Landed families of Britain and Ireland

This site, which was short-listed for the Society of Architectural Historians (GB) Colvin Prize in 2019, presents my research into the landowning families of the British Isles and the country houses which they owned. Comments, especially in the form of corrections, additional information or new illustrations, are very welcome. Please use the Contact Form in the right hand side bar to contact me privately or the comments facility at the bottom of the page to make a public comment.

Showing posts with label Meath. Show all posts

Sunday, 13 September 2026

(644) Blackburne of Tankardstown House and Rathfarnham Castle

According to Edward Blackburne's memoir of his father, the Blackburnes were established as gentleman farmers or minor gentry in Co. Meath for several generations in the 18th century until in the 1790s the unsettled state of the Irish countryside and the risk of violent insurrection forced Richard Blackburne (c.1745-98), with whom the genealogy below begins, to abandon his house at Great Footstown and move into Dublin for greater security. It was thus at Dublin that his only surviving son, Francis Blackburne (1782-1867), grew up and completed his education. After studying at Trinity College, Dublin and Kings Inns he went to Lincoln's Inn in London and was called to the Irish bar in 1805. He then entered upon a brilliantly successful legal career which culminated in his serving for two brief periods as Lord Chancellor of Ireland. In the 1860s he was offered, but declined, a baronetcy. With the wealth generated by his legal offices, he purchased first, around 1815, the modest Tankardstown estate in County Meath, where he was probably responsible for rebuilding the house, and later, in 1847, Rathfarnham Castle. His main homes, however, were probably always his town houses in Dublin and the suburban villas he owned successively before buying the castle. He was married for fifty-eight years to Jane Martley (d. 1872), and together they had fourteen children, although only five of them survived their long-lived father. These included William Martley Blackburne (1821-68), who inherited Tankardstown, and Edward Blackburne QC (1823-1902), who inherited Rathfarnham. William, who survived his father by only a few months, bequeathed Tankardstown to his own elder son, Francis William Blackburne (1851-1921), who was educated in England and married the daughter of a Scottish gentry family but settled at Tankardstown, where he was High Sheriff of Co. Meath in 1898-99. He and his wife had one son and three daughters (one of whom died young). The son, William John Anstruther Blackburne (1904-42), was generally known as Jack. He studied agriculture at Cambridge, where the start of his studies seems to have been delayed by his father's death and perhaps also by the Irish civil war, and his obituary commented on his use of modern farming and horticultural methods. He died of cancer in his 30s, and since he was unmarried the Tankardstown estate passed to his two sisters, Elena Townshend (1898-1996) and Amabel Blackburne (1910-96). Elena and her husband Charles Townshend seem to have farmed the estate until 1966, when he died, after which the two sisters carried on until the 1970s when they sold Tankardstown and retired to a smaller house on the estate.

Edward Blackburne (1823-1902), who inherited Rathfarnham Castle from his father, the Lord Chancellor, pursued a legal career like his father and was made a QC in 1868, although he never achieved judicial office. He married the daughter of a Dublin physician, and they produced one son and one daughter. The son was Francis Blackburne (b. 1859), but though he was the heir apparent to Rathfarnham, he seems either to have fallen out with his father or to have had no interest in occupying the position of privilege in society to which he had been born. He was remarkably difficult to trace in contemporary records, but he went first to London, where he was married in 1881 to a woman called Minnie Mulholland, who has proved even more elusive. They then emigrated to the United States, where they had a son in San Francisco in 1883 and a daughter in Springfield, Ohio in 1887 before moving on to Toronto (Canada). At a young age their son, Edward Blackburne (1883-1948), was returned to Ireland, where he was apparently brought up by his grandfather and educated as a gentleman, no doubt with a view to his being the heir to Rathfarnham. The elder Edward died in 1902 and left his widow a life interest in Rathfarnham, which expired on her death in 1911. By then the younger Edward had taken holy orders and was a curate in the east end of London, where his sister kept house for him. Within months of coming into his Irish inheritance he had married, sold the Rathfarnham estate and been instituted as rector of Bolnhurst, a small and remote village in the claylands of north Bedfordshire. He remained there until 1919, but then resigned the living and moved to Sussex. Although he was a licensed preacher in the diocese of Chichester in the 1920s and 1930s he seems never to have held another benefice. He and his wife had three daughters but no sons, and he died in very modest circumstances at Totnes in south Devon in 1948.

Tankardstown House, Co. Meath

The house began as a rectangular house of two storeys, with a three bay front and slightly shorter three-bay sides, built of limestone rubble. It was constructed about 1815, and therefore probably for Francis Blackburne (1782-1867) who bought the heavily mortgaged estate around that time, rather than for the previous owner, Brabazon Morris, although this cannot be certain. The use of rubble stone rather than ashlar gives the house a curiously rustic look, and it seems likely that the exterior was originally stuccoed to give a smoother, more neo-classical impression. The house has a very wide central hall and two staircases at the rear, and the principal reception rooms to either side.

Tankardstown House: the entrance front and side elevation of the original block.

Tankardstown House: the side elevation showing the late 19th century addition and the new entrance then built.

In 1883-86, Francis William Blackburne enlarged the house to the rear to the designs of Sir Thomas Drew. The extension, which consists of an additional block built onto the back of the earlier house and a long wing projecting to its east, included a new front entrance and a large Jacobethan staircase hall. Alterations were made to the layout of the house, so that the original front door became a window, and the Regency interiors were changed by the introduction of coarser and more elaborate classical details. It is said that the original intention was to build a larger extension, but that the plans were simplified during the build. A pair of metalwork gates on the avenue approach are stamped 'Paris 1890'.

Descent: Brabazon Morris; sold c.1815 to Francis Blackburne (1782-1867); to son, William Martley Blackburne (1821-68); to son, Francis William Blackburne (1851-1921); to son, Jack Blackburne (1904-42); to sisters, Elena Frances (1898-1996), wife of Charles Maurice Waddington Loftus Townshend (1899-1966), and Amabel Blackburne (1910-96), who sold 1970s... sold 2002 to Brian and Patricia Conroy, who since 2008 have operated it as a wedding and events venue.

Rathfarnham Castle, Co. Dublin

An important Elizabethan house in a strategic position close to the bridge by which the main road south from Dublin to the Wicklow mountains crosses the River Dodder. There was a medieval castle here, an outbuilding of which survived and was incorporated into the ground floor of a 20th century residential block, now known as Cromwell's Court. Rathfarnham's significance lies in the fact that it was designed not as a tower house, but as a semi-fortified mansion, demonstrating new (and ill-founded) optimism about the stability of the Elizabethan settlement in Ireland and the security of the countryside. While defencibility was still a significant consideration, for the first time in Ireland, equal or greater weight was given to making the house a pleasant and comfortable place of residence.

Rathfarnham Castle: a late 19th century view of the house from the south-east.

Rathfarnham was built in 1582-85 for the Most Rev. Adam Loftus (c.1533-1605), a Yorkshireman who became archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland, 1581-1605.

Rathfarnham Castle: ground floor plan, as altered in the 18th century.

The house takes the form of a rectangular double pile central block with a tower at each corner, a form familiar in England in houses such as Mount Edgcumbe (Cornwall); but whereas at Mount Edgcumbe the towers are square, at Rathfarnham they are bastion-shaped, and the towers are battered at the base and offset at each storey, allowing greater visibility for defenders of any attacking force. Later alterations to the fenestration and interiors make it difficult to know what Adam Loftus's Rathfarnham would have been like to live in, but the floor levels and materials tell us quite a lot. The basement is vaulted throughout, and the main entrance (now an 18th century doorway but thought to be in the original position) is to the ground floor above, and is approached by an external stair. This floor was 12 feet high internally, but the first floor was much taller, so we can assume that this was where the principal 16th century rooms were; the top floor is treated as an attic and no doubt housed servants' accommodation. The spine wall down the centre of the main block is a massive structure, some twelve feet thick.

The castle changed hands several times during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-53), but seems to have remained habitable throughout. In the 1690s it passed by marriage from the Loftus family to the Whartons, and in 1723 was sold by the 1st Duke of Wharton (who had incurred massive losses in the South Sea Bubble) to William Conolly, Speaker of the Irish Parliament and the builder of Castletown House (Co. Kildare). Conolly spent £62,000 on his purchase but seems to have been more interested in the land than the house, of which he granted a long lease to Edward Worth (1672-1741). Worth was said in 1733 to be 'prodigious fond of the place and is continually improving it", although his activities are surely too early for the rich Rococo ceilings in the house. After Worth died, the lease was sold in 1742 to Archbishop John Hoadly, who was translated from Dublin to Armagh in the year he acquired Rathfarnham. In the four years he owned the house, his obituarist recorded him making 'repairs' to Rathfarnham, but could he have accomplished the extensive works that seem to form the first phase of internal remodelling in such a short period? Hoadly died in 1746 and the lease passed to his son-in-law, Bellingham Boyle MP (1709-71), an MP who suffered repeatedly from financial troubles. Nonetheless, he seems the most likely person to have commissioned the first phase of internal remodelling of the house.

Rathfarnham Castle: Rococo ceiling of the library (later drawing room) behind the bow on the east front.

This produced a series of rich Rococo plasterwork ceilings with contrastingly plain classical doorcases and window frames. His work may also have involved taking the kitchens out of the basement and relocating them in a new wing to the south-west, building a new staircase in the north-west tower, and the construction of the bowed projection on the east front, which disturbs the symmetry of the house but provdes a particularly handsome bow-ended library on the ground floor. Other surviving Rococo ceilings from this phase of work include that of the passage through the central spine wall from the entrance hall to the long gallery, and a room on the first floor of the south front.

Rathfarnham Castle: ceiling attributed to Athenian Stuart in the first-floor Breakfast Room.

Rathfarnham Castle: the saloon/gallery in the late 19th century.

In 1763, Boyle sold his lease to Sir Lawrence Dundas, and it seems likely that he continued the remodelling of the house, turning to James 'Athenian' Stuart as his architect. In 1769, Lady Shelburne mentioned that some of the interiors were being decorated after designs by Mr. Stuart, and on stylistic grounds these have been identified as the ground-floor Gallery (formerly with inset paintings by Angelica Kauffman) and the Breakfast Room and Gilt Room on the first floor of the south front. The date of Lady Shelburne's comment implies that the work was still in progress when the lease of Rathfarnham was sold in 1767 to Nicholas Home-Loftus, 2nd Earl of Ely, who was a descendant of the original builder, Archbishop Loftus. He died at the age of 31 two years later, and the house passed to his uncle, Henry Loftus (1709-83), 7th Viscount and later 1st Earl of Ely of a new creation. Henry seems at once to have put in hand further alterations to the house, on which he consulted Sir William Chambers, but the main interiors seem to have pre-dated his involvement and his hand is only identifiable in the picture gallery and some more minor spaces.

Rathfarnham Castle: picture gallery, decorated by Sir William Chambers. Image: David Davison

Rathfarnham Castle: the architect of the entrance hall is unknown, but is unlikely to be Chambers, who was well known for opposing the use of baseless Doric columns, and who is unlikely to have designed such a top-heavy doorcase!

Rathfarnham Castle: the house from the south-east, drawn by Gabriel Beringer in 1774.

Rathfarnham Castle: view of the park in 1794 by George Holmes
[Glin Castle Collection]

Rathfarnham Castle: entrance front and park in 1794
from a view by George Holmes. [Glin Castle Collection]

The woodland of the demesne was praised in a letter of 1699 and the grounds had evidently been laid out - presumably for Edward Worth - by 1734, when Lady Anne Conolly described Rathfarnham as having the best garden she had seen in Ireland, with a 'pritty garden' and 'a vastly well-wooded park with a racing water going thro' it, besides a great many fine fishponds' and the largest carp she had ever seen. By 1774, when the house was depicted by Beringer, the surroundings had been landscaped in the Brownian manner, and over the next quarter of a century the grounds were ornamented by Lord Ely and his nephew, later the 1st Marquess of Ely, with a temple consisting of a circular tower surrounded by a Doric colonnade (demolished in 1979), a rather plain Gothick gate of 1790 at the village entrance to the park (demolished in the 20th century), a greenhouse, aviary and serpentine streams. The one surviving structure is a fine triumphal arch entrance gate to the demesne, now known as Ely's Arch. This has been plausibly attributed by Dean to Francis Johnston and dated to c.1802, but there is said to be map evidence for its existence by 1779; perhaps there was an earlier structure on the same site.

Rathfarnham Castle: the Ely Gate, attributed to Francis Johnston and said to have been built c.1802.

In the early 19th century the Loftus family moved to Loftus Hall (Co. Wicklow) and Rathfarnham was leased to a dairy farmer and fell into disrepair. By 1837 it was threatened with demolition, and there were plans to divide the demesne into small plots for the building of suburban villas. This was averted when the estate was purchased by Francis Blackburne, who like Adam Loftus was Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He and his son occupied the house, but in 1912 the estate was sold to a firm of property developers who divided the estate up, selling the eastern part for development as a golf course, developing the north-west section for housing, and selling the castle and south-west part of the grounds to the Society of Jesus, which also bought some of the house contents at auction. In 1913, the Jesuits carried out some additions and alterations, including creating a chapel within the house, to the designs of Charles B. Powell, but seem to have made few other significant alterations to the fabric in the seventy years they occupied the house. In 1986 they sold the estate to another development company, and the house was once again threatened with demolition. A vociferous public campaign led to the purchase of the house and its immediate environs by the Irish Government, which declared it to be a National Monument and vested it in the Office of Public Works, which has undertaken a major restoration work on the building, although there is still more to be done.

Descent: built for Most Rev. Adam Loftus (c.1533-1605); to son, Sir Dudley Loftus (1561-1616), kt.; to son, Sir Adam Loftus (d. c.1659), kt.; to younger son, Dr Dudley Loftus (1619-95); to great-niece, Lucy, wife of Thomas Wharton (1648-1715), 1st Marquess of Wharton; to son, Philip Wharton (1698-1731), 1st Duke of Wharton, who sold 1723 to William Conolly (1662-1729). After the granting of a long lease to Edward Worth (1672-1741) the only interest of subsequent landlords was in a small ground rent, and it was the leaseholders who were the active owners. The lease passed from Edward Worth to the Most Rev. John Hoadly (1678-1746), archbishop of Dublin and later of Armagh, and then to his son-in-law, Bellingham Boyle (1709-71); sold 1767 to Nicholas Home-Loftus (1738-69), 2nd Earl of Ely; to uncle, Hon. Henry Loftus (1709-83), 7th Viscount and later 1st Earl of Ely; to nephew, Charles Tottenham (later Loftus) (1738-1806), 1st Marquess of Ely; to son, John Loftus (1770-1845), 2nd Marquess of Ely, who sub-let the house from 1812; sold 1847 to Rt. Hon. Francis Blackburne (1782-1867); to son, Edward Blackburne (1823-1902); to widow (d. 1911) for life and then to grandson, Rev. Edward Blackburne (1883-1948), who sold 1912 to Bailey & Gibson; sold 1913 to Society of Jesus; sold 1985 to Delaware Properties; sold 1987 to Irish Government and declared a National Monument.

Blackburne family of Rathfarnham Castle and Tankardstown House

Blackburne, Richard (c.1745-98). Eldest son of George Blackburne (d. 1769) and his wife Mary, born about 1745. Farmer and landowner. He married, 1774 (licence 10 June), Elizabeth (d. 1826), daughter of Francis Hopkins of Darvistown (Co. Meath), and had issue:

(1) Jane Blackburne (c.1775-1860), born about 1775; married, 1803 (licence 30 March), William Webb (c.1771-1845), deputy Commissary General and author of a travel book about a journey down the River Rhine and a stay in Switzerland and Italy (1827); died 25 April 1860;
(2) Elizabeth Blackburne (c.1777-1863), born about 1777; died unmarried 29 August 1863 and was buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery;
(3) George Blackburne; died in infancy;
(4) Rt. Hon. Francis Blackburne (1782-1867) (q.v.);
(5) Anna Maria Blackburne (c.1792-1865), born about 1792; died unmarried, 10 September 1865 and was buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery; administration of goods granted 14 October 1865 (effects under £450).

He lived at Great Footstown (Co. Meath) until the 1790s, when he was forced by popular unrest in the countryside to flee to Dublin; the house at Footstown being abandoned thereafter.

He died in 1798. His widow died at Dundrum in September 1826.

Rt. Hon. Francis Blackburne (1782-1867)
Blackburne, Rt. Hon. Francis (1782-1867). Only son of Richard Blackburne (c.1745-98) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Hopkins of Darvistown (Co. Meath), born 11 November 1782. Educated at private schools in Dunshaughlin and Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1798; BA 1803; LLB and LLD, 1852), King's Inns (admitted 1801; called 1805) and Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1803). In 1803 he inherited the law library of his uncle, Anthony Blackburne. He was a barrister-at-law (KC, 1822); Serjeant-at-Law, 1826-31; Attorney General of Ireland, 1831-35, 1841-42; Master of the Rolls in Ireland, 1842-46; Lord Chief Justice, 1846-52; Lord High Chancellor, 1851-52, 1866-67; Lord Justice of Appeal, 1856-66; Vice-Chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin, 1851-67 and a Commissioner of National Education in Ireland, 1852-53, resigning from the latter post because of the watering down of Protestant religious content in the national syllabus. He was a Tory in politics, but this did not prevent his career from progressing when the Whigs were in power, and it was the Whigs who appointed him Attorney General and made him a member of the Irish Privy Council in 1821. He was a member of the Royal Dublin Society and a supporter of the Antient Concert Rooms, Dublin. He was short and stout and had an inexpressive face but was noted for his melodious singing voice. In 1867 he was offered a baronetcy by Lord Derby, but declined the honour. He married, between 31 August (licence) and 5 September (newspaper report) 1809, Jane (d. 1872), daughter of William Martley of Ballyfallen (Co. Meath), and had issue fourteen children, including:

(1) Elizabeth Frances Blackburne (d. 1825), eldest daughter; died at Roebuck Hall, 21 August 1825;
(2) Richard Francis Blackburne (d. 1821); died at Willowmount, Rathfarnham, November 1821;
(3) Alice Catherine Blackburne (c.1819-85); married, 23 June 1842 at St Peter, Dublin, Capt. George Daniell RN (1797-1856), and had issue one son; died at Kingstown (Co. Dublin), 3 March 1885;
(4) Jane Isabella Blackburne (c.1820-1902), born about 1820; married, 25 October 1845 at Taney (Co. Dublin), Thomas Rice Henn QC (1814-1901) of Paradise Hill (Co. Clare), and had issue seven sons and two daughters; died 29 April 1902 and was buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery;
(5) William Martley Blackburne (1821-68) (q.v.);
(6) Francis Blackburne (1822-63), baptised at St Peter, Dublin, 30 July 1822; died unmarried, 14 February 1863;
(7) Edward Blackburne (1823-1902) (q.v.);
(8) A son (b. & d. 1825), born January 1825 but died in infancy;
(9) Elizabeth Mary Blackburne (1826-63), born at Roebuck Hall, 4 August, and baptised at Taney, 7 September 1826; married, 13 October 1853 at Rathfarnham, Edward Perceval Westby (c.1828-93) of Roebuck Castle (Co. Dublin) (who m2, 16 June 1864 at Taney, Susan Elizabeth, eldest daughter of John Davis Garde of Mount Dillon), only son of Nicholas Westby, and had issue two sons and one daughter; died at Roebuck Castle, 2 May 1863;
(10) Frederick John Blackburne (1827-63), born 1827; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1844; BA 1848); JP for Co. Cork?; lived at Renny House (Co. Cork) and Keymer (Sussex); married, 3 July 1856 at Hove (Sussex), Annette (1836-1921), daughter of Eardley Hall of Wilmington (Sussex), and had issue one son; died 4 October 1863; will proved 6 November 1863 (effects under £1,500);
(11) John Henry Blackburne (1830-91), born 9 November 1830; an officer in the Royal Artillery (2nd Lt., 1850; Lt., 1853; Capt., 1856; retired 1859); married, 20 August 1857 at St Lawrence-in-Thanet (Kent), Elizabeth Susanna (1833-1931), second daughter of Anthony Crofton of Lincoln's Inn, barrister-at-law; died at Wells (Som.), 15 May 1891; will proved 9 September 1891 (effects £15,382);
(12) Adelaide Frances Blackburne (b. 1833), born in Dublin, 26 June 1833 and baptised at Taney, 28 July 1833; probably died young;
(13) Arthur Blackburne (1835-67), born 22 February 1835; educated at St Columba's College; died unmarried at Corderry (Co. Louth), 31 May 1867 and was buried at Rathfarnham, although his remains were later removed to Mount Jerome Cemetery; administration of goods granted 13 July 1867 (effects under £800).

He purchased Tankardstown House in about 1815 and Rathfarnham Castle in 1847. He lived at a house called Willow Mount in Rathfarnham (sold 1825) and later at Roebuck Hall, Clonskeagh (Co. Dublin) until he acquired Rathfarnham Castle. He also had town houses in Leinster Sq. and later in Merrion Sq., Dublin.

He died 17 September 1867 and was buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin; his will was proved 11 October 1867 (effects under £80,000). His widow died in Monkstown (Co. Dublin), 27 September 1872, and was also buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery; her will was proved 8 November 1872 (effects under £8,000).

Blackburne, William Martley (1821-68). Eldest surviving son of Rt. Hon. Francis Blackburne (1782-1867) and his wife Jane, daughter of James Martley MD, born 1821. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1838; BA 1842). He married, 12 January 1847 at St Peter, Eaton Sq., Westminster (Middx), Mary (1823-89), daughter of Rev. Dr. William Thorpe DD, and had issue:

(1) Francis William Blackburne (1851-1921) (q.v.);
(2) Eva Amabel Blackburne (1857-1909), baptised at St Peter, Dublin, 21 December 1857; married, 14 July 1890 at St John, Notting Hill, Charles Currell Eyre (1862-1943), transport agent at Florence (Italy), son of Mahlon Dickenson Eyre, an American banker of Florence (Italy), but had no issue; died 15 June 1909 and was buried at Slane (Co. Meath);
(3) Augustus Edward William Blackburne (1860-93); merchant; married, 24 June 1891 at St John, Notting Hill (Middx), Isabella Olive (1863-1944), daughter of Mahlon Dickenson Eyre (1821-82) of Florence (Italy), and had issue one son; died in Naples (Italy), February 1893.

He inherited Tankardstown House from his father in 1867.

He died 8 May 1868 and was buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin; his will was proved 8 July 1868 (effects under £3,000). His widow married 2nd, 10 December 1869 at St Paul, Knightsbridge (Middx), George Thompson Lefroy (d. 1890) of Carriglas Manor (Co. Longford), son of Rt. Hon. Thomas Lefroy, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, and died at Farvis (Austria), 5 September 1889; her will was proved in Dublin, 13 January 1890 (effects £2,044?).

Blackburne, Francis William (1851-1921). Elder son of William Martley Blackburne (1821-68) and his wife Mary, daughter of Rev. Dr. William Thorpe DD, born 7 March 1851. Educated at Eton and Merton College, Oxford (matriculated 1870; BA 1874). JP for Co. Meath; High Sheriff of Co. Meath, 1898-99. He married, 9 December 1895 at Edinburgh Cathedral, Olive Beatrice Louisa (1870-1941), third and youngest daughter of John Anstruther-Thomson of Charleton (Fife), and had issue:

(1) Mary Elizabeth Rosia St. Clair Blackburne (1897-1904), born 18 March 1897; died young, 20 January 1904 and was buried at Slane (Co. Meath);
(2) Elena Frances Margaret Anne Blackburne (1898-1996), born 29 August 1898; married, 22 March 1928 at St Paul, Onslow Sq., Kensington (Middx), Charles Maurice Waddington Loftus Townshend (1899-1966) of Slane, third son of Charles Loftus Uniacke Townshend of Hill House, Reigate (Surrey), and had issue two sons; died aged 97 on 10 April 1996 and was buried at Slane;
(3) William John Anstruther (k/a Jack) Blackburne (1904-42) (q.v.);
(4) Amabel Clementina Olive Georgina Blackburne (1910-96), born 3 May 1910; teacher; died unmarried, 1996.

He inherited Tankardstown House from his father in 1868 and came of age in 1872.

He died 11 July 1921 and was buried at Slane (Co. Meath). His widow died 17 November 1941 and was buried with her husband at Slane; her will was proved 21 April 1942 (estate in England £1,079).

Blackburne, William John Anstruther (k/a Jack) (1904-42). Only son of Francis William Blackburne (1851-1921) and his wife Olive Beatrice Louisa, youngest daughter of John Anstruther Thomson of Charleston (Fife), born 30 November 1904. Educated at Castle Park School and Pembroke College, Cambridge (matriculated 1923; BA 1926), where he studied agriculture and horticulture. Farmer and horticulturalist at Tankardstown, where he was noted for his advanced methods. He was unmarried and without issue.

He inherited Tankardstown House from his father in 1921. At his death it passed to his two surviving sisters, who sold it in the 1970s.

He died of cancer, 1 June 1942; administration of his goods was granted to his younger sister, 16 July 1942 (estate £15,402).

Blackburne, Edward (1823-1902). Fourth son of Rt. Hon. Francis Blackburne (1782-1867) and his wife Jane, daughter of James Martley MD, born 13 November 1823. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin (matriculated 1840; BA 1845; LLB and LLD, 1875) and King's Inns, Dublin (admitted 1842; called 1845). Barrister-at-law (QC 1868); JP for Co. Dublin. He wrote a biography of his father, published as The Life of the Right Hon. Francis Blackburne (1874). He married, 25 August 1857 at Monkstown (Co. Dublin), Georgiana Arabella (1837-1911), eldest daughter of Robert James Graves MD of Dublin and Cloghan Castle (Co. Offaly), and had issue:

(1) Francis Blackburne (b. 1859) (q.v.);
(2) Georgiana Beatrice Blackburne (1861-1936), baptised at St Stephen, Dublin, 17 May 1861; married, 5 June 1890 at Rathfarnham, Rev. Henry Richard William Farrer (1860-1933), vicar of Bridport (Dorset) and canon of Salisbury Cathedral, only son of Capt. R.H. Farrer, and had issue three sons; died 26 August 1936 and was buried at Bridport (Dorset).

He inherited Rathfarnham Castle from his father in 1867. At his death it passed to his widow for life.

He died 7 December 1902 and was buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin; his will was proved 16 February 1903 (estate £52,457). His widow died 18 January 1911 and was also buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery; her will was proved 5 May 1911 (estate £58,092).

Blackburne, Francis (b. 1859). Only son of Edward Blackburne (1823-1902) and his wife Georgiana Arabella, eldest daughter of Robert James Graves MD of Dublin and Cloghan Castle (Co. Offaly), born 9 February 1859. He emigrated to the United States, where he became a naturalised citizen in 1888, and later lived in Toronto (Canada); his occupation is given in one census return as 'machinist' and in another source as 'commercial traveller'; from about 1890-1902 he was the representative of Thomas McKenzie & Co. of London in north America, and later worked for the firm in London and Paris (France). He was a freemason. He married, Jul-Sept 1881 in Fulham (Middx), Marian Georgina (k/a Minnie) Mulholland, and had issue:

(1) Rev. Edward Blackburne (1883-1948), born in San Francisco, California (USA), 28 May 1883; educated at St Columba's College, Rathfarnham, Trinity College, Dublin (BA 1908), and Wells Theological College (admitted 1908); ordained deacon, 1909, and priest, 1910; inherited Rathfarnham Castle on his grandmother's death in 1911 but sold it in 1912; rector of Bolnhurst (Beds), 1913-19, after which he appears to have retired from active ministry, although he was licensed to preach in the diocese of Chichester; married, 14 February 1912 at Carrignavar (Cork), Geraldine Fitzgerald (1885-1964), daughter of Lt-Col. F.F. MacCartie of Carrignavar, and had issue three daughters; died at Totnes (Devon), 27 July 1948; will proved 18 July 1949 (estate £524);
(2) Frances Evelyn Blackburne (1887-1958), born at Springfield, Ohio (USA), 11 July 1887; acted for a time as housekeeper to her brother before his marriage; probably the woman of this name who died unmarried at Hove (Sussex), 28 February 1958; will proved 9 June 1958 (estate £8,125).

His date of death is unknown. His widow died in Hove (Sussex), 25 October 1938; her will was proved 12 December 1938 (estate £2,935).

Principal sources

Burke's Landed Gentry, 1898, vol. 2, supplement p. 28; Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland, 1958, pp. 701-02; J. Harris, Sir William Chambers, 1970, pp. 241-42; E. McParland, 'Rathfarnham Castle, Co. Dublin', Country Life, 9 September 1982, pp. 734-37; K. Bristol, 'Rathfarnham Castle in the architectural oeuvre of James 'Athenian' Stuart: a question of patronage', in M.J. McCarthy, Lord Charlemont and his circle, 2001, pp. 113-22; Sir H.M. Colvin, A biographical dictionary of British architects, 4th edn., 2008, pp. 243-44, 1002; J.A.K. Dean, The gate lodges of Leinster, 2016, pp. 143-45;

https://www.youwho.ie/blackburne.html.

Location of archives

Blackburne of Tankardstown: deeds, legal and estate papers and correspondence, c.1821-1908 [National Library of Ireland]

Coat of arms

None recorded

Can you help?

Can anyone provide additional information about the ownership of Tankardstown between the 1970s and 2002?
Can anyone supply information about the later years and death of Francis Blackburne (b. 1859) or his wife Minnie?
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 13 September 2026, and was revised 15 September 2026.

Saturday, 12 June 2021

(459) Battersby of Bobsville, Lakefield, Newcastle House and Lough Bawn

Battersby of Lough Bawn

The earlier editions of Burke's Landed Gentry state that this family came over to Ireland with King William III at the end of the 17th century, and "claims to derive from an ancient house of the same name, formerly seated in the co. of York, of which was Nicholas Battersby of Harrabeare in Cornwall, who entered his pedigree in the Herald's visitation of that county [in] 1620, grandson of Nicholas Battersby of Battersby Hall, co. York". This claim was however, dropped from later editions, and it remains very doubtful whether there was such a connection. The genealogy below begins with William Battersby, who was perhaps the first of his family to settle in Ireland, and who came into possession of Smithstown and Cloneybrany in Co. Meath by the early 18th century. He had at least five sons, of whom the eldest, William junior (d. c. 1790) inherited Smithstown, but dying without issue bequeathed it to his brother-in-law, and thus out of the family. The second son, Robert Battersby (1721-85), inherited Cloneybrany and built a new house close to it in about 1765, which he called Bobsville, although whether the name represents 'the Irish taste for irony and self-mockery' or merely an acute poverty of imagination is unclear. The third son, John Battersby (1722-1803) bought a property in the same area of Co. Meath where he built Lakefield House (sometimes Leakfield in the records) in about 1774. John's son, Thomas Battersby (1767-1839), acquired or built Newcastle House near Oldcastle (Co. Meath), and his son, George Battersby (1802-80) built Lough Bawn House after 1837. The history of these four houses and of the families which owned them, are traced below.

Robert Battersby of Bobsville also came into possession, in right of his wife, of an estate called Lislin in Co. Cavan, which was left to his eldest son, Haynes Wade Battersby (1765-1841?). Bobsville passed to his second son, William Battersby (1767-1837), who was Lt-Col. of the Royal Meath Militia and served his turn as High Sheriff of Co. Meath in 1804-05. William's wife, Anna Maria (1776-1856), was the daughter of Col. Richard Hutchinson Long of Longfield (Co. Tipperary) by his wife or concubine, an Indian lady who is said to have been a daughter of the Nawab of Arcot. Over a period of twenty-four years, William and Anna Maria produced at least fifteen children. Of the eight sons who survived to adulthood, two went into the church and one each into the law and the army; the four youngest became farmers. The Rev. Robert Battersby (1796-1888) seems to have inherited Bobsville, but he got into financial difficulties and sold the estate through the Incumbered Estates Court in 1854. It would appear that the house and the core of the estate were bought by his younger brother, John Long Battersby (1814-85), who may already have been farming the estate. At his death the property passed to his son, Francis Robert Battersby (1859-1906), who died unmarried, and at some point following his death the estate was sold to the Gilsenan family.

John Battersby (1722-1803) of Lakefield married twice, and the estate descended at his death to the fourth son of his second marriage, John Battersby (1781-1839). The younger John left it to his second son, Robert Henry Battersby (1811-98), who was unmarried and had no issue. He farmed at Lakefield until he was in his early 80s, and then dispersed the estate at auction in 1893.

Thomas Battersby (1767-1839), the second son of the second marriage of John Battersby of Lakefield, purchased a lease of part of the Loughcrew estate in 1810 and was probably responsible for building Newcastle House on it soon afterwards. He and his wife had thirteen children. Newcastle House was left to his second son, Thomas Battersby (1803-87), perhaps because his eldest son, George Battersby (1802-80), had already acquired the Lough Bawn estate and begun to build Lough Bawn House on it, but also perhaps because George was providing for himself through a successful career at the bar (and later as a judge). The younger sons pursued a diverse range of careers: one in the navy, one in the law; one in the church and one in medicine. Newcastle House passed to Thomas junior's son, Thomas Battersby (d. 1888), and then to his brother, John Albert Battersby (c.1855-1937), and then to the latter's daughter Alice, wife of Fredrick Gordon Wood. Lough Bawn descended to George's son, John Radcliffe Battersby (1839-1912), a barrister like his father, and then to his son George Battersby (1877-1919), who died without issue. His brother, John Radcliffe Battersby (1886-1960) succeeded, and since he also died without issue, he left the estate to his nephew, Col. George Francis Maxwell (1911-76), whose daughter Verity is the current owner.

Bobsville House, Crossakeel, Co. Meath

Bobsville House, Crossakeel: entrance front in 2019.

A pleasant example of provincial Irish Georgian classicism, which is similar to nearby Belview, a house that has been attributed to Nathaniel Clements. Bobsville was built for Robert Battersby (1721-85) in about 1765. The house itself is of two storeys and three bays, with a basement and a hipped roof. The original sash windows were regrettably replaced by plate glass sashes in the 19th century, but the spacing of the windows is original. The doorcase, with rusticated pilasters supporting an open pediment, is a standard motif of the 1760s and can be seen on contemporary buildings in Dublin and Drogheda. The plan is two rooms deep, but the central hall opens directly into the handsome dog-leg stair behind it, which is lit by a round-headed window in the rear elevation. The staircase itself was evidently altered or replaced in the mid 19th century.

Descent: built for Robert Battersby (1721-85); to son, William Battersby (1767-1837); to son, John Long Battersby (1814-85); to son, Francis Robert Battersby (c.1861-1906)...Frank Gilsenan (d. 1943); to son, Matthew Gilsenan (d. 1993); sold c.1966... Patrick Gibney (b. 1941).

Lakefield House, Crossakeel, Co. Meath

Lakefield House, Crossakeel: entrance front, 2014.

Another mid 18th century house, probably originally very similar to Bobsville, and built for John Battersby (1722-1803), the younger brother of the builder of Bobsville. reputedly in 1774. The exterior of the house was remodelled in the mid 19th century, but the house was originally a three-bay, two-storey building with four principal rooms on the ground floor and a central entrance and staircase hall, as at Bobsville. Slightly set back from the main house are two wings, which housed dairies, sculleries, a harness room and servants quarters on one side and a ballroom (later converted to further staff accommodation) on the other. At the rear, a line of stables with a hay loft above adjoin the house and its wings and completely enclose a cobbled courtyard. Inside the house, some of the 18th century woodwork (lugged door surrounds) and chimneypieces (black marble with fossil inclusions) survive to establish the date of the building.

Descent: built c.1774 for John Battersby (1722-1803); to son, John Battersby (1781-1839); to son, Robert Battersby (d. 1898); sold 1893...John Frederick O'Neill (fl. 1957)... sold 2014.

Newcastle House, Oldcastle, Co. Meath

Newcastle House, Oldcastle: the entrance front in the early 20th century.

A roughly square, three-storey five-bay early 19th century building with a central porch on the entrance side, set in a small park north-east of Oldcastle village. It was probably built for Thomas Battersby after he leased the lands from the Naper family of Loughcrew in 1810, and is said to have had elegant moulded cornices to the ceilings in the dining room and drawing room on the ground floor. After the Second World War the estate was slowly dispersed in sales and the house began to suffer from subsidence or perhaps just lack of maintenance: it was demolished in the early 1960s.

Descent: probably built c.1810 for Thomas Battersby (1767-1839); to son, Thomas Battersby (1803-87); to son, Thomas Battersby (d. 1888); to brother, John Albert Battersby (c.1855-1937); to daughter Alice, wife of Fredrick Gordon Wood; demolished c.1962.

Lough Bawn House, Collinstown, Co. Westmeath

Lough Bawn House, Co. Westmeath: entrance front

A modest and unpretentious house, built for George Battersby (1802-80). It is often dated 'c.1820', but the house is not shown on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey of Ireland 6" map surveyed in 1837, though it was probably built soon after that. As first built, Lough Bawn was probably of three bays and two storeys, with a central porch, and thus similar to Bobsville and Lakefield, although lacking the exposed basement. The wider fourth bay, on the left, is probably a later 19th century addition, as is the canted bay window on the dining room. As at the family's earlier houses, the central entrance gave onto a hall that ran back to the staircase hall behind, although at Lough Bawn the staircase rises centrally to a half-pace until a window in the rear wall, and then divides and returns in two flights to the first-floor landing. The two principal reception rooms on the ground floor have fine grey marble chimneypieces. The house is now operated as a luxury 'bed and breakfast', and further pictures can be found on the owner's website.

Descent: built for George Battersby (1802-80); to son, John Radcliffe Battersby (1839-1912); to son, George Battersby (1877-1919); to brother, John Radcliffe Battesby (1886-1960); to nephew, George Francis Maxwell (1911-76); to daughter, Verity Victoria (b. 1948), wife of William Robin Butterfield.

Battersby family of Bobsville

Battersby William (1676?-1762?). Parentage unknown; reputedly born in 1676. He married Mary, daughter of Ambrose Sherman, and had issue:

(1) William Battersby (d. c. 1790), of Smithstown (Co. Meath); married, 1737/8 (licence 12 January), Mary Garnett, but had no issue; buried at Kells (Co. Meath), will proved 1790, by which he left his property to his brother-in-law, John Garnett;

(2) Robert Battersby (1721-85) (q.v.);

(3) John Battersby (1722-1803) [for whom see Battersby family of Lakefield, below];

(4) Francis Battersby (d. c. 1753), of Monaghan (Co. Monaghan), merchant; married and had issue three sons; will proved 1753;

(5) Charles Battersby (d. c. 1757), of Phillipstown (Co. Meath), married, 1746, Susanna Hastings (who 'eloped from [him]' before 1752), and had issue one son and one daughter; will proved 1757;

(6) Elizabeth Battersby (d. 1736); married [forename unknown] Balls; will proved 26 January 1736/7;

(7) Caroline Battersby (fl. 1752); married [forename unknown] Hawkins;

(8) Mary Battersby (fl. 1752); married William Wallace (fl. 1785) of Dublin, merchant.

He was perhaps the first of his family to come to Ireland, and settled at Smithstown and Cloneybrany (Co. Meath).

He is said to have died at an advanced age in 1762. His wife's date of death is unknown.

Battersby, Robert (1721-85). Second son of William Battersby (1676?-1762?) of Smithstown, near Crossakeel (Co. Meath) and his wife Mary, daughter of Ambrose Sharman, born 1721. He married, 1763, Marianne (fl. 1783), daughter and co-heiress of Haynes Wade of Lislin (Co. Cavan), and had issue:

(1) Haynes Wade Battersby (1765-1841?), born 1765; inherited Lislin from his father; married, 1804, Judith (1771-1847), daughter of Rev. Dr. Charles Woodward DD of Drumbarrow, and had issue two sons and one daughter; said to have died in 1841;

(2) William Battersby (1767-1837) (q.v.);

(3) Robert Battersby (1773-1824), born 1773; married, 1796 (licence 30 June) his cousin, Penelope, daughter of John Battersby of Lakefield House, and had surviving issue one son and five daughters; died 1824;

(4) (Thomas) John Battersby (c. 1775-1820?); an officer in the army (Lt. by 1817; retired on half-pay, 1819); will proved 1820;

(5) Edward George Battersby (1777-1856) of Hickory Lodge (Co. Meath); emigrated to America, 1835; married, about November 1809, Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. William Ryan of Kilvemnon (Co. Tipperary), and had issue three sons; died 20 May and was buried at Green Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York (USA), 21 May 1856;

(6) Francis Battersby; died young;

(7) Mary Anne Battersby (fl. 1783-1841), noted amateur botanical and wildlife artist who presented a collection of her drawings to the Royal Dublin Society; died unmarried;

(8) Abigail Battersby (fl. 1783-1813); married, 1813, Alexander Morland;

(9) Catherine Battersby (fl. 1783); married, May 1803, Edward John Smith.

He built Bobsville House in about 1765.

He died in 1785; his will was proved 5 October 1785. His widow's date of death is unknown.

Battersby, William (1767-1837). Second son of Robert Battersby (1721-85) and his wife Marianne, daughter and co-heiress of Haynes Wade of Lislin (Co. Cavan, born 1767. An officer in the Royal Meath Militia (Capt. by 1798; Lt-Col.); JP and DL for Meath; High Sheriff of Meath, 1804. He married, 17 June 1794, Anna Maria* (1776-1856), daughter of Col. Richard Hutchinson Long of Longfield House, near Cashel (Co. Tipperary), and had issue:

(1) Rev. Robert Battersby (1796-1888), born 22 January 1796; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1813; BA 1819); ordained deacon and priest, 1820; priest-in-charge of Killeagh, 1834-73; chaplain to the Marquess of Headfort; inherited Bobsville but sold part of the lands in the Incumbered Estates Court in 1854, while the house and remaining land was bought by his younger brother, John Long Battersby; apparently died unmarried, aged 92, on 17 September 1888 and was buried at Loughcrew (Co. Meath); will proved 27 October 1888 (effects £920);

(2) Rosetta Charity Battersby (b. & d. 1797), born 12 May 1797; died in infancy, 17 June 1797;

(3) Richard Long Battersby (1798-1879), born 13 December 1798; an officer in the 15th Foot (Ensign, 1818; Lt., 1825; Capt., 1830; retired 1834); probably the man of this name who was declared insolvent and briefly imprisoned in the Marshalsea, London, 1835; died in London, January 1879;

(4) Rev. William Battersby (1800-82), of Boltown, Crossakeel (Co. Meath), born 1 January 1800; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1816; BA 1821; MA 1832); priest-in-charge of Drumraney, 1824-44; married, 1840, Mary Maud (d. 1857), daughter of Lt-Col. William Caulfeild of Benown; died 12 July 1882 at Boltown (Co. Meath); will proved 25 August 1882 (estate £10,819);

(5) Haynes Wade Battersby (b. & d. 1800), born 29 November and died in infancy, 9 December 1800;

(6) Marianne Battersby (1802-21 or 41), born 1802; said to have died unmarried, 1821/1841;

(7) Thomas John Battersby (1804-37?), born 1804; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1819; BA 1824; MA 1832), Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1824) and Kings Inns, Dublin (admitted 1826; called to Irish bar, 1829); barrister-at-law; Recorder of Kells, 1831-37; possibly the man of this name who died in Dublin, 22 February 1837;

(8) Edward Haynes Battersby (b. & d. 1805), born 1805 and died in infancy, 1805;

(9) Henry Battersby (1806-26), born 1806; died unmarried, 1826;

(10) Harriet Battersby (c.1808-78), born about 1808; died unmarried, aged 70, at Boltown (Co. Meath), 15 November 1878;

(11) Francis Battersby (1810-82); JP (from 1841) for Co. Meath; died 2 July 1882 and was buried at Oldcastle; will proved 25 August 1882 (estate £5,468);

(12) Charles Battersby (1811-55), of Fyanstown Castle (Co. Meath); educated at Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1829 but did not graduate); JP (from 1849) for Co. Meath; died 28 or 30 July 1855; will proved 1855;

(13) John Long Battersby (1814-85) (q.v.);

(14) Anna Battersby (b. & d. 1817), born 1817, and died in infancy, 1817;

(15) Hercules Soane Jenyns Battersby (1820-59); probably the man of this name jailed for 24 hours for 'collecting a crowd' in 1852; subsequently emigrated to Australia, where he died 8 June 1859 and was buried at Calton North Cemetery, Melbourne, Victoria.

He inherited Bobsville House from his father in 1785.

He died April 1837. His widow died 19 July 1856.

* According to family tradition, she is said to have been the daughter of her father by his Indian wife or mistress, Hedjeba, who is alleged to have been a daughter of the Nawab of Arcot (India).

Battersby, John Long (1814-85). Tenth son of William Battersby (1767-1837) and his wife Anna Maria, daughter of Col. Richard Hutchinson Long of Longfield (Co. Tipperary), born 1814. JP for Co. Meath (from 1882). He married 1st, 17 March 1841 at St Peter, Dublin, Catherine (c.1818-42), daughter of Rev. Thomas Blakeney of Holywell (Co. Roscommon) and 2nd, February 1855 at Ballintemple, his half-first cousin, Charity alias Cherrie (c.1831-1921), eldest daughter of Samuel Cooper of Killenure Castle (Co. Tipperary), and had issue:

(2.1) Anna Louisa Battersby (1855-72), born 6 December 1855; died unmarried, 5 December 1872;

(2.2) William Cooper Battersby (1857-92), born 2 December 1857; died unmarried, 26 July, and was buried at St James' Cemetery, Liverpool, 28 July 1892; administration of goods granted 3 July 1893 and 21 July 1906 (effects £3,961);

(2.3) Francis Robert Battersby (1859-1906) (q.v.);

(2.4) Charles Austin Battersby (1864-99), born 16 May 1864; died unmarried, 4 June 1899; administration of goods granted 23 January 1900 and 21 July 1906 (estate £9,691).

He purchased Bobsville House from his elder brother in 1854.

He died 9 February 1885; his will was proved 14 March 1885 (effects £40,962). His first wife died 28 January 1842. His widow died 9 June 1921 and was buried at Oldcastle.

Battersby, Francis Robert (1859-1906). Second son of John Long Battersby (1814-85) and his second wife Charity alias Cherrie, daughter of Samuel Cooper of Killenure Castle (Co. Tipperary), born 13 August 1859. JP for Co. Meath; High Sheriff of Co. Meath, 1903-04. He was unmarried and without issue.

He inherited Bobsville House from his father in 1885. It was probably sold soon after his death.

He died 26 February 1906; his will was proved 24 April 1906 (estate £22,797).

Battersby family of Lakefield

Battersby, John (1722-1803). Third son of William Battersby (1676-1762) of Smithstown, near Crossakeel (Co. Meath) and his wife Mary, daughter of Ambrose Sharman, born 1722. JP for Co. Meath. He married 1st, Elizabeth Shields of Monaghan, and 2nd, 7 September 1765, Sarah (d. 1830?), daughter of Rev. Henry Leslie of Nutfield (Co. Fermanagh), and had issue:

(1.1) William Battersby (1764-1847), of Freffans (Co. Meath), born 16 November 1764; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1782; BA 1787), Kings Inns, Dublin (admitted 1785; called 1789) and Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1786); barrister-at-law; married Frances (d. 1856), daughter of Nathaniel Preston of Swainstown, and had issue five sons and three daughters; will proved 1847;

(2.1) Rev. Leslie Battersby (1766-1819), of Skreene (Co. Sligo), born 20 July 1766; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1784; BA 1789; MA 1805; LLB and LLD 1819); curate, 1795-97; priest-in-charge of Lisnadill (Armagh), 1797-1800; rector of Skreen (Co. Sligo), 1801-14; vicar of Ardfinnan and Newcastle and rector of Mortlestown (Co. Tipperary), 1814-19; Vicar General of the Diocese of Killala; married, 5 July 1796, Anna Maria (d. 1834), daughter of Patrick Palmer, barrister at law and Fellow of Trinity College Dublin, and had issue nine sons and six daughters; died 9 July 1819;

(2.2) Thomas Battersby (1767-1839) [for whom see below, Battersby family of Newcastle House and Lough Bawn House]

(2.3) Isabella Battersby (c.1768-1852); married, about May 1791 (licence 8 April), Rev. Allen Noble Adams (1765-1805) of Shercock House (Co. Cavan), rector of Shercock, son of Richard Adams of Shercock House, and had issue six sons and three daughters; died 20 June 1852;

(2.4) Mary Battersby (d. c.1802); married, before 1801, Andrew Higginbotham, one of the founder members of the Dublin Lodge of the Orange Order, and had issue; died in 1801 or 1802;

(2.5) Penelope Battersby (fl. 1801); married, 1796 (licence 30 June), her cousin, Robert Battersby (1773-1824) [for whom see above], son of Robert Battersby of Bobsville (Co. Meath), and had issue one son and five daughters;

(2.6) Col. Francis Battersby (1775-1844), of Listoke House, Drogheda (Co. Louth), born 19 September 1775; an officer in the 8th Foot (Capt., 1801; Maj., 1809; Lt.-Col., 1812; retired 1826); appointed CB; married, 12 December 1823 at St Anne, Dublin, Elizabeth Jane, second daughter of George Rotherham of Crossdrum (Co. Meath), and had issue one son and one daughter; died 18 December 1844; will proved 1845;

(2.7) Elizabeth Battersby (d. 1836); married [forename unknown] Sheils; died in Dublin, 2 December 1836;

(2.8) Sarah Battersby (fl. 1801); married, 3 June 1799, Joseph Cooper (1776-1814), son of John Cooper of Barn Hall, Castletown (Co. Kildare), and had issue two sons and four daughters;

(2.9) John Battersby (1781-1839) (q.v.);

(2.10) Alexander Battersby (b. 1783), born 10 August 1783; woollen draper in Dublin (bankrupt, 1810); freeman of city of Dublin, 1804; married, 10 July 1807, Elizabeth, daughter of James Cusack of Lara (Co. Kildare), and had issue one son; he disappears from the records soon after his bankruptcy and perhaps died or went abroad;

(2.11) Capt. Henry Robert Battersby (c.1785-1816), born about 1785; an officer in the Royal Navy (Lt., 1806; Cmdr., 1809; Capt., 1814); married, 10 May 1816, Marianne (who m2, about November 1820, Edward Wells Bell), daughter of William Chapman and niece of Sir Thomas Chapman, 2nd bt., of Killua Castle (Co. Westmeath), but had no issue; died 28 November 1816;

(2.12) George Battersby (1788-1815), born 20 April 1788; an officer in the 1st Dragoon Guards (Cornet, 1808; Lt., 1809; Capt., 1813); he was unmarried and without issue; killed in action at the Battle of Waterloo, 18 June 1815.

He built Lakefield House in about 1774.

He died in 1803; his will was proved in Dublin, 16 June 1803. His first wife probably died following childbirth in 1764. His widow may be the woman of this name for whose goods administration was granted in 1830.

Battersby, John (1781-1839). Fourth son of John Battersby (1722-1803) and his second wife, Sarah, daughter of Rev. Henry Leslie of Nutfield (Co. Fermanagh), born 28 June 1781. JP for Co. Meath. He married Frances (d. 1847?), daughter of Robert Wade of Clonabrany (Co. Meath), and had issue:

(1) Frances Letitia Battersby (c.1808-92), born about 1808; died unmarried, 13 August 1892; will proved 7 September 1892 (effects £395);

(2) Rev. John Francis Battersby (1809-77), of Drumelton (Co. Westmeath); educated at Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1826; BA 1831); curate of Clondehorkey (Co. Donegal), 1833-44; rector of Vastina (Co. Westmeath), 1844-76; married, 23 January 1840 at Blackrock (Co. Dublin), Elizabeth (d. 1870), daughter of John Minton of Springvale (Co. Cork), but had no issue; died 30 September 1877; will proved 8 November 1877 (effects under £2,000);

(3) Robert Henry Battersby (1811-98) (q.v.);

(4) Thomas Battersby; probably the man of this name who was an officer in the Demifore Yeomanry in Co. Meath (2nd Lt., 1831); JP for Co. Meath from 1840; died without issue;

(5) Marianne Battersby (b. c.1813?); married, 4 October 1855, at St George, Dublin, John Daly of Lakeview, Mullingar (Co. Westmeath), son of Owen Daly of Mornington (Co. Westmeath), and had issue one daughter.

He inherited Lakefield House from his father in 1803.

He died in August 1839. His widow was probably the woman of this name who died in Kingstown (Co. Dublin) in 1847; her will was proved 5 November 1847.

Battersby, Robert Henry (1811-98). Second son of John Battersby (1781-1839) and his wife Frances, daughter of Robert Wade of Clonabrany (Co. Meath), born 1811. JP for Co. Meath. He was unmarried and without issue.

He inherited Lakefield House from his father in 1839, but dispersed the estate at auction in 1893.

He died 20 June 1898; no will traced.

Battersby family of Newcastle House and Lough Bawn House

Battersby, Thomas (1767-1839). Second son of John Battersby (1722-1803) and his second wife, Sarah, daughter of Rev. Henry Leslie of Nutfield (Co. Fermanagh), born 23 October 1767. JP for Co. Meath. He married, 16 October 1799, Margaret Catherine (1783-1862), eldest daughter of George Rotherham of Triermore (Co. Meath), and had issue:

(1) George Battersby (1802-80) (q.v.);

(2) Thomas Battersby (1803-87), of Newcastle House, Oldcastle (Co. Meath), born 16 October 1803; JP for Cos. Meath, Westmeath and Cavan; married, 17 May 1837 at Loughcrew (Co. Meath), Henrietta Mary Anne (d. 1894), daughter of John Rotton of Laura Lodge, Bath (Som.), and had issue five sons and two daughters; died 27 April 1887 and was buried at Oldcastle; will proved 19 August 1887;

(3) Edward Battersby (1805-39), born 3 May 1805; an officer in the Royal Navy (Lt., 1829); died unmarried, 4 October 1839, and was buried in Barbados;

(4) Catherine Battersby (c.1806-66); married, 16 November 1836, William Smith Harman (1804-76) of Upper Crossdrum House (Co. Meath), son of William Morton Harman, and had issue; died aged 60 on 15 December 1866;

(5) Henry Battersby (1808-68), born 4 April 1808 and baptised at Oldcastle; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (BA 1829, MA 1832) and Kings Inns (admitted 1829); solicitor; JP for Co. Meath; married 1st, 13 February 1846, Frances (d. 1854), daughter of T. Rutherford of St. Doolagh's (Co. Dublin); married 2nd, 24 February 1857 at St Anne, Dublin, Anne Maria (1817-1910), daughter of Lt-Col. Richard Kelly, but had no issue; died in London, 11 September 1868 and was buried at Moyliska (Co. Westmeath); administration of goods granted 28 January 1869;

(6) Sarah Battersby (c.1809-81), born about 1809; married, 29 January 1841 at Oldcastle, Rev. Hugh Henry O'Neill (c.1804-72), rector of Knockbride (Co. Cavan), son of John O'Neill, and had issue at least two daughters; died 30 January 1881; administration of goods granted 31 May 1881 (effects under £800);

(7) Dr. Francis Battersby (1812-91), born 10 November 1812; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (BA 1834; MB 1836); physician and surgeon (FRCSI 1841); married 1st, 11 March 1852, Elizabeth (1828-55), daughter of Rev. Robert Stephenson Crooke, and had issue one son; married 2nd, 25 June 1861 at St Peter, Dublin, Charlotte (d. 1879), daughter of John Brien of Castletown (Co. Fermanagh), but had no further issue; died in Dublin and was buried at Loughcrew, 7 October 1891;

(8) Elizabeth Jane Battersby (1815-83), born 3 November 1815; died unmarried in Dublin, 3 May 1883 and was buried at Loughcrew; will proved 28 June 1883 (effects £3,157);

(9) Isabella Battersby (1817-1900), born 29 April 1817; died unmarried, 16 April 1900 and was buried at Loughcrew; will proved 2 July 1900 (estate £3,592);

(10) Frederick William Battersby (1819-47), born 15 May 1819; married, 9 October 1845 at Oldcastle, Margaretta Elizabeth Kannaun (d. 1869), eldest daughter of Captain Henry Keating of Millbrook House (Co. Meath), but had no issue; died of typhus fever, 16 April 1847;

(11) Charles John Battersby (1821-97), of Cromlyn, Rathowen (Co. Westmeath), born 3 February 1821; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (BA 1843); married, 12 January 1854 at Laracor (Co. Meath), Frances Isabella (1828-1909), daughter of William Battersby of Freffans (Co. Meath) [for whom see Battersby family of Lakefield, above], and had issue one son and five daughters; died 22 May 1897 and was buried at Rathowen; will proved 26 July 1897;

(12) Rev. William Alexander Battersby (1825-80), born 4 June 1825; educated at Enniskillen and Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1842; BA 1845); ordained deacon, 1846 and priest, 1847; perpetual curate of Carrick, 1847-54; priest-in-charge of St Augustine, Derry, 1854-70, and rector of Bovevagh (Co. Londonderry), 1876-78, when he resigned; he was unmarried and without issue; found drowned in Tamneymore Basin, Derry City, 5 August 1880 and was buried at Derry; administration of goods granted 9 September 1880 (effects under £3,000);

(13) Barbara Jane Battersby (c.1828-1905), born about 1828; married, 6 August 1851 at Collinstown, Thomas White JP (1820-66) of Peppard's Castle (Co. Wexford), and had issue; died at Peppard's Castle, 8 February 1905 and was buried at Donamore; administration of her goods was granted 14 April 1905 (estate £2,057).

He purchased a lease of the Newcastle estate, Oldcastle (Co. Meath), in about 1810, and probably built Newcastle House.

He died 27 February 1839 and was buried at Loughcrew (Co. Meath); his will was proved 6 April 1839. His widow died in Dublin, 17 December 1862 and was buried at Loughcrew; her will was proved 8 January 1863.

Battersby, George (1802-80). Eldest son of Thomas Battersby (1767-1839) and his wife Margaret Catherine, eldest daughter of George Rotherham of Crossdrum (Co. Meath), born 8 September 1802. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1818; BA 1824; LLB and LLD, 1832), Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1824) and Kings Inns, Dublin (admitted 1826; called to Irish bar, 1826; bencher, 1861). Barrister-at-law (QC, 1844). Judge of the Dublin Consistory Court (abolished 1869) and later Chancellor of the United Diocesan Court of Dublin, Glenadalough and Kildare, 1869-80; senior Crown Prosecutor for Cos. Kildare and Offaly, and occasional substitute Assizes judge. JP for Co. Meath. A Liberal in politics. Author of a manuscript 'Tour in Europe' (c.1823), now in the National Library of Ireland. He married, 10 December 1830, Charlotte Sarah (c.1806-76), daughter of Rt. Hon. John Radcliff LLD, of Mespil House (Co. Dublin), judge of the Prerogative Court of Ireland, and had issue (with another son, stillborn in 1837):

(1) Bettana Catherine Battersby (1831-1913), born 16 October and baptised at St Peter, Dublin, 18 November 1831; married, 10 January 1852 at St Peter, Dublin, John Colley Pounden (1827-98) of Ballywater House, Gorey (Co. Wexford), and had issue two sons and eleven daughters; died 30 August 1913;

(2) Thomas George Battersby (1832-71), born 9 October 1832; educated at Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1850; BA 1855; LLB and LLD, 1862), Inner Temple (admitted 1854) and Kings Inns (admitted 1853; called 1856); barrister-at-law; married, 8 December 1864 at St Stephen, Dublin, Georgina Mary Bessy (c.1836-83) (who in 1875 assumed the additional name of Wybrants, married 2nd, 16 May 1876 at Victoria Hotel, Killarney (Co. Kerry), Capt. Temple Leighton Phipson (later Phipson-Wybrants) (1846-80), son of Thomas Barroll Phipson of Heathfield (Kent)), daughter of Col. William Middleton, and had issue two daughters; died 11 September 1871; will proved 6 October 1871;

(3) John Radcliffe Battersby (1839-1912) (q.v.).

He purchased the site of Lough Bawn House (Co. Westmeath) in the 1830s, and built Lough Bawn House after 1837. He had a town house at 20 Lower Leeson St., Dublin.

He died in Dublin, 9 June 1880 and was buried at Loughcrew; his will was proved 14 July 1880 (effects under £25,000). His wife died 17 August 1876.

Battersby, John Radcliffe (1839-1912). Second, but only surviving, son of George Battersby (1802-80) and his wife Charlotte Sarah, daughter of Rt. Hon. John Radcliff LLD, of Mespil House (Co. Dublin), judge of the Prerogative Court of Ireland, born 30 September 1839. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1858; BA 1862) and Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1862) and Kings Inns (admitted 1861; called to Irish bar, 1864). Barrister-at-law. JP for Cos. Meath and Westmeath. He married, 9 August 1873 at Rathconnell (Co. Westmeath), Augusta Helen (d. 1927), daughter of John Rynd of Reynella (Co. Westmeath), and had issue:

(1) Edith Frances Battersby (1874-1960) (q.v.);

(2) A female child (b. & d. 1876), born 15 February 1876 and died the same day;

(3) George Battersby (1877-1919) (q.v.);

(4) John Radcliffe Battersby (1878-79), born 15 December 1878; died in infancy, 8 April 1879;

(5) Millicent Battersby (1882-1965), born 26 November 1882; married, 22 July 1909, George Astley Rotheram (1874-1951) of Sallymount, Castlepollard (Co. Westmeath), and had issue one daughter; died 17 May 1965 and was buried at Loughcrew Cemetery (Co. Meath); will proved 20 January 1966 (estate £10,951);

(6) Rev. Augustus Wolfe Battersby (1885-1915), born 10 February 1885; educated at Corrig School, Kingstown and Trinity College, Dublin (BA 1909); ordained deacon, 1910; curate of All Saints church, Antrim, 1910-13; served in First World War with 4th battalion, Connaught Rangers (2nd Lt., 1914; Lt., 1915); died of fever at Douala (Cameroon) while attached to West African Frontier Force, 15 June 1915; will proved 27 November 1915 (estate £315);

(7) John Radcliff Battersby (1886-1960) (q.v.);

(8) A female child (b. 1888), born 20 May 1888; apparently died in infancy;

(9) Dorothy Battersby (1889-1975), born 26 May 1889; served in First World War as a VAD nurse in England and later worked as a teacher; lived with her sister Mona at Carrick House, Ashwellthorpe (Norfk); died unmarried, 1 July 1975; will proved 20 August 1975 (estate £8,262);

(10) Thomas Charles Battersby (b. & d. 1891), born 9 January 1891; died in infancy, 27 March 1891;

(11) Rosalie Battersby (1892-1983), born 25 March 1892; worked as nurse with British Red Cross, 1916-19 and in Women's Royal Air Force, 1919-20; married, 20 July 1920 at Collinstown (Co. Westmeath), Cdr. Thomas Crauford Anderson RN (d. 1950), son of Thomas Anderson of Briggs Main House (Northbld), coal owner, and had issue two sons; died 17 March 1983; will proved 4 May 1983 (estate under £25,000);

(12) Mona Phillippa Battersby (1894-1984), born 9 November 1894; district nurse; lived with her sister Dorothy at Carrick House, Ashwellthorpe (Norfk); died unmarried aged 89, 1 March 1984; will proved 15 May 1984 (estate under £40,000).

He inherited Lough Bawn House from his father in 1880.

He died 9 October 1912; will proved 10 February 1913 (estate £8,337). His widow died 8 June 1927.

Battersby, George (1877-1919). Eldest son of John Radcliffe Battersby (1839-1912) and his wife Augusta Helen, daughter of John Rynd of Reynella (Co. Westmeath), born in Dublin, 11 January 1877. Educated at Cheltenham College and Portora Royal School. Farmer. He married, 23 December 1914 at the Dublin Registry Office, Katherine (d. 1959?), daughter of Michael Whalley, farmer, but had no issue.

He inherited Lough Bown House from his father in 1912.

He died of cancer of the throat and neck, 18 August 1919. His widow married 2nd, 30 June 1927 at St Andrew, Dublin, Thomas Joseph Burke of Cavan, chemist, son of Matthew Burke, farmer, and is said to have died in 1959.

Battersby, John Radcliffe (1886-1960). Third and youngest surviving son of John Radcliffe Battersby (1839-1912) and his wife Augusta Helen, daughter of John Rynd of Reynella (Co. Westmeath), born 26 January 1886. Educated at Corrig School, Kingstown (Co. Dublin). Merchant trading in Argentina before the First World War, when he served with the 3/4th King's African Rifles and the the East African Mounted Rifles. He married 1st, 2 July 1927, Phyllis Frances (c.1904-45), eldest daughter of Charles Henry Alley of Hill of Ward, Athboy (Co. Meath), and 2nd, 26 December 1948, Elise Evelyn Hope Margeurite (1899-1987), daughter of Thomas Albert Clear of Wandsworth (Surrey) and widow of Herbert Judge, railway worker, but had no issue.

He inherited Lough Bawn House from his elder brother in 1919. At his death it passed to his nephew, Col. George Francis Maxwell.

He died 14 August 1960. His first wife died 25 March 1945 and was buried at Loughcrew Cemetery (Co. Meath). His widow died 13 August 1987; her will was proved 26 February 1988 (estate in England & Wales, £6,513).

Battersby, Edith Frances (1874-1960). Eldest daughter of John Radcliffe Battersby (1839-1912) and his wife Augusta Helen, daughter of John Rynd of Reynella (Co. Westmeath), born 5 September 1874. She married, 5 May 1909 at Collinstown (Co. Westmeath), George Maxwell (1874-1837), an Inspector with the Royal Irish Constabulary, son of Arthur Henry Maxwell (d. 1909) of Corduff (Co. Dublin), and had issue:

(1) Col. George Francis Maxwell (1911-76) (q.v.).

She and her husband lived in various places in connection with his job but Ireland eventually became too dangerous for Protestant RIC officers and they moved to Brittany (France). They eventually returned to live at Lough Bawn in the 1930s.

She died 23 December 1960; her will was proved 14 September 1961 (estate £4,996). Her husband died of pneumonia, 12 June 1937 having caught a cold while out fishing on Lough Bawn; administration of his goods was granted in 1938 (estate £3,949).

Maxwell, Col. George Francis (1911-76). Only child of George Maxwell (1874-1937) of Lough Bawn House and his wife Edith Frances, eldest daughter of John Radcliffe Battersby of Lough Bawn House, born 1911. An officer in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (2nd Lt., 1932; Lt., 1935; Capt., 1940; Maj. 1942; Lt-Col., 1954; Col., 1958; retired 1961). He married, 1939, Stella Mary de Beauvoir Jeayes (1914-2004), daughter of Rev. Wilfred Arthur Jeayes of Verwood (Hants), and had issue:

(1) Bridget Michelle Maxwell (b. 1941), born 20 August 1941; educated at Harper Adams Agricultural College, Newport (Shrops.); married, 5 September 1964, David John Murry Taylor (b. 1940), elder son of W/Cdr. Donald Taylor, and had issue two sons;

(2) Verity Victoria Maxwell (b. 1948), born in Kenya, 17 June 1948; now of Lough Bawn House; married, 1 June 1968, William Robin Butterfield, younger son of Geoffrey Butterfield of East Haddon Hill (Northants), and had issue three daughters.

He inherited Corduff House from his father in 1937 and Lough Bawn House from his uncle in 1960. In 1976 Lough Bawn was occupied by his elder daughter, but it is now operated as a B&B by his younger daughter.

He died 27 November 1976; his will was proved in Dublin, 16 May 1977 (estate in Ireland, £208,339), and in London, 1 July 1977 (estate in England & Wales, £6,433). His widow died aged 89 on 28 September 2004; her will was proved 30 May 2007.