Cairndhu House

CAIRNDHU HOUSE, near Larne, County Antrim, was built for Mr Stewart Clark at some stage after 1878.

Mr Clark was a wealthy Scottish textile industrialist. He married Annie (daughter of John Smiley and sister of SIR HUGH HOUSTON SMILEY Bt). Their daughter Edith married Sir Thomas Dixon in 1906. 

Cairndhu comprises two storeys and many gables; though it's style is vaguely Oriental, given that it boasts ornate, openwork bargeboards and an elaborate wooden veranda and balcony running for most of the frontage.

The house was later extended, in 1897-8, to the designs of Samuel P Close.

A collection of small buildings were on the site, presumably a farm, which in 1857 was called Seaview, the property of Robert Agnew.

Mr Clark bought Seaview in 1878, and would appear to have rebuilt it rather than remodelled or extended it, as there is now no trace of any earlier buildings.

The architect of the initial phase of Clark's building may have been Mr Close.

Cairndhu was extended by Mr Clark at various times, the last time reportedly being in 1906.

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon purchased Cairndhu in 1918.

They added the servants' dining hall.

In 1947, the Dixons donated the house and 162 acres of land to the Northern Ireland Hospitals Authority. 

*****

SIR THOMAS DIXON, 2nd Baronet, married Edith, youngest daughter of Mr Stewart Clark, of Dundas Castle, South Queensferry, Scotland, and Cairndhu, in 1906, at Dalmeny Church, South Queensferry.

Edith Clark was the sister of Sir John Stewart-Clark, 1st Baronet.

After their marriage, the Dixons lived for varying periods at Graymount House, Hillsborough Castle, Drumadarragh, Luttrelstown, and Lucan, before purchasing Lady Dixon’s childhood summer residence, Cairndhu.

The estate increased in size to nearly 500 acres when the adjoining properties of Droagh (formerly Sir Edward Coey’s estate) and Carnfunnock (William Chaine’s property) were purchased.

The Dixon family held many house and garden parties and entertained public dignitaries with grouse shooting in the Antrim Hills. 

More improvements were made to the house including the servants' dining hall.

The house was beautiful and Cairndhu had a large workforce, with 20 indoors staff, kitchen staff, ladies maids and upstairs staff .

Sir Thomas occupied his time with livestock farming, including a herd of dairy cows.

The farm office, stables and cattle byres were based at Hillhead Farm, now the clubhouse of Cairndhu Golf Club. 

Mr. Frank Brownlow was responsible for looking after the extensive herds of cattle and sheep at Carnfunnock, Cairndhu and hill land at Ballyboley.

He travelled to auctions all over Ireland to purchase cattle for Sir Thomas and managed the farm at Cairndhu. 

The land at Cairndhu was used for grazing cattle, mainly Shorthorns and Galloway cattle, which were bred for beef.

Two or three mornings per week they would inspect the cattle together and if Mr Brownlow pointed out to Sir Thomas that neighbouring farms were for sale, such as Droagh Farm, Sir Thomas would buy them and knock down hedges to have his fields extended for grazing. 

Sir Thomas often had his chauffeur, Sandy Moreland, drive him round the fields in his yellow and black Rolls-Royce to see his cattle, land stewards and head gardeners.

There were twenty-two gardeners and estate workers. 

In 1937, when Carnfunnock was merged with Cairndhu, Mr Brownlow was responsible for the management of the whole estate, which consisted of 500 acres.

In September, 1939, at the outbreak of World War II, Sir Thomas, as Mayor of Larne (1939-41), handed over his Larne residence for use as a War Hospital Supply Depot and organised the YMCA canteen at the harbour. 

Lady Dixon was president of the Ulster Fund and War Hospital Supply Depot for Serving Forces (Larne Depot) with donations requested in October 1939 to purchase necessary materials.

Sir Thomas provided his land, though he and Lady Dixon were able to live independently in Cairndhu without being affected.

The Carnfunnock walled garden grew cabbage, cauliflower and other vegetables that were used in Cairndhu or taken to Lady Dixon’s friends and family. 

In 1940 Lady Dixon gave one of their three Rolls-Royces to be converted into an ambulance for first-aid parties to the Larne A.R.P. Ambulance Service.

In May, 1947, Sir Thomas celebrated his 79th birthday, and the occasion was marked by announcing a generous gift: After forty years at Cairndhu, the Dixons donated their 60-room family home, with 100 acres of the estate, to the Ministry of Health and Local Government for use as a convalescent home and hospital. 

At the time, Lady Dixon said that she was very sorry to be going away from the house that her father built: “It’s too big for us now, though. It was different in the days when we could entertain.”

Sir Thomas died on holiday at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate, on 10th May, 1950, aged 81.

His body was brought back on the Stranraer steam-boat en route to his last residence, Wilmont House in Dunmurry.

The funeral service was held at Belfast Cathedral before burial at Dundonald Cemetery.

His younger brother Herbert, who had already been elevated to the peerage as 1st Baron Glentoran, succeeded him in the baronetcy.

At the time of Sir Thomas’s death, his effects were valued at over £389,000.

Cairndhu was officially opened as a convalescent hospital in 1950, but funding difficulties meant that, in 1986, it was closed down by the Department of Health and Social Services. 

In 1995, the Lord Rana purchased Cairndhu House and the surrounding gardens from the council.

A public consultation was held in 2018 over plans to develop the site of the derelict mansion into 'retirement village' facilities and a care home.

*****

CAIRNDHU was originally built as a summer residence in 1875 on a beautiful site overlooking the sea, which hitherto had a small amount of planting around a former smaller house called Sea View.

The trees, forming an effective shelter-belt, date from the late 19th century.

The site benefited initially from the shelter-belts of the adjoining property, Carncastle Lodge (now Carnfunnock Country Park).

These adjacent sites are now both administered by Larne Borough Council.

Gardens developed round the house with steeply terraced lawns.

The grounds rise on a steep slope from sea level, east to west.

The productive gardens were to the west side of the house at the most elevated level.

Vestiges of these remain and some dilapidated glass-houses.

There are good specimens of mature trees, shrub planting and lawns.

The northern end is now a golf course.

First published in August, 2010.

The Dixon Baronets

THE DIXON BARONETCY, OF BALLYMENOCK, WAS CREATED IN 1903 FOR DANIEL DIXON, LORD MAYOR OF BELFAST

THOMAS DIXON (1770-1849), of Bun-na-Mairge or Bonamargy, near Ballycastle, County Antrim, married, in 1804, Mary McNeill, and had an only son,

THOMAS DIXON (1805-68), of Larne, County Antrim, timber merchant and shipowner, who wedded, in 1834, Sarah, daughter of Daniel McCambridge, and had issue,

Francis McCambridge (c1836-66);
Thomas S;
DANIEL, of whom hereafter;
Alexander McCambridge;
Mary McNeill; Sarah.

Mr Dixon's third son,

THE RT HON DANIEL DIXON JP DL (1844-1907), Lord Mayor of Belfast, 1893, 1901-3, 1905-6, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1896, MP for Belfast North, 1905-7, Privy Counsellor, espoused firstly, in 1867, Eliza, daughter of James Agnew, and had issue,

THOMAS JAMES, his heir.

He married secondly, in 1870, Annie, daughter of James Shaw, and had issue,

Daniel;
Frank;
HERBERT, 1ST BARON GLENTORAN;
Percy;
Evelyn Annie; Kate; Edith Sarah; Louise; Beatrice.

Photo Credit: Belfast Harbour Commissioners

Mr Dixon was created a baronet in 1903, designated of Ballymenock, County Antrim.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON  SIR THOMAS JAMES DIXON (1868-1950), 2nd Baronet, JP, of Graymount and Drumadarragh, who wedded, in 1906, Edith Stewart, daughter of Stewart Clark, though the marriage was without issue.

Sir Thomas, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1912, County Down, 1913, Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast, 1924-50, Privy Counsellor, was succeeded by his brother,

THE RT HON SIR HERBERT DIXON, 3rd Baronet (1880-1950), OBE PC, High Sheriff of County Kildare, 1916, who espoused, in 1905, Emily Ina Florence, daughter of John George Barry, 5th Baron Clanmorris, and had issue,

DANIEL STEWART THOMAS BINGHAM, his successor;
Daphne Maude; Anne Lavinia; Angela Ierne Evelyn; Patricia Clare.

Sir Herbert was elevated to the peerage, in 1939, in the dignity of BARON GLENTORAN, of Ballyalloly, County Down.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

DANIEL STEWART THOMAS BINGHAM (1912-95), 2nd Baron and 4th Baronet, KBE, who wedded, in 1933, the Lady Diana Mary Wellesley, daughter of Henry Arthur Mornington, 3rd Earl Cowley, and had issue,

THOMAS ROBIN VALERIAN, his successor;
Peter Herbert;
Clare Rosalind.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

THOMAS ROBIN VALERIAN, 3rd Baron and 5th Baronet (1935-).

First published in August, 2010.

Glentoran's Lucan Encounter

JIM GRACEY, SPORTS EDITOR OF THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH, WROTE AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE LORD GLENTORAN IN 2018. I HAVE WRITTEN SEVERAL ARTICLES ABOUT THE 7TH EARL OF LUCAN 

3rd Baron Glentoran CBE. Photo Credit: Belfast Telegraph

SOLDIER, sportsman and peer of the realm, the remarkable LORD GLENTORAN recalls how a chance meeting with his notorious cousin set him on an unlikely path to a place in history.

There was a time when the young adventurer [the Hon] Robin Dixon relished a good snowfall as he went about his business, winning medals with his daring on the winter sports slopes and reaching a peak with a historic Olympic bobsleigh gold medal.

This week [January, 2018], he laments, it has been keeping him from his work as Lord Glentoran.

Keenly active in mind and body at age 82, this most remarkable man takes his House of Lords role seriously, flying to London, from his home in Ballyclare, each week to engage in the upper house debates, most notably those relating to the affairs closest to his heart — sport and Northern Ireland.

He does so out of a sense of duty and service, a constant theme in a most amazing life.

“It's a job of work and I feel it is important to keep going, and to play a proper part when I am there. For me, it is all about putting something back,” he says. “But this week I wasn’t able to get over because of the snow and I was disappointed about that.”

It is the ultimate irony for a man, unused to admitting defeat, to be thwarted by snow and ice.

For it was his mastery of those elements that earned him his unique place in sporting history and folklore.

To this day, 54 years after his astonishing feat at the Innsbruck Winter Games in 1964, he and partner Tony Nash remain Great Britain’s only Olympic bobsleigh gold medallists.

Think about it, a bobsleigh gold medallist from Northern Ireland and world champion the following year, for good measure?

It sounds even more unlikely than the script of the cult movie Cool Runnings which tells the story of the Jamaican bobsleigh team at the 1988 Games in Calgary.

Except where Dixon’s life story is concerned, it is a tale of Boys' Own ripping yarn proportions, much more astonishing and entertaining than fiction.

Eton-educated Army officer, sportsman, businessman, politician and peer of the realm, his family title inherited from his late father [2nd] Lord Glentoran, the last Speaker of the Northern Ireland Senate when the old Stormont parliament was stood down and replaced by Direct Rule in 1973.

President of the British Bobsleigh Association, he was an Olympic ice skating judge in the era of gold medallist Robin Cousins.

It is the most incredible CV and at this point no one should be surprised when LORD LUCAN makes an appearance.

The infamous earl, Dixon tells us matter-of-factly, was a second cousin who, by sheer chance, put the future Lord Glentoran on the path to Winter Olympic gold medal glory before embarking on his own slippery slope.

“We were related but I only knew him vaguely,” Robin recollects.

But Lucan was to play his part in creating Olympic history when the pair met by coincidence at the exclusive San Moritz ski resort in 1957.

Dixon, then an officer in the Grenadier Guards, was on a services’ ski holiday when Lucan, then plain John Bingham, “interrupted a rather good breakfast”.

“He had some involvement with the British bobsleigh team and asked if I’d like to fill in for a man who was injured,” Robin explains.

“I told him I had never even heard of bobsleigh but I was willing to give it a go. I’d been a boxer in the Army and a fairly good sprinter and wanted to try something different. I don’t think I’d ever seen a bobsleigh when I climbed into the back of one and didn’t look at the course on the way down but when we stopped I realised I quite enjoyed it. It was more dangerous in those days as the tracks were not as well manicured. People were dying every year but I was hooked.”

Lucan, of course, would go on to become one of the most notorious crime figures of the 20th century for the 1974 murder of his children’s nanny, Sandra Rivett, and a brutal attack on his estranged wife, followed by a disappearance and fruitless worldwide manhunt that continues to fascinate.

He was legally declared dead in 2016.

“I believe he was dead long before that,” offers Robin, who in sharp contrast, went on to find fame.

While still serving as an Army officer, he and Nash began racing in four-man bobs, but teamed up in the two-man when pilot Henry Taylor, an accomplished motor racing driver, was injured competing in Formula 1 in 1960.

Nash, who was “blind as a bat” and raced in glasses, took over as driver, with Dixon bringing up the rear.

“It was fun and exciting and an opportunity to get a cheap cap and I grabbed it,” he said. “In the ’50s from a GB point of view, it was very amateur. It was just a bunch of guys who wanted to have some fun. It’s a different world now with these professional sledders, eating, sleeping and drinking bobsleigh.”

For Dixon and Nash, it was whisky they were drinking the night before their gold medal triumph, Robin confides.

“Yes, we sipped a whisky or two. We were focused and on the ball but come the evening there were other things to do and we got on with life,” he said.

By the time the 1964 Innsbruck Games came around, the pair had established themselves as a formidable team.

Going into the second day of competition, they were in the gold medal position after the first two runs, ahead of their Italian rivals who were favourites to win.

But when it seemed disaster had struck on the first run of the second day, one of the most generous and sporting gestures in Olympic history helped them get back on track.

A rear axle bolt on their sled had sheared off and they didn’t have a spare.

That should have left the field clear for the Italians but in the spirit of a sporting era long gone, the Italian team captain stepped in to offer a replacement from their kit.

The gesture earned the Italian Eugenio Monti the Games’ inaugural fair play medal, named after Olympic founder Pierre de Coubertin.

Even then, Dixon recalls:

“On our last run we made a small mistake and I thought ‘that’s it’. We went to a hut near the finish and had a coffee and schnapps. Then various people found us to say the world’s press were looking for us. The race track had softened and nobody could overtake us. We just hugged each other. It was a great moment.”

Dixon and Nash had won by 0.12 seconds from Italy.

It was only 10.30 in the morning but the champagne was cracked open — it flowed all day and the next, Dixon was back in uniform at his barracks in England.

The pair, who have a corner named after them at the St Moritz track, won the world championship in 1965 and took bronze in 1966.

They also competed at the 1968 Olympics, finishing fifth behind Monti.

By then, Dixon had left the Army, having also served with 3 Para and the SAS in the Cyprus and Borneo conflicts, and gone into business at home in Northern Ireland. “My family felt it was time I started contributing to the life of the province,” he explains.

Having previously worked for Kodak, he built Redland Tile and Brick Ltd into a multi million-pound subsidiary of Redland plc.

Appointed High Sheriff of County Antrim in 1983, he was chairman of Positively Belfast from 1992 to 1996, and a shadow Northern Ireland Office Minister on the Conservative benches for seven years.

Walking and reading are his more sedate pursuits back in the Ballyclare home he shares with wife Maggie, Lady Glentoran.

He has three sons, Andrew, Patrick and the eldest, Danny, who is first in line to the Barony.

And his 60-year friendship with bobsleigh partner Nash, who lives in Devon, still endures.

“We’re still great mates and have a ball when we get together,” says Robin.

Every four years, when the Winter Olympics come round, they are asked to retell their amazing story. “And I am very happy to do so,” adds Robin.

“If it inspires just one young person to follow in our tracks and become a success, it is worthwhile. I’m immensely proud of the gold medal and it makes you a member of a very exclusive club, not just here in Northern Ireland but also worldwide.”

First published in June, 2020. 

Drumadarragh House

THOMAS DIXON (1770-1849), of Bonamargy, Ballycastle, County Antrim, married Mary McNeill in 1804, and had a son,

THOMAS DIXON (1805-68), of Larne, County Antrim, merchant and shipowner, who wedded, in 1834, Sarah, daughter of Archibald McCambridge, of Mullarts, Cushendall, County Antrim.

The eldest surviving son,

DANIEL DIXON JP DL (1844-1907), of Ballymenoch, Holywood, County Down, and of Ravensdale, County Louth, and of Glenville, Cushendall, County Antrim, was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution (Inst) and subsequently joined his father’s business, becoming a partner in 1864.

His brother, Thomas S Dixon, was also a partner.

The firm, Messrs Thomas Dixon & Sons, thrived and expanded into shipping, becoming owners of the Lord Line, which was formed in 1879 and operated services between Belfast, Dublin, Cardiff and Baltimore. They also sailed to Gulf of Mexico and several South American ports.

In 1917 the company went into liquidation and sold its two remaining ships to the Head Line (Ulster SS Co.). The Lord Line ran between Baltimore and Belfast every ten days. Daniel Dixon was a director of the Ulster Steamship Company, which owned the Head Line.

Sir Daniel was also chairman of the Ulster Marine Insurance Company and a director of the Belfast & County Down Railway.

Sir Daniel Dixon, 1st Baronet

It was his association with Belfast Corporation which brought Sir Daniel into public prominence: In 1872 he became a councillor for Dock Ward, in which his firm’s premises were located; and, nine years later, he became an alderman.

He felt strongly that the Belfast tramway system ought not to be private property and saw to it that it was owned and run by the ratepayers.

He was closely involved in the movement to build the City Hall and the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Purdysburn.

In 1892, Dixon became Mayor of Belfast for the first time, and was the first incumbent to receive the title of Lord Mayor by Royal Charter from Queen Victoria.

In the same year he was knighted.

He was re-elected in the following year and occupied the mayoral chair five more times between 1901-06.

In 1902 he was appointed a Privy Counsellor and Sir Daniel was created a baronet the following year, designated of Ballymenock, County Antrim.

• Mayor of Belfast, 1892
• High Sheriff of County Down, 1896
• Lord Mayor of Belfast, 1893, 1901-3, 1905-6 & 1906-7
• MP for North Belfast, 1905-07
  

In politics Sir Daniel was a staunch Conservative and a resolute opponent of Gladstone’s Home Rule proposals.

In 1905 he won the North Belfast by-election for the Unionist Party and successfully defended the seat in the general election of 1906.

Sir Daniel was a member of the Church of Ireland and generously supported the building of Belfast Cathedral.

He erected the “Joseph” window in the Cathedral's south aisle in memory of his brother, Thomas, and his son, Lieutenant Percy Dixon, 3rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, who died at Cairo, 26 August 1902, aged 20.

Dixon’s first wife was a daughter of James Agnew. His second, whom he married in 1870, was a daughter of James Shaw.

They lived at BALLYMENOCH, Holywood, County Down, and worshipped at Holywood Parish Church, where Sir Daniel was a member of the select vestry for 14 years.

It was on the morning of Sunday 10 March 1907 as he was walking from his home to church when he complained of sudden pain and, instead of continuing to church, he made for his son Herbert’s house near by.

There, in spite of the efforts of his sons, Herbert and Daniel, and a nurse, he died of cardiac failure within minutes.

Sir Daniel left £307,151 in his will which equates to about £28 million in today's money.

On his decease, Sir Daniel was survived by his wife, four sons and five daughters.

His eldest son,

THE RT HON  SIR THOMAS JAMES DIXON, 2nd Baronet (1868-1950), JP, Privy Counsellor, of Graymount and Drumadarragh, succeeded in the baronetcy.

Sir Thomas Dixon Bt. (Image:Mid & East Antrim Borough Council)

His other sons were Daniel, Frank and Herbert.

• High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1912
• High Sheriff of County Down, 1913
• NI Senator, 1924
• HM Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast, 1924-50. 

The 2nd Baronet was succeeded in the baronetcy by his younger brother, 

THE RT HON SIR HERBERT DIXON, 3rd Baronet (1880-1950), OBE, PC,

born in Belfast; educated at Harrow and Sandhurst; commissioned into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and served in the 2nd World War. Sir Herbert was elected Unionist MP for Belfast Pottinger in 1918, becoming representative for East Belfast four years later. He was also sent to Stormont in 1921 as a MP for Belfast East, being appointed Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance; and was finally elected MP for Belfast Bloomfield in 1929. Sir Herbert was appointed OBE in 1919 and appointed privy counsellor of NI in 1923.

Sir Herbert was elevated to the peerage, in 1939, in the dignity of BARON GLENTORAN, of Ballyalloly, County Down.

He served as Government Chief Whip from 1921-42 and as Minister of Agriculture at Stormont, 1941-43.

In 1950 he succeeded his elder brother as 3rd Baronet.

The 1st Baron married, in 1905, Emily Ina Florence, daughter of Arthur, 6th Baron Clanmorris (this family shares a common ancestor with the Earls of Lucan).

He died in 1950, and was succeeded by his son,

DANIEL STEWART THOMAS, 2nd Baron and 4th Baronet (1912-95), KBE,

educated at Eton and Sandhurst; appointed ADC to the General Officer Commanding NI in 1935; Grenadier Guards, 2nd World War; mentioned in dispatches; and in 1950; MP for Belfast Bloomfield at Stormont; Minister of Commerce, a post he held until elected to the NI Senate in 1961. 

He was then minister in, and leader of, the Senate for three years, becoming its last Speaker in 1964. Lord Glentoran was said to have had such a grand demeanour that once, when visiting America, a Texas newspaper carried the headline "Irish Royalty to Visit Texas".

The 4th Baron was appointed KBE in 1973. Lord Glentoran was also HM Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast from 1950-85. In 1933 he married Lady Diana Mary Wellesley (died 1984), daughter of the 3rd Earl Cowley, by whom he had three children.

Coronation Day, 1953, 2nd Lord & Lady Glentoran. Photo Credit : NPG

MAJOR THOMAS ROBIN VALERIAN, 3rd and present Baron and the 5th Dixon Baronet (1935-), CBE.

I have written about him HERE.

DRUMADARRAGH HOUSE, near Doagh, County Antrim, is a two-storey, three-bay, 18th century house with fan-lighted doorway.

Two wings were added ca 1827 of two bays each, in keeping with the centre block, though each has a pediment gable with an oeil-de-boeuf window.

The rear of the house is similar, except for a wing in the same style as the rest of the house which was added in 1903.

The site benefits from mature trees which provide a shelter belt, the chief attribute being a well planted and maintained ornamental garden planted from 1948, both within and outside the walled garden.

Outside there is a wild garden beside a stream and inside there are herbaceous borders, island beds, productive areas, mature trees and an arboretum begun in 1964.

*****

Drumadarragh House was purchased in Thomas Dixon in 1891, though used only as an occasional residence, because the family also owned Graymount in Belfast and RAVENSDALE PARK, County Louth.

Drumadarragh was requisitioned by the army during the 2nd World War; and then reverted to private ownership, by Lord Glentoran.

Drumadarragh House is the seat of the LORD AND LADY GLENTORAN.

First published in 2010.  Glentoran arms: Robin S Taylor/ Wikipedia.

Ballymenoch Demesne

BALLYMENOCH HOUSE, a Georgian mansion, became the residence of Sir Daniel and Lady Dixon when he purchased it in 1863.

It was situated on the outskirts of Holywood, County Down (Ballymenoch Park is a municipal park).

Mr Dixon received the honour of knighthood in 1892, and was created a baronet in 1903:-

WHITEHALL, September 7, 1903.

The King has been pleased to direct the preparation of Warrants under His Majesty's Royal Sign Manual, authorising Letters Patent to be passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, of Great Britain and Ireland, conferring the dignity of a Baronet of the said United Kingdom upon each of the under-mentioned Gentlemen, and the heirs male of their respective bodies lawfully begotten :—

The Right Honourable Sir Daniel Dixon, of Ballymenoch in the Parish of Holywood, in the County of Down, Knight, Lord Mayor of Belfast.

Sir Daniel's younger son, Herbert, was elevated to the peerage in 1939, in the dignity of BARON GLENTORAN, of Ballyalloly, County Down.

Ballymenoch House (above) and its grounds originally extended down to the sea, close to the present Sea Park.

I have been unable to find the origin of the painting or engraving above, if any readers can be of assistance.

The grounds were bisected by the main Bangor Road.

The house itself was of two storeys with tripartite windows, bow fronts, portico and urns on the balustrade; numerous chimneys, too.

It dated from the late 18th century.

There were two charming lodges, locally known as "ink-wells" owing to their shape.

One of them was knocked down in the 1930s; the other in 1971.

It would appear that the first owners, in 1783, were called Hamilton; then the Holmes'; closely followed, in 1802, by Cunningham Gregg, a prosperous Belfast merchant from Macedon in County Antrim.

The Gregg family sold Ballymenoch to Daniel Dixon in 1863, who also bought the demesne and part of the coastline from Holywood pier to Clanbrassil in the 1880s.

In 1876, Thomas Gregg owned 492 acres at Ballymenoch and London, which provides us with an indication of the size of the demesne.

On the 3rd July, 1914, seven years after Sir Daniel's death, Ballymenoch House was burnt to the ground by the suffragettes.

Lady Dixon had been away from home for several months, leaving the house in the care of John Nevin and Robert Wilson, two caretakers.

The Belfast Newsletter reported at the time:-

BEAUTIFUL MANSION NEAR BELFAST GUTTED: DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £20,000 (£2.3 million in 2019). 

Ballymenoch House, one of the largest and most stately mansions in Ulster, was totally gutted by fire yesterday - between five and six o'clock yesterday morning it was discovered that the building was on fire. 

Although the brigade remained on the scene until half-past three yesterday afternoon, they were unable to do any effective work after the water supply failed; and when they left, the whole of the roof collapsed. 

About four o'clock, when the fire seemed to have spent itself, huge sheets of flame commenced to shoot up from the cellars, and burnt fiercely until everything of a combustible nature had been destroyed. 

No explanation can be given for the origin of the fire, but two copies of The Suffragette, the organ of the militant women, were found in the grounds, and on the windows of the conservatory, which are painted white, the words 'Votes for Women' had been written.

The Eventide Home, its successor, was erected in a slightly different position by the industrialist, Sir Samuel Kelly.

First published in August, 2010.

Ballymenoch's Fate

The Belfast Newsletter reported on the 4th July, 1914:-

BEAUTIFUL MANSION NEAR BELFAST GUTTED: DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £20,000 (£1.9 million in 2024).

BALLYMENOCH HOUSE [Holywood, County Down], one of the largest and most stately mansions in Ulster, was totally gutted by fire yesterday. Between five and six o'clock yesterday morning it was discovered that the building was on fire. 

Although the brigade remained on the scene until half-past three yesterday afternoon, they were unable to do any effective work after the water supply failed; and when they left, the whole of the roof collapsed. 

About four o'clock, when the fire seemed to have spent itself, huge sheets of flame commenced to shoot up from the cellars, and burnt fiercely until everything of a combustible nature had been destroyed. 

No explanation can be given for the origin of the fire, but two copies of The Suffragette, the organ of the militant women, were found in the grounds, and on the windows of the conservatory, which are painted white, the words 'Votes for Women' had been written.

First published in June, 2020. 

Edith, Lady Dixon

Photo Credit: Mid & East Antrim Borough Council

EDITH LADY DIXON DBE: A TRIBUTE

Lady Dixon DBE (1871-1964) was the wife of the Rt Hon Sir Thomas Dixon, 1st Baronet.

The largesse and generosity of the Dixons was renowned and they donated more than £100,000 to good causes.

For this philanthropy, Lady Dixon was appointed Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) in June, 1921, in recognition of her valuable work on behalf of the men of all the services during the 1st World War; and for her generous support and constant interest in the Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Service Club.

On 27th August, 1918, a grand summer fête was held at Cairndhu (shown in its present state below) on the County Antrim coast, near Larne, in aid of the Cairncastle Prisoners of War Fund.

The opening ceremony involved Lady Dixon and the Chairman was William Chaine DL.

On the day the heavens opened, resulting in the outdoor activities being somewhat curtailed and the marquees overcrowded.

At the time Lady Dixon said, 

“No cause more appealed to their hearts than the Prisoners-of-war Fund. These men, of their own free will, went out to fight for us, and now that they were in the hands of a cruel enemy we could not do too much to show our gratitude to them”.

The financial result, however, was gratifying with almost £500 being raised.

Her activities during World War II were no less prominent:

She was part of the Central Committee for War Hospital Supply Depots, which was formed in September, 1939, for the purpose of providing clothing and bandages to military hospitals and woollen comforts to brighten the lives of their men-folk in the services, on the seas, in the hospitals or interned in prison camps in enemy territory.

Lady Dixon held high office in many of the great national organisations such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the St John Ambulance Brigade.

She was appointed President of the Larne St John Ambulance Brigade in September, 1939.

For many years she was a vice-president of the Ulster Women’s Unionist Council.

She was also honoured with the Freedom of the Borough of Larne.

As wife of HM Lord-Lieutenant, Lady Dixon took a prominent part in official ceremonies and often helped to entertain royalty, including Princess Margaret, at Cairndhu for lunch in October, 1947, as HRH toured along the Antrim Coast Road.

Although taking part in many official ceremonies during her husband’s lifetime, she was of a quiet and reserved nature and was never happier than when she was escorting friends around her immaculately kept gardens at Cairndhu.

Lady Dixon was particularly interested in nursing:

She was President of Larne District Nursing Society for 30 out of its 55 year existence until its disbandment in 1948; and was president of the “Annie Clark Trust Fund” which had been set up by her mother.

In July, 1928, a fete was organised at Cairndhu on behalf of the Maternity Hospital Building Fund, with Lady Dixon being a long-time member of the Committee of Management.

Activities included dancing, bridge, outdoor amusements including clock golf, a lawn tennis tournament, afternoon tea on the terrace and music from the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

This fund-raising event attracted over 400 people with such dignitaries as the Duke and Duchess of Abercorn.

In May 1947, Sir Thomas celebrated his 79th birthday.

They marked the occasion by announcing a generous gift: After 40 years at Cairndhu, the Dixons donated their 60-room family home, with 100 acres of the estate, to the Ministry of Health and Local Government for use as a convalescent home or hospital.

At the time Lady Dixon said that she was very sorry to be leaving the house that her father built: “It’s too big for us now, though. It was different in the days when we could entertain.”

After Lady Dixon sold their other property, Carnfunnock House, and surrounding land to Larne Borough Council in 1957, the Council allowed her to continue to use the building and her maid, Jean McIlmoyle, remained in the summer-house for a number of years.

Additionally, the Brownlow family rented the farm and land from the Council until the early 1960s, before moving to a house in Larne.

Lady Dixon continued to live for over a decade after Sir Thomas's death.

As they were devoted to each other in life, she felt his loss deeply.

This was shown in a letter to her former chauffeur, William Sutherland: “How broken my life is now, but I have those wonderful memories of all he was. I am very lonely without him.”

On 20th January, 1964, the elderly Lady Dixon, aged 92, died at her residence in Malone Park, Belfast, and was buried at Dundonald Cemetery beside her husband.

She left more than £100,000 to charitable institutions in Northern Ireland.

The majority of her property and effects were divided between her nephews and nieces.

For the full time employees at Carnfunnock she bequeathed £10 for each year of service.

At the time of Lady Dixon’s death, the Mayor of Larne, Councillor J W Sandford said,

Larne has lost its greatest benefactor. Both Lady Dixon and Sir Thomas always had the welfare of the town and district at heart.

In June, 1964, the contents of Carnfunnock House were sold by auction from a marquee on the front lawn with many locals taking the opportunity to purchase a small memento.

Larne Borough Council rented this property out until 1973 when it issued a long-term lease to Larne Lions Club to use the chalet as a holiday home for the elderly and disadvantaged groups.

In 1986, due to lack of sufficient funding, Cairndhu was closed down by the Department of Health and Social Services.

It subsequently lay derelict.

In 1995 the Lord Rana purchased Cairndhu House and the surrounding gardens from the council.

It remained neglected, being heavily vandalised and suffering a number of collapsed floors and water ingress due to holes in the roof.

A public consultation was to be undertaken in May, 2018, about plans to develop the site of the derelict mansion into a "retirement village," including an 80-bedroom nursing home, with the retention and restoration of the stable block at a cost of around £25-£30million.

Today, its future still remains uncertain.

First published in July, 2010.

Wilmont House

THE BRISTOWS OWNED 124 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

WILMONT HOUSE, Dunmurry, is located on Upper Malone Road in south Belfast.

It is a plain two-storey Victorian house, built in 1859, with a three-bay front and a balustraded porch.

There is a lower wing, ending with the wing as high as the main block.

The adjoining front has a central curved bow and one bay on either side; and camber-headed windows in the upper storey of the main block.

North Elevation with Porch; Bow on the West Elevation
(Image: Timothy Ferres)

The roof is eaved on a bracket cornice.

There is a good article here about Wilmont's history.

The estate was formed in the mid-18th century by William Stewart, a member of a family which had come from Scotland, over a century before, to neighbouring Ballydrain.

The Stewarts were prominent farmers.

It is recorded that carrots, on a field scale, were grown at Wilmont in the early 1800s - a novel crop in those days - and that one of the early threshing machines was erected on the Wilmont Farm in 1811. There was a bleach-green on the property until 1815.

Bleach-greens, common features of the Lagan Valley during the 18th and 19th centuries, consisted of grass areas where long strips of brown linen were pegged out to bleach in natural light.

The original house, which stood on the site of the present-day barbecue area, dated back to 1740 and was replaced by the present red-bricked house in 1859.

South Elevation (Image: Timothy Ferres)

This house was designed by Thomas Jackson (1807-90), one of Belfast`s most notable Victorian architects.

Wilmont House is typical of Jackson's domestic designs, sensibly and comfortably planned, undemonstrative in an age when many buildings were excessively ornate, and providing a composition entirely suiting the situation.

One unusual feature of the house is the false window which has been painted on the brickwork above the porch to balance the facade composition.

North Elevation (Image: Timothy Ferres)

In the 19th century, Wilmont was inhabited by the Bristow family, influential bankers who were descendants of the Rev William Bristow, Sovereign (mayor) of Belfast between 1786 and 1798.

A distinctive carved stone roundel adjacent to the entrance bears the initials ‘JB’ for James Bristow.

(Image: Timothy Ferres)

The Bristows sold Wilmont to Robert Henry Sturrock Reade, JP, DL (1837-1913) in 1879.

His son, George Reade, subsequently sold the house to Sir Thomas Dixon Bt.

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon purchased Wilmont demesne in 1919.

Wilmont was one of three homes belonging to the Dixons, the others being Drumadarragh and Cairndhu, both in County Antrim.

The Dixons were a highly respected and illustrious couple.

Sir Thomas, 2nd Baronet, born in Groomsport, County Down in 1868, was the eldest son of Sir Daniel Dixon, Bt.

Both Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon had distinguished public careers: From 1939-41 they served as first Mayor and Mayoress of Larne, and were great benefactors to the Borough.

In 1935, they donated Dixon Park to Larne Borough Council as a gift, together with £500 for the provision of music in the park.

Cairndhu was donated to the Hospitals Authority, for use as a convalescent home.

In 1957, Lady Dixon presented the Mayoress's chain of office to Larne Borough Council; and in 1964, robes, to be worn by Aldermen, Councillors and Mace Bearer.

In the early 1960s, Lady Dixon donated £10,000 towards the cost of converting and renovating the former technical college into Council Offices.

They are now known as Sir Thomas Dixon Buildings.

Sir Thomas died at Harrowgate in 1950. Lady Dixon, who was appointed DBE after the 1st World War in recognition of her service to HM Forces, died in 1964. 

A year before her death, in 1963, Wilmont demesne was officially handed over to Belfast Corporation.

(Image: Belfast Telegraph)

The house, according to her wishes, was shortly afterwards opened as a home for the elderly; while the grounds, at her behest, were opened to the public.

The present park, named after its benefactors, consists of 134 acres and has been the venue for the City of Belfast International Rose Trials since 1964.

Over the years, it has become one of the most popular parkland areas in the city of Belfast.

Many distinguished visitors have stayed at Wilmont House in the past: Captain Scott, the famous Antarctic explorer, was a guest, during his visit to Belfast in 1904.

In 1934, the house became the temporary residence of His Excellency the Governor of Northern Ireland when Government House, Hillsborough, was damaged by fire on 7th August of that year.

The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Earl of Ulster, was a guest in 1935, during Sir Thomas's period as Lord-Lieutenant. 

During World war II, the house served as the Northern Ireland headquarters of the United States Army.

The property, as already mentioned, was given to Belfast Corporation by Lady Dixon in 1963.

Lady Dixon had given her home and demesne of 140 acres to the City of Belfast "for the greatest good of the citizens of the City."

She continued to live in her home, and when Lady Dixon died, in 1964, Wilmont became a nursing home.

The nursing home closed its doors in 1992; and thereafter it was used for occasional events and as offices for council staff.

Since 2013 Wilmont has lain derelict and forlorn.

***** 

The 134 acres formed part of a demesne founded in the 18th century for a house of 1740, which is now gone.

The grounds retain many features from the gardens for this house and many subsequent developments added by Belfast City Council.

There are fine mature trees in undulating woodland and parkland, with the River Lagan adding interest.

A large part of the park contains the International Rose Trial grounds, set up in 1964 and remodelled from the late 1980s. 

Judging takes place over a long period but the highlight is Rose Week, which has been marked every year in July since 1975.

Camellia trials have taken place since 1981. 

A Japanese Garden was added in 1991.

The walled gardens have been redesigned from their traditional layout and contain interesting plant material.

There are also remains from former times: for example, an ice house; gate lodge; stable block; and a yew walk.

The recreational facilities take the form of picnic benches, children’s playground, lawns, good planting, band concerts, café and shop. 

This is not a park designated for organised sports, though part of the original holding is now a private golf course.

First published August, 2010.

3rd Baron Glentoran

THE BARONY OF GLENTORAN WAS CREATED IN 1939 FOR THE RT HON HERBERT DIXON OBE MP

The Hon Thomas Robin Valerian Dixon succeeded to the barony and baronetcy in 1995.

He was a major in the Grenadier Guards before retiring from the army in 1966 to pursue a successful career in commerce.

After serving with the Grenadier Guards from 1954 to 1966, Major Dixon joined Kodak, where he worked as a Public Relations Officer.

In 1971 he moved to the Redland Tile and Brick company in Northern Ireland, where he built up the company from small beginnings into a multi-million pound subsidiary, ultimately holding the position of Managing Director, then Chairman by the time he left the firm in 1998.

In addition to his career interests, in 1964 Major Dixon won an Olympic Gold medal in the Bobsleigh event, and a World Championship Gold in 1965.

In the same year he was appointed MBE for services to sport.

He retained his strong sporting links by, amongst other things, being President of the Jury at the 1976 Olympics, and has been President of the British Bobsleigh Association.

In 1983, he established and became the founder chairman of the Ulster Games Foundation in an attempt to bring international sporting events to Northern Ireland.

In 1987, he was appointed Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tall Ships Council, and successfully managed to bring the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race to Belfast, an event which he then subsequently organised.

Between 1992-96, Lord Glentoran was chairman of Positively Belfast, which aimed to promote the city as a potential host city for major events.

Because of these and other significant achievements, in 1992 he was appointed CBE for services to Northern Ireland and Industry.

Between 1993 and 1995, he was Chairman of the “Growing a Green Economy” committee, which reported to the then Northern Ireland Minister, Sir Robert Atkins.

Lord Glentoran first entered the House of Lords in 1995, and from 1999 he was the Conservative Party "shadow minister" for Northern Ireland and Wales.

From 2001 to 2003, he was also a shadow minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Body.

The 3rd Baron was a representative Conservative peer in the House of Lords. 

His father, the 2nd Baron, was HM Lord-Lieutenant for the City of Belfast from 1976-85.

Lord Glentoran's seat is Drumadarragh House, near Ballyclare in County Antrim.

He has three sons: His heir, the Hon Daniel Dixon; the Hon Andrew Dixon; and the Hon Patrick Dixon.

First published in July, 2010.