARDSON (ante 1660-post 1693), of Castlehill, Augher, and Springtown, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1680, MP for Augher, 1692-3, was attainted by JAMES II, 1689.

He wedded Jane, daughter of James Galbraith, of Rathmoran, County Fermanagh, and had, with other issue, an eldest son,

WILLIAM RICHARDSON JP, of Castlehill and Springtown, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1716, who married Lettice, daughter of William Wray, of Castle Wray, and Ards, County Donegal, by Angel his wife, second daughter of Colonel James Galbraith, MP, and had, with other issue,

1. James MERVYN, of Castlehill and Springtown, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1734, assumed the name of MERVYN, and espoused firstly, in 1733, Arabella, daughter of Thomas Edwards, of Castlegore, County Tyrone; and secondly, in 1739, Anne, widow of Hugh Edwards, of Castlegore; and thirdly, daughter of Audley Mervyn, MP, of Castle Mervyn, County Tyrone. Mr Mervyn died in 1753, having by her had an only child.

2. ST GEORGE, of whom presently.

The second son and eventual heir,

ST GEORGE RICHARDSON (post 1711-77), of Augher, MP for Augher, 1755-60, Captain, 6th Dragoon Guards (the Carabiniers), married Elizabeth, third daughter of Benjamin Bunbury, of Kilfeacle, County Tipperary (see above), and had issue,

WILLIAM RICHARDSON (c1749-1830), of Augher, County Tyrone, MP for Augher, 1783-90, Ballyshannon, 1798-1801, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1789.

Mr Richardson was created a baronet in 1787, designated of Augher, County Tyrone.

He married firstly, in 1775, Eliza, daughter of the Rev Galbraith Richardson, and had issue,

JAMES MERVYN, his successor;
Anne; Letitia.

Sir William wedded secondly, Mary, daughter of William Newburgh, and had further issue,

Maria Isabella.

He was succeeded by his son and heir,

SIR JAMES MERVYN RICHARDSON-BUNBURY, 2nd Baronet (1781-1851), of Castle Hill, County Tyrone, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1831, who espoused, in 1810, Margaret, daughter of John Corry Moutray, of Favour Royal, County Tyrone, and had issue,

JOHN, his successor;
William, great-grandfather of 5th Baronet;
Alfred;
Diana; Catherine; Caroline; Isabella; Mary; Emily; Letitia Augusta.

Sir James assumed, in 1822, the additional surname and arms of BUNBURY.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE REV SIR JOHN RICHARDSON-BUNBURY, 3rd Baronet (1813-1909), who married, in 1838, Maria, daughter of William Anketell, of Anketell Grove, County Monaghan, and had issue,

Mervyn Matthew (1841-89), father of  4th Baronet;
Matilda Anne; Olivia Emma.

Sir John's eldest son predeceased him, and he was succeeded by his grandson,

SIR MERVYN WILLIAM RICHARDSON-BUNBURY, 4th Baronet (1874-1952), who died unmarried, when the baronetcy devolved upon his cousin,

SIR (RICHARD DAVID) MICHAEL RICHARDSON-BUNBURY, 5th Baronet (1927-2017), Lieutenant-Commander RN, who married, in 1961, Jane Louise, daughter of Colonel Alfred William Pulverman, and had issue,

Roger Michael (1962-94);
THOMAS WILLIAM.

Sir Michael was succeeded by his younger son,

SIR THOMAS WILLIAM RICHARDSON-BUNBURY, 6th and present Baronet (1965-), Headmaster, Papplewick School, who wedded, in 2001, Sally Ann, daughter of Rex Lofts, and has issue,

HARRY WILLIAM (b 2002);
Archie Oliver;
Mollie Olivia; Lily Charlotte.

SPUR ROYAL, or Augher Castle, near Augher, County Tyrone, is a square, three-storey, plantation castle with an unusual triangular tower in the centre of each of its sides.

It was built ca 1615 by Sir Thomas Ridgeway, afterwards Earl of Londonderry (1st creation).

Augher Castle was burnt in 1689; though it was restored about 1832 by Sir James Richardson-Bunbury, 2nd Baronet, who added two castellated wings; thus transforming the old castle into a late-Georgian mansion house.

The Gothic-Medieval-Revival style mansion is built onto the original tower house.

It comprises two storeys with corner bartizans, crenellated parapets and late medieval windows.

The central range is recessed with crenellated balconies over a central, tall, pointed, arch doorway.

The mansion house is set in it own grounds and perched at a height overlooking the Lake.

An estate stone wall abounds the village side, with two entrances to the estate.

On the north-east side of the lake sits the stable-yard with coach houses, a four bedroom cottage, and a large walled garden with hanger and further large storage barn.

The house commands a fine prospect over the garden and lake.

The estate manager’s house is accessed via a separate avenue and it sits amongst a copse of trees over looking the lake.

Spur Royal has passed through many hands in recent times and very little ground remains with the house.

During the Victorian era, the demesne comprised 635 acres.

A large portion of the present holding is taken up by the lake, which makes for a spectacular setting for the house.

It is surrounded by lawns and shelter trees.

Few mature trees remain of a once ‘tastefully wooded’ site.

The walled garden is concreted.

There is a gate lodge of ca 1840.

Former residence ~ Quarrymead, Hillcrest Road, Hythe, Kent.

First published in May, 2012.

Birr Castle

THE EARLS OF ROSSE WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN THE KING'S COUNTY, WITH 22,513 ACRES

This noble family, of English origin, was brought into Ireland towards the close of ELIZABETH I's reign.

Its members have, at different periods, filled the highest political employments in the state; have taken distinguished parts in the senate; have become eminent upon the Bench and at the Bar; and have twice been enrolled amongst the baronetage of the kingdom, and twice elevated to the peerage.

WILLIAM PARSONS, of Norfolk, father of Lady Poynings (wife of Richard, Lord Poynings), and mother of Sir Edward Poynings KG (1459-1521), was grandfather (it is presumed) of

SIR WILLIAM PARSONS, 1st Baronet (c1570-1650), ancestor of the extinct Earls of Rosse, settled in Ireland ca 1590, with his brother, Sir Laurence Parsons, ancestor of the later earls.

Sir William, being a Commissioner of Plantations, obtained very considerable territorial grants from the Crown.

In 1602, he succeeded Sir Geoffrey Fenton as Surveyor-General of Ireland; and in 1610, he obtained a pension of £30 per annum for life.

In 1611, he was joined with his brother, Laurence, in the supervisorship of the crown lands, with a fee of £60 per annum for life.

In 1620, presenting to JAMES I, in person, surveys of escheated estates, in his capacity of surveyor-general, he received the honour of knighthood, and was created a baronet, designated of Bellamont, in the same year.

Sir William represented the county of Wicklow in parliament in 1639, and was nominated Lord Justice with Lord Dillon in 1640; but that nobleman being soon removed, he was re-sworn with Sir John Borlace, Master of the Ordnance.

He continued in the government until 1643, when he was removed, charged with treason, and committed to prison, with Sir Adam Loftus and others.

Sir William died in Westminster, and was succeeded by his grandson,

SIR WILLIAM PARSONS, 2nd Baronet, of Bellamont, County Dublin (only son of Richard Parsons by his first wife, Lettice, eldest daughter of Sir Adam Loftus, and granddaughter maternally of Walter Vaughan).

This gentleman married Catherine, eldest daughter of Arthur, Viscount Ranelagh; and dying in 1658, was succeeded by his only surviving son,

SIR RICHARD PARSONS, 3rd Baronet, who was elevated to the peerage, in 1681, in the dignities of Baron Oxmantown and Viscount Rosse, with remainder to the male issue of his great-grandfather.

His lordship wedded firstly, Anne Walsingham; secondly, Catherine, daughter of George, Lord Chandos, both of whom died issueless; and thirdly, in 1685, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sir George Hamilton, and niece of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, by whom he two sons and three daughters.

He died in 1702, and was succeeded by his elder son,

RICHARD, 2nd Viscount (1702-41), who was created, 1718, EARL OF ROSSE.

His lordship married, in 1715, Mary, eldest daughter of Lord William Paulet, brother of Charles, 2nd Duke of Bolton, by whom he had two sons and a daughter; and was succeeded by his elder son,

RICHARD, 2nd Earl; at whose decease, in 1764, without issue, all the honours expired, and the representation of the family devolved upon Sir William Parsons, 4th Baronet, of Birr Castle, MP for the King's County; who married and had issue,

LAURENCE, 3rd Earl, born in 1758,

• William Parsons, 3rd Earl (1800–67)
• Lawrence Parsons, 4th Ear (1840–1908)
• William Edward Parsons, 5th Earl (1873–1918)
• Lawrence Michael Harvey Parsons, 6th Earl (1906–79)
• William Clere Leonard Brendan Parsons, 7th Earl (b 1936).

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Lawrence Patrick Parsons, styled Lord Oxmantown.

The 7th and present Earl is a descendant of the 1st Baronet.

Lord and Lady Rosse live at Birr Castle.

During the period 1979-2007, Lord and Lady Rosse facilitated many decades of research by Dr Anthony Malcomson, former director of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, and latterly sponsored by the Irish Manuscripts Commission, to enable the production, for the first time, of a comprehensive calendar of the Rosse Papers in 2008.

The archive is held in the Muniment Room of Birr Castle.

The Calendar is of inestimable value for researchers delving into the history of the Parsons family, including English settlement of the Irish midlands in the 17th century; the Williamite wars; early Irish nationalism; the Royal Navy in the 18th century; 19th century science and astronomy; and the fate of the landed gentry in the early 20th century.

BIRR CASTLE demesne, and the historic town of Birr, County Offaly, lie in the centre of Ireland.

The Castle is private, though the famous gardens of the demesne are open every day.

The demesne includes Ireland's Historic Science Centre whose galleries show what Ireland's leading historic scientists have contributed to astronomy photography, engineering and the art of gardening.

Birr Castle’s most spectacular high ceilinged rooms are its tapestried hall, its great Gothic music saloon overlooking the river, its yellow drawing room and long red dining room.

Other features inside include a unique staircase of the 1660s, an early panelled bedroom and dungeons.

Surrounding the castle is Ireland’s largest heritage garden with rivers, waterfalls, a fountain and lake with a Canadian log cabin, cloisters with urns and statuary.

Beyond that a riverbank wilderness and native woods; a Georgian country house in its own park; even a romantic ruined manor court.

Birr Castle was built on medieval foundations in the 1620s. It has been redeveloped many times over the years with more recent parts of the castle dating to the 19th century.

As such the castle has many stylistic perspectives. The façade of the castle is Gothic.

The reception rooms are high ceilinged and date mainly from the early 19th century with a spectacular Gothic ‘saloon’ or drawing room overlooking the River Camcor.

There is a medieval basement and dungeons beneath the Castle as well as battlements along the roof.

The 100 acre demesne has a huge variety of rare and beautiful trees and plants from all over the world. Some highlights include: The Camcor and Little Brosna Rivers and the Lake.

The Fernery with a waterfall, streams and fountain.

The formal gardens feature the hornbeam cloisters, Bavarian urns and decorative seats.

The walled gardens feature Box Hedges that are over 350 years old.

They are also, according to The Guinness Book of Records, the tallest hedges in the world. Other features include: Orchards, bridges, arboretum, outdoor grass stage (teatre Verde), herbaceous borders, lakeside log cabin, Georgian mansion and derelict manor court and stable muse, bog land, country cottages, moat, drawbridge.

A main feature of the demesne is the "Great Telescope" of the 3rd Earl, an astronomical telescope with a 72" reflector.

When completed in 1845, it was the largest telescope on earth, and capable of capturing more light and seeing further into space than any telescope had done before.

It was dismantled in 1914, but was restored by the state in the 1990s as an Irish scientific icon.

There is a long history of photography at the castle. Mary Rosse (1813-85) was the earliest acclaimed female photographer in world.

Her dark room, in which she developed her own photos, is still preserved in the castle exactly as she left it in the 1890s.

Lord Snowdon, who was, as Anthony Armstrong-Jones, partly brought up at Birr, returned to it as a setting for Viyella and other catalogues in the 1980s.

The gardens are host to wedding photography most weekends in the summer.

Former residence ~ Womersley Park, Doncaster.

Former town residence ~ 25 Eaton Terrace, SW1.

First published in June, 2011.  Rosse arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

Cromore House

ROBERT ACHESON CROMIE MONTAGU JP (1854-1931), of Cromore, County Londonderry, Lieutenant-Commander RN, married, in 1880, Annie Margaret, daughter of Gilbert McMicking, of Miltonise, Wigtownshire and had issue,

JOHN MICHAEL CROMIE, his heir;

George Frederick (1883-1958), Lieutenant RN;

Cuthbert Francis;

Austin Robert;

Walter Philip;

Gilbert Paul;

Alexander Cyril, Sub-Lieutenant RN;

Mary Helen; Mary Emily Winifred.

Mr Montagu was the eldest son of the Rt Hon Lord Robert Montagu by Mary Ellen his first wife, daughter and heir of John Cromie, of Cromore, and grandson of George, 6th Duke of Manchester.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN MICHAEL CROMIE MONTAGU DL (1881-1966), who wedded, in 1907, Libia, daughter of Señor Martin Montes, of Quilmes, Argentina, and had issue,

ROBERT ALEXANDER (1917-);
Alicia May (1919-2005).

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JAMES CROMEY is recorded as having three hearths at Tullaghgore, County Antrim, in 1669.

MICHAEL CROMIE, a merchant living in Dublin, acquired land at Tullaghgore in 1738 from the 5th Earl of Antrim. 

Portstewart was founded in 1792 by John Cromie, who named it after his maternal ancestors, the Stewarts of Ballylesse. Portstewart developed into a modestly sized seaside resort in the mid-19th century under the influence of John Cromie. Its development and character was influenced greatly by the "sabbatarian" sensitivities of the Cromies and the consequent resistance to a railway connection in the mid 19th century. Portstewart's name is relatively modern and came into being from 1734 onwards when Alexander McDonnell, 5th Earl of Antrim, gave the lease of a boat slip and surrounding lands to the Stewarts of Ballylease, a branch of the Royal Stewarts and the same Stewarts who owned Ballintoy.

The Cromore estate passed to the Montagu family through the marriage of Ellen, daughter and heiress of John Cromie, to the Rt Hon Lord Robert Montagu MP, younger son of George, 6th Duke of Manchester (see Tandragee Castle).

CROMORE HOUSE, near Coleraine, County Londonderry, is a two-storey mansion which dates from ca 1777.

The earliest part of the house comprises the four central bays; the extensions were added about a century later.

The first occupant appeared to be G A Wray.

John Cromie certainly occupied the house in 1834, when improvement work was undertaken with cut sandstone and the two-storey wings which were installed to either side of the original mansion; and single-storey entrance porches that flank each extension.

The building work might also have included the two-storey, L-shaped stable-block situated to the north-east of the house.

The outbuildings to the extreme north-east of the house (presently restored and utilised as holiday cottages) were erected in the same period, presumably as part of the same general improvement work throughout Mr Cromie’s estate.

All of these additions were completed by 1860.

A schoolhouse was built on Cromie’s land in the 1830s, though was demolished between 1888-94.

Cromore House (Image: Facebook)

John Cromie continued to live at Cromore House until his death in 1875, at which time administration of the Cromie estate, including all his lands in the Portstewart and Portrush region, passed to his representatives.

Mrs Cromie, of Cromore, presumably his widow, owned 3,315 acres in County Londonderry, and 3,756 acres in County Antrim.

At this time the estate’s gate lodge was constructed.

Robert Acheson Montagu came to live at Cromore in 1886, residing there until 1931.

Mr Montagu retired from the Royal Navy to settle at Cromore House, near Portstewart.

The mansion comprised thirty "inhabited" rooms and possessed a large number of out-offices, including four stables, four cow-houses, a dairy, four piggeries and a barn which were located in the estate's numerous outbuildings.

Robert Montagu purchased Cromore House outright in 1907.

In 1911, it was noted that he resided at the estate with his wife and daughter, employing a number of servants to manage the house.

Robert Montagu continued to reside at Cromore House until his death in 1931.

The surviving gate lodge was erected for a new avenue with access to the then new railway line.

There is an older, surviving screen and walling contemporary with the house.

The walled garden, probably contemporary with the house, is not kept up and the glasshouses have gone.

In the 1870s, the estate comprised 3,315 acres.   

Following its sale by the Montagu family in the mid-20th century, Cromore became a residence for post-graduate university students.

It operated as a residential care home till 2014.

The outbuildings located to the far north-east of Cromore House, formerly utilised as farm buildings, have been renovated and converted into apartments known as Cromore Village.

First published in November, 2010.