Terenure House

THE SHAW BARONETS OWNED 996 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DUBLIN

CAPTAIN WILLIAM SHAW (c1651-1734), of Hampshire, son of Captain William Shaw, fought at the battle of the Boyne, 1690, an officer in Colonel Michelburn's foot regiment, was father of

RICHARD SHAW (1673-1729), of Ballinderry, County Tipperary, who married, in 1696, Judith, daughter of Edward Briscoe, and was father of

ROBERT SHAW (1698-1758), of Sandpits, County Kilkenny, who wedded, in 1736, Mary, daughter of Bernard Markham, and had issue,

William;
Thomas;
ROBERT, of whom presently;
Rebecca.

The youngest son,

ROBERT SHAW (1749-96), of Terenure, County Dublin, a merchant in Dublin, Accountant-General of the Post Office, espoused firstly, Mary, daughter of William Higgins, of Higginsbrook, County Meath, and had issue,

ROBERT, his heir;
Bernard;
Ponsonby;
Thomas;
John;
Mary; Charlotte.

Mr Shaw married secondly, Priscilla Cecilia, daughter of Colonel Robert Armitage, and had further issue,

George;
Lees;
Caroline; Sylvia.

The eldest son,

ROBERT SHAW (1774-1849), of Bushy Park, County Dublin, High Sheriff of County Dublin, 1806, MP for Dublin City, 1804-26, Colonel, Royal Dublin Militia, wedded firstly, in 1796, Maria, daughter of Abraham Wilkinson, of Dublin, and had issue,

ROBERT, his successor;
FREDERICK, 3rd Baronet;
Beresford William;
George Augustus (Rev);
Charles;
Charlotte; another daughter.

He espoused secondly, in 1834, Amelia, daughter of Dr Benjamin Spencer, of Bristol.

Mr Shaw was created a baronet in 1821, designated of Bushy Park, County Dublin.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR ROBERT SHAW, 2nd Baronet (1796-1869), DL, who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his next brother,

THE RT HON SIR FREDERICK SHAW, 3rd Baronet (1799-1876), Privy Counsellor, MP for Dublin, 1830-32, Dublin University, 1832-48, Recorder of Dublin, who espoused, in 1819, Thomasine Emily, daughter of the Hon George Jocelyn, and had issue,

ROBERT, his successor;
George, Major-General;
Frederic;
Edward Wingfield;
Wilkinson Jocelyn;
Thomasine Harriot; two other daughters.

Sir Frederick was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR ROBERT SHAW, 4th Baronet (1821-95), DL, High Sheriff of County Dublin, 1848, Lieutenant-Colonel, Dublin Militia, who married, in 1852, Catherine Grace, daughter of William Barton, and had issue, a son and successor,

SIR FREDERICK WILLIAM SHAW, 5th Baronet (1858-1927), DSO JP DL, of Bushy Park, Terenure, County Dublin, Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Irish Regiment, who wedded, in 1885, Eleanor Hester, daughter of Major Francis Horatio de Vere, and had issue,

ROBERT DE VERE, his successor;
Frederick Charleton;
Annie Kate; Mary Margaret; Grace Eleanor; Eily de Vere.

Sir Frederick was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR ROBERT DE VERE SHAW, 6th Baronet (1890-1969), MC, who espoused, in 1923, Dorothy Joan, daughter of Thomas Cross, and had issue.

TERENURE HOUSE, County Dublin, is a noble 18th century house, comprising a five-bay front between two curved bows.

There are urns on the pediment.

There is a three-bay pedimented breakfront and a pillared porch.

In 1671, Major Joseph Deane, an officer in Cromwell’s army, purchased Terenure from Talbot for £4,000.

Major Deane, grandfather of the Rt Hon Joseph Deane MP, converted the castle into a mansion and his family held the property until 1789, when most of the land was sold to Abraham Wilkinson, of Bushy Park, County Dublin.

In 1785, Terenure House was leased to Robert Shaw, Accountant-General of the Post Office and a great-great uncle of George Bernard Shaw.

His son, Sir Robert Shaw, 1st Baronet, MP and Lord Mayor of Dublin, acquired the property, which was purchased for him by his father-in-law, Abraham Wilkinson, of Bushy Park, County Dublin.

Mr Wilkinson had already acquired much of the Terenure Estate in 1791.

He added almost 100 acres to the demesne and presented it, along with £10,000, to his only child Maria on her marriage to Robert Shaw, Junior.

Following the death of his father, Shaw came into possession of Terenure House and he sold it, about 1806, to Frederick Bourne, the proprietor of a stage coach business.

The Bournes occupied Terenure House until 1857, and during this period the estate was renowned for its magnificent landscaping, the planting in the grounds, and the extent and content of the glasshouses.

In 1860, the property was purchased by the Carmelite Order, which opened as a secondary school for boys.

From time to time extensions have been added and a fine church was built in 1958.

First published in August, 2018.