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| Bellingham of Castle Bellingham |
Sir James Bellingham was knighted in 1603 and when he died in 1641 he was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Sir Henry Bellingham (c.1594-1650), who after serving in several Parliaments was raised to a baronetcy in 1620, in his father's lifetime. When the Civil War broke out in 1642, Sir Henry was nearly fifty, but he raised troops for the King's army and took an active part in the conflict. His estates were sequestered by Parliament in 1646 and he was fined for his 'delinquency', as was his son, Sir James Bellingham (1623-50), 2nd bt., who succeeded him in October 1650 but died a few days later, perhaps suggesting that both men succumbed to a virulent infectious disease. Sir James was married but childless, so on his death the Levens estate passed to his uncle, Alan Bellingham (c.1600-73), who was perhaps more sympathetic to the Parliamentarian cause than his brother and nephew. He and his wife had a large family (twelve children are recorded), but only four of them are known to have survived childhood. His eldest son and heir was James Bellingham (1620-c.1680), whose date of death seems not to be precisely recorded, but who was succeeded by his eldest son, Alan Bellingham (1656-93), 'an ingenious but unhappy young man' who became MP for Westmorland but whose expensive lifestyle caused him to run up debts which he could not sustain. In 1686 he vested his estate in trustees, who were tasked with paying off his debts, but in 1688 they were obliged to sell Levens to his principal creditor, James Grahme (1650-1730). Alan was an officer in the army of James II, 1685-88, but seems to have accepted the outcome of the revolution and invasion of 1688. However in 1692 he was arrested and briefly imprisoned on suspicion of being a Jacobite agent, and after being released he went to France, where he died the following year.
Robert Bellingham (1576-1639) was the youngest son of Allan Bellingham (c.1516-78) of Levens Hall. He is thought to have inherited lands at Great Strickland and Milkinthorpe (Westmld.) from his father, who died when he was just a small child, but after studying at the Middle Temple he seems to have joined the flood of younger sons who made their way to Ireland in search of the new opportunities that were created the various Elizabethan and Jacobean plantation schemes. In Robert's case, the opportunities were probably chiefly legal, but since he was High Sheriff of Co. Longford in 1611-12, he must have acquired lands in that county as well. His eldest son, Sir Daniel Bellingham (c.1620-72), 1st bt., was probably apprenticed to a goldsmith in Dublin and subsequently practised that trade, becoming a member of the Goldsmiths' Guild in 1644. In addition to being craftsmen in precious metals, goldsmiths were, at this date, usually also bankers and money-lenders, and it is therefore not surprising that he became Deputy Receiver-General and Vice-Treasurer of Ireland in 1663-66. He was active also in civic affairs becoming Sheriff of Dublin in 1655 and an Alderman in 1656, and serving his turn as Lord Mayor in 1665-66. He was knighted in 1662 and made a baronet in 1666/7. In addition to his house in the city, he acquired Dubber Castle (Co. Dublin), an early 17th century tower house which he no doubt modernised; we know he created a terraced garden decorated with statuary, although nothing survives of the property today. This estate passed to his only son, Sir Richard Bellingham (1648-99), 2nd bt., who was High Sheriff of Co. Dublin in 1684-85, but who died unmarried, after which it passed to his sisters and was apparently sold off.
The second son of Robert Bellingham (1576-1639) was Henry Bellingham (d. 1677). In contrast to his cousins in England, who sided with the Royalists, Henry joined the Cromwellian army in Ireland, and was rewarded for his service with grants of confiscated lands in Counties Kildare and Louth totalling over 1,000 acres. He also joined the Dublin Goldsmiths Guild in 1652, and may have assisted his brother for a time in his business. He was High Sheriff of Co. Kildare in 1654-55 and of Louth in 1671-72, and sat in the Irish parliament of 1661 as one of the MPs for Louth. The centre of his landed interests was an old castle at Gernonstown (Co. Louth), which passed to his only son, Thomas Bellingham (c.1646-1721), who served with the army of King William III during his campaign against James II in 1689-91, and kept a highly informative diary of his life in these years. Thomas entertained the King at Gernonstown on the eve of the decisive Battle of the Boyne in 1690, but in retaliation the Jacobites burned his house down, and it was some years before a replacement - now called Castle Bellingham - was built. He was MP for County Louth almost continuously from 1692 to 1713, and was succeeded by his son, Henry Bellingham (1676-1739), who maintained the parliamentary tradition as MP for Dundalk, 1703-14. His elder son, also Henry Bellingham (c.1707-55), left no surviving issue, so the eventual heir to Castle Bellingham was his second son, Alan Bellingham (1709-96).
Alan Bellingham had five sons who survived to maturity, the youngest and most successful of whom was Sir William Bellingham (c.1755-1826), 1st bt., who became private secretary to William Pitt the younger, MP for Reigate, and holder of a succession of profitable public appointments. He and his wife were childless, but lived at Middle Grove House, Tunbridge Wells (Kent) and also purchased Dunany House (Co. Louth) as an Irish seat close to Castle Bellingham. The Castle estate itself descended in 1796 to Alan's eldest son, Lt-Col. Henry Bellingham (c.1739-1800), but he enjoyed it for only a few years before his own death. It then passed to his elder son and heir, Alan Bellingham (c.1773-1821), whose career in the army had taken him to Canada, where he had married a French Canadian, Monique Bâby (1777-1856). Alan and Monique returned to Ireland to manage the estate, but after a few years Alan rented the estate to his uncle, Sir William, and went to live at Rothbury (Northbld). In 1815 he and his wife split up, and Monique settled at Lyme Regis (Dorset), while Alan moved to London, where he died in 1821. His only surviving son was a junior officer in the army and died in South Africa in 1822, so ownership of Castle Bellingham seems to have come to his estranged wife, Monique, who had sold the freehold of Castle Bellingham to Sir William by 1824.
Sir William Bellingham was created a baronet in 1796 in recognition of his political services, and since by then he either knew or suspected that he would never have children, he obtained a special remainder in the patent to the legitimate heirs of his father. His property in Ireland - both Castle Bellingham and Dunany - followed the same descent as the baronetcy, passing to his nephew, Sir Alan Bellingham (1776-1827), 2nd bt., who had been a merchant in Dublin, but who had got into financial difficulties and fled to France in 1824. Since he died only about nine months after his uncle, it is not clear whether he had the opportunity to sort out his affairs in the light of his inheritance, but his real estate descended to his children. His eldest son, Sir Alan Edward Bellingham (1800-89), 3rd bt., lived at Dunany House, which was probably seen as the more modern and desirable of the two residences. What happened to Castle Bellingham is less clear (regrettably, as substantial changes were made to the house in 1834, 1843, c.1860 and later, and it would be interesting to know who was responsible). It may have passed to Sir Alan's second son, Henry Richard Bellingham (1804-36), a barrister in London, or have gone directly to the third son, O'Bryen Bellingham (1805-57), a surgeon in Dublin who certainly owned it later. Both men had no children, and it seems likely that O'Bryen's widow, Matilda (c.1809-83) inherited a life interest in the property. The next certain point is that in about 1874 the Castle Bellingham estate was inherited by O'Bryen's younger brother, Sydney Robert Bellingham (1808-1900), perhaps because Matilda had given up her putative life interest. Sydney had emigrated to Canada in the 1820s and enjoyed a richly textured career in the army, business and politics, cushioned by his wife's inheritance of 15,000 acres in Quebec. In 1878 they decided to come to Ireland and take over the Castle Bellingham estate, although they seem not to have lived in the house, which may have been rented out. When Sydney died in 1900 he left the estate to his nephew, Sir (Alan) Henry Bellingham (1846-1921), 4th bt., who was an enthusiastic convert to Roman Catholicism, and was rare among Anglo-Irish landowners in actively supporting Home Rule for Ireland and the transfer of landownership to peasant proprietors. He became Lord Lieutenant of Co. Louth in 1911, and when he died ten years later was succeeded in this role by his heir, Sir Edward Henry Charles Patrick Bellingham (1879-1956), 5th bt.. Sir Edward was the last of the family to live at Castle Bellingham, which was sold to the Land Commission after his death and sold again in 1958 for conversion to an hotel.
Dunany House descended from Sir Alan Edward Bellingham (1800-89), 3rd bt., to his younger son, the Rev. William Claypon Bellingham (1847-92), whose daughter Alice married Vice-Admiral Hugh England (1884-1978). It is now the home of the Admiral's grandson, Andrew Workman, and his family.
Originally the estate (then called Gernonstown) was the site of a castle which was burnt down by the army of James II in 1690, just before the Battle of the Boyne. A new house with a high-pitched roof, in the style of Beaulieu, was erected by Henry Bellingham in 1712, and was described Mrs Delany in 1745 as 'one of the prettiest places I have seen in Ireland'. This survives as the core of the present castle, a six-bay block in the middle of the front elevation, of two storeys over a basement, with a shallow bowed projection at the rear. The early Georgian house was completely remodelled in 1798, when a third storey was added, and some larger rooms with another bow facing towards the river were added at the south end. The ground levels across the site mean that while the garden front appears as three-storey, the entrance side has only two storeys over a basement.
The Gothic exterior features of the house - towers, turrets, buttresses and crenellations - date from a series of 19th century remodellings. The first, of 1834, was by Thomas Smith, who had just done similar work at Barmeath Castle. Further alterations were made in 1843, and there were later extensions in the later 19th century. The very substantial towered and battlemented gateway on the Dublin-Belfast road probably dates from c.1860. Since the ownership of the property is uncertain in this period, it is not clear who commissioned these works, some of which may have been undertaken for tenants.
Inside, surviving 18th century features include a small brick-vaulted wine cellar, six-panel doors on the upper floor, and a number of thin Gothick doorcases, presumably of 1798, on the ground floor. There are also some elegant neo-classical cornices and an inlaid chimneypiece in the style of Bossi. The later rooms have heavier moulded plasterwork. The house has been an hotel since the 1950s.
The original building now forms part of the south wing. As part of the 19th century changes the courtyard of the house was enclosed with a Tudor Gothic screen, and the ends of the wings flanking it were made regular and castellated.
Levens Hall, Westmorland
An account of this house is given in my previous post on the Bagot family of Levens Hall, baronets.
Castle Bellingham, Co. Louth
A long, narrow, castellated house in the style of Sir Jeffrey Wyatville, set in highly picturesque grounds, with an old avenue of lime trees leading to the house, rubble-built terrace walls beside the river Glyde, and the courses of two mill races creating islets in an informal 19th century water garden. The terraces were formerly adorned by statues brought from Dubber Castle, the home of the Bellingham baronets in the 17th century.
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| Castle Bellingham: entrance front |
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| Castle Bellingham: aerial view from the south-east. Image: Jason McGarrigle Video |
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| Castle Bellingham: garden front in the early 20th century. |
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| Castle Bellingham: entrance gateway of c.1860. |
Descent: Commonwealth granted in 1650s to Henry Bellingham (d. 1677); to son, Thomas Bellingham (c.1646-1721), who rebuilt it c.1712; to son, Henry Bellingham (1676-1739); to son, Henry Bellingham (c.1707-55); to brother, Alan Bellingham (1709-96); to son, Lt-Col. Henry Bellingham (c.1739-1800); to son, Alan Bellingham (c.1773-1821); to widow, Monique (1777-1856), who sold c.1824 to Sir William Bellingham (c.1755-1826), 1st bt.; to nephew, Sir Alan Bellingham (1776-1827), 2nd bt.; ?to son, O'Bryen Bellingham (1805-57); to widow, Matilda (c.1809-83), who perhaps surrendered a life interest c.1874 to her brother-in-law, Sydney Robert Bellingham (1808-1900); to great-nephew, Sir (Alan) Henry Bellingham (1846-1921), 4th bt.; to son, Sir Edward Henry Charles Patrick Bellingham (1879-1956), 5th bt.; sold after his death to Irish Land Commission; sold 1958 to Lt-Cdr. Dermot J. Meehan, who converted it into an hotel.
Dunany House, Co. Louth
An early 18th century house with a steeply-pitched roof, first built around 1720, which was much altered and extended about fifty years later and further enlarged in around 1820 to form a rambling building set around three sides of a courtyard, with extensive service ranges and outbuildings behind, so that the complex might be described as H-shaped.
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| Dunany House: aerial view. Image: Gordon Dunn. Some rights reserved. |
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| Dunany House: entrance front. Image: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. |
Descent: William Sibthorpe (fl. mid 17th cent.)... Robert Sibthorpe (fl. 1715); to son?, Stephen Sibthorpe (d. c.1776); to son, Robert Sibthorpe (d. 1791); probably sold after his death to Sir William Bellingham (c.1755-1826), 1st bt.; to nephew, Sir Alan Bellingham (1776-1827), 2nd bt.; to son, Sir Alan Edward Bellingham (1800-89), 3rd bt.; to son, Rev. William Claypon Bellingham (1847-92); to daughter, Alice Marian (b. 1882), wife of Rear-Adm. Hugh Turnour England (1884-1978); to daughters Zoe England (1921-2008) and Joy Workman (1918-2020); to the latter's son, Andrew Workman (fl. 2002-20).
Bellingham family of Levens Hall, baronets
Bellingham, Allan (c.1516-78). Eldest surviving son of Thomas Bellingham (d. by 1544) and his wife Margery or Marion, daughter of Thomas Beck of Helbeck. Educated at Middle Temple (admitted c.1535; bencher). Barrister-at-law, who build a set of eight chambers adjoining the Hall of the Middle Temple. Surveyor of the Court of Augmentations for Westmorland, 1552. Treasurer at Berwick-on-Tweed, 1557-58. MP for Westmorland, 1571. JP for Westmorland (by 1559), Cumberland, Northumberland, and all three Ridings of Yorkshire (by 1569). Custos Rotulorum for Westmorland by 1558 and probably from c.1555-78. A member of the Council in the North, 1566-71; High Sheriff of Westmorland, 1572-73; Surveyor of the Duchy of Lancaster lands in Westmorland by 1575. He was a Protestant in religion, which probably explains why he held so many public offices in an area where Catholicism was strong. He married 1st, Katherine, daughter of Anthony Ducket of Grayrigg (Westmld.), and 2nd, Dorothy (d. 1580), daughter of Thomas Sandford of Askham (Westmld), and is said to have had issue seven sons and eight daughters, including:
(2.1) Anne Bellingham (b. c.1554); married Richard Middleton;
(2.2) Thomasine Bellingham (b. c.1556); married, c..1577, Thomas Salkeld;(2.3) Grace Bellingham (c.1558-94); married 1st, 1576, Edmund Cliburn of Cliburn, and 2nd, Sir Gerard Lowther (1561-1624), judge (who m2, Ann, daughter of Sir Ralph Bulmer, kt.), son of Sir Richard Lowther; died 1594 and was buried at Catterick, where she is commemorated by a memorial brass;(2.4) Thomas Bellingham (1559-80), baptised at Kendal, 5 June 1559; inherited his father's property in 1578 but died 5 August 1580;(2.5) Sir James Bellingham (c.1560-1641), kt. (q.v.)(2.6) Marian Bellingham (b. c.1561); married, c.1583, Sir Francis Duckett (c.1565-1637) of Grayrigg (Westmld);(2.7) Henry Bellingham (b. c.1565); educated at Middle Temple (admitted 1583); died unmarried;(2.8) Allan Bellingham (b. c.1569), educated at Middle Temple (admitted 1588); died unmarried;(2.9) Dorothy Bellingham (b. 1573), baptised at Kendal, 1 March 1572/3; married William Borough;(2.10) twin?, Robert Bellingham (1576-1639) [for whom see below, under Bellingham family of Castle Bellingham, baronets](2.11) twin?, Agnes Bellingham (b. 1576), baptised at Kendal, 6 June 1576; married Richard Salkeld;(2.12) Alice Bellingham (d. 1580), buried at Kendal, 23 August 1580.
He purchased the Fawcett Forest estate in February 1554 from Sir Edward Hastings, and Levens Hall in 1562 (although his son did not gain vacant possession until 1580). In 1571 he bought a large estate in north Westmorland, including the manor of Strickland, from Sir Simon Musgrave. He also owned considerable house property in Appleby, and inherited the manor of Bellingham, Northumberland from his father.
He died 7 May 1578 and was buried in the chancel of Kendal church, where he is commemorated by a monument which gives his date of death erroneously as 1577. An inquisition post mortem was held 8 October 1580. His first wife died without issue. His widow was buried at Kendal, 19 August 1580.
Bellingham, Sir James (1560-1641), kt. Second son of Allan Bellingham (c.1516-78) of Levens Hall and his second wife, Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Sandford of Askham (Westmld), born about June 1560. He was knighted by King James I, 1603. DL for Westmorland, 1615. He married Agnes, daughter of Sir Henry Curwen of Workington Hall (Cumbld.), and had issue:
(1) Thomas Bellingham (d. 1603?); died unmarried in the lifetime of his father; perhaps the man of this name whose will was proved at Carlisle in 1603;(2) Mary Bellingham (b. 1583), baptised at Kendal, 14 April 1583; married Christopher Crackenthorpe (1578-1633) of Newbigging (Westmld.) and had issue three sons and four daughters;(3) Alice Bellingham (c.1585-1660), perhaps born about 1585; married, as a child, 1599, William Mallory (c.1577-1646) of Studley Royal (Yorks WR), MP for Ripon, 1614-28, 1640-42 and in the King's Oxford parliament, 1644, eldest son of Sir John Mallory, kt., and had issue three sons and two daughters (the first of whom was born in 1603); buried at Ripon Cathedral, 18 November 1660;(4) Dorothy Bellingham (d. c.1610?); married 1604 (settlement 19 August), Sir Ralph Assheton (1579-1644), 1st bt., of Great Lever and Whalley (Lancs) (who m2, 18 April 1610 at Padiham (Lancs), Eleanor, daughter of Thomas Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe (Lancs) and had further issue), and had issue four sons and two daughters; died in or before 1610;(5) Sir Henry Bellingham (c.1594-1650), 1st bt. (q.v.);(6) Frances Bellingham (d. 1664?); married, 9 June 1614 at Heversham, Sir William Chaytor (1592-1640), kt., of Croft (Yorks NR), son of Anthony Chaytor (1547-1612), and had issue three sons and one daughter; said in some sources to have died in 1664;(7) Elizabeth Bellingham; died unmarried;(8) Ann Bellingham (fl. 1644), youngest daughter; after the battle of Marston Moor in 1644 she refused to surrender Ripley Castle to the Parliamentarian army but agreed to meet Oliver Cromwell privately in the house; she married, 1616, Sir William Ingleby (c.1594-1652), kt. and 1st bt., of Ripley Castle (Yorks WR), son of Sampson Ingleby (d. 1604), and had issue;(9) Alan Bellingham (c.1600-73) (q.v.).
He inherited Levens Hall from his elder brother in 1580 and came of age about 1581. He undertook the enlargement and remodelling of the house over several decades, although work had begun by 1586.
He died in 1641. His wife was buried at Heversham, 20 September 1639.
Bellingham, Sir Henry (c.1594-1650), 1st bt. Second, but eldest surviving son of Sir James Bellingham (1560-1641), kt., and his wife Agnes, daughter of Sir Henry Curwen, born about 1594. Educated at Queens' College, Cambridge (matriculated 1609) and Middle Temple (admitted 1611). He was created a baronet, 30 May 1620 and knighted at Theobalds the following day. JP for Westmorland, 1625-44; MP for Westmorland, 1625-26, 1640-45 (when he was excluded). He also attended the King's Oxford Parliament, 1644. As a Royalist he raised forces for the king in the north of England at the start of the Civil War and became a Colonel of Foot in the Royalist army, 1644-45, 1648. His estates were sequestered in 1646 and he was fined £3,228 in February 1647 and further £1,971 in May 1649. He married, c.1613, Dorothy (d. 1627), daughter of Sir Francis Boynton (d. 1617) of Burton Agnes (Yorks ER), and had issue including:
(1) Agnes Bellingham (1617-68), baptised at Heversham, 9 March 1616/17; married, 1639, Sir Thomas Wentworth (c. 1619-53) of North Elmsall, and had issue two sons and one daughter; died 17 June and was buried at South Kirkby (Yorks WR), 25 June 1668;(2) Thomas Bellingham (b. 1622), baptised at Heversham, 11 February 1621/2; died young;(3) Sir James Bellingham (1623-50), 2nd bt. (q.v.);(4) Elizabeth Bellingham (1625-61), baptised at Heversham, 3 October 1625; married, before 1653, Col. John Lowther (1628-68) of Hackthorpe and Maulds Meaburn (both Westmld.), MP for Appleby, 1661-68 (who m2, 1666/7 (licence 25 February) Mary, daughter of William Wythens of Eltham (Kent)), and had issue one son and one daughter; died 1661;(5) Mary Bellingham (b. 1626), baptised at Heversham, 9 January 1626/7.
He inherited Levens Hall from his father in 1641.
He died on or shortly after 15 October 1650. His wife was buried, probably at Heversham, 23 January 1626/7.
Bellingham, Sir James (1623-50), 2nd bt. Only surviving son of Sir Henry Bellingham (c.1594-1650), 1st bt., and his wife Dorothy, daughter of Sir Francis Boynton of Barmston, baptised at Heversham (Westmld), 8 September 1623. Educated at Grays Inn (admitted 1640). MP for Westmorland, 1646-48, when he was excluded. He compounded for deliquency and was fined £200 in May 1649. He succeeded his father as 2nd baronet, October 1650, but died a few days later, perhaps of the same infectious disease. He married Catherine (d. 1673), fourth daughter of Sir Henry Willoughby (1579-1649), 1st bt., of Risley (Derbys), but had no issue.
He inherited Levens Hall from his father in 1650. At his death it passed to his uncle, Alan Bellingham (c.1600-73).
He was buried at Heversham, 26 October 1650, when his baronetcy became extinct; his will was proved in 1651. His widow married 2nd, 1656, George Purefoy (1629-70) of Wadley (Berks), and had issue seven sons and one daughter; she died in Oxford in 1673; administration of her goods was granted 30 June 1673 and again 2 May 1676.
Bellingham, Alan (c.1600-73). Third son of Sir James Bellingham (1560-1641), kt. and his wife Agnes, daughter of Sir Henry Curwen, baptised at Crosby Ravensworth (Westmld.), 14 December 1606, but by some accounts born up to ten years earlier. He claimed to have been 'always well-affected to Parliament' but was one of the proposed Knights of the Royal Oak in 1660. JP for Westmorland. He married, 1618 (licence), Susan (1600-93?), daughter of Marmaduke Constable (1565-1607) of Wassand Hall (Yorks ER), and had issue:
(1) James Bellingham (1620-80) (q.v.);(2) Katherine Bellingham (1621-39), baptised at Penrith (Cumbld), 7 June 1621; died unmarried and was buried at Penrith, 7 July 1639;(3) Henry Bellingham (1622-42), baptised at Penrith, 21 May 1622; educated at Queen's College, Oxford (matriculated 1639) and Grays Inn (admitted 1642), but died in Oxford, and was buried at St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, 1642; not to be confused with his namesake and near-contemporary, Henry Bellingham (d. 1677) of Gernonstown (for whom see below), as has often been done;(4) Allan Bellingham (b. & d. 1624), baptised at Heversham (Westmld.), 8 February 1623/4; died in infancy and was buried 29 April 1624;(5) Elizabeth Bellingham (1625-32), baptised at Heversham, 3 October 1625; died young and was buried at Penrith, 23 April 1632;(6) Agnes Bellingham (c.1628-29); died in infancy and was buried at Penrith, 6 February 1628/9;(7) Thomas Bellingham (b. 1630), baptised at Levens, November 1630; said to be living in 1678;(8) Mary Bellingham (b. 1633), baptised at Penrith, 6 February 1632/3;(9) Elizabeth Bellingham (1634-36), baptised at Penrith, 26 February 1633/4; died young and was buried at Penrith, 28 September 1636;(10) Marmaduke Bellingham (1635-37), baptised at Penrith, 19 February 1634/5; died young and was buried at Penrith, 15 June 1637;(11) John Bellingham (b. & d. 1636), baptised at Penrith, 15 February 1635/6; died in infancy and was buried at Penrith, 21 February 1635/6;(12) Dorothy Bellingham (1640-78), baptised 13 February 1639/40; married, 6 July 1663 at Crosthwaite (Westmld), as his second wife, Sir Henry Marwood (c.1635-1725), 2nd bt. of Little Busby, MP for Northallerton, 1685, and had issue two sons and two daughters; died 1678.
He inherited the Levens Hall estate from his nephew, Sir James Bellingham, 2nd bt., in 1650.
He died 29 January 1672/3 and was buried at Heversham (Westmld.). His widow is said to have died about 1693.
Bellingham, James (1620-c.1680). Eldest son of Alan Bellingham (c.1600-73) and his wife Susan, daughter of Marmaduke Constable, baptised at Penrith (Cumbld.), 29 May 1620. Educated at Grays Inn (admitted 1642). He married 1st, 20 July 1646 at Newbiggin-by-Appleby (Westmld), Barbara (b. 1626), daughter of Sir Christopher Dalston (d. 1634), kt., of Acorn Bank, Temple Sowerby (Westmld.); 2nd, c.1654, Elizabeth (b. 1627), daughter of Sir Francis Leke (1581-1655), 1st Baron d'Eyncourt and 1st Earl of Scarsdale, of Newark (Notts) and Sutton Scarsdale (Derbys); and 3rd, 1674 (licence 10 June), Dorothy (c.1621-1708) of Whalley (Lancs), daughter of Sir Sapcote Harrington (1575-1630), kt., and had issue:
(1.1) Elizabeth Bellingham (c.1648-1710), born about 1648; married, 1672 (licence), Timothy Mauleverer (1652-1703) of Arncliffe Hall, Ingleby Arncliffe (Yorks NR), and had issue three sons and two daughters; buried at Ingleby Arncliffe, 11 September 1710;(2.1) Mary Bellingham (b. 1654), baptised at Heversham, 6 October 1654; married, 19 June 1681 at St Martin in the Fields, Westminster (Middx), Alexander Johnson (fl. 1726) of Rushton Grange (Yorks) and Preston (Lancs);(2.2) Alan Bellingham (1656-93) (q.v.);(2.3) Agnes Bellingham (1658-1733), baptised at Heversham, 30 May 1658; married William Patten (1646-1710) of Preston (Lancs), son of William Patten, and had issue at least one son; buried at St John, Preston, 31 August 1733;(2.4) Henry Bellingham (b. 1660; fl. 1664), baptised at Heversham (Westmld), 2 August 1660; died without issue;(2.5) William Bellingham (1661-1718), of St. Bees (Cumbld.), baptised at Heversham, 20 August 1661; educated at Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1679); married 1st, c.1685, Mary, daughter and heiress of Robert Hilton of Hilton Beacon, Murton (Westmld.), and had issue at least three daughters; married 2nd, 6 April 1703 at Rufford (Lancs), Elizabeth Hesketh (d. 1719), widow; buried at Rufford, 17 October 1718;(2.6) Bridget Bellingham (1662-1736), baptised at Heversham, 28 December 1662; married, 28 November 1682 at Crosthwaite (Westmld.), Timothy Featherstonhaugh (c.1658-1728) of Kirkoswald (Cumbld.), and had issue four sons and six daughters; died 7 June and was buried at Kirkoswald, 14 June 1736;(2.7) Roger Bellingham (b. 1665), baptised at Heversham, 27 April 1665; died in infancy;(2.8) Elizabeth Bellingham (1666-1732), baptised at Heversham, 18 October 1666; married, 16 November 1684 at Addingham (Cumbld.), John Senhouse (1660-1731) of Seascale (Cumbld.) and later Penzance (Cornw.), translator of The satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus (1730), son of Wrightington Senhouse, and had issue four sons and two daughters; buried at Whitehaven (Cumbld.), 9 February 1731/2;(2.9) Thomas Bellingham (b. c.1670), born about 1670 but died in infancy;(2.10) Dorothy Bellingham (b. 1671; fl. 1688), baptised at Heversham, 26 December 1671; living, unmarried, in 1688.
He inherited Levens Hall from his father in 1673.
He died in about 1680. His first wife died before 1654. His second wife died after 1671. His widow died in the vicarage at Weedon Lois, 2 April, and was buried at Gayton (Northants), 5 April 1708; her will was proved in the PCC, 3 May 1708.
Bellingham, Alan (1656-93). Eldest son of James Bellingham (1620-c.1680) and his second wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Francis Leke of Newark (Notts), baptised privately at Levens, 12 February and again at Heversham (Westmld), 27 March 1655/6. Educated at Queen's College, Oxford (matriculated 1674). "An ingenious but unhappy young man" who ran up large debts, clearance of which ultimately forced him to sell the estate to his principal creditor. MP for Westmorland, 1678-85; DL for Westmorland, 1685-89?. A captain in the army, 1685-88. He may have been the officer of this name who accepted the Revolution of 1688 but was sent to Newgate as a Jacobite agent in April 1692, though if so he must soon have been released and went abroad. He was unmarried and without issue.
He inherited Levens Hall from his father in about 1680, but in 1686 conveyed his estate to trustees for payment of his debts, and it was sold in 1689 to James Grahme (1650-1730) for £24,400.
He died at St Germain (France), 1693; his will was proved in the PCC, 7 December 1693.
Bellingham family of Castle Bellingham, baronets
Bellingham, Robert (1576-1639). Fifth and youngest known son of Allan Bellingham (c.1516-78) of Levens Hall and his second wife, Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Sandford of Askham (Westmld), baptised at Kendal, 6 July 1576. Educated at the Middle Temple (admitted 1595). High Sheriff of Co. Longford, 1611-12. Attorney to the Second Remembrancer of the Exchequer in Ireland, 1616-22. He married, c.1619, Margaret Whyte (c.1598-1668) of Clongell (Co. Meath), and had issue including:
(1) Sir Daniel Bellingham (c.1620-72), 1st bt. (q.v.);(2) Henry Bellingham (d. 1677) (q.v.);(3) Jane Bellingham (fl. 1676); married, before 1677, Sir George Gilbert (d. 1684), alderman of Dublin; living in 1676 when she was mentioned in her brother's will.
He inherited lands at Great Strickland and Milkinthorpe from his father, which he probably sold before migrating to Ireland.
He is said to have been buried at Kendal (Westmld) in 1639. His widow died 11 November 1668 and was buried at St Werburgh, Dublin.
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| Sir Daniel Bellingham, 1st bt. |
(1) Sir Richard Bellingham (1648-99), 2nd bt. (q.v.);(2) Hester Bellingham (d. 1720); married, about 1666**, as his second wife, Edward Corker (1636-1702) of Dublin and Castletown House (Co. Meath), registrar of the Irish Court of Chancery, 1669, an officer in the Williamite army (Ensign, 1689; Capt-Lt., 1693; Capt. 1694; retired before 1702); Commissioner for Forfeited Estates, 1693, and MP for Ratoath in the Irish parliament, 1692-93, 1695-99, and had issue two sons and five daughters; will proved 30 June 1720;(3) Sarah Bellingham (b. c.1651; fl. 1703), born about 1651; married, by 1672, Phillip Frowde (1645-1716) of Peper Harrow (Surrey) and Dublin, deputy Postmaster General and Governor of the Post Office, 1677-88, eldest son of Col. Sir Philip Frowde, and had issue; living in 1703;(4) Alice Bellingham (b. c.1656; fl. 1719), said to have been born c.1656; married, by 1672?, John Nelmes (fl. 1699); living in 1719, when she was named in her sister's will;(5) Rebecca Bellingham (b. c.1659; fl. 1711), said to have been born about 1659; married, by 1689, as his second wife, Richard Boyle (1655-1711), soldier and MP for Old Leighlin, 1695-99, son of Rt. Rev. Richard Boyle, bishop of Leighlin and Ferns, and had issue at least one son; living in 1711;(6) Jane Bellingham (c.1663-1722), said to have been born about 1663; married, 26 August 1684 at Finglas (Co. Dublin), Edward Swan (1659-1735), High Sheriff of Dublin in 1701, son of Edward Swan, and had issue at least two sons; died 1722;(7) Mary Bellingham (b. c.1664; fl. 1699), said to have been born about 1664; married, 18 February 1696 at St Michan, Dublin, as his second wife, Sir Thomas Pakenham (1649-1703), barrister (KC, 1685) and MP for Augher, 1695-99, son of Henry Pakenham of Pakenham Hall (Co. Longford), but probably had no issue; living in 1699.
He acquired Dubber Castle (Co. Dublin), a tower house apparently built in the early 17th century for Sir Christopher Plunkett of Dunsoghly Castle.
He died 27 April 1672 and was buried at St Werburgh, Dublin; his will was proved 12 July 1672; by his will he left lands at Finglas (Co. Dublin) for the relief of debtors, but the trust was never carried out. His wife died in Dublin and was buried at St Werburgh, Dublin, 11 November 1665.
* He was the first mayor to use this title, which had been granted by Charles I in 1641, but was apparently forgotten during the troubled years of the Civil War and Commonwealth. The Duke of Ormonde, when Viceroy, drew the attention of the city's lawyers to it in 1665.
** In 1666, the couple were described as 'lately lawfully married' in a petition to the Crown having been sued in the church courts by Francis Roberts, who claimed to have been married to Hester at an earlier date; the couple requested and were granted a pardon for all previous 'felonies, adulteries etc'.
Bellingham, Sir Richard (1648-99), 2nd bt. Only recorded son of Sir Daniel Bellingham (d. 1672), 1st bt., and his wife Jane, daughter of Richard Barlow of Little Toghill (Ches.), baptised at St Werburgh, Dublin, 21 October 1648. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1667; BA 1669) and Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1670). High Sheriff of Co. Dublin, 1684-85. He was unmarried and without issue.
He inherited Dubber Castle from his father in 1672. After his death his property was divided among his sisters.
He died in June 1699, when his baronetcy became extinct, and was buried at St Werburgh, Dublin; his will was proved 25 July 1699.
Bellingham, Henry (d. 1677)*. Second son of Robert Bellingham (c.1576-1639) and his wife Margaret Whyte of Clongell (Co. Meath). An officer in the Cromwellian army in Ireland (in 1654 he was 'late Cornet in the disbanded tropp of Col. John Hewson') and in the Louth Militia (Capt., 1659-62). Member of the Dublin Goldsmith's Guild, 1652. High Sheriff of Co. Kildare, 1654-55 and of Co. Louth, 1671-72. MP for Co. Louth in the Irish parliament, 1661. He married, about 1644, Lucy (d. 1669), daughter of William Sibthorpe of Dunany, and had issue:
(1) Anne Bellingham (c.1645-97), of Milestown (Co. Louth), born about 1645; married, 26 June 1662, Robert Bickerton (d. by 1671) of Cantiluff (Co. Armagh), and had issue two sons and two daughters; will proved 1697;(2) Thomas Bellingham (c.1646-1721) (q.v.).
He was granted some 1,077 acres at Gernonstown, Milestown, Williamstown, Lynne and Adamstown (all Co. Louth) and probably also lands in Co. Kildare, in recognition of his services in the Cromwellian war, and he purchased a further 13 acres at Gernonstown (later Castle Bellingham) from John Perryn of Dublin, a Cromwellian soldier who had been granted the lands in lieu of pay. He also made later purchases of land to enlarge the estate.
He died 5 February 1676/7 and was buried at Gernonstown (Co. Louth); his will was proved 5 April 1677. His wife died in December 1669 and was buried at Gernonstown.
* He is not to be confused with his cousin and namesake, Henry Bellingham (1622-42) (for whom see above) who was educated at Oxford but died there.
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| Thomas Bellingham (c.1646-1721) |
(1) Jane Bellingham; married, 1692 at St Bride, Dublin, Francis Quin of Dublin, merchant, and had issue at least one son;(2) Henry Bellingham (1676-1739) (q.v.);(3) Anne Bellingham (c.1680-1758), born about 1680; 'a Maiden Lady, of very extensive knowledge and charity', who died unmarried, 21 April 1758 and was buried at Castlebellingham (Co. Louth); will proved 26 March 1759;(4) Abigail Bellingham (c.1688-1770), born at Preston (Lancs), 1688; died unmarried; will proved 22 March 1770.
He inherited the Gernonstown estate from his father in 1677, but his house there was burnt down by James II's army before the Battle of the Boyne. He rebuilt it in 1712, after which it became known as Castle Bellingham.
He died 12 September 1721; his will was proved 5 June 1722. His wife died 6 January 1720/1 and was buried at Castlebellingham.
Bellingham, Henry (1676-1739). Only son of Col. Thomas Bellingham (c.1646-1721) and his wife Abigail, daughter of William Handcock of Twyford (Co. Westmeath), born at Twyford, 1676. Educated at Preston (Lancs) and Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1692). Freeman of Ardee (Co. Louth), 1700; Whig MP for Dundalk in the Irish Parliament, 1703-14; Collector of Customs and Excise for Kinsale, 1729. He married, 16 August 1706 at Castlebellingham, Mary (c.1684-1758), daughter and co-heir of Thomas Moore, and had issue:
(1) Henry Bellingham (c.1707-75) (q.v.);(2) Alan Bellingham (1709-96) (q.v.);(3) Mary Bellingham (c.1710-59), born about 1710; married, c.1729, Rev. William Coddington (c.1698-1767) (who m2, 1762 (licence 2 June), Sarah Handcock of Dublin), rector of Kilmore, 1729-41, of Dromore, 1741-50 and vicar of Carrickmacross (Co. Monaghan), 1750-67, son of Capt. Dixie Coddington (c.1665-1728) of Holmpatrick (Co. Dublin); died 1759 and was buried at Castlebellingham;(4) Elizabeth Bellingham (c.1712-89), born about 1712; married, c.1729, Rev. John Fortescue (c.1701-81) of Whiterath (Co. Louth), rector of Heynestown and Dromiskin (Co. Louth), 1728-81, rector of Killincoole, 1734-81 and Chancellor of Downpatrick Cathedral, 1759-81, fifth son of Capt. William Fortescue of Newragh, and had issue three sons and two daughters; died 1789; will proved 27 February 1789;(5) Margaret Bellingham (b. c.1714; fl. 1758), born about 1714; married, before 1739, Daniel Bickerton, son of Robert Bickerton of Chatilly (Co. Armagh), and had issue at least one son and one daughter; living in 1758 but death not traced;(6) Abigail Bellingham (c.1716-70?), born about 1716; married, before 1739, Thomas Aston of Drogheda, and had issue at least one daughter; possibly the 'Abigail Bellingham' buried at Castlebellingham, 1770;(7) Jane Bellingham (b. c.1718; fl. 1758), born about 1718; married, after 1739, Thomas Willison or Willson (b. c.1713) of Newry (Cos. Armagh & Down); living in 1758;(8) Anne Bellingham (d. 1759); died unmarried; will proved 1759.
He inherited the Castle Bellingham estate from his father in 1721.
He died 15 March 1739 and was buried at Castlebellingham. His widow died 10 July 1758 and was buried at Castlebellingham; her will was proved in 1758.
Bellingham, Henry (c.1707-55). Elder son of Henry Bellingham (1676-1739) and his wife Mary, daughter and co-heir of Thomas Moore, born about 1707. A burgess of Ardee (Co. Louth); High Sheriff of County Louth, 1734-35; MP for County Louth in the Irish Parliament, 1741-55. An officer in the County Louth militia (Maj. by 1747). He married, 2 March 1738/9 at St Michan, Dublin, Margaret (c.1718-64), second daughter of Hugh Henry of Straffan (Co. Kildare), banker, and had issue:
(1) Hugh Henry Bellingham (b. 1740), baptised at St Mary, Dublin, 10 September 1740; died young, in the lifetime of his father.
He inherited the Castle Bellingham estate from his father in 1739. At his death it passed to his younger brother.
He died in Dublin and was buried at Castlebellingham, 15 May 1755; his will was proved in Dublin, 21 May 1755. His widow died in Dublin, 10 April 1764; administration of her goods was granted 28 April 1764.
Bellingham, Alan (1709-96). Second son of Henry Bellingham (1676-1739) and his wife Mary, daughter and co-heir of Thomas Moore, born 1709. Surveyor of the port of Drogheda (Co. Louth). He married, 1 July 1737 at St Marie, Dublin, Alice (c.1716-85), daughter and co-heir of Rev. Hans Montgomery of Grey Abbey (Co. Down), and had issue:
(1) Elizabeth Bellingham (c.1738-79), born about 1738; married, 17 August 1774, Maj. William Cairnes (d. 1789) (who m2, 1784, Jane, daughter of the Rev. Robert Heyland, of Coleraine, and had further issue two sons and three daughters), and had issue one son; died 1779;(2) Lt-Col. Henry Bellingham (c.1739-1800) (q.v.);(3) Alan Bellingham (1740-1800) (q.v.);(4) O'Bryen Bellingham (c.1742-98), born about 1742; married, 1777 (licence 23 February), Anne (fl. 1798), daughter of Edward Tandy of Dublin, and had issue one son and two daughters; died 6 June 1798; administration of his goods granted 29 June 1798;(5) Thomas Bellingham (b. c.1745), born about 1745; educated at Royal Naval College; an officer in the Royal Navy (Lt. 1762); died unmarried before 1786;(6) Mary Anne Bellingham (b. c.1748); married, 1777, as his first wife, Rev. William Woolsey (1750-1832) of Priorland House, Dundalk (Co. Louth) (who m2, Bridget O'Neill), and had issue one son and five daughters;(7) Alicia (k/a Alice) Bellingham (c.1749-1835); died unmarried aged 86 at Castlebellingham, 29 November 1835;(8) Sir William Bellingham (c.1755-1826), 1st bt., born about 1755; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1773; BA 1778); secretary to William Pitt the younger; MP for Reigate, 1784-89; a Commissioner for the Navy, 1789-1803 (retiring with a pension of £1,000 a year) and Controller of Storekeeper's Accounts, 1790-93; Receiver-General of the Land and Assessed Taxes for London, 1806; a Director of Greenwich Hospital; Secretary to the Board of Ordnance, 1807-10; created a baronet, 19 April 1796, with special remainder to the heirs male of his father; Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries; lived at Middle Grove House, Tunbridge Wells (Kent) and Dunany House (Co. Louth), which he purchased; also rented and later bought the Castle Bellingham estate from his cousin's widow c.1823; married, 3 December 1783, Hester Frances (1763-1844), fourth and youngest daughter of Rev. the Hon. Robert Cholmondeley, but had no issue; died at Langley Farm, Beckenham (Kent), 27 October and was buried at Castlebellingham, 13 November 1826; will proved in the PCC, 11 December 1826;(9) Lucinda (k/a Lucy) Bellingham (c.1758-1839), born about 1758; died unmarried aged 80 at Castlebellingham, 3 January 1839.
He inherited the Castle Bellingham estate from his elder brother in 1755.
He died 19 January 1796 and was buried at Castlebellingham; his will was proved 1796. His wife died 6 December 1785 and was buried at Castlebellingham.
Bellingham, Lt-Col. Henry (c.1739-1800). Eldest son of Alan Bellingham (1709-96) and his wife Alice, daughter and co-heir of Rev. Hans Montgomery, born about 1739. An officer in the Louth Militia (Lt-Col.). He married, 1 June 1772 at St Mary, Dublin, Elizabeth (c.1750-1814), daughter of Richard Tenison, and had issue:
(1) Alan Bellingham (c.1773-1821) (q.v.);(2) Elizabeth Bellingham (1779-1839), born 5 September 1779; married, 30 August 1800 at Roscrea (Co. Tipperary), Capt. William Somerville (1776-1844) of Ardrass, son of Maj. William Somerville (1720-80); died 16 December 1839;(3) Dorothea Bellingham (c.1780-1848); married, 4 January 1798, William Riall (1769-1843) of Annerville House, Clonmel (Co. Tipperary), banker, son of Phineas Riall, and had issue three sons and three daughters; died 1848;(4) Henrietta Sophia Bellingham (b. c.1782); married, 20 December 1799, her brother-in-law, Arthur Riall (d. 1859) of Westgrove, Clonmel (who m2, 1818, Arabella Berkeley), son of Phineas Riall, but died without issue before 1818;(5) Henry Tenison Bellingham (1784-1812), baptised at Castlebellingham, 6 August 1784; became a cadet in the Bengal Army, 1798, but did not take up his appointment and was subsequently an officer in the British army (Ensign, 1803; Lt., 1804; Capt., 1811); died unmarried when he was killed in action at Badajoz (Spain), 6 April 1812.
He inherited the Castle Bellingham estate from his father in 1796.
He died 10 September 1800. His widow died at Timolin (Co. Kildare), 10 September 1814*.
* Some accounts say she married 2nd, Rev. William Cotymore, and died 14 September 1814, but I can find no evidence of such a marriage or of the existence of a William Cotymore, and the death of 'the widow of the late Col. Bellingham' was widely reported in the Irish press.
Bellingham, Alan (c.1773-1821). Eldest son of Lt-Col. Henry Bellingham (c.1739-1800) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Tenison, born about 1773*. An officer in the army (Ensign, 1790; Lt., 1794; Capt., 1799; retired 1802), who went to Canada with the 24th Foot. He married, 22 March 1795 in Detroit (USA) (sep. 1815), Monique (1777-1856), daughter of Jacques Duperon Bâby of Montreal (Canada), fur trader, and had issue:
(1) Eliza Bellingham (1796-1820), born in Detroit, 11 January 1796; married, 9 December 1817 at Castlebellingham, John Stein jr. (1775-1854) of Clonmel (Co. Tipperary) and Kennet-Pans (Clackmannans.) and later of Lyme Regis (Dorset), and had issue one daughter (who was raised by her mother after her death); died at Nice (France), 26 January 1820;(2) Susan Bellingham (1798-1820), born 9 January 1798; died unmarried and was buried at Castlebellingham, 5 July 1820;(3) William Henry Bellingham (1801-22), born 17 January and baptised at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Quebec (Canada), 1 March 1801; an officer in the 6th Foot (Ensign, 1819); died unmarried of typhus fever at the Cape of Good Hope, 25 March 1822, and was buried at Grahamstown (South Africa);(4) Alan Bellingham (1803-04), born 1 May 1803; died in infancy, 22 May 1804;(5) Monique Bellingham (1804-84), born 18 October 1804; married, 30 June 1831 at Lyme Regis and at Axminster R.C. chapel (Dorset), John Stuckey Lean (1802-69), banker, eldest son of James Lean of Clifton, Bristol (Glos), but apparently had no issue; died 20 April 1884; will proved 28 June 1884 (estate £621);(6) Dorothea Bellingham (c.1807-40), born before 11 February 1807; married, 1828, Henry Burrard Farnell, mayor of Lyme Regis in 1832-33; died in 1840 and was buried at St Michael & St George RC church, Lyme Regis;(7) Alicia Bellingham (1809-64), born 27 March 1809; married, 19 November 1849 at St Michael & St George RC Chapel, Lyme Regis (Dorset), John Carey MD, second son of John Carey of Dublin; died at Lyme Regis, 2 February 1864; buried at St Michael & St George RC church, Lyme Regis;(8) Henrietta Bellingham (1811-82), born 4 March 1811; married, 1 December 1829 at Lyme Regis (Dorset) and the RC chapel, Axminster (Devon), Capt. Henry Boteler RN (1795-1861) and had issue one son and three daughters; died in 1882;(9) Tenison Bellingham (b. & d. 1814), born 8 August 1814; died in infancy, 11 November 1814.
He inherited the Castle Bellingham estate from his father in 1800, and returned to Ireland from Canada soon afterwards to manage the estate, but later rented the castle to Sir William Bellingham and lived at Rothbury (Northbld). After he separated from his wife in 1815 he moved to London while she lived at Lyme Regis. His widow sold the Castle Bellingham estate to Sir William Bellingham before 1824.
He was buried at St Mary Abbots, Kensington (Middx), 5 December 1821. His widow died 30 July 1856 and was buried at Lyme Regis R.C. Church.
* Most sources say c.1776, but this seems to be a confusion with Sir Alan Bellingham (1776-1827), 2nd bt. His age at death is given as 48 and 1773 is the latest possible date consistent with his army commission.
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| Alan Bellingham (1740-1800) |
(1.1) Sir Alan Bellingham (1776-1827), 2nd bt. (q.v.);(1.2) Jane Bellingham; died in infancy;(1.3) Henry Bellingham (1778-1820), born 5 July and baptised 10 August 1778; an officer in the Bengal Army (Cadet, 1798; Ensign, 1799; Lt., 1799; Capt., 1807; Maj., 1815); married, 25 March 1809 at Gravesend (Kent), Henrietta Elizabeth (1786-1872), daughter of Capt. William Cruden RN, and had issue three daughters; died at Mooradabad (India), 26 May 1820; will proved in the PCC, 8 July 1820;(1.4) Alice Bellingham (b. 1779), born in Dublin, 18 July 1779; died in infancy;(1.5) John Bellingham (1781-1826), born 17 March and baptised at Killala (Mayo), 7 April 1781; married 1st, c.1802, Elizabeth Jane (1783-1820), daughter of William Stewart of Wilmont (Co. Down), and had issue two sons and four daughters; married 2nd, 1822 at Castlebellingham (Co. Louth), Katherine Anne (c.1793-1856), daughter of R. Clarke of Belfast (Co. Down), and had further issue one son; buried at Kilsaran RC Cemetery (Co. Louth), 1826;(1.6) Thomas Bellingham; died in infancy;(1.7) William Cairnes Bellingham (1789-c.1835), born in Dublin, 20 April 1789; an officer in the army (Ensign, 1805; Lt. 1807; Capt. 1815 until death); died unmarried, 1835.
He lived in Dublin.
He died 5 November 1800 and was buried at St Mary, Dublin; his will was proved in 1800. His first wife died in Dublin, 6 May 1789. His widow may be the woman of this name whose will was proved in Dublin in 1814.
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| Sir Alan Bellingham, 2nd bt. |
(1) Sir Alan Edward Bellingham (1800-89), 3rd bt. (q.v.);(2) Mary Anne Jane Bellingham (1803-87), baptised at Spilsby (Lincs), 4 March 1803; married, 9 May 1826 at Spilsby, Rev. John Cheales (1800-65), vicar of Skendleby (Lincs), and had issue four sons and three daughters; as a widow lived at Chelsea (Middx); died 10 January 1887; will proved 23 February 1887 (effects £1,447);(3) Henry Richard Bellingham (1804-36), born at Castlebellingham, 12 June 1804; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1820) and Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1829; called 1835); barrister-at-law; died unmarried in London, 23 November, and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, 3 December 1836;(4) O'Bryen Bellingham (1805-57), born at Castlebellingham, 12 December 1805; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1823) and Edinburgh Univ. (MD, 1830); Fellow and Professor of Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 1833; married, 15 December 1827 at St George, Dublin, Matilda (c.1809-83), daughter of Brian Molloy of Millicent House (Co. Kildare); died 11 October 1857 and was buried at Castlebellingham;(5) Frances Elizabeth Bellingham (1807-86), born at Castlebellingham, 12 June 1807; married, 1 March 1825 at Spilsby (Lincs), George Wilson Maddison (1797-1888) of The Hall, Partney, and had issue six sons and three daughters; died 29 April 1886 and was buried at Partney-by-Spilsby (Lincs);(6) Sydney Robert Bellingham (1808-1900) (q.v.);(7) Charlotte Sophia Bellingham (1814-98); married, 12 May 1835 at Spilsby (Lincs), Rev. John Alington (1801-83), rector of Candlesby (Lincs), third son of Rev. Marmaduke Alington (1760-1840), and had issue eight sons and one daughter; died 22 March 1898;(8) William Johnston Bellingham (1818-1903), born at Castlebellingham, 20 March 1818*; an officer in the army (Ensign, 1839; Lt., 1842; Capt. 1847; Major, 1875; Hon. Lt-Col., 1875; retired 1881) who served as adjutant of the Louth Rifles, 1854-75; married, 5 April 1852 at St Martin, Canterbury (Kent), Felicia (c.1832-1909), daughter of Rev. Dr. John Short Hewett, rector of Rotherhithe (Kent), and had issue three sons and three daughters; died 13 January 1903 and was buried at Castlebellingham; will proved 2 May 1903 (estate £1,329).
He inherited Dunany House and Castle Bellingham from Sir William Bellingham in 1826, when he was already living abroad to avoid his creditors.
He died at Chatillon-sur-Loire (France), 26 August 1827, and was buried there; administration of his goods was granted 7 November 1827. His wife died 26 January 1822 and was buried at Welton (Lincs).
* Some accounts say 1810, but the date of his first commission into the army suggests 1818 is more likely.
Bellingham, Sydney Robert (1808-1900). Fourth son of Sir Alan Bellingham (1776-1827), 2nd bt. and his wife Elizabeth, second daughter of Rev. Edward Walls of Boothby Hall (Lincs), born 2 August 1808. Driven to seek his fortune abroad by his father's financial difficulties, he emigrated alone to Canada at the age of fifteen in 1824, and after travelling widely for some years took a post in the timber trade at Montreal in 1827. In 1831 he set up an import-export business with his friend James Wallis of Fenelon Falls, Ontario (and formerly of Drishane Castle (Co. Cork)), but this failed after a few years. He was a Justice of the Peace and an officer in the Royal Montreal Cavalry (Capt.) during the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837-38, and is said to have led daring raids to arrest rebel leaders. He then trained for the Canadian bar, to which he was called in 1840, and became a newspaper editor and publisher. His interests then turned to politics, and he supported the annexation of Canada by the United States. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, 1854-60 and represented Argenteuil County in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, 1867-78. In 1877 he was appointed President of the Lovell Publishing Co. of Montreal, but the following year he returned to Ireland after inheriting the Castlebellingham estate. He married, 28 October 1831 at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Quebec (Canada), a distant relation, Arabella (1808-87), daughter of William Edward Holmes and widow of William Larue, who brought him 15,000 acres in Quebec, but they had no issue.
He lived in Canada, 1824-78, after which he returned to live at Southgate House, Castlebellingham. He is said to have inherited the Castlebellingham estate in 1874.
He died 12 March 1900 and was buried at Castlebellingham; his will was proved 9 July 1900 (estate £2,537). His wife was buried at Castlebellingham, 8 January 1887.
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| Sir Alan Edward Bellingham (1800-89), 3rd bt. |
(1) Frances Anne Jane Bellingham (c.1842-1934), perhaps born about 1842; married, 29 July 1869 at St Stephen, Dublin, Richard Altamont Smythe (1838-1924), adopted son of Henry Meade Smythe, and had issue one daughter; died 23 July 1934; will proved 20 November 1934 (estate in England, £13,267);(2) Hester Elizabeth Bellingham (1844-1904), born in London, 7 January and baptised at St Mark, Kensington (Middx), 10 April 1844; married, 28 September 1864 at Castlebellingham, Sir Thomas Pierce Butler (1836-1909), 10th bt., son of Sir Richard Pierce Butler, 9th bt., and had issue three sons and four daughters; died 5 August 1904;(3) Alice Sophia Bellingham (1845-1920), born 24 February and baptised at St Mark, Kensington, 11 April 1845; married, 28 July 1864 at Castlebellingham, Sir Victor Alexander Brooke (1843-91), 3rd bt., big game hunter, and had issue five sons (including Field Marshal Alan Brooke (1883-1963), 1st Viscount Alanbrooke) and two daughters; lived at Pau (France); died 27 July 1920;(4) Sir (Alan) Henry Bellingham (1846-1921), 4th bt. (q.v.);(5) Rev. William Claypon Bellingham (1847-92), born 11 November 1847; educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge (matriculated 1866; BA 1869; MA 1872); ordained deacon, 1872 and priest, 1874; incumbent of Uglin (Co. Carlow), 1874-86 and rector of Kilsaran (Co. Louth), 1886-92; inherited Dunany House from his father in 1889; married, 22 August 1878 at Lismore Cathedral (Co. Waterford), Susan Caroline (1847-1928), daughter of Ven. Ambrose Power (d. 1869), Archdeacon of Lismore, and had issue one son and three daughters; died at Bagnères-de-Bigorre (France), 3 October 1892 and was buried at Castlebellingham; administration of goods granted to his widow, 8 April 1893 (effects £1,058);(6) Charlotte Mary Bellingham (1848-1935), born 27 November 1848; married, 8 February 1872 at Lurganbrae (Co. Fermanagh), Rt. Hon. Frederick Stringer Wrench (1849-1926), an Irish Land Commissioner, son of Rev. Frederick Stuart Wrench, and had issue two sons and two daughters; lived latterly at Hythe (Kent); died 14 May 1935 and was buried at Stowting (Kent); will proved 19 July 1935 (estate £4,205);(7) Agnes Matilda Bellingham (c.1856-1940), born about 1856; married, 3 November 1875 at St Ann, Dublin, Montague Yeates-Brown (1834-1921), diplomat, son of Timothy Yeates-Brown, banker and HM Consul at Genoa, and had issue three sons; died at Coln St. Aldwyn (Glos), 25 January 1940 (estate £13,575).
He inherited Dunany House (Co. Louth) from his father in 1827.
He died at Castlebellingham, 19 April 1889; his will was proved 27 January 1890 (effects £27,958). His wife died 11 April, and was buried at Dunany, 15 April 1887.
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| Sir Alan Henry Bellingham, 4th bt. |
(1.1) Ida Mary Elizabeth Agnes Bellingham (1876-1945), born in London, 26 January 1876; a nun of the Order of the Holy Child; died unmarried, 28 November 1945;(1.2) Sir Edward Henry Charles Patrick Bellingham (1879-1956), 5th bt. (q.v.);(1.3) Augusta Mary Monica Bellingham (1880-1947), born at Exton Park, 19 August 1880; married, 6 July 1905 at Castlebellingham*, John Crichton-Stuart (1881-1947), 4th Marquess of Bute, son of John Patrick Crichton-Stuart (1847-1900), 3rd Marquess of Bute, and had issue five sons and two daughters; died 16 May 1947; will proved in Edinburgh and sealed in London 16 December 1947 (estate £9,798);(1.4) Roger Charles Noel Bellingham (1884-1915), born 28 April 1884; an officer in the Royal Field Artillery (Capt.), who served in the First World War; married, 18 January 1910, Alice Ann (c.1889-1949), daughter of Richard Naish, and had issue one son (later the 6th baronet) and one daughter; killed in action, 4 March 1915, and was buried at Dikkebus Military Cemetery (Belgium); will proved 7 July 1915 (estate £1,790).
He inherited the Castle Bellingham estate from his uncle in 1900. In 1883, he also owned extensive but almost worthless property in Co. Mayo.
He died 9 June 1921; his will was proved in Dublin and sealed in London, 9 December 1921 (estate in Ireland, £9,175 and in England, £3,626). His first wife died 8 April 1891 and was buried at Castlebellingham. His widow died 15 October 1939; her will was proved 29 November 1939 (estate £14,487).
* The wedding was a notably lavish affair: after the ceremony at Castlebellingham, the guests were taken on Lord Bute's private yacht to the reception at Mount Stuart House in Scotland; one of the earliest known private films records the occasion.
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| Sir Edward Bellingham, 5th bt. |
(1) Gertrude Mary (k/a Lily) Bellingham (1906-83), born 23 July 1906; married, 15 February 1927 at the Brompton Oratory, Ronald Derwent Hawker (1901-72), farmer, only surviving son of Bertram Hawker of Runton Old Hall (Norfk), and had issue one son; died 16 May 1983; will proved 1 February 1984 (estate £128,961).
He inherited the Castle Bellingham estate from his father in 1921. It was sold to the Irish Land Commission after his death. His widow lived at Claydon Hall (Suffk).
He died 19 May 1956, when his baronetcy passed to his nephew, Sir Roger Carroll Patrick Stephen Bellingham (1911-73), 6th bt. He was buried at Kilsaran R.C. Cemetery; his will was proved 27 February 1957 (estate in Ireland, £50). His widow died 20 May 1964; her will was proved 27 November 1964 (estate £654).
Principal sources
Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 2003, pp. 335-38; Burke's Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies, 2nd ed., 1841, p. 54; A. Hewitson & A.R. Maddison (eds.), Diary of Thomas Bellingham, an officer in William III, 1908; C. Casey & A. Rowan, The buildings of Ireland: North Leinster, 1993, pp. 152-54, 503; J. Munby, 'The Early Career of James Grahme of Levens, 1650-1692', Trans. Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Soc., vol. 98 (1998), pp. 183-205; E.M. Johnston-Liik, History of the Irish Parliament, 1692-1800, 2002, vol. 3, pp. 153-55; S. Bellew, 'Inscriptions and heraldry at... Castlebellingham and ... Dunany', Jnl. of the County Louth Archaeological and Historical Society, 2009, pp. 60-76; History of Parliament biographies of Alan Bellingham (1656-93) and Sir William Bellingham (c.1755-1826); Dictionary of Canadian biography entry for Sydney Robert Bellingham (1808-1900);
Location of archives
Bellingham family of Levens, baronets: some estate and family papers remain among the records of the Levens estate [Private Collection]
Bellingham family of Castle Bellingham, baronets: family and estate papers, 1681-1870 [National Library of Ireland]
Coat of arms
Bellingham: Argent, three bugle horns sable, stringed and garnished or.
Can you help?
- Can anyone explain the descent of Castle Bellingham in the mid 19th century? I speculate above that it passed from the 2nd baronet to his younger son, O'Bryen Bellingham (d. 1857) and that the latter's widow had a life interest which she gave up in 1874, but there seems to be very little information about the ownership or occupation of the castle at this period.
- Can anyone provide portraits or photographs of the people whose names appear in bold above, for whom no image is currently shown?
- If anyone can offer further information or corrections to any part of this article I should be most grateful. I am always particularly pleased to hear from current owners or the descendants of families associated with a property who can supply information from their own research or personal knowledge for inclusion.
Revision and acknowledgements
This post was first published 30 May 2023.
