1st Earl of Iveagh

The family of GUINNESS claims descent from the ancient and eminent house of MAGENNIS, in which formerly vested the viscountcy of Magennis of Iveagh.

Several members of this family are interred in the churchyard of St Catherine's, Dublin, and, in the parish register, the translation of the name from Magennis to McGuinness, or Guinness, is clearly traceable.

ART ROE or ARTHUR MacGUINNESS, of Rathfriland, County Down, received the honour of knighthood, and assumed the surname of MAGENNIS.

In 1623 Sir Arthur was created Viscount Magennis of Iveagh, though that peerage expired in 1693.

He died in 1629, and was buried at Drumballyroney, near Rathfriland, County Down.

His younger son,

CON MAGENNIS, married and was father of

HUGH MAGENNIS, who wedded and had a son,

EVER MAGENNIS, who removed to, and settled in Dublin.

He married and had issue,

RICHARD GUINNESS (c1690-1766), of Celbridge, County Kildare, described in a Bill in Equity Exchequer, 1746, as

"Richard Guinis, Agent or Receiver to the Most Rev Arthur Price, Archbishop of Cashel," and is therein authorized to demise episcopal lands.

He married Elizabeth, daughter of William Read, of Huttonread, County Kildare, and had issue,

Richard;

ARTHUR, of whom presently;

Samuel;

Benjamin;

Frances; Elizabeth.

The second son,

ARTHUR GUINNESS (1725-1803), of Beaumont, County Dublin, who in a Bill filed in the Court of Exchequer, 1747, styles himself "of the City of Dublin, Gentleman." 

Arthur Guinness (1725-1803)

He purchased, in 1759, the St James's Gate Brewery from Mr Mark Rainsford.

He wedded, in 1761, Olivia, daughter and co-heiress of William Whitmore, of Dublin, by his wife, daughter of John Grattan, of Clonmeen, County Kildare, and had issue,

Hosea (Rev);

ARTHUR, of whom hereafter;

Edward;

Benjamin;

John Grattan;

William Lunell;

Elizabeth; Olivia; Louisa; Mary Anne.

His second son,

ARTHUR GUINNESS JP DL (1768-1855), of Beaumont, for many years President of the Chamber of Commerce, Dublin, who espoused, in 1793, Anne, eldest daughter and co-heiress of Benjamin Lee, of Merrion, County Dublin, by Susanna his wife, daughter of the Rev John Smyth, Chancellor of Connor (brother of Arthur Smyth, Archbishop of Dublin).

Mr Guiness died in 1855, having had issue,

William Smythe (Rev), Rector of Rathdrum;

Arthur Lee, of Stillorgan House, died unmarried;

BENJAMIN LEE, of whom we treat;

Susanna; Mary Jane; Louisa; Anne; Elizabeth; Rebecca.

The third son,

BENJAMIN LEE GUINNESS JP DL (1798-1868), MP for the City of Dublin, 1865-8, married, in 1837, Elizabeth, third daughter of Edward Guinness, of Dublin, and had issue,

Arthur Edward, his successor;

Benjamin Lee, DL, Captain, Royal Horse Guards;

EDWARD CECIL, of whom hereafter;

Anne Lee, m 4th Baron Plunkett, Archbishop of Dublin.

Benjamin Lee Guinness was created a baronet, in 1867, designated of Ashford Castle, County Galway.

His eldest son,

SIR ARTHUR EDWARD GUINNESS, 2nd Baronet (1840-1915), JP, DL, wedded, in 1871, the Lady Olivia Charlotte White, daughter of 3rd Earl of Bantry.

Sir Arthur was elevated to the Peerage, in 1880, in the dignity of BARON ARDILAUN, of Ashford, County Galway.

His lordship dsp 1915, when the Peerage became extinct and the Baronetcy devolved upon his nephew, Algernon Arthur St Lawrence Lee Guinness, as 3rd Baronet.

Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness's third son,

EDWARD CECIL GUINNESS (1847-1927), KP, GCVO, espoused, in 1873, his cousin, Adelaide Maria, daughter of Richard Samuel Guinness, MP, of Deepwell, County Dublin, by Katherine Frances, his wife, daughter of Sir Charles Jenkinson, 10th Baronet, of Hawkesbury, and had issue,

RUPERT EDWARD CECIL LEE, his successor;

Arthur Ernest, father of MAUREEN, mother of 5th Marquess of Dufferin & Ava;

Walter Edward, created 1st Baron Moyne.

His lordship was created a baronet, in 1885, designated of Castleknock, County Dublin; and raised to the Peerage, in 1891, in the dignity of Baron Iveagh, of Iveagh, County Down.

He was advanced to a viscountcy, in 1905, as Viscount Iveagh, of Iveagh, County Down; and further advanced, in 1919, to the dignities of Viscount Elveden and EARL OF IVEAGH.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

RUPERT EDWARD CECIL LEE, 2nd Earl (1874-1967), KG, CB, CMG, VD etc, who married, in 1903, the Lady Gwendolen Florence Mary Onslow, elder daughter of 4th Earl of Onslow, and had issue,

Richard (died in infancy);

Arthur Onslow Edward;

Honor Dorothy Mary; Patricia Florence Susan; Brigit Katherine Rachel.

His lordship's second son,

ARTHUR ONSLOW EDWARD (1912-45), styled Viscount Elveden, wedded, in 1936, the Lady Elizabeth Cecilia Hare, daughter of 4th Earl of Listowel, and had issue,

ARTHUR FRANCIS BENJAMIN, his successor;

Elizabeth Maria; Henrietta.

Lord Elveden was killed in action in the Netherlands during the 2nd World War.

His son and successor,

ARTHUR FRANCIS BENJAMIN, 3rd Earl (1937-92), espoused, in 1963, Miranda Daphne Jane, daughter of Major Charles Arthur Smiley, and had issue,

ARTHUR EDWARD RORY, his successor;

Rory Michael Benjamin;

Emma Lavinia; Louisa Jane.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

ARTHUR EDWARD RORY, 4th Earl (1969-), who married, in 2001, Clare Hazell and has issue, two sons, of whom,

Arthur b 2002, styled Viscount Elveden.

Seat ~ Elveden Hall. Suffolk.

Former residences ~ Pyrford Court, near Woking; Farmleigh, Castleknock, County Dublin.

The Hamilton Baronets (1660)

CLAUD HAMILTON (1546-1621), youngest son of James, 2nd Earl of Arran and Duke  of Châtellerault, by his wife, the Lady Margaret Douglas (eldest daughter of James, 3rd Earl of Moreton), one of the most zealous partisans of MARY, Queen of Scots, whose loyalty JAMES VI of Scotland rewarded, in 1587, with a grant of the whole barony of Paisley, and the dignity of BARON PAISLEY.

His lordship married Margaret, only daughter of George, 5th Lord Seton, and had issue,

JAMES, his successor;
John;
Claud;
George;
Frederick;
Henry;
Alexander;
Margaret; Margaret.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

JAMES (1575-1618), 2nd Lord Paisley, who espoused Marion, daughter of Thomas, 6th Lord Boyd, and had issue,

James, his successor;

Claud, 2nd Baron Hamilton of Strabane;
William, 1st Baronet, of West Port, Linlithgow (c1605-80);
GEORGE, of whom we treat;
Alexander;
Anne; Margaret; Isobel; Lucy.

His lordship was created, in 1603, Baron Abercorn, with remainder to his heirs male, and assigns whatever; and advanced, in 1606, to the dignities of Baron Hamilton, Mountcastle and Kilpatrick, and EARL OF ABERCORN.

He was subsequently called by summons to the house of peers in Ireland, by the same title; and having obtained a large grant of land in the barony of Strabane, erected a strong castle, and a schoolhouse, and church, with a town of about eighty houses there.

The fourth son,

THE HON GEORGE HAMILTON (c1607-79), of Donalong (Dunnalong), County Tyrone, and Nenagh, County Tipperary, a faithful adherent of THE CHARLESES, was rewarded with a baronetcy in 1660, designated of Donalong [Dunnalong], County Tyrone, and Nenagh, County Tipperary.

Sir George married, in 1629, Mary, third daughter of Thomas, Viscount Thurles, and sister of James, 1st Duke of Ormonde, and had issue,

JAMES, his successor;
George, Comte de Hamilton;
Anthony, Lieutenant-General;
Thomas, Captain;
Richard, Lieutenant-General;
John, Major-General;
Elizabeth, m Philibert, Count de Gramont;
Lucia; Margaret.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JAMES HAMILTON, 2nd Baronet (c1620-73), MP for Strabane, 1666, who wedded, in 1661, Elizabeth, daughter of John, 1st Baron Colepeper, and had issue,

JAMES, his successor;
George, Colonel;
William.

Sir James was succeeded by his eldest son,

JAMES (c1661-1734), MP for County Tyrone, 1692-9, who espoused, in 1684, Elizabeth, daughter of  Sir Robert Reading, 1st Baronet, and had issue,

JAMES, his successor;
George, MP;
Francis;
William;
Charles, MP;
Elizabeth; Mary; Jane; Philippa.

Captain Hamilton, who succeeded his cousin as 6th Earl of Abercorn, declined assuming the title of baronet upon the demise of his grandfather in 1679, and was known simply as "Captain Hamilton."

*****

THE PERIOD immediately after the Flight of The Earls in 1607 was marked largely by relative peace; however, instability was never far from the horizon.

The 1641 rising led by Sir Phelim O'Neill, of Caledon, was the next major event to beset the district.

After the capture of Dungannon, Charlemont and Mountjoy, Sir Phelim attacked Strabane and carried off Lady Strabane, daughter-in-law of Lord Abercorn.

Colonel Sir George Hamilton retook Strabane three days later with an expeditionary force of Scottish soldiers.

Derrywoon Castle is now within the grounds of Baronscourt, near Newtownstewart, seat of the Hamiltons, Dukes of Abercorn.

A report on the Plantation from 1622 noted that Sir George had 

"begun to build a fair stone house, 4 storeys high, which is almost finished, and a bawn of stone and lime, 90 foot long, 70 foot broad and 14 foot high".

When the compilers of the report arrived at the site they found ‘good store of workmen there upon it’ and were informed that when it was finished Sir George intended to live there himself.

The building was destroyed in the 1640s and by the time of the Civil Survey (1654-56) it was described as ‘a ruinous castle burned by the rebels [and] not yet re-edified’.

There is no evidence that it was rebuilt.

Hamilton was one of the proprietors of the silver mines of Knockaunderrig before the English Civil War.

Hamilton's early advancement was hindered by his Catholicism, but he was appointed a colonel of foot, 1649, and upheld the Royalist cause in Ireland.

He was the commander at Nenagh when Ireton arrived to besiege it for the Parliamentarians in October, 1650.

Initially defiant, Hamilton surrendered to Ireton when the latter threatened to breach the walls with artillery.

Hamilton's Irish lands were confiscated and he went into exile in Paris.

Upon the Restoration, he was high in favour with CHARLES II and was rewarded with a baronetcy in 1660.

Regarding Nenagh in County Tipperary, in 1648 Owen Roe O'Neill took Nenagh Castle.

Lord Inchiquin re-took it that same year and, when Cromwell arrived in Ireland, Nenagh was being held by Sir George Hamilton.

In October, 1650, Cromwell's son Ireton arrived at and demanded the surrender of the town.

Hamilton initially refused, but when field artillery was put in place in front of the town's walls he wisely yielded.

See Duke of Abercorn for further succession.

James, 5th and present Duke of Abercorn, KG, is the 15th Hamilton Baronet.

First published in April, 2011.

Mount Wolseley

THE WOLSELEY BARONETS OWNED 2,547 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY CARLOW

This ranks amongst the most ancient families of Staffordshire, one of its ancestors being Lord of Wolseley, in the 13th century; and another, one of the Barons of the Exchequer in the reign of EDWARD IV.

ROBERT WOLSELEY (1587-1646), Clerk of the King's Letters Patent (son of John Wolseley, of Stafford, by Isabella, daughter of John Porter, of Chillington, in the same county), was created a baronet, in 1628, designated of Wolseley, Staffordshire.

Sir Robert married, in 1630, Mary, second daughter of Sir George Wroughton, Knight, of Wilcot, Wiltshire, by whom he had issue, five sons and six daughters.

The youngest son, Colonel William Wolseley, commanded the Inniskilling Regiment at the battle of the Boyne, and was also at the battle of Newtownbutler.

He was subsequently appointed Master of the Ordnance, sworn of the Privy Council, and constituted one of the Lords Justices of Ireland.

Sir Robert died in 1646, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR CHARLES WOLSELEY, 2nd Baronet (c1630-1714), a distinguished senator during the reigns of CHARLES I and CHARLES II, having represented Staffordshire in Parliament, 1654-60, and taken an active part in public affairs.

He wedded Anne, youngest daughter of William, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele, and had issue,

Charles;
William, 3rd Baronet;
Henry, 4th Baronet;
RICHARD, of whom we treat;
Robert;
Elizabeth; Mary; Anne; Dorothy; Bridget; Penelope; Susan; Penelope; Frances; Constance.

The fourth son,

CAPTAIN RICHARD WOLSELEY (1655-1724), an officer in the army of WILLIAM III in Ireland, MP for Carlow Borough, 1703-13, 1715-24, married Frances Burneston, and had issue,

Richard, died 1733;
WILLIAM, who inherited the English baronetcy;
RICHARD, of whom we treat.

The youngest son,

RICHARD WOLSELEY (1696-1769), of Mount Arran, County Carlow (to whom his father left his Irish estates), MP for Carlow Borough, 1727-60, 1761-8, was created a baronet, in 1744, designated of Mount Wolseley, County Carlow.

Sir Richard married firstly, Anne Smith, and had issue,

William (Rev); grandfather of FREDERICK WOLSELEY (Wolseley Cars);
Clement, father of the 4th Baronet and grandfather of the 5th & 8th Baronets;
Katherine.

He wedded secondly, in 1727, Alice, fourth daughter of Sir Thomas Molyneux Bt, of Castle Dillon, County Armagh, and had further issue,

RICHARD, his successor.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his son,

SIR RICHARD WOLSELEY, 2nd Baronet (1729-81), who espoused, in 1765, Letitia, daughter of Anthony Marlay, of Celbridge, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;
Matilda.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his only son,

SIR WILLIAM WOLSELEY, 3rd Baronet (1775-1819), who died unmarried, when the baronetcy devolved upon his cousin,

THE REV SIR RICHARD WOLSELEY, 4th Baronet (1760-1852), of Mount Wolseley, who married thrice, without issue, when the title devolved upon his cousin,

SIR CLEMENT WOLSELEY, 5th Baronet (1794-1857), High Sheriff of County Carlow, 1852, Major, Carlow Militia, who married, in 1833, Alice Elizabeth, daughter of Peter van Homrigh, and had issue,

JOHN RICHARD, his successor;
CLEMENT JAMES, 7th Baronet.

Sir Clement was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR JOHN RICHARD WOLSELEY, 6th Baronet (1834-74), JP DL, High Sheriff of County Carlow, 1861, who wedded, in 1859, Frances Annabella, daughter of Captain Arthur Blennerhassett, and had issue, three daughters,

Ada Frances Alice; Amelia Cecilia Louisa; another daughter.

Sir John died without male issue, and was succeeded by his brother,

SIR CLEMENT JAMES WOLSELEY, 7th Baronet (1837-89), JP DL, who wedded, in 1872, Constance Louisa, daughter of Lieutenant-General Robert Parker Radcliffe, though the marriage was without issue, when the baronetcy reverted to his cousin,

THE VERY REV SIR JOHN WOLSELEY, 8th Baronet (1803-90), of Mount Wolseley, Dean of Kildare, 1859-90, who espoused, in 1832, Anne, daughter of John Maunsell, though the marriage was without issue, when the title reverted to his kinsman,

SIR CAPEL CHARLES WOLSELEY, 9th Baronet (1870-1923), a descendant of the first Baronet, who married, in 1907, Beatrice Sophia, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel William Wallingford Knollys, though the marriage was without issue, when the baronetcy reverted to his kinsman,

SIR REGINALD BEATTY WOLSELEY, 10th Baronet (1872-1933), a descendant of the first Baronet, who wedded, in 1930, Marian Elizabeth, daughter of William Alfred Baker, though the marriage was without issue, when the title reverted to his kinsman,

THE REV SIR WILLIAM AUGUSTUS WOLSELEY, 11th Baronet (1865-1950), a descendant of the first Baronet, who espoused, in 1932, Sarah Helen, daughter of William Cotton Grummitt, though the marriage was without issue, when the baronetcy reverted to his kinsman,

SIR GARNET WOLSELEY, 12th Baronet (1915-91), a cobbler, descendant of the first Baronet.

This Baronetcy has been dormant since the death of the 12th Baronet in 1991. The senior male heir to the baronetcy may exist among the descendants (if any).

Mount Wolseley House (Image: Tripadvisor)

MOUNT WOLSELEY, near Tullow, County Carlow, is a two-storey, Victorian, vaguely Italianate house.

It has a distinctive bracket cornice, camber-headed windows, and a balustraded porch.

There has presumably been a Wolseley dwelling on this location since the designation of the first Baronet, in 1744, of Mount Wolseley.

Mount St Joseph's (Image: old postcard)

Sir John Richard Wolseley, 6th Baronet, was succeeded in the title by his brother, Sir Clement James Wolseley, may have been the last of the Wolseley Baronets to reside there.

Sir John's daughters subsequently sold Mount Wolseley to the Patrician Brothers in 1925, when it became a school.

Today Mount Wolseley House is the private home of the Morrisseys, though a hotel, spa, and golf resort has been built within the grounds.

First published in August, 2020.

Bangor Castle

THE WARDS OF BANGOR CASTLE OWNED 5,735 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DOWN

THE HON ROBERT WARD (1754-1831), Colonel of the South Downshire Militia, fourth son of Bernard, 1st Viscount Bangor, married firstly, in 1782, Sophia Frances, daughter of Richard Chapel Whaley, and had issue,

EDWARD MICHAEL, his heir.

Colonel Ward, High Sheriff of County Down, 1792, wedded secondly, in 1797, Louisa Jane, second daughter and co-heir of the Rev Abraham Symes DD, of Hillbrook, County Wicklow, and had further issue,

Bernard John (Rev), Vicar of Peterchurch;
James Hamilton, Vice-Admiral;
William Robert.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

EDWARD MICHAEL WARD (1789-1832), of Bangor Castle, County Down, Minister Plenipotentiary at Dresden, who espoused, in 1815,  the Lady Matilda Stewart, daughter of Robert, 1st Marquess of Londonderry, by his wife, the Lady Frances Pratt, and had issue,

ROBERT EDWARD, his heir;
Anne Catherine.

Mr Ward was succeeded by his son,

ROBERT EDWARD WARD JP DL (1818-1904), of Bangor Castle, High Sheriff of County Down, 1842, who married, in 1857, Harriette, daughter of the Hon and Rev Henry Ward, Rector of Killinchy, brother of the 3rd Viscount Bangor, and had issue, an only child,

MATILDA CATHERINE MAUDE WARD (1858-1941), of Bangor Castle, who married, in 1878, John, 5th Baron Clanmorris, and had issue,

ARTHUR MAURICE ROBERT, 6th Baron;
John Denis Yelverton;
Edward Barry Stewart, VC, Rear-Admiral;
Hugh Terence de Burgh;
Henry Derrick Thomas;
George Roderick Bentinck;
Richard Gerald Ava;
Harriette Ierne Maude; Emily Ina Florence; Eleanor Clare Alice.

The museum in Bangor Castle displays the Victoria Cross awarded to Rear-Admiral the Hon Barry Bingham VC OBE.

BANGOR CASTLE, County Down, was built ca 1848 for Robert Edward Ward.

It has mullioned windows, oriels crested with strap-work, and steep gables with finials.

At one end there is a battlemented tower with a pyramidal-roofed clock turret; and partly curved quoins.

The grounds are an important, designed landscape with early 17th century origins.

The old demesne contained a succession of manorial houses, all on different sites, and each associated with different landscape phases.

First house, built ca 1615 (Thomas Raven, 1625)

The first and earliest house, a gable-ended two storey block, was built by Sir James Hamilton, 1st Viscount Claneboye, ca 1610 and is depicted on Raven’s 1625 Clandeboye Estate map, complete with its associated formal gardens.

The Plantation Commissioners remarked in 1611 that "Sir James Hamylton, Knight, hath buylded a fayre stone house at the towne of Bangor … about 60 foote longe and 22 foote broade."

This house lay immediately south-east of the present mansion and traces of its associated gardens can still be traced in the park on the east side; these incorporate a number of surviving contemporary yews, including the stump of ‘Schomberg’s Tree’.

Bangor Castle today: third house

These gardens were described by Harris in 1744 in his "The Ancient & Present State of the County of Down" as being

filled with noble evergreens of a great size, cut in various shapes, among which is an evergreen oak, which, though it grows as a shrub in most other places here is a tall tree, and of considerable girth.

Loudon, writing in 1844, noted that in 1835 there was a large mulberry tree here, probably also of early date.

The house started to fall into decay by at least the 1720s.

It was still present in 1752, when Pococke described it as

"very indifferent", and noted that in the grounds ‘the spruce fir, the ilex, bays, hollies & other evergreens , planted at first chiefly in the flower garden are grown to be very fine forest trees.

Luckombe considered it a ‘low moderate structure’ in 1779; but by the late 1700s it had been replaced by a ‘very elegant house,’ located on a new site just north of the present mansion.

Built by Colonel Robert Ward (1754-1831), this new house (second mansion) was in the Gothic style with a square plan and narrow east wing; and with detached offices further east down-slope.

This building and its surrounding contemporary landscape park are depicted in an engraving dated 1832 in Proctor’s Belfast Scenery in Thirty Views; this shows that the house had crenellated parapets, with a mixture of pointed and square-headed windows with hood mouldings and octagonal corner turrets, the main entrance apparently lying on the north side.

Second Bangor Castle ca 1832 (E K Proctor)

The mansion was flanked by park lawns dotted with clumps and isolated trees, all enclosed with screens, belts and woodlands, the whole boasting fine views over Belfast Lough.

In 1847-52 an Elizabethan-Revival style house, the third and present mansion, of Ayrshire sandstone, was built to designs of the prolific Scottish architect William Burn for Robert Edward Ward (1818-1904).

His father’s Gothic mansion, which lay a short distance to the north, was demolished in 1853 once the new house had been completed.

The new house was flanked by formal, terraced gardens with balustrades, especially on the north side; and these at one time boasted colourful parterres in the fashion of the age.

An adjacent stable block, which is incorporated into the house, but built in a more serious medieval style, may be the work of Anthony Salvin, the great English architect.

This stable range is now home of the heritage centre.

Salvin may have also been responsible for the Home Farm buildings (ca 1850-2) and both the Abbey Street Gate Lodge (c.1852) and the Castle Street Gate Lodge (c.1852).

Contemporary with these is the walled garden, lying on high ground a short distance west of the Home Farm building: it has a rectangular plan and its high enclosing walls are built in Bangor clay brick (save only the outside of the north wall).

The garden is subdivided by an east-west wall into two areas; a vinery lay on the south- facing wall in the north sector, but most of the glass-houses' ranges lay in the north sector, including peach houses.

Until recent years this area was used by the Council for propagation.

There was a fernery on the north outside wall of the garden; presently this is breeze-blocked to prevent vandals gaining access (accessible from the potting shed).

In the area between the walled garden and the house there is an arboretum, begun in the 1840s and stocked with specimens brought by members of the family serving in various parts of the British Empire.

These trees are protected by older mature parkland trees.

Mitchell, in A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe, 1974, remarks on the fine Monterey Pines and Blue-gums here.

Elsewhere older parkland trees survive.

This grassed area south of the house contains a small rockery, family memorials and paths, including ‘My Lady’s Walk’.

Following the death of Lady Clanmorris, the property was sold to Bangor Borough Council.

Bangor Castle became the Town Hall in 1952 and the grounds opened to the public as Castle Park.

It is a vast house, with simulated battlements and a crenellated tower with clock and flagstaff, from which could be flown a standard when the family were in residence.

The castle, with its thirty-five bedrooms, huge saloon, entrance halls, with drawing room, library, study, servants' quarters and stables, cost all of £9,000 (almost £1 million in 2011).

Over the main staircase, a vast, stained-glass window pictured the ancestry of the Wards stretching back to EDWARD III.

When Bangor Borough Council acquired the castle and grounds, the music saloon became the council chamber.

For further reading, the Ward Papers are deposited at the PRONI.

The first Council meeting was held there almost exactly 100 years after the building - now known as the town hall - was first completed.

The successor to Bangor Borough Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council, now sits at the Castle.

The Castle Park gardens have won many awards for their outstanding blooms.

Ward Park was leased from the Ward family as a public park from 1909.

It was designed by Cheal’s Nurseries, who won a competition to plan the layout.

It is formal and includes a 1st World War memorial. 

The Walled Garden opened to the general public in 2009 following major restoration by the council's Parks Department.

First published in February, 2011.

House of Wellesley

The surname of this eminent family was originally COWLEY, or COLLEY, and it deduces, paternally, its descent from 

WALTER COWLEY, Solicitor-General for Ireland in 1537; who, on surrendering that office, in 1546, to John Bathe, was appointed, in 1548, Surveyor-General of that kingdom.

The elder son and heir of this learned person,

THE RT HON SIR HENRY COLLEY, of Castle Carbery, who was a captain in ELIZABETH I's army, a privy counsellor, and a personage of considerable influence, wedded Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Cusack, of Cussington, County Meath, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and had two sons,

George (Sir), of Edenderry;
HENRY, of whom hereafter.

Sir Henry Colley, of Castle Carbery, in the reign of ELIZABETH I, was Constable of Philipstown Fort, Seneschal of the King's County, and providore of the army.

He married, in 1561, Anne, second daughter of the Most Rev Adam Loftus, Lord Archbishop of Dublin, by whom he had six sons and two daughters, namely,

George (Sir);

Henry (Sir);

Gerald/Garret;

Dudley;

Walter;

Christopher;

Eleanor; Mary.

Sir Henry died in 1584, and was succeeded by his second son,

SIR HENRY COLLEY (c1585-1637), of Castle Carbery, who married Anne, daughter and heiress of Christopher Peyton, Auditor-General of Ireland; who was succeeded by his eldest son,

DUDLEY COLLEY (c1621-74), of Castle Carbery, MP for Philipstown, 1661, who espoused firstly, Anne, daughter of Henry Warren, of Grangebegg, County Kildare, and had issue,

Henry;

ELIZABETH; Ellen; Mary.

ELIZABETH, the third but eldest surviving daughter, married Garrett Wellesley, of Dangan, County Meath.

Mr Wellesley was succeeded by his elder son,

WILLIAM WELLESLEY, of Dangan, at whose decease, without an heir, the estates devolved upon his brother,

GARRETT WELLESLEY, who died without issue, in 1728, when all his estates devolved upon his cousin,

RICHARD COLLEY, on that gentleman's assumption of the surname and arms of WELLESLEY.

Mr Colley's younger son,

RICHARD COLLEY (c1690-1758), having succeeded, in 1728, to the estates of the Wellesley family, assumed the surname and arms of WELLESLEY.

This gentleman's descendant, Elizabeth Colley, married Garrett Wellesley, of Dangan, by whom she was mother of Garrett Wellesley, member in several parliaments for County Meath, who died in 1728, leaving all his estates to his cousin, Richard Colley, second son of Henry, above named, on condition of his taking the name and arms of WELLESLEY.

In 1713, Mr Colley had been appointed Second Chamberlain of the Court of Exchequer in Ireland, and MP for Trim, 1729-46, until elevated to the peerage, in 1746, in the dignity of Baron Mornington.

His lordship wedded, in 1719, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of John Sale LL.D, registrar of the diocese of Dublin, and MP for Carysfort, by whom he had one surviving son and four daughters.

On his decease, in 1758, he was succeeded by his only son,

GARRET, 2nd Baron (1735-81); who was further advanced, in 1760, to the dignities of Viscount Mornington and EARL OF MORNINGTON.

Garret, 1st Earl of Mornington,
by unknown 18th century Irish portrait painter (Wikipedia)

He espoused, in 1759, Anne, daughter of Arthur, Viscount Dungannon, of Belvoir Park, Newtownbreda, County Down.

Lady Mornington subsequently enjoyed the multiplied glories and well-earned honours of her children.

They had issue,

RICHARD, 2nd Earl of Mornington and 1st Marquess Wellesley;
Arthur Gerald, died in childhood;
WILLIAM, Baron Maryborough;
ARTHUR, DUKE OF WELLINGTON, KG etc;

and five other offspring.

Lineage of Wellesley

The very eminent family of Wesley, or Wellesley, or, as it was formerly written, de Welesley, alias Welseley, was founded in Ireland by a gentleman of that name, of an ancient Anglo-Saxon family, who held the honourable station of standard-bearer to HENRY II; and having accompanied that monarch into Ireland in 1172, obtained for his military services large grants of land in the counties of Meath and Kildare, a considerable portion of which his descendants enjoyed.

From this successful soldier descended

WILLIAM DE WELLESLEY, High Sheriff of County Kildare, 1368, who appears to have been summoned to parliament as a baron of the realm, by the title of Baron Noragh, in 1330, and had a grant by patent from EDWARD II of the custody of Kildare castle for life; but that monarch conferring subsequently the office upon John FitzThomas, Earl of Kildare, together with the county of Kildare, to hold to his male heirs forever, William de Wellesley was removed, and lost the fee of £20 a year annexed thereunto; in recompense whereof, however, EDWARD III granted him a commission, dated 1342.

His lordship was father of

SIR RICHARD DE WELLESLEY, who served the office of High Sheriff of County Kildare, 1415-16 and 1422.

This gentleman does not appear to have inherited the barony from his father, and for what reason that dignity ceased with the first possessor has not been ascertained.

Sir Richard wedded Johan, eldest daughter and eventually heiress of Sir Nicholas de Castlemartin, by which alliance he obtained the lordships of Dangan, Mornington, Clonabreany, and several other manors, and was succeeded by his son,

GERALD DE WELLESLEY, of Dangan, from whom lineally descended

WILLIAM WELLESLEY, of Dangan Castle, who wedded Elizabeth, daughter of James Cusack, of Portrane, County Dublin; and was succeeded by his eldest son,

VALERIAN WELLESLEY, of Dangan Castle.

This gentleman espoused Anne, widow of Christopher Nugent (brother of 1st Earl of Westmeath); by whom he was father of Garrett Wellesley, who wedded, as stated above, Miss Colley. 

First published in March, 2012.

Belan House

THE EARLS OF ALDBOROUGH OWNED 964 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY KILDARE

It is said that the family of STRATFORD can be traced from the time of ALFRED THE GREAT; but our account shall commence in 1660 with ROBERT STRATFORD, a younger branch of the house of MEREVALE, and the first who settled in Ireland, one of the original burgesses in the charter constituting Baltinglass a borough.

Robert Stratford, MP for County Wicklow, 1692-3, married, in 1662, a daughter of Oliver Walsh, of Ballykilcavan, Queen's County, by whom he had issue,

EDWARD, his successor;
Francis, Consul at Bordeaux, dsp;
Grace; Mary; Elizabeth; Abigail; Jane; Anne; Catherine.

Mr Stratford died in 1699, and was succeeded by his elder son,

EDWARD STRATFORD (1664-1740), who purchased Great Belan, and other lands in County Kildare, from the Viscount Fitzhardinge.

This gentleman was a staunch supporter of the Revolution, and entertained WILLIAM III at Belan.

He married Elizabeth, daughter of Euseby Baisley, of Ricketstown, County Carlow, and had, with a daughter,

Robert;
Eusebius;
JOHN, of whom presently.

The youngest son,

JOHN STRATFORD (c1697-1777), MP for Baltinglass, 1721-59, during the reigns of the first three GEORGES, was raised to the peerage, in 1763, in the dignity of Baron Baltinglass.

He was advanced to a viscountcy, in 1776, as Viscount Aldborough.

His lordship was further advanced, in 1777, to the dignities of Viscount Amiens and EARL OF ALDBOROUGH.

He married Martha, daughter and co-heir of the Ven. Benjamin O'Neale, Archdeacon of Leighlin, by whom he had six sons and nine daughters.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

EDWARD, 2nd Earl (1736-1801), who espoused firstly, Barbara, daughter of the Hon Nicholas Herbert, of Great Glemham, in Suffolk; and secondly, in 1788, Elizabeth, only daughter 1st Baron Henniker, though the marriage was without issue.

His lordship was succeeded by his brother,

JOHN, 3rd Earl (1740-1823), MP for Baltinglass, 1763-75, who wedded, in 1777, Elizabeth, daughter of the Hon and Rev Frederick Hamilton, and great-granddaughter of William, 3rd Duke of Hamilton; by whom he had three daughters,

Louisa;
Elizabeth;
Emily.

His lordship died without male issue, and was succeeded by his brother,

BENJAMIN O'NEALE, 4th Earl (1746-1833), MP for Baltinglass, 1777, who married, in 1774, Martha, only child and heiress of John Burton, and niece and heiress of Mason Gerard, by whom he had issue,

MASON GERARD, his successor;
Eliza; Sophia.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

MASON GERARD, 5th Earl (1784-1849), who wedded, in 1804 (divorced 1826) Cornelia Jane, a daughter of Charles Henry Tandy, of Waterford, by whom his lordship had an only child,

BENJAMIN O'NEALE, 6th Earl (1808-75), Captain, 15th Light Dragoons, who died unmarried, at Alicante, Spain, when the titles expired.

The 1st Earl of Aldborough reviewing Volunteers at Belan House (Image: The National Trust)

BELAN HOUSE, near Ballitore, County Kildare, was said to have been one of the biggest 18th century gable-ended houses in Ireland

It was built in 1743 for the 1st Earl of Aldborough by Richard Castle, in collaboration with Francis Bindon.

Belan comprised three storeys; an eleven-bay front; three centre bays and the two outer bays breaking forward.

A central Venetian window was above the tripartite doorway.

The roof parapet had recessed panelling and urns.

There was also an elegant stable block; and a domed Doric rotunda in the park.

Belan House remained intact, though uninhabitable, until 1837, when the family left owing to impecunious circumstances.

During the lifetime of the 4th Earl, owing to his reckless gambling and extravagant mode of living, the property became heavily mortgaged.

After 1823, the estate became neglected.

During Lord Aldborough's absence abroad, it is said that the family lawyer, a man named Lewis, illegally obtained a long lease of Belan and, together with a friend of his named Mercer, brought about the dismantlement of the house and demesne by gradually auctioning off every stick and stone they could move.

The cut-stone work of the parapet and other parts of the house were sold, and used in the erection of public buildings in Athy; the furniture and chimney pieces were parted with, and the statuary in the grounds suffered a similar fate; the doors and shutters are said to have been used for flooring the stable lofts at Newtown House, near Bolton Castle.

For miles around there is hardly a place which does not possess some fragments of Belan's former grandeur.

At Bolton Castle, in the garden, is a block of composite, bearing the Aldborough crest.

The great iron gates within view of the hall door at Carton House originally hung at the Belan gate lodge.

The only trace now showing the extent of Belan demesne in former times are three stone obelisks.

ALDBOROUGH HOUSE is amongst the most important surviving historic houses in Dublin.

Located on Portland Row, it was the last great mansion to be built in Dublin city during the second half of the 18th century.

Aldborough House was built in 1796 by Edward, 2nd Earl of Aldborough, from whom Aldborough Place, Amiens Street and Stratford Row receive their names.

Stratford House was the family's town residence in London.

STRATFORD HOUSE, Stratford Place, the family's London residence, is now the premises of the Oriental Club.

The building was constructed in the 1770s for the 2nd Earl, who paid £4,000 for the site (formerly occupied by the Lord Mayor of London's Banqueting House) along with the Robert Adam-inspired building.

The House was variously remoulded over the years with new plumbing and a second storey on the east and west wings in the 1890s.

However it was in 1908 when Lord Derby bought the lease that the most extensive alterations were set in motion.

He purchased additional property in Marylebone Lane, removed the stables and built a Banqueting Hall with a grand ballroom above (the last privately owned ballroom to be built in this country).

It was a spectacular room of Italian design which was converted when the house was acquired by the Oriental Club.

When Stratford House was purchased by the Oriental Club in 1960, it was necessary to make certain alterations, as the needs of a Club were different to those of a town house of the nobility.

The ballroom was converted into two floors of bedrooms, additional lifts were installed and alterations to the Banqueting Hall were made, which is now the Dining Room.

The recent addition of eight new bedrooms continues the Oriental Club's tradition of providing a welcoming and comfortable home-from-home for its Members in the centre of London.

First published in August, 2013.   Aldborough arms courtesy of European Heraldry.