Wilton Castle

THE ALCOCKS OWNED 1,775 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY WEXFORD

Tradition states that the first of this family came to Ireland with HENRY II, from Surrey, and settled at Downpatrick, County Down; there is, however, no knowledge that any persons of this name inhabited that town.

JOHN ALCOCK, of Downpatrick, County Down, had issue (with three daughters), three sons,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Alexander (Very Rev), Dean of Lismore, 1725-47;
Simon, of Dublin.

The eldest son,

WILLIAM ALCOCK, of Wilton, County Wexford, married, in 1670, Jane, daughter of John Bamber, of Bamber Hall, Lancashire, and had issue,

Richard, dsp;
WILLIAM, his heir;
John;
Mary; Elizabeth; Alice; Jane.

The younger son,

WILLIAM ALCOCK (1705-1779), of Wilton, High Sheriff of County Wexford, 1740, MP for Fethard, 1764-8, Colonel, Waterford Militia, wedded, in 1734, Mary, eldest daughter of Nicholas, Viscount Loftus, and in her descendants co-heir to her brother Henry, Earl of Ely; and had issue,

HENRY, his heir;
William, of Springfield House, County Wexford;
John (Sir), Knight, of Waterford;
Mary; Henrietta.

Colonel Alcock was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY ALCOCK (1735-1812), of Wilton, MP for Waterford City, 1783-97, Fethard, 1797-9, an officer in the 13th Light Dragoons, who espoused firstly, in 1764, Philippa Melosina, daughter of the Rt Rev Richard Chenevix, Lord Bishop of Waterford and Lismore; she died with her infant son, 1765.

He married secondly, in 1766, Elizabeth Catharine, daughter of Beverley Ussher, MP for Waterford for thirty-six years, and had issue,

William Henry, died unmarried;
Ussher, died unmarried;
WILLIAM CONGREVE, died unmarried;
HARRY, succeeded his brother;
Eliza Jane; Mary Anne; Henrietta.

Mr Alcock was succeeded by his third son,

WILLIAM CONGREVE ALCOCK (1771-1812), MP for Waterford, 1801-3, County Wexford, 1807-12, who died unmarried, when Wilton devolved upon his only surviving brother,

HARRY ALCOCK (1792-1840), of Wilton, High Sheriff of County Wexford, 1822, who married, in 1818, Margaret Elinor, daughter and heir of James Savage, of Kilgibbon, County Wexford, a descendant of the old Anglo-Norman family of Savage, of Portaferry, County Down, and had issue,

HARRY, his heir;
Ussher William;
Philip Savage, of Park House, Wexford, father of PHILIP CLAYTON ALCOCK;
George Augustus (Rev);
Elinor Catherine; Henrietta; Elizabeth Louisa; Margaret Charlotte; Sarah.

The eldest son,

HARRY ALCOCK JP DL (1821-93), of Wilton, Honorary Colonel, Wexford Militia, High Sheriff of County Wexford, 1846, died unmarried, leaving his property to his nephew,

PHILIP CLAYTON ALCOCK JP DL (1861-1949), of Wilton, and Overton Lodge, Ludlow, Shropshire, Captain, Gloucester Regiment, High Sheriff of County Wexford, 1900, who wedded, in 1914, Kathleen, daughter of Thomas Robinson, and had issue,

Kathleen Annette; Philippa; Mary Clayton; Margaret Savage.

WILTON CASTLE, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, is a magnificent 19th century mansion built to the designs of the architect Daniel Robertson, of Kilkenny.

It was erected on a moated platform surrounded by parapet walls and sham fortifications.

The house is greatly machiolated and castellated.

The main block comprises three storeys, with a two-storey wing.

The Victorian castle is dominated by a lofty square tower at one end, and a tall polygonal tower and turret at the other.

The porch has an oriel over it.

Wilton Castle was burnt to the ground by the IRA in 1923.

Mr Sean Windsor, whose grandfather was land steward of the estate, purchased it in 2004 and proceeded to restore the two-storey wing and tower.

Wilton Castle is now open to guests.

First published in August, 2018.