1st Baron Cushendun

TORQUIL MacNEILL, born ca 1380, Chief of the Clan Neill, of Taynish and Gigha, Constable of Castle Sween, in Knapdale, Argyllshire, was father of

HECTOR McNEILL, Constable of Castle Sween, 1463-72, whose eldest son, 

NEILL McNEILL, was father of

NEILL McNEILL, of Taynish, who became his heir-in-law to Gigha in 1554.

His eldest son, 

TORQUIL McNEILL, of Taynish and Gigha, had two sons, of whom the elder,

NEILL McNEILL, had, with other issue, a second son,

NEILL OGE McNEILL, of Durlocher, father of

LACHLAN McNEILL, of Terfergus and Losset, Argyllshire, who wedded firstly, Mary McNeill, of Colonsay, and had a large family.

The third son,

NEILL McNEILL, settled in County Antrim, 1676, and married Rose Stuart, of Garry, in the same county, by whom he had issue,

LACHLAN McNEILL, of Cushendun, County Antrim, who wedded Jane Macnaghten, of Benvarden, County Antrim, and had several children.

The eldest son,

NEILL McNEILL, of Cushendun, espoused Christian Hamilton, of Londonderry, and was father of

EDMUND McNEILL, of Cushendun, who married Elizabeth, daughter of John Hamilton, of Londonderry.

Mr McNeill died in 1790, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

EDMUND ALEXANDER McNEILL JP (c1785-1879), of Cushendun, who was served heir, in 1815, to the entailed estate of Ugadale, in Kintyre; but in an action to recover possession, was defeated by the prescriptive title of the occupier.

He wedded, in 1817, Rose, eldest daughter of Alexander McNeile JP, of Colliers Hall, Ballycastle, and had, with other issue,

EDMUND McNEILL JP DL (1821-1915), of Craigdun and Cushendun, County Antrim, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1879, who married, in 1851, Mary, eldest daughter of Alexander Miller, of Ballycastle, by Jane, his wife, second daughter of Alexander McNeile, of Colliers Hall, and had, with other issue,

RONALD JOHN McNEILL, 1ST BARON CUSHENDUN PC DL.

The Rt Hon Ronald John McNeill (1861-1934), statesman, parliamentarian, was elevated to the peerage, in 1927, in the dignity of BARON CUSHENDUN, of Cushendun, County Antrim.

A barrister by profession, he was elected Member of Parliament for Kent, St. Austine's Division between 1911-27; Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs between 1922-24; Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs between 1924-25; Financial Secretary to the Treasury between 1925-27.

Lord Cushendun was appointed a privy counsellor in 1927, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 1927-29.

Lord Cushendun took his title from the village designed by Clough Williams-Ellis in memory of his Cornish wife, Maud, who died in 1925.

He was acting Foreign Secretary in 1928.

Lord Cushendun retired from office in 1929, and died five years later in Cushendun.

He married Elizabeth Maud Bolitho in 1884, and they had three daughters:

Esther Rose;
Loveday Violet;
Mary Morvenna Bolitho.

Elizabeth, Lady Cushendun, died in 1925.

Lord Cushendun married Catherine Sydney Louisa Margesson as his second wife in 1930. She survived him, dying in 1939.

He died without male issue in 1934, when the title became extinct.

GLENMONA HOUSE, Neo-Georgian in style, was built in 1923 to replace an earlier house which was burnt in 1922.

The National Trust remarks that Glenmona Lodge was built around 1834 and later enlarged by Michael Harrison.

Ronald John McNeill, 1st Baron Cushendun came to live at Glenmona in 1910 and set about transforming the village.

His rebuilding of Glenmona House, however, was forced upon him when the IRA burned the house down in 1922.

He consequently commissioned Clough Williams-Ellis to design a new house, built from the remaining shell of the original. A new wing was added to the side.

The house, along with most of the McNeills' property in the village, was bought by the National Trust in 1954.

For several years the house was leased to the Health and Social Care Board and used as a nursing home.

It has since, however, been taken back by the National Trust.

Since then, the local community and key stakeholders have been involved in an ongoing consultation about its future.

The family's main residence became CRAIGDUN CASTLE; while Glenmona was increasingly used as a holiday home.

Glenmona comprises two storeys at the front and three at the rear.

The principal front has two, three-sided bows joined by an arcade on Tuscan columns.

The roof is high with a solid parapet; external shutters to the windows.

Glenmona was originally a residence of General the 3rd Viscount O'Neill (1780-1855).

Former London residence ~ 18 Cadogan Place.

First published in May, 2010.

Salt Island Acquisition

SELECTIVE ACQUISITIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

PROPERTY: SALT ISLAND & Green Island, Strangford Lough, County Down

DATE:  1980

EXTENT: 65.98 acres

DONOR:  William Thompson

Salt Island (Image: Longshore International.com)

First published in February, 2015.

Hampstead Hall

THE McCLINTOCKS OF HAMPSTEAD HALL OWNED 54 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY LONDONDERRY

JOHN McCLINTOCK, son of John McClintock, of Hampstead Hall, County Londonderry, by Sarah his wife, daughter of James Acheson, married Margaret, daughter of Robert Alexander, merchant of Derry, and had issue,

WILLIAM KERR, his heir;
John;
Robert;
Hugh;
James;
Samuel, of Gransha lodge;
Eliza; Anne; Jane.

Mr McClintock died in 1802, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

WILLIAM KERR McCLINTOCK JP (1788-1841), of Hampstead Hall, who wedded, in 1818, Sarah, eldest daughter of William Macky, of Derry, and had issue,

John Kerr;
William Kerr Macky;
THOMPSON MACKY, of whom hereafter;
Kerr;
Sarah; Anne; Ellen Macky; Louisa.

The third son,

THOMPSON MACKY McCLINTOCK JP (1826-1904), of Hampstead Hall, Captain, 87th Royal Irish Fusiliers, espoused, in 1856, Sarah Maria, elder daughter of the Rev John Conyngham McCausland, Rector of Clonmore, County Louth, and Sarah Anne his wife, daughter of Edward Elsmere and Sarah de Renzi his wife, of Clobemon Hall and Baltinglass, County Wexford, and had issue,

WILLIAM KERR, his heir;
John Conyngham;
Kerr;
Edward Elsmere;
Sarah Louisa; Ada Elsmere; Sydney Maria; Elizabeth Maude.

The eldest son,

WILLIAM KERR McCLINTOCK (1858-1940), of Hampstead Hall, and Redvers House, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Colonel Commanding 1st Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, married, in 1895, Edith Mary, daughter of William Rowland Swanston, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and had issue,

William Kerr, b 1896;
Violet Kerr, 1902-3;
Anne Kerr, b 1904;
Margaret Kerr, b 1908.

HAMPSTEAD HALL, Culmore Road, Londonderry, is a two-storey, five bay Georgian house over a basement.

Two chimneystacks are prominent, as do quoins.

It has a hipped roof and a central, fan-lighted doorway with Tuscan-style, Doric columns.

Hampstead Hall was once called Greenhaw.

It is thought that the present house dates from 1820, and was rebuilt ca 1850.

Hampstead was owned from 1959 till 1979 by Mr Halliday; later by Dr Duff, who sold the land for housing development and erected a bungalow nearby.

The present owner bought the house with existing gardens and outbuildings in 1982.

During the 2nd World War the land was occupied with military installations.

The current owner has begun restoring the house and recapturing its architectural character and detailing.

It is renowned for its fine, landscaped gardens.

First published in February, 2017.

1st Earl of Cork

Coat-of-arms of the Barons Boyle

THE EARLS OF CORK AND ORRERY WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY CORK, WITH 20,195 ACRES

LEWIS BOYLE, of Bidney, Herefordshire, descendant of Ludowick Boyle (living in the reign of HENRY III), was founder of the Friars in the city of Hereford, and was living in the time of HENRY VI (1421-71).

He married Elizabeth, daughter of William Russell, of Hereford, and had issue, two sons, of whom the younger son,

ROGER BOYLE, of Canterbury, Kent, wedded Jane, daughter of Thomas Patishall, of Hereford, and had, with other issue, three sons,

John, of Hereford;

ROGER, of whom hereafter;

Michael, ancestor of Boyle, VISCOUNT BLESINGTON.

The second son,

ROGER BOYLE, of Canterbury and Preston, by Haversham, Kent, espoused, in 1564, Joan, daughter of John Naylor, of Renville, Kent.

He died in 1576, having had issue, three sons and two daughters, of whom,

John (Rt Rev), Lord Bishop of Cork and Cloyne;

RICHARD, of whom presently;

Mary, m Sir Richard Smyth, of Ballynatray.

The second son,

THE RT HON RICHARD BOYLE (1566-1643), studied law at the Middle Temple; but despairing, from his scanty means, of being able to pursue his studies, embarked for Ireland as an adventurer; and having obtained, after suffering some persecutions from the local authorities, the favour and protection of ELIZABETH I, amassed considerable wealth, received the honour of Knighthood, was sworn of the Privy Council, and elevated to the Peerage of that Kingdom, 1616, as Baron Boyle, Baron of Youghal (whose armorial bearings are atop); and, in 1620, created Viscount Dungarvan, County Waterford, and EARL OF CORK.

His lordship, who was called "The great Earl of Cork," and who left a narrative of his remarkable career, entitled The True Remembrancer, married firstly,  in 1595, Joan, daughter and co-heir of William Apsley, of Limerick, with whom he acquired an estate of 500l a year, but by whom he had no issue.

Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork (Image: National Gallery of Ireland)

He wedded secondly, 1603, Catherine, daughter of Sir Geoffrey Fenton, Knight, Principal Secretary of State for Ireland, and had,

RICHARD, his successor;

Geoffrey;

Lewis;

ROGER, created EARL OF ORRERY;

Francis, created VISCOUNT SHANNON;

Robert, of Stalbridge, Dorset;

Alice; Sarah; Lettice; Joan; Katherine; Dorothy; Mary; Margaret.

The great Earl of Cork, who was Lord Treasurer of Ireland, died at Youghal, 1643, and lies interred in his chapel with an inscription expressing his own marriages, titles and employments, which concludes with this distich ~

"Sic posui tumulum, superest intendere Votis

 Parce animæ, carnem solvito, Christe veni."

The 1st Earl's wife, Lady Cork, died previously in Dublin, 1629-30, and was privately buried in a vault wherein a fair monument is erected, headed with this motto, "God's providence is our inheritance."

Lord Cork's principal country seat in Ireland was Lismore Castle in County Waterford.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD, 2nd Earl of Cork and 1st Earl of Burlington (1612-98), of Burlington House, Mayfair, London, who espoused, in 1635, the Lady Elizabeth Clifford, daughter and heiress of Henry, 5th Earl of Cumberland.

He succeeded his younger brother as Viscount Boyle in 1642, and his father as Earl of Cork, 1643, and was made a Peer of England, in 1644, as Baron Clifford, of Lanesborough, Yorkshire; and, in 1664, was created EARL OF BURLINGTON.

He had issue,

CHARLES, styled Viscount Dungarvan; father of 3rd Earl;

Richard, died at the battle of Lowestoft;

Frances; Elizabeth; Mary Anne; Henrietta.

His lordship was succeeded by his grandson,

CHARLES, 3rd Earl of Cork and 2nd Earl of Burlington, who married, in 1688, Juliana, daughter and heiress of the Hon Henry Noel, of Luffenham, Rutland (2nd son of 3rd Viscount Campden), and had issue,

RICHARD, his successor;

Elizabeth; Juliana; Jane; Henrietta.

His lordship died in 1704, and was succeeded by his only son,

RICHARD, 4th Earl of Cork and 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694-1753), KG, who wedded, in 1720, the Lady Dorothy Savile, elder daughter and co-heir of William, 2nd Marquess of Halifax, and by her, who died in 1758, had three daughters.

His lordship claimed, in 1737, the Barony of Clifford, as great-grandson of the Lady Elizabeth Clifford, daughter and heir of Henry, Lord Clifford; and the House of Lords acknowledged and confirmed his lordship's' right thereto.

This nobleman was eminent as a munificent encourager of literature and the fine arts, and as the friend of Pope he will be ever remembered.

He died in 1753, and having an only surviving daughter, CHARLOTTE, who had married the 4th Duke of Devonshire, and inherited the Barony of Clifford, all his lordship's other English honours ceased, while those of Ireland devolved upon his kinsman,

JOHN (1707-62), 5th Earl of Cork and 5th Earl of Orrery, in Ireland, and Baron Boyle of Marston in Great Britain (refer to Roger, third son of 1st Earl of Cork), who wedded firstly, in 1728, the Lady Henrietta Hamilton, youngest daughter of George, 1st Earl of Orkney, and had issue,

Charles, styled Viscount Dungarvan, dvp;

HAMILTON, 6th Earl;

Elizabeth.

He espoused secondly, in 1738, Margaret, daughter and sole heir of John Hamilton, of Caledon, County Tyrone, and had further issue,

EDMUND, 7th Earl;

Lucy; Catherine.

His lordship distinguished himself in the republic of letters, and was the friend of Swift, upon whom, and whose writings, he published Remarks.

He died in 1762, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

HAMILTON, 6th Earl of Cork (1729-64), MP for Charleville, 1759-60, and for Warwick, 1751-62, Doctor of Civil Law (DCL), Oxford, who died unmarried, when the honours devolved upon his half-brother,

EDMUND, 7th Earl (1742-98), who married, in 1764, Anne, daughter and heir of Kelland Courtenay, of Painsford, Devon, and had issue,

John Richard, styled Viscount Dungarvan, dvp 1768;

EDMUND, 8th Earl;

Courtenay (Sir), Vice-admiral;

Lucy Isabella.

The 7th Earl, whose first marriage was dissolved in 1782, wedded secondly, 1786, Mary, youngest daughter of 1st Viscount Galway.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

EDMUND, 8th Earl (1767-1856), KP, a General in the Army, ADC to The King, who espoused, in 1795, Isabella Henrietta, third daughter of William Poyntz, of Midgham, Berkshire, and had issue,

EDMUND WILLIAM, styled Viscount Dungarvan, dvp 1826;

George Richard ((1799-1810);

CHARLES, styled Viscount Dungarvan; father of 9th Earl;

JOHN, from whom the 12th, 13th, and 14th Earls descended;

Robert Edward, MP;

Richard Cavendish (Rev);

Isabella Elizabeth; Lucy Georgina; Louisa.

His lordship was succeeded by his grandson,  

RICHARD EDMUND ST LAWRENCE, 9th Earl (1829-1904), KP, ADC to QUEEN VICTORIA, 1889-99, who married, in 1853, the Lady Emily Charlotte de Burgh, second daughter of Ulick, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde, KP, and had issue,

CHARLES SPENCER CANNING, 10th Earl;

ROBERT JOHN LASCELLES, 11th Earl;

FitzAdelm Alfred Wentworth;

Emily Harriet Catherine; Grace Elizabeth; Honora Janet; Dorothy Blanche; Isabel Lettice Theodosia; Bertha Louise Canning.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

CHARLES SPENCER CANNING, 10th Earl (1861-1925), who wedded, in 1918, Rosalie (Mrs Gray), daughter of William Waterman de Villiers, of Romsey, Hampshire, and dsp 1925, when he was succeeded by his brother,

ROBERT JOHN LASCELLES, 11th Earl (1864-1934), who wedded, in 1890, Josephine Catherine, only child of Joseph P Hale, of San Francisco, California, USA, and dsp 1934, when he was succeeded by his kinsman,

WILLIAM HENRY DUDLEY, as 12th Earl (1873-1967), GCB, GCVO, Admiral of the Fleet, who married, in 1902, the Lady Florence Cecilia Keppel, daughter of William, 7th Earl of Albemarle.

The marriage was without issue, and the honours reverted to his kinsman,

PATRICK REGINALD, as 13th Earl (1910-95), who wedded firstly, in 1952, Dorothy Kate, daughter of  Robert Ramsden; and secondly, in 1978, Mary Gabrielle, daughter of Louis Ginnett.

The marriages were without issue, and the honours reverted to his kinsman,

JOHN WILLIAM, as 14th Earl (1916-2003), DSC, VRD, who wedded, in 1943, Mary Leslie, daughter of General Sir Robert Gordon-Finlayson, and had issue,

JOHN RICHARD, his successor;

Robert William;

Charles Reginald.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN RICHARD, 15th Earl, born in 1945, Lieutenant-Commander RN (Rtd), who married, in 1973, Rebecca Juliet, daughter of the Rt Hon Michael Antony Cristobal Noble, Baron Glenkinglas, PC, and has issue,

RORY JONATHAN COURTENAY, styled Viscount Dungarvan, his heir;

Cara Mary Cecilia; Davina Clare Theresa.                                                                                                                                                            

Lord Cork also owned 11,531 acres of land in County Kerry, 3,398 acres in Somerset, and 3,189 acres in County Limerick.

Ancestral seats ~ Lismore Castle, County Waterford; Marston Bigot Park, Frome, Somerset.

Former London residences ~  Burlington House, Mayfair; 68, South Audley Street.

Former Dublin residence ~ Cork House, Dame Street.

Ardgillan Castle

THE TAYLORS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MEATH, WITH 9,000 ACRES AND 805 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DUBLIN

THE HON AND REV HENRY EDWARD TAYLOUR (1768-1852), youngest son of Thomas, 1st Earl of Bective KP, married, in 1807, Marianne, eldest daughter of Colonel the Hon Richard St Leger, and had issue,

THOMAS EDWARD, his heir;
Richard Chambré Hayes (General Sir), GCB;
Marianne Jane; Louisa Catherine.

The eldest son,

THE RT HON THOMAS EDWARD TAYLOR JP DL (1811-83), of Ardgillan Castle, County Dublin, MP for County Dublin, 1841-83, Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Meath Militia, 1847-74, Honorary Colonel.

Colonel Taylor, who was a Lord of the Treasury 1858-59, and Joint Secretary of the Treasury 1866-68, was appointed in the last-named year Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and again in 1874-80.

He married, in 1862, Louisa Harrington, second daughter of the Rev and Hon Hugh Francis Tollemache, Rector of Harrington, Northamptonshire, and had issue,

EDWARD RICHARD, his heir;
Basil Reginald Hamilton, Lieutenant RN;
Cecil Cornelia Marianne St Leger; Beatrix Virginia Louisa Tollemache (twins).

Colonel Taylor died at his sister's house, 15 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin, and was buried in the family vault at Balbriggan, County Dublin.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

EDWARD RICHARD TAYLOR JP DL (1863-1938), of Ardgillan Castle, Captain, Grenadier Guards, who espoused, in 1935, Ada, daughter of William Howe Bodley, though the marriage was without issue.

ARDGILLAN CASTLE, near Balbriggan, County Dublin, is set in the 200-acre Ardgillan demesne.

Featuring castellated embellishments, the building overlooks Barnageera Beach, the Irish Sea and Dublin (Balbriggan).

The castle comprises two storeys over a basement, which extends under the south lawns.

When occupied, the ground and first floors were the living accommodation; while the west and east wings were servants quarters and estate offices.

The basement was the service floor, the kitchen and stores.

The castle has now been restored and the ground floor rooms and kitchens are open to visitors for guided tours.

Tea-rooms are located off the main reception area and serving light snacks are open in conjunction with the Castle opening times.

Upstairs, the former bedrooms are used for classes and exhibitions including a permanent and unique exhibition of the "Down Survey" colour maps and text.

Ardgillan demesne is a popular local park, with a mix of woodlands and large grass open spaces.

The park contains a walled herb garden, rose garden, Victorian conservatory, tea rooms and an ice house.

A children's playground was added in 2006.

Ardgillan Castle provides guided tours and hosts exhibitions throughout the years.

A new Holistic Centre is set in the former Gardener's House in the corner of the Rose Garden.

The previous owner of the land was Robert Usher, a wine merchant from Tallaght.

When the Very Rev Robert Taylor bought the land it was quite a wooded area, so he employed some out of service soldiers from Bangor, County Down, and paid them one penny and a meal per day, as well as bed every night. They also received a tot of Bushmills whiskey, which was brought in for 2/2 a gallon.

The Castle was built by the Very Rev Robert Taylor in 1738.

The Very Rev Robert Taylor, Dean of Clonfert, was born in 1689 in Cheshire.

In 1714, having studied Holy Orders at Trinity College Dublin, he was appointed Archdeacon of Kilmacduagh in the Province of Tuam.

In 1722, he was appointed Precentor of Clonfert, where his brother-in-law Dr Fitzgerald was Dean.

By 1726 he was appointed Dean of Clonfert, only to resign within months.

Robert Taylor died unmarried in 1744 and Ardgillan, together with its estate, became the property of his eldest brother Sir Thomas Taylor, 2nd Baronet.

Ardgillan remained in the Taylor family until 1962, when the estate was sold to Heinrich Potts, of Westphalia, Germany.

In 1982, the estate was sold to Fingal County Council, which renovated the house.

It was officially opened to the public in 1992.

First published in April, 2013.

The Moore Baronets

THE RT HON SIR WILLIAM MOORE WAS THE SECOND LORD CHIEF JUSTICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND

JAMES MOORE migrated from Cumberland in the reign of JAMES I, and settled at Ballynacree More, parish of Ballymoney, County Antrim.

His grandson,

JAMES MOORE (c1650-c1727), of Ballynacree, was a member of the Society of Friends, and was distrained for tithes each year, 1675-82, by the Incumbent of Ballymoney, County Antrim.

His will, dated 1727, was proved by his three sons,

William, of Killead;
James, of Ballynacree;
JOSEPH, of whom presently.

The third son,

JOSEPH MOORE (c1684-), of Cullytrumin House and Rosnashane, County Antrim, wedded, in 1706, Susan Brady, of Grange, in same county, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
James, of Desertderrin, ancestor of MOORE of Moorefort;
John, ancestor of MOORE of Lischeihan;
Joseph, of Ahoghill;
Samson, of Moore Lodge;
George.

The eldest son,

WILLIAM MOORE (1708-), of Cullytrumin House and Rosnashane, espoused Elizabeth Courtenay, of Glenburn, and had (with three daughters), two sons,

JOSEPH, his heir;
William, of Killagan.

The elder son,

JOSEPH MOORE (c1735-), of Cullytrumin House and Rosnashane, a barrister, married Susan, daughter of Joseph Courtenay, of Glenburn, and had issue (with two daughters), three sons,

William, died young;
Thomas, Midshipman RN, drowned;
SAMSON, his successor.

The third and only surviving son,

SAMSON MOORE, of Cullytrumin House and Rosnashane, Captain, Finvoy Yeomanry, wedded, in 1787, Jane Ramadge, of Mullens, and had issue,

Thomas, died unmarried;
ALEXANDER, his heir;
William, military officer;
Joseph, died young;
Elizabeth; Jane; Martha; Alice.

Captain Moore died in 1832, and was succeeded by his second son,

DR ALEXANDER MOORE (c1795-1840), of Cullytrumin House and Rosnashane (which property was sold at his death), married, in 1821, Mary, daughter of Rev B Mitchell, and great-granddaughter of James Moore, of Desertderrin, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Samson, died unmarried;
Alexander, Colonel in the US Army;
George;
Thomas;
Courtenay (Rev), Rector of Mitchelstown and Canon of Cloyne;
Mary; Jane; Elizabeth.

Dr Moore died in 1840, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

DR WILLIAM MOORE JP (1826-1901), of Moore Lodge, County Antrim, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1890, President of the King and Queen's College of Physicians in Ireland, 1883-84, King's Professor of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Physician-in-Ordinary to the Queen in Ireland, 1885 espoused, in 1863, Sidney Blanche, daughter of Captain Abraham Fuller, of Woodfield, King's County, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
John;
Alexander;
George Abraham (Dr);
Sydney William;
Roger Clotworthy.

The eldest son,

THE RT HON SIR WILLIAM MOORE (1864-1934), of Moore Lodge, married, in 1888, Helen Gertrude, fourth daughter of Joseph Wilson, of Clonmore, County Dublin (DL for Co Armagh), and had issue,

WILLIAM SAMSON, his successor;
Joseph Roger, b 1895;
Nina Mary Adelaide.

• MP for North Antrim, 1899-1906
• MP for North Armagh, 1906-17
• PPS to Chief Secretary for Ireland, 1902-04
• Puisne Judge, 1917
• Lord Justice of Appeal, 1921
• Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, 1925-37

 PRIVY COUNSELLORS (IRELAND)

The KING has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of His Majesty's Birthday, to declare that the following shall be sworn of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council in Ireland:- The Hon William Moore KC, One of the Judges of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 3 JUNE, 1932 

The KING has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of His Majesty's Birthday, to signify his intention of conferring Baronetcies of the United Kingdom on the following:- The Right Honourable William Moore LL.D, DL, Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.

Sir William was the eldest son of Queen Victoria's honorary physician in Ireland, Dr William Moore of Rosnashane, Ballymoney. 

His family had come to Ulster during the Plantation, at which time they were Quakers, and settled at Ballymoney (the Moore Lodge estate was to be inherited from a relative).

In 1903, he was one of the first landowners in Ireland to sell off their estates under the Land Acts.

By the early 1920s, he owned a Belfast pied-à-terre called 'Glassnabreedon' at Whitehouse, north of Belfast, which was once owned by the son of Nicholas Grimshaw (1747-1805), Ireland's first cotton pioneer.

He was created a baronet in 1932, designated of Moore Lodge, County Antrim.

Sir William was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR WILLIAM SAMSON MOORE, 2nd Baronet (1891-1978), JP DL, of Moore Lodge, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1944, who wedded, in 1915, Ethel Cockburn Gordon, daughter of Walter Livingstone Wheeler, and had issue,

WILLIAM ROGER CLOTWORTHY, his successor;
Nina Pamela (1916-68).

Sir William was succeeded by his only son,

SIR WILLIAM ROGER CLOTWORTHY MOORE, 3rd Baronet (1927-2019), TD JP DL, of Moore Lodge, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1964, Major, North Irish Horse, 1950-63, who married, in 1954, Gillian (d 2016), daughter of John Brown, of County Antrim, and had issue,

RICHARD WILLIAM, his successor ;
Belinda Jane Eve, b 1956.

Sir William was succeeded by his only son,

SIR RICHARD WILLIAM MOORE, 4th Baronet (1955-), of Huxham House, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, who wedded, in 1985, Karen Furness, and has issue,

Charlotte; Sophie; Fenella.

MOORE LODGE, near Ballymoney, County Antrim, is a beautifully positioned house, set high above the River Bann, surrounded by trees and lawns in a small, good quality parkland.

In 1876, the Moores owned 1,470 acres of land in County Antrim.

It was described in 1814 as ‘certainly one of the prettiest and most retired spots in this county’.

The original 17th century house was apparently burnt in 1729 and replaced post 1759 by the present Georgian building, which was improved in the 1840s and had an extension added in 1901.

There was a notable garden in the early part of the 20th century, which is now only remembered by an unpublished account written in 1951, The Gardens of Moore Lodge 1902-1939.

The pigeon house or dovecote in the grounds dates from before 1832.

Moore Lodge remained continuously with the Moore family since the early 18th century.

It was for sale in 2021.

First published in June, 2010.  Moore arms courtesy of the NLI.

Tobar Mhuire

JAMES CLELAND OWNED 3,544 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DOWN

The family of RUTHVEN were scions of the Earls of Gowrie. In 1600, Lord Gowrie and his brother were accused of treason, and duly (or unduly) executed by JAMES VI of Scotland. Their cousin, Alexander Ruthven, fled to Durham and took his wife's name of TROTTER.

During the 17th century, descendants of the Ruthvens removed to Ulster, where they settled at Downpatrick, County Down. The Ruthvens were merchants at first, though eventually became agents for the Southwells.

EDWARD TROTTER moved to Crossgar, at that time known as Everogue's Bridge.

Following the death of his father, the Rev Edward Trotter, in 1777,

EDWARD SOUTHWELL RUTHVEN (c1772-1836) inherited the lands at Crossgar, County Down.

He reverted to the original family name of Ruthven in 1801.

In 1813, he developed the land adjacent to the River Glasswater and built a dwelling, which he named Crossgar House.

This gentleman was MP for Downpatrick, 1807-8 and 1830, his patron being the 3rd Marchioness of Downshire, who contributed £16,000 towards his election expenses. 

In 1832, having been elected to a Dublin seat, Mr Trotter sold Crossgar House to a Downpatrick merchant, William Thompson, for £20,000. 

Mr Thompson's nephew, James Cleland JP (d 1875) inherited his estate in 1862.

About 1864, Crossgar House was rebuilt.

Three years later, it was renamed Tobar Mhuire (after an old well near by).

The estate had shrunk to almost 100 acres by 1920, when it was once again put up for sale.

The next owner was William McCalla, a shipping agent from Belfast.

Tobar Mhuire was occupied during the 2nd World War by the army.

A Mr McDowell purchased the house after the war and, a short time later, it was bought by Lieutenant-Colonel A W A  Llewellyn-Palmer, DSO, MC, North Irish Horse, who sold it in 1950.

The new owners were The Passionists, a religious order.

Tobar Mhuire was built in 1864 by James Cleland, who possessed the townland of Crossgar.

It stands on the site of Crossgar House, a low, sprawling, one and half to two storey residence, probably built ca 1780s by former landlord, Edward Ruthven.

Mr Ruthven sold Crossgar House to William Thompson, a merchant from Downpatrick, during the 1820s, who developed the village itself and built the market house.

The new landlord does not appear to have lived at Crossgar House, however, for in 1835 it was occupied by a Mrs Hamilton; and in 1845 by a clergyman called Maguire.

Following Mr Thompson’s death in 1862, Crossgar passed to his nephew, James Cleland.

Almost immediately, Mr Cleland demolished the old house and erected the present residence with its extensive outbuildings.

He renamed the new house after a well to the south-west of the building itself, referred to locally as Mary’s Well, or Tobar Mhuire.

Either Cleland or his son, John (who inherited the estate on his father’s death in 1875), redirected the main drive to the new house, moving it further to the south and adding a new gate lodge.

The walled garden to the north-east was laid out around this time also.

The Clelands remained at Tobar Mhuire until ca 1930, when the house was acquired by William McCalla, a Belfast shipping agent.

Between 1942-45 it was occupied by Allied troops, and thereafter sold to a Mr McDowell of Downpatrick.

Shortly afterwards Mr McDowell sold it to Lieutenant-Colonel Llewwllen Palmer who, in 1950, sold it to The Passionist Order, for use as monastery/retreat house.

The original gate lodge to the north stood until at least 1932.

TOBAR MHUIRE is encircled by trees, shelter belts having been established before 1834.

There are formal lawns and bedding, created during the late 19th century.

Exotic trees planted in the same era remain. A lake has gone.

The walled garden has been adapted as a display area for wildlife.

There is a fine, restored, late 19th century glasshouse in the walled area for wildlife, taking up the whole of the east wall, with bothies at the back converted for public use.

The Ulster Wildlife Trust has a 30-year lease from 1986 on the walled garden area.

First published in January, 2013. Ruthven Trotter arms courtesy of the NLI.

Palace Barracks, Holywood

PALACE BARRACKS, Holywood, County Down, was constructed between 1894 and 1898 by various contractors and was probably designed by the War Office Architects department, London.

The officers' mess bears the date 1899.

The building was reputedly completed in two phases: the contractors for Phase One being Lowry of Belfast, and for Phase Two, Campbell, also of Belfast.

From the mid-1880s, the Army established the Kinnegar camp at Holywood, County Down, as a training ground for regiments stationed in Belfast.

The camp could accommodate more than 400 personnel under canvas.

Click to enlarge

The Bishop's Palace in Holywood, Ardtullagh, formerly the official residence of the Lord Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore, fell vacant on the succession of Bishop Reeves in 1886, who resided at Dunmurry.

Attempts were made to sell the Palace and grounds but these proved fruitless until, in 1890, an offer of £1,000 from the War Office was accepted.

By 1891 the palace and grounds were being used for training by the Royal Irish Rifles.

In 1893, work began on officers' quarters; and in 1894, the construction of barracks.

The barracks were almost completed in 1896 and the old palace had been demolished.

Four blocks which comprised accommodation for the men were already finished.

The Belfast Newsletter described the scheme, which was pioneering in its day,

In all there will be nine blocks, constructed to quarter one regiment of infantry. Each block will afford accommodation for 84 men and two unmarried sergeants. A recreation establishment of the newest type is in course of construction which will contain lecture-room, coffee-room, billiards-room, and a canteen, with separate accommodation for corporals.

The usual cook-houses, baths, and workshops, which appear to be very numerous, are in the course of erection. A sergeants' mess establishment and guardhouses are being erected near the site of the central lodge of the old palace. The commanding officer's quarters is a separate building and is situated at the south-west angle of the grounds.

The officers' quarters will accommodate twenty-seven officers, with mess establishment ... a hospital is almost completed, with a medical officer's residence adjoining, which is the first time in this part of the country that accommodation for a medical staff has been constructed in conjunction with a military hospital.

There is also in course of construction quartermaster's and warrant officers' quarters and there will also be erected several blocks of buildings for the accommodation of married men. These houses will be erected at the north end of the park, along the side of the road known locally as Jackson's Road.

The buildings are lighted throughout with gas, supplied by the Holywood Gas Company Limited. The water is supplied by the Belfast Water Commissioners. The sanitary arrangements are perfect. Nothing has been left undone for the comfort and health of the men, who seem well pleased with their new quarters.

The records of a parliamentary debate in 1907, in which improving the accommodation at Holywood barracks was discussed, noted that,

"There is much more difficulty in recruiting in Ireland than in any other part of the UK and therefore it is important to make the barracks in Ireland as attractive as possible.

First published in January, 2015.

Darragh Island Acquisition

SELECTIVE ACQUISITIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

PROPERTY: Darragh Island, Strangford Lough, County Down

DATE: 1978

EXTENT: 18.74 acres

DONOR: John Metcalfe

First published in February, 2015.

Stormont House

Entrance Front

SPEAKER'S HOUSE (now Stormont House) is a neo-Georgian two-storey red-brick building of 1926, located within the Stormont Estate to the south-east of Parliament Buildings.

A stepped-stone, paved rear terrace is enclosed to the rear garden by a rough-hewn sandstone wall.

Speaker’s House was the first building to be erected as part of the redevelopment of the Stormont Estate in east Belfast.

Following the Government of Ireland Act (1920) Stormont Castle estate was selected as the home of the newly-formed Northern Ireland Government and Parliament.

The Stormont Estate was acquired by the Commissioners of Public Works and Buildings of HM Government in 1921 at a cost of £20,334 (ca £900,000 in 2015).

However, the Parliament Buildings were not completed and opened until 1932.

The architect chosen to design Speaker’s House was Ralph Knott (1878-1929), a partner in Knott & Collins.

Knott is best known for designing London County Hall opposite Westminster, and was originally selected by the Board of Works to design the Parliament Buildings.

He was, however, replaced as architect by Arnold Thornely.

Despite losing the contract for designing the main block of Parliament Buildings, Knott was still contracted to design a pair of parallel administration blocks that would accommodate the civil service offices.

Garden Front

Knott did, nevertheless, complete Speaker’s House in 1926.

Following the partition of Ireland, architecture in Ulster did not immediately follow modern trends but embraced a neo-Georgian revival.

Hugh Dixon, MBE, states that buildings of this type possessed their own distinct identities, but derived some elements from earlier buildings in Ulster.

Speaker’s House, along with T F O Rippingham’s contemporary series of police stations, possesses features such as a hipped roof, Georgian multi-pane glazing and side chimneys.

Focussing on Rippingham’s police stations, Mr Dixon wrote that neo-Georgian architecture was popular in newly-formed Northern Ireland as the style ‘was an environmental success, blending with the older buildings along the streets of Ulster’s towns, or taking its place quietly in more isolated country situations." 

In the case of Speaker’s House, it was clear that the neo-Georgian style could also be successfully applied to state buildings, remarked Mr Dixon.

Speaker’s House was the official residence of the Speaker of the NI House of Commons until 1945, when the present Lord Dunleath's grandfather, Sir Harry Mulholland Bt MP, retired.

Thereafter, it became the residence of the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Sir Basil Brooke Bt (Sir Harry Mulholland's brother-in-law).

Sir Harry purchased Sir Basil's town residence, Storbrooke, on Massey Avenue, thereby effectively doing a house-swap.

Since the devolution of government, Stormont House is no longer the Speaker's residence.

The building was extended in the 1970s when a large two-storey administration complex was added to its eastern side.

Stormont House was used by the Northern Ireland Office until 2022, when the NIO moved to a new office, Erskine House, in Chichester Street, Belfast.

First published in October, 2014.  Acknowledgments: The Lord Dunleath and DOENI Historic Buildings Branch.

Belleek Manor

THE KNOX-GORE BARONETS OWNED 22,023 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY MAYO

JAMES KNOX (1774-1818), third son of Francis Knox, of Rappa Castle, County Mayo, was called to the bar, 1797, and returned by the borough of Taghmon to the last Irish Parliament, 1797-1800.

He settled at Broadlands Park in County Mayo, became a magistrate, 1803, and deputy governor of that county.

In 1813, Mr Knox assumed, in compliance with the will of his maternal grandfather, Annesley Gore, the surname and arms of GORE in addition to those of KNOX.

He married, in 1800, the Lady Maria Louisa Gore, eldest daughter of ARTHUR, 2ND EARL OF ARRAN, by Anna, his second wife, daughter of the Rev Boleyn Knight, of Ottley, Yorkshire, and had issue,

FRANCIS ARTHUR, his heir;
James;
Henry William;
Annesley;
George Edward;
Anna Maria; Louisa Maria; Eleanor Adelaide; Charlotte Catharine.

Mr Knox-Gore, Ranger of the Curragh of Kildare, was succeeded by his eldest son,

FRANCIS ARTHUR KNOX-GORE JP (1803-73), of Belleek Abbey, Lieutenant-Colonel, North Mayo Militia, who wedded, in 1829, Sarah, daughter of Charles Nesbitt Knox, of Castle Lacken, and had issue,

CHARLES JAMES, his successor;
Jane Louisa; Matilda.

Colonel Knox-Gore, Lord-Lieutenant of County Sligo, 1831-68, succeeded to the estates of his great-grandfather, Annesley Gore, brother of the 1ST EARL OF ARRAN, on the demise, in 1821, of the Rt Hon Henry King, who had a life interest in the property.

He was created a baronet in 1868, designated of Belleek Manor.

Sir Francis was succeeded by his son,

SIR CHARLES JAMES KNOX-GORE, 2nd Baronet (1831-90), of Belleek Manor.

The baronetcy expired following the decease of the 2nd Baronet.

BELLEEK MANOR (now Belleek Castle hotel), Ballina, County Mayo, is a large Tudor-Gothic mansion built about 1825 for Francis Knox-Gore, later 1st Baronet.

It has a symmetrical front with three stepped gables flanked by slender, polygonal, battlemented turrets and pinnacles.

There are oriels at the sides; and the central porch is surmounted by a twin corbelled oriel.

*****

The mansion and its parkland are described by the NIAH thus:-

"A COUNTRY HOUSE erected for Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Francis Arthur Knox-Gore (1803-73), first Baronet; widely accepted as a particularly important component of the early nineteenth-century domestic built heritage of County Mayo with the architectural value of the composition, 'a noble mansion in the later English style of architecture' (Lewis 1837 II, 189);"

"Confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on panoramic vistas overlooking manicured lawns and the broad River Moy; 

the symmetrical frontage centred on a Tudoresque door-case showing pretty Georgian Gothic glazing patterns; 

the construction in a deep grey limestone offset by sheer dressings not only demonstrating good quality workmanship, but also compounding a ponderous monochrome palette; 

the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual effect with the principal "apartments" defined by handsome bay windows;"

"And the elongated pinnacles embellishing a multi-gabled roof-line: meanwhile, although traditionally attributed to John Benjamin Keane of Mabbot Street [James Joyce Street], Dublin, strong comparisons with the contemporary Coolbawn House (1823-39), County Wexford, put forward Frederick Darley, Junior (1798-1872), as an equally likely design source. 

Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where contemporary joinery; 

and decorative plasterwork enrichments, all highlight the considerable artistic potential of the composition. 

Furthermore, an adjoining stable complex; the nearby Knox-Gore monument; and an eye-catching gate house, all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of a much depleted estate having historic connections with the Knox-Gore family, including Sir Charles James Knox-Gore, 2nd Baronet; 

and the succeeding Saunders-Knox-Gore family, including Major-General William Boyd Saunders-Knox-Gore (née Saunders) (1827-1902); 

and Matilda Saunders-Knox-Gore (née Knox-Gore) (1833-1912); Lieutenant-Colonel William Arthur Gore Saunders-Knox-Gore JP DL (née Saunders) (1854-1925); and Lieutenant-Colonel William Arthur Cecil Saunders-Knox-Gore JP DL (née Saunders) (1888-1975)."

*****

THE KNOX-GORES continued to live at Belleek Manor until the 1940s.

Marshall Doran, a merchant navy officer and an avid collector of fossils and medieval armour, acquired the run down property in 1961.

He proceeded to restore the house and opened it as a hotel in 1970.

Some of the rooms are in 19th century style, whilst most of the interior design has a medieval and nautical theme.

Today the Belleek Castle Hotel is owned by the Mayo Trust and managed by Marshall’s son, Paul Doran, and Ms Maya Nikolaeva.

First published in March, 2016.