Tandragee Castle

THE DUKES OF MANCHESTER WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY ARMAGH, WITH 12,298 ACRES

The house of Montacute is of an antiquity at least contemporary with the Norman conquest. In the reign of EDWARD III, Sir William Montagu, alias de Montacute, was created Earl of Salisbury, which title continued in his descendants until HENRY VI, when the fourth and last Earl was slain at the siege of Orléans in France.

From a younger branch of this family was lineally descended

CHARLES, 4TH EARL OF MANCHESTER (c1662-1722), who married, in 1690, Doddington, daughter and co-heir of Robert Greville, 4th Baron Brooke, by whom he had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;

ROBERT, succeeded his brother as 3rd Duke;

Doddington; Charlotte.

This nobleman opposing the measures of JAMES II, was one of the first who espoused the cause of the Prince of Orange, and he took an active part in the campaign in Ireland, being present at the battle of the Boyne, and the subsequently unsuccessful siege of Limerick.

In 1696, his lordship was appointed Ambassador to the Republic of Venice; in 1699, accredited Ambassador to the court of France; in 1701, he was constituted Secretary of State for the Southern Department.

Upon the accession of GEORGE I, his lordship was constituted in the Lord-Lieutenancy of Huntingdonshire, sworn of the Privy Council, appointed one of the Lords of His Majesty's Bedchamber; and, finally, in 1719, created DUKE OF MANCHESTER.

His Grace was succeeded by his elder son,

WILLIAM, 2nd Duke (1700-39), KB, who espoused, in 1723, Isabella, daughter of John, 2nd Duke of Montagu, but had no issue.

His Grace died in 1739, when the honours devolved upon his brother, 

ROBERT, 3rd Duke (c1710-62), who married, in 1735, Harriet, daughter and co-heir of Edmund Dunch, of Little Wittenham, Berkshire, and had issue,

GEORGE, his successor;

Charles Greville;

Caroline; Louisa.

His Grace was succeeded by his elder son,

GEORGE, 4th Duke (1737-88), Master of the Horse, 1780, who wedded, in 1762, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sir James Dashwood Bt, of Kirtlington Park, and had issue,

George, Viscount Mandeville (1763-72);

WILLIAM, his successor;

Frederick;

Caroline Maria; Anna Maria; Emily.

His Grace was succeeded by his elder son,

WILLIAM, 5th Duke (1771-1843), who wedded, in 1793, the Lady Susan Gordon, third daughter of Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon, and had issue,

GEORGE, his successor;

William Francis;

Jane; Georgiana Frederica; Elizabeth; Susan; Caroline Catherine; Emily.

His Grace, who filled the offices of Governor of Jamaica, Collector of the Customs for the Port of London, and Lord-Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire, 1793-1841, was succeeded by his elder son,

GEORGE, 6TH DUKE (1799-1855), of Kimbolton Castle, Huntingdonshire, who married firstly, in 1822, Millicent, daughter of Brigadier-General Robert Bernard Sparrow, of Brampton Park, Huntingdonshire, by his wife, the Lady Olivia Acheson, eldest daughter of Arthur, 1st Earl of Gosford, of Gosford Castle, County Armagh, by which lady he had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;
Robert, of Cromore House, m Ellen Cromie;
Frederick;
Olivia.

His Grace espoused secondly, in 1850, Harriet Sydney, daughter of Conway Richard Dobbs, of Castle Dobbs, County Antrim, and had further issue,

Sydney Charlotte;
George Francis.

The site of Tandragee Castle in County Armagh - formerly spelt Tanderagee - once belonged to the O'Hanlon Clan, one of the most powerful clans in the history of Ulster.

(Image: GreyHobbit)

THE CASTLE, Tandragee, County Armagh, was rebuilt by the 6th Duke of Manchester in the Baronial style about 1837.

At one end of the Castle stands a solid machicolated tower; while the opposite end has a gabled block somewhat similar to a Tudor manor-house.

A notable, corbelled "look-out" turret is at another corner.

Image: Roy Vogan ( www.royspics.com )

In the interior, the entrance hall had a grand marble fireplace with Italian woodwork; while the ceiling panels displayed coats-of-arms of families formerly connected with the Castle.

The 7th Duke was appointed a Knight of St Patrick (KP) in 1877. As Prime Minister, Benjamin Disaeli appointed six Conservative peers to the Order: The Duke of Manchester; The Marquesses of Waterford and Londonderry; and the Earls of Erne, Mayo and Portarlington.

The site of Tandragee Castle in County Armagh - formerly spelt Tanderagee - once belonged to the O'Hanlon Clan, one of the most powerful clans in the history of Ulster.

*****

Two villagers, Samuel (Tucker) Croft and Edward Kelly, decided to start a football team in an organised league and approached the Duke of Manchester for a playing field.

The Duke, along with various other businessmen from the town decided to back them and both Samuel and Edward were invited to the Castle to discuss the question of a playing field.

Level fields were few and far between, and the right to use the old pitch on the Scarva Road was finally granted as long as it was required for a football team.

Tandragee Rovers was established in August 1909 and the pitch, secured from the Duke, was duly named Manchester Park.

The newly formed team also decided to adopt the coat-of-arms of the Duke of Manchester  as their club badge.

The motto "Disponendo me, non mutando me" dates back to the time of HENRY VIII, and is the most ancient of all the Montagu mottos.

It is said to have originated with Sir Edward Montagu, the executor of the King's will.

The arms are still used as the Club's badge.

In 1911, the 9th Duke brought John Stone, an eminent Scottish professional from Sandy Lodge Golf Club, London, to lay out a private golf course on his estate at Tandragee. In those days, there was no clubhouse and Mr. Stone, his wife and their two daughters collected fees at the Gate Lodge where they had set up residence.

The Duchess of Manchester, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, even designed some of the original bunkers which were laid out in the shape of the Great Lakes and these remain to this day. The golf club received notice to quit the Duke's estate, to take effect from 12th November, 1949.

Tandragee Castle remained a seat of the Dukes of Manchester until 1939.

In 1943 it became home to a garrison of the US Army.

The Montagu connection with Tandragee and Northern Ireland ended in 1955, when the 10th Duke sold the Castle to the founder of Tayto Crisps, Thomas Hutchinson.

Tandragee Castle is now a well-known potato crisp factory.

First published in November, 2009.