Stuart Hall, Co Tyrone 

Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978) Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.

p. 267. “(Stuart, Castle Stewart, E/PG) A three storey Georgian block with a pillared porch, joined to an old tower house by a C19 Gothic wing. In recent years, the top two storeys of the main block were removed, giving it the appearance of a Georgian bungalow. The house was bombed ca 1974 and subsequently demolished.” 

see https://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2013/08/stuart-hall.html

THE EARLS CASTLE STEWART WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY TYRONE, WITH 32,615 ACRES 

This is a branch of the royal house of STEWART, springing from Robert, Duke of Albany and Regent of Scotland, third legitimate son of ROBERT II, King of Scotland. 

MURDOCH, 2nd Duke of Albany (1362-1425), succeeded his father Robert as Regent of the Kingdom, but was beheaded, with his two eldest sons, 1425. 

His third son, JAMES MOR STEWART, called James the Fat, fled to Ulster, and was father of 

ANDREW STEWART, 1st Lord Avondale (c1420-88), who died without issue; and of WALTER, whose son, 

ANDREW (c1505-48), succeeding to the titles and estates of his uncle, became 2nd Lord Avondale, and “exchanged” the title for that of OCHILTREE. 

 
His lordship married Margaret, natural daughter of James, 1st Earl of Arran, and had issue, 

ANDREW, his successor; 
Walter; 
Isobel. 

He was succeeded by his eldest son, 
 
ANDREW (c1521-91), 2nd Lord Ochiltree, who married Agnes Cunningham, and had a son and heir, Andrew Stewart, styled Master of Ochiltree, who predeceased him in 1578, and was succeeded by his grandson, 
 
ANDREW, 3rd Lord Ochiltree (c1560-1629), who having sold the feudal barony of OCHILTREE to his cousin, Sir James Stuart, of Killeith, was created, 1619, Baron Castle Stewart, of County Tyrone, where he possessed considerable estates. 
 
He wedded, ca 1587, Margaret, daughter of Sir John Kennedy, of Blairquhan, and had issue, 

ANDREW, his successor; 
JOHN, 5th Baron; 
Robert, ancestor of the Earl Castle Stewart; 
Margaret, m George Crawford, of Crawfordsburn; 
Maria, m John Kennedy, of Cultra; 
Anna. 

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son, 
 
SIR ANDREW, 2nd Baron (1590-1639), who had been previously created a baronet. 
 
He espoused, ca 1604, the Lady Anne Stewart, fifth daughter and co-heiress of John, 5th Earl of Atholl, by which lady he had issue, 

ANDREW, 3rd Baron; 
JOSIAS, 4th Baron. 

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son, 
 
ANDREW, 3rd Baron (-1650), who married Joyce, daughter and heiress of Sir Arthur Blundell, by whom he had issue, an only child, MARY, who wedded Henry 5th Earl of Suffolk. 
 
His lordship died without male issue, and the honours devolved upon his brother, 
 
JOSIAS, 4th Baron (c1637-62), who espoused Anne, daughter of John Madden, of Enfield, Middlesex, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter and co-heiress of Charles Waterhouse, of Manor Waterhouse, County Fermanagh. 
 
This marriage was without issue and the titles reverted to his uncle, 
 
JOHN, 5th Baron, after whose decease without issue, the title remained in abeyance until 1774, when it was claimed by, and allowed to 
 
CAPTAIN ROBERT STEWART, de jure 6th Baron, who married Anne, daughter of William Moore, of Garvey, County Tyrone. 
 
He died ca 1685, and was succeeded by his son, 
 
ANDREW, de jure 7th Baron (1672-1715), who wedded Eleanor, daughter of Robert Dallway, of Bellahill, County Antrim, by whom he had issue, 
 
ROBERT, de jure 8th Baron (1700-42), who wedded, in 1722, Margaret, sister and co-heiress of Hugh Edwards, of Castle Gore, County Tyrone, and had issue, 
 
ANDREW THOMAS, 9th Baron (1725-1809), who was created Viscount Castle Stewart in 1793. 
 
His lordship was further advanced to an earldom, in 1800, as EARL CASTLE STEWART. 
 
His lordship wedded, in 1781, Sarah, daughter of the Rt Hon Godfrey Lill, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Ireland, by whom he had issue, 

ROBERT, his successor; 
Andrew; 
Caroline; Sarah. 

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son, 
 
ROBERT, 2nd Earl (1784-1854), who espoused, in 1806, Jemima, only daughter of Colonel Robinson, by whom he had issue, 

EDWARD, 3rd Earl; 
CHARLES ANDREW KNOX, 4th Earl; 
Andrew Godfrey, in holy orders, father of 6th Earl. 

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son, 
 
EDWARD, 3rd Earl (1807-57), who married, in 1830, Emmeline, only surviving daughter and heir of Benjamin Bathurst, in a childless marriage. 
 
His lordship was succeeded by his brother, 
 
CHARLES ANDREW KNOX, 4th Earl (1810-74), who wedded, in 1835, Charlotte Raffles Drury, only daughter of Acheson Quintin Thompson, of County Louth, and had issue, 

HENRY JAMES, his successor; 
Mary; Ella Sophia; Alice Maude; Margaretta. 

His lordship was succeeded by his son, 
 
HENRY JAMES, 5th Earl (1837-1914), High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1870, who espoused, in 1866, Augusta Le Vicomte, daughter of Major William Stewart Richardson-Brady, and had issue, two daughters, 

Mary; Muriel Albany. 

His lordship died without male issue, and the titles reverted to his cousin, 
 
ANDREW JOHN, as 6th Earl (1841-1921); who married, in 1876, Emma Georgiana Diana, daughter of Major-General Arthur Stevens, and had issue, 

Andrew John, Viscount Stuart (1880-1915), killed in action; 
Robert Sheffield (1886-1914), killed in action; 
ARTHUR, of whom presently; 
Charles Patrick; 
Katherine Frances. 

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, 
 
ARTHUR, 7th Earl (1889-1961), MC, Major, Machine Gun Corps, MP for Harborough, 1929-33, who wedded, in 1920, Eleanor May, daughter of Solomon Robert Guggenheim, and had issue, 

David Andrew Noel, Viscount Stuart (1921-42), killed in action; 
Robert John Ochiltree, Viscount Stuart (1923-44), died of wounds in action; 
ARTHUR PATRICK AVONDALE, of whom hereafter; 
Simon Walter Erskine. 

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, 
 
ARTHUR PATRICK AVONDALE, 8th and present Earl (1928-), of Stuart Hall, near Stewartstown, County Tyrone. 
 
The heir apparent is the present holder’s son, Andrew Richard Charles Stuart, styled Viscount Stuart (b 1953). 

THE other major event of his long reign as head of the family was the 1st Earl’s acquisition, in 1782, of a third manor in County Tyrone, the manor of Orritor, alias Orator. 
 
Orritor was near Stewartstown, and was thus geographically well-situated to round off the existing manors of Castle Stewart and Forward. 
 
However, the Orritor Estate adjoined Drum Manor and was, thus, closer to Cookstown than Stewartstown; or New Mills, around where the Forward estate is situated. 
 

The fourth manor in the Tyrone estate came in by inheritance, not deliberate purchase, and was remote from the other three: the manor of Hastings, alias Castlegore (near Castlederg) formerly the property of the Edwards family of Castlegore. 

Robert Stewart of Stuart Hall had married Margaret Edwards of Castlegore back in 1722; and, as a result of failure of heirs male in the Edwards family, Castlegore passed to the Stuarts. 
 
In 1862, the four manors generated an annual income of £7,567. 
 
A further temporary addition to the Tyrone estate was made in 1866, when Lord Stuart, later 5th Earl Castle Stewart, married the heiress of the Richardson Brady family of Oaklands, alias Drum Manor, Cookstown. 
 
On his death in 1914, however, he was succeeded in the earldom and in the Castle Stewart estates by his cousin; but at Drum Manor by one of his daughters, Lady Muriel Close. 
 STUART HALL, near Stewartstown, County Tyrone, was built about 1760 for Andrew, 1st Earl Castle Stewart. 
 
It was originally a three-storey Georgian block with a pillared porch, joined to an old tower-house by a 19th century Gothic wing.

More recently, the top two storeys of the main block were removed, giving it the appearance of a Georgian bungalow. 
 
Stuart Hall was blown up by the IRA in July, 1972, and subsequently demolished. 
 
A new dwelling was subsequently built on the site in 1987. 
 
The present house is surrounded by lawns and a maintained woodland garden. 
 
There is a ha-ha to grazing, with fine views of the landscape park and woodland beyond. 
 
The stables and farm buildings survive from the 18th century and are listed. 
 
The walled garden has a 1832 date stone and is adorned by a castellated wall and two folly towers backing onto the former stack yard. 
 
Rowan describes it as ‘…castellated, of rubble stone with brick corbelling and a plump round tower at either end.’ 
 
A stone inscription on a frieze, though, has an inscription which reads either 1783 or 1785. 
 
The walled garden is not kept up. 
 
There were extensive glasshouses. 
 
The chief attribute of the demesne is the fine stands of mature trees, disposed in the landscape style of the mid-18th century. 
 
There is also forest planting. 
 
A gate lodge of ca 1835 has gone but the gate screen remains. 
 
First published in December, 2009. Castle Stewart arms courtesy of European Heraldry. 

I am indebted to those who send me old pictures of Northern Ireland’s proud heritage. 
 
Stuart Hall is a good example.  

It gives me great pleasure to post these old images. 

The Earls Castle Stewart were the second-greatest landowners in County Tyrone, with 32,615 acres in the 1870s. 
 
Lord and Lady Castle Stewart still live at the estate.  

Stuart Hall was built about 1760. 

 
 
It was originally a three-storey Georgian block with a pillared porch, joined to an old tower-house by a 19th century Gothic wing. 
 
The top two storeys of the main block were later removed, giving it the appearance of a Georgian bungalow. 
 
The mansion house was burnt by the IRA in July, 1972, and subsequently demolished. 
 
A bungalow was built on the site in 1987. 
 
Stuart Hall was actually larger than it appeared from the entrance front, due to high basement or storey to the rear. 

www.nihgt.org/resources/pdf/Register_of_Parks_Gardens_Demesnes-NOV20.pdf 

STUART HALL, County Tyrone (AP MID ULSTER 10) T/058 
REGISTERED GRADE A 
Mid-Georgian demesne (287 acres/116ha), sometimes spelt Stewart Hall, whose house of 1783 
has been demolished, lying 2.3 miles (3.7km) north-east of Stewartstown and 5.9 miles (9.3km) 
south-east of Cookstown. Historically part of Eary or Irry, there is no evidence for a 17th century 
dwelling here, but the area of the demesne was part of a large 1608 Plantation grant to a Scottish 
undertaker, Sir Andrew Stewart (1560-c.1629), 3rd Lord Ochiltree (until c.1615) and Lord Stewart, 
Baron of Castlestewart (from 1619). Sir Andrew built a thatched ‘castle’ on the site of the 
present-day Castlefarm (Scheduled TYR 039:010) outside Stewartstown, and by 1622 the town 
had started to develop with ‘a great many poor Irish houses inhabited with Brittish families’. His 
son Andrew, the 2nd Lord Castlestewart (d.1639) acquired further holdings including land 
purchased in 1615 from another planter Robert Stewart, where he built the stronghouse of 
Roughan Castle in 1618 (Scheduled TYR 046: 002). The history of the family over next century is 
complicated, suffice to say that in 1629 their lands were divided between Andrew the 2nd Lord 
Castle Stewart (Castle Forward) and his brother Col. Robert Stewart (1598-1662), who acquired by 
purchase part of the Manor of Castle Stewart to the east of Stewartstown, including Eary. 
Eventually, following the death of John Stewart, the 5th Lord Castle Stewart in 1685 without issue, 
the title and lands were inherited by Robert Stewart (1646-86) of Eary, the grandson of the 
aforementioned Col. Robert Stewart, who became 6th Lord. His son Andrew, (1672-1715) must 
have remained at Castle Farm until at least 1710 as the fine surviving stable block there is unlikely 
to predate 1700. It seems to have been Andrew however who decided to move the family seat to 
Eary, which he named Stewart Hall, probably sometime between 1710 and 1715. His son Robert 
(1700-42) finished this work and sold off the old seat at Castle Farm to John Huston of Craigs, Co. 
Antrim. We know little of new seat at Steward Hall, later renamed Stuart Hall, but evidence from 

Register of Parks, Gardens and Demesnes of Special Historic Interest (NI) – November 2020 
the OS maps shows that it was, as we would expect, set in a formal geometric designed 
landscape. The house faced north-east and had a straight, no doubt tree-lined, avenue aligned on 
its front facade and it order to extend its length to 225m, the public road (Mountjoy Road) was 
diverted; no doubt the line of this avenue was continued as a tree-lined vista further to the north- 
east. To the south-west of the house there was a long tree-lined vista, extending 600m and 
crossing what would have been a formal canal or sheet of water, later made into a naturalised 
lake. A feature which may date from this early period is a complex landscape feature (SMR7/TRY 
39:046) located on the north perimeter of the demesne; it comprises five concentric banks, 
planted with trees, with ditches between. The biggest ring being is 45m diameter and the 
innermost is about 3m in diameter. Other early landscape features appear not to have survived, 
as sometime probably during the 1770s the demesne was professionally remodelled on a large 
scale and transformed into a landscape park. The fact that ‘fully grown oak, ash and sycamore’ 
was being sold from Stuart Hall in November 1811 might indicate earlier planting. The new park 
was focussed on a rebuilding of the house in 1783 (it incorporated a date stone subsequently lost) 
for Robert Stewart’s son, Andrew Thomas Stewart-Moore (1725-1809). Unlike his father and 
grandfather, Andrew’s actions indicate he was a socially conscious individual and very keen to 
increase his family’s standing in what ever way possible. In 1768 for example, he petitioned the 
Irish House of Lords for recognition of the title of 9th Lord Castlestewart, which he eventually 
reclaimed in 1774. He also acquired the Manor of Orritor (to the west of Stewartstown) and in the 
1790s changed the family name from Stewart to Stuart. His new house was a relatively large 
rectangular five-bay harled two-storey over a sandstone basement hipped roof mansion of the 
relatively simple, but dignified, late Georgian type; it must have been finished by 1786 when it 
was described in the Post-chaise companion as ‘a most superb edifice’. Around the same time a 
new large courtyard range for stables and carriages in a quarter-circle was added to the west side 
of the house (Listed HB 09/11/013B). This is enclosed to the south by a long curving range, which 
is two-storey to the south-east with a central two-storey part hipped part gabled section (which 
projects slightly to the north side), with a further two-storey section beyond this and another 
single-storey portion to the north-west end. To the west side is a long straight two-storey wing 
with central gabled breakfront with octagonal cupola and to the north are two single-storey 
blocks, that to the west longer. To the immediate west of the large yard are farm buildings (Listed 
HB 09/11/013C) arranged in a small C-shaped group to the north; those to the south arranged in a 
backwards L-shape. These are single-storey and built in a mixture of rubble and brick with slated 
gabled and hipped roofs. They back on to a stack yard of irregular plan enclosed by a rubble wall 
(of varying height) with two circular folly towers (Listed HB09/11/013D) to the south-western 
corner; these were added to the south slip of the adjacent walled garden in the 1840s. The walled 
kitchen garden (Listed HB 09/11/03D), which is quite grandiose by local standards, comprises a 
rectilinear area shaped like a parallelogram (1.94 acres/0.78ha) enclosed by rubble stone walls, 
rebuilt in parts with regular brickwork with stone coping and cut-stone quoins. Unusually, the 
garden was built or rebuilt in different phases as is clear from the wall construction. The original 
garden, set on a level terrace, almost certainly dates to the period of the house rebuilding and the 
landscape park, c.1770-80, but the east wall at least was rebuilt in 1832 as is clear from a 
datestone in an elliptical-headed archway with ashlar surrounds and voussoirs. The gateway has 
wrought-iron spearhead gates, which looks mid to later 19th century. The garden is enclosed on 
all sides with substantial slip gardens, bringing the total area of the garden to 3.42 acres (1.38ha); 
the slips vary in with, with the west slip being 54 ft (16.5m) wide; the east slip 33.9ft (10m) wide, 
the south slip 35ft (10.8m) wide and the northern slip 43ft (13m) wide. The northern slip 
contained the working frame yard and still has potting sheds and stores standing as a short range 
of lean-to buildings against the outside of the north wall; most of these buildings look later 18th 
century in date. By the early 1850s a long range of glasshouses had been erected against the 
south face of the north wall; these may be the same as those that survived in the 1930s when 
they contained vines as well as figs and peaches. These glasshouse ranges must have been added 

Register of Parks, Gardens and Demesnes of Special Historic Interest (NI) – November 2020 
by Robert Stuart (1784-54), 2nd Earl Castle Stewart, who inherited in 1809. He must also have 
been responsible for building the two folly towers at the east end of the south slip pf the garden 
as they were in place 1853; these are two-stage and constructed largely in brick, with that to the 
south (which is situated on lower ground) having a ‘basement’ level constructed in rubble. The 
main stage has tall pointed arch openings with smaller pointed arch openings to the upper level 
and a castellated parapet. The taller tower contains a fireplace (with later Victorian cast-iron 
inset). To the west of the lower northern tower the yard wall itself is castellated and has a tiny 
corner bartizan. As is so often the case with Irish parklands, the designer responsible for the park 
layout at Stuart Hall park in the 1770s is unknown, but it was clearly professionally undertaken by 
someone of the status of John Sutherland, responsible for nearby Killymoon around 1800. It 
involved planting thick perimeter belts on the north, east and west of the demesne with 
substantial woodland planting south of the house and stream (Oghill Wood) and around the 
walled garden and yards. The park to the west of the walled garden was characterised by large 
irregular island woodland clumps (inc. Larkin’s Plantation and Raw’s Plantation), while the park 
north of the house and the Mountjoy Road, was characterised by the planting of numerous small 
clumps and isolated trees. A small oblong lake (1.24 acres/0.5ha) with an island was formed 
immediately south of the house probably from an earlier canal feature; this was drained circa 
1840-50. North of the house a ha-ha was built separating the parkland from the grazing at the 
north-east. There was a circuit drive through the perimeter belts of the northern part of the 
demesne; close to the circular earthworks (noted above) a ‘moss house’ or summer house with 
moss roof, is marked on the 1853 OS map. The park has three entrances whose carriage drives all 
converge north-west of the house. The most impressive entrance lies on the west of the demesne 
off Castlefarm Road (Listed HB 09/11/013F) and has six ashlar piers with ornate cast iron railings 
and gates dating to about 1840. There was originally a lodge at this entrance, but this was cleared 
away in the mid 1900s. There are two entrances off the Mountjoy Road, one of which retains a 
Victorian semicircular gate screen with square ashlar piers and decorative cast-iron gates and 
railings around 1860 (Listed HB09/11/013E). The latter gates date to the same period as when 
the main house had a somewhat ill-conceived large three-stage baronial tower added to the 
south-east, along with a large rear return, and in an effort to lend the whole unity, a castellated 
parapet was applied to the original section; the house was also refurbished at the same time 
(1859-60) and gas lighting installed in 1861. This work was possibly undertaken by Charles Henry 
Lynn for Charles Knox Stuart (1810-74), the 4th Earl Castle Stewart, who inherited the property 
from his brother in 1857. His son and heir, Henry James Stuart (1837-1914), 5th Earl married 
(1866) Augusta Richardson Brady (d.1908) the heiress to Drum Manor and assumed the additional 
name of Richardson. Henry died without male heirs and although he was able to pass Drum to his 
daughter, Lady Muriel (d.1928), his title and the rest of the estate was inherited by a cousin, 
Andrew John Stuart (1841-1921), 6th Earl, a grandson of the 2nd Earl. Andrew’s third son, Arthur 
Stuart (1889-1961), 7th Earl, married a daughter of American businessman and philanthropist 
Solomon R. Guggenheim in 1920; he succeeded in 1921 and was in turn followed by his third son, 
Arthur Patrick Avondale Stuart (b.1928), 8th Earl Castle Stewart and the present owner of Stuart 
Hall. The house at Stuart Hall was lowered by a story at some point in the mid-1900s (probably 
following WWII); it was subsequently damaged in a terrorist bomb in 1972 it was later demolished 
with a bungalow erected on a site north of the original house in 1987. An attractive area of 
woodland planting has been created south-west of the house at the stream with little bridges, 
paths and a seat. There are mature trees and shrubs such as azalea and bulbs. Just east of the 
old house are two pillars which are eye catchers and frame the view from the old house to the 
lough. From the ha-ha there are fine views of the parkland with its varied mature trees and the 
woodland beyond. There is a borrowed view of Lough Neagh to the east, and the Mountains of 
Mourne.. House private. Tyr 39:46 – tree ring.