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).

*****

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.

BH Memoirs: V

REMINISCENCES OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOHN MATTHEW BLAKISTON-HOUSTON DL (1898-1984), OF BELTRIM CASTLE, COUNTY TYRONE, AND RODDENS, COUNTY DOWN, BORN AT ORANGEFIELD HOUSE, BELFAST

HE SERVED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND WORLD WARS; WAS AIDE-DE-CAMP TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF AUSTRALIA, 1929-30; HIGH SHERIFF OF COUNTY DOWN, 1944; DEPUTY LIEUTENANT OF COUNTY DOWN, 1946; HIGH SHERIFF OF COUNTY TYRONE, 1954

After a little leave at home I rejoined the 11th Hussars at Tidworth.

In the spring I got engaged to be married to Lettice Stobart, daughter of Harry Stobart of [Thornton Hall] Yorkshire.

I had applied for the adjutancy of the Yorkshire Dragoons but was turned down on the grounds that I was a bachelor.

I had wanted to be in Yorkshire to see Lattice but I could not very well give this reason to the Colonel of the Yorkshire Dragoons!

We were married in July, 1931.

Then I was appointed Adjutant of the Cheshire Yeomanry and was to take over on 1st November, 1931.

After we were married we spent a fortnight in Norway and as it was not worth setting up a house for three months we started living in the Everleigh Hotel near Tadworth.

The rooms were small and the roofs were low and I kept bumping my head, so we decided to pitch a camp on Salisbury Plain and live in it.

We borrowed a large marquee from the Quartermaster and five bell tents.

We engaged an ex-naval chef and I had my soldier servant.

We had a map reference for a postal address but actually we were only 500 yards from Trevor Smail’s house.

George Paul spent a few weeks with us as a guest and during manoeuvres we had visitors from far and wide.

My mother-in-law came and spent a few days with us.

Then we moved up to Eccleston at the Duke of Westminster’s [Eaton Hall] gate and we lived there for the next four years.

Mary and Anne were both born there.

I worked hard with the Cheshire Yeomanry and enjoyed the work with these enthusiastic yeomen.

The men were particularly keen.

We hunted with both the Cheshire and Sir Watkin Wynn’s hounds but mostly with the latter.

I did a bit more flying while at Chester and obtained my “A” certificate but I was never a good pilot.

During the time I was at Chester my father died at Roddens.

After this I had to cross over to Ireland for a three day visit each month to attend to the farms and the estate.

First published in January, 2015.  Extracts by kind permission of RP Blakiston-Houston OBE JP DL

Cultra Manor Memories

A READER HAS PROVIDED INFORMATION RELATING TO HER CHILDHOOD SPENT AT CULTRA MANOR, NEAR HOLYWOOD, COUNTY DOWN

On old maps of the 1830s the demesne is spelled "Cultraw", hence the pronunciation in use today.

"I CAME across your blog when searching for information about the Kennedys who formerly lived at Cultra Manor, now part of the Ulster Folk Museum."

"I grew up there."

"My father was live-in caretaker at the Folk Museum from approximately 1961 till 1977, when he retired."

"The resident caretaker position was not replaced."

"We lived in a flat at the manor house for about ten years (it was riddled with rats and birds falling down the old chimneys), and then moved to the Gate Lodge when it was renovated for us."

"We moved in not long after it was taken over as a museum and before extensive renovation had been carried out on the estate."

"It was an ideal childhood for two little girls."

"I dimly remember meeting Miss Katherine Kennedy walking her dogs when we were small."

"She lived with her sister in the house they had built on the outskirts of the demesne."

"She was very kind to two little girls and my parents were very fond of her."

"I have been particularly sad to see the neglect of the Kennedy’s graveyard."

"They were very fond of their dogs and horses, and had an animals’ graveyard outside the main graveyard complete with small, engraved headstones."

"I haven’t been to the Folk Museum for years - I find it too sad – but saw all the animal gravestones had gone."

"I also found the neglect and destruction of the rockery with beautiful old roses and rare trees very sad – it was once like a maze, with beautiful trees and plants around every corner."

"The Kennedys collected rare plants and trees during their travels."

"The entire grounds had been carefully landscaped and I find it a shame that this beauty could not be retained within the structure of a modern museum."

"I note the Folk Museum is holding tours for European Heritage Open Days, including talks on the Kennedys – I hope they tidy the graveyard at least."

"I agreed with your blog."

First published in August, 2016.

The Ross Baronetcy

The MANN family, on first arriving in Ireland, about 1600, received a grant of lands and settled at Byblox, near Doneraile, County Cork, and afterwards in County Tyrone.

JOHN MANN, a merchant in Dublin, who received a grant of land, bequeathed his property, in 1633, to his brother,

WILLIAM MANN, who sold his estate in County Tipperary to Elias Green, of Cashel, and died about 1690, leaving issue, two sons,

SAMUEL, of Byblox;
William, b 1681.

The elder son,

SAMUEL MANN, of Byblox, near Doneraile, County Cork, born in 1680, married and had issue,

THOMAS, his heir;
Isaac (Rt Rev), Lord Bishop of Cork &
Ross;
Horace, settled at Baltimore, USA;
William, army officer.

The eldest son,

THOMAS MANN (1710-80), of Byblox, wedded, in 1744, Frances Henrietta Hamilton, and had issue,

HENRY;
John;
Isaac;
Frances; Henrietta; Catherine; Mary.

The eldest son,

HENRY MANN (1745-1818), of Byblox, afterwards of Athenry, County Tyrone, espoused, in 1772, Jane, daughter of William Smythe, and had issue,

Thomas;
DEANE, of whom presently;
Violet; Anne Jane; Eliza; Emily; Sarah; Maria; Frances Henrietta.

His only surviving son,

DEANE MANN JP DL (1824-94), of Dunmoyle and Corvey Lodge, County Tyrone, Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Tyrone Fusiliers and 4th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Lord of the Manor of Corrigan, Killyman, and patron of the living of Dunmoyle, married, in 1856, Mary Stobart, only surviving daughter of William Jeffcock, of High Hazels, Yorkshire, and had issue,

KATHERINE MARY JEFFCOCK DEANE;
Emily Frances Henrietta, b 1859.

The elder daughter,

KATHERINE MARY JEFFCOCK DEANE MANN (-1932), wedded, in 1882, the RT HON SIR JOHN ROSS, 1st Baronet, last Lord Chancellor of Ireland (son of the Rt Rev Dr Robert Ross, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, 1886), and had issue,

RONALD DEANE, his successor;
May Margaret Ernestine; Irene Katherine Douglas.

SIR JOHN ROSS was educated at the Model School and at Foyle College, Londonderry, and Trinity College Dublin.

He became president of the university's Philosophical Society in 1877 and graduated with a BA in the same year.

He married, in 1882, Katherine Mary Jeffcock, only surviving daughter and heir of Lieutenant-Colonel Deane Mann, DL, of Dunmoyle, and Corvey Lodge, both in County Tyrone, and Mary Stobart, his wife, only surviving daughter of William Jeffcock JP, of High Hazles, Yorkshire, and had issue,

RONALD DEANE, his successor;

May Margaret Ernestine; Irene Katherine Douglas.

They had one son, Ronald Deane Ross MC MP, and two daughters, the younger of whom predeceased her father.

Ross had entered Gray's Inn, London, in 1878 and was called to the Irish Bar in 1879.

He became a QC in 1889 and was Conservative MP for Londonderry City, 1892-95.

In 1896 he was elevated to the bench as land judge in the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland.

When appointed, he was the youngest judge in the United Kingdom.

Mr Ross was appointed to the privy council in 1902.

In 1914 he was appointed a Knight of Grace of the Grand Priory of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.

In 1919 he was created a baronet, designated of Dunmoyle, County Tyrone.

Two years later, in 1921, Sir John was appointed LORD CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND.

He was to be the last holder of that office, which was abolished in 1922.

Sir John retired to London, but later he returned to live in Northern Ireland.

He was president of the St John Ambulance Brigade in Ireland and during the First World War was in control of all Red Cross activities in the south of Ireland.

Sir John died of bronchial pneumonia at his home, Dunmoyle Lodge, Sixmilecross, County Tyrone, on 17 August 1935.

Sir John was succeeded by his only son,

SIR RONALD DEANE ROSS, 2nd Baronet (1888-1958), MC, MP, who served during the 1st and 2nd World Wars before transferring to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1947, and retiring from the army in 1950.

He was awarded the Military Cross and Croix de Guerre.

Sir Ronald married, in 1921, Dorothy Evelyn Frances, youngest daughter of the Rev Algernon Dudley Ryder, though the marriage was without issue.

The 2nd Baronet was MP for Londonderry at various times between 1929-51.

When he died in 1958 the title became extinct.

His grave was lined with moss taken from beech trees.

Sir Ronald was buried beside the church wall at the entrance to the church.

DUNMOYLE LODGE, near Sixmilecross, County Tyrone, built in the 1880s, was demolished in 1965.

The site now a forest.

The contents of the house were sold by auction over three days, and the house was blown up by the Army as it was in a dangerous condition and the cellar had become waterlogged.

The house had a large conservatory and walled garden, and at least two deep wells.

There was a monkey puzzle tree to the side of the main house, with a beautiful copper beech tree facing the front door.

The demesne, at one time prosperous though now forgotten, formerly had three lodges

All the buildings have been destroyed and even the Mann family church has long been abandoned.

The estate comprised 955 acres during the Victorian era.

The Dunmoyle estate became associated with the Jeffcock family during the Victorian era, though was acquired - through marriage, it is thought - by the Sir John Ross.

Former town residences ~ 49, Morpeth Mansions, London, SW1; 66 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin.

First published in February, 2011.

Ballybay House

THE LESLIES OWNED 5,556 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY MONAGHAN

GEORGE, 4TH EARL OF ROTHES, married thirdly, Agnes, daughter of Sir John Somerville, of Cambusnethan, and had issue,

Andrew, 5th Earl;
Peter;
JAMES, of whom we treat;
Janet; Helen.

His lordship's third son by his marriage to Agnes Somerville,

THE HON JAMES LESLIE, born in 1530, married Jane, daughter of Sir James Hamilton, of Evandale, and had issue,

George;
HENRY, of whom we treat.

The younger son,

THE MOST REV DR HENRY LESLIE (1580-1661), Lord Bishop of Meath, settled in Ireland, 1614, where he was ordained in 1617.

His lordship was chaplain to CHARLES I, with whom he shared his great adversities.

He espoused Jane Swinton, and had issue,

Robert (Rt Rev Dr);
JAMES, of whose line we treat;
William, of Prospect, Co Antrim;
Mary; Margaret.

The second son,

JAMES LESLIE (1624-1704), of Leslie Hill, County Antrim, wedded, in 1650, Jane, daughter of John Echlin, of Ardquin, County Down, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE VEN DR HENRY LESLIE (1651-1733), Archdeacon of Down, Chaplain to the Duke of Ormonde, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

In 1680 he obtained a Prebend in Down Cathedral, which he resigned, 1695, for the Archdeaconry.

Dr Leslie espoused, in 1676, Margaret, daughter and heiress of Peter Beaghan, of Ballibay, and had issue,

PETER, his heir;
Edmund, MP for Antrim;
Penelope.

The Archdeacon was succeeded by his elder son,

THE REV PETER LESLIE, born in 1686, Rector of Ahoghill, who married Jane, daughter of the Most Rev Dr Anthony Dopping, Lord Bishop of Meath, and had issue,

HENRY, his heir;
James, of Leslie Hill, Co Antrim;
Samuel;
EDMOND (Ven), Archdeacon of Down;
Margaret; Jane.

The eldest son,

THE REV HENRY LESLIE (1719-1803), of Ballybay, County Monaghan, Prebendary of Tullycorbet, Clogher, and afterwards prebendary of Tandragee, in Armagh Cathedral.

Dr Leslie married, in 1753, Catherine, daughter of the Very Rev Charles Meredyth, Dean of Ardfert, and had issue,

Peter Henry, b 1755; k/a in America;
CHARLES ALBERT, of whom hereafter;
Catherine Letitia.

The surviving son,

CHARLES ALBERT LESLIE (1765-1838), of Ballybay, High Sheriff of County Monaghan, 1805, married, in 1799, Ellen, youngest daughter of Richard Magenis MP, of Waringstown, County Down, and left at his decease an only surviving child,

EMILY ELEANOR WILHELMINA LESLIE, of Ballybay, who married firstly, in 1828, her cousin, Arthur French, of Clonsilla, County Dublin, and had issue,

ROBERT CHARLES (now LESLIE), of Ballybay;
Charles Albert Leslie Attila FRENCH;
Helena Charlotte; Albertine Caroline; Henrietta Victoria Alexandria.

She wedded secondly, in 1844, her cousin, the Rev John Charles William Leslie, son of James Leslie, of Leslie Hill, by whom she had issue,

Ferdinand Seymour;
Marion Adelaide.

Mrs Leslie died in 1844, and was succeeded by her eldest son,

ROBERT CHARLES LESLIE JP DL (1828-1904), of Ballybay, and Kilclief, County Down, High Sheriff of County Monaghan, 1854, who married, at Paris, 1867, Charlotte Philippa Mary, daughter of Captain Edward Kelso, of Kelsoland, and Horkesley Park, Essex, and had issue,

Theordore Barrington Norman;
EDWARD HENRY JOHN, succeeded his brother;
Mabel Edith.

He assumed, in 1885, the surname and arms of LESLIE, in compliance of his maternal grandfather's will.

Mr Leslie was succeeded by his second son,

EDWARD HENRY JOHN LESLIE CMG MVO JP DL (1880-1966), of Ballybay, High Sheriff of County Monaghan, 1908, who entered the Foreign Office, 1902.

BALLYBAY HOUSE, Ballybay, County Monaghan,  was a fine Classical house of 1830 by JB Keane, for Charles Albert Leslie.

It comprised two storeys over a high basement, with a three-bay entrance front, the centre of which was recessed, with a Wyatt window above a single-storey Doric portico.

The adjoining front had five bays.

Practically all of the windows in the lower storey were set in arched recesses.

A three-storey, gable-ended range was added behind the house later in the 19th century.

Ballybay House was burnt and the contents were sold in 1920.

Nothing remains.

Former London residence ~ 10 Douro Place, Kensington.

First published in July, 2013.

BH Memoirs: IV

REMINISCENCES OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOHN MATTHEW BLAKISTON-HOUSTON DL (1898-1984), OF BELTRIM CASTLE, COUNTY TYRONE, AND RODDENS, COUNTY DOWN, BORN AT ORANGEFIELD HOUSE, NEAR BELFAST

 
HE SERVED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND WORLD WARS; WAS AIDE-DE-CAMP TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF AUSTRALIA, 1929-30; HIGH SHERIFF OF COUNTY DOWN, 1944; DEPUTY LIEUTENANT OF COUNTY DOWN, 1946; HIGH SHERIFF OF COUNTY TYRONE, 1954

In 1929, I was offered the post of the ADC [Aide-de-Camp] to Lord Stonehaven, the Governor-General of Australia.

After a certain amount of misgivings at first, I accepted and thus commenced one of the happiest and most interesting periods of my service.

The trip out took us six weeks but time went quickly.

Geoffrey Millar, 11th Hussars, who is an Australian, came out with me on the P&O “Multan.”

When we got to Port Said I thought I would like to go down to see my old friends in Cairo and the Royals who were then stationed there.

The Captain kindly arranged that I should join the ship again on a pilot boat in the middle of Lake Timash in the Suez Canal.

Geoffrey came with me to Cairo and after a night there we went off to Ismaïlia to wait for our ship.

While waiting I found the officers of a naval sloop which was lying there was holding a regatta and the Commander offered to allow me to sail the Captain’s longboat (or whatever it is called) in the race.

I had a sailor with me but he knew even less about sailing than I did.

After becoming becalmed I think we finished a good last but got back just in time to join our ship again.

HRH Prince Henry [Duke of Gloucester] was on board another P&O on his way to bestow the Order of the Garter or some such decoration on the Emperor of Japan.

When we arrived at Colombo, HRH and his party were there and we watched him play in a game of polo.

We also found time to motor up to Kandi, the hill station above Colombo and saw something of that lovely island.

We touched at Perth, Adelaide, and Melbourne, and I reported for duty at Admiralty House, Sydney, in March, 1929.

I found the atmosphere at Government House most strained and unhappy.

Ken Nicholl was Military Secretary and there were two ADCs, David Nicholl, a gunner subaltern, and Ronald Leggett, RN, whom I was to succeed.

Ken Nicholl was exceptionally rude to Lady Stonehaven and to my mind very disloyal to His Excellency as well.

Ken Nicholl had made up his mind that Lady Stonehaven should have no private friends as it might cause jealousy, and seemed to have persuaded His Excellency to back him up in this policy.

I made friends at once with Lady Stonehaven, played tennis with her, and took her for walks.

Lord Stonehaven was a very active and conscientious Governor-General.

He was, perhaps, rather guarded and appeared to be on his dignity in his dealings with the Australians.

I think this was largely the fault of his staff.

He was intensely fond of travelling and we travelled thousands of miles by car, train, air and ship during my 18 months with him.

My first assignment was to accompany him to New England.

Here we stayed for the Inverell Carnival Week.

There were agricultural shows or Polo Tournaments every day and dances every night.

I’ve never before seen so many really lovely girls together.

Thanks to the generosity of an old Mr Ronald McKie, and Gordon and Douglas Munro I was mounted to play with them in one of the Polo Tournaments.

I was not long off the boat and was not in hard condition.

The Australians play polo in a saddle with a “roller” which I found rubbed my knees.

At that time everyone played in snaffles.

A few months later a team from India came out and defeated all their best teams.

After this the Australians schooled their ponies to play in double bridles and the saddler in Sydney told me he did an enormous trade in bits.

David Nicholl was also keen on polo and we decided that as one of us had always got to be in attendance on HE we would get no polo unless we made him play too.

David was commissioned to buy him a couple of ponies and from then on we ran a Government House team.

From time to time we had different people to make the fourth player but while we were in Melbourne we often had that good sportsman “Bran” Davidson, who I had known well in Egypt.

HE told me afterwards that this polo changed his whole outlook on life.

We stayed up on one occasion with Alan Currie for a polo week in the Eastern District of Victoria.

I still have a Cup we won there at the Caramut Tournament.

The Governor-General had three homes in those days and he divided his time between them.

They were Admiralty House, Sydney; Government House, Canberra; and Government House, Melbourne.

David and I liked Canberra best. The new capital of Canberra.

HE, David, and I used to go up to the Brindabella River in the snowy mountains to fish.

We stayed in a hut up there belonging to John Joceland.

HE was very keen fisherman.

The river was as clear as crystal and ran through one of the loveliest bit of mountain scenery in Australia.

It was all up-stream fishing and we used to catch very good baskets of rainbow trout.

Later on I started a small “bobbery” pack of hounds at Canberra.

I was given hounds by both the Findon Harriers, and the Melbourne Hunt.

We usually hunted hare.

The country was not ideal; it was mostly fenced with barbed wire and we had to gallop for the gates.

One day I remember running a hare down into Canberra, and checking opposite the Parliament House, just as all the government clerks and officials were going home from their offices.

There was an Irish policeman on duty at the crossroads when we checked.

He left his point and with his hat held high cheered us unto the line of our hare.

HE’s two daughters, Ariel and Ava, aged 13 and 11, used to come out to their ponies.

First published in January, 2015.  Extracts reproduced by kind permission of RP Blakiston-Houston OBE JP DL.