I am going to start collating a portrait gallery, as I love to put a name to the faces. I will add to these pages as I go.
I’ll be collecting them from my house entries and put them in alphabetical order by surname. I’ve also been going through the National Gallery collection and will also look at the National Portrait Gallery in London’s collection! It will be an ongoing project and a resource. I do think Ireland should have a National Portrait gallery! It would be a place where home owners could loan portraits for safekeeping also.
I have an editorial decision to make regarding women. Do I put them under their married name or under their maiden name? I think for now I’ll put them under both, as it’s nice to see them in relation to their fathers as well as in relation to their husband!
David de Barry, 1st Baron Barry (died 1278). In 1267, King Henry III of England appointed Lord David de Barry as Chief Justice of Ireland.
John Barry, 2nd Baron Barry (died 1285)
David FitzDavid Barry, 3rd Baron Barry (died 1290)
John Barry, 4th Baron Barry (died 1330)
David Barry, 5th Baron Barry (died 1347)
David Barry, 6th Baron Barry (died 1392)
John Barry, 7th Baron Barry (died 1420)
William Barry, 8th Baron Barry (died 1480)
John Barry, 9th Baron Barry (died 1486)
Thomas de Barry, 10th Baron Barry (died 1488)
William Barry, 11th Baron Barry (died 1500)
John Barry, 12th Baron Barry (died 1530)
John Barry, 13th Baron Barry (died 1534)
John FitzJohn Barry, 14th Baron Barry (1517–1553) (created Viscount Buttevant in 1541)
Viscounts Buttevant (1541)
John FitzJohn Barry, 1st Viscount Buttevant (1517–1553)
Edmund FitzJohn Barry, 2nd Viscount Buttevant (died 1556)
James FitzJohn Barry, 3rd Viscount Buttevant (died 1557)
James de Barry, 4th Viscount Buttevant (c. 1520–1581) 1st wife: Elizabeth Boyle, daughter of Charles Boyle, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan; 2nd wife: Elizabeth née Savage (d. 1714), daughter and heir of Richard Savage 4th Earl Rivers; 3rd wife: Anne Chichester, daughter of Major-General Arthur Chichester, 3rd Earl of Donegall (1666-1706), she was the mother of James Smith-Barry of Fota, County Cork.
David de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant (died 1617)
David Barry, 6th Viscount Buttevant (1604–1642) (created Earl of Barrymore in 1627/28)
Earls of Barrymore (1627/28)
David Barry, 1st Earl of Barrymore (1604–1642)
Richard Barry, 2nd Earl of Barrymore (1630–1694)
Laurence Barry, 3rd Earl of Barrymore (1664–1699)
James Barry, 4th Earl of Barrymore (1667–1747)
James Barry, 5th Earl of Barrymore (1717–1751)
Richard Barry, 6th Earl of Barrymore (1745–1773)
Richard Barry, 7th Earl of Barrymore (1769–1793)
Henry Barry, 8th Earl of Barrymore (1770–1823) [1]
SIR TRISTRAM BERESFORD (1595-1673), who was created a baronet in 1665, designated of Coleraine, County Londonderry. He married firstly, Anne, eldest daughter of John Rowley, of Castleroe, County Londonderry, by whom he had one son, RANDAL, his heir, and two daughters; and secondly, Sarah Sackville, and had three sons and three daughters: Tristram; Michael; Sackville; Susanna; Sarah; Anne.
Sir Tristram was succeeded by his eldest son, SIR RANDAL BERESFORD, 2nd Baronet (c. 1636-81), MP for Coleraine, 1661-68, who married Catherine Annesley, younger daughter of Francis, 1st Viscount Valentia, and dying in 1681, left issue, TRISTRAM, his heir; Jane; Catherine.
Sir Randal was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, SIR TRISTRAM BERESFORD, 3rd Baronet (1669-1701), MP for Londonderry County, 1692-99, who commanded a foot regiment against JAMES II, and was attainted by the parliament of that monarch. Sir Tristram wedded, in 1687, Nichola Sophia, youngest daughter and co-heiress of Hugh Hamilton, 1st Viscount Glenawly.
He was succeeded by his son, SIR MARCUS BERESFORD, 4th Baronet (1694-1763), MP for Coleraine, 1715-20, who espoused, in 1717, Catherine, BARONESS LE POER, daughter and heiress of James, 3rd Earl of Tyrone, and in consequence of that alliance, was elevated to the peerage, in 1720, in the dignity of Baron Beresford and Viscount Tyrone. His lordship was further advanced to an earldom, in 1746, as EARL OF TYRONE.
Rt. Hon. Marcus Beresford (1694-1763)4th Baronet and 1st Earl of Tyrone, photograph courtesy of the Beresford family and creative commons and wikipedia.
Marcus Beresford (1694-1763) 1st Earl of Tyrone had surviving issue: GEORGE DE LA POER (1735-1800) his successor who became 2nd Earl of Tyrone; John (1737/38-1805); William (1743-1819) (Most Rev), created BARON DECIES; Anne; Jane; Catherine; Aramintha; Frances Maria; Elizabeth.
George de la Poer Beresford (1735-1800) 2nd Earl of Tyrone, later 1st Marquess of Waterford, by Johann Zoffany, courtesy of National Trust Hatchlands.John Beresford, M.P. (1738-1805), son of of Marcus Beresford 1st Earl of Tyrone, miniature by Richard Crosse, British, 1742-1810.John Beresford (1738-1805), first commissioner of the Revenue in Ireland, engraver Charles Howard Hodges, after Gilbert Smith, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.John Beresford (1738-1805), MP by Gilbert Stuart c. 1790, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland NGI 1133.Right Honourable John Beresford by Thomas Hickey (fl.1756-1816) courtesy Chrisites 2005. I’m not sure if this is John Beresford (1738-1805).Barbara Montgomery (?1757-1788), second wife of John Beresford (1738-1805) by Hugh Douglas Hamilton, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland P5547. His first wife was Anne Constantia Ligondes.Marcus Gervais Beresford (1801-1885), Archbishop of Armagh, painting as Prelate of Order of St. Patrick, by engraver John Richardson Jackson, after painting by Stephen Catterson Smith, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.He was grandson of John Beresford (1738-1805). His father was Rt. Rev. George de la Poer Beresford (1765-1841).George John Beresford (1807-1864)of Woodhouse, County Waterford.He was also a grandson of John Beresford (1738-1805). His father wasReverend Charles Cobbe Beresford (b. 1770).John Claudius Beresford, Lord Mayor of Dublin courtesy Adam’s 8 March 2006 in style of William Cuming PRHA. He was the son of John Beresford (1738-1805).Elizabeth de la Poer Beresford (1736-1806), daughter of Marcus Beresford 1st Earl of Tyrone, wife of Thomas Cobbe of Newbridge House, in a costume evocative of Mary Queen of Scots, miniature, Cobbe Collection.
George de la Poer Beresford, 2nd Earl of Tyrone (1735-1800) inherited the ancient Barony of de la Poer at the decease of his mother in 1769. His lordship was enrolled amongst the peers of Great Britain, in 1786, as Baron Tyrone; and created, in 1789, MARQUESS OF WATERFORD.
George de la Poer Beresford (1735-1800) First Marquess of Waterford by Gilbert Stuart, courtesy of Bonhams and commons.
He married, in 1769, Elizabeth, only daughter and heiress of Henry Monck, of Charleville. They had issue:
Marcus, died at 8 years old; Henry de la Poer Beresford (1772-1826) his successor who became 2nd Marquess of Waterford; John George (1773-1862) (Most Rev), Lord Archbishop of Armagh; George Thomas (1781-1839) (Rt Hon), Lt-Gen, GCH; Isabella Anne; Catherine; Anne; Elizabeth Louisa (1783-1856).
Henry de la Poer Beresford (1772-1826) 2nd Marquess of Waterford by William Beechy courtesy of Eton College.John George Beresford (1773-1862), Archbishop of Armagh, after Thomas Lawrence, by Charles Turner, courtesy of Armagh County Museum.He was son of George de la Poer Beresford, 2nd Earl of Tyrone. Thought to be Elizabeth Louisa Reynell (1783-1856) née De La Poer and formerly wife of Sir Denis Pack, courtesy of Whyte’s Nov 2011. She was the daughter of the 1st Marquess of Waterford, and she married Denis Pack of County Kilkenny and later, Thomas Reynell, 6th Baronet.
He had an illegitimate son Admiral Sir John de la Poer Beresford (1766-1844) 1st Bt Beresford, of Bagnall, Co. Waterford, and also Lt.-Gen. William Carr Beresford (1768-1854) 1st and last Viscount Beresford of Beresford.
William Carr Beresford (1768-1854) Viscount Beresford, by William Beechey, Photograph courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, London.Harriet Elizabeth Peirse (1790-1825) Lady Beresford, wife of Admiral Sir John de la Poer Beresford (1766-1844) 1st Bt Beresford, of Bagnall, Co. Waterford, by Thomas Lawrence, courtesy of National Trust Hatchlands.
Henry de la Poer Beresford 2nd Marquess (1772-1826) wedded, in 1805, Susanna Carpenter, only daughter and heiress of George Carpenter 2nd Earl of Tyrconnell, and had issue,
HENRY de la Poer Beresford (1811-1859) his successor who became 3rd Marquess of Waterford; William; John (1814-1866) who became 4th Marquess of Waterford; James; Sarah Elizabeth (1807-1854) who married Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot, 18th Earl of Shrewsbury.
James Beresford (1816-1841) by Joseph Clover, courtesy of Ingestre Hall Residential Arts Centre.
Henry de la Poer Beresford 3rd Marquess married Louisa Anne Stuart (1818-1891), daughter of Charles Stuart, 1st and last Baron Stuart de Rothesay. They did not have children.
Elizabeth Stuart née Yorke (1789-1867). Lady Stuart de Rothesay, with her daughters Charlotte (1817-1861) and Louisa (1818-1891) by George Hayter, photograph courtesy of UK Government Art Collection. Elizabeth was the daughter of Philip Yorke 3rd Earl of Hardwicke; Louisa married Henry de la Poer Beresford 3rd Marquis of Waterford; Charlotte married Charles John Canning 1st Viceroy of India, 2nd Viscount Canning, 1st Earl Canning. Louisa Anne Beresford née Stuart (1818-1891), wife of Henry de la Poer Beresford, 3rd Marquess of Waterford, daughter of Charles Stuart, 1st and last Baron Stuart de Rothesay, by Sir Francis Grant 1859-1860, NPG 3176. The National Portrait Gallery tells us: “Louisa Stuart was brought up mostly in Paris, where her father was British Ambassador to the French court. She was taught to draw from an early age and art, along with religion and philanthropy, was one of her main interests throughout her life. A gifted amateur watercolourist, she did not exhibit at professional galleries until the 1870s. With a strong interest in the welfare of the tenants on her Northumberland estate, she rebuilt the village of Ford. She provided a school and started a temperance society in the village. Her greatest artistic achievement was the decoration of the new school with life sized scenes from the Old and New testaments that used children and adults from the village as models.”
When the 3rd Marquess died, his brother John became the 4th Marquess. The 4th Marquess married Christiana, daughter of Charles Powell Leslie of Castle Leslie in County Monaghan.
Timothy William Ferres tells us of the family of the Boyles, Earls of Cork:
Richard Boyle (1566-1643) 1st Earl of Cork married firstly, in 1595, Joan, daughter and co-heiress of William Apsley, of Limerick, without surviving issue; and secondly, Catherine, daughter of Sir Geoffrey Fenton, Knight, principal secretary of state for Ireland, and had issue (with eight daughters):
Roger (1606-15);
RICHARD (1612-98) his successor; Geoffrey d. 1 year old; Lewis (1619-1642) created Viscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky;
ROGER (1621-1679) created 1st Earl of Orrery; ancestor of John, 5th Earl of Cork;
The 1st Earl of Cork’s daughter Alice (1607-1666) married David Barry 1st Earl of Barrymore. His other daughters were Sarah (1609-1633) who married first Thomas Moore son of Garret Moore 1st Viscount of Drogheda, and then second, Rober Digby 1st Baron Digby; Lettice who married Lord Goring; Joan who married George Fitzgerald 16th Earl of Kildare; Catherine (1615-1691) who married Arthur Jones 2nd Viscount Ranelagh; Dorothy (1617-1668) who married Arthur Loftus and second, Gilbert Talbot son of William Talbot 1st Baronet; Mary (1625-1678) who married Charles Rich 4th Earl of Warwick;
The 1st Earl of Cork was succeeded by his eldest son, RICHARD, 2nd Earl (1612-98); who, having wedded, in 1635, the Lady Elizabeth Clifford, daughter and heiress of Henry, 5th Earl of Cumberland, was created a Peer of England, 1644, in the dignity of Baron Clifford of Londesborough, Yorkshire; and, in 1664, EARL OF BURLINGTON.
Richard Boyle (1612-1698) 1st Earl of Burlington and 2nd Earl of Cork, possibly after Sir Anthony van Dyck c.1640, NPG 893.Oil painting on canvas, Lady Elizabeth Clifford, Countess of Burlington (1621 – 1698) by Sir Anthony Van Dyck (Antwerp 1599 – London 1641). Three-quarter length portrait, profile to left, head facing, wearing wbite satin dress and blue scarf, pointing with her left hand in a landscape.She married Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Cork and 1st Earl of Burlington.
The 2nd Earl of Cork had issue:
Charles, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan (1639-94); father of the 3rd Earl of Cork; Richard, who died in 1665 at the battle of Lowestoft; and daughters Frances who married Colonel Francis Courtenay, 3rd Bt. then second, Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon; Anne who married Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Sandwich; Elizabeth who married Nicholas Tufton, 3rd Earl of Thanet; Mary; Henrietta who married Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester.
His lordship’s eldest son Charles, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan (1639-94) having predeceased him, was succeeded by his grandson, CHARLES (c. 1662-1704), 3rd Earl of Cork and 2nd Earl of Burlington.
Charles Boyle (c. 1662-1704) 3rd Earl of Cork and 2nd Earl of Burlington, by Godfrey Kneller, courtesy of National Trust Hardwick Hall.
Charles, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan (1639-94) had a daughter Elizabeth (1662-1703) who married Lt.-Gen. James Barry, 4th Earl of Barrymore.
The 3rd Earl of Cork, 2nd Earl of Burlington espoused Juliana, daughter and heiress of the Hon Henry Noel, of Luffenham, Rutland, by whom he had surviving issue, RICHARD (1694-1753) his successor, 3rd Earl of Burlington.
Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694-1753) by Jonathan Richardson, courtesy of London’s National Portrait Gallery NPG 4818.
The 3rd Earl of Cork, 2nd Earl of Burlington had daughters Elizabeth; Juliana; Jane; Henrietta (1700-1746) who married Henry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon.
The 3rd Earl of Cork, 2nd Earl of Burlington was succeeded by his only son, RICHARD (1694-1753), 4th Earl of Cork and 3rd Earl of Burlington, KG, who married, in 1720, the Lady Dorothy Savile, elder daughter and co-heiress of William, 2nd Marquess of Halifax, by which lady he had three daughters, Dorothy; Juliana; Charlotte Elizabeth, m William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington.
His lordship claimed, in 1727, the barony of Clifford, as great-grandson of the Lady Elizabeth Clifford, daughter and heiress of Henry, Lord Clifford, and the house of peers acknowledged and confirmed his lordship’s right thereto.
This nobleman was eminent as a munificent encourager of literature and the fine arts, and as a friend of Alexander Pope he will always be remembered.
His lordship died in 1753, and leaving an only surviving daughter, Lady Charlotte, who had wedded William, 4th Duke of Devonshire, and inherited the barony of Clifford; all his lordship’s other English honours ceased, while those of Ireland devolved upon his kinsman, JOHN BOYLE (1707-62), 5th Earl of Orrery, in Ireland; Baron Boyle of Marston, in Great Britain; succeeded as 5th EARL OF CORK (refer to Roger, third son of the first Earl of Cork).
Charlotte Boyle (1731-1754) daughter of Richard Boyle (1694-1753) 3rd Earl of Burlington 4th Earl of Cork. She married William Cavendish (1720-1764) 4th Duke of Devonshire and brought Lismore Castle, County Waterford, into the Cavendish family. Painting after style of George Knapton, courtesy of Chiswick House collection.Richard Boyle 4th Earl of Cork and 3rd Earl of Burlington and Dorothy Savile attributed to Aikman, William Aikman (1682-1731).Oil painting on canvas, Possibly Lady Dorothy Savile, Countess of Burlington and Countess of Cork (1699-1758) by Michael Dahl, circa 1720. Inscribed top right in gold: Lady Dorothy Saville / Daughter to the Marquis of Halifax / married to the Earl of Burlington. A half-length portrait of a young woman, facing, wearing white decollete dress with blue ribbon. Courtesy of National Trust Hardwick HallLady Dorothy Savile, Countess of Burlington (1699-1758) with her Daughter Lady Dorothy Boyle, later Countess of Euston (1724-1742) by Michael Dahl courtesy of National Trust Hardwick Hall. She married Richard Boyle 4th Earl of Cork and 3rd Earl of Burlington.
The 1st Earl of Cork’s son ROGER (1621-1679) was created 1st Earl of Orrery.
Lady Mary Boyle nursing her son Charles, by Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) Adams auction 18 Oct 2022. I think this could be Mary née Sackville (1637-1679) who married Roger Boyle 2nd Earl of Orrery. Her son Charles Boyle (1674-1731) became the 4th Earl of Orrery.Charles Boyle 4th Earl of Orrery, possibly a copy, based on painting by Charles Jervas.
JOHN BOYLE (1707-62), 5th Earl of Orrery, in Ireland; Baron Boyle of Marston, in Great Britain; succeeded as 5th EARL OF CORK (refer to Roger, third son of the first Earl of Cork).
His lordship wedded firstly, in 1728, the Lady Henrietta Hamilton, youngest daughter of George, 1st Earl of Orkney KT, and had issue: Charles, Viscount Dungarvan (1729-1759); HAMILTON, his successor; Elizabeth.
Mrs John O’Neill (née Henrietta Boyle) (1756-1793), Poet and Patron of Mrs Siddons, Engraver John Raphael Smith, English, 1752-1812 After Matthew William Peters, English, 1742-1814, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.She was the wife of John O’Neill (1740-1798), 1st Viscount, of Shane’s Castle, County Antrim, and the daughter of Charles Boyle, Viscount Dungarvan, who was the son of John Boyle 5th Earl of Orrery and 5th Earl of Cork.
He espoused secondly, Margaret, daughter and sole heiress of John Hamilton, by whom he had further issue: EDMUND, 7th Earl of Cork; Catherine Agnes; Lucy. He was a writer.
He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, HAMILTON (1729-64), 6th Earl of Cork and Orrery, who died unmarried, in little more than a year after his father, when the honours devolved upon his brother, EDMUND (1742-98), 7th Earl of Cork and Orrery, who married firstly, in 1764, Anne, daughter of Kelland Courtenay, and had issue: John Richard, Viscount Dungarvan (1765-8); EDMUND, of whom hereafter; Courtenay (the Hon Sir), Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy; Lucy Isabella.
His lordship espoused secondly, in 1786, Mary, youngest daughter of John, 1st Viscount Galway, without further issue.
He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, EDMUND (1767-1856), 8th Earl of Cork and Orrery, KP, a General in the Army, who married, in 1795, Isabella Henrietta, third daughter of William Poyntz, of Midgam house, Berkshire, and had issue: Edmund William, Viscount Dungarvan (1798-1826); George Richard (1799-1810); CHARLES, of whom presently; John, ancestor of the 12th and 13th Earls; Robert Edward; Richard Cavendish; Isabella Elizabeth; Lucy Georgina; Louisa.
His lordship’s eldest surviving son CHARLES (1800-34), styled Viscount Dungarvan, wedded, in 1828, the Lady Catherine St Lawrence, daughter of William, 2nd Earl of Howth, and had issue:
RICHARD EDMUND ST LAWRENCE, his successor;
William George;
Edmund John;
Louisa Caroline Elizabeth; Mary Emily.
His lordship predeceased his father, and the family honours devolved upon his eldest son,
RICHARD EDMUND ST LAWRENCE (1829-1904), as 9th Earl of Cork and Orrery, KP, who married, in 1853, the Lady Elizabeth Charlotte de Burgh, daughter of Ulick John, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde, and had issue: CHARLES SPENCER CANNING, his successor; ROBERT JOHN LASCELLES, 11th Earl; Emily Harriet Catherine; Grace Elizabeth; Isabel Lettice Theodosia; Honora Janet; Dorothy Blanche.
Anne Boyle née Courteney, Countess of Cork and Orrery (1742-1785) Engraver James Watson, Irish, c.1740-1790 After Hugh Douglas Hamilton, Irish, 1740-1808, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.She married Edmund Boyle 7th Earl of Cork, 7th Earl of Orrery.
The 1st Earl of Cork’s son Francis (1623-1699) was created 1st Viscount Shannon.
“THE RT HON SIR VALENTINE BROWNE (d 1589) in 1583, received instruction, jointly with Sir Henry Wallop, for the survey of several escheated lands in Ireland. He was subsequently sworn of the Privy Council, and represented County Sligo in parliament in 1585. In the same year, Sir Valentine purchased from Donald, Earl of Clancare, all the lands, manors, etc in counties Kerry and Cork, which had been in the possession of Teige Dermot MacCormac and Rorie Donoghoemore.
“Sir Valentine married firstly, Alice or Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Alexander, of London, and had issue, a son. He wedded secondly, Thomasine, sister of the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, Sir Nicholas Bacon, and had further issue (with a daughter), two sons.
“Sir Valentine’s eldest surviving son, SIR NICHOLAS BROWNE, Knight, of Ross, County Kerry, who wedded Sicheley Sheela, daughter of O’Sullivan Beare, and had issue: VALENTINE, his heir; Anne.
“Sir Nicholas died in 1616, and was succeeded by his son, VALENTINE BROWNE, High Sheriff of County Kerry, 1623, who was created a baronet in 1622, designated of Molahiffe, County Kerry.
“Sir Valentine, after his father’s decease, presented a petition to JAMES I, praying an abatement of the yearly rent reserved on the estate which he held from the Crown, as an undertaker, at the annual sum of £113 6s 8d, in regard of the small profit he made of it, being set out in the most barren and remote part of County Kerry; which request was complied with, and he received a confirmation, by patent, of all his lands at a reduced rent.
“He married Elizabeth, fifth daughter of Gerald, Earl of Kildare [I’m not sure if this – JWB], and was succeeded by his grandson, THE RT HON SIR VALENTINE BROWNE, 3rd Baronet (1638-94); who was sworn of the Privy Council of JAMES II, and created by that monarch, subsequently to his abdication, in 1689, Baron Castlerosse and Viscount Kenmare.
“His lordship, who was Colonel of Infantry in the army of JAMES II, forfeited his estates by his inviolable fidelity to that unfortunate monarch. He wedded Jane, only daughter and heir of Sir Nicholas Plunket [of Balrath], and niece of Lucas, Earl of Fingall, and had five sons and four daughters.
“The 1st Viscount was succeeded by his eldest son, SIR NICHOLAS BROWNE, 4th Baronet (called 2nd Viscount); an officer of rank in the service of JAMES II, and attainted in consequence, who espoused, in 1664, Helen, eldest daughter and co-heir of Thomas Brown, by whom he obtained a very considerable fortune, but which, with his own estates, became forfeited for his life.The crown, however, allowed his lady a rent-charge of £400 per year for the maintenance of herself and her children. Sir Nicholas died in 1720, leaving four daughters and his son and successor,
“SIR VALENTINE BROWNE, 5th Baronet (called 3rd Viscount) (1695-1736), who continued outlawed by the attainder of his father and grandfather. [The 4th Baronet’s daughter Frances married Edward Herbert (1693-1770 of Muckross, County Kerry]
“He married, in 1720, Honora, second daughter of Colonel Thomas Butler [of Kilcash (1671-1738)], and great-grandniece of James, Duke of Ormonde, by whom he had issue, Thomas, his successor, and two daughters.
“Sir Valentine espoused secondly, in 1735, Mary, Dowager Countess of Fingall, by whom he left a posthumous daughter, Mary Frances. [Mary née Fitzgerald (1716-1741/2) was the daughter of Maurice Fitzgerald, 5th Baronet of Castle Ishen, County Cork; Mary was first married to Justin Plunkett, 5th Earl of Fingall. She married thirdly John Bellew, 4th Baron Bellew of Duleek]
“He was succeeded by his only son, SIR THOMAS BROWNE, 6th Baronet (called 4th Viscount) (1726-95), who wedded, in 1750, Anne, only daughter of Thomas Cooke, of Painstown, County Carlow, by whom he had a son and a daughter, Catherine, married to Count de Durfort-Civrac.
“He was succeeded by his son, SIR VALENTINE BROWNE, 7th Baronet (called 5th Viscount) (1754-1812), who was created (the viscountcy of JAMES II never having been acknowledged in law), in 1798, Baron Castlerosse and Viscount Kenmare.
“His lordship was further advanced to the dignity of an earldom, in 1800, as EARL OF KENMARE.”
Valentine Browne (1754-1812), 1st Earl of Kenmare by Hugh Douglas Hamilton courtesy of Country House Collections at Slane Castle by Adam’s 2012.
“He married firstly, in 1777, Charlotte, daughter of Henry, 11th Viscount Dillon [of Costello-Gallin], and had an only daughter, Charlotte. [She married George Goold, 2nd Bt of Old Court, Co. Cork.]
“His lordship wedded secondly, in 1785, Mary, eldest daughter of Michael Aylmer, of Lyons, County Kildare, and had issue,
VALENTINE (1788-1853)his successor as 2nd Earl; Thomas (1789-1871) who became 3rd Earl; William; Michael; Marianne; Frances.
“His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son, VALENTINE, 2nd Earl (1788-1853), PC, who espoused, in 1816, Augusta, daughter of Sir Robert Wilmot, 2nd Baronet, though the marriage was without issue, when the family honours devolved upon his brother,
“THOMAS, 3rd Earl (1789-1871), who married, in 1822, Catherine, daughter of Edmond O’Callaghan [d. 1791. Another daughter of Edmond O’Callaghan, Ellen, married James John Bagot of Castle Bagot, Rathcoole. His daughter Elizabeth married Gerald Dease of Turbotstown, a Section 482 property].
Piers Butler (d. 1539) 8th Earl of Ormonde married Margaret Fitzgerald, daughter of Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare.
They had daughters Ellen (d. 1597) who married Donough O’Brien (d. 1553) 1st Earl of Thomond; Margaret married Barnaby FitzPatrick, 1st Baron of Upper Ossory; Joan married James Butler, 10th Baron Dunboyne; Eleanor married Thomas Butler 1st Baron Caher; Katherine married Richard Power, 1st Baron le Power and Coroghmore first and secondly, James FitzJohn FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Desmond; Ellice married Gerald FitzJohn FitzGerald (d. 1553, father of 1st Viscount Decies).
They had sons John Butler (d. 1570) who lived in Kilcash, County Tipperary and was father of Walter (1569-1632) 11th Earl of Ormond; Richard Butler (d. 1571) 1st Viscount Mountgarret; Thomas who died in 1532; and James Butler (d. 1546) 9th Earl of Ormonde.
James Butler (1504-1546), Soldier, 9th Earl of Ormond and Ossory by Francesco Bartolozzi, published by John Chamberlaine, after Hans Holbein the Younger publ. 1797, courtesy of National Portrait Gallery NPG D39383.
James Butler (d. 1546) 9th Earl of Ormonde married Joan Fitzgerald, daughter of James FitzMaurice FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Desmond. She gave birth to Thomas Butler (1531-1614) who became 10th Earl of Ormond.
Portrait of Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond (1531-1614) in three-quarter armour holding a wheelock pistol, with his coat of arms at upper left, by Steven van der Meulen.
The 9th Earl also had a son Edmond (d. 1602) who lived in Cloughgrenan, County Carlow, who gave rise to the Baronets of Cloughgrenan.
The 10th Earl of Ormond, “Black Tom,” had no direct heir so the Earldom passed to his nephew, Walter, a son of Sir John Butler (d. 1570) of Kilcash. Unlike his uncle, who had been raised at Court and thus reared a Protestant, Walter the 11th Earl of Ormond was a Catholic. See my entry about the Ormond Castle at Carrick-on-Suir for more on “Black Tom.” https://irishhistorichouses.com/2022/06/26/opw-sites-in-munster-clare-limerick-and-tipperary/
Walter Butler’s claim to the family estates was blocked by James I. The latter orchestrated the marriage of Black Tom’s daughter and heiress Elizabeth to a Scottish favourite Richard Preston, Baron Dingwall. The King gave Preston the title Earl of Desmond (after the Fitzgeralds lost the title, due to their Desmond Rebellion), and awarded his wife most of the Ormond estate, thus depriving Walter of his inheritance. Walter refused to submit and was imprisoned for eight years in the Fleet, London. He was released 1625. Walter’s nine-year-old grandson, James, became the heir to the titles but not the estates.
James (1610-1688) 12th Earl of Ormond (later 1st Duke of Ormond) was the son of Thomas Butler (d. 1619) Viscount Thurles, and Elizabeth Poyntz. Following his father’s death in 1619, 9-year-old James became direct heir to the Ormond titles. He was made a royal ward and was educated at Lambeth Palace under the tutelage of George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Another son of Thomas Butler (d. 1619) Viscount Thurles, and Elizabeth Poyntz was Richard Butler (d. 1701) of Kilcash, County Tipperary.
In order to reunite the Ormond title with the estates, plans were made for a marriage between James and the daughter of the Prestons, Elizabeth, to resolve the inheritance issue. In 1629 James married his cousin Elizabeth Preston and reunited the Ormond estates.
Elizabeth Butler née Preston (1615-1684) Baroness Dingwall, Countess of Ormond later Duchess, with her son Thomas, Lord Ossory (1634-1680) attributed to David des Granges.She was the daughter of Black Tom’s daughter and heiress Elizabeth and Richard Preston, Baron Dingwall.James Butler of Kilkenny Castle, courtesy of Fonsie Mealy auction. It was in a Florentine style gilt frame and is by the 18th century English school.James Butler (1610-1688) 1st Duke of Ormonde by Willem Wissing circa 1680-1685, courtesy of National Portrait Gallery NPG 5559.James Butler (1611–1688), 1st Duke of Ormonde, in Garter Robes, Peter Lely (1618-1680) (style of), 1171123 National Trust.
The 1st Duke of Ormond had three sons: Thomas (1634-1680), 6th Earl of Ossory; Richard (1639-1686), 1st and last Earl of Arran; and John (1634-1677), 1st and last Earl of Gowran. He had two daughters, Elizabeth (1640-1665) and Mary (1646-1710). Mary married William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire and Elizabeth, the 2nd Earl of Chesterfield.
Thomas Butler (1634-1680) 6th Earl of Ossory, Eldest son of James, Duke of Ormond, in armour standing near his charge, attributed to Van Dyck, courtesy of Adam’s auction 11 Oct 2016. Provenance: Formerly in the collection of the Earl of Fitzwilliam, 1948.
Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of Ossory, (1634-1680) was born at Kilkenny Castle, the eldest son of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde and Lady Elizabeth Preston. His early years were spent in Ireland and France. He was an accomplished athlete and a good scholar. In 1661 Butler became a member of both the English and Irish houses of Commons, representing Bristol in the former and Dublin University in the latter House. In 1665 he was appointed lieutenant-general of the army in Ireland and in 1666 was created an English peer as Lord Butler.
Having proven himself as an expert military strategist, and whilst visiting France in 1672, he rejected the liberal offers made by Louis XIV to induce him to enter the service of France, and returning to England he added to his high reputation by his conduct during the Battle of Texel in August 1673. From 1677 until 1679, he served alongside his father as a Lord of the Admiralty.
The earl was chosen to William, Prince of Orange, and in 1677 he joined the allied army in the Netherlands, commanding the British section and winning great fame at the siege of Mons in 1678. He acted as deputy for his father, who was lord-lieutenant of Ireland, and in parliament he defended Ormonde’s Irish administration with great vigour. In 1680 he was appointed governor of English Tangier, but his death prevented him from taking up his new duties.
Ossory had eleven children, including James Butler who became the 2nd Duke of Ormonde in 1688. A Portrait of Thomas Butler by Lely, painted in 1678 is in the National Portrait Gallery, London and a portrait by the same hand as his father, the 1st Duke is in the ownership of the National Trust at Kedleston Hall.Thomas Butler (1634-1680) 6th Earl of Ossory, studio of Sir Peter Lely, circa 1678, courtesy of National Portrait Gallery NPG 371. Second son of the Duke and Duchess of Ormond and father of 2nd Duke of Ormonde. Richard Butler (1639-1685) 1st Earl of Arran, son of the Duke of Ormonde, by Godfrey Kneller, courtesy of National Trust Hardwick Hall.Mary Cavendish née Butler (1646-1710) Duchess of Devonshire in the style of Willem Wissing courtesy of National Trust Hardwick Hall.She was the daughter of James, 1st Duke of Ormond.Elizabeth Stanhope née Butler (1640-1665), daughter of the 1st Duke of Ormonde and 2nd wife of Philip Stanhope2nd Earl of Chesterfield Date: 1681/1688 Engraver: Isaac Beckett, English, c.1653-c.1715/19 After Peter Lely, Dutch, 1618-1680, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.Elizabeth Stanhope née Butler Countess of Chesterfield By Peter Lely – http//:www.thepeerage.com/p951.htm#i9503, Public Domain, https//:commons.wikimedia.org
Thomas Butler (1634-1680) 6th Earl of Ossory and his wife Amelia of Nassau were the parents of James Butler (1665-1745) 2nd Duke of Ormonde. Another son was Lt.-Gen. Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran (1671-1758).
James Butler (1665-1745) 2nd Duke of Ormond, studio of Michael Dahl, oil on canvas, circa 1713 courtesy of National Portrait Gallery NPG 78.James Butler (1665-1745) 2nd Duke of Ormonde courtesy of National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.Oil painting on canvas, James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde (1665-1745) by Sir Godfrey Kneller (Lubeck 1646/9 – London 1723). A three-quarter length portrait, turned slightly to the right, facing, gazing at spectator, wearing armour, blue sash and white jabot, a baton in his right hand, his left on his hip, his helmet placed at the left; cavalry in the distance, right.Photograph courtesy of National Trust Images.
James Butler (1665-1745) 2nd Duke of Ormond married, first, Anne Hyde, and second, Mary Somerset.
James the 2nd Duke had no son, so the title passed to his brother Charles Butler (1671-1758) 1st Earl of Arran. He was enabled by an Act of Parliament in 1721 to recover his brother’s forfeited estates, but the dukedom ended with him. He was, however, also the 14th Earl of Ormonde and this title continued. He had no children, however, so the title passed to a cousin.
Charles Butler (1671-1758) 1st Earl of Arran by James Thornhill, courtesy of Examination Schools, University of Oxford.
John Butler (d. 1766) of Kilcash and Garryricken became 15th Earl of Ormonde. He was a descendant of Walter Butler the 11th Earl.
Colonel Thomas Butler of Kilcash (c. 1738) by James Latham, father of John Butler (d. 1766) of Kilcash and Garryricken who became 15th Earl of Ormonde.
Richard Butler (d. 1701) of Kilcash, County Tipperary was a younger brother of James the 1st Duke of Ormond. There is a castle ruin still in Kilcash, under the protection of the Office of Public Works but not open to the public. His son was Walter Butler of Garryricken (1633-1700). Walter had sons Christopher (the Catholic Archbishop) and Thomas (d. 1738).
Christopher Butler (d. 1758?) Catholic Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, by James Latham.Christopher Butler was Catholic archbishop of Cashel and Emly, son of Walter Butler of Garryricken and brother of Colonel Thomas Butler of Kilcash.
The 15th Earl had no children so the title then passed to a cousin, Walter Butler (1703-1783), 16th Earl, another of the Garryricken branch, who also became the 9th Earl of Ossory. He took up residence at Kilkenny Castle. Walter, a Catholic, was unable to exercise a political role.
John Butler 17th Earl of Ormonde, nicknamed “Jack of the Castle,” was son of the 16th Earl. He in turn was father of Walter Butler (1770-1820) 18th Earl of Ormonde, 1st And Last Marquess of Ormonde (of the 2nd creation).
Susan Frances Elizabeth Wandesford (1754-1830) Duchess of Ormonde. She was the daughter of John Wandesford 1st and last Earl Wandesford and 5th Viscount Castlecomer, and wife of John Butler 17th Earl of Ormonde. Painting by Hugh Douglas Hamilton.Walter Butler (1770-1820) became the 18th Earl and 1st Marquess of Ormonde.
His younger brother James Wandesford Butler (1777-1838) was later created 1st Marquess of Ormonde of the third creation, 19th Earl of Ormonde. He was the father of John Butler (1808-1854) 2nd Marquess (3rd creation) and 20th Earl of Ormonde, who was the father of James Edward William Theobald Butler (1844-1919) 3rd Marquess of Ormonde and also James Arthur Wellington Foley Butler (d. 1943) 4th Marquess of Ormonde, who was father of 5th and 6th Marquesses.
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We drove up a long tree-lined avenue to Loughton House. Stephen rang from the car on our way and spoke to Michael Lyons, who was out chopping wood, so told us that Andrew would be at the house to meet us.
Loughton House was built on the site of a previous house, in 1777. When we arrived, we wondered why there were two front doors. I think Andrew Vance, who greeted us, explained, but we were so busy introducing ourselves and immediately got along so well, that I forget what he told me about the two doors. That’s a question for next time!
According to the website, alterations were made to the house in 1835 by James and George Pain. I don’t know who the architect of the 1777 house is, but originally the house faced north, with a shallow full-height half hexagon bow in the centre.
Mark Bence-Jones describes the house in his A Guide to Irish Country Houses:
“Of elegant and restrained late-Georgian character, the main front consisting of two wide and shallow three sided bows of three bays each, with a two bay centre between them. Single storey wing of two bays, adorned with pilasters. Pediments and entablatures on console brackets over ground floor and first floor windows. Parapeted roof. Very handsome Georgian stables.” [1]
The 1777 house was built for Major Thomas Pepper. Thomas, born around 1735, of Ballygarth, Julianstown, Co Meath, son of Lambert Pepper and Jane Otway, was Major in the 14th Light Dragoons. The Peppers acquired Ballygarth Castle (now a ruin) and lands in County Meath after the Restoration of Charles II to the British throne in 1660, for their loyalty to the Stuart monarchy. [2] Thomas Pepper married Mary Ryder, daughter of John Ryder, the Archbishop of Tuam, County Roscommon. The 14th Light Dragoons was originally called James Dormer’s Dragoons, and were raised in the south of England in 1715 in response to the Jacobite Rebellion. They were sent to Ireland in 1717. In 1747 they were renamed the 14th Regiment of Dragoons, and became the Light Dragoons in 1776 [3]. Loughton House passed to their son Thomas Ryder Pepper (1760-1828), who in 1792 married Anne Bloomfield, daughter of John Benjamin Bloomfield and Charlotte Anne Waller, of Newport, County Tipperary. The Bloomfield family had originally settled at Eyrecourt, County Galway.
Thomas Ryder Pepper (1760-1828) with The Old Castle, Loughton in the background from Loughton house auction, 2016, Shepphards.
When Thomas Ryder Pepper died, the house passed to his brother-in-law, Benjamin Bloomfield, 1st Baron Bloomfield (1815) of Oakhampton and Redwood (1768-1846). Redwood House in County Tipperary no longer exists. Oakhampton, also in Tipperary, still stands. He was Lieutenant General in the British Army and fought the rebels in 1798 at Vinegar Hill, County Wexford. He rose in the ranks to become Keeper of the Privy Purse for King George IV. This was a particularly difficult job – we came across King George IV before at several houses listed in the Revenue Section 482 Property list. The king enjoyed a romance with Elizabeth Conyngham of Slane Castle, and relished the good life: food, drink and beauty in the form not only of women but in architecture, with the help of John Nash. He was therefore rather a Big Spender. Naturally, therefore, he came to resent Benjamin Bloomfield and his efforts to tighten the purse strings.
Benjamin Bloomfield (1768-1846) 1st Baron Bloomfield as Keeper of His Majestys Privy Purse at the Coronation of George IV, by Henry Meyer, after Philip Francis Stephanoff 1826, NPG D31893.1st Lord Bloomfield, 1768-1846, by John Lilley, from Loughton house auction catalogue, 2016, ShepphardsBenjamin, Ist Lord Bloomfield (1768-1846), Irish school, 19th c, from Loughton house sale, 2016, Shepphards.Portrait of Lady Bloomfield, from Loughton house sale, 2016, Shepphards
We have already seen that several houses underwent alterations in expectation of a visit from King George IV in 1821. In Charleville, County Wicklow, a new floor was installed at great expense. Here in Loughton, a bedroom was done up for the King. Unfortunately, the King never made it to Loughton.
It was later that Bloomfield hired James and George Richard Pain to renovate Loughton House, in 1835.
James and George were sons of James Pain, an English builder and surveyor. Their Grandfather William Pain was the author of a series of builder’s pattern books, so they had architecture in the blood. According to the Dictionary of Irish Architects, James and his younger brother George Richard were both pupils of John Nash, one of the foremost British architects of his day responsible for the design of many important areas of London including Marble Arch, Regent Street and Buckingham Palace. He was architect to the prolific lover of architecture the Prince Regent, later King George IV. When Nash designed Lough Cutra Castle in County Galway for Charles Vereker in 1811, he recommended that the two brothers should be placed in charge of the work, so it was at this time that they came to Ireland. Lough Cutra is an amazing looking castle privately owned which is available for self-catering rental. [4] James Pain settled in Limerick and George in Cork, but they worked together on a large number of buildings – churches (both Catholic and Protestant), country houses, court houses, gaols and bridges – almost all of them in the south and west of Ireland. [5] In 1823 James Pain was appointed architect to the Board of First Fruits for Munster, responsible for all the churches and glebe houses in the province.
The Pains Gothicized and castellated Dromoland Castle in County Clare at some time from 1819-1838, now a luxury hotel. [6] They took their Gothicizing skills then to Mitchelstown Castle in 1823-25, but that is now a ruin. In 1825 they also worked on Convamore (Ballyhooly) Castle but that too is now a ruin. They also probably worked on Quinville in County Clare and also Curragh Chase in County Limerick (now derelict after a fire in 1941), Blackrock Castle in County Cork (now a science centre, museum and observatory which you can visit [7]), they did some work for Adare Manor in County Limerick (also now a luxury hotel), Clarina Park in Limerick (also, unfortunately, demolished, but you can get a taste of what it must have been like from its gate lodge), Fort William in County Waterford, probably they designed the Gothicization and castellation of Ash Hill Towers in County Limerick (also a section 482 property!), alterations and castellation of Knoppogue Castle, County Clare (you can also visit and stay, or attend a medieval style banquet), Aughrane Castle mansion in County Galway (demolished – Bagots used to own it, I don’t know if we are related!), a castellated tower on Glenwilliam Castle, County Limerick and more.
The Pain brothers reoriented Loughton House to face south, and the main doorcase was put to the east end, the Loughton House website tells us. In his Buildings of Ireland: Central Leinster. Counties of Kildare, Laois and Offaly, Andrew Tierney tells us that this oblique approach of typical of James Pain. [8]
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage claims that Loughton House is probably the Pain’s finest Classical work [9]. The exterior is relatively plain, with limestone window dressings with keystones. The north facing side is the original house, whereas the south facing side, of eight bays instead of the seven in the north side, is by the Pain brothers. The windows on this side have moulded cement detailing: architrave, cornice and consoles, and pediments. We saw more of the Pains’ work inside, in the Drawing and Dining Rooms which date from their renovation, and the wonderful curved stone cantilevered staircase.
The current owners, who acquired the house in 2016, are both medical doctors, as was the previous owner, Dr. James Reilly, who was also a former Minister for Health in the Irish government. When we visited, the house exuded a comfortable quirky chic, with marble busts on pillars in the front hall and a touch of whimsy, with a stag’s head draped in a fur at the bottom of the sweeping cantilevered staircase.
The Loughton House website tells us:
“The house has very fine detailing – traces of the late eighteenth-century decoration can be seen in the house as well as early nineteenth-century changes in internal layout.
“The ground floor is laid out with bright and generously proportioned formal reception rooms with magnificent decorative cornicing and ceilings, ornate plaster work and large original period fireplaces. The original wood floors remain throughout and the grand sash bay windows permit torrents of light into the house. Most notable are the wood-carved shutters and door panels in the original Billiard room.” [10]
Loughton passed to Bloomfield’s son, John Arthur Douglas Bloomfield (1802-1879). He succeeded as 2nd Baron Bloomfield on his father’s death. He was a diplomat and travelled widely, was envoy to St. Petersburg and Ambassador to Austria. He was appointed Privy Counsellor on 17 December 1860. He was created 1st Baron Bloomfield of Ciamhaltha, Co. Tipperary on 7 August 1871. In 1834 his father had a hunting lodge built, Ciamhaltha House, County Tipperary, so the new title referred to this house [11]. He and his wife Georgiana Liddell had no son and the titles ended with his death. Georgina served as a Maid of Honour to Queen Victoria between 1841-45. Upon Georgiana’s marriage to Baron Bloomfield in 1845, when Georgiana left her position in the house of the Queen, Victoria gave her a cutting from a vine, which still grows at Loughton House today. Georgiana wrote the book Reminiscences of Court and Diplomatic Life, published 1883. It sounds fascinating!
2nd Lord Bloomfield, 1802-1879 wearing a burgundy red jacket and fur collar, Painting After Sir Thomas Lawrence, from Loughton house auction catalogue, 2016, ShepphardsGeorgiana Bloomfield née Liddell, Lady Bloomfield from Loughton house auction catalogue, 2016, Shepphards.
The house passed to the Baron’s sister, Georgiana, and her husband, Henry Trench, of Cangort Park, County Offaly (still standing, privately owned). The Landed Estates website tells us that in the 1870s, Henry Trench owned 4,707 acres in county Tipperary, 2,113 acres in county Offaly, 1,926 acres in county Limerick, 1,581 acres in county Galway, 704 acres in county Clare and 432 acres in county Roscommon. [12]
Frederick Trench (1755-1840) 1st Baron Ashtown from Loughton sale Sept 2016 by Shepphards. He was an uncle of Henry Trench who married Georgiana Bloomfield.A portrait of Blanche Trench (1852-1937), from Loughton house sale, 2016, Shepphards. She was a daughter of Henry Trench and Georgiana née Bloomfield.
When James Reilly sold Loughton House, he unfortunately sold its contents, including an archive of family papers. Michael Parsons of The Irish Times wrote of the auction:
“Lot 2066, The Loughton Papers circa 1749-1960 – an archive of documents including correspondence, diaries, journals, sketch books and recipe books created by the various families who had lived at Loughton House – sold for €12,000 (above the estimate of €5,000-€8,000).“
“Sheppard’s said the buyer was Galway businessman Pat McDonagh, founder and managing director of the Supermac’s fast-food chain and owner of the Barack Obama Plaza – a services area on the M8 motorway just outside the village of Moneygall built following the visit of the US president.”
Fortunately, the article continues to reassure the readers that the documents will be properly preserved and accessible:
“In a statement issued via the auction house, Mr McDonagh described the archive “part of a tapestry of history” and that his “first priority” was its “preservation for historians, the community and the country”.
“The statement said: “Mr McDonagh commended Offaly County Council for their interest in working with Supermac’s for the preservation of the papers” which will be digitised, and that “historians owe a debt of gratitude to the owners of Loughton House, Dr James Reilly and his wife Dorothy”.
“Mr McDonagh “confirmed also that the visitor centre at the Barack Obama Plaza will host a Loughton House section, where extracts from the archive will be displayed on a rolling basis.” He said the plaza would work to ensure that the heritage of the house was not lost to the community, adding that he would encourage local and expert input to ensuring that the archive would be educational, appropriate and accessible.” [13]
A portrait of Dora Agnes Caroline Trench (1858-1899) née Turnor, wife of Benjamin Bloomfield Trench, from Loughton house sale, 2016, Shepphards. A portrait of Mr Trench, dated 1920, from Loughton house sale, 2016, Shepphards.
The wood carved panels shutters and door panels in the billiards room, now a dining room, were decorated by one of the Trenches, Dora. The form of decoration, with details rendered by a hot poker, is exquisitely done. The portrait of the artist, Dora, hangs next to the doors. Dora was Henry Trench’s son Benjamin Bloomfield Trench’s wife, Dora Agnes Caroline Turnor. Dora Trench died in 1899, after a brief illness. Benjamin and Dora had two daughters, Sheelagh Georgiana Bertha and Theodora Caroline. [14]
Dora illustrated the doors with crests and intricate patterns, and all of the doors from the room are decorated, along with the shutters. I was delighted when Stephen asked if I could take a photograph of the door – I didn’t like to ask, knowing that most section 482 houses forbid indoor photography. Andrew’s assent typified his warm welcome. You can see photographs of the room, called Dora’s Room, on the Loughton website, along with photographs of the other reception rooms, the Library, Dining and Drawing Rooms. “Dora’s Room” contains a long table and chairs, and an intricately carved fireplace.
The fireplace in Dora’s Room can be seen on the Loughton website. It is, Andrew Tierney tells us in his Buildings of Ireland: Central Leinster, it is Tudor Revival, of 1862. The male caryatid figure on the right is the original, Andrew thinks, whereas the figure on the left is a copy. It’s strange how such fireplaces are carved in wood and manage to survive the fire they contain. Andrew said it throws out great heat. It has a second flue behind, from which the fire can draw its oxygen, rather than drawing from the warmed air inside the room.
The Loughton website tells us that the Trenches remained in residence until 1973 when the property was passed to the Atkinson family.
Major Anthony Guy Atkinson (b. 1909) inherited Loughton in 1970 from his cousins Thora and Sheelah Trench (Dora’s daughters). Henry Trench, Georgina Bloomfield’s husband, had a sister, Anne Margaret Trench. She married Guy Caddell Atkinson. They inherited Cangort Park in County Tipperary and Major Anthony Guy Atkinson was a descendant of Anne Margaret Trench. [15] He made Loughton over to his son, Guy Nevill Atkinson (b. 1950), who sold it in 2001.
From Dora’s Room we came upon the hallway with the sweeping floating stone cantilever staircase. This was originally the entrance hall, before James Pain added the staircase and moved the entrance to the east end.
Andrew drew our attention to an old tall clock with barometer. It was from Lissadell House, and, appropriately, was made by a man named Yates – not the poet Yeats who frequented the house, note the different spelling, but in a nice touch, the picture hanging beside it was of the poet. Incidentally, one of the Trench family, a sister of Benjamin Bloomfield Trench who inherited Loughton, Louisa Charlotte, married Colonel James Gore-Booth, of the Lissadell family. The owners have taken their time to populate the house appropriately, with respect for its history and a dash of humour.
I was most enamoured with the next room, the library, with its floor to ceiling built in bookshelves. It retains original wallpaper, worn but still in situ.
“This is where we sit in the evenings, with a glass of wine,” Andrew told us. I could just see myself there too, in the well-worn couches, facing the fireplace. You can also see this room on the website, with its comfy leather armchairs. The Equine pictures are appropriate as Andrew is Master of the local Hunt!
In the Drawing Room, a formal room with sofas, carpets and lovely salmon pink walls, gorgeous cabinets, piano and ornate gilt overmantel mirror, Andrew pointed out another treasure: the fire insurance plaque from a building. The various insurance companies had their own firetrucks and teams, and they only put out fires of the buildings insured by them. Unfortunate neighbours burned down. I was excited to see the plaque as I had seen one on the Patriot Inn in Kilmainham, one of the few remaining, and learned about them in a lecture in Warrenmount in Dublin.
Loughton, May 2019.
We then entered the second dining room (if we consider Dora’s Room, the former Billiards room, to be a dining room also, as it is currently furnished), a larger room than the first. This dining room also has a clever fireplace, this one of steel, with secret cabinets at the sides to keep the plates and dishes hot. It also had vents, and further vents built into the walls of the room, to control temperature and air flow.
A painting above the door is by Sarah, Lady Langham, an artist, who has also applied her creative skills to the house, and who manages the day-to-day operation of the house. She has made curtains and even the wallpaper of The King’s Bedroom. On our way to the back staircase we ran into Sarah herself, as I was photographing the chain that was used to pull the coal to the upper floors.
The final rooms we viewed are Sarah’s piece de resistance, “the King’s Suite,” which comprises two rooms – the room where George IV was meant to sleep, and a room next to it also furnished with a bed, which might have been his dressing room or a parlour.
Sarah created the wallpaper. It features a crest of a unicorn and a lion around the top – and a stag that is pictured in the recurring motifs below. She also made the magnificant curtains and pelmet.
The fireplace is interesting. It is made of limestone, which contains fossils of tubular sea creatures:
This, along with other rooms, is available for guest accommodation.
There is a stable complex to one side of the house. Andrew brought us out to show us the function room, which was originally a coal shed. It’s huge, and would be wonderful for parties, and is available for hire. The garden outside it, which would also be available for the functions, is romantic and beautiful, with a pond and stone walls.
Michael joined us briefly and shared with us a photograph he had found in the national archives in England, of a group gathered at what is now the back of the house.
Andrew then urged us to wander in the gardens. We walked over to what looks like a Norman keep. It is Ballinlough Castle (not to be confused with Ballinlough Castle of County Westmeath), which dates back to the early seventeeth century, and belonged to the O’Carroll family. I climbed nearly all the way to the top (at my own peril!)!
[1] 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.
[8] p. 472. Tierney, Andrew. Buildings of Ireland: Central Leinster. The Counties of Kildare, Laois and Offaly. Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2019.
Irish Historic Houses 