Cloverhill House

THE SANDERSONS OWNED 2,560 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY CAVAN

JAMES SAUNDERSON (alias SANDERSON), of Cloverhill, Drumcassidy, County Cavan, son of Alexander Sanderson, (and nephew of Colonel Robert Sanderson, of Castle Saunderson), MP for Enniskillen, 1727-60, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1732, married Maria, daughter of Colonel Brockhill Newburgh, of Ballyhaise, County Cavan, and had issue,

ALEXANDER, his heir;
Francis (Rev);
Robert;
Mary, m Charles Atkinson.

Mr Sanderson died in 1767, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

ALEXANDER SAUNDERSON, of Cloverhill, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1775, who wedded Lucy, daughter of the Rev Dr Samuel Madden, of Manor Water House, Galloon, County Fermanagh, "Premium Madden," and had issue,

JAMES, his heir;
Lucy; Mary; Charlotte.

Mr Sanderson's will was proved in 1787, and he was succeeded by his only son,

JAMES SANDERSON JP DL, of Cloverhill, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Isaac Walker, of Newry, and had issue, four daughters,

Mary Anne, d unm 1873;
Lucy, m 1826, S Winter, of Agher, Co Meath; mother of SAMUEL SANDERSON;
Elizabeth;
Frances Alexandrina, m 1830, Richard Winter Reynell, of Killyon, Co Westmeath.

Mr Sanderson died suddenly in 1831, as the result of a tragic carriage accident, and was succeeded by his sister,

MARY ANNE SANDERSON, during which period the Cloverhill estate was managed by her agent. 

Miss Sanderson built a chapel of ease (St John's) at the entrance to Cloverhill demesne in memory of her late father, which was consecrated in 1860. During her time, the post office was also built.

Miss Sanderson also built the schoolmaster's house, latterly a post office, and now known as The Olde Post Inn.

Miss Sanderson died in 1873, and was succeeded by her nephew,

SAMUEL WINTER SANDERSON JP DL (1834-1912), of Cloverhill, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1876, who married, in 1860, Anne, daughter of John Armytage Nicholson, of Balrath, County Meath.

Mr Sanderson, second surviving son of the late Samuel Winter, of Agher, assumed, in 1873, the name and arms of SANDERSON quarterly with those of WINTER.

He was succeeded by his nephew,

JOHN JAMES PURDON JP (1855-1933), Major, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1915, who was succeeded by his nephew,

MAJOR JOHN NUGENT PURDON OBE (1899-1967), who sold Cloverhill demesne ca 1958 to Mr Thomas Mee. 

CLOVERHILL HOUSE, near Belturbet, County Cavan, is a three-storey edifice built for James Sanderson, to the designs of Francis Johnston.

The original block was built in 1758; followed in 1799-1802 by a greatly-enlarged addition to the east.

The top storey is concealed in the front, of three bays, the centre bay breaking forward.

There was a single-storey Ionic portico, though this was removed ca 1993 and re-erected at a house in County Wexford.

There is a wide, curved bow at one side, with Wyatt windows; and a bow-ended drawing-room.

The main entrance of the demesne boasts a plain, though noble, triumphal arch of ca 1800.

 

Further along the main avenue is the two-storey Red Lodge (the steward's lodge) which, as the name suggests, is a red brick house with timbered oriel dormers and an open porch.

The North Lodge of ca 1837 has been attributed to Edward Blore.

I visited Cloverhill in August, 2013.   I am grateful to Henry Skeath for his invaluable assistance in compiling this article.