Mount Congreve

THE CONGREVES OWNED 2,016 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY WATERFORD,

2,295 IN COUNTY KILKENNY, AND 2,998 IN COUNTY CORK

This family claims descent from the Congreves of Congreve, Staffordshire.

THE REV JOHN CONGREVE (1654-1710), of Kilmacow, County Kilkenny, son of John Congreve, of County Cork, married Rebecca, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver Jones, and sister and co-heir of Ambrose Jones, and had issue,

AMBROSE, his heir;

Mary;

Elizabeth;

Jane.

The Rev J Congreve was succeeded by his son,

AMBROSE CONGREVE (1698-1741), of Waterford, who wedded Eleanor, daughter of John Lapp, and widow of _______ Roche, and by her (who espoused thirdly, the Most Rev John Whitcomb, Lord Archbishop of Cashel) had issue,

JOHN CONGREVE, of Mount Congreve, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1755, who married, in 1758, Mary, daughter of Beverley Ussher, of Kilmeaden, by his first wife, Mary, daughter of Nicholas Lysaght, and sister of the first Baron Lisle, and had two sons,

John, of Landscape, High Sheriff of Waterford, 1792, who dsp 1801;

AMBROSE, of whom presently.

The younger son,

AMBROSE USSHER CONGREVE (c1767-c1809), of Mount Congreve, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1806, wedded Anne, daughter of John Jenkins, and had issue,

JOHN;

Ambrose (1801-39);

Jane.

The eldest son,

JOHN CONGREVE DL (1800-63), of Mount Congreve, High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1823, espoused, in 1827, Harriet Louisa, daughter of Luke, 2nd Baron Clonbrock, and had issue,

AMBROSE, his heir;

Louisa Anne; Augusta Mary; Jane.

The only son,

AMBROSE CONGREVE JP DL (1832-1901), High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1871, married, in 1866, his cousin Alice Elizabeth Dillon, sixth daughter of Robert, 3rd Baron Clonbrock, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;

Ambrose;

Leopold Hugh;

Caroline Mabel; Eleanor Augusta; Violet Jane.

Mr Congreve was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN CONGREVE JP DL (1872-1957), High Sheriff of County Waterford, 1906, Major, Border Regiment, South African War, 1900-1, who wedded, in 1904, the Lady Helena Blanche Irene Ponsonby, second daughter of Edward, 8th Earl of Bessborough, and had issue,

AMBROSE CHRISTIAN CONGREVE CBE (1907-2011), of Mount Congreve, Kilmeaden, County Waterford, and Winkfield Manor, Ascot, Berkshire, who married, in 1935, Margaret Cholson, daughter of Arthur Graham Glasgow.

Mount Congreve House (Image: Mount Congreve Gardens)

MOUNT CONGREVE, Kilmeaden, County Waterford, is a Georgian mansion of ca 1750, comprising a central block of three storeys and seven bays; and two-storey, three-bay, overlapping wings.

Single-storey pavilions are adjoined the wings by screen walls.

Entrance Front with Bow (Image: Tripadvisor)

The centre block has a three-bay breakfront with an Ionic door-case.

Mount Congreve House underwent considerable embellishment and re-modelling between 1965-69, when a great, full-height bow was constructed in the centre of the entrance front.

Cupolas adorned the pavilions; and stately new gateways were added, adjoining the garden front; as well as statuary.

Ambrose Christian Congreve CBE (Image: Irish Arts Review)

The last owner of Mount Congreve, Ambrose Congreve, created superb gardens along the bank of the River Suir, extending to about 100 acres; where abundant exotic flora, magnolias, rhododendrons were planted.

18th Century Greenhouse

A Georgian greenhouse is contained within the walled garden.