Ernest Sandford, 1913-2006

ERNIE SANDFORD: A TRIBUTE TO A DISTINGUISHED PORTRUSH JOURNALIST,
FROM Coleraine Today

Ernie Sandford, known to many friends as Sandy, was born in Portrush, County Antrim, in 1913 where he was educated at Coleraine Academical Institution.

He proceeded to Queen’s University, Belfast, and after graduation he joined the Northern Constitution as a reporter.

The younger son of local grocer, Joseph Sandford, Ernie ‘had a distinguished career spanning from local reporter in Coleraine to Reuter’s office in Paris culminating in his appointment as head of press and publicity at the NI Tourist Board’.

During this career he wrote articles on local history, was a member of the amateur dramatic society – Portrush Players and at a stage secretary of the Portrush hockey club.

In the late 1930s Ernie left Coleraine and went on to work for the Belfast Newsletter, followed by a move to Fleet Street as sub-editor on the Daily Telegraph.

He was appointed the Press Association’s first war correspondent and after the War, returned to Fleet Street as chief reporter of the Sunday Chronicle.

Ernie, who was 'recognised as one of the most distinguished journalists Northern Ireland has produced’, resigned and moved to France in 1946 where he taught English for two years in a small college on the outskirts of Paris.

During his time there, he studied French language & civilisation at the Sorbonne and wrote his first book about a canoe trip from Mâcon to Lyons.

Following this he joined Reuters as head of their Paris office before going on to become information officer for the Marshall Plan (one such assignment meant that he was present at the historical singing of the Treaty of Rome).

In 1959, Ernie joined the Northern Ireland Government's London Office as publicity officer to the Ministry of Commerce and the Northern Ireland Development Council.

Some ten years later, he returned home for his appointment as Publicity Officer to the Tourist Board.

Although Ernie retired in 1978, he continued to write the guide book Discover Northern Ireland and had articles published in the Coleraine Old Boys’ Association and the Bann Disc (journal of the Coleraine Historical Society).

Ernie is survived by his wife Joyce [died 16th January, 2019], daughter Christine and son Patrick.

Do any readers possess a better image of Mr Sandford?

First published in April, 2020.

Charleville Forest

THE EARLS OF CHARLEVILLE WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN THE KING'S COUNTY, WITH 20,032 ACRES

This family derives maternally from the extinct house of MOORE, Barons Moore, of Tullamore, and Earls of Charleville of the first creation, which sprang from a common ancestor with the Moores, EARLS and MARQUESSES OF DROGHEDA.

THOMAS MOORE, living in the reign of EDWARD II, was ancestor, after ten generations, of

JOHN MOORE, of Benenden Place, Kent, living in 1519, who had issue,

EDWARD (Sir), father of the EARLS OF DROGHEDA.
THOMAS (Sir), of whom we treat.

Sir Edward and Sir Thomas went over to Ireland, as soldiers of fortune, in the reign of ELIZABETH I.

Sir Edward founded the noble house of DROGHEDA; and

THOMAS MOORE obtained by grant from the Crown, 1577, the castle of Castletown, with 758 acres of land thereunto adjoining, in the King's County, being styled in the said grant, "Thomas Moore of Croghan."

Mr Moore received, subsequently, the honour of knighthood for his services against the Irish, by whom he was eventually put to death in his castle.

He was succeeded by his son,

SIR JOHN MOORE, of Croghan Castle, who, with other considerable territorial possessions, had a grant from the Crown, 1622, of the town and lands of TULLAMORE, King's County, to the extent of 1,147 acres.

Sir John married Dorothy, fifth daughter of Dr Adam Loftus, Lord Archbishop of Dublin; and dying in 1633, was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS MOORE, of Croghan, MP for Philipstown, 1634, who wedded Margaret, daughter of Sir Ambrose Forth, of County Dublin, Judge of the Prerogative Court in Ireland, and was succeeded at his decease by his eldest son,

JOHN MOORE, of Croghan, who espoused a daughter of Sir William Sambach, Attorney-General for Ireland, but by that lady had no surviving issue.

He married secondly, in 1669, Ellen, second daughter of Dudley Colley, of Castle Carbery, County Kildare, by whom he had Dudley, who fell in a duel with Cornet Castine, 1714; and an elder brother, his heir,

THE RT HON JOHN MOORE (c1676-1725), of Croghan, MP for Philipstown, 1703-13, King's County, 1713-14, who was called to the Privy Council by GEORGE I in 1714; and, in 1715, by the same monarch, was elevated to the peerage, in the dignity of Baron Moore, of Mellefont, County Louth.

His lordship obtained a reversionary grant of the office of Muster-master General of Ireland.

He wedded, in 1697, Mary, daughter of Elnathan Lunn, banker, of Dublin, by whom he had, with an only surviving daughter, an only surviving son,

CHARLES, 2nd Baron (1712-64), appointed Privy Counsellor, Governor of King's County, and Muster-master-General in Ireland; who was created, in 1758, EARL OF CHARLEVILLE.

His lordship, having died in a childless marriage, 1764, when the titles expired, was succeeded by his nephew,

JOHN BURY, eldest son of the Hon Jane Bury (sister of the 2nd Baron), born in 1725, whose only son,

CHARLES WILLIAM BURY (1764-1835), was created Baron Tullamore, of Charleville Forest, King's County (2nd creation) in 1797.

He was advanced to a viscountcy, in 1800, as Viscount Charleville.

His lordship was further advanced, in 1806, to the dignity of an earldom, as EARL OF CHARLEVILLE (second creation).

The following account of the Bury family, Earls of Charleville, is taken from Mark Girouard's account of Charleville published in Country Life, 27 September, 1962:

... Charles William Bury (1764-1835) [was] a landowner of considerable wealth, derived partly from [Shannongrove], the Bury estate in Co. Limerick (where the family had settled in 1666), and partly from property in [and around] Tullamore, King's County, inherited through his father's mother, the only sister and heiress of Charles Moore (1712-1764), Earl of Charleville and Baron Moore of Tullamoore [as the Moores liked to call it]. He himself was created Lord Tullamoore in 1797, Viscount Charleville in 1800 and Earl of Charleville in 1806.

[This was mainly because in 1795 he had purchased political control of the borough of Carlow, which continued to be represented in the Parliament of the UK after the Union, and used his nomination of members for Carlow to bargain for his advancement in the peerage.]

The titles descended from father to son until the early death of his grandson, the 4th Earl, in 1874, who was succeeded by his uncle, the 5th Earl.

The 5th Earl died childless in 1875, when the titles expired.

*****

Lady Emily Howard-Bury, daughter of the 3rd Earl, married Kenneth Howard, son of the Hon James Howard.

She succeeded to the Charleville estates, including Charleville Castle, on the death of her brother the 5th Earl in 1875 and in 1881 she and her husband assumed by royal license the additional surname of BURY.

The property passed in 1931 to her son, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury DSO JP DL.

He was the leader of the first Everest expedition to find a route through Tibet to the North Col (1921), and is best known for that achievement. He is said to have abhorred Charleville Forest and stripped it of its contents at a now notorious auction in 1949. 

The HOWARD-BURY PAPERS are held at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

CHARLEVILLE FOREST, near Tullamore, County Offaly, is thought to be the finest and most spectacular early 19th century castle in Ireland.

It was built between 1800-12 for Charles, 1st Earl of Charleville (2nd creation).

The Castle is nestled among the huge and ancient oak trees that were once held sacred by the Druids.

The building site was originally home to the Lynally monastic community, which existed as a part of the Durrow settlement.

By the 1500s, the site was no longer ecclesiastical in nature, but used as a plantation settlement for the Moores.

This thickly wooded acreage at the very centre of Ireland has been occupied through generational succession until the late 19th century.

The castle itself, Ireland’s premier example of Gothic Revival architecture, was a work in progress from 1798 until it was completed in 1812.

It was designed and erected in the style of a “tin soldier fortress” partly to commemorate Cornwallis’s victory over French revolutionary forces that had made their way into the Irish midlands.

Following the death of the 5th Earl in 1875, the titles became extinct.

Charleville passed to the sister of the 4th Earl; then to her son; and then to the grandson of another of the 4th Earl's sisters.

From 1912 until 1971, the unoccupied castle fell victim to the ravages of time.

The years that followed the war for independence and the accompanying economic difficulties reduced the structure to a nearly roofless, ruined condition by 1968.

The restoration and renovation work that was begun in 1971 by Michael McMullen continued under the supervision of Constance Heavey Seaquist and Bonnie Vance.

The Castle is open to the public and is currently funded by a charitable trust under the direction of Dudley Stuart.

It occupies 30 acres of land that includes gardens as well as densely wooded areas.

The castle building was designed by Francis Johnston, and Charles Bury was the original owner.

Johnston was responsible for several classic Georgian buildings in Dublin, including the General Post Office.

The exterior of the building is dominated by stately turrets and a flag tower, and features many mullioned windows.

A large window located above the main entrance is the focal point of the façade.

Inside, the rooms are gigantic, including the dining room designed by William Morris that still bears its original stenciled wallpaper.

The estate also includes a small outbuilding that resembles a gothic chapel and actually houses the kitchen and storage area.

The stable yard is located just beyond this building.

Lord Byron visited Charleville Forest Castle often and it is said that he held many parties here.

The castle grounds are now the object of a massive restoration project that, when finished, will clear the area of overgrowth, discern the original plantings from the old English flower garden, and design and build new garden and relaxation areas for visitors.

Volunteers are on hand to do this work from UK, France, the USA and Canada.

They also assist in the regular maintenance of the property.

The house and the surrounding grounds are said to be haunted by Druids and past occupants of the castle.

It has been featured on several television programmes, including Most Haunted and Scariest Places on Earth.

The huge staircase is reportedly visited often by the ghost of a young girl named Harriet, who was killed accidentally while sliding down the balustrade.

Visitors have felt the chill of her presence while climbing the stairs, and have seen her ghostly figure skipping past.

Sometimes, she is seen in the company of a small boy.

Another haunting, reported by Bonnie Vance, included an early morning visitation of the ghosts of Charles Bury and Francis Johnston, accompanied by a large group of Druids.

They appeared to be invoking a blessing upon Bonnie as she lay in her bed.

Also, disembodied voices of two men have been heard as they spent the evening drinking at the castle, as well as children’s voices and shrieks in the empty playroom.

Many of the visitors that arrive are paranormal experts, investigating the reports of various hauntings.

People also come to attend a diverse range of events that includes plays, shows and auctions.

Many ancient oak trees line the driveway. One of the largest is referred to as “King Oak”.

Legend says that a member of the Charleville family has died every time the tree lost a branch to weather or old age.

Colonel Howard-Bury died in 1963, two weeks after the tree was nearly destroyed by a lightning strike.

First published in September, 2011. 

Rossmore Park

THE BARONS ROSSMORE WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MONAGHAN, WITH 14,839 ACRES

The family of CAIRNES of that ilk is of very ancient standing in Scotland. In 1363, DAVID II gave a renewal charter of the two Baronies of East and West Whitburn, Linlithgowshire, to WILLIAM DE CARNYS, and Duncan his son and heir. 

This William had issue,

Duncan;

John;

William, father of JOHN, of whom presently;

Alexander.

The grandson,

JOHN CAIRNIS, of Cults, Aberdeen, son of William and heir of his uncle Alexander, was Custumar (customs officer) of Linlithgow, 1406-22, and Scutifer (shield-bearer) to the Earl of Douglas.

He died in 1456, leaving three sons, of whom the eldest,

JOHN CAIRNIS, of Cults and of Orchardton, Custumar of Linlithgow, 1449-56, served in the wars under JAMES II, and died ca 1493.

His son, or grandson,

WILLIAM CAIRNIS, of Orchardton, summoned as a minor Baron 1527, married Margaret, daughter of Sir Patrick Agnew, of Lochnaw, and died 1555, having had, with other issue,

William;

JOHN, of whom presently;

PETER;

HENRY.

The second son,

JOHN CAIRNIS, of Cults, Esquire to MARY Queen of Scots, wedded, in 1555, Margaret, daughter of Alexander McCulloch, of Killaster, and died in 1568, leaving issue, his second son,

JOHN CAIRNIS, of Cults, who sold most of the estates, espoused Margaret Hamilton, and died in 1603, leaving issue, 

ALEXANDER CAIRNIS, of Blairboys, who sold the remainder of the lands of his family, settled in Ulster 1609, as general agent for the Scottish Undertakers in Donegal.

He died ca 1635, leaving issue, his eldest son,

JOHN CAIRNES, of Parsonstown, or Cecil, County Tyrone, MP for Augher, 1639-40, who married Jane, daughter of Dr James Miller, MD, of Monaghan, and had issue, with two daughters,

ALEXANDER (Sir), 1st Baronet;

William, of Dublin, MP for Belfast, 1703-6;

HENRY (Sir), 2nd Baronet.

The eldest son,

ALEXANDER CAIRNES (1665-1732), MP for Monaghan Borough, 1710-13, County Monaghan, 1713-14, 1715-27, Monaghan Borough, 1727-32, was created a baronet, in 1708, designated of Monaghan.

He wedded, 1697-8, Elizabeth, daughter of John Gould, of Hackney, and sister of Sir Nathaniel Gould, by whom he had issue,

William Henry, died unmarried;

MARY, of whom presently.

Sir Alexander died in 1732, when he was succeeded in the baronetcy by his brother, Sir Henry Cairnes, 2nd and last Baronet.

his only surviving child, 

MARY CAIRNES, espoused firstly, in 1724, 7th Baron Blayney. He dsp 1732.

She married secondly, in 1734, Colonel John Murray, MP for Monaghan, and by him had issue,

Frances Cairnes, m 1st Earl of Clermont;

ELIZABETH, m (as below) General Rt Hon R Cuningham, 1st Baron Rossmore;

Anne; Mary; Harriet.

The Dowager Baroness Blayney died in 1790; her son-in-law was Robert, 1st Baron Rossmore.

Lineage of Westenra

THE WESTENRAS, descended from the family of VAN WASSENAER, of Wassenburg, were of great antiquity in Holland, and they bore the augmentation of the SEAHORSE, in reference to the valour of an ancestor who, during the Duke of Alba's campaigns, was actively employed against the enemy, and undertook to swim across an arm of the sea with important intelligence to his besieged countrymen.

WARNER WESTENRA settled in Ireland during the reign of CHARLES II, and with his brothers, Derrick and Peter Westenra, became a free denizen of that kingdom, by act of parliament, in 1662.

In 1667, Colonel Grace sold the town and lands of "Clonlee, Brickanagh, and Lyagh" [sic], in the King's County, to this Warner Westenra, merchant, of the city of Dublin.

He married Elizabeth Wyhrantz, and had issue,

HENRY, his successor;
Elizabeth, m Rt Rev Simon Digby.

Mr Westenra died in 1676, and was succeeded by his son,

HENRY WESTENRA, who inherited likewise the estates of his cousin, Peter Westenra, MP for Athboy, 1692.

Mr Westenra wedded, in 1700, Eleanor, second daughter of Sir Joshua Allen, Knight, and sister of John, 1st Viscount Allen, by whom he had surviving issue,

WARNER, his successor;
Henry;
Peter;
Elizabeth; Jane; Penelope.

He died in 1719, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

WARNER WESTENRA, MP for Maryborough, 1728-55, who espoused, in 1738, the Lady Hester Lambert, second daughter of Richard, 4th Earl of Cavan, and had issue,

HENRY, his successor;
Richard;
Joseph;
Castilinna; Eleanor.

Mr Westenra was was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY WESTENRA, MP for Monaghan, 1818-26, Seneschal of the King's Manors in Ireland, who married, in 1764, Harriet, daughter of Colonel John Murray MP, and had issue,

WARNER WILLIAM, his heir;
Henry;
Mary Frances; Harriet Hesther.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

WARNER WILLIAM WESTENRA (1765-1842), of Rossmore Park, County Monaghan, who wedded firstly, in 1791, Mary Anne, second daughter of Charles Walsh, of Walsh Park, County Tipperary, and had issue,

HENRY ROBERT, his successor;
Richard;
John Craven;
Charles;
Marianne.

He espoused secondly, in 1819, Augusta, fourth daughter of of Francis, Lord Elcho, and sister of Francis, 7th Earl of Wemyss.

Mr Westenra succeeded to the barony of ROSSMORE on the decease of ROBERT CUNINGHAME, 1st Baron Rossmore, in 1801.

***********************

ROBERT CUNINGHAME (1726-1801), son of the late Colonel David Cuninghame, of Seabegs, Stirling, a General in the army, and Colonel, 5th Dragoons; MP for Tulske, 1751-60, for Armagh, 1761-8, for Monaghan, 1769-96, and for East Grinstead, 1788-9; was elevated to the peerage, in 1796, in the dignity of BARON ROSSMORE, of Rossmore Park; and having no issue by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of John Murray, and co-heir of her mother Mary, Dowager Lady Blayney, sole heir of Sir Alexander Cairnes Bt, the patent of creation contained a reversionary clause conferring the Barony, at his lordship's decease, upon the heirs male, at the time being, of two of her ladyship's sisters successively; namely, Anne, the wife of the Rt Hon Theophilus Jones; and Harriet, the wife of Henry Westenra.

His lordship died in 1801, and the only son of Mrs Jones, Alexander Jones, having predeceased him, unmarried, the barony devolved upon Mrs Westenra's eldest son, WARNER WILLIAM WESTENRA, 2nd Baron Rossmore.

• Robert Cuninghame, 1st Baron Rossmore (d 1801);
• Warner William Westenra, 2nd Baron (1765–1842);
• Henry Robert Westenra, 3rd Baron (1792–1860);
• Henry Cairnes Westenra, 4th Baron (1851–74);
• Derrick Warner William Westenra, 5th Baron (1853–1921);
• William Westenra, 6th Baron (1892–1958);
• William Warner Westenra, 7th Baron (b 1931).

The heir apparent is the present holder's only son, the Hon Benedict William Westenra (b 1983).

ROSSMORE CASTLE, County Monaghan, was a very large and complex mansion, constructed on the outskirts of Monaghan town in Tudor-Gothic style in 1827 by the the 3rd Lord Rossmore, to the designs of William Vitruvius Morrison.

An extension was added in 1858 in Scottish-Baronial style, designed by William Henry Lynn.

A main feature of the original building was a large square tower and turret with crow-step battlements.

(Image: Henry Skeath)

The extension also featured two towers, one with a polygonal turret and cupola, the other a smaller square tower with a spire.

The building underwent further smaller changes, a number of which were inspired by a competition which had developed over the years between Lord Rossmore and Mr Shirley of Lough Fea, as to which of them could claim to have the largest room in County Monaghan.

The remarkable consequence was that the drawing-room in Rossmore Castle was enlarged five times.

(Image: Henry Skeath)

Eventually the combined changes and additions resulted in a building with three towers and over 117 windows in 53 different shapes and sizes.

After the 2nd World War, the house developed a severe case of dry rot, and the 6th Baron and his family were forced to leave the castle and take up residence in Camla Vale, a Georgian house owned by the family and situated within the estate grounds.

The mansion was demolished in 1975.

(Image: Henry Skeath)

The former demesne is now a forest park.

First published in January, 2012.

House of Jocelyn

EGIDIUS JOSSELIN, a nobleman of Brittany, in France, took up his abode in England during the reign of EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, and left a son, SIR GILBERT JOCELYN, who returned to Normandy and came back into England with the CONQUEROR, from whom he obtained extensive territorial grants in Lincolnshire, among which were the lordships of Sempringham and Tyrington.

Sir Gilbert had two sons, namely,

Gilbert of Sempringham (c1083-1190), the elder, devoting himself to a religious life, retired to Sempringham Priory, where he had founded the order of St Gilbert, known as the GILBERTINES, possessed, at the dissolution of religious houses, twenty-one monasteries in England, containing nearly 1,200 persons.

This Gilbert died at the singularly advanced age of 106, and was canonized by POPE INNOCENT III in 1202.

GEOFFREY DE JOCELYN, the younger son, married the daughter of John Blisset, and from that marriage descended lineally,

THOMAS JOCELYN, who wedded, in 1249, Maude, daughter and co-heir of Sir John Hyde, of Hyde Hall, Hertfordshire, and granddaughter, maternally, of John, Baron Sudeley, of Gloucestershire; by which marriage the Jocelyns obtained that estate, which continued for a very lengthy period in the family.

From this Thomas, we pass to his lineal descendant,

SIR RALPH JOCELYN KB, citizen and draper of London, of which city he was sheriff, 1458, and Lord Mayor, 1464.

In 1467, Sir Ralph represented the city of London in parliament, and was again Lord Mayor in 1476.

The elder brother of this opulent citizen,

THOMAS JOCELYN, of Hyde Hall, was great-grandfather of

SIR THOMAS JOCELYN KB (1506-62), of Hyde Hall, who married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Geoffrey Gates, Knight, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD JOCELYN, of Hyde Hall, whose grandson,

SIR ROBERT JOCELYN (1623-1712), Knight, of Hyde Hall, and of Newhall, High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, 1677, was created a baronet in 1665, designated of Hyde Hall, Hertfordshire.

He wedded Jane, daughter and co-heir of Robert Strange, of Wiltshire, and had nine sons and five daughters; of whom

STRANGE, 2nd but eldest surviving son, inherited the title and fortune;
Edward, in holy orders;
Thomas, father of ROBERT, 1ST VISCOUNT JOCELYN.

Sir Robert was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR STRANGE JOCELYN, 2nd Baronet (c1651-1734), who wedded Mary, daughter of Tristram Conyers, of Walthamstow, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JOHN (1689-1741); at whose decease, unmarried, the baronetcy devolved upon his only brother,

SIR CONYERS JOCELYN, 4th Baronet (1703-78), MD, High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, 1745, who died unmarried, when the baronetcy devolved upon the son and successor of

THE RT HON ROBERT JOCELYN (1688-1756); (refer to Thomas, son of 1st Baronet), a lawyer of great eminence, who filled the offices of Solicitor-General and Attorney-General in the reigns of GEORGE I and GEORGE II, and was constituted LORD CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND, 1739.

This eminent gentleman, MP for Granard, 1725-7, Newtownards, 1727-39, was subsequently twelve times one of the Lords Justices of Ireland, and died in government, 1756.

He was elevated to the peerage, in 1743, in the dignity of Baron Newport, of Newport, County Tipperary; and advanced to a viscountcy, in 1755, as Viscount Jocelyn. 

His lordship espoused firstly, Charlotte, daughter and co-heir of Charles Anderson, of Worcester, and had a son,

ROBERT, his successor.

He wedded secondly, in 1754, Frances, daughter of Thomas Claxton, of Dublin, and widow of Richard, 1st Earl of Ross.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

ROBERT, 2nd Viscount (1731-97), who succeeded to the baronetcy of the family upon the decease of his kinsman, Sir Conyers, 4th Baronet, in 1770.

Tollymore Park

His lordship, Auditor-General of Ireland, was created, in 1771, EARL OF RODEN.

He married, in 1752, the Lady Anne Hamilton, only surviving daughter of James, Earl of Clanbrassil, and eventually heir of her brother, James, the last earl, and had issue,

ROBERT, his successor;
George;
Percy;
John;
Harriet; Caroline; Charlotte; Sophia; Louisa; Emelia.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROBERT, 2nd Earl (1756-1820), KP PC MP, who was appointed a Knight of St Patrick, 1806.

Dundalk House

His lordship espoused, in 1788, Frances Theodosia, eldest daughter of the Very Rev Robert Bligh, Dean of Elphin, and niece of John, 1st Earl of Darnley, and had issue,

ROBERT, his successor;
James Bligh, Lieutenant RN;
Thomas;
George;
Frances Theodosia; Anne.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROBERT, 3rd Earl (1788-1870), KP PC, who wedded, in 1813, Maria Frances Catherine, second daughter of Thomas, Baron le Despencer.

His lordship was installed a Knight of St Patrick, 1821.

Hyde Hall

The 3rd Earl was installed as a knight of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick in 1821.

• Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl (1788–1870);

• Robert Jocelyn, 4th Earl (1846–80);

• John Strange Jocelyn, 5th Earl (1823–97);

• William Henry Jocelyn, 6th Earl (1842–1910);

• Robert Julian Orde Jocelyn, 7th Earl (1845–1915);

• Robert Soame Jocelyn, 8th Earl (1883–1956);

• Robert William Jocelyn, 9th Earl (1909–93);

• Robert John Jocelyn, 10th Earl (b 1938).

The heir apparent is the present holder's only son, Shane Robert Henning Jocelyn, styled Viscount Jocelyn.

Former seats ~ Hyde Hall, Hertfordshire; Tollymore Park, County Down; Dundalk House, County Louth.

First published in February, 2012.

1st Baron Athlumney

THE BARONS ATHLUMNEY WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MEATH, WITH 10,213 ACRES

This is a branch of the very eminent Scottish family of SOMERVILLE.

The first of the family that settled in Ireland was

JAMES SOMERVILLE (1571-1642), of Tullykelter Castle, near Monea, County Fermanagh, son of  James Somerville, of Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire. 

He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Hamilton, of Brimhill.

Tullykelter, County Fermanagh ca 1830 (OS historic map)

His third son,

THOMAS SOMERVILLE, of Drumadown, County Fermanagh, wedded Jean, daughter of Thomas Warnock, of Enniskillen, and died in 1669, having by her (who married secondly, Robert Galbraith, attainted 1689, and had issue), had issue.

His third son,

THOMAS SOMERVILLE, Alderman of Dublin, espoused Katherine, daughter of James King, of Corrard (and sister of Alderman Robert King, of that city; and dying in 1718, leaving, with four daughters, an only son,

SIR JAMES SOMERVILLE (c1698-1748), Knight, Lord Mayor of Dublin, 1736-37, MP for that city, 1729; succeeded to the Meath estates of his uncle, James King, of Corrard and Dublin, who dsp 1726.

He was created a baronet in 1748, designated of Somerville, County Meath.

Sir James wedded firstly, Elizabeth, daughter of Alderman William Quaile, of the same city (of a Manx family), and had issue,

QUAILE, his successor;

William.

He was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR QUAILE SOMERVILLE, 2nd Baronet (1714-72), of Brownstown, County Meath, who espoused firstly, Mary, only daughter and heiress of George Warburton, by whom he had three sons.

He married a second time, and had an only daughter, Martha, who wedded Gustavus, 5th Viscount Boyne.

Sir Quaile was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JAMES QUAILE SOMERVILLE, 3rd Baronet (c1742-c1802), of Somerville, County Meath, who married, in 1771, Catherine, daughter of Sir Marcus Lowther-Crofton Bt, of The Moate, County Roscommon, by whom he had two sons, Marcus and James.

Sir James was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR MARCUS SOMERVILLE, 4th Baronet (1772-1831), MP for County Meath, 1800, who married Mary Anne, daughter of Sir Richard Gorges-Meredyth Bt, and had issue,

WILLIAM MEREDYTH, his successor;
James Richard, lieutenant, Scots Greys.

Sir Marcus's elder son, 

THE RT HON SIR WILLIAM MEREDYTH SOMERVILLE, 5th Baronet (1802-73), was elevated to the peerage, in 1863, in the dignity of BARON ATHLUMNEY, of Somerville and Dollarstown, County Meath.

He married firstly, in 1832, the Lady Maria Harriet Conyngham, second daughter of Henry, 1st Marquess Conyngham, and had issue,

William Henry Marcus, died in infancy;
Elizabeth Jane.

His lordship wedded secondly, in 1860, Maria Georgiana Elizabeth, only daughter of Herbert George Jones, and had further numerous issue, including

JAMES HERBERT GUSTAVUS MEREDYTH, his successor;
Marcus Edward Francis Meredyth (1867-71).

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

JAMES HERBERT GUSTAVUS MEREDYTH, 2nd Baron (1865-1929), DL, who married, in 1919, Margery, daughter of Henry Boan, of Australia, though the marriage was without issue, and the titles expired.

Somerville House was inherited by Sir Quentin Charles Agnew-Somerville, 2nd Baronet (1929-2010), nephew by marriage of James, 2nd Baron Athlumney and 6th Somerville Baronet.

Somerville House, County Meath

First published in 2012.

The Morning Star

THE MORNING STAR, 17-19 Pottinger's Entry, Belfast, is a two-storey public house, reputedly dating from ca 1820.

It is one of the longest-operating licensed premises in the city.

The building occupies the corner site of Pottinger's Entry and Pottinger's Court, an alley which was first mentioned in a map of 1715.

The Bar comprises two storeys, with a pilastered front, moulded base panels, and etched glass windows.

The current building had certainly been erected by at least 1850, when maps depicted the building along its current layout.

Griffith's Valuation recorded that it was occupied by John and William Riddel in 1860 (the Riddels were iron and metal merchants who utilized the premises on Pottinger's Entry as a store and workshop).

The premises were valued at £25 in 1860; however, by 1863, the site had been converted into a licensed "spirit shop and stores" operated by Mr J Steenman.

Mr Steenman was recorded as the occupant of the site between 1863-81, although the Belfast Street Directories state that the "wine stores" were administered by the Malcolmson Brothers in 1868, George McChesney in 1877, and William Nixon in 1880, presumably the publicans.

In 1892, the property was acquired by James McEntee and Henry McKenna, two publicans who also owned pubs in the area around Castle Street.

The property was recorded as a "Licensed House" and had been increased in value to £65.

McEntee and McKenna's partnership had been dissolved by 1900, when Henry McKenna was the sole occupier of the site.

Pottinger's Court ca 1910

In that year the valuer increased the rateable value of the premises to £95 and noted that McKenna paid annual rent of £60 to William Riddel.

Henry McKenna's public house also included a bottling store which was located off Pottinger's Entry, in Pottinger's Court.

Mr McKenna continued to operate the public house until 1926.

In 1913, the site was first referred to as the Morning Star Bar in street directories. 

The Irish Builder records that in 1924 renovation work was carried out to the bar which repaired damage incurred during an arson assault. The Morning Star was burnt out in a sectarian attack, part of the sectarian violence common in the post-partition years of 1921-23. Renovation work was carried out by Messrs F & J McCardle.

In 1935, the bar was administered by the Madden Brothers, having passed from Henry McKenna in 1924.

There was no further valuation of the pub carried out for the next two decades due to the disruption of the 2nd World War.

The Morning Star narrowly survived the Belfast Blitz of 1941 whilst many neighbouring building on High Street and Bridge Street were levelled.

The Morning Star is, without doubt, the earliest building currently standing on Pottinger's Entry; however, the exact construction date of the two-storey building is difficult to determine.

The Morning Star maintains a historic tradition stretching back as early as 1810, when the Belfast Newsletter supposedly made reference to the building as "one of the terminals for the Belfast to Dublin mail coach".

However, the building was probably not utilised as a public house or tavern at this time, and it was not until 1863 that the building was first referred to as a licensed premises.

The Morning Star was refaced in 1892, when Messrs McEntee and McKenna took possession of the site and added its Victorian features.

Much of the current bar dates from the 1924 renovation of the building following a sectarian arson attack.

Law states that the renovation was carried out shortly after the Madden Bros. acquired the Morning Star Bar from McKenna in 1924.

The Maddens also owned the Ivy Bar in Church Lane; Dufferin House in Whitla Street; the Sportsman's Arms in York Street; and spirit stores in Duncairn Gardens.

The current horseshoe bar and the exterior sign are amongst the features installed as a result of the Madden Bros. 1924 reconstruction.

Having undergone a further extensive renovation in the 1960s, the Morning Star was listed in 1986.

Marcus Patton OBE, writing in 1993, described the public house as a

"Two-storey stucco building of considerable character, tall pilastered front with etched glass windows and boldly moulded base panels; projecting sign in brass and glass with bronze urn on top; a winged lion stands guard over the corner entrance."

The features described, including the exterior sign, continue to adorn the façade of the public house.

Although it is not possible to identify the precise origins of The Morning Star, the building is significant as the sole surviving remnant of the former street-scape of Pottinger's Entry, one of Belfast's original entries dating from at least the early-18th century.

First published in January, 2015.

Kenure Park

THE PALMER BARONETS, OF CASTLE LACKIN, WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MAYO, WITH 80,990 ACRES

THEY OWNED 3,991 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DUBLIN

ROGER PALMER (alleged to have been the third son of Edward Palmer, of Nayton and Casterton, Norfolk) went over to Ireland and had a grant of Castle Lackin, and many other lands in County Mayo, in 1684. His signature appears to the address from the nobility and gentry of County Mayo to CHARLES II in 1682.

The Palmer family had come to Ireland in 1681 from Norfolk, and had acquired lands in County Mayo, where by the end of the 19th Century, they had amassed 80,000 acres. 

THOMAS PALMER, of Castle Lackin, County Mayo, second son of Roger Palmer, of Palmerstown, in the same county, was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROGER PALMER (1729-90), MP for Jamestown, 1761-8, Portarlington, 1768-83, who was created a baronet in 1777, designated of Castle Lackin.

Sir Roger wedded Miss Andrews, and had issue,

JOHN ROGER, his successor;
WILLIAM HENRY, succeeded his brother;
Sophia.

He was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR JOHN ROGER PALMER, 2nd Baronet, who married Mary, only daughter of the Rev Thomas Althem, and was succeeded at his decease, in 1819, by his brother,

SIR WILLIAM HENRY PALMER, 3rd Baronet, of Castle Lackin, who espoused Alice, daughter of _____ Franklin, and had issue,

WILLIAM HENRY ROGER, his heir;
Francis Roger;
John Roger;
Charlotte Alice; Augusta Sophia; Ellen Ambrosia.

Sir William died in 1840, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR WILLIAM HENRY ROGER PALMER, 4th Baronet (1802-69), who married and was succeeded by his only son,

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR ROGER WILLIAM HENRY PALMER, 5th and last Baronet (1832-1910), MP for Mayo, 1857-65, High Sheriff of County Mayo, 1888.

Kenure Park

The Palmers owned a number of seats, including Keenagh Lodge, Crossmolina, and the ruinous Castle Lackin in County Mayo; Cefn Park, near Wrexham, North Wales; Glenisland, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Their principal Irish seat (through marriage) was Kenure Park, near Rush, County Dublin, where the estate comprised 3,991 acres.

Lieutenant-General Sir Roger Palmer, 5th and last Baronet, MP for Mayo, 1857-65, was Ellen Palmer's only brother.

He resided at Kenure with his wife, Gertrude Millicent, until his death in 1910.

Lady Palmer survived her husband for many years. She continued to spend much of her time in Kenure (above) until her death in 1929.

There are people in Rush who still remember the parties held in the house for the children of the town.

Sir Roger and Lady Palmer left no heirs, and the property devolved to Colonel Roderick Henry Fenwick-Palmer, who had fought in the 1st World War, and still bore the marks of shrapnel wounds to his face.

He had property of his own in Wrexham, North Wales, and only came to Kenure in the summer.

A plain man, he was not given to living the high life, apart from dining occasionally with friends, such as the late Lord Revelstoke.

He spent a lot of money trying to keep the house in repair.

He was finally defeated by rising costs on a property which was not making money.

Part of the estate had already been sold years before.

He eventually sold Kenure to the Irish Land Commission, in 1964, for £70.000.

Most of the land was divided up among local farmers.

The remainder was sold to Dublin County Council for housing and playing fields.

The woodland was cleared and all that now remains of the trees, which once dominated the skyline, is a small area around the main gate.

The front gate lodge is now the local Scouts' Den.

The gate lodge at Skerries Road belongs to Rush Cricket Club, which has beautifully refurbished it.

The Gate-Keeper's Lodge, the walled garden, the Steward's Lodge, the pond and shady avenues, have all gone the way of the big house itself. Only the portico remains, a stark remainder of what once was there.

The contents of the house were auctioned in September 1964, the auction lasted four days and realised £250,000, which would be over £1,000,000 in present day values.

Socially, Kenure had been a place apart from the ordinary life of the town, but it had been there for hundreds of years, an essential part of the Rush scene.

The general feeling was one of regret and disbelief that it was disintegrating.

As landlords, the Palmers had not been the worst.

However, there had been some evictions, and one action, which is still adversely remembered, was the removal of some of their tenants from their ancient holdings in order to lengthen the main avenue and have the main entrance gate near the town.

Nevertheless the Palmers were in many ways beneficent to Rush.

They gave land for the Catholic and Protestant churches, for a presbytery and for a teacher's residence.

In 1896, when the Catholic church was being refurbished, they donated the seating for the nave, and a brass memorial tablet in the church testifies to this.

A portion of the estate was allocated to the local cricket club, and it was certainly the most beautifully situated cricket pitch in north County Dublin.

Dublin County Council was left with an empty mansion, for which they could find no buyer.

The house continued to deteriorate.

During this time it was rented to a film company and a few films were made there, including "Ten Little Indians," "Rocket to the Moon," and "The Fall of Fu Manchu."

In 1978, after a series of incidents in which the house was vandalized and set on fire, with the inevitable water damage that resulted from the fire engines having to put out the blaze, the house was in a very dangerous condition structurally.

The County Council decided it had no choice but to demolish the house.

Within a few days, all that was left of this once great house was a mountain of rubble, from which the massive portico arose, forlorn and lonely against the sky.

First published in September, 2011. Select bibliography: KENURE HOUSE AND DEMESNE

1st Earl of Mar and Kellie

THE EARLS OF MAR AND KELLIE WERE THE LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN CLACKMANNANSHIRE, WITH 6,143 ACRES

The family of Erskine probably took their name from the lands of Erskine, Renfrewshire.

THE RT HON SIR ALEXANDER ERSKINE OF GOGAR, Knight, third son of John, 5th Lord Erskine and 16th Earl of Mar de jure, by the Lady Margaret Campbell, daughter of Archibald, 2nd Earl of Argyll.

The house of Erskine, Earls and Countesses of Mar, is one of the most ancient families in the Scottish peerage; so old, indeed, that the date of the creation of its honours is lost in its antiquity.

This Alexander was sworn, in 1578, of His Majesty's privy council, nominated Governor of Edinburgh Castle, and constituted Vice-Chamberlain of Scotland.

He married Margaret, daughter of Lord Home, by whom he had three sons and three daughters.

The eldest son, Sir Alexander, fell at the surprise of Stirling Castle, in 1578, and the second,

SIR THOMAS ERSKINE, born in the same year with JAMES I, and educated with that monarch, having accompanied His Majesty to England, was created, in 1606, Baron Dirletoun and Viscount Fenton (the first viscountcy of Scotland).

His lordship was advanced to the dignity of an earldom, in 1619, as EARL OF KELLIE, installed a Knight of the Garter, and sworn of the privy councils of England and Scotland.

He married Anne, daughter of Sir Gilbert Ogilvie, of Powrie, by whom he had a daughter, and a son, Alexander, Viscount Fenton, who wedded the Lady Anne Seton, daughter of Alexander, 1st Earl of Dunfermline, by whom he left three sons:

ALEXANDER, 3rd Earl;
CHARLES;
THOMAS, the eldest.

THOMAS succeeded his grandfather in 1639, and dying unmarried in 1643, the family honours devolved upon his brother,

ALEXANDER, 3rd Earl, who was succeeded, in 1657, by his only son,

ALEXANDER, 4th Earl, who was also succeeded (in 1710) by an only son,

ALEXANDER, 5th Earl, who married twice and was succeeded, on his demise in 1756, by his eldest son,

THOMAS, 6th Earl, who died unmarried, in 1781, when the family honours devolved upon his brother,

ARCHIBALD, 7th Earl, who died, unmarried, in 1797, when the peerage reverted to his kinsman,

SIR CHARLES ERSKINE, Baronet, of Cambo, the direct descendant of Charles Erskine (who was created a baronet in 1666), youngest son of Alexander, Viscount Fenton, eldest son of Thomas, 1st Earl of Kellie.

His lordship dying unmarried in 1799, the family honours reverted to his uncle,

THOMAS, 9th Earl.

• Thomas Erskine, 9th Earl (ca 1745–1828)
• Methven Erskine, 10th Earl (ca 1750–1829)
• John Francis Miller Erskine, 11th Earl (1795–1866)
• Walter Coningsby Erskine, 12th Earl (1810-72)
• Walter Henry Erskine, 13th Earl (1839-88)
• Walter John Francis Erskine, 14th Earl (1865–1955)
• James Francis Hervey Erskine, 15th Earl (1921-93)
• James Thorne Erskine, 16th Earl (b 1949)

The heir presumptive is Lord Mar's brother, the Hon Alexander David Erskine, Master of Mar (b. 1952). It is known that the lineage survived in the Erskine-Kellies, with the current heir Andrew Erskine (b. 1998) estimated as the 17th Earl of Mar and 19th Earl of Kellie.

Cambo house (Image: Wikipedia/ Dr Richard Murray)

CAMBO HOUSE, near Kingsbarns, in Fife, was built between 1879-84, to designs by the architects Wardrop & Reid.

The estate of Cambo was granted to Robert de Newenham by a charter of King William the Lion. His descendents took the name "de Cambhou", and had settled in Fife by the early 14th century. In 1599, the estate was granted to Thomas Myretoun.

In 1668, Sir Charles Erskine Bt (d. 1677), the Lord Lyon King of Arms and brother of the 3rd Earl of Kellie, purchased the property from the creditors of Patrick Merton.

The estate passed through the Erskine family to the 5th Earl of Kellie, who forfeited his lands after supporting the Jacobite rising of 1745.

In 1759, Cambo was sold to the Charteris family, who bought it for their son who was studying at St Andrews University.

Thomas Erskine, 9th Earl of Kellie, bought the estate back in the 1790s.

A successful merchant in Sweden, he invested heavily in improving the estate, building the picturesque Georgian estate farms, and carrying out extensive land drainage.

The 9th Earl commissioned the architect Robert Balfour to remodel the house in 1795.

His descendents continued the improvement of the estate through the 19th century, laying out ornamental gardens, with a series of early cast iron bridges.

The old house comprised a tower house with numerous additions, including a first-floor conservatory. It was destroyed by fire in 1878, after a staff party when the Erskine family was away.

The present house was built on the same site between 1879-84, to designs by the architects Wardrop & Reid.

The house is operated as self-catering and bed & breakfast accommodation, while the walled garden and woodland gardens are open to the public year-round.

The estate woodlands have a significant collection of snowdrops, including over 300 varieties of Galanthus species.

The estate was awarded National Collection status by the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens.

Kingsbarns Golf Links was laid out in 2000 to designs by American golf course architects Kyle Phillips and Mark Parsinen.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, an annual pro-am golf tournament, is played in October at Kingsbarns, St Andrews Old Course, and Carnoustie.

ERSKINE HOUSE, Glasgow,  was designed by Sir Robert Smirke, the architect of the British Museum.

During the 1st World War it became the Princess Louise Hospital for Limbless Sailors and Soldiers.

It is now the Mar Hall Hotel, its name recalling the estate’s former ownership by the Earl of Mar.

During the early 18th century, the Mar estate and old Erskine House came into the ownership of the Lords Blantyre. In 1828 Major General Robert W Stuart, the 11th Lord Blantyre and a distinguished veteran of the Wellington’s Peninsular campaigns during the Napoleonic Wars, commissioned the present house.

His architect, Sir Robert Smirke (1781-1867) was still engaged in designing the British Museum.

That, however, is a very classical design whereas Erskine House is more Gothic with touches of Tudor, in the small turrets and pointed arches in the principal windows and entrance porch.

The stone was quarried locally. Sir Charles Barry produced designs for the gardens.

The house was completed only in 1845.

The final cost was £50,000, about £2.5m today.

When the Blantyre line became extinct in 1900, the house was left derelict but in 1916 it re-opened as the Princess Louise Scottish Hospital of Limbless Sailors and Soldiers.

In recent years £15m has been invested in the refurbishment of the house and the restoration of its many original features as the Mar Hall Hotel.

First published in November, 2013.