Culdaff House

THE YOUNGS OWNED 7,989 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DONEGAL

THE REV ROBERT YOUNG (1610-82), who was ordained by the RT REV ANDREW KNOX, Lord Bishop of Raphoe in 1632, instituted Rector of Clonca, 1640, and of Culdaff, 1661, is supposed to have gone over to Ulster from Devon, under the auspices of the DONEGALL family, the parishes to which he was instituted being in the gift of the Chichesters.

His son,

THE REV ROBERT YOUNG (1640-1706), Rector of Culdaff and Clonca, 1668, married firstly, about 1667, Anne Cary, and had issue (with five daughters), two sons,

Robert, born 1673;

Thomas, born 1675.

He wedded secondly, in 1679, Elizabeth Hart, of Kilderry, by whom he had further issue, one son, GEORGE, and four daughters.

His son by his second wife,

GEORGE YOUNG (1680-1729), espoused, in 1702, Elizabeth, sister of the Rev Daniel McLaughlin, Rector of Errigal, leaving, with other issue, an elder son,

ROBERT YOUNG (1703-47), who married, in 1731, Hatton, daughter of Alderman Thomas Hart, of the City of Londonderry, and had issue,

Robert;

Thomas;

Gardiner;

GEORGE, of whom hereafter;

Mary; Elizabeth (m Rev J Harvey, of MALIN HALL).

The youngest son,

GEORGE YOUNG (1731-89), of Culdaff, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1766, wedded, in 1760, Rebecca Lamy (of French origin and almost related to the Croftons, Whalleys, and other Dublin families), and had issue,

John;

Thomas;

ROBERT, of whom presently;

George;

Ralph;

Hatton; Rebecca (m her cousin, Rev E Harvey); Susan; Elizabeth; Anne.

The third son,

ROBERT YOUNG (1764-1824), of Culdaff, espoused, in 1790, Marcia, daughter of George Nesbitt, of Woodhill, County Donegal, and had issue,

GEORGE, his heir;

Robert James;

James William;

Catherine, m REV EDWARD CHICHESTER; Marcia; Anne.

Mr young was succeeded by his eldest son,

GEORGE YOUNG JP DL (1792-1877), of Culdaff House, who married, in 1832, Mary Anne, eldest daughter of John Ffolliott, of Hollybrook, County Sligo, and had issue,

ROBERT GEORGE, his heir;

Frances.

Mr young was succeeded by his only son,

ROBERT GEORGE YOUNG JP (1834-1912), who wedded, in 1858, Letitia, youngest daughter of the Rev Robert Stavely, of St Munchin's, Limerick, and had issue,

GEORGE LAWRENCE, his heir;

Robert Stavely;

Henry Crofton;

John Ffolliott;

Mary Anne; Frances Sarah.

Mr Young was succeeded by his eldest son,

GEORGE LAWRENCE YOUNG JP (1859-1926), of Millmount, Randalstown, County Antrim, and Caratra Lodge, Culdaff, County Donegal, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1914, who espoused, in 1883, Annie, youngest daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Gardiner Harvey, of Islandnahoe, County Antrim, and had issue,

ROBERT CHICHESTER, his heir;

George Neville Gardiner (1893-1915, killed in action);

Guy Owen Lawrence, b 1896;

Rosetta Mary, b 1884 (died an infant); Dorothy Gage, b 1889.

The eldest son,

ROBERT CHICHESTER YOUNG (1887-1941), of Culdaff, County Donegal, and Ballymena, County Antrim, married Amy Isabel Stuart, and had issue,

GEORGE STUART (1914-71);

Olive Margaret Lawrence.

The only son,

GEORGE STUART YOUNG (1914-71), sold Culdaff estate to his sister,

OLIVE MARGARET LAWRENCE YOUNG.

Culdaff House (Image: Buildings of Ireland website)

CULDAFF HOUSE, near Moville, County Donegal, is a three-storey Georgian house of 1779,  built for George young.

It was burnt by the IRA in 1922; and rebuilt four years later, in 1926.

The house was re-modelled about 1950, when the original frontage was removed and a service wing was converted into main accommodation.

Culdaff House pre-1922 (NLI, Robert French, Lawrence Collection)

The Buildings of Ireland website remarks:-

"This fine house was originally built by George Young in 1779."

"It probably replaced an earlier Young house or houses in the area as Robert Young first came to this area in 1640 as rector of Culdaff Parish."

"The Young family remained in ownership of the estate until into the twentieth century."

"In 1856 the then owner of the estate, George Young, had amassed an estate of some 10,500 acres with an annual income of over £3,000."

Robert Chichester Young inherited Culdaff in 1926, and his son, George Stuart Young, inherited Culdaff in 1941; and sold Culdaff to his sister, Olive Margaret Lawrence Winton, ca 1945 (funded by her inheritance from her first husband, Thomas Stanley Winton).

Olive's second child, George Mills (b 1952), from her second marriage in 1950 to Angus Mills (foreman of the Culdaff estate, who saw Culdaff House burn as a 14 year-old farm hand in 1922) is the current owner of Culdaff.