(593) Berridge of Ballynahinch Castle

Berridge of Ballynahinch 

The story of this family begins with Richard Berridge (1812-87). He was the son of an Irish officer in the 60th Foot called Florence McCarthy or McCarty (c.1782-1813), who is said to have been born in Co. Kerry. McCarthy was married at Hertford (Herts) in 1803 to Ann Berridge, but died in the West Indies in October 1813, when their only surviving son was an infant. The son was baptised as 'Richard Berridge MacCarty' in 1814, but subsequently adopted his mother's maiden name of Berridge. His early years are a complete blank, but by the time he was recorded on the 1851 census he was 'agent to a brewery' and living in a boarding house at 36 Bloomsbury Square in London, where the householder was Thomas Dove, brewery clerk, and the other occupants included Dove's daughter Laura and her new husband, Thomas Harries Wilson, a retired army officer. The brewery with which both Richard Berridge and Dove were associated was the Horseshoe Brewery in the Tottenham Court Road owned by Sir Henry Meux. Richard Berridge was made a partner in the firm in about 1852, and must have borne significant responsibility for its affairs, especially after Meux was declared insane in 1857. As a partner, he was entitled to a share of the profits of the firm, and he evidently accumulated a very large capital before his retirement in 1878; his income from the company in 1861 alone was £13,750. He was a respected member of the brewery trade, for in 1862 he was chosen to preside over a dinner for 1800 people at Cremorne Gardens to raise funds for the Licensed Victuallers School. His wealth and status as a leading brewer seem not, however, to have been allied with traditional Victorian moral values. In the late 1850s, he conducted an affair with Mrs. Mary Owen Forster, the wife of an officer in the Indian army who had returned to England in 1854 and took lodgings with the Doves in Bloomsbury Square. This liaison resulted in the birth of a child in 1858, which seems initially to have been successfully concealed by the mother, but by December 1862 Major Forster had brought an action for damages against Berridge for his conduct. Already by 1859, however, Berridge had transferred his affections to a friend of Mrs. Forster's; this may have been the Laura Wilson who was also a resident at Bloomsbury Square, and with whom he went on to have five children after she separated from her husband in 1861. He referred to her as his wife on several occasions, but in 1884 he cut her out of his will and this presumably marked their separation, although they were in fact buried together at Margate (Kent).

With his increasing wealth, Berridge moved to 18-19 Great Russell St., where he lived until his retirement in 1878, after which he moved to Putney (Surrey). He also acquired property in Kent and Somerset. He probably operated a second business, lending his large capital at interest. In 1871 he promised to provide a bridging loan to a consortium bidding to buy the Ballynahinch estate from the London Law Life Assurance Society, but at the last minute in 1872 he reneged on his promise and paid £230,000 to purchase the estate himself, leading to legal action by the consortium members. At a stroke he turned himself into the largest landowner in Ireland, although since most of the estate consisted of uncultivated moor and bog the income it generated was modest. Many in his position would have purchased a country estate, but why he chose such a remote and uneconomic property, especially as he remained an absentee owner, can only be guessed. Perhaps he was, consciously or otherwise, returning to his Irish roots and demonstrating how much he had improved his lot in life.

Screebe House, Co. Galway

When Richard Berridge died in 1887, he was succeeded by his only son, Richard Berridge (1870-1941), then a youth of seventeen. He sold most of the estate to the Congested Districts Board in 1894, married in 1905, and soon afterwards added an extra storey to the house at Ballynahinch as well as building two unusually large castellated lodges which are big enough to be small country houses in their own right. He also kept a shooting lodge at Screebe House (Co. Galway). His ties with England remained strong, and after he sold Ballynahinch in 1924 to the cricketing Maharajah, Ranjitsinjhi, it was to England that he returned, although he and later his children held onto Screebe House until the 1950s.

Ballynahinch Castle, Co. Galway

The present house is reputed to stand on the site of a small castle of the O'Flahertys, of which they were dispossessed in the Cromwellian period, when it was granted to the Martin family. The present house was apparently begun as an inn built by the Martins in the 1750s, when they were living at Dangan, and may have also been used by the family for shooting parties. It was still an inn in 1787, when the Rev. Daniel Beaufort visited and found the food less than adequate, but ten years later the Chevalier de La Tocnaye described it as the residence of Col. Martin. Since De La Tocnaye says "I have never in my life been in the house of a rich man who appeared to care so little for the things of this world as Col. Martin", the house may not have been much larger than the original inn at this time. He reports that Col. Martin had laid the foundations of a 'superb mansion' closer to the Ballynahinch lake (perhaps near the later stables, some distance north-west of the house), but had abandoned the work on grounds of cost. Expansion of the former inn into a country house seems to have taken place by 1813, by which time it had also acquired the designation castle. It was at this time probably a six-by-three bay rectangular block of two storeys with some nominally Gothic or Tudor detailing; a tourist guide of 1843 called it 'a plain structure' while a later edition of 1854 noted "the modern family mansion is a very plain structure in the center of the demesne, which is more remarkable from its situation... than from its intrinsic value as a residence".

In the early 19th century the estate belonged to Richard Martin (1754-1834), who despite owning 196,000 acres in Connemara (much of which was uncultivated moor and bog) spent more than he could afford on supporting his tenantry, and was obliged to go abroad to avoid his creditors. His heir, Thomas Barnewall Martin (1786-1847) pursued a similar path, and died of 'famine fever' after visiting indigent tenants in the workhouse during the Great Famine. His daughter made an unsuccessful attempt to sell the estate, after which the London Law Life Assurance Society, a major creditor, bought the property in 1852 through the Encumbered Estates Court. The house was turned into an hotel, and the company attempted to restore the fortunes of the estate  through improved management practices, but it was dependent on resident agents to manage the estate, and very little was achieved in the long term. In 1862 the Dublin Builder reported that a new Tudor Gothic hotel was to be built to the designs of Samuel U. Roberts, at a cost of £5,000. The modest cost suggests this was to be a remodelling of the existing house rather than a completely new building, and it is not known whether the work was carried out, but it is possible that some features of the present building date from this time.

Ballynahinch Castle: entrance front.

In 1871, a consortium led by a Mr Jervis was formed to buy the struggling estate from the Law Life company, and a sale was agreed. Bridging finance was to be provided by Richard Berridge, a partner in Meux's Brewery in London, but at the last minute he reneged on his commitment and purchased the estate himself for the princely sum of £230,000. Legal proceedings between the consortium and Berridge followed, but the Lord Chancellor sided with Berridge and he was declared the rightful purchaser. Once he gained possession of the estate in 1873, Berridge undertook a thorough refurbishment of the castle and added the two south-west bays of the castle and extensive additional service accommodation. New plasterwork decoration was designed by James Hogan & Sons of Dublin and executed in 1875. The changes enhanced the rateable value of the house from £40 to £110. Richard Berridge senior died in 1887 and in 1894 his son and successor built two gate lodges and estate buildings to the design of Thomas Hamilton of Galway, but sold much of the estate to the Congested Districts Board. 

Finally, in 1908, an additional storey was added to the house and the exterior was rendered, under the supervision of Lawrence A. McDonnell of Dublin; the client was reported to be Lt-Col. Jasper Martin, so the house may have been let at this time. It was at this point that the house largely assumed its present appearance. The north (entrance) front has five bays with a shallow porch underneath a crow-stepped gable on the second bay. The more complex south elevation is essentially of eight bays, although on the top floor there are only seven windows. The east side of the house is of three bays (treated as four on the top floor). A single-storey addition now wraps around the east and part of the south fronts. 

Ballynahinch Castle: south front before the addition of the single-storey extension.

Ballynahinch Castle: the south front today.

In 1924 the estate was leased, and later sold, to the prominent cricketer, 'Ranji' (Kumar shri Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II (1872-1933), the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar), who spent a further £24,000 on improvements to the house and estate buildings, and planted 30,000 trees on the demesne. It was sold after his death but remained in private occupation until 1946, when it was purchased by the Irish Tourist Board and once more converted into an hotel. It has continued to function as a hotel and fishing resort ever since, under several owners. A further major programme of repairs and improvements under the architect Sam Stephenson was conducted in the early 21st century.

Descent: Richard Martin (1754-1834); to Thomas Barnewall Martin (1786-1847); to daughter, Mary Letitia Martin, who sold 1852 to the London Law Life Assurance Society; sold 1872 to Richard MacCarthy (later Berridge) (d. 1887); to son, Richard Berridge (1870-1941); leased c.1924 and later sold to Kumar shri Ranjitsinhji (1872-1933), the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar; sold after his death to Frederick C. McCormack (d. 1946) of Dublin; sold after his death to Irish Tourist Board; sold c.1952 to Noel Huggard of Ashford Castle Hotel; sold 1957 to Edward Ball, who brought in many friends as co-investors; on his retirement control passed to Raymond Mason...

Berridge family of Ballynahinch Castle

McCarthy (later Berridge), Richard (1812-87). Second, but only surviving, son of Capt. Florence McCarty alias McCarthy (1782-1813), an officer in the 60th Regiment, and his wife, Ann Berridge, born 15 July 1812 and baptised at St Paul, Deptford (Kent), 16 January 1814. An employee and later partner in Meux's Horseshoe Brewery, Tottenham Court Road, London (retired 1878). A Roman Catholic in religion. In 1862 he was co-respondent in the divorce case between Maj. William Forster and his wife, Mary Owen Hearsey (d. 1885), and was ordered to pay damages of £5,000; his relationship with Mary produced a daughter:

(X1.1) Marian Augusta Berridge (1858-1941), born 29 July 1858; married, 27 February 1877 at St Stephen, South Dulwich (Kent) (div. 1881 on the grounds of his adultery), Henry Dudley Elwes (1854-88); lived latterly at Canterbury (Kent); died at the Hospice de la Providence, La Tour de Peilz, Vevy, Montreux (Switzerland), 3 March 1941; will proved 16 February 1942 (estate £294).

He subsequently formed a relationship (sep. 1884) with Laura Isabella (1833-87), daughter of Thomas Dove, brewery clerk, and separated wife of Thomas Harries Wilson, gent., whom he regarded as his wife, by whom he had issue:

(X2.1) Felicia Berridge (1865-1936), born 14 May 1865 and baptised* at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster (Middx), 19 February 1870; married, 6 June 1888 at St Peter, Eaton Square, Westminster, Thomas Mayhew (1860-1914) of Minster-in-Thanet and later of Hythe (Kent), son of Thomas Mayhew, farmer, and had issue two sons and one daughter; died 15 January 1936 and was buried at Spring Lane Cemetery, Hythe (Kent); will proved 24 March 1936 (estate £1,121);

(X2.2) Lilian Berridge (1866-1912), born 21 June 1866 and baptised* at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster (Middx), 19 February 1870; married, 17 December 1887 at Hoof, Schauenburg, Kassel (Germany), Baron Werner Christian Carl Alexander von Dalwigk zu Hoof (1862-1928)**, son of Reinhardt Emil Friederich von Dalwigk zu Hoof (1830-97), and had issue one son; died 2 September 1912 at Bad Liebenstein (Germany); will proved 15 February 1913 (estate £954);

(X2.3) May Rose Berridge (1867-1949), born 1 May 1867 and baptised* at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster (Middx), 19 February 1870; married, 6 June 1888 at St Peter, Eaton Square, Westminster, Edgar Whitworth Tidy (1864-1929), son of Harmon Edgar Tidy (1831-98), lawyer and moneylender, and had issue one son; died at Smarden (Kent), 17 March 1949; will proved 30 August 1949 (estate £15,613);

(X2.4) Richard Berridge (1870-1941) (q.v.);

(X2.5) Beatrice Marie Berridge (1874-1970), born 1 June 1874 and baptised at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster, 21 September 1882; married 1st, 10 October 1895 at St Marylebone (Middx), Walter Egerton Chancellor (c.1861-1928), solicitor, son of Stephen Sackett Chancellor, gent., and had issue two sons; married 2nd, 17 January 1930, John Clayton Beadle (1873-1955); died aged 96 on 14 August 1970; will proved 22 March 1971 (estate £20,953).

He lived in Rochester (Kent) and London until his retirement in c.1878. He then bought a house at Putney (Surrey). He purchased Ballynahinch Castle (Co. Galway), with 192,000 acres in 1872, and remodelled the house c.1874, but never lived there. He also had property in east Kent and Somerset by 1883.

He died 20 September, and was buried with his former partner at Margate Cemetery, 24 September 1887, where he is commemorated by a monument. By his will, proved 13 October 1887 (effects £312,567), Berridge bequeathed £200,000 to be applied for the advancement and propagation of education in the economic and sanitary sciences in Great Britain. His former partner, 'Laura Berridge', died 28 June and was buried at Margate, 2 July 1887.

* The entry gives her surname as Wilson, presumably reflecting the legal marital status of his mother.

** Who was naturalised as a British citizen in 1901.

Berridge, Richard (1870-1941). Illegitimate only son of Richard MacCarthy (later Berridge) (1812-87) by his partner, Laura Isabella, daughter of Thomas Dove, brewery clerk, and separated wife of Thomas Harries Wilson, gent., born at Norwood (Surrey), 21 April 1870 and apparently baptised at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster (Middx), 4 April 1872*. Educated at Queen's College, Oxford (matriculated 1888). JP and DL for Co. Galway; High Sheriff of Co. Galway, 1894-95.  An officer in Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (Lt., 1915) during First World War. A Roman Catholic in religion. He married, 11 January 1905, Mary Eulalia (1880-1957), only daughter of Robert Whitman Lesley (1852-1936)** of Lesselyn Court, Haverford, Pennsylvania (USA), and had issue:

(1) Anne Thomson Berridge (1906-95), born 13 January 1906; married, 24 April 1941 at Our Lady of the Assumption, Warwick St., Westminster (Middx), Roger Soame Jenyns (1904-76) of Bottisham Hall (Cambs), Asst Keeper of Oriental Antiquities at British Museum, eldest son of Roger William Bulwer Jenyns (1858-1936), and had issue two sons; died 21 December 1995; will proved 26 June 1996;

(2) Lt-Col. Robert Lesley Berridge (1907-83), born 19 September 1907; educated at Downside, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and Trinity College, Cambridge (BA 1930); an officer in the Royal Engineers (2nd Lt., c.1930; Lt., 1930; Capt., 1938; Maj., 1944; retired as Lt-Col., 1948), who served in the Second World War and was taken prisoner by the Japanese; lived at Ashleam House, Monkstown (Co. Cork) and Screebe House, Maam Cross (Co. Galway) and later at Owenmore, Carrigaline (Co. Cork); married, 10 July 1934 at Westminster Cathedral, Cicely Dorothea (1910-2001), younger daughter of Christopher Guy Orme (d. 1929) of Owenmore (Co. Mayo), and had issue one son and one daughter; died 25 February 1983; will proved in Ireland, 14 December 1983 and in England, 21 February 1984 (estate in England, £35,941);

(3) Eulalia Beatrice Berridge (1910-88), born 4 January 1910; lived at Enniskerry (Co. Wicklow); died 18 January 1988; will proved in Ireland, 22 June 1988 (estate £355,956) and in England, 16 September 1988 (estate in England, £34,132);

(4) Dr Francis Richard (k/a Dick) Berridge (1910-78), born 21 December 1910; educated at Downside, Trinity College, Cambridge (BA 1931; BCh 1936; MB 1937; MA 1938) and St George's Hospital (MRCS, LRCP); MRCP, 1961; FRCP, 1968; consultant radiologist in Cambridge and Newmarket; editor of British Journal of Radiology, 1956-61; and author of numerous medical publications; afflicted with deafness from childhood; married, 6 July 1940, Margaret Virginia (1919-2003), radiographer, daughter of Samuel Wilfred Peter Daw (1879-1944) of Par (Cornw.), surgeon, and had issue one son and three daughters; retired to Wells-next-the-Sea (Norfk); died suddenly, 19 April 1978; will proved 13 July 1978 (estate £81,155);

(5) Brig. James Willcox Berridge (1918-2012), born 19 November 1918; educated at Downside and Peterhouse, Cambridge (BA 1939); an officer in the army (2nd Lt., 1939; Lt., 1946; Capt., 1946; Maj., 1951; Lt-Col., 1957; Col., 1962; retired as Brigadier, 1966), who served in the Second World War; and in Palestine, 1947 (mentioned in despatches); ADC to Governor-General of Canada, 1950-51; awarded MBE 1957; lived at Adamstown (Co. Wexford) and in Belgium; married, 4 October 1952, Baroness Prisca Isabelle Marie Josephe Huberte Ghislaine (1923-2007), sixth daughter of Baron Joseph van der Straten Waillet of Chateau de Waillet (Belgium), and had issue two sons and two daughters; died 25 May 2012 and was buried at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Newbawn (Co. Wexford).

He inherited Ballynahinch Castle from his father in 1887, but sold most of the estate to the Congested Districts Board in 1894. He leased and later sold the Castle to Kumar shri Ranjitsinhji (1872-1933), the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar from 1924.

He died at Stroods House, Uckfield (Sussex), 30 October 1941; his will was proved 28 May 1942 (estate £374). His widow died 19 June 1957; her will was proved 15 October 1957 (estate £82,590).

* The entry gives his forenames as Richard Berridge, and his parents' surname as Wilson, presumably reflecting the legal marital status of his mother.

** Mr Lesley established a trust fund of $100,000 for his grandchildren, which was apportioned equally between six of them in 1941.

Principal sources

Burke's Irish Family Records, 1976, p. 106; J.A.K. Dean, The gate lodges of Connaught: a gazetteer, 2019, pp. 20-21;

https://www.ballynahinch-castle.com/en/about-us/history/historical-reports

Location of archives

Berridge of Ballynahinch: deeds, legal and trust papers, 1878-1924 [London Metropolitan Archives, Acc. 1406]

Coat of arms

Azure, on a fesse between three dolphins naiant or as many anchors erect sable.

Can you help?

• 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 26 December 2024.

(589) Bernard (later Beamish-Bernard) of Palace Anne

Bernard of Palace Anne 

The Bernards of Palace Anne are a cadet branch of the Bernards of Castle Bernard (Co. Cork), Earls of Bandon, and the genealogy below begins with Arthur Bernard (1666-1735), the second son of Francis Bernard (c.1640-90) of Castle Mahon, and the younger brother of Francis Bernard (1663-1731), judge and MP. Like his brother, he was attainted by the Jacobite parliament in 1689, but quickly rehabilitated after King William III's defeat of James II. He was married in 1695 and evidently lived at first at Lismore Castle, where he or his father-in-law seems to have held a tenancy, but around a decade later he built a new house, called Palace Anne in honour of his wife, on land west of Bandon which he had inherited from his father. According to one tradition, a first house was destroyed by fire soon after being completed, and was then replaced by the building recorded below, which is said to have been built in 1714. Arthur and Anne had a large family of fourteen children, but their eldest son and heir was Roger Bernard (1703-56), who served as Provost of Bandon in 1737 and 1751. He married in 1740 and produced a single son, Roger Bernard (1742-73), who was High Sheriff of Co. Cork in 1768. The younger Roger was unmarried, though he had an illegitimate son, and so on his death Palace Anne passed to his uncle, Arthur Bernard (1716-93), who served as provost of Bandon no less than eight times in the second half of the 18th century. He had four sons and three daughters, but his eldest son and heir, Thomas Bernard (d. 1795) survived him by only two years, and died without issue. For reasons which are unclear, Thomas disinherited his younger brother, Maj. Arthur Bernard (c.1757-1837), who pursued a military career, in favour of his nephew, Arthur Beamish (c.1772-1855), the second son of his sister Elizabeth. Arthur, who took the name Beamish-Bernard as a consequence of his inheritance, played a prominent role, alongside his younger brothers, in the resistance to the agrarian rebellion of 1821-24, and was later active in efforts to bring new investment into the Irish countryside. He became a local director of the Agricultural & Commercial Bank of Ireland and set up the Palace Anne Mills, built in 1837, as a means of generating employment in the area. Unfortunately the mill was an economic disaster and he was bankrupted in 1842. The estate never recovered from this blow, and he seems to have first rented Palace Anne itself to his brother George Beamish (c.1780-1868) and then in 1853 sold most of the land through the Encumbered Estates Court. He died without legitimate issue in 1855, and ownership of Palace Anne seems to have passed either to George or directly to Arthur's nephew, Arthur Beamish-Bernard (1831-88), who ultimately became the owner, but who had emigrated to the United States before 1855 and never returned. The house at Palace Anne was apparently unoccupied from at least 1868 and possibly earlier, and by 1873, when Arthur sold the freehold, it was derelict. Subsequent owners used only one wing of the house and the rest was eventually demolished in 1957.

Palace Anne, Enniskean (Co. Cork)

Palace Anne was one of the most interesting early 18th century houses in Ireland. It was built for Arthur Bernard (1666-1735), who is said to have first built a similar house on a site a mile and a half to the south at a place called Farnasheshary, which was destroyed by fire, after which he built Palace Anne in 1714, and named it in compliment to his wife, Anne Le Poer. This story seems first to have been recorded in 1850, but one must question its probability, since it would entail a remarkable expenditure on building in a world without fire insurance, and the site of the first house is not identifiable. On the other hand, genealogical papers state that those of his children born in or after 1706 were born at Palace Anne, so either the house was built a little earlier than usually stated, or else there really was an earlier house which was known by the same name.

Palace Anne: print of the east front published in 1834, from the Dublin Penny Journal.

Palace Anne originally consisted of a central seven bay block connected by short links to two-bay wings, built of red bricks with moulded brick and limestone dressings. The east front extended to some 140 feet and faced the main road from Bandon; it must have made a remarkably stylish statement to those travelling west. The central block consisted of two storeys over a high basement, with an attic above fronted by three Dutch shaped gables of a type fashionable in England half a century earlier. The wings were lower, of a single storey over the basement, but each had a single shaped gable echoing those on the central block. Inside, the house had a panelled hall, a handsome staircase, and a room known as the Bullock's Hall, with a large carved head of a bullock placed over the fireplace that is said to have commemorated an exceptionally large animal butchered for the housewarming feast.

Palace Anne: the house in 1866. Image: Victoria & Albert Museum

Palace Anne: the ruins of the house and the surviving south wing in the early 20th century. Image: Irish Architectural Archive.

Palace Anne: the remaining south wing in recent years.
Image: The Buildings of Ireland 

Between the house and the road there was a formal garden of topiary and parterres, said to have been maintained into the 19th century in its original early 18th century form, but there was also a large walled garden with a two acre nut grove, a fish pond, and a bath house. All this was lost after the death of Arthur Beamish-Bernard in 1855, when the house was abandoned and quickly declined into ruin. The south wing was refurbished as a dwelling before 1944, but the rest of the house was pulled down in 1957, and now the surviving wing is in a state of serious dilapidation and used only for storage, the owners having moved into a modern farmhouse nearby.

Descent: built for Arthur Bernard (1666-1735); to son, Roger Bernard (1703-56); to son, Roger Bernard (1742-73); to uncle, Arthur Bernard (1716-93); to son, Thomas Bernard (d. 1795); to nephew, Arthur Beamish (later Beamish-Bernard) (c.1772-1855); to nephew, Arthur Beamish-Bernard (1831-88); abandoned and sold in derelict condition 1873 to James Lane... Timothy Creeden (d. c.1893)... Robert Warner (fl. 1899-1944)...

Bernard family of Palace Anne

Bernard, Arthur (1666-1735). Second son of Francis Bernard (c.1640-90) of Castle Mahon (Co. Cork) and his wife Mary, daughter of Capt Arthur Freke of Castle Freke (Co. Cork), born 1666. He was attainted by the Jacobite 'Patriot' Parliament of 1689, but the attainder was reversed by King William III and he became High Sheriff of Co. Cork, 1697, 1706 and Provost of Bandon, 1718. He married, 22 December 1695 at Lismore Castle (Co. Waterford), Anne, daughter and co-heiress of Roger Power (or Le Poer) of Mount Eglantine (Co Waterford), and had issue:  

(1) Mary Bernard (1698-1776), born at Lismore Castle, 13 May 1698; married, 29 October 1721, William Conner (d. 1766) of Connerville (Co. Cork), and had issue five sons and several daughters; buried at Kilbrogan, 16 September 1776;

(2) Ann Bernard (1700-68), born at Lismore Castle, 14 January 1699/1700; married, 1726, Charles Gookin (d. 1758) of Lislee (Co. Cork); buried at Kilbrogan, 19 October 1768; will proved at Cork, 1768;

(3) Thomasine Bernard (b. 1701), born at Lismore Castle, 29 June, 1701; married William Coghlan of Youghal (Co. Cork) and had issue;

(4) Elizabeth Bernard (1702-c.1775), born at Lismore Castle, 6 October 1702; married, 1731, Maj. Jeffrey Gibbon (d. 1738?); will proved at Cork, 1775;

(5) Roger Bernard (1703-56) (q.v.);

(6) Margaret Bernard; married, 1729, Edmund Barrett of Towermore;

(7) Francis Bernard (b. 1706), born at Palace Anne, 7 October 1706; married Elizabeth [surname unknown] and had issue;

(8) Catherine Bernard (b. 1708), born at Palace Anne, March 1707/8; married, 1741, Edward Martin (d. 1750) of Cork and had issue one daughter; 

(9) Arthur Bernard (1716-93) (q.v.)

(10) Henrietta Bernard (b. 1712), born 27 March 1712; married, 1736, her first cousin, William Bernard (d. 1774), fifth son of Francis Bernard (1663-1731) of Castle Bernard, Bandon (Co. Cork);

(11) Arabella Bernard (b. 1713), born at Palace Anne, 10 August 1713; died unmarried;

(12) Alicia Bernard (1715-62), born at Palace Anne, 2nd January 1714/5; married, 1734, Benjamin Green (1711-65), seventh son of Simon Green of Youghal (Co. Cork), and had issue one daughter; died 8 August 1762;

(13) Dorothy Bernard (b. 1716), born Palace Anne, 29 July 1716; married William Cooper;

(14) George Bernard (1719-51), born at Palace Anne, 7 May 1719; an officer in the army (Ensign, 1739; Lt.; Capt.); married, 20 July 1748 at St George's Chapel, Mayfair, Westminster (Middx), Mary (1727-1816), daughter of Sir William Codrington, bt. of Dodington (Glos), and had issue one son (later General George Bernard (1749-1820) of Heaton Lodge, Kirkheaton (Yorks WR)); died in Dublin, 1751; will proved in Dublin, 1751.

He built Palace Anne on lands inherited from his father. A first house may have been built c.1706 and replaced by another on a different site c.1714.

He was buried at Ballymodan (Co Cork), 15 December 1735; his will was proved in 1736. His widow was buried at Ballymodan, 18 June 1749.  

Bernard, Roger (1703-56). Eldest son of Arthur Bernard (1666-1735) and his wife Anne, daughter and co-heiress of Roger Power (or Le Poer) of Mount Eglantine (Co Waterford), born at Lismore Castle, 7 December 1703.  Provost of Bandon, 1737 and 1751. He married, 1740 at Cork, Dorcas Harper (d. 1762), and had issue:

(1) Roger Bernard (1742-74) (q.v.).

He inherited Palace Anne from his father in 1735.

He died in 1756; administration of his goods was granted to his brother Arthur, 28 December 1756. His widow was buried at Ballymodan (Co. Cork), 27 August 1762.

Bernard, Roger (1742-73). Only child of Roger Bernard (b. 1703) and his wife D. Harper, born 1742. Educated at St John's College, Cambridge (matriculated 1761). High Sheriff of Co. Cork, 1767; JP for Co. Cork, 1768. He was unmarried but had an illegitimate son by Jane Donovan:

(X1) William Bernard (fl. 1772).

He inherited Palace Anne from his father in 1756 and came of age in 1763. At his death it passed to his uncle, Arthur Bernard (1716-93).

He died in 1773; administration of his goods was granted to his uncle Arthur Bernard, 26 October 1773.

Bernard, Arthur (1716-93). Third son of Arthur Bernard (1666-1735) and his wife Anne, daughter and co-heiress of Roger Power (or Le Poer) of Mount Eglantine (Co Waterford), born 1716. Provost of Bandon, 1745, 1755, 1762, 1772, 1780, 1784, 1786 and 1790. He married, 1735, his cousin Mary, daughter of Francis Adderley and great-granddaughter of Sir Matthew Hale, and had issue:

(1) Francis Bernard; died without issue, presumably in the lifetime of his father; 
(2) Thomas Bernard (d. 1795) (q.v.);

(3) Roger Bernard (d. 1747); died young and was buried at Ballymodan, 14 March 1747;

(4) Elizabeth Bernard (c.1748-1839) (q.v.);

(5) Alicia Bernard (b. 1754), baptised at Kilbrogan, 13 August 1754; married, 18 September 1788 at Kilbrogan, Rev. John Hingston (1762-99), curate of Kilbrogan, fifth son of Rev. James Hingston (d. 1776) of Aglish (Co. Cork) and rector of Donoughmore (Co. Cork), and had issue three sons and one daughter;

(6) Anne Bernard (c.1755-1824); died unmarried and was buried at Kilbrogan, 23 January 1824. 

(7) Arthur Bernard (c.1757-1837); an officer in the army (Ensign, 1780; Lt., 1781; Capt., 1808; Maj., 1825; retired on half-pay 1826); was disinherited by his elder brother and lived at Longford Row, Cork; married, 1780, Margaret (d. 1838), daughter of John Warren (d. 1800) of Castle Warren (Co. Cork), and had issue eight children; died 14 December 1837.

He inherited Palace Anne from his nephew.

He died in 1793. His wife's date of death is unknown.

Bernard, Thomas (d. 1795).  Eldest surviving son of Arthur Bernard (1716-93) and his wife Mary, daughter of Francis Adderley of Innishannon (Co. Cork), born about 1740. He married, December 1778, Harriet alias Henrietta, daughter of Arthur Lucas of Grange, Fermoy (Co. Cork), but had no issue.

He inherited Palace Anne from his father in 1793. At his death it passed to his nephew, Arthur Beamish (later Beamish-Bernard).

His will was proved in 1795. His wife's date of death is unknown. 

Bernard, Elizabeth (c.1748-1839). Eldest daughter of of Arthur Bernard (1716-93) and his wife Mary, daughter of Francis Adderley. She married, 3 July 1766 at Kilbrogan (Co. Cork), Richard Beamish (d. c.1788) of Raheroon (Co. Cork), son of Thomas Beamish of Raheroon (Co. Cork), and had issue:

(1) Thomas Beamish (c.1770-1823), born about 1770; an officer in the army (Lt., 1793; Capt., 1794; Maj., 1804), who successfully defended Fort Irois, San Domingo, against a French force, 1796, and was mentioned in despatches; died unmarried and without issue, and was buried at Ballymodan (Co. Cork), 16 November 1823;

(2) Arthur Beamish (later Beamish-Bernard) (c.1772-1855) (q.v.); 

(3) Vincent Beamish (c.1774-96) an officer in the army (Lt., 1795); died unmarried in the West Indies in 1796; 

(4) Samuel Beamish (later Beamish-Bernard) (1777-1853) (q.v.); 

(5) George Beamish (c.1780-1868); army officer (Ensign, 1805; Lt., 1806; Captain); apparently rented Palace Anne in 1847, and is said to have inherited Palace Anne on the death of his brother in 1855, but died unmarried, 1868;

(6) Bernard Beamish (1781-1871); army officer (Ensign, 1808; Lt.); tried for murder following a duel between Daniel Conner and Capt. Daunt in which he acted as second to Conner and Daunt was killed, but was acquitted, 1826; married, 5 January 1839 at Desertserges (Co. Cork), Elizabeth (d. 1868), daughter of John Beamish (c.1769-1848), but had no issue; buried, 22 November 1871; 

(7) Adderley Beamish (later Beamish-Bernard) (c.1787-1866), of Kilcoleman House (Co. Cork) and Byard's Lodge (Yorks), born 18 October 1795; army officer (Ensign, 1806; Lt., 1807; Capt., 1819; retired on half-pay by 1822 but returned to service 1829), who served at Talavera (wounded) and Waterloo, and later in the Hanoverian service; married 1st, 19 September 1823 at Knaresborough (Yorks WR), Frances, daughter and heiress of General George Bernard (1749-1820) of Heaton Lodge, Kirkheaton (Yorks WR), Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod to Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and had issue one daughter; married 2nd, 10 July 1845 at the British Embassy in Frankfurt, Anna Catherine (d. 1882), third daughter of Capt. George Walker RN of Fermoy (Co. Cork), and had issue two sons; died at Mayence (Germany), 17 July 1866; will proved in London, 10 August 1867 (effects in England under £600);

(8) Richard Beamish (fl. 1803); died unmarried after April 1803;

(9) Elizabeth Adderley Beamish; married, 1791, her cousin, Thomas Austen (1756-1833) of Skeaf House, Kilmalooda (Co. Cork), son of Vincent Austen, and had issue; 

(10) Mary Beamish (d. 1836); married, 23 April 1800, Maj. William Sullivan (94th/79th regiment); died at Palace Anne, 28 October 1836;

(11) Jane Beamish, married, 11 April 1809 at St Mary, Shandon (Co. Cork), her cousin, Francis Bernard, fourth son of Capt. Arthur Bernard (84th Foot) and grandson of Arthur Bernard of Palace Anne and Mary Adderley, and had issue;

(12) Anne Beamish (c.1777-1858); died unmarried, aged 81, in Dublin, 3 December 1858.

She died in 1839. Her husband's will was proved in 1788.

Beamish (later Beamish-Bernard), Arthur (c.1772-1855). Second son of Thomas Beamish (d. c.1788) of Raheroon (Co. Cork) and his wife Elizabeth, elder daughter of Arthur Bernard of Palace Anne. JP for Co. Cork. Captain commanding the East Carbery Yeomanry, who took an active part in combatting the 'Whiteboys" during the Agrarian Rebellion of 1821-24. He took the additional name of Bernard on inheriting the Palace Anne estate in 1795. He was one of the local promoters and directors of the Agricultural & Commercial Bank of Ireland in the 1830s, and built and operated the Palace Anne Mills, but was found bankrupt, 1842. He was unmarried and without legitimate issue, but had at least two illegitimate sons:

(X1) Adderley Bernard (b. 1823), baptised at Kinneigh or Murragh, 29 November 1823;

(X2) Thomas Bernard (fl. 1847); married, 8 June 1847 at Ballymodan (Co. Cork), Mary, daughter of [forename unknown] Gillman and widow of Barry Gregg of Castle Vind (Co. Cork).  

He inherited Raheroon from his father in 1788 and came of age in c.1793. He inherited Palace Anne from his uncle, Thomas Bernard, in 1795. In 1852 he offered 3,300 acres at Palace Anne for sale through the Encumbered Estates Court. He let Palace Anne to his brother George.

He died aged 83 on 16 January and was buried at Ballymodan (Co. Cork), 19 January 1855; his will was proved in 1855.

Beamish (later Bernard-Beamish), Samuel (1777-1853). Sixth son of of Thomas Beamish of Raheroon (Co. Cork) and his wife Elizabeth, elder daughter of Arthur Bernard of Palace Anne, born 1777. An officer in the army (Ensign, 1806; Lt., 1807; Capt., 1820). He took the additional name of Bernard before 1834. He married, September 1818, Ellen alias Ellinor (c.1800-43), second daughter of Godfrey Byrne (d. 1832) of Bow Park, nr Dublin, and had issue:

(1) Elizabeth Brampton Beamish (1823-62), baptised at Ballymoney, 25 March 1823; emigrated to America with her husband; married, c.1857, as his first wife, Mountiford Longfield McCarthy (1835-1901), son of William Daunt McCarthy, and had issue at least two sons; died 15 January 1862;

(2) Ellen Godfrey Bernard Beamish (1825-1918), baptised at Ballymoney, 21 June 1825; lived at Killinear, Enniskeane (Co. Cork); died unmarried; will proved 20 November 1918;

(3) Marianne Adderley Beamish (b. 1829), baptised at Kinneigh, 11 November 1829;

(4) Arthur Beamish (later Beamish-Bernard (1831-88) (q.v.);

(5) Richard Brampton Adderley Beamish (later Beamish-Bernard) (1834-62), born 11 May 1834 and baptised at Kilbrogan, 30 August 1842; killed at the battle of Antietam, Maryland (USA) in the American Civil War, 17 September 1862.

He lived at Magmόr in the parish of Killowen

He died at Palace Anne, 27 April 1853. His wife died 29 June and was buried 3 July 1843.

Beamish-Bernard, Arthur (1831-88). Elder son of Samuel Beamish (later Bernard-Beamish) of Magmόr in the parish of Killowen, and his wife Ellen alias Ellinor, second daughter of Godfrey Byrne of Bow Park, nr. Dublin, born 20 January and baptised at Kinneigh (Co. Cork), 24 January 1831. He emigrated to America, arriving on 18 September 1850 on the "Roscius" from Liverpool, aged 19. He settled at Palmyra, Jefferson, Wisconsin in 1852 and by 1856 owned a 240 acre farm. He married, 14 November 1852, Elizabeth McCarthy (b. 1830), but had no legitimate issue. He fostered a child (Richard McCarthy), born about 1862.

Either on the death of his uncle Arthur in 1855 or of his uncle George in 1868, he inherited what remained of the Palace Anne estate, but left it unoccupied and decaying. He sold it in 1873.

He died in Jefferson, Wisconsin (USA), 22 June 1888. His wife's date of death is unknown.

Principal sources

Burke's Landed Gentry, 1850, p.87; Burke's Irish Family Records, 1976, p. 86; H.L. Connor, 'Palace Anne, Co. Cork', Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, 1958, vol. 63, no. 167, pp. 15-17; F. Keohane, The buildings of Ireland: Cork city and county, 2020, pp. 396-98;

http://www.bandon-genealogy.com/Bernards_of_Palace_Anne.htm

Location of archives

No significant accumulation is known to survive.

Coat of arms

Argent, a bend azure, charged with three escallop shells of the first.

Can you help?

• Can anyone supply further information about the ownership history of Palace Anne after its sale by the Bernard family?
• 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 11 November 2024.

(587) Bernard of Castle Bernard now Kinnitty Castle (Co. Offaly)

The origins of this family are obscure, but they seem not to be related to the Bernards of Castle Bernard (Co. Cork); certainly not closely. They were evidently settled in Co. Carlow by the early 17th century, and there are references in deeds and other documents to members of the family living in or around the town of Carlow (then known as Catherlough) from 1619 onwards at properties including Straw Hill, Clonmulsh (spelled in a bewildering variety of ways) and Oldtown. It seems, however, not to be possible to construct a coherent genealogy before the time of Thomas Bernard (c.1655-1720), who served as High Sheriff of Co. Carlow in 1708, by which time the family clearly had gentry status. Thomas married, about 1688, a widow called Deborah Humfrey, who was the daughter of Matthew Sheppard of Killerick (Co. Carlow) and his wife Mary Franck. Deborah already had five sons from her first marriage, but together they produced three more sons and two daughters over the next decade or so. Thomas seems also to have owned land in Queen's County (now Co. Leix*), and his eldest son, Charles Bernard (c.1688-1732) settled there. His two younger sons, Franks (c.1689-1760) - who derived his name from his maternal grandmother's maiden name - and Joseph (1694-1763), shared the Carlow property between them. Franks Bernard subsequently leased an estate called Castletown at Kinnitty in King's County (now Co. Offaly*), which became the nucleus of the later Castle Bernard estate, but he lived mainly in Carlow and probably sold Castletown to his nephew, Thomas Bernard (c.1719-88), the eldest son of his brother Joseph. It was probably this Thomas or his son and namesake, Thomas Bernard (c.1747-1815), who replaced the ancient tower house at Castletown with a more modern residence, changed the name to Castle Bernard, and commenced the landscaping of the grounds. 

Thomas (d. 1815), 'a gentleman of large fortune' was succeeded by his only son, another Thomas Bernard (1769-1834), who was active in the militia during the 1798 uprising and became MP for King's County in 1802, holding the seat for thirty years until the extension of the franchise at the Great Reform Act weakened his hold on the constituency. He was married twice, and on both occasions his bride was of higher social status, his first wife being the daughter of a baron and his second wife the sister of an earl. After being rejected by the electorate in 1832 he seems to have decided to devote his energies to the rebuilding of Castle Bernard, and he obtained designs from the Pain brothers for a substantial and fashionably Gothic house. Unfortunately he did not live to enjoy it, for he died in 1834, barely a year into construction, and the house had to be completed under the direction of his widow, Lady Catherine Bernard, who was also left to bring up four sons and two daughters. The eldest son, Thomas Bernard (1816-82), pursued a career in the army which was cut short after the explosion of a gun while he was out shooting occasioned the amputation of his right hand. He was initially regarded as a benign landlord, but his reputation deteriorated over time as he sought to reduce the population of his estates. In 1867 he became the Lord Lieutenant of King's County, an appointment which he retained until his death. He never married, and his death precipitated something of a crisis in the affairs of the family. 

Thomas had had three younger brothers, all of whom predeceased him. Francis (1818-46) died unmarried; Richard Wellesley (1822-77) had no children; and John Henry Scroope (1820-56) died from the effects of his service in the Crimea, having produced a son and daughter. However, by the 1880s it was clear that the son, Thomas Scroope Wellesley Bernard (1850-1905) was unlikely to be a good steward of the family estate, since he had dissipated a not inconsiderable inheritance, and his uncle chose instead to leave Castle Bernard to his niece, Margeurite (1852-1910), and her husband, Capt. Caulfeild French (1839-1910), although T.S.W. Bernard was in remainder in the event of their having no issue. Capt. French proved to be a harsh and adversarial landlord, who paid a lower wage for a longer day than was usual on neighbouring estates, on one occasion prompting a general strike by his labourers. He and his wife died without issue within a couple of months in the summer of 1910, whereupon the remainder in the will of Thomas Bernard (d. 1882) came into effect. Although T.S.W. Bernard had died five years earlier, he had left his entire estate to his widow, Monica Gertrude Bernard (1857-1948), with remainder to their four daughters, and the family now came to live at Castle Bernard. During the troubled years of the Irish War of Independence and Civil War, Mrs Bernard became alarmed for their safety and arranged for troops to be stationed at the house to offer them some protection. Unfortunately in 1922 the troops were withdrawn and irregular republican forces took advantage of the opportunity to burn the house down in July 1922. Compensation was subsequently claimed and the house was successfully rebuilt in 1928-30, the Bernards coming back into residence until shortly before Mrs Bernard's death, but in 1946 it was sold to Lord Decies, subsequently passing into public ownership and being converted to institutional use in the 1950s.

* The historic names of these two counties were changed in the 20th century for political reasons. I have used the modern names where they describe geographical locations, but retained the contemporary names where they refer to public offices, since to talk about the 'High Sheriff of Co. Offaly' would be anachronistic.

Castle Bernard, Kinnitty, Co. Offaly (now Kinnitty Castle)

The site has a long occupation history, going back to an Anglo-Norman motte and bailey castle, which stood about 200 yards south of the present house. This was destroyed in 1207 and rebuilt, possibly in stone, in 1213. It later became one of the five chiefry castles of the O'Carroll family, and probably took the form of a tower house. It has long been demolished, but several ogee-headed windows inserted into the stableyard wall in the 19th century may be survivals from it. 

The Bernard family became associated with the site, then known as Castletown, in the early 18th century, when Franks Bernard leased a small estate here. Either he or more probably his nephew Thomas Bernard (d. 1788) acquired the freehold and built the modest T-plan house which forms the south-east corner of the present building. This property, which was already called Castle Bernard by the beginning of the 19th century, was described by Arthur Atkinson in The Irish Tourist (1815) as 'one of the most interesting romantic villas in that part of Ireland', though his praise seems to have been based less on the architecture than on its 'retired beauties', notably its setting on a plain below the Slieve Bloom mountains next to the River Camcor, and 'the planting which forms an embroidery to this demesne'.

Castle Bernard: the north front of the house in the early 20th century. Image: National Library of Ireland.

A later Thomas Bernard (1769-1834), who was MP for King's County for thirty years, greatly expanded the estate and decided at the end of his life to enlarge and entirely transform the house into a Tudor Gothic mansion better fitting the name 'Castle Bernard'. He chose as his architects the Pain brothers (James and George Richard) from Limerick and Cork, whose designs were influenced by both the castle-style buildings they had erected for John Nash in the 1810s, and the Tudor Gothic buildings of Sir Richard and William Vitruvius Morrison. It

Quinville House, Co. Clare

seems likely that George Richard Pain was chiefly responsible for the design of Castle Bernard. The elevations are taller and more compact than some of the Pain brothers' earlier houses, such as Dromoland (Co. Clare) or Mitchelstown (Co. Cork), and are very similar in overall effect to the house they built at Quinville (Co. Clare) in 1827, although they were working here on a rather larger scale. Thomas Bernard died only a year after construction began, and the house was completed for his widow, as their eldest son did not come of age until 1837. The Georgian house was retained but the new house, which was nearly twice as wide, was built in front of its main elevation. The new north front was the focus for the stylistic impact: it was given battered basement walls, canted bays, steeply-pitched gables and a complex roofline with pinnacles and tall chimneystacks. At the north-west corner the house sprouted an octagonal tower crowned with machicolation and pinnacles that has Guy's Tower at Warwick Castle in its distant ancestry and Charleville Castle as a closer relation. The side elevations by contrast are fairly plain, with only hood-moulds over the large mullioned and transomed windows and crenellated parapets that are raised into a gable in the middle. All the new elevations were executed in a fine blue-grey limestone that is attractive in sunshine but rather dour in wet or gloomy weather. The older part of the house at the back was given a Gothic dress and rendered to mask the red sandstone of which it was originally built. It is thought that the house was built by Henry, Mullins & MacMahon, whose archive (now in the Irish Architectural Archive) includes some alternative designs, including one with a porte-cochère and another with a circular rather than a polygonal tower.

Castle Bernard: the house after the fire, 1922.

On 23 July 1922 the house was burnt by irregular republican forces, who gave the occupants half an hour to leave but only allowed them to remove personal possessions. Seven fires were then set in different parts of the building, and the interiors, furniture and pictures were completely destroyed, although the external walls largely remained standing. The Bernard family sought compensation of £42,000 for their losses but were eventually awarded a total of £24,000, which they thought would allow a 'partial reinstatement'. In the event, the whole house was restored in 1928-30 to the designs of Joseph John Bruntz (1881-1954) of Edenderry (Co. Offaly), but no attempt was made to recreate the lost decorative schemes, and the simplest new internal decoration was applied. 

Kinnitty Castle: the reconstructed house in 2007. Image: Sarah777 on Wikimedia

Entering through the porch on the north front, the visitor ascends to the level of the principal rooms by a flight of steps the full width of the entrance hall, and passes through a screen of three narrow arches into a central vestibule lit by a stained glass window, which acts as the central circulation space of the house. The rooms to the west of the hall and vestibule were entirely reshaped by Bruntz, who created a new double-aspect drawing room here (now used as a dining room). On the other side of the vestibule is the top-lit staircase hall, which has a new timber staircase of the 1920s, and also the entrance to the former billiards room (now the main drawing room). The room in the north-east corner of the house is now furnished as a library but used as a bar area. Here and in the central vestibule the walls are panelled with robust oak panelling which has the look and feel of 1830s work and may have been salvaged after the fire. The room functions and decoration have been much altered to suit the present use of the house as an hotel.

Kinnitty Castle: the former billiards room (now drawing room). Image: Trip Advisor

Kinnitty Castle: the library/bar. Image: Trip Advisor

As noted above, development of the grounds began in association with the 18th century house. A map of 1809 shows a small area around the house had been landscaped, but this was greatly expanded later, and by 1859 the estate was receiving so many picnic parties that visitors were  required to obtain a ticket in advance. Much of the attraction of the demesne is due to the way the River Camcor or Castletown River winds through the estate, passing just to the east of the house, where it is crossed by a (now derelict) suspension footbridge built between 1838 and 1850 for Thomas Bernard (1816-82). Another bridge, further south, carries an approach drive from the north entrance to the estate, where there is a grand carriage archway flanked by curtain walls which conceal a porter's lodge on one side and contain a postern gate on the other. On stylistic grounds, this north lodge is likely to be by the Pain brothers. The entrance screen replaced an earlier pair of lodges, which may have been contemporary with the main (south) lodge. This is thought to date from about 1811, and to be associated with a scheme by Samuel Beazley for a school and park entrance, for which he exhibited designs at the Royal Academy in that year. The lodge was extended to either side with additional gables c.1885, but the original building was a rather pretty Gothick design with a pair of blank quatrefoils either side of an ogee-headed doorcase set in a concave surround with clustered colonnettes that derive ultimately from the pattern books of Batty Langley. 

Kinnitty Castle: the south lodge, perhaps originally of 1811 but extended in 1885. Image: Buildings of Ireland.

Kinnitty Castle: the pyramidal mausoleum.

South-east of the village of Kinnitty, Thomas Bernard (1769-1834) built a mausoleum in the form of a crisp four-sided pyramid, supposedly influenced by his travels in Egypt.

Descent: Franks Bernard (c.1689-1760); sold? to nephew, Thomas Bernard (c.1719-88); to son, Thomas Bernard (c.1747-1815); to son, Thomas Bernard MP (1769-1834); to son, Thomas Bernard (1816-82); to niece, Margeurite (1852-1910), wife of Capt. Caulfeild French (1839-1910); to her brother's widow, Monica Gertrude Bernard (1857-1948); who sold 1946 to Arthur George Marcus Douglas de la Poer Beresford (1915-92), 6th Baron Decies; sold 1951 to Irish Government for conversion to an Agricultural College; sold 1995 for conversion to an hotel. 

Bernard family of Castle Bernard (now Kinnity Castle)

Bernard, Thomas (c.1655-1720). Parentage unknown, born about 1655. High Sheriff of Co. Carlow, 1708. He married, c.1688, Deborah (d. 1732), daughter of Matthew Shepherd (d. 1663)* of Killerick (Co. Carlow) and widow of Edward Humfrey (d. 1686) of Clonagh (Co. Carlow), and had issue:

(1) Charles Bernard (c.1688-1732), of Bernard's Grove (now Blandsfort, Co. Leix); High Sheriff of Co. Carlow, 1718; married, 12 December 1711 at Marton (Ches.), Rachel Stringer of Nantwich (Ches.), and had issue three sons and three daughters; will proved in 1732;

(2) Franks Bernard (c.1689-1760) (q.v.);

(3) Elizabeth Bernard (c.1690-1755); married 1st, 1712, Henry Rudkin, and had issue two or three sons and five daughters; married 2nd, 1738, William Doyle (d. 1758); died 1755;

(4) Joseph Bernard (1694-1763) (q.v.);

(5) Ann Bernard (d. 1737); married 1st, 1722, Gayton Mainwaring and had issue one son; married 2nd, Thomas Barnes of Grange (Co. Kilkenny); died 1737.

He lived at Oldtown and Clonmulsh (Co. Carlow).

He died in 1720; his will was proved 19 May 1721. His widow died about 1732; her will was proved 5 May 1732.

* Matthew Sheapheard married Marie Franck at Saxelby (Leics) on 27 October 1654 and emigrated to Ireland soon afterwards. This explains how the unusual forename Franks entered the family.

Bernard, Franks (c.1689-1760). Second son of Thomas Bernard (c.1655-1720) of Oldtown and Clonmulsh (Co. Carlow) and his wife Deborah, daughter of Matthew Shepperd of Killerick (Co. Carlow) and widow of Edward Humfrey of Clonagh (Co. Carlow), born about 1689. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1705). He married, c.1708?, Elizabeth [surname unknown] (fl. 1761) and had issue:

(1) Franks Bernard (c.1708-82); married 1st, c.1727, Susanna (d. c.1735), probably the daughter of Thomas Bunbury, and had issue six sons and two daughters; married 2nd, 1735, Mary Grantham (d. 1742) and had further issue two sons*; will proved 1782;

(2) Susan Bernard;

(3) Mary Bernard; married, 1737, James Butler, and had issue one son;

(4) Anne Bernard (d. 1762); married Edward Pickering of Carlow; died 1762;

(5) Deborah Bernard.

He leased a small estate at Castletown (later the nucleus of the Castle Bernard estate) in the early 18th century, but seems to have lived chiefly at Clonsmulsh (Co. Carlow), and probably sold Castletown to his nephew Thomas Bernard (c.1719-88).

His date of death is unknown; his will was proved in 1760. His widow was living in 1761 but her date of death is unknown.

* It is uncertain whether a further marriage in 1750 between Franks Bernard jr. and Margaret Bonham was a third marriage of Franks (d. 1782) or a first marriage of his son Franks (c.1730-96). 

Bernard, Joseph (1694-1763). Third son of Thomas Bernard (c.1655-1720) of Oldtown and Clonmulsh (Co. Carlow) and his wife Deborah, daughter of Matthew Shepperd of Killerick (Co. Carlow) and widow of Edward Humfrey of Clonagh (Co. Carlow), born 1694. High Sheriff of Co. Carlow, 1730. He married, 1717 (licence 5 December), Mary (fl. 1763), daughter of John Edwards (d. 1728) of Old Court (Co. Wicklow), and had issue:

(1) Thomas Bernard (c.1719-88) (q.v.);

(2) John Bernard (c.1720-89); an officer in the Royal Navy (Lt., 1745; last recorded service, 1752); settled at Carlow (Co. Carlow); married, 20 July 1767 at St Andrew, Holborn (Middx), his cousin Frances, daughter of Sir Gilbert Pickering, 3rd bt., and had issue one son and three daughters; he also had an illegitimate son, born prior to his marriage; died at Carlow, 19 November and was buried there, 26 November 1789; will proved in the PCC, 31 October 1791;

(3) William Bernard (d. c.1790), of Straw Hill (Co. Carlow); High Sheriff of Co. Carlow, 1773-74; married, perhaps c.1755, his cousin Mary Bernard, and had issue at least two sons and two daughters; died after 8 February 1789; will proved 2 June 1790;

(4) Jane Bernard (c.1724-98); married, c.1744, William Galbraith (c.1704-54) of Carlow, merchant, and had issue three sons and two daughters; died 30 April 1798 and was buried at Carlow, where she is commemorated by a headstone erected by her daughter;

(5) Mary Bernard (c.1733-1804); married 1st, 1759 (settlement 28 November), Thomas Bennett (c.1732-78), of Ballynloghan and Viewmount (Co. Carlow), and had issue two sons and six daughters; married 2nd, 1782 (settlement 27 April), Mathew Humphrey (b. c.1730?) of Ratheadon (Co. Carlow); died 6 January 1804 and was buried at Loram Cemetery, Carlow;

(6) Deborah Bernard (fl. 1763); married, c.1759, William Rourke, and had issue at least two sons and one daughter; living in 1763;

(7) Jemma Bernard (fl. 1782); married, 1774 (licence 28 September), Rev. Robert Moffat (c.1745-c.1819) of Park Place (Co. Longford), vicar & rector of Cashel and Rathcline, 1780-c.1813 and of Tashinny and Abbeyshrule, c.1813-19?, and had issue one son and five daughters; living in 1782 but death not traced;

(8) Elizabeth Bernard (fl. 1789); married [forename unknown] Latrys and had issue five sons and one daughter; living in 1789;

(9) Ann Bernard (c.1731-1801); married, 1765, Humphrey Mitchell (fl. 1801), possibly the man of this name who was Clerk of the Barrow Navigation in 1787, and had issue one son; died suddenly, while at cards, 17 November 1801, and was buried at Carlow.

He lived at Clonmulsk (Co. Carlow) and inherited Straw Hill from his father.

He died about October 1763; his will was proved 26 November 1763. His widow's date of death is unknown.

Bernard, Thomas (c.1719-88). Eldest son of Joseph Bernard (1694-1763) of Straw Hill (Co. Carlow) and Castletown (Co. Offaly), and his wife Mary, daughter of John Edwards of Old Court (Co. Wicklow), born about 1719. He married 1st, 1740 (settlement 26 May), Jane, daughter of Adam Mitchell of Rathgibbon and widow of Joseph Palmer, and 2nd, c.1762, Mary, widow of Thomas Bernard (d. 1757) of Cloghristick (Co. Carlow), and had issue:

(1.1) Mary Bernard (b. c.1741), born about 1741; married 1st, 1759 (settlement 21 March), James Dillon (d. 1778) of Carlow (Co. Carlow) and had issue one son and one daughter; married 2nd, before 1789, Rev. Edward Palmer;

(1.2) Grace Bernard (c.1744-1836); married, 1767, Philip Going (1741-1820) of Monaquil, son of Robert Going of Traverston, and had issue two sons and three daughters; died March 1836;

(1.3) Susannah Bernard (1745-1819); married, 1769, Bigoe Armstrong (1745-73), son of Archibald Armstrong (b. 1716), and had issue two sons; died July 1819;

(1.4) Thomas Bernard (c.1747-1815) (q.v.);

(1.5) Barbara Bernard (c.1749-90), born about 1749; married, 1769 (contract 19 September) at Birr (Co. Offaly), Robert Lauder of Moyclare (Co. Offaly), High Sheriff of King's County, 1775-76, and had issue two sons and three daughters; died October 1790;

(1.6) Jane Bernard (b. c.1750), born about 1750; married, 1772, Rev. John Smith (d. 1813), vicar of Ballingarry and Uskean (Co. Tipp.), 1776-1809, and had issue three sons and five daughters;

(1.7) Jemima Bernard (c.1755-1825); married George Clarke of Birr; died in Dublin, December 1825.

He probably purchased Castletown from his uncle.

He died in 1788; his will was proved in 1788. His first wife's date of death is unknown. His second wife died before 1768, leaving four children by her first husband, to whom Franks Bernard was appointed guardian.

Bernard, Thomas (c.1747-1815). Only son of Thomas Bernard (c.1719-88) and his wife Jane, daughter of Adam Mitchell of Rathgibbon and widow of Joseph Palmer, born about 1747. High Sheriff of King's County, 1785-86. He married 1st, 15 April 1768, Mary, second daughter of Jonathan Willington of Castle Willington (Co. Offaly) and 2nd, 16 April 1780 at St Mary, Dublin, Margaret (c.1740-1811), daughter and co-heir of Nicholas Biddulph (d. 1762) of Rathrobin and Portal, and widow of Alexander Cornewall (d. 1779) of Lishmote (Co. Limerick), and had issue, with two further daughters who died young:

(1.1) Thomas Bernard (1769-1834) (q.v.);

(1.2) Mary Bernard (c.1770-1804); married, 29 April 1796, as his first wife, Col. Sir Robert Waller (1768-1826), 2nd bt., but had no issue; died 16 July 1804;

(1.3) Barbara Bernard (c.1772-1845) married, 1800 (against her father's wishes, and was disinherited as a result), John Poe (c.1773-1857) of Solsborough (Co. Tipp.), but had no issue; died at Avranches (France), 24 June 1845.

He inherited Castletown from his father and renamed it Castle Bernard.

He died at Birr (Co. Offaly), 8 May 1815; his will was proved in 1815. His first wife died before 1780. His second wife died 31 March 1811.

Bernard, Thomas (1769-1834). Only son of Thomas Bernard (c.1747-1815) and his first wife Mary, daughter of Jonathan Willington of Castle Willington (Co. Offaly), born 1769. High Sheriff of King's County, 1798-99; MP for King's County 1802-32; Colonel of the King's County (Offaly) Militia, 1823; Governor of King's County, 1828-31. He married 1st, 10 September 1800 at Kilboy (Co. Tipp.), Elizabeth (d. 1802), daughter of Henry Prittie (1743-1801), 1st Baron Dunalley, and 2nd, 29 July 1814 at St Michan, Dublin, Lady Catherine Henrietta (c.1792-1844), second daughter of the Hon. Francis Hely-Hutchinson MP (1769-1827) and sister of John Hely-Hutchinson (1787-1851), 3rd Earl of Donoughmore, and had issue:

(2.1) Frances Margaret Bernard (1815-50), eldest child, born 1815; married, 17/18 September 1846 at Kinnitty, as his first wife, Samuel Hamilton Goold-Adams (c.1814-84) of Salisbury (Co. Tipp), fourth son of Michael Goold-Adams (1778-1817) of Jamesbrook (Co. Cork), and had issue one daughter; died March 1850;

(2.2) Thomas Bernard (1816-82) (q.v.);

(2.3) Margeurite Bernard (1817-42), third child, born 1817; died unmarried at Leamington Spa (Warks), 12 October 1842, and was buried in the family mausoleum at Kinnitty;

(2.4) Francis Bernard (1818-46), born December 1818; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1836) King's Inns, Dublin (admitted 1838) and Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1842); died unmarried in Rome (Italy), 27 December 1846; will proved, 1847;

(2.5) John Henry Scroope Bernard (1820-56) (q.v.); 

(2.6) Richard Wellesley Bernard (1822-77), born 25 March or 10 June 1822; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1838; BA 1844), Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1840) and King's Inns, Dublin (called to the Irish bar, 1844); barrister-at-law; served as a volunteer officer in the Austrian service; in the 1850s he was noted as a sportsman and particularly for his prowess in steeplechasing, but he sold his stud of horses on joining the army at the outbreak of the Crimean war, where he fought at Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman; an officer in the King's County Militia Rifles (Ensign, 1846; Lt., c.1848; Capt., 1855; Maj. c.1870; Lt-Col, 1872-77; Deputy Ranger of the Curragh of Kildare, 1868-77; JP for Co. Kildare; Chamberlain at the Vice-Regal Courts of the Dukes of Abercorn and Marlborough, c.1872-77; married, 31 August 1859 at Cheltenham (Glos), Ellen Georgina (1826-1907), daughter of Lt-Col. Henry Williams and widow of Col. the Hon. Henry Handcock (d. 1855), but had no issue; died following a heart attack at Straffan station (Co. Kildare), 24/25 September 1877 and was buried at Kinnitty, where he is commemorated by a memorial brass; will proved 19 February 1878 (effects under £5,000).

He inherited Castle Bernard from his father in 1815, and rebuilt the house after 1832, the works being completed by his widow.

He died in Dublin, 18 May 1834. His first wife died 20 April 1802. His widow died in London, 21 June and was buried at Weedon Lois (Northants), 29 June 1844.

Bernard, Thomas (1816-82). Eldest son of Thomas Bernard (1769-1834) and his second wife, Lady Catherine Henrietta, second daughter of the Hon. Francis Hely-Hutchinson MP and sister of John Hely-Hutchinson, 3rd Earl of Donoughmore, born September 1816. An officer in the army (Ensign, 1835; Lt., 1839; Capt. 1844; retired on half-pay, 1847); Col. of King's County Royal Rifles, 1855-82; High Sheriff of King's County, 1837-38, 1842-43; Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of King's County, 1867-82 (DL from 1842). In 1845 he was injured by the explosion of a gun he was reloading, which necessitated the amputation of his right hand. A Conservative in politics, he stood unsuccessfully for election to Parliament in King's County. in 1841 and 1852. Although initially regarded as a benevolent landowner and employer, he became increasingly unpopular because of measures to depopulate his estate. He was unmarried and without issue.

He inherited Castle Bernard from his father in 1834. At his death the estate passed to his niece and her husband, Capt. & Mrs. Caulfeild French, with remainder to her brother, T.S.W. Bernard.

He died 13 December and was buried at Kinnitty, 18 December 1882.

Bernard, John Henry Scroope (1820-57). Third son of Thomas Bernard (1769-1834) and his second wife, Lady Catherine Henrietta, sister of John Hely Hutchinson, 3rd Earl of Donoughmore, born May 1820. An officer in the army (Ensign, 1839; Lt., 1840, Capt. c.1846) who served with the Turkish Contingent in the Crimea (Maj.). He married, 31 May 1849 at St Peter, Dublin, Maria Eveline Cecile Nathalie Claire Di Chiarmonte Manfredonia D'Altamura (c.1826-83), daughter of Edouard Racine, and had issue:

(1) Thomas Scroope Wellesley Bernard (1850-1905) (q.v.);

(2) Margeurite Adeline Bernard (1852-1910), born 24 December 1852; married, 15 June 1875 at the Chapel Royal in Dublin Castle, Capt. Caulfeild French JP DL (1839-1910) of Castle Bernard, High Sheriff of King's County, 1887-88; eldest son of William John French of Ardsallagh (Co. Meath), but had no issue; died 18 July 1910 and was buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin; will proved in Dublin, 24 August 1910 (estate £14,052).

His widow went by the name of Cecile Clyde, was bankrupted in 1873, and later became the headmistress of a private school for girls in Hove (Sussex), which was wound up after her death.

He died in Dublin, 12 September 1857, of a fever caught while serving in the Crimea. His widow died 7 October and was buried at Brompton Cemetery (Middx), 12 October 1883.

Bernard, Thomas Scroope Wellesley (1850-1905). Only son of John Henry Scroope Bernard (1820-57) and his wife Maria Eveline Cecile Nathalie Claire Di Chiarmonte Manfredonia D'Altamura, daughter of Edouard Racine, born at Youghal Lodge, Nenagh  (Tipperary), 18 October 1850. An officer in the army (Ensign, 1868; Lt., 1871; Capt., 1880; retired 1882) and later in the Essex Militia (Capt., 1882; retired 1883) and South Lancashire Regiment militia battalion (Capt., 1890; Maj., 1893); JP for Co. Offaly. A Unionist in politics, he stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in the Birr constituency in 1885 and 1886. A freemason from 1876. As a young man, he evidently lived considerably beyond his means and eroded his fortune, to the point where his uncle decided not to entrust him with the Castle Bernard estate. He married, 2 December 1880 at Gowran (Co. Kilkenny), Monica Gertrude (1857-1948), sixth daughter of William Henry Darby (d. 1880) of Leap Castle (Co. Offaly), and had issue:

(1) Margeurite Cecil Elizabeth Bernard (1882-1958), born 11 October 1882; married, 25 October 1906 at St James, St Peter Port (Guernsey), Charles Johnston Alexander (1873-1946) of Marina, Norton, Yarmouth (Isle of Wight), eighth son of Robert Henry Alexander (1838-1901) of Stoke Newington (Middx), and had issue one daughter; died 9 January 1958; will proved 4 March 1958 (estate £31,174);

(2) Monica Charlotte Emily Bernard (1886-1975), born at Nenagh (Co. Tipp.), 9 May 1886; married, 1922, as his second wife, Leonard Cornwall Maguire (b. 1887) of Stow-on-the-Wold (Glos), veterinary surgeon (bankrupt 1934), son of James Maguire, but had no issue; died 24 August 1975; will proved 12 December 1975 (estate £32,505);

(3) Kathrine Anne Bernard (1889-1954), born at Nenagh (Co. Tipp.), 11 March 1889; married, 20 October 1923 at St Philip, Kensington (Middx), Lt-Col. James Stuart Harper MC (1885-1943), son of Joseph Harper of Ceylon, and had issue one daughter; died 26 June 1954; will proved 22 September 1954 (estate £43,292);

(4) Maude Mary Gertrude Bernard (1900-65), born at St Peter Port (Guernsey), 6 May 1900; died unmarried in Dublin, 16 January 1965; will proved 28 June 1965 (estate £20,874).

He was in remainder to the Castle Bernard estate after the death of his uncle in 1882, but lived in a cottage at Nenagh (Tipperary) and later at Weston House, Thames Ditton (Surrey) and in St Peter Port. Castle Bernard was occupied by his sister and his brother-in-law, Capt. French. At his death he left his entire property to his widow, who subsequently inherited Castle Bernard on the deaths of Capt & Mrs French in 1910.

He died 1 February, and his body was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, 10 February, but later moved to Thames Ditton, where it was reinterred, 11 March 1905; his will was proved in Dublin, 10 May 1905 (estate £14,759). His widow died 6 May and was buried at Thames Ditton, 8 May 1948; her will was proved in Dublin, 10 August 1948 (estate in Ireland, £145) and in England, 24 September 1948 (estate in England, £9,642).

Principal sources

Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland, 1912, p. 41; J.A.K. Dean, The gate houses of Leinster, 2016, pp. 310-11; R. McKenna, Flights of fancy: follies, families and demesnes in Offaly, 2017, pp. 310-29; A. Tierney, The buildings of Ireland: Central Leinster, 2019, pp. 426-29; 

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~marlow95/genealogy/bernard/;

Location of archives

No significant accumulation is known to have survived, and many records may have been lost in the fire at Castle Bernard in 1922.

Coat of arms

None recorded.

Can you help?

• Can anyone provide photographs or portraits 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 25 October 2024.