Kelly (Rookwood)
This family is well recorded in Vera Hughes' book. Crofton Kelly and his wife Elizabeth Threwles were the parents of Edmund Kelly born 1765. Edmund became a successful lawyer and lived at Rookwood, a property previously leased by his uncle John Thewles. In the late 1820s Edmund retired and married Sarah Birch. In 1828 he is recorded as a member of the Grand Panel of county Roscommon. Edmund Kelly was a very wealthy man and in his will of 1837 mentioned his estates in counties Roscommon, Galway, Westmeath and in Sussex, England. In 1840 he bought a property at Ballinderry, Moate, county Westmeath from Lord Clonbrock and died 5 years later. Many legal battles followed his death as various Kelly family members laid claim to his estate. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Sarah Kelly owned land in the parishes of Killinvoy, Kiltoom, Rahara, St Johns and Tisrara, barony of Athlone, county Roscommon, in the parish of Athleague, county Galway and in the parishes of Kilcumreragh, Lynn and Killucan, county Westmeath. Sarah Kelly was shot at Ballinderry in 1856. She left her Kiltoom property to her Strevans nephews and her Rookwood estate to her nephew Robert Bayley. In the 1870s Robert Preston Bayley of Rookwood, owned 294 acres in county Galway, 2,590 acres in county Roscommon and 284 acres in county Westmeath; Thomas H. Strevens owned 1,258 acres and George Strevans owned 518 acres in county Roscommon.
Associated Families
Houses
| Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rookwood | Rookwood or Bellagad | Athleague | Mountbellew | Killeroran 149 | Killian | Galway |
OSI Ref: M807 571
OS Sheet: 33 Discovery map: 40 |
|
| Kiltoom | Kiltoom | Kiltoom | Athlone | Kiltoom 15 | Athlone | Roscommon |
OSI Ref: M974 488
OS Sheet: 45 Discovery map: 40 |
|
Archival sources
- Local History File - Rookwood House; Roscommon County Library
- Baker, Ringwood & Gordon, solicitors' collection, includes copy will & grant of probate, Sarah Kelly of Rookwood. Small Accs. Index 105, T.11,848; National Archives of Ireland
Contemporary printed sources
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Mountbellew Union, 25
- LEWIS, Samuel. ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland''. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: Vol I, 84-85
- LEET, Ambrose. ''A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland''. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 339 (Taaffe)
- ORDNANCE SURVEY NAME BOOKS, County Galway, http://places.galwaylibrary.ie/default.html: Rookwood House
- HUSSEY DE BURGH, U. H. ''The Landowners of Ireland. An alphabetical list of the owners of estates of 500 acres or £500 valuation and upwards in Ireland''. Dublin: Hodges, Foster and Figgis, 1878. [available online at www.askaboutireland.ie] : 26
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: 82, 293
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Athlone Union, 83 (Kiltoom)
- WELD, Isaac. ''Statistical Survey of the county of Roscommon''. Dublin: Royal Dublin Society, 1832. : 651.
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Athlone Union, 37 (Ballinderry)
Modern printed sources
- HUGHES, Vera. ''The Strange Story of Sarah Kelly''. The author, 1988: All
- GLIN, Knight of, GRIFFIN, D. J. & ROBINSON, N.K (eds).'' Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland''. Dublin: Irish Architectural Archive/Irish Georgian Society, 1989. : 78
- BENCE-JONES, Mark. ''A Guide to Irish Country Houses''. Revised ed. London: Constable, 1988. : 245
- O'Brien, Donal. ''The Houses and Landed Families of Westmeath''. The author, Athlone (2nd edition 2015): 21