Rugby Road, Belfast

60-64 Rugby Road, Belfast (Timothy Ferres, 2023)

RUGBY ROAD, Belfast, runs from 75 University Street to Agincourt Avenue.

This leafy avenue, developed in the early 1860s, is within easy walking distance of the Queen's University and Botanic Gardens in the city.

The Ulster Architectural Heritage Society published a gazetteer in 1968 about buildings in the vicinity of the University.

60 Rugby Road, Belfast (Timothy Ferres, 2023)

It was compiled originally by A J Rowan and C E B Brett; revised in in 1975 by Hugh Dixon and David Evans.

Rugby Road remains an attractive street with considerable character.

Side elevation of 60 Rugby Road, Belfast (Timothy Ferres, 2023)

I took a few photographs of "Rugby Terrace" on the road: of which numbers 60, 62, and 64 were the first houses to have been built, in 1864.

Porch, 60 Rugby Road (Timothy Ferres, 2023)

Trevor Carleton MA (my geography teacher at school in 1976) remarked at the time:

"Three two-storey houses, less elaborate than the large terrace opposite, but providing a positive, dignified response, with unusual tripartite windows and flat-roofed porches topped with cast-iron cresting."

FURTHER down the road, towards University Street, and at the corner of College Park Avenue, are numbers 7 and 9 Rugby Road, "Caledonia Terrace."

7-9 Rugby Road (Timothy Ferres, 2023)

Mr Carleton considered these as the "best pair of houses in an outstanding group," in the High Victorian style.

They were built in 1870.

Stackpole Court

THE EARLS CAWDOR WERE THE LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN CARMARTHENSHIRE, WITH 33,782 ACRES

This is a branch of the ducal house of ARGYLL, springing from the Hon Sir John Campbell, third son of Archibald, 2nd Earl of Argyll.

SIR ALEXANDER CAMPBELL OF CAWDOR (c1629-97) wedded Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Lort, 2nd Baronet (c1637-c1673), of Stackpole Court, Pembrokeshire, and sole heiress of Sir Gilbert Lort, 3rd Baronet, by whom he had issue,

JOHN CAMPBELL OF CAWDOR (1695-1777), of Cawdor Castle, Nairnshire, and Stackpole Court (son and heir of Sir Alexander Campbell), married Mary, eldest daughter and co-heir of Lewis Pryse, and had issue,

PRYSE, his heir;
John Hooke, Lord Lyon King of Arms;
Alexander;
Anne.

The eldest son,

PRYSE CAMPBELL (1727-68), of Cawdor Castle, and Stackpole Court, Pembrokeshire, MP for Inverness-shire, 1754-61, Nairnshire, 1761-8, Cardigan Boroughs, 1868, Lord of the Treasury, 1766, wedded Sarah, daughter and co-heir of Sir Edmund Bacon Bt, and was succeeded by his son,

JOHN CAMPBELL (1753-1821), who was elevated to the peerage, in 1796, in the dignity of Baron Cawdor, of Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire.

His lordship had previously represented the town of Cardigan in parliament.

He wedded, in 1789, the Lady Caroline Howard, eldest daughter of Frederick, 5th Earl of Carlisle, and had issue, his eldest son,

JOHN FREDERICK, 2nd Baron (1790-1860), who married, in 1816, the Lady Elizabeth Thynne, eldest daughter of Thomas, 2nd Marquess of Bath.

His lordship was advanced to the dignity of an earldom, in 1827, as EARL CAWDOR.

• John Frederick Campbell, 1st Earl (1790–1860);
• John Frederick Vaughan Campbell, 2nd Earl (1817–98);
• Frederick Archibald Vaughan Campbell, 3rd Earl (1847–1911);
• Hugh Frederick Vaughan Campbell, 4th Earl (1870–1914);
• John Duncan Vaughan Campbell, 5th Earl (1900–70);
• Hugh John Vaughan Campbell, 6th Earl (1932–93);
• Colin Robert Vaughan Campbell, 7th Earl (b 1962).

The heir apparent is the present holder's son James Chester Campbell, styled Viscount Emlyn (b 1998).

Stackpole Court (Image: the National Trust)

STACKPOLE COURT was a large mansion built ca 1736, and enlarged in the 19th century.

It was erected upon the undercroft of a much earlier house, the original hall of which was later used as a cellar.

The Stackpoles had owned the estate since the early 12th century, and the old castellated house may date from the 13th century or earlier.

There are references to a house here owned by the Stackpools by Gerald of Wales in 1188.

From the mid-16th century the estate was owned by the Lort family, and later passed to the Campbells by marriage in the early 18th century.

The Cawdors were major landowners in Pembrokeshire, with 17,735 acres of land.

The mansion was demolished in 1963, when the Cawdors moved to a new house on the estate.

Much has already been written about the house and outbuildings.

Golden Grove

GOLDEN GROVE, near Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, is a large country house, the ancestral home of the Vaughan family, and the centre of a large estate.

The present house was designed in the Tudor or Scottish baronial style by Sir Jeffry Wyatville ca 1825 for the Cawdor family who inherited the estate from the Vaughans.

Building continued until 1834 when the stable block was finished, following the completion of the service wing in 1828, the main block in 1830 and the staircase in 1831.

The clock mechanism and the bells are dated 1830 and sit in a square clock tower.

Seats ~ Cawdor Castle, Nairnshire; Stackpole Court, Pembrokeshire; Golden Grove, Carmarthenshire.

Former town house ~ 74 South Audley Street, London.

First published in February, 2021.  Cawdor arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

Fellows Hall

THE ARMSTRONGS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY ARMAGH, WITH 2,279 ACRES

EDWARD ARMSTRONG, of Dublin, son of William Armstrong, by Jane Garver his wife, married, in 1760, Grace Jones, and had issue,

WILLIAM JONES;
Edward;
Hugh.

The eldest son,

THE REV WILLIAM JONES ARMSTRONG (1764-1825), Rector of Termonfeckin, County Louth, wedded, in 1786, Margaret, third daughter of Alderman John Tew, Lord Mayor of Dublin (by Margaret Maxwell his wife, grandniece of JOHN, IST BARON FARNHAM), and granddaughter of Alderman David Tew, Lord Mayor of the same city, 1752, by whom he had issue,

WILLIAM JONES, his heir;

John Tew;

Thomas Knox, of Fellows Hall, JP;

Helen; Anne; Diana Jane.

The eldest son,

WILLIAM JONES ARMSTRONG JP DL (1794-1872), of Killylea, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1840, espoused, in 1842, Frances Elizabeth, widow of Colonel Sir Michael McCreagh CB KCH, and only daughter of Captain Christopher Wilson, of the 22nd Foot, and had issue,

WILLIAM FORTESCUE, 7th Hussars (1843-71);

HENRY BRUCE, of whom hereafter.

His younger son,

THE RT HON HENRY BRUCE ARMSTRONG JP DL (1844-1943), of Killylea, and Dean's Hill, both in County Armagh, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1875, County Longford, 1894, married, in 1883, Margaret, daughter of William Leader, of Rossnalee, County Cork, and had issue,

William Fortescue, lieutenant RA;
Michael Richard Leader;
Henry Maxwell;
JAMES ROBERT BARGRAVE, of whom hereafter;
Christopher Wyborne;
Frances Margaret Alice; Dorothea Gertrude; Margaret Helen Elizabeth.

The fourth son,

JAMES ROBERT BARGRAVE ARMSTRONG (1893-1980), of Fellows Hall, Killylea, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1960, Barrister, North Irish Horse, 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, wedded, in 1930, Kathleen Marion, daughter of Edward, 4th Baron Napier of Magdala, and had issue,

Henry Napier;
John Fortescue;
Frances Evelyn; Kathleen Mary Perceval; Florence Margaret.

Mr Armstrong was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY NAPIER ARMSTRONG DL (1936-2014), of Fellows Hall, Barrister, Lieutenant, Royal Engineers (TA), who married, in 1967, Rosmarie Alice, daughter of Harold Ducket White, and had issue,

Bruce William, b 1970;
Mark Harold Napier, b 1978;
Antonia Kathleen, b 1974.

Fellows Hall (Image: Stonedatabase)

FELLOWS HALL, Killylea, County Armagh, is a Victorian-Italianate reconstruction of a house of 1762 (which itself was rebuilt in 1752).

It comprises two storeys over a basement, with a five-bay front.

Round-headed windows with keystones in the upper storey.

The doorway is tripartite, with a triple window above.

Fellows Hall (Buildings of County Armagh)

The Hall passed through marriage from the Maxwells to the Armstrong and Stronge families; thence to the McClintocks.

The Armstrong Papers are held at PRONI.

First published in April, 2015.

Lady Mairi's DB4

Charles Villiers told me about his grandmother's green Aston Martin DB4, now in Germany.

The DB4 model was produced by Aston Martin between 1958 and 1963.

THE LADY MAIRI BURY, of Mount Stewart, County Down, youngest child of the 7th Marquess and Marchioness of Londonderry, once drove over the Alps in this grand tourer with a cine-camera mounted on the dashboard.

The resultant film was very dramatic, and his grandmother occasionally screened it after dinner at Mount Stewart.

Charles saw it a couple of times.

The Lady Mairi Bury wearing her favourite emerald green evening dress

Lady Mairi took delivery of the Aston Martin in Spring, 1960.

The further history of the car is said to be well documented, and even the original Registration Book exists.

In 2013 the car was bought by a German enthusiast.

It was extensively restored and "optimized' in the Aston Martin workshop.

The whole work is documented with many invoices.

Lady Mairi had a particular fondness for the colour green, and used to take her grandson, Charles, for DRIVING LESSONS on the Mount Stewart estate roads in her Rover.

First published in January, 2020.

Richhill

EDITED EXTRACTS FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY GAZETTEER OF IRELAND, PUBLISHED IN 1846

RICHHILL, a small market and post town in the parish of Kilmore, barony of West Oneilland, County Armagh.

It stands on the road from Armagh to Belfast, 3 miles south-south-east of Loughgall, 4 east-north-east of Armagh, 4½ north by west of Markethill, 5 west-north-west of Tandragee, 5 west-south-west of Portadown, 26 south-west of Belfast.

The Castle, Richhill (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2021)

It stands on high ground, in the midst of a beautifully undulated and richly wooded country; and it both possesses an interesting appearance in itself, and acquires warmth and picturesqueness, from the close embrace of the demesne of RICHHILL, the residence of the Richardson family, proprietors of the town and the circumjacent estate.

The demesne is well enclosed and profusely wooded; and its mansion stands in full view of the street, and is a castellated pile of apparently the same date as that of Lurgan.

Richardson arms (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2021)

Within 2 miles of the town stands CASTLE DILLON, the seat of Sir Thomas Molyneux, Bart, in a demesne abounding with stately forest trees and embellished with a fine sheet of water, and an obelisk 60 feet high, erected by the Rt Hon Sir Capel Molyneux, in commemoration of Irish legislative independence obtained in 1782 by the volunteers of Ireland; the same baronet also erected a column to commemorate the foundation of the order of the Knights of St Patrick.

Adjoining Castle Dillon is HOCKLEY LODGE, the seat of the Hon Henry Caulfeild, brother of Lord Charlemont, an elegant modern residence containing some stately apartments and an extensive and valuable library.

Main Street, Richhill (Image: William Alfred Green)

The town is airy and neat; and has an excellent market-house, a Methodist meeting-house, a Presbyterian meeting-house, an Independent meeting-house, and a Quakers' meeting-house.

Fairs are held on Shrove Tuesday, July 26th, and October 15th.

Area of the town, 28 acres.

Population in 1831, 937; in 1841, 752.

Houses, 147.

First published in April, 2021.

Santry Court

THE DOMVILE BARONETS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY DUBLIN, WITH 6,262 ACRES

Of the family of DOMVILLE were two branches in Cheshire; the elder seated at Oxton, from the period of the conquest to its termination in females, who carried the estate through the families of Troutbeck and Hulse, into that of the Earls of Shrewsbury.

The younger at Lymm Hall, Cheshire, of which 

GILBERT DOMVILLE (1583-1637), second son and heir of William Domville, of Lymm Hall, removed into Ireland in the beginning of the reign of JAMES I, and was clerk of the Crown and Hanaper there, having for his colleague the ancestor of the Wellesley family.

Mr Domville, MP for Donegal Borough, 1634, married Margaret, daughter of the Most Rev Thomas Jones, Lord Archbishop of Dublin, LORD CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND, father of the 1st Viscount Ranelagh.

He was buried in the choir of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.

His son,

THE RT HON SIR WILLIAM DOMVILLE (1609-89), Attorney-General for Ireland, 1660, MP for County Dublin, Privy Counsellor, Speaker of the General Convention of Ireland at the Restoration, wedded Miss Lake, daughter of Sir Thomas Lake, of Cannons, Middlesex, Secretary of State to JAMES I, and had issue,

William (Sir), MP for Co Dublin;
THOMAS, of whom we treat.

The younger son,

THOMAS DOMVILE (c1650-1721), of Templeogue, MP for Mullingar, 1692-3, Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper, was created a baronet in 1686, designated of Templeogue, County Dublin.

He wedded firstly, the daughter of his cousin, Sir Launcelot Lake, by whom he had a daughter (married to Barry, 3rd Lord Santry); and secondly, the Hon _____ Cole, daughter of Arthur, Lord Ranelagh, but had no issue.

Sir Thomas married thirdly, Anne, daughter of the Hon Sir Charles Compton (second son of Spencer, 2nd Earl of Northampton), and had issue,

COMPTON, his heir;
Elizabeth, mother of CHARLES DOMVILE.

Sir Thomas was succeeded by his son,

THE RT HON SIR COMPTON DOMVILE, 2nd Baronet (1696-1768), Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper, privy counsellor, MP for Dublin, 1727-68.

At the decease of this gentleman, in 1768, the baronetcy expired, and his estates reverted to his nephew,

CHARLES POCKLINGTON (1740-1810), MP for County Dublin, 1768, who assumed, pursuant to the will of his uncle, the surname and arms of DOMVILE only.

He wedded Margaret, daughter of ______ Sheppard, and had issue,

COMPTON, his heir;
Henry Barry, in holy orders;
William, in holy orders;
Christopher;
Elizabeth; Margaret; Anna Maria; Caroline; Louisa; Mary; Bridget.

The eldest son,

COMPTON POCKLINGTON DOMVILE (1775-1857), was created a baronet in 1815, designated of Templeogue and Santry House, both in County Dublin.

He married firstly, Elizabeth Frances, daughter of the Hon and Rt Rev Charles Lindsay, Lord Bishop of Kildare, and cousin of Lord Balcarres; by whom he had a son,

SIR CHALES COMPTON WILLIAM DOMVILE, 2nd Baronet (1822-84).

• Sir Charles Compton William Domvile, 2nd Baronet (1822-84) son of 1st baronet; married Lady Margaret St. Lawrence; no issue;
• Sir William Compton Domvile, 3rd Baronet (1825-84) son of 1st baronet; married Caroline Meade; one son and three daughters, including Mary Adelaide, later wife of Sir Hutcheson Poë, 1st Baronet
• Sir Compton Meade Domvile, 4th Baronet (1857-1935) son of 3rd Baronet; never married.

The baronetcy expired on the death of the 4th Baronet.

SANTRY COURT, Santry, County Dublin, was a very important, early 18th century mansion of red brick with stone facings, built in 1703 by the 3rd Lord Barry of Santry, commonly called Lord Santry.

It was of two storeys over a singularly high basement, with a dormer attic behind the roof parapet.

It had a nine-bay entrance front with a pedimented breakfront.

There were Corinthian columns at the head of a great flight of steps.

Curved wings and sweeps were added later, ca 1740-50, by the 4th and last Lord Barry (Lord Santry).

The Court had a fine interior with a large hall; good plasterwork.

Following the death of Henry, 4th Baron Barry of Santry, the Domvile family inherited the Santry estate, including Ballymun.

Santry Court and nearly 5,000 acres of land remained in the Domvile family’s hands for almost 200 years (1751-1935).

Much of the historical records for the Santry Estate date from Sir (Thomas) Compton Domvile's inheritance of Santry Estate in 1751.

There is some evidence that the Santry estate was experiencing financial difficulties, partly due to the expenses incurred building Santry Court, but also because of the lavish habits of the 4th Baron.

When Sir Charles, 2nd Baronet, inherited Santry Court, demesne and estate from his father in 1857, he began the largest renovation and building programme (gardens and house) that the Santry estate had seen since its construction in the early 18th century.

A vast number of maps, diagrams and plans have survived from this period. Sir Charles was the last member  of the Domvile family to reside permanently at Santry. He married Lady Margaret Frances St Lawrence, a daughter of the 3rd and last Earl of Howth.

After the death of Sir Charles, Santry Court passed briefly to his brother, Sir William, 3rd Baronet, and then to the Pöe family who were relatives of the Domviles by marriage.

Shortly after 1935, Santry Court became a residential care home.

The house fell into disrepair, initially at the turn of the 20th century as the estate proved not to be economically viable; but ultimately after the Domvile family left Ireland in 1921.

It came into the possession of the Irish state, which intended to repair it and use it as a mental asylum.

This plan was shelved by the start of the 2nd World War; the need to increase security around Dublin Airport meant it was used as an army depot, and part of the gardens as a firing range.

There are many theories locally about what happened next, but it appears that soldiers of the Irish army caused a fire and the house was severely damaged in 1947; followed by demolition shortly afterwards.

First published in November, 2011.

Mount Stewart Memories

On the White Stag at Mount Stewart

WILLIAM PATTERSON RECOUNTS HIS MEMORIES OF MOUNT STEWART, ANCESTRAL SEAT OF THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY

I was a young man living in County Down near Greyabbey.

It was 1964 if I remember correctly, and on occasion I would meet a dark haired lady of middle years dressed as a ‘nanny’ - blue uniform and darker overcoat - and pushing a very smart ‘pram’ which contained a cherubic small boy of about 18 months with fair hair.

We got chatting on one occasion and we walked the long winding footpath together towards Mount Stewart where she explained that her charge was Lady Mairi Bury’s grandson, Charles Villiers.

Nanny Ellis holding Master Charles

Her name was Elizabeth Ellis - a Scottish lady - but I was asked to call her ‘Nanny’ like everyone else.

I was invited to her apartment in Mount Stewart to take tea and biscuits on several occasions, and it was during these visits that I met Charles’ mother, Elizabeth Villiers, and his very well known grandmother, Lady Mairi.

Lady Mairi had a rather disconcerting cool appraising stare, but she must have decided that I was suitable company as I was a welcome visitor, and got to attend a couple of her famous parties.

Billy in the Nursery

I cannot remember now at this remove most of their names, but they were the great and good of society and the arts.

The ladies were very glamorous and dripping with diamonds and the men suitably attired to match their companions.

I thought I might be very out of my depth, but I was very pleased to find them, with a few exceptions, easy to speak to and interesting to listen to.

Michael O’Duffy was a very well known Irish tenor at the time and he entertained the guests accompanied by the wonderful Duncan Morrison from Stornoway on the piano.

Duncan used to play for Rev Sydney MacEwan on many of his recordings.

I met Duncan on several different occasions at Mount Stewart and we exchanged Christmas Cards for several years after.

One character I remember from one of her parties was a gentleman of whom it was whispered had psychic powers, by name Clifford Frost.

I was in deep conversation with someone, I can’t remember who, when he weaved his way over and asked to see my hand.

He took my proffered palm and stared at it, weaving slightly all the while as a result of the bountiful liquid refreshment on offer by our hostess, then dropped it and walked off saying “You’ll get all you want out of life”.

You know, despite the odd knock-back, he wasn’t far wrong.

When Jessie Matthews - dancer, actress, star of stage and screen and latterly on radio as Mrs Dale in Mrs Dale’s Diary, came to open a garden fête for Lady Mairi, I had the pleasure of meeting her, and on giving her a donation for her charity, I was rewarded with a hug and a kiss, and told I was a darling.

I admit to blushing, but walked around on air for the rest of the afternoon.

Billy at the Swimming-pool

There was a well concealed private swimming-pool belonging to the family on the Strangford Lough side of the road which I was kindly offered the use of, and spent many a happy day there in the company of Nanny, Charles the baby and my dog Kim and sometimes just on my own.

On one of these solitary visits I daringly removed my swimming togs and for the first time swam in the nude.

Billy & Charles at the Swimming-pool in 1965

I found it to be a wonderful experience - no clinging togs and a great feeling of being at one with nature.

On many warm summer days we walked around the beautiful gardens enjoying the flowers and shrubs, the statues, and little concealed nooks and crannies - little worlds within the larger one.

The well known composer and pianist from Stornoway, Duncan Morrison (above), in green velvet Scottish evening attire, with his sister Bella Morrison in a black dress (with a rather curious third figure present, seemingly in fancy dress with a black fur hat and a blacked face - maybe having been cast as "the Black Man" who had brought in a New Year?).

Wonderful days with lasting memories for me, and I bless the day I struck up a conversation with Nanny Ellis, who continued to be a friend for many years after she had left the employ of the family.

The memories all come back when I occasionally return to Mount Stewart as one of the many visitors, and one of the few who remember this historic house as a wonderful family home.

First published in February, 2019.

Donegall Square: 1844

EDITED EXTRACTS FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY GAZETTEER OF IRELAND, PUBLISHED IN 1846

DONEGALL SQUARE, at the south end of the town, and on the thoroughfare toward Dublin, is a noble quadrangle of about 200 yards by about 150.

Two streets, each nearly half a mile long, and mutually parallel over their whole length, run eastward and westward on a line with its north and south sides, and are spacious in width, and handsomely edificed with private houses.

The northern one of these streets bears successively westward the names of Chichester Street, Donegall Square North, and Wellington Place; and it opens, at the west end, directly opposite the middle of Belfast College [Royal Belfast Academical Institution or INST].

Chichester Street, looking towards Donegall Square North

The square or quadrangle in the centre of which the College stands has a larger area, and a more airy aspect, than Donegall Square; but, though sumptuous in its public buildings, is irregularly and but partially edificed.

Wellington Place looking towards Royal Belfast Academical Institution 

DONEGALL PLACE opens from the middle of Donegall Square North, and runs upwards of 200 yards northward in a very spacious and handsomely edificed street-line.

HIGH STREET commences at the north end of Donegall Place; runs in a very gentle curve 600 yards east-north-eastward to the quays; is airy, wide, and of imposing aspect; and makes amends by the magnificence of its shops and warehouses, and by its cleanly and cheerful appearance of a perfect whirl of business, for some irregularity in its alignment and architectural structure.

ANN STREET, south of High Street, and somewhat parallel with it, is narrow and comparatively choked, but draws attention from the orderly bustle of its abounding business. 

Waring Street looking towards Rosemary Street

WARING STREET AND ROSEMARY STREET form a continuous line north of High Street, and almost strictly parallel with it; and, though the Rosemary part is narrow and confined, the Waring Street part, 400 yards long, is spacious, and possesses, in the aggregate, a wholesale business character.

NORTH STREET, rather narrow and subordinate in its appearance, runs 550 yards north-westward from the junction of Waring Street and Rosemary; or, more properly, from the north end of a neat, short, spacious, business street.

DONEGALL STREET opens from Waring Street at the distance of only the length of the Old Exchange from the southeast end of North Street; runs 650 yards north-northwestward to the Infirmary; is partly uniform, and everywhere spacious and interesting; and, from the prevalence successively of splendid shops, showy places of worship, and mansion-looking houses in its sidelines, may be said to have first a business, next an ecclesiastical, and next an aristocratic character.

First published in April, 2021.

Custom House Pediment

Custom House Pediment. Click to enlarge (Timothy Ferres, 2023)

THE CUSTOM HOUSE in Belfast is located at Custom House Square, which runs from 4, Queen's Square, to Albert Square.

This large Italianate block, completed in 1857, is notably one of the city's finest buildings.

Perhaps its greatest feature is its pediment, which faces the river Lagan.

Marcus Patton OBE, in his Central Belfast gazetteer, describes it thus:-

Dentilled pediment containing three figures carved in whiter stone: Neptune on the left reclining with an anchor and a dolphin, Mercury on the right relaxing before delivering the sheaf of corn at his feet to the ends of the earth, and in the middle Britannia with her trident and royal shield, flanked by a lion and a unicorn; 

Below the pediment the spandrels of tall arched windows are filled by winged figures representing Manufacture, Peace, Commerce, and Industry.

CUSTOM HOUSE LANE was an old entry which ran from High Street to Waring Street.

Thomas Phillips' map of Belfast in 1685. Click to enlarge.

It was near High Street Court, an entry which exists today (and seems to be a cul-de-sac).

Thomas Phillips' map of Belfast in 1685 shows a two-storey double-gabled building on Waring Street with a flag.

It has been suggested that this property belonged to the Warings, though another historian (Merrick) has remarked that it might have been a warehouse or early custom-house.

Custom House Lane and Bluebell Entry were swept away in 1846 for the creation of Victoria Street.

1st Earl Alexander of Tunis

JAMES, 4th Earl of Caledon (1846-98), KP, DL, of Caledon Castle, County Tyrone, wedded, in 1884, the Lady Elizabeth Graham-Toler, daughter of Hector, 3rd Earl of Norbury, and had issue,

Eric James Desmond, his successor;
Herbrand Charles, father of the 6th Earl;
HAROLD RUPERT LEOFRIC GEORGE, of whom we treat;
William Sigismund Patrick.

The third son,

THE HON HAROLD RUPERT LEOFRIC GEORGE ALEXANDER (1891-1969), FIELD MARSHAL THE RT HON THE EARL ALEXANDER OF TUNIS, KG, GCB, OM, GCMG, CSI, DSO, MC, TD, PC

• Brigade Commander in India, 1934
• ADC to His Majesty, 1936-7
• Major-General, 1937
• General, 1942
• Field Marshal, 1944
• Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief, Canada, 1946-52
• Colonel, Irish Guards, 1947
• Governor of Harrow School, 1952

Field Marshal Alexander was elevated to the peerage, in 1946, in the dignity of Viscount Alexander of Tunis, of Errigal, County Donegal.

His lordship was created, in 1952, Baron Rideau, of Ottawa, and of Castle Derg, County Tyrone, and EARL ALEXANDER OF TUNIS.

He married, in 1931, the Lady Margaret Diana Bingham, daughter of George Charles, 5th Earl of Lucan, and had issue,

SHANE WILLIAM DESMOND, Lord Rideau, his successor;

Brian James;

Rose Maureen; Susan Mary (adopted).

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

SHANE WILLIAM DESMOND (1935-), 2nd Earl, who wedded firstly, in 1971, Hilary, daughter of John van Geest; and secondly (following a divorce), in 1981, Davina Mary, daughter of James, 4th Baron Terrington, by which lady he has issue,

Rose Margaret; Lucy Caroline.

The heir presumptive to the titles is the 2nd Earl's younger brother, the Hon Brian James Alexander CMG (born 1939).

Former residences ~ 12 Wilton Street, London; Caledon, County Tyrone; The Vale, Windsor Forest, Berkshire.

Ards House

THE STEWARTS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY DONEGAL, WITH 39,306 ACRES

ALEXANDER STEWART (1746-1831), second son of Alexander Stewart MP, of Mount Stewart, County Down, and younger brother of Robert, 1st Marquess of Londonderry, purchased the estate of Ards from the Wray family, and settled there in 1782.

Mr Stewart, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1791, espoused, in 1791, the Lady Mary Moore, younger daughter of Charles, 1st Marquess of Drogheda, by the Lady Anne Seymour his wife, daughter of Francis, 1st Marquess of Hertford, and had issue (with other children, who died young),

ALEXANDER ROBERT, his heir;
Charles Moore (Rev);
John Vandeleur, of Rock Hill;
Maria Frances; Gertrude Elizabeth.

Mr Stewart was succeeded by his eldest son, 

ALEXANDER ROBERT STEWART JP DL (1795-1850), of Ards and Lawrencetown House, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1830, who wedded, in 1825, the Lady Caroline Anne Pratt, third daughter of John, 1st Marquess Camden, and had issue,

ALEXANDER JOHN ROBERT STEWART JP DL (1827-1904), of Ards and Lawrencetown House, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1853, County Down, 1861, who married, in 1851, the Lady Isabella Rebecca Graham-Toler, seventh daughter of Hector, 2nd Earl of Norbury, and had issue,

ALEXANDER GEORGE JOHN, his heir;
Charles Hector;
George Lawrence;
Henry Moore;
Cecil George Graham;
Caroline Helen Mary; Beatrice Charlotte Elizabeth; Ida Augusta Isabella.

Mr Stewart's eldest son,

ALEXANDER GEORGE JOHN STEWART (1852-97), a Barrister, wedded, in 1883, Julia Blanche, daughter of Charles Dingwall, of Knollys Croft, Surrey, and had issue, two daughters,

ENA DINGWALL TASCA;
Muriel Neara.

The elder daughter,

ENA DINGWALL TASCA, LADY STEWART-BAM, of Ards, wedded, in 1910, Sir Pieter Canzius van Blommestein Stewart-Bam JP, of Sea Point, Capetown (son the Johannes Andrew Bam), who assumed with his wife the prefix surname and arms of STEWART on his marriage.

ARDS HOUSE, Creeslough, County donegal, was formerly the seat of the Wray family.

In the 18th century, the last William Wray of Ards was "a celebrated figure, eccentric and autocratic, though kind and generous".

This gentleman resided at Ards in feudal state, constructing roads through mountains at his own expense; lavish in his hospitality to guests.

As a consequence of this extravagance, the Ards estate itself was purchased by Alexander Stewart Junior in 1782 (for £13,250 - probably money left to him by his father).

However, the Stewart family had a long association with the Londonderry/east Donegal area, and originally hailed from Ballylawn, County Donegal.

In the 19th century, following the falling-in of the Mercers' lease, probably in 1830, the Stewarts of Ards concentrated on Donegal, acquiring property at Doe Castle and Letterkenny, both in that county.

The Stewart, later Stewart-Bam, family, owned land mainly at Ards, Doe Castle, Dunfanaghy and Letterkenny, in County Donegal.

Ards House was rebuilt about 1830 by Mr Stewart, towards the end of his life.

The main front is of two storeys; good plasterwork in the hall; friezes in the drawing-room and dining-room.

The estate was sold in 1925.

It was acquired by the Franciscans in 1937, who demolished it about 1965. 

Ards Forest Park used to form part of the Stewart estates.

The last member of the Stewart family to own the estate was Ena, Lady Stewart-Bam, who inherited from her grandfather about 1904.

*****

Lawrencetown House, near Gilford, County Down, was for sale in June, 2016.

Other former seat ~ Lawrencetown House, Gilford, County Down. Town residence ~ 5 Old Court Mansions, Kensington, London.

First published in May, 2012.

Roxborough Gates

I spent a most agreeable day in 2010 at The Argory (former home of the MacGeough-Bonds) and Loughgall Manor (the Copes), County Armagh.

I picnicked in the grounds of The Argory, then went for a walk along the River Blackwater.

This river divides the counties of Tyrone and Armagh.

Later on I enjoyed a delightful tour of the House at 2pm with a charming and informative guide.

She alluded to the wooden Jamaican carvings, and Tommy MacGeough-Bond's fondness for Jamaica.

I wonder if he was acquainted with Ian Fleming.

The MacGeough-Bonds would doubtless have been well acquainted with other landed families in County Armagh, including the Stronges, Verners and Copes.

Roxborough Gates

Later in the afternoon I motored on to the village of Moy, where the Charlemonts had their impressive country seat, Roxborough Castle.

All that's left to remind us of its greatness are the equally impressive gates (above and top).

An earl's coronet and crest adorn them.

The mansion house itself was maliciously burnt ca 1922.

Loughgall Manor

At Loughgall, I wandered up the steep incline to the manor-house, erstwhile seat of the Cope family.

Its gates, too, are impressive.

Loughgall Manor Gates

First published in August, 2010.

Hilltown

EDITED EXTRACTS FROM THE TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IRELAND, 1837

HILLTOWN, a village, in the parish of Clonduff, barony of Upper Iveagh, County Down.

Hilltown is named after the Hill family, Earls of Hillsborough and Marquesses of Downshire.

It stands near the base of Eagle Mountain, and at the intersection of the mountain road from Newry to Bryansford with that from Rathfriland to Rostrevor, two miles south of Rathfriland.

Main Street, Hilltown (Image: W A Green/NMNI)

It is a handsome village, with a small but relatively well kept inn [the Downshire Arms], strikingly indicating the care which its noble proprietor, the Marquess of Downshire, has bestowed on the improvement of his estates, and the fidelity with which his lordship's views have been promoted by his agent, W E Reilly Esq.

Hilltown ca 1830 (historic OS map).  Click to enlarge

In the grant of it to the Hillsborough family it is called Carquillan.

There is a market on Saturday and a large fair for cattle and linen yarn on the second Tuesday on every month.

Main Street, Hilltown (Timothy Ferres, 2023)

It is a chief constabulary police station.

The parish church of Clonduff having been destroyed in the war of 1641, a church was built here in 1766.

It is a large and handsome edifice with a tower, erected by aid of a gift of £338 from the late Board of First Fruits, and recently repaired by a grant of £230 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

The Northern Ireland Department for Communites Historic Buildings branch remarks that St John's parish church was

Financed by the Earl of Hillsborough (later Lord Downshire) and completed in 1766 (Archæological Survey erroneously says 1776). Shown on McClatchey’s map of 1767 as “new church”. The bell is inscribed ‘Thomas Rudhall Glocester Founder 1772’. Refurbished in 1830s at a cost of £220. The church is of significance in being the first building in Hilltown, a planned village developed in the later 1700s by the Earl.

Here is also a glebe house, with a glebe of 21 acres; a Presbyterian meeting-house; a RC chapel, and the parochial school, for which a house was built in 1824 by the Marquess of Downshire, who has endowed it with £10 per annum.

I paid Hilltown a brief visit in May, 2023, en route to Leitrim car park for a little hike to Tievedockdarragh Mountain.

Pubs are abundant in this little village, given that, during the 18th century, it was a hub for illicit liquor smuggled along the Brandy Pad in the Mournes.