O'Harabrook

THE CRAMSIES OWNED 4,036 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

ROGER CRAMSIE settled at Ballymoney, County Antrim, about 1709.

He left two sons,

John;
PATRICK, of whom presently.

The younger son,

PATRICK CRAMSIE, of Ballymoney, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1833, married a daughter of John Moore, and had issue,

JAMES, his heir;
William;
John, went to Jamaica;
Rose.

The eldest son,

JAMES CRAMSIE (1752-1808), of Ballymoney, espoused the daughter of ______ Todd, and had issue,

John, of Cross;
JAMES, of whom presently;
William.

The second son,

JAMES CRAMSIE (1786-1855), of Ballymoney, married, in 1814, Jane, daughter of Adam Thomson, and had issue,

Adam, died in India, 1843;
JAMES, of whom presently;
John;
William.

The second son,

JAMES CRAMSIE (1817-73), of Ballymoney, Solicitor, wedded, in 1847, Eliza, daughter of Lieutenant Alexander Murray RN, of Drumadoon, Cloughmills, County Antrim, and had issue,

Alexander Murray (1850-81);
Robert;
Richard Lyle;
JAMES SINCLAIR, of whom hereafter;
Jane Thomson.

The youngest son,

JAMES SINCLAIR CRAMSIE JP (1858-1903), of O'Harabrook, County Antrim, Captain, Northumberland Fusiliers, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1889, wedded, in 1882, Laura Mary, daughter of Captain Antoine Sloet Butler CB, 7th Dragoon Guards, granddaughter of Sir Thomas Butler Bt, and had issue,

James Antoine (1884-91);
ROBERT ALEXANDER, of whom hereafter;
James Randal Beresford;
Arthur Butler;
Charles Murray;
John Moore;
Netta Elizabeth Laura.

The eldest surviving son,

CAPTAIN ROBERT ALEXANDER CRAMSIE JP (1888-), of O'Harabrook, married, in 1910, Florence Eugenia, youngest daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Jackson Hezlet, Royal Artillery, of Bovagh House, Aghadowey, County Londonderry, and had issue,

ALEXANDER JAMES HENRY, his heir;
Richard Desmond;
Arthur Vacquerie.

The eldest son,

ALEXANDER JAMES HENRY CRAMSIE OBE JP DL (1911-87), of O'Harabrook, Lieutenant-Colonel, North Irish Horse, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1950, married, in 1939, Gabrielle Patricia, daughter of Major Charles Beck Hornby, and had issue,

ALEXANDER JAMES, his heir;
Virginia Gay, b 1944;
Lavinia Dorothy, b 1944;
Florence Rose, b 1954.

The only son,

ALEXANDER JAMES (Sandy) CRAMSIE (1941-2008), Lieutenant-Colonel, QRI Hussars, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1989, wedded, in 1965, Bridget, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Derek Henry Duke, and had issue,

Rupert James, b 1966; High Sheriff of County Antrim, 2020;
Alexander Toby, b 1969.

O'HARABROOK, near Ballymoney, County Antrim, is an 18th century, two-storey, four-bay block, possibly once a coaching-inn.

Two, two-storey, four-bay wings were added later and are set back.

There is a continuous parapet roof with ball finials.

It is named after the O’Haras, who built the original house (the last of whom was the Rt Rev Dr Henry Stewart O'Hara.

O'Hara Lineage (Click to Enlarge)

The ceiling of the drawing-room has unusual ovolo mouldings, obviously part of the original decoration.

In 1889, the estate was sold for £6,300 (£743,000 in today's money) to Captain James Sinclair Cramsie.

*****

THE DEMESNE lies beside the river Ballymoney.

Atkinson described it as a ‘…splendid demesne…’ in 1833.

There is a fine avenue approach, with mature trees and rhododendrons.

Several fine trees adorn the parkland to the south of the house. 

Mixed woodland lies to the east of the house.

The productive garden has no conventional walls but is protected on the north-east side by the tall trees of the avenue, to the south by the old orchard and to the west by a line of trees. 

This area is maintained, with herbaceous borders, vegetable plots, commercial soft fruit plantations and Victorian ornamental stone-edged beds.

There is a pond, with associated planting being introduced, to the north of the house.

Two interesting features lie in the demesne: the Old School House, which appears as a ruined wall and was possibly intended as a Gothic folly or was possibly a functional building; and Lamb’s Fold, an enclosed Quaker burial ground, of which the North Lodge of ca 1840 survives.

The house is private but the gardens are open to the public on special days. 

First published in December, 2010.