1st Baron Dorchester

THE BARON DORCHESTER WAS A MAJOR LANDOWNER IN COUNTY TYRONE, WITH 12,607 ACRES

IN THE REIGN OF GEORGE IV, SIR GUY CARLETON WAS THIRD GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC. HE SERVED A SECOND TERM AS GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF CANADA, 1786-96

At the Visitation of Cumberland by Dugdale in 1665, SIR WILLIAM CARLETON, of Carleton Hall, certified his descent, eighteen generations in all, from Bladwell de Carleton, who was seated at Carleton, near Penrith, Cumberland, after the Conquest.

Todd says in his account of the advance of CHARLES II, 1651, that "he asserted the royal cause with fidelity and courage and having entertained the King at his house near Penrith, he received from the King the honour of Knighthood."

THOMAS CARLETON (c1515-c1587), of Carleton Hall, Cumberland, married Mabel, daughter and co-heir of Thomas Carlisle, of Carlisle, and had issue, two sons,

Thomas (1547-98), MP; m Barbara Lowther; grandfather of Sir W Carleton;

LANCELOT, of whom we treat.

The younger son,

LANCELOT CARLETON (1549-1615), of Brampton, near Gilsland, Cumberland, settled at Rossfad, County Fermanagh.

He wedded Eleanor, daughter of James Kirkby, of Kirkby, Lancashire, and had issue,

LANCELOT, his heir;
Ambrose;
Thomas;
Roger;
Charles;
Guy (Rt Rev), Lord Bishop of Chichester.

The eldest son,

LANCELOT CARLETON, of Rossfad, wedded Mary, daughter of William Irvine, of Castle Irvine, County Fermanagh, and had issue,

LANCELOT, his heir;
Christopher, of Market Hill, Co Fermanagh.

Mr Carleton, who was slain in the service of CHARLES I, was succeeded by his eldest son,

LANCELOT CARLETON, of Rossfad, High Sheriff of Fermanagh, 1684, Donegal, 1686, who wedded Mary, daughter and heir of John Cathcart, and had issue,

Lancelot, died unmarried, 1700;
Guy, of Rossfad;
CHRISTOPHER, of whom presently;
Charles, died unmarried;
John, died in the war in Spain;
William, died unmarried.

Mr Carleton died ca 1693, and was succeeded by his third son,

CHRISTOPHER CARLETON (-c1738), of Newry, County Down, who wedded Catherine, daughter of Henry Ball, and had issue,

William, army captain;
Lancelot, died unmarried;
GUY, of whom hereafter;
Thomas, 1st Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick;
Catherine; Anne; Conolly.

The third son,

GENERAL SIR GUY CARLETON KB (1724-1808), who, in consideration of his eminent services during the first American war, was elevated to the peerage, in 1786, in the dignity of BARON DORCHESTER, of Dorchester, Oxfordshire, having previously obtained a pension of £1,000 per annum for his own life and the lives of his lady and two elder sons.

1st Baron Dorchester KB (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

His lordship espoused, in 1772, Maria, daughter of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Effingham, and had issue,

Guy, died unmarried;
Thomas, died unmarried;
Christopher (1775-1806), father of ARTHUR HENRY, 2nd Baron;
George, Lt-Col, father of GUY, 3rd Baron;
Charles;
Dudley;
Richard (Rev), father of DUDLEY WILMOT, 4th Baron;
Maria; Frances.

He was succeeded by his grandson,

ARTHUR HENRY, 2nd Baron (1805-26), who died unmarried, when the barony descended to his cousin,

GUY, 3rd Baron (1811-75), who wedded, in 1837, Anne, daughter of Thomas Wauchope, and had issue,

HENRIETTA ANNE, 1st Baroness Dorchester;
Maria Georgiana.

His lordship died without male issue, and the title reverted to his cousin,

DUDLEY WILMOT, 4th Baron (1822-97), who espoused, in 1854, Charlotte, daughter and co-heiress of john, 1st Baron Broughton, by his wife, the Lady Julia Thomasina Hay, sixth daughter of George, 7th Marquess of Tweeddale.

His lordship died without issue, when the barony expired.

The barony was revived, however, in 1899, when the 3rd Baron's elder daughter,

THE HON HENRIETTA ANNE CARLETON (1846-1925), was created suo jure BARONESS DORCHESTER, of Dorchester, Oxfordshire.

Her ladyship wedded firstly, in 1864, Francis Paynton Pigott, and had issue, an only child,

DUDLEY MASSEY PIGOTT.

She married secondly, in 1887, Major-General Richard Langford Leir.

Her ladyship was succeeded by her only son,

DUDLEY MASSEY PIGOTT, 2nd Baron (1876-1963), OBE, who wedded, in 1911, Kathleen, daughter of William, 6th Baron de Blaquiere, and had issue,

Diana Claudia Patricia (1912-90);
Lorraine Charmian Gabrielle (1919-2010).

*****

GUY CARLETON was born at Strabane, County Tyrone, in 1724; and went on to become military governor of Quebec.

He was instrumental in successfully challenging an invasion of Canada by the rebel forces of the American Colonies in 1776, when he was appointed to the Order of the Bath.

A plaque in Strabane reads,

Born at Bowling Green, Strabane, Carleton was commissioned ensign in 1742 in the 25th Foot rising rapidly through the ranks and serving in several campaigns notably in Canada as Captain General and Governor in Chief of Quebec from 1768.

His policies acknowledged the French colonists and incorporated the French system of land ownership and inheritance.

Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB (Strabane, Co. Tyrone, Ireland, 3 September 1724 – 10 November 1808 Stubbings, Maidenhead, Berkshire), known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Irish-British soldier who twice served as Governor of the Province of Quebec, from 1768–1778 (concurrently serving as Governor General of British North America), and from 1785–1795.He commanded British troops in the American Revolutionary War.

In 1742, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the 25th Regiment of Foot and in which in 1745 he was made a lieutenant. In 1751 he joined the 1st Foot Guards as a Captain and in 1752 a Captain and in 1757 was made a lieutenant colonel.

In 1758 he was made the lieutenant colonel of the newly formed 72nd Regiment of Foot. He became a friend of James Wolfe.In 1778, Sir Guy resigned the Governorship only to be brought out of retirement in 1782 to act as Commander in Chief of British Forces in North America.

In this capacity he oversaw the surrender of New York to George Washington (among whose personal bodyguard was Captain John Dunlap) and the evacuation of British troops from North America.

Sir Guy was ennobled as the Right Honourable Guy Carleton, Baron Dorchester, in 1786; and was appointed Commander-in-Chief, North America.

In 1772, Carleton married Maria, daughter of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Effingham.

His firm but fair administration at that time (especially in regard to recognising the status of French Canadians) was responsible for the successful inauguration of the respective institutions which became the foundations of modern Canada.

At the time of his death in 1808, Lord Dorchester was recognised as one of the most decisive figures of the 18th Century.

In retirement, Lord Dorchester lived mostly at Greywell Hill, adjoining Nately Scures, Hampshire.

After 1805, he moved to Stubbings House, Burchett's Green, near Maidenhead, Berkshire.

In 1808, he died suddenly at Stubbings.

He was buried in the parish church of St Swithun's, Nately Scures.

Former seats ~ Greywell Hill, near Oldham, Hampshire; Glenelly Lodge, County Tyrone; Flete House, Holbeton, Devon.

Former town house ~ 42 Berkeley Square, London.

First published in December, 2009. 

Agivey

EDITED EXTRACTS FROM THE TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IRELAND, 1837

AGIVEY, a grange, or extra-parochial district, locally in the parish of Aghadowey, half-barony of Coleraine, County Londonderry.

This place appears to have been the site of a religious establishment, by some called a priory and by others  an abbey, the foundation of which, about the beginning of the 7th century, is attributed to St Guaire , who afterwards founded a cell at Achadh Dubhthaigh, now Aghadowey.

This establishment subsequently became dependent on the Abbey of Macosquin, which was founded in 1172, and to which this district became a grange.

There are still some slight remains of the ancient religious house, with an extensive cemetery, in which are some tombs of the ancient family of the CANNINGS, ancestors of the Lord Garvagh.

The liberty is situated on the western bank of the River Bann, and on the road from Limavady to Ballymoney, which is continued over the river by a light and handsome wooden bridge of six arches, 203 feet in span, erected in 1834.

The liberty comprises 1,727¾ statute acres, the whole of which is free from tithe or parochial assessment, and forms part of the estates of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers.

The land is fertile, but being divided up into small holdings in the occupation of tenants without capital to expend on its improvement, has been greatly neglected, and no regular system of agriculture has been adopted.

There is a small tract of bog, which is now nearly worked out for fuel.

Potters' clay of good quality is found here in great abundance; and a considerable manufacture of coarse earthenware, bricks, and water-pipes is carried on for the supply of the neighbourhood.

Ironstone is found near the Agivey river, and there are also some indications of coal.

A fair is held on November 12th, under a charter granted to the monks of Coleraine at a very early period, and is chiefly for the sale of cattle and pigs.

There is neither church nor any place of worship in the district; the inhabitants attend divine service at the several places of worship in Aghadowey.

Agivey House (Image: Savills estate agency)

Agivey House

THE history of Agivey House provided to us by Savills, the prominent estate agency, tells us that,

 “In 1614, the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers was granted almost 20,000 acres of land in Aghadowey.”

“George Canning, the first agent charged with managing  the Ironmongers’ vast new property, was given precise instructions to oversee the “fencing of lands, establishing boundaries, letting land, collecting rents and keeping accounts”.

“Canning also built bridges, erected a mill, repaired a church, and - on the same site of the current Agivey House - constructed his castle and bawn.”

“Thirty years later, during the Irish Rebellion of 1641, the original Agivey Castle and its mansion house were destroyed by Manus Roe O’Cahan’s army.”

“In 1654, George Canning’s son, Paul, wrote to the Ironmongers Company and detailed the extent of the damage: the castle and manor house had been ‘totally demolished and destroyed”.

“As well as razing the existing castle, the skirmish left its mark on the grounds.”

“The land was littered with English and Irish musket balls from the battle, and other artefacts such as later buttons emblazoned with ‘Agivey Militia’ have also been found.”

“While the castle was never rebuilt, Paul Canning did construct a new house on the site.”

“In 1663, a Hearth Money Roll - a method of tax appraisal based on the number of fireplace hearths in a house - identified Agivey as the only house in the district with more than one fireplace.”

“And in 1705, the Canning family renewed the lease for a further 21 years.”

“Later in 1725, the Ironmongers engaged George Pyke to carry out a survey of the lands and the mansion house.”

Agivey House (Image: Savills estate agency)

Pyke reported that

"The present house has two floors, each of six rooms’ and that the ‘lower floor does not rise higher than the earth and is only seven feet high within, while the second floor is only garrets all lying within the roof so that the whole appeared no better than a cottage and is much out of repair and unsafe to live in."

“In 1726, Canning was outbid for the lease by a local syndicate.”

“The syndicate included a linen merchant, James Cunningham, who is thought to have likely repaired or reconstructed the house: the Ordnance Survey Memoirs of 1836 describe a ‘gentleman’s seat’ at Agivey ‘built about 150 years ago by Conningham Esq”.

“By 1842, the house was in such a state of disrepair that the Ironmongers required that any new lease would only be granted if the current house was pulled down and rebuilt; and so it is believed that the present Agivey House was constructed sometime after that lease renewal.”

“In 1844, Captain George Claudius Beresford Stirling bought the lease of Agivey House, and later married Sarah Gage, the daughter of Marcus Gage of Streeve Hill, in May 1846.”

The Stirlings later owned 1,576 acres of land in Moneycarrie, Garvagh, and Portrush.

“When the couple advertised the mansion house for sale in 1863, the Coleraine Chronicle described it as ‘beautifully situated near the River Bann (...) new and in excellent order with cold and hot water baths on the newest principles”.

“The 1901 census indicates that Henry Herbert Gahan, a civil engineer, lived in Agivey House with his wife Mehetabel Elizabeth, their two daughters, a governess, a cook, a parlour maid, a house maid, and a coachman.”

“By 1911, the census had been updated: the daughters no longer required their governess and the coachman had presumably been replaced by the motorcar.”

“During the 2nd World War, the house and gardens were occupied by the Royal Engineers: today, the attic doors remain painted in the same military green, with useful inscriptions of ‘2 Men’ and ‘4 Men’ providing a reminder of the living conditions of that time.”

“Agivey House has been owned by the same family since 1951, operating as a family home and the nexus of a busy and bustling active farm.”

“The house was extensively refurbished in 2005, and continues to be enjoyed by the family today.”

Woodlawn House

THE BARONS ASHTOWN WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LIMERICK, WITH 11,273 ACRES

The family of TRENCH is descended from a French protestant family, said to have emigrated from the town of La Tranche, in the province of Poitou, to avoid the religious persecutions instituted by LOUIS XIV against those who dissented from the established church.

FEREDERIC DE LA TRANCHE came from France about 1575, and took up his abode in Northumberland.

He married, in 1576, Margaret Sutton, and had issue, with a daughter,

THOMAS, of whom hereafter;

James (Rev), Rector of Clongill;

Adam, settled in Scotland.

The eldest son,

THOMAS TRENCH, wedded, in 1610, Catherine, daughter of Richard Brooke, of Pontefract, Yorkshire, and had issue, with two daughters, an only son,

FREDERIC TRENCH, of Garbally, County Galway, who removed into Ireland in 1631, and purchasing the lands and castle of Garbally, with a considerable estate, established his residence there.

He espoused, in 1632, Anna his wife, daughter and heiress of the Rev James Trench, Rector of Clongill, and had issue,

Frederick, of Garbally, who founded the house of CLANCARTY;

JOHN, of whom we treat;

William.

Mr Trench died in 1669; his second son,

THE VERY REV DR JOHN TRENCH, Dean of Raphoe, wedded Anne, eldest daughter of Richard Warburton, of Garryhinch, in the Queen's County, and had issue,

FREDERICK, his heir;
Alexander;
Richard;
Anne; Judith.

The Dean died in 1725, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

FREDERICK TRENCH (1686-1758), of The Moate, County Galway, who married, in 1718, Mary, daughter and heiress of Richard Geering, Clerk of the Court of Chancery, and had issue,

FREDERICK, his heir;
Anne; Mary; Elizabeth.

Mr Trench was succeeded by his only surviving son,

FREDERICK TRENCH (1724-97), of The Moate and Woodlawn, County Galway, who wedded, in 1754, Mary, eldest daughter and co-heir of Francis Sadleir, of Sopwell Hall, County Tipperary, and had issue,

FREDERICK, his heir;
Francis, of Sopwell Hall, father of FREDERICK;
Thomas (Very Rev), Dean of Kildare;
William, of Cangort Castle;
Charles;
Richard;
John;
Catharine; Mary; Elizabeth; Frances; Anne; Sophia; Mary; Catherine.

Mr Trench was succeeded by his eldest son,

FREDERICK TRENCH (1755-1840), of The Moate, MP for Maryborough, 1785-90, Portarlington, 1798-1800, who espoused, in 1785, Elizabeth, only daughter and heiress of Dr Robert Robinson, and niece of the Hon Mr Justice Robinson, one of the judges of the Court of King's Bench, but had no issue.

Mr Trench was elevated to the peerage, in 1800, in the dignity of BARON ASHTOWN, of The Moate, County Galway.

• Frederick Mason Trench, 2nd Baron (1804–80)
• Frederick Oliver Trench, 3rd Baron (1868–1946)
• Robert Power Trench, 4th Baron (1897–1966)
• Dudley Oliver Trench, 5th Baron (1901–79)
• Christopher Oliver Trench, 6th Baron (1931–90)
• Nigel Clive Cosby Trench, 7th Baron (1916–2010)
• Roderick Nigel Godolphin Trench, 8th Baron (b 1944)

The 8th and present Baron lives in East Sussex.

*****

THE TRENCHES of Woodlawn were one of a number of Trench families who came to prominence in County Galway in the 17th century.

They were all descended from Frederick Trench who came to Ireland early in the 1600s.

Strategic marriages into the Warburton and Power families led to the acquisition of more lands in East Galway.

Much of the Woodlawn estate was originally Martin and Barnewall lands which were purchased by the Trenches in the early 18th century.

Lord Ashtown was recorded as a non-resident proprietor in 1824.

In County Roscommon he held over a 1,000 acres; and in County Tipperary he held at least 21 townlands in the parishes of Ballingarry and Uskane, barony of Lower Ormond, inherited from the Sadleir family of Sopwell Hall.

In the 1870s, Lord Ashtown's main estate in County Galway amounted to over 8,000 acres and he also held land in seven other counties including County Waterford where he had purchased lands from the Earl of Stradbroke in the 1870s. 

These townlands remained in Trench ownership until purchased by the Irish Land Commission in the 1930s.

In 1852 Lord Ashtown married as his second wife Elizabeth Oliver Gascoigne, an heiress with large estates in County Limerick and Yorkshire.

In the 1870s Lord Ashtown is recorded as the owner of 11,273 acres in County Limerick and 4,526 acres in County Tipperary.

WOODLAWN HOUSE, near Kilconnell, County Galway, is a Palladian-style country house comprising a three-bay, three-storey central block built ca 1760, having slightly advanced end bays and projecting tetra-style Ionic portico to entrance bay.

There is an interesting video clip of the mansion house and ruinous outbuildings here.

The House consists of 30,000 square feet standing on 115 acres of land.

It boasts 26 bedrooms, a walled garden, courtyard, gatehouse, gardener's house and a lake.

Woodlawn was remodelled ca 1860 and flanked by four-bay two-storey wings having projecting pedimented end bay to each wing.

The central block has tripartite openings to end bays, ground floor of each end bay having segmental pediment and engaged Doric columns to slightly advanced middle light, and flanked by Doric pilasters.

The wings have tripartite windows to pedimented bays, ground floor having Venetian-style windows, middle light slightly advanced and having engaged square-plan Doric columns, flanked by Doric pilasters and having with moulded capitals and cornices.

The mansion is set in its own demesne, with outbuildings to west, and entrance gates and lodge to east.

This large house is an elaborate exercise in classical orders, the use of carved and cut limestone extending throughout the front elevation and evidence of both the skill of 19th century stonemasons and the wealth of the Trench family whose seat it was.

An unusual composition, the quoins to the central block give a vertical emphasis that is extended by the pinnacles.

Although the motifs are classical, the extensive use of dark limestone, the variety of textures and treatments, and the use of pinnacles give it a somewhat Gothic appearance typical of the late 19th century.

Extended and remodelled by the 2nd Baron Ashtown in the 1860s to designs drawn up by James F Kempster, the county surveyor for the East Riding of County Galway, it shows little evidence of the Georgian house behind the façade.

During the 1920s, the 3rd Baron was declared bankrupt and, as a result, the house was closed up and its contents sold at auction; at one point, the IRA occupied one of the wings.

The 4th Baron eventually returned to Woodlawn, but in 1947 he sold the estate to his cousin, Derek Le Poer Trench who, in turn, disposed of it in 1973.

Since then, Woodlawn has had two further owners but neither of these have lived in the house.

Michael Lally, a local publican, bought the property ca 1989.

Before that date, in 1982, a fire burnt out the east wing and caused extensive damage to the central block, partly because of the water used to put out the flames.

Much of the original decoration of the house has also been lost, not least the fireplaces in the principal reception rooms.

Woodlawn House (Image: Irish Farmers' Journal)

While all the walls still stand and the pitched slate roof remains, Woodlawn today is a mere shadow of the house it had been 100 years ago.

Other former seats ~ Lansdown, Portroe, County Tipperary; Chessel House, Southampton, Hampshire; Lotherton Hall, West Yorkshire.

Ashtown arms courtesy of European Heraldry.  First published in December, 2011.

Patrick of Dunminning

THE PATRICKS OWNED 1,664 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

This family is of Scottish extraction, and descends from a younger branch of the Ayrshire Patricks, which joined the expedition to Ulster (under Hugh Montgomery, of Braidstane, in 1606), where they subsequently settled.

JOHN PATRICK married, in 1770, Elizabeth Boyle, and died in 1773, leaving a son,

DR JOHN PATRICK, who wedded, in 1795, Anne McKean, by whom he had issue,

JOHN, of whom presently;

James Barnett;

Isabella; Anne; Eliza.

Dr Patrick died in 1858, and was succeeded by his son,

JOHN PATRICK JP (1802-79), of Dunminning, Glarryford, County Antrim, who espoused, in 1835, Grace, fourth daughter of William Gihon, of Hillhead, County Antrim, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;

Rose; Isabella; Margaret; Anne.

Mr Patrick was succeeded by his son,

JOHN PATRICK JP (1844-94), of Dunminning, who married, in 1869, Augusta Mary, daughter of John Davison, of Raceview, Broughshane, County Antrim, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;

James Alexander;

Norman Colum;

Malcolm William;

Augusta Mary Grace; Gertrude Emily; Grace Kathleen.

Mr Patrick was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN PATRICK JP DL  (1871-1937), of Dunminning, Lieutenant-Colonel, Army Ordnance Department, Carrickfergus, who wedded, in 1897, Annie Florence, youngest daughter of Joseph Clarke Rutherfoord, of Bray, County Wicklow, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;

Malcolm;

Florence Amy (1900-48).

The eldest son,

JOHN PATRICK (1898-1985), died at Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

Gledheather House (Image: Hamilton Family)

(Image: Hamilton Family)

Garvagh House

THE BARONS GARVAGH WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LONDONDERRY, WITH 8,247 ACRES

The name of CANNING is derived from the manor of Bishops Cannings, in Wiltshire, where the family was originally seated and where the senior line continued until it terminated in co-heiresses in the time of HENRY VII.

The first on record is RICHARD DE KANYNGES, who filled the office of Priest at Little Cheverell in 1299; another is John de Canynges, who became Abbot of the Monastery at Abingdon, 1322-28, his elevation being confirmed by EDWARD II; and the next is a younger son,

ROBERT CANYNGES, who settled in Bristol, and who founded a branch which became the most eminent family of that city during the 14th and 15th centuries.

He first appears as an eminent merchant in 1322.

He was father of

WILLIAM CANYNGES, who represented Bristol in several successive parliaments, 1365, 1383, 1384, and 1386; and was no less than six times Mayor of that city.

He married firstly, ante 1369, Agnes, probably the daughter or sister of John Stoke, of Bristol; and secondly post 1375, Agnes, daughter of Nicholas Montfort, and widow of Sir Robert Martin, of Athelhampton, Dorset.

He died in 1396, leaving, with other issue,

JOHN CANYNGES, his son and heir, who was MP for Bristol, and also, in 1392 and 1398, Mayor.

He died in 1405, leaving three sons and three daughters, all then under age; Thomas, his second son, was Lord Mayor of London, 1456-7; William, his third son, was the celebrated Mayor of Bristol in the reign of EDWARD IV.

John Canynges' eldest son,

JOHN CANYNGES, was the father of

THOMAS CANYNGES, who acquired the estate of Foxcote by his marriage with Agnes, the eldest daughter and co-heir of John Salmon, and Eustatia, his wife, daughter and heir of John le Marshall, in whose family Foxcote had been vested from the time of the Conquest.

Richard Canning of Foxcote, the son and heir of Thomas and Agnes, was the grandfather of 

RICHARD CANNING, of Foxcote, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Petty, of Ilmington, and had issue,

RICHARD, ancestor of CANNING of Foxcote Hall;

Edward, ancestor of CANNING of Euston;

Isaac, a turkey merchant;

Paul, Ambassador to the Great Mogul;

William;

GEORGE, of whom hereafter;

Maria; Anne.

The youngest son,

GEORGE CANNING, of Barton, Warwickshire, removed into Ulster in the reign of ELIZABETH I, and obtained a grant of the manor of Garvagh, where he settled.

He wedded Anne, daughter of Gilbert Walker, of Walford, Worcestershire, and died in 1646, having had two sons, Paul, his heir, who built the Church of Agivey, but died soon afterwards, and was succeeded by his brother,

WILLIAM CANNING, a colonel in the Londonderry Militia, who fell in the rebellion of 1641; and left an only son,

GEORGE CANNING, who commanded a company within the walls of Derry during the celebrated siege of that city, and although attainted of his lands by JAMES II, was succeeded at Garvagh by his son,

GEORGE CANNING, who greatly improved his estate; and married, in 1697, Abigail, fourth daughter of Robert Stratford, MP for County Wicklow, 1662, and aunt of John, 1st Earl of Aldborough, and died in 1711, leaving an only son, 

STRATFORD CANNING (1703-75), of Garvagh, who married Letitia, daughter and heiress of Obadiah Newburgh, of Ballyhaise, County Cavan, and had issue, 

GEORGE, of the Middle Temple;
PAUL, succeeded at Garvagh;
Stratford, a merchant at London;
Mary; Jane Elizabeth; Frances; Letitia.

The eldest son,

GEORGE CANNING (c1730-71), of the Middle Temple, author of a volume of poems, died in 1771 (having incurred the displeasure of his father, and the penalty of disinheritance, by an improvident marriage), leaving an only child, then an infant,

GEORGE CANNING (1770-1827),

Who having passed through Eton and Oxford, with more than ordinary éclat, entered early into public life, and became distinguished as a political writer, and one of the most eloquent parliamentary orators. 

Mr Canning filled, for several years, some of the higher offices in the government, until eventually, sustained by his own transcendent talents, and enlightened views alone, he reached the summit of a statesman's ambition, and became (in 1827) PRIME MINISTER; but scarcely had the hopes of the nation been raised by this most popular appointment, than it pleased Providence to render those hopes delusive - the Right Honourable gentleman's death ensuing a few months after his elevation.

His third son, Charles John Canning, was elevated to the Peerage, in 1859, in the dignity of EARL CANNING.

Mr Stratford Canning's second son,

PAUL CANNING, of Garvagh, espoused Jane, daughter of Conway Spencer, of County Antrim, and was succeeded at his decease, in 1784, by his only son,

GEORGE CANNING (1778-1840), first cousin of the prime minister, who was elevated to the peerage, in 1818, in the dignity of BARON GARVAGH, of Garvagh, County Londonderry.

He married firstly, in 1803, Georgiana, fourth daughter of Robert, 1st Marquess of Londonderry, by whom he had no issue.

His lordship wedded secondly, in 1824, Rosabelle Charlotte Isabella, eldest daughter of Henry Bonham MP, of Titness Park, Berkshire, and had issue,

CHARLES HENRY SPENCER GEORGE, his successor;
Albert Stratford George;
Emeline Rosabelle.

His lordship was Lord-Lieutenant of County Londonderry in 1840.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

CHARLES HENRY SPENCER GEORGE, 2nd Baron (1826-71), JP DL, who married, in 1851, Cecilia Susannah, daughter of John Ruggles-Brise, and had issue,

CHARLES JOHN SPENCER GEORGE, his successor;

Conway Stratford George.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

CHARLES JOHN SPENCER GEORGE, 3rd Baron (1852-1915), JP DL, who wedded, in 1877, Florence Alice, daughter of Baron Joseph de Bretton, and had issue, an only child,

4th Baron Garvagh (Image: RAF Museum)

LEOPOLD ERNEST STRATFORD GEORGE, 4th Baron (1878-1956), JP DL, Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps, who espoused firstly, in 1904, Caroline Grace Elizabeth, daughter of Charles Ernest Rube; and secondly, in 1919, Dora, daughter of Bayley Parker, by whom he had issue,

ALEXANDER LEOPOLD IVOR GEORGE, his successor;Victor Stratford de Redcliffe;Dora Valerie Patricia; Daphne Rose.

• Charles Henry Spencer George Canning, 2nd Baron (1826-71);
• Charles John Spencer George Canning, 3rd Baron (1852–1915);
• Leopold Ernest Stratford George Canning, 4th Baron (1878–1956);
• (Alexander Leopold Ivor) George Canning, 5th Baron (1920--2013);
• Spencer George Stratford de Redcliffe Canning, 6th Baron (b 1953).

The heir apparent is the present holder's son, the Hon Stratford George Edward de Redcliffe Canning (b 1990).

The Barons Garvagh also owned 5,803 acres of land in County Cavan, and 1,176 acres in County Down. 

© Garvagh House, the Sam Henry Collection; courtesy of the Craig Family

GARVAGH HOUSE, County Londonderry, is claimed to have been first built in the early 17th century and enlarged twice thereafter.

The house eventually evolved a late Georgian appearance, with a front of three bays between two, three-sided bows and an eaved roof on a bracket cornice.

There was a long enfilade of reception rooms, one having a modillion cornice and a Georgian bow; another with a broken pediment of a 19th century appearance over its door-case.

When the Canning family sold Garvagh House, it was used as flats for single female teachers, and some classrooms.

The house had fallen into disrepair over the years, suffering from wet and dry rot, and vermin infestation. 

The local education committee decided to demolish Garvagh House and to build a new primary school on its site.

This was duly done and Garvagh Primary School opened in 1965.

The village of Garvagh is unique in that, unlike other villages in the county, it was not developed by the Irish Society, nor was it an ancient settlement.

It is, in fact, a private plantation; that is, a town set up over a period of nearly 300 years and developed by the local Lords of the Manor, the Cannings.

The family association with the Garvagh area began in 1615 when George Canning, of Foxcote, Warwickshire, was appointed as agent for the Ironmongers' Company of London, a company actively involved in JAMES I's plantation of Ulster. To begin with, the townland of Garvagh was not part of the Ulster Plantation, as it had been granted to Manus O'Cahan, the local Irish chief, as a native freehold.

After the Great Irish Rebellion of 1641 the situation changed, when O'Cahan joined forces with Sir Phelim Roe O'Neill in the insurrection and, as a result, he lost the freehold. In 1649, one of George Canning's sons, Paul Canning, acquired the townland of Garvagh and began to develop it, by first building St Paul's parish church, which initially was intended as a private chapel for him and his family.

The Canning family continued to play an active part in the development of Garvagh until 1920 when they sold the estate and moved to England, exactly three centuries after they had established the first village.

The village of Garvagh lies between Coleraine and Maghera.

There is a museum and heritage centre in the village.

Covering over 550 acres, Garvagh Forest is situated on the Western outskirts of the village, with trees from over 80 years old to those only planted at the turn of the century.

The final unusual habitat in Garvagh Forest is the Garvagh Pyramid, created as a burial chamber for Lord Garvagh in the 19th Century.

Unfortunately the pyramid was never allowed to fulfil the task it was designed for and was sealed shut, with no incumbent, a number of years ago.

I'm grateful to the Craig family and Coleraine Museum for making this possible.

I have written about the House of Canning. 

Seat ~ The Grange, Castlerigg, Keswick, Cumberland.

First published in March, 2011.

Brackenber Prospectus: I

MANY OLD BRACKENBRIANS HOLD BRACKENBER IN HIGH ESTEEM AND WITH DEEP AFFECTION. HERE IS THE 1970 PROSPECTUS.

BRACKENBER MDCCCCXXX - MDCCCCLXXXV

 

Momentote Omentote Vos Superstites Scholæ Brackenbris

Qui Hinc Progressi Disciplina Eius Minime

Dedecorata Famam Bonam Ac Mores Ipsis

Ascivistis.

  Be ever mindful, you who have survived,
Of what, from Brackenber, you have derived,
Who forth have gone, its training undisgraced,
And morals and a goodly name embraced.

Headmaster: John L McC Craig BA

HISTORY

The school was founded in 1930 and moved to 6-10, Cleaver Avenue, Belfast, in 1939.

In 1950 the school was taken over by the parents of the pupils, and a company limited by guarantee was formed to conduct the School without a profit motive and to maintain the good reputation which it had so long enjoyed.

AIM

The aim of the school is not so much to lay stress on scholarship work as to make each boy try his hardest both at work and at games, and to give him a thorough all-round training that he may do well at his Public School; to give a boy the individual instruction and attention that he needs; and to lay great emphasis on manners and general conduct.

CURRICULUM

The regular school course includes Scripture, English subjects, Latin, French, Mathematics and Science .... mainly on the lines of the Common Entrance Examination to the Public Schools.

As far as possible the work is so arranged that each boy is able to develop at his own rate, independent of others, thus ensuring normal and steady progress.

He is neither retarded by duller boys nor forced to try to keep pace with quicker ones.

CLASS HOURS

Morning School: 9.15am to 1pm
Afternoon School (or games): 2.15pm to 3.45pm
Saturday is a whole holiday.

Part 2 shall include Home-Work, Games, Discipline, Special Features and Admission.

First published in February, 2011.

Ross's Auction-House

Ross's: May Street elevation

It's ages since I paid Ross's a visit. I enjoy wandering round their sale-rooms, simply looking for anything that catches my eye.

There always seem to be one or two dealers about.

On one occasion I recognized Peter Maxwell (Lord de Ros).

One of the proprietor's sons was a participant in the BBC series The Apprentice quite a few years ago (a young gentleman with a singularly flamboyant pair of braces).

Ross's premises at 22-26 May Street, Belfast, were built about 1873 for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

This building comprises two storeys over a ground-level basement, and is built of red brick and matching sandstone.

Windows are paired.

The centre bay on the May Street elevation protrudes slightly, with an arcaded balcony, corbels and Venetian-style capitals.

The door is fan-lighted with a rose window.

Montgomery Street Elevation

The pediment at the top of the building has the carved burning bush emblem of Presbyterianism.

At the Montgomery Street side there used to be a four-storey, ecclesiastical-style tower with a pyramidal roof (now the main entrance), though its top has been shorn off.

May Street Elevation

The section of the building at the corner of Montgomery Street and Music Hall Lane is of four storeys, with a large rose window at the top.

It's thought that the premises ceased to be church property post 1905, when the new Church House was constructed at Fisherwick Place.

This building has been occupied by Ross’s Auctioneers and Valuers for several decades.

It was originally built to house the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

When originally constructed the building was owned outright by the Assembly, serving as its headquarters and other Presbyterian organisations and offices.

Ecclesiastical Entrance, with Tower lopped off

In 1877 there were also offices for the Bible & Colportage Society, the Presbyterian Orphan Society and the Sabbath School Society in Ireland.

Offices in the building were also leased out to private businesses and, in 1877, a land and rent agency office operated from the site.

Similar to the construction of Belfast’s Old Town Hall on Victoria Street, the General Assembly found the building on May Street to be too small and inadequate for its needs.

Following the town’s promotion in 1888 to city status, the Assembly sought a new location for their headquarters.

A suitable plot of land was selected on Fisherwick Place (the former site of Fisherwick Presbyterian Church before moving to south Belfast). 

Church House ca 1907, with tower in Montgomery Street

The current Presbyterian Assembly Building was constructed between 1899-1905, during which time the offices on May Street continued to be occupied by the various ecclesiastical organisations.

In 1905 the former headquarters in May Street were vacated.

22-26 May Street remained vacant until 1912, when it was occupied by John Wilson & Son and was renamed Downshire House.

Wilson & Sons were linen, damask, handkerchief, ladies underclothing, gentlemen’s shirt and collar manufacturers.

About 1935, John Wilson & Sons vacated the site.

The current occupants of the former Presbyterian Assembly Building, John Ross and Company, came into possession of the site ca 1937.

22-26 May Street survived the heavy bombardment of Belfast’s city centre during the 1941 Blitz.

In 1956 the ground and first floors were occupied by a Mr (or Mrs) D W Gray, who utilised the space as offices, showrooms and stores for John Ross & Co.

This Victorian building has since been the auction-house of John Ross and Company, of whom Daniel Clarke has been proprietor since 1988.

First published in January, 2013.