French (Errit Lodge)
In the mid 19th century the Right Honourable Fitzstephen French of Erritt Lodge, Member of Parliament for county Roscommon and younger brother of the 1st Lord de Freyne, owned an estate in the parish of Taghmaconnell, barony of Athlone, county Roscommon, which he purchased in 1852 from Moore of Cloonbigny. He also held property in the parish of Tibohine, barony of Frenchpark and in the parish of Kiltrustan, barony of Roscommon. In the 1870s the representatives of Fitzstephen French owned 12,270 acres in county Roscommon, 1,224 acres in county Sligo and 79 acres in county Cork. In 1874 over 7000 acres of Fitzstephen French's estate in the barony of Frenchpark, known as "the Bishop's Lands" was offered for sale in the Landed Estates' Court. This land was held on lease from 1863 from Lord de Freyne's estate. In November 1878 lands amounting to 3,817 acres in the baronies of Athlone and Castlereagh were advertised for sale in the Land Judges' Court. The owners and petitioners were Louisa F.C.M. Bridges and Augusta S.F.G. French, the two daughters and co heiresses of Fitzstephen French.
Associated Families
Houses
| Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Errit Lodge | Derreenamackaun | Tibohine | Castlerea | Artagh South 56 | Frenchpark | Roscommon |
OSI Ref: M545844
OS Sheet: 19 Discovery map: 32 |
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Archival sources
- Land Judges’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Bridges & French, 8 Nov 1878, Vol 134, MRGS 39/060, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
- Land Judges’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Bridges & French, 7 Nov 1879 & 26 June 1885, Vols 137 & 149, MRGS 39/061 & 39/065 , (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
- Landed Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Fitzstephen French, 18 November 1874, Vol 117, MRGS 39/053, (microfilm copy in NUIG) ; National Archives of Ireland
- Map of county Roscommon showing the proprietors of the county, 1852-3, compiled for Fitzstephen French by W.C. Ryan. 1853. 21 F 103 (8); National Library of Ireland
- Maps of lands at Errit, barony of Frenchpark. 21 F 45 (80, 84 & 98); National Library of Ireland
- Conveyance of the estate of the administrator of Fitzstephen French to Catherine Baroness De Freyne, 1875. D27,893; National Library of Ireland
Contemporary printed sources
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: 315
- 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] : 170
- ORDNANCE SURVEY NAME BOOKS, County Roscommon: Vol.IV, 164.
- SLATER, Isaac. ''Royal National Directory of Ireland: List of the principal seats''. (Manchester: 1894) : xxvi, 93 (Errit Lodge)
- BATEMAN, John. ''The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland''. London: Harrison, 1883. : p.176