Edgeworthstown House

THE EDGEWORTHS OWNED 3,255 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY LONGFORD

In the reign of ELIZABETH I, about 1563, two brothers, EDWARD and FRANCIS EDGEWORTH, went to Ireland, probably under the patronage of the Earl of Essex and Robert Cecil, as those names have since continued in the family.

The elder brother,

THE RIGHT REV DR EDWARD EDGEWORTH, who was beneficed by Her Majesty, was appointed Lord Bishop of Down and Connor, 1593.

He died without issue, and was succeeded by his brother,

FRANCIS EDGEWORTH, Clerk of the Hanaper, 1619, who married Jane, daughter of Edward Tuite, and sister of Sir Edmond Tuite, and by her (who founded an Irish convent near St Germain, near Paris) had issue,

JOHN, his heir;
Anne; Mary; Margaret.

He died in 1625, and was succeeded by his only son,

CAPTAIN JOHN EDGEWORTH, of Cranallagh Castle, County Longford, High Sheriff of County Longford, 1646, MP, 1646-9, who wedded firstly, Anne, daughter of Sir Hugh Culme, of Cloughoughter Castle, County Cavan, by whom he had a son,

JOHN, his heir.

He espoused secondly, Mrs Bridgman, widow of Edward Bridgman, brother to Sir Orlando Bridgman, the Lord Keeper.

Captain Edgeworth was succeeded by his only son,

SIR JOHN EDGEWORTH (1638-c1700), MP for St Johnstown (Longford), 1661-99, knighted by CHARLES II, 1672, who married firstly, Mary, only daughter and heir of Edward Bridgman, and acquired with her an estate in Lancashire, besides a considerable fortune in money, and had by her six sons.

By his second wife, Anne, he had three sons and two daughters.

Among his issue were,

FRANCIS, his heir;
Robert, ancestor of EDGEWORTH of Kilshrewly;
Henry, of Lissard;
Essex (Rev), of Templemichael.

The eldest son,

COLONEL FRANCIS EDGEWORTH (1657-1709), of Edgeworthstown, MP for Longford Borough, 1703-9, raised a regiment for WILLIAM III.

He wedded firstly, Dorothy, daughter of Hugh Culme, of County Cavan, by whom he had a son, Francis, who died unmarried; and secondly, Dorothy, daughter of Sir Charles Hamilton Bt, of Castle Hamilton, County Cavan, and had a son, John, who dsp, and a daughter, Francelina.

Colonel Edgeworth espoused thirdly, Mary, widow of John Bradstone, and had a son and successor,

RICHARD EDGEWORTH (1701-70), of Edgeworthstown, High Sheriff of County Longford, 1742, MP for Longford Borough, 1737-60, who married, in 1731, Rachel Jane, daughter of Sir Salathiel Lovell, of Harleston, Northamptonshire, and had issue,

RICHARD LOVELL, his heir;
Mary; Margaret.

Mr Edgeworth was succeeded by his only son,

RICHARD LOVELL EDGEWORTH (1744-1817), of Edgeworthstown, MP for St Johnstown, 1798-1800, born at Bath, the celebrated writer on education and inventions.

By four wives he was father of no less than twenty-two children.

Mr Edgeworth was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

LOVELL EDGEWORTH JP DL (1775-1842), of Edgeworthstown, High Sheriff of County Longford, 1819, who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his half-brother,

CHARLES SNEYD EDGEWROTH DL (1786-1864), of Edgeworthstown, who married, in 1813, Henrica, daughter of John Broadhurst, of Foston Hall, Derbyshire, which lady dsp 1846.

He dsp 1864, and was succeeded by his nephew,

ANTONIO EROLES EDGEWORTH JP DL (1842-1911), of Edgeworthstown, High Sheriff of County Longford, 1890, who wedded, in 1874, Françoise, daughter of Colonel Delcher, of the French Service.

Mr Edgeworth dsp 1911, and was succeeded by his cousin,

FRANCIS YSIDRO EDGEWORTH (1845-1926), son of Richard Lovell Edgeworth and his fourth wife, Frances Ann Beaufort, of Edgeworthstown, who died unmarried.

EDGEWORTHSTOWN HOUSE, Edgeworthstown, County Longford, is an early 18th century mansion erected by Richard Edgeworth MP.

It comprises two storeys over a basement, with two adjoining fronts.

The entrance front has three bays between two tripe windows in the upper storey; while the adjoining front has a three-bay breakfront which rises above the roofline as a pedimented attic.

Richard Lovell Edgeworth enlarged and renovated the house after 1770, and added many ingenious devices, including leather straps to prevent doors banging, sideboards on wheels, and even a water-pump which automatically dispensed a halfpenny to beggars who worked it for half an hour.

Following Francis Ysidro Edgeworth's decease in 1926, Edworstown estate was inherited by Mrs C F Montagu (née Sanderson), whose mother was an Edgeworth.

Mrs Montagu sold the property to Bernard Noonan, who bequeathed it, in 1947, to an order of nuns which used it as a nursing home.

The exterior of the house was subsequently greatly altered; and the interior was gutted and rebuilt.

First published in June, 2018.