The Archdale Baronets

The first of the family of ARCHDALE, who settled in Ulster during the reign of ELIZABETH I, was JOHN ARCHDALE, of Norton Hall, in Norfolk. In 1612 he was granted 1,000 acres of land in County Fermanagh as part of the Plantation of Ulster. This gentleman, by the inscription over the gateway in the ruinous castle, appears to have erected the old mansion-house of Archdale.

John Archdale married and had two sons,

EDWARD, of whom we treat;
John (Rev), Vicar of Luske, 1664.

John Archdale died in 1621, and was succeeded by his elder son,

EDWARD ARCHDALE, who espoused Angel, daughter of Sir Paul Gore (ancestor of the Gores, Earls of Ross), and had issue.

During his time, the castle which his father had erected was taken and burned by the rebels under Sir Phelim O'Neill, in 1641, and only two children of a numerous family survived. One, a daughter, who was absent and married; the other, an infant son, WILLIAM, preserved by the fidelity of his nurse, an Irish Roman Catholic, which

WILLIAM ARCHDALE,  after succeeding to the estates, married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Mervyn, of Omagh Castle and Trillick, both in County Tyrone, and had two sons and a daughter, viz.

MERVYN, his heir;
EDWARD, heir to his brother;
ANGEL.

He was succeeded by his elder son,

MERVYN ARCHDALE (1685-1726), of Castle Archdale, who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his brother,

EDWARD ARCHDALE (1694-1728), of Castle Archdale, who wedded firstly, Frances, eldest daughter of Sir John Caldwell Bt; and secondly, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of John Cole, of Florence Court.

Dying without issue, however, the family estates devolved upon his only sister,

ANGEL ARCHDALE, who thus became heiress and representative of the family.

She espoused NICHOLAS MONTGOMERY, of Derrygonnelly, County Fermanagh, MP for County Fermanagh, 1731-60, who assumed the surname and arms of ARCHDALL, and left, at her decease about 1742 or 1743, an only son,

MERVYN ARCHDALL (1725-1813), of Castle Archdale and Trillick, MP for County Fermanagh, 1801-2, who espoused, in 1762, the Hon Mary Dawson, daughter of William Henry, Viscount Carlow, and sister of John, 1st Earl of Portarlington, and had issue, 

Mervyn, his heir;
William, an army officer;
EDWARD, of whom we treat;
Henry, an army officer;
Mary; Angel; Elizabeth; Sidney.

In 1773, this gentleman built the manor house of Castle Archdall or Archdale.

The third son, 

EDWARD ARCHDALL JP DL (1775-1864), of Riversdale, County Fermanagh, High Sheriff of County Fermanagh, 1813, married, in 1809, Matilda, daughter of William Humphrys, and had issue,

Mervyn Edward, of Castle Archdale;
William Humphrys Mervyn, of Castle Archdale;
Edward, of Clifton Lodge, Lisnaskea;
Henry Montgomery (Rev), Rector of Trory;
NICHOLAS MONTGOMERY, of whom hereafter;
John;
Hugh Montgomery, of Drumadravy;
Audley Mervyn;
James Mervyn;
Mary; Letitia Jane; Richmal Magnall.

The fifth son,

NICHOLAS MONTGOMERY ARCHDALE JP DL (1820-77), of Riversdale and Crocknacrieve, High Sheriff of County Fermanagh, 1861, married, in 1852, Adelaide Mary, daughter of Rev John Grey Porter, of Belleisle, County Fermanagh, and had issue,

EDWARD MERVYN, his heir;
John Porter, of Belleisle;
William Henry;
Henry Butler;
Nicholas Francis;
Theodore Montgomery;
Margaret Eleanor; Matilda Lavinia.

Mr Archdale was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON EDWARD MERVYN ARCHDALE JP DL (1853-1943), Privy Counsellor, High Sheriff of County Fermanagh, 1884, Lieutenant-Commander RN, MP for North Fermanagh, 1898-1903 and 1916-22, Enniskillen, 1929-43.

Mr Archdale was created a baronet in 1928, designated of Riversdale, County Fermanagh.

Sir Edward Archdale Bt, Photo Credit: Ulster Museum

He married, in 1880, Alicia Bland, daughter of Quintin Fleming, and had issue,

NICHOLAS EDWARD, his successor;
William Porter Palgrave, CBE;
Audley Quintin, Lt-Col;
Dominick Mervyn;
Humphries, DSC, Captain RN;
Angel.

Sir Edward was succeeded by his eldest son,

VICE-ADMIRAL SIR (NICHOLAS) EDWARD ARCHDALE, 2nd Baronet (1881-1955), CBE, who married, in 1920, Gerda Henriette, daughter of Frederik Christian Sievers, and had issue,

EDWARD FOLMER, his successor;
Alice Gerda (1923-87).

Sir Edward fought in the 1st World War, with the submarine flotillas; was Aide-de-Camp to HM King George V, 1929; General Inspector, NI Ministry of Home Affairs, 1931-46.

Sir Edward distinguished himself in the Royal Navy.

He was succeeded by his only son,

CAPTAIN SIR EDWARD (Ted) FOLMER ARCHDALE, 3rd Baronet, (1921-2009), DSC, RN, who married, in 1954, Elizabeth Ann Stewart, daughter of Major-General Wilfred Boyd Fellowes Lukis, and had issue,

NICHOLAS EDWARD, his successor;
Lucinda Grace.

Sir Edward distinguished himself in the Royal Navy , serving as aide-de-camp to HM The Queen prior to his retirement in 1971.

He lived at Comber, County Down.

Sir Edward, 3rd Baronet, was succeeded by his only son,

SIR NICHOLAS EDWARD ARCHDALE, 4th and present Baronet (1965-).

The heir presumptive is his cousin, Peter Mervyn Archadale (b 1953).

The heir presumptive's heir apparent is his son, Jonathan Talbot Archdale (b 1982).

CROCKNACRIEVE, near Enniskillen, is a Georgian house originally owned by the Richardsons of Rich Hill.

It was acquired by the Archdales through marriage by a cousin.

The first Baronet sold the property in 1901.

RIVERSDALE HOUSE formed part of a 5,627 acre estate.

It is now the regional office for the Northern Ireland Rivers Agency.

I have written about Castle Archdale here.

First published in June, 2010.