Glyde Court

THE FOSTER BARONETS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LOUTH, WITH 3,442 ACRES

JOHN FOSTER (1665-1747), of Dunleer, County Louth, Mayor of Dunleer, married, in 1704, Elizabeth, youngest daughter of William Fortescue, of Newrath, County Louth, and had issue,

Anthony (1705-79), ancestor of Lord Oriel;
THOMAS, of whom presently;
John William, MP, of Dunleer;
Margaret; Alice; Charlotte.

The second son,

THE REV DR THOMAS FOSTER (1709-84), Rector of Dunleer, wedded, in 1740, Dorothy, daughter of William Burgh, of Birt, County Kildare, and had issue, an only child,

JOHN THOMAS FOSTER (1747-96), of Dunleer, MP for Dunleer, 1776-83, who espoused, in 1776, the Lady Elizabeth Hervey, daughter of Frederick, 4th Earl of Bristol and Lord Bishop of Derry, and had issue,

Frederick Thomas, born 1777;
AUGUSTUS JOHN, of whom hereafter;
Elizabeth.

His younger son, 

THE RT HON SIR AUGUSTUS VERE FOSTER GCH (1780-1848), of Stonehouse, County Louth, married, in 1815, Albina Jane, daughter of the Hon George Vere Hobart, and had issue,

FREDERICK GEORGE, his successor;
CAVENDISH HERVEY, 3rd Baronet;
Vere Henry Lewis.

Mr Foster was knighted 1825 for his diplomatic services (which were not particularly distinguished, since his manners were not conciliating).

Sir Augustus was created a baronet in 1831, designated of Glyde Court, County Louth.

The influence of his stepfather William, 5th Duke of Devonshire, was exercised at the instance of his mother, the Duke's second wife.

The 1st Baronet, who committed suicide, was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR FREDERICK GEORGE FOSTER, 2nd Baronet (1816-1857), who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his next brother,

THE REV SIR CAVENDISH HERVEY FOSTER, 3rd Baronet (1817-1890), who married, in 1844, Isabella, daughter of the Rev John Todd, and had issue,

JOHN FREDERICK, his successor;
Hervey;
Jane Vere.

Sir Cavendish was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR AUGUSTUS VERE FOSTER, 4th Baronet (1873-1947), JP DL, Captain, Norfolk Yeomanry, who married, in 1894, Charlotte Philippa Marion, daughter of the Rev Henry Edward Browne ffolkes, and had issue,

ANTHONY VERE (1908-34);
Philippa Eugenie Vere; Dorothy Elizabeth Charlotte Vere.

The baronetcy became extinct in 1947 following the decease of the 4th and last Baronet.

GLYDE COURT, near Tallanstown, County Louth, was a late 18th century house with a long elevation, remodelled in the 19th century in Jacobean style.

The long elevation had curvilinear gables and two curved bows.

The main entrance was at one end of the house, where there was a shorter front with two gabled projections joined by an arcaded cloister.

The last baronet to live at Glyde Court, Sir Augustus, features in a romantic Edwardian family portrait by Sir William Orpen KBE, on display at the National Gallery of Ireland.

First published in April, 2013.

Louth Hall

THE BARONS LOUTH WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LOUTH, WITH 3,578 ACRES 

This noble family, the eldest branch of the numerous house of PLUNKETT, has a common ancestor with the Earls of Fingall and the Barons Dunsany; namely, John Plunkett, who was seated, about the close of the 11th century, at Beaulieu, County Louth. 

JOHN PLUNKETT, of Beaulieu, or Bewley, during the reign of HENRY III, who with Alice his wife, held the advowson of the Church of Beaulieu, 1322, and granted half an acre to found the church and churchyard there.

He had two sons,

JOHN, his heir;

Richard, ancestor of the Earls of Fingall and the Barons of Dunsany.

The elder son,

JOHN PLUNKETT, of Beaulieu, was granted, during the time of EDWARD III, the wardship of Nicholas de Howth.

His son,

RICHARD PLUNKETT, of Beaulieu, King's Serjeant-at-Law, wedded Alice, daughter of D'Arcy, of Trim, and died in 1360, leaving a son and heir,

WALTER PLUNKETT, of Beaulieu, Sheriff of Louth during the reign of HENRY IV, who married Joan, daughter of Thomas Netterville, and died in 1436, when he was succeeded by his son,

WALTER PLUNKETT, of Beaulieu, who espoused Genet, daughter of John Luttrell, and was succeeded by his son,

WALTER PLUNKETT, of Beaulieu, who wedded the daughter of Bellew, of Bellewstown, and was succeeded by his son,

SIR JOHN PLUNKETT (1448-1508), of Beaulieu, Kilsaran, and Tallanstown, who married Catherine, daughter of Thomas Nangle, Baron of Navan, by Ismay his wife, daughter of Sir William Wells, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and had issue, six daughters and five sons, of whom,

Thomas, of Kilsaran;

OLIVER, of whom hereafter;

John.

Sir John's second son,

SIR OLIVER PLUNKETT, of Kilsaran, was elevated to the peerage, in 1541, in the dignity of BARON LOUTH (second creation).

His lordship wedded firstly, Catherine, daughter and heir of John Rochfort, of Carrick, County Kildare, by whom he had six sons and four daughters; and secondly, Maud, daughter and co-heir of Walter Bath, of Rathfeigh, by whom he had two sons and two daughters.

He was succeeded at his decease by his eldest son,

THOMAS, 2nd Baron (c1547-71), who married Margaret, daughter and heir of Nicholas Barnewall, and was succeeded at his decease by his eldest son,

PATRICK, 3rd Baron (1548-75), who wedded Maud, daughter of Lord Killeen; but dying  without issue (having been slain by McMahon, in the recovery of a prey of cattle, at Essexford, County Monaghan), the title devolved upon his brother,

OLIVER, 4th Baron; who having, with the Plunketts of Ardee, brought six archers on horseback to the general hosting, at the hill of Tara, 1593, was appointed to have the leading of County Louth.

He married firstly, Frances, daughter of Sir Nicholas Bagenall, Knight Marshal of Ireland, by whom he had five sons and three daughters; and secondly, Genet Dowdall, by whom he had no issue.

His lordship died in 1607, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

MATTHEW, 5th Baron, who wedded Mary, daughter of Sir Richard Fitzwilliam, of Meryon, and had four sons.

His lordship died in 1629, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

OLIVER, 6th Baron (1608-79);

Who, joining the Royalists in 1639, was at the siege of Drogheda, and at a general meeting of the principal Roman Catholic gentry of County Louth, held at the hill of Tallaghosker. His lordship was appointed Colonel-General of all the forces to be raised in that county; and in the event of his lordship's declining the same, then Sir Christopher Bellew; and upon his refusal, then Sir Christopher Barnewall, of Rathasker. This latter gentleman accepted the said post of Colonel-General, for which he was imprisoned, in 1642, at Dublin Castle, and persecuted by the usurper Cromwell's parliament.

His lordship married Mary, Dowager Viscountess Dillon, second daughter of Randal, 1st Earl of Antrim, and was succeeded at his demise by his only son,

MATTHEW, 7th Baron; who, like his father, suffered by his adhesion to royalty, having attached himself to the fortunes of JAMES II.

His lordship died in 1639, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

OLIVER, 8th Baron (de jure) (1668-1707);

Who, upon taking his seat in parliament, was informed by the Chancellor that his grandfather, Oliver, 6th Baron, had been outlawed in 1641; and not being able to establish the reversal of the same, the dignity remained, for the two subsequent generations, unacknowledged in law.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son, by Mabella, daughter of Lord Kingsland,

MATTHEW, 9th Baron (de jure) (1698-1754), who was succeeded by his eldest son,

OLIVER, 10th Baron (de jure) (1727-63), who wedded Margaret, daughter of Luke Netterville, and had issue,

THOMAS, his successor;
Matthew;
Susannah; Anne.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

THOMAS OLIVER, 11th Baron (1757-1823), who had the outlawry of his great-grandfather annulled, and was restored to his rank in the peerage in 1798.

He married, in 1808, Margaret, eldest daughter of Randal, 13th Lord Dunsany, and had issue,

THOMAS, his successor;
Randall Matthew;
Charles Dawson;
Henry Luke;
Edward Sidney.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

THOMAS OLIVER, 12th Baron (1809-49), who espoused, in 1830, Anna Maria, daughter of Philip Roche, of Donore, County Kildare, by Anna Maria, his wife, youngest daughter of Randall, Lord Dunsany, and had issue,

RANDAL PERCY OTWAY, his successor;
Thomas Oliver Westenra;
Algernon Richard Hartland;
Augusta Anna Margaret; another daughter.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

RANDAL PERCY OTWAY, 13th Baron (1832-83) an officer in the 79th Highlanders.

14th Baron Louth

RANDAL PILGRIM RALPH, 14th Baron (1868-1941), JP DL, was an officer in the Westminster Dragoons and the Wiltshire Regiment, and served in the First and Second World Wars.

The 14th Baron, though not prominent in politics, did take part in public life: He was a member of the Irish Reform Association, and took part in the campaign for a Catholic University. In politics he was a Unionist. His papers show that he was an active sportsman and also travelled widely.

He sold most of the estate soon after the 1903 Wyndham Land Act. He died in 1941, and was succeeded by his only surviving son Otway, briefly 15th Baron, before his death in 1950.

Louth Hall and demesne at Tallanstown were sold and the family settled at Jersey, Channel Islands.

The 16th Baron died at Jersey, Channel Islands, on the 6th January, 2013, aged 83.

The title now devolves upon his lordship's eldest son, the Hon Jonathan Oliver Plunkett, born in 1952. 

LOUTH HALL, the ancestral demesne of the Barons Louth, is in the parish of Tallanstown, 2½ miles south of the village of Louth, County Louth.

The mansion is a three-storey Georgian house, built ca 1760, now in ruins.

There is a shallow, projecting, curved bow to the east of south elevation of ca 1805; and a tower-house to west of ca 1350.

The roof is not visible, hidden behind a crenellated parapet.

The Plunkett family crest is above the pediment.

Louth Hall is situated within what is now a field, with ranges of random rubble stone outbuildings of ca 1805, arranged around three yards; remains of walled garden to west; artificial lake to south, dovecote to south-west.

Entrance gates to north-east on roadside comprising tooled limestone squared piers, cast-iron gates, flanked by pedestrian gates and curving quadrant plinth surmounted by cast-iron railings.

This house was the home of the Plunkett family from the later medieval until the early-20th century. 

The 14th Baron sold most of the estate soon after the 1903 Wyndham Land Act.

He died in 1941, and his only surviving son, Otway, was briefly 15th Baron Louth, before his death in 1950.

The house and demesne were also sold, some years after the estate, and the family settled in Jersey, Channel Islands.

The continuity of occupation is reflected in the architectural changes, the migration from tower house to Georgian mansion.

A fire in 2000 destroyed delicate early 19th century interior plasterwork.

The archaeological, architectural and historical associations of this building are as immense as the structure itself. 

First published in March, 2013. 

1st Viscount Taaffe

THE TAAFFES OWNED 1,277 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY LOUTH

The members of this noble family resided, for a series of years, in the Austrian dominions, and filled the highest and most confidential employments, civil and military, under the imperial government, doubtless from having been, from theretofore, as Roman Catholics, debarred the prouder gratification of serving their own.

The Taaffes were of great antiquity in the counties of Louth and Sligo, and produced, in ancient times, many distinguished and eminent persons; among whom was Sir Richard Taaffe, who flourished during the reign of EDWARD I, and died in 1287.

Contemporary with Sir Richard was the Lord (Nicholas) Taaffe, who died in 1288, leaving two sons: John Taaffe, Archbishop of Armagh, who died in 1306, and

RICHARD FITZ-NICHOLAS TAAFFE, whose eldest son,

RICHARD TAAFFE, was seated at Ballybraggan and Castle Lumpnagh.

This gentleman served the office of sheriff of County Louth in 1315, and to his custody was committed the person of Hugh de Lacy, the younger, Earl of Ulster, after his condemnation for high treason, in inciting the invasion of Ireland, by Edward Bruce, until the execution of that unfortunate nobleman at Drogheda.

From this Richard lineally descended

SIR WILLIAM TAAFFE, Knight, of Harleston, in Norfolk, who distinguished himself by his services to the Crown, during the Earl of Tyrone's rebellion, in 1597; and subsequently maintained his reputation against the Spanish force, which landed at Kinsale in 1601.

Sir William died in 1630, and was succeeded by his only son,

SIR JOHN TAAFFE, Knight, who was advanced to the Irish peerage, in 1628, in the dignities of Baron Ballymote and VISCOUNT TAAFFE, of Corren, both in County Sligo.

His lordship married Anne, daughter of Theobald, 1st Viscount Dillon, by whom he had (with other issue),

THEOBALD, his heir;
Lucas, major-general in the army;
Francis, colonel in the army;
Edward;
Peter, in holy orders;
Jasper, slain in battle;
WILLIAM.

His lordship died in 1642, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

THEOBALD, 2nd Viscount (c1603-77), who was advanced to an earldom, as EARL OF CARLINGFORD, in 1662.

This nobleman espoused zealously the royal cause during the civil wars, and had his estate sequestered by the Usurper.

After the Restoration, he obtained, however, a pension of £800 a year; and, upon being advanced in the peerage, received a grant of £4,000 a year, of the rents payable to the Crown, out of the retrenched lands of adventurers and soldiers, during such time as the same remained in the common stock of reprisals, and out of forfeited jointures, mortgages etc.

His lordship was succeeded at his decease by his eldest surviving son,

NICHOLAS, 2nd Earl and 3rd Viscount, who fell at the battle of the Boyne, in the command of a regiment of foot, under the banner of JAMES II; and, leaving no issue, the honours devolved upon his brother,

FRANCIS, 3rd Earl (1639-1704), the celebrated Count Taaffe, of the Germanic Empire.

This nobleman, who was sent in his youth to the city of Olmuts, to prosecute his studies, became, first, one of the pages of honour to the Emperor Ferdinand; and, soon after, obtained a captain's commission from CHARLES V, Duke of Lorraine, in his own regiment.

He was, subsequently, chamberlain to the emperor, a marshal of the empire, and counsellor of the state and cabinet.

His lordship was so highly esteemed by most of the crowned heads of Europe that, when he succeeded to his hereditary honours, he was exempted from forfeiture, by a special clause in the English act of parliament, during the reign of WILLIAM AND MARY.

His lordship died in 1704, and leaving no issue, the honours devolved upon his nephew,

THEOBALD, 4th Earl, son of Major the Hon John Taaffe, who fell before Londonderry, in the service of JAMES II, by the Lady Rose Lambart, daughter of Charles, 1st Earl of Cavan.

He married Amelia, youngest daughter of Luke, 3rd Earl of Fingal; but dying without issue, in 1738, the earldom expired, while the viscountcy and barony passed to his next heir male,

NICHOLAS, Count Taaffe (c1685-1769), of the Germanic Empire, as 6th Viscount.

This nobleman obtained the golden key, as chamberlain, from the Emperor CHARLES VI, as he did from His Imperial Majesty's successor, which mark of distinction both his sons enjoyed.

His lordship, as Count Taaffe, obtained great renown during the war with the Turks, in 1738, and achieved the victory of BELGRADE with high honour.

He married Mary Anne, daughter and heiress of Count Spendler, of Lintz, in Upper Austria, a lady of the bedchamber to Her Imperial and Hungarian Majesty, and had issue,

John, predeceased his father;
Francis, dsp.

His lordship was succeeded by his grandson,

RUDOLPH, Count Taaffe (1762-1830), 7th Viscount, who espoused, in 1787, the Countess Josephine Haugwitz, and had issue,

FRANCIS, his successor;
Louis;
Clementina.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

FRANCIS JOHN CHARLES JOSEPH RUDOLPH, Count Taaffe (1788-1849), 8th Viscount, who wedded, in 1811, the Countess Antonia Amade de Várkony, and had issue,

LOUIS PATRICK JOHN, Count Taaffe, 9th Viscount (1791-1855), who espoused, in 1822, Amelia Prinzessin Bretzenheim von Regécz, and had issue,

CHARLES RUDOLPH FRANCIS JOSEPH CLEMENT, his successor;

EDWARD FRANCIS JOSEPH, 11th Viscount;

Walburga Clementina Rudolphina Francesca; Amelia Rudolphina Henrietta; Amelia Walburga.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

CHARLES RUDOLPH FRANCIS JOSPEH CLEMENT, Count Taaffe, 10th Viscount (1823-73), a General in the Austrian Army, Chamberlain to the Emperor of Austria, who died unmarried, and the titles devolved upon his brother,

EDWARD, Count Taaffe, 11th Viscount (1833-95), who married, in 1860, Maria Francisca Gräfin Czaky Keresztceg und Adorjan, and had issue,

HENRY, his successor;

Mary; Louisa; Helen; Clementine.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

HENRY, Count Taaffe, 12th Viscount (1872-1928), who wedded, in 1897, Maria Magda Fuchs, and had issue,

EDWARD CHARLES RICHARD.

On 28th March, 1919, his lordship's titles were removed from the Roll of Peers.

His only son,

RICHARD TAAFFE (1898-1967), was entitled to petition for restoration of the Viscountcy, but never did so.

Carlingford arms

Lord Taaffe was seated at Ellischau Castle, Bohemia.

Under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917, his name was removed from the roll of the Peers of Ireland by Order of the King in Council, 1919, for bearing arms against the United Kingdom in the 1st World War.

In 1919, he also lost his title as Count of the Holy Roman Empire, when the newly-established republic of Austria abolished the nobility and outlawed the use of noble titles.

Independent of the legal situation in the UK, the monarchy was abolished in Austria in 1918, and in 1919 the newly established republic of German Austria abolished all noble titles by law.

Heinrich, Count Taaffe, 12th Viscount Taaffe, thus lost both his titles and ended his life as plain Mr Taaffe.

He married, in 1897, in Vienna, Maria Magda Fuchs, and they had a son, Richard (1898–1967).

Upon the death of his first wife in 1918, he married, secondly, Aglaë Isescu,, in 1919, at Ellischau.

He died in Vienna in 1928, aged 56.

EDWARD CHARLES RICHARD TAAFFE (1898–1967) was an Austrian gemmologist who found the first cut and polished taaffeite in November 1945.

Mr Taaffe inherited neither the viscountcy nor the title of Count, as Austria had generally abolished titles of nobility in 1919.

With Richard Taaffe's death in 1967, no heirs to either title remained and both the Austrian and the UK titles became extinct.

Portions of the Taaffes'  County Sligo estate were offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court in 1852.

In 1866-67, John Taaffe offered for sale his estate at Gleneask and lands at Drumraine, in the barony of Corran.

In 1880 John West Pollock offered over 500 acres of the Taaffe estate in the barony of Corran for sale in the Land Judges' Court.

The Gleneask estate derived from an 1808 lease between Henry King and John Taaffe; while the Drumraine lease dated from the same period from the Parke estate.

The Taaffe family are also recorded as the owners of 833 acres in County Galway in the 1870s.

The family also held extensive properties in counties Louth and Meath.

The Congested Districts Board acquired over 5,000 acres of the Taaffe estate in the early 20th century.

SMARMORE CASTLE, near Ardee, County Louth, is claimed to be one of the longest continuously inhabited castles in Ireland.

Records show that William Taaffe was seated here in 1320, after his family arrived in Ireland from Wales at the turn of the 12th century.

Successive generations of Taaffes continued to make Smarmore Castle their main residence in Ireland until the mid 1980s, when the property was sold.

The castle is divided into three distinct sections comprising an early 14th century castle-keep with extensions on either side built ca 1720 and 1760 respectively.

The castle is built of local stone and its walls are eight feet thick.

The 18th century courtyard behind the castle was formerly the stables for the estate.

First published in October, 2012.  Carlingford arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

Barmeath Castle

THE BARONS BELLEW WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LOUTH, WITH 4,110 ACRES

SIR ADAM DE BELLA AQUA (Bellew), living in 1210 (Gilbert's Roll of early Settlers in Ireland), was ancestor of John Bellew, of Bellewstown, County Meath, fourth in descent from whom was Sir John Bellew of Castle Roche (1402), who left issue by his wife Rosyn Byrtais de Verdon,

JOHN BELLEW of The Roche, his heir;

John Bellew (twin with above), of Bellewstown.

JOHN BELLEW of The Roche was succeeded by his son,

SIR RICHARD BELLEW of The Roche and of Castletown, who, in 1542, was succeeded by his grandson,

SIR JOHN BELLEW, Knight, of Bellewstown, who married the Hon Margaret Plunkett, daughter of Oliver, 1st Baron Louth, and had issue,

Christopher (Sir), of Bellewstown;

JOHN, of whom hereafter;

Richard, of Stameen, County Meath.

The second son,

JOHN BELLEW, of Lisrenny and Graftonstown, County Louth, espoused Joan Lynam, of Adamstown, and had two sons,

PATRICK;

Nicholas.

The elder son,

PATRICK BELLEW, of Lisrenny and Graftonstown, married Mary, daughter of James Warren, of Warrenstown, County Louth, and had a son,

SIR JOHN BELLEW (c1605-79), Knight, of Lisrenny and Willistown, eldest son of Patrick Bellew, of Lisrenny, County Louth, MP for County Louth, 1639, married Mary, daughter of Robert Dillon, of CLONBROCK, County Galway, and had issue,

PATRICK, his successor;
CHRISTOPHER, of Mount Bellew;
Mary.

The elder son,

PATRICK BELLEW, of Barmeath, or Bellew Mount, High Sheriff of County Louth, 1687, wedded Miss Barnewall, sister of Sir Patrick Barnewall Bt, of Crickstown Castle, and had five sons and six daughters.

He was created a baronet in 1688, designated of Barmeath, County Louth.

Sir Patrick died in 1716, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JOHN BELLEW, 2nd Baronet (c1660-1734), of Barmeath, County Louth, and Castle Bellew, County Galway, who espoused firstly, in 1685, Mary, daughter of Edward Taylor, and eventually heiress of her brother, Nicholas Taylor, by whom he had three sons and an only daughter.

He married secondly, Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Curling, storekeeper of Londonderry during the memorable siege of that city, by whom he seven sons and three daughters.

Sir John was succeeded by his second and eldest surviving son,

SIR EDWARD BELLEW, 3rd Baronet (c1695-1741), who wedded Eleanor, eldest daughter and co-heir of Michael Moore, of Drogheda, and had issue,

Michael;
JOHN, his successor;
PATRICK, succeeded his brother.

Sir Edward was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

SIR JOHN BELLEW, 4th Baronet (1728-50), at whose decease (of smallpox) unmarried, the title devolved upon his brother,

SIR PATRICK BELLEW, 5th Baronet (c1735-95), who espoused Mary, daughter and co-heiress of Matthew Hore, of Shandon, County Waterford, and had, with two daughters, nine sons, of whom,

SIR EDWARD BELLEW, 6th Baronet (c1760-1827), married, in 1786, Mary Anne, daughter and sole heir of Richard Strange, of Rockwell Castle, County Kilkenny, and had issue,

THE RT HON SIR PATRICK BELLEW, 7th Baronet (1798-1866), High Sheriff of Louth, 1831, MP for Louth, 1831-37, Lord-Lieutenant of County Louth, 1831-66, Privy Counsellor, 1838, who wedded, in 1829, Anna Fermina, daughter of Admiral Don José Maria de-Mendoza-y-Rios, of Seville, Spain, and had issue,

EDWARD JOSEPH, his successor;
Frances Mary; Annabella Mary; Ismay Louisa Ursula; Fermina Maria Magdalena.

Sir Patrick was elevated to the peerage, in 1848, in the dignity of BARON BELLEW, of Barmeath, County Louth.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

EDWARD JOSEPH, 2nd Baron (1830-95), High Sheriff of County Louth, 1854, Major, the Louth Militia, who wedded, in 1853, Augusta Mary, only daughter and heiress of Colonel George Bryan MP, of Jenkinstown, County Kilkenny, and had issue,

Patrick George, 1853-74;
CHARLES BERTRAM, 3rd Baron;
GEORGE LEOPOLD BRYAN, 4th Baron;
Richard Eustace, father of 5th and 6th Barons.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

CHARLES BERTRAM, 3rd Baron (1855-1911), High Sheriff of County Louth, 1875, Lord-Lieutenant of County Louth, 1898-1911, who espoused, in 1883, Mildred Mary Josephine, eldest daughter of Sir Humphrey de Trafford Bt, of Trafford Park, Lancashire.

His lordship died without issue, when the family honours devolved upon his next brother,

GEORGE LEOPOLD BRYAN, 4th Baron (1857-1935), High Sheriff of County Louth, 1902, who married, in 1927, Elaine Carlisle, daughter of John Benjamin Leach, of Queenstown, South Africa, but died without issue and was succeeded by his nephew,

EDWARD HENRY, 5th Baron (1889-1975), MBE, who wedded, in 1912, Barbara Helen Mary, only daughter of Sir Henry Farnham Burke, KCVO, CB, Garter Principal King of Arms, but died without issue, when the family honours devolved upon his brother,

BRYAN BERTRAM, 6th Baron (1890-1981), MC, who wedded, in 1918, Jeannie Ellen Agnes, only daughter of James Orsby Jameson, of Dolland, Clonsilla, County Dublin, and had issue,

JAMES BRYAN, 7th Baron (1920-2010), Captain, Irish Guards, who espoused firstly, in 1942, Mary Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the Rev Edward Eustace Hill, of Chestnuts, West Malling, Kent, and had issue,

BRYAN EDWARD, his successor;
Christopher James;
Angela Mary.

His lordship married secondly, in 1978, Gwendoline, daughter of Charles Redmond Clayton-Daubeny, of Bridgwater, Somerset, and Bihar, India.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

BRYAN EDWARD, 8th and present Baron (b 1943), Major (retired), Irish Guards, who wedded, in 1968, Rosemary Sarah, eldest daughter of Major Reginald Kilner Brasier Hitchcock, of Meers Court, Mayfield, Sussex, and has issue,

Patrick Edward, 1969-97;
ANTHONY RICHARD BROOKE, b 1972.

BARMEATH CASTLE, near Dunleer, is one of County Louth's most striking country houses.

The Bellews have lived here since the 12th century.

The Castle has manifested the changing fortunes of the family: The exuberantly crenellated façade of the 1830s and the designs of Thomas Smith contribute to its appeal and the survival of some of the earlier fabric contributes to its archaeological and historical merit.

Originally the site of a medieval castle of the Pale, it was enlarged in the mid-18th century into a Georgian residence.

At this stage it was a plain three storey, seven bay, double gable-ended house.

In 1839 it was enlarged and castellated to the designs of either John B Keane or Thomas Smith.

What was formerly the entrance front, gained two corner round towers and became the garden front.

To one end of the side elevation, a new entrance was created with a Romanesque arch and a square entrance tower, which acted as a porte-cochère.

On the other side, a long wing with turrets and castellation was added to create a courtyard.

The original Georgian façade is still very obvious, especially on the garden front (above).

The interior is intact Georgian with fine plasterwork and a staircase.

One of the upstairs rooms features Masonic emblems and was built for the purpose of lodge meetings.

The ornamental river, designed by Thomas Wright, along with the outbuildings and paired gate lodges, add to the overall original site context.

First published in October, 2012.

Beaulieu House

THE MONTGOMERYS OWNED 1,364 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY LOUTH

SIR HENRY TICHBORNE (1581-1667), Knighted in 1623, fourth son of Sir Benjamin de Tichborne, 1st Baronet, of Tichborne, Hampshire, was engaged against the rebels in Ireland during the reign of JAMES I, and founded a branch of the family there.

The grandson of this gentleman, 

HENRY TICHBORNE, High Sheriff of County Louth, 1706, was created a Baronet and afterwards elevated to the Peerage of Ireland, in 1715, as BARON FERRARD, of Beaulieu, County Louth; but the honours expired with himself in 1731.

The first and last Lord Ferrard's coat-of-arms is displayed above.

His lordship married Arabella, daughter of Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet, and had issue, four sons, all of whom predeceased their father, and a surviving daughter,

THE HON SALISBURY TICHBORNE, who wedded, in 1713, William Aston, MP for Dunleer, grandson of Sir William Aston, by whom she had issue,

TICHBORNE ASTON (1716-48);

SOPHIA, of whom we treat.

The daughter,

SOPHIA ASTON (1718-82), married, in 1741, Thomas Tipping, and had issue,

Elizabeth;

Sophia Mabella;

Salisbury Wilhelmina.

The second daughter,

SOPHIA MABELLA TIPPING (1747-99), of Beaulieu and Bellurgan, County Louth, wedded the Rev Robert Montgomery (1753-1825), Rector of Monaghan for thirty years, and had issue,

ALEXANDER, the heir;

Thomas, Captain RN;

Katherine Salisbury.

Memorial to Rev Robert Montgomery in St Brigid's Church, Beaulieu

The Rev Robert Montgomery’s nephew’s son, Major-General Richard Montgomery, was one of the key founders of the American Army.

The elder son,

THE REV ALEXANDER JOHNSTON (1782-1856), of Beaulieu, assumed the name of JOHNSTON in lieu of Montgomery and the Arms of JOHNSTON only, in 1813, having married firstly, in 1809, Margaret, daughter and heir of Andrew Johnston, of Littlemount, County Fermanagh.

She died in 1824, having had issue,

Robert Willoughby (1811-26);

RICHARD THOMAS, of whom presently;

Thomas Tichborne;

Alexander John;

Arthur Andrew;

Rosa; Sophia Mabella; Maria Jane; Sidney Katherine Salisbury.

The Rev Alexander Johnston wedded secondly, 1827, Charlotte Isabella, daughter of John Forster, brother of Sir Thomas Forster Bt. She dsp 1840. 

Multi-quartered Montgomery arms in
St Brigid's Church, Beaulieu

The second son,

RICHARD THOMAS MONTGOMERY JP (1813-90), of Beaulieu, High Sheriff of County Louth, 1855, Lieutenant, 3rd Light Dragoons, married, in 1845, Frances Barbara, daughter of St George Smith, of Greenhills, County Louth, and had issue,

RICHARD JOHNSTON, his heir;

Willoughby Aston;

Tichborne St George Roger;

Emily Hannah; Rose Sophia Mabella; Sydney Wilhelmina Salisbury; Violet Marguerite.

The eldest son,

RICHARD JOHNSTON MONTGOMERY JP (1855-1939), of Beaulieu, High Sheriff of County Louth, 1910, wedded firstly, in 1890, Maud Helena Collingwood (of Rokeby Hall, County Louth), only daughter of Sir John Stephen Robinson Bt, CB, of Rokeby Hall, County Louth, and had issue,

John Gerald Richard Collingwood (died 1892);
Bertram Richard Thomas (died 1896);
Maud Rosa Mabella (died in infancy).

He wedded secondly, in 1913, Mary Patience Collingwood Denny, and had further issue,

SIDNEY.

His surviving daughter,

SIDNEY MONTGOMERY (1913-2005), married Nesbit Waddington (1908-90), Manager of the Aga Khan's Irish stud farms, and had issue,

Gabriel;

Penderell.

Beaulieu is today owned by Cara Konig-Brock, who inherited the property from her mother, Gabriel de Freitas (1941-2013), who, in turn, inherited the house from her mother, Mrs Sidney Waddington.

Beaulieu (Image: Discover Boyne Valley)

BEAULIEU is located at the Boyne estuary, close to the town of Drogheda, County Louth.

Mark Bence-Jones, in Burke's Guide To Country Houses in Ireland (1978), considers it "the finest and best-preserved country house of 2nd half of c17 in Ireland; and one of 1st country houses to be built in Ireland without any fortification ...."

Beaulieu was built from 1660 onwards, and comprises two storeys, with a dormered attic in the lofty eaved roof.

The entrance front is of seven bays, two of the bays protruding forward; and a six-bay side elevation.

The facades are rendered in subtle red brick.

Beaulieu, in the 17th century when good roads were virtually non-existent, was particularly convenient to the Irish Sea for travel to such places as Dublin.

Beaulieu: the Hall (Image: Beaulieu website)

The two-storey hall is resplendent with the antler of an Irish elk, and family portraits; of note is a painting of the town of Drogheda embedded into the upper half of the double-tiered, 17th century stone mantel.

Family portraits include the Tichbornes, Astons, Tippings, and Montgomerys.

Colourful armorial bearings of the family embellish the mantel, too; and above the inner hall doors.

The late Sidney Waddington was an enthusiastic gardener, and Beaulieu's splendid garden reflects her passion and prowess.

Castle Bellingham

THE BELLINGHAM BARONETS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LOUTH, WITH 4,186 ACRES

AND 11,810 ACRES IN COUNTY MAYO

This ancient family derives its surname from the village of Bellingham, Northumberland, where it appears to have been seated immediately after the Conquest; and its descent in a direct male line, without any interruption, from

WILLIAM DE BELLINGHAM, Sheriff of Tynedale, Northumberland, 1279, and forester of the district for ALEXANDER III, King of Scots.

RICHARD DE BELLINGHAM, probably his son, married Margaret, daughter and heir of Sir Gilbert de Burneside, and went to reside at Burneside, near Kendal, Westmorland.

His descendant, 

ROBERT BELLINGHAM, of Burneside, living during the time of HENRY V, wedded Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Richard Tunstall, KG, and had issue,

Henry (Sir), of Burneside;

Richard, ancestor of Burnside of Lincolnshire;

Thomas, settled in Sussex;

ALAN, of whom hereafter.

The youngest son,

ALAN BELLINGHAM, eighth son of Robert Bellingham, of Bellingham, Northumberland, purchased Levens, near Kendal, and erected a mansion there, which subsequently became the chief residence of his successors.

He had a grant from HENRY VIII of the Lumley Fee, Barony of Kendal, and was Treasurer of Berwick and Deputy Warden of the Marches. 

He married Elizabeth, daughter of William Gilpin, of Kentmore, and was succeeded by his son,

THOMAS BELLINGHAM, of Levens, Westmorland, who wedded Marion, daughter of Thomas Beck, of Holbeck.

His eldest son,

ALAN BELLINGHAM (c1517-78), of Helsington and Levens, MP for Westmorland, 1571, and a Bencher of the Middle Temple, married firstly, Catherine, daughter of Anthony Duckett, of Grayrigg. She dsp.

He wedded secondly, Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Sandford (Sandforth), of Askham, Westmorland, and died in 1578, having had issue, seven sons and eight daughters, including,

Thomas, died in infancy;

James, his heir;

Henry;

ROBERT, of whom we treat;

Alan.

A younger son,

ROBERT BELLINGHAM (1576-1639), of Dublin, who entered the Middle Temple, 1595, inherited from his father the lands of Great Strickland and Milkinthorpe, which he probably sold before migrating to Ireland.

He was Sheriff of County Longford, 1611-12, and was appointed Attorney to the Second Remembrancer of the Exchequer of Ireland by Lord Chichester, when Lord Treasurer, 1616-22.

He wedded Margaret Whyte (d 1668) of the family of Clongill, County Meath, and had, with other issue,

Daniel (Sir), first Baronet, of Dubber;

HENRY, of whom hereafter.

Mr Robert Bellingham died at Kendal in 1639; his younger son,

HENRY BELLINGHAM, of Gernonstown, County Louth, sworn of the Goldsmiths' Guild, 1652, Cornet in the Army, purchased Gernonstown and other lands from a trooper to whom they had been granted by Oliver Cromwell, in lieu of arrears of pay, confirmed by CHARLES II.

Mr Bellingham, High Sheriff of County Louth, 1671, died in 1676, and was succeeded by his son and heir,

COLONEL THOMAS BELLINGHAM (1646-1721), of Gernonstown  (Castle Bellingham), MP for County Louth, 1692-1713, High Sheriff of County Louth, 1684 and 1690, Colonel in the army of WILLIAM III, who acted as His Majesty's guide during the march of the army from Dundalk to the Boyne.

After that battle, he accompanied the King to Duleek.

In consequence, JAMES II's army destroyed Castle Bellingham by fire.

Colonel Bellingham married, in 1671, Abigail Handcock, and was father of

HENRY BELLINGHAM (1676-c1740), of Castle Bellingham, MP for Dundalk, 1703-1714, who wedded Mary, daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Moore, and was succeeded by his elder son,

HENRY BELLINGHAM (c1713-55), of Castle Bellingham, High Sheriff of County Louth, 1734, MP for Louth, 1741-55, who married Margaret, daughter of Hugh Henry, of Straffan, County Kildare; but dying without surviving issue, was succeeded by his brother, 

COLONEL ALAN BELLINGHAM (c1709-96), of Castle Bellingham, Surveyor of the Port of Drogheda, who wedded, in 1738, Alice, daughter and co-heir of the Rev Hans Montgomery, of Grey Abbey, County Down, and had (with four daughters), five sons, namely,

Henry;
Alan;
O'Brien;
Thomas, Royal Navy;
WILLIAM, of whom presently.

The youngest son,

WILLIAM BELLINGHAM (c1756-1826), of Castle Bellingham, MP for Reigate, 1784-87, married, in 1783, Hester Frances, youngest daughter of the Hon and Rev Robert Cholmondeley, and granddaughter of George, 3rd Earl of Cholmondeley, but had no issue.

Mr Bellingham was created a baronet in 1796, designated of Castle Bellingham, County Louth, with special remainder to the heirs male of his deceased father.

Sir William was accordingly succeeded by his nephew, 

SIR ALAN BELLINGHAM, 2nd Baronet (1776-1827), of Castle Bellingham, who espoused, in 1799, Elizabeth, 2nd daughter of Reed Edward Walls, of Boothby Hall, Lincolnshire; and had issue,

ALAN EDWARD;
Henry Richard;
O'Brien;
Sidney Robert;
William Johnson;
Mary Anne Jane; Frances Elizabeth; Charlotte Sophia.

Sir Alan was succeeded by his son,

SIR ALAN EDWARD BELLINGHAM, 3rd Baronet (1800-89), DL, of Castle Bellingham, High Sheriff of County Louth, 1829, who married, in 1841, Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Clarke, and had issue,

ALAN HENRY, his successor;
William Claypon (Rev);
Hester Elizabeth; Charlotte Mary; Frances Anne Jane; Agnes Matilda; Alice Sophia.

Sir Alan was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR (ALAN) HENRY BELLINGHAM, 4th Baronet (1846-1921), of Castle Bellingham, Barrister, Captain, Royal Irish Rifles, High Sheriff of County Louth, 1897, Lord-Lieutenant of County Louth, 1911-21, who wedded firstly, in 1874, the Lady Constance Julia Eleanor Georgiana Noel, daughter of Charles, 2nd Earl of Gainsborough, and had issue,

EDWARD HENRY CHARLES PATRICK, his successor;
Roger Charles Noel, father of the 6th Baronet;
Ida Mary Elizabeth Agnes; Augusta Mary Monica.

Sir Henry espoused secondly, in 1895, Lelgarde Harry Florence, daughter of Augustus Clifton Wykeham.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR EDWARD HENRY CHARLES PATRICK BELLINGHAM, 5th Baronet (1879-1956), CMG DSO, of Castle Bellingham, Brigadier-General, Lord-Lieutenant of County Louth, 1921-22, who espoused, in 1904, Charlotte Elizabeth, daughter of Alfred Payne, and had issue, an only child, GERTRUDE MARY.

Sir Edward died without male issue, when the title reverted to his cousin,

SIR ROGER CARROLL PATRICK STEPHEN BELLINGHAM, 6th Baronet (1911-73), who married, in 1941, Mary, daughter of William Norman, and had issue,

NOEL PETER ROGER, 7th Baronet;

ANTHONY EDWARD NORMAN, 8th Baronet.

The elder son,

SIR NOEL PETER ROGER BELLINGHAM, 7th Baronet (1943-99), died unmarried, and was succeeded by his brother,

SIR ANTHONY EDWARD NORMAN BELLINGHAM, 8th Baronet (1947-2015), who wedded firstly, in 1991, Denise Marie Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Calvin Moity, and had issue,

WILLIAM ALEXANDER NOEL HENRY, his successor.

He married secondly, in 1998, Namfon Buchar.

Sir Anthony was succeeded by his son and heir,

SIR WILLIAM ALEXANDER NOEL BELLINGHAM, 9th Baronet, born in 1991, 

The current heir presumptive is Alan Hall Bellingham (b. 1960), a cousin of the present holder.

The 5th Baronet was the last Lord-Lieutenant of County Louth, from 1921 until 1922.

The Bellinghams owned 11,810 acres in County Mayo.

THE CASTLE, Castlebellingham, County Louth, has served as one of the ancestral homes for Bellinghams since the 17th century.

It was purchased and built ca 1660 by Henry Bellingham, a cornet in the Army during the civil war.

He purchased the lands of Gernonstown, Louth, from a fellow soldier who had been granted them in lieu of arrears of pay.

The purchase was confirmed by CHARLES II.

The castle was occupied by troops and burned down in the autumn of 1689 by JAMES II in revenge for Colonel Thomas Bellingham being a guide for WILLIAM III, prior to the battle of the Boyne.

It is said that King William's armies camped the night before the battle in the grounds of the castle.

Castle Bellingham eventually became known as an important gathering point in the county. Fairs were held there every year.

A church was constructed next door to the castle and graveyard with a family vault was built.

The Bellinghams became one of the most powerful and influential family in the county.

For over a hundred years a Bellingham held the seat in Parliament for County Louth.

A history of the parish, dated 1908, states that the impressive Calvary standing close to the Castle was erected by Sir Henry Bellingham as a monument to the memory of his first wife Lady Constance.

Much more interesting for tourists and local history buffs, is the collection of inset religious panels to be seen on the upper facades of many of the village buildings.

These are also a reflection of Sir Henry's religious sentiments, and they are unique in Ireland.

In addition to the many pretty panels, there are biblical quotations cut into the stone window sills of some buildings.

North of the refurbished castle/hotel is a group of "widows' dwellings", built from charitable motives by Sir Henry, and these are architectural gems which have been carefully preserved.

The last Bellingham baronet to live there was Brigadier-General Sir Edward Bellingham, 5th Baronet, and last Lord-Lieutenant of County Louth.

Castle Bellingham was the ancestral seat of the Bellingham Baronets until about the late 1950s, when it was eventually purchased by Dermot Meehan in 1958 from the Irish Land Commission for £3,065.00.

He spent several years converting the house into a hotel called the Bellingham Castle Hotel.

Mr Meehan sold the Castle on 17 acres in 1967 for £30,636.61.

The hotel, including the 17 acres, was recently on the market for €1.5 million.

*****

BELLINGHAM CASTLE has reopened as a country house hotel.
The same proprietor owns Ballyseede Castle and CABRA CASTLE.
The rooms appear to have been restored and furnished most elegantly and admirably, in keeping with such a historic property.

*****

The castle stands on the site of an earlier medieval castle which was burnt by King James's soldiers before the battle of the Boyne in the late-17th century, as Colonel Thomas Bellingham was fighting for WILLIAM III.

It was remodelled in the late-18th century, when a third storey was added and in the early-19th century it took the shape we see today with its crenellated parapet, turrets and towers.

The Gothic embellishments, which are echoed in the entrance gates, can be seen on every elevation and it is the little details, such as the gargoyled boss to the base of a turret on the east elevation and the decorative label stops on the hood mouldings of some windows that create a pleasing, yet interesting, contrast to the Georgian classical windows seen on the main elevations.

Castle Bellingham played a central part in the development of the village to which it gives its name.

Much of the village is occupied by estate houses and many of their former occupants would have worked on the estate in its heyday.

First published in July, 2012.

Clermont Graves

Hugh Rowland has very kindly taken several photographs of the neglected and forgotten grave-stones of the 1st Lord and Lady Clermont.

The graveyard is within the parish of Jonesborough in County Armagh.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Thomas Fortescue (1815-87) was elevated to the peerage as 1st Baron Clermont.

His wife, née Lady Louisa Grace Butler, was the daughter of James Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde.

The 1st Baron's brother, Chichester Samuel Parkinson-Fortescue, 2nd Baron Clermont (1823-98), had been created the 1st Baron Carlingford in his own right.

Lord Carlingford died in France.

The Fortescue seat was Ravensdale Park, near Dundalk in County Louth.

"I recently visited the graveyard at Jonesborough and as you can see it is very overgrown.” 

“It was difficult to locate the grave that I assumed was Lord Carlingford's." 

"The inscription on the base of the stone on the left states....This stone was laid by Lord Carlingford whereas we thought it stated this is where Lord Carlingford is laid."

"It was laid in memory of the daughter of the [1st Marquess of Ormonde]... I find it disgraceful that the Church of Ireland vacates a church and also closes its eyes to the state of its graveyards." 

"Incidentally this graveyard is also used by the Roman Catholic population and the local Republican groupings who keep their side in immaculate condition."