Landed Estates
University of Galway

Butler (Lanesborough)

Stephen Butler of Belturbet, county Cavan, died in 1662. His grandson Theophilus Butler represented county Cavan in Parliament and was raised to the peerage as Baron of Newtown-Butler in 1715. He was succeeded in 1723 by his brother Brinsley Butler, 2nd Baron, created Viscount Lanesborough in 1728. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation (1857) the 5th Earl of Lanesborough held an estate in the county Cavan parishes of Castleterra, Drumlane, Annagh, Urney and Annaghgelliff, which amounted to 7,946 acres in 1878 in addition to the 6,606 acres he owned in county Fermanagh. In the mid-1850s the grandson of the 1st Viscount’s fourth son, Captain Humphrey Butler of the Royal Navy, held lands in the parishes of Annagh and Drumlane, county Cavan. Humphrey Butler is also recorded as one of the principal lessors in the parish of Kilnamanagh, barony of Frenchpark, county Roscommon, at the time of Griffith's Valuation. At the same time Captain Humphrey Butler was among the principal lessors in the parish of Abbeylara, barony of Granard, Ccounty Longford. In the 1870s the representatives of Humphrey Butler, with an address at Shedfield Lodge, Farnham, England, owned over 600 acres in county Roscommon and 795 acres in county Fermanagh. In 1877 the trustees of Humphrey Butler's marriage to Eliza Margaret Tewart were offering over 600 acres for sale in the barony of Frenchpark. The Irish Times reported that the bidding was considered insufficient and the sale adjourned. In 1878, Miss Butler of England owned 971 acres in county Cavan and 432 acres in county Longford.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Sugarloaf Corporation Lands Annagh Cavan Grilly Loughtee Lower Cavan OSI Ref: H376166
OS Sheet: 14
Discovery map: 27A 		Photo of Sugarloaf
Lanesborough Lodge Quivvy Drumlane Cavan Grilly Lower Loughtee Cavan OSI Ref: H404213
OS Sheet: 11
Discovery map: 27

Archival sources

  • Landed Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Butler, 19 June 1877, Vol 128, MRGS 39/058, (microfilm copy in NUIG) ; National Archives of Ireland
  • Lease made between Theophilus Brinsley Butler, city of Dublin, esquire, and Mary Finlay, Sugarloaf house, county Cavan, widow, in respect of Sugarloaf house, gardens and two fields attached, being near the town of Belturbet, parish of Annagh, barony of Lower Loughtee, county Cavan. Contains 9 acres and 2 roods late Irish plantation measure. Lease to run for the natural lives of Sir Thomas Finlay and Catherine Lake Finlay, son and daughter of lessee, and David Finlay, eldest son of John Finlay, Brackley house, county Cavan, or for the term of 31 years whichever lasts longer. Annual rent of £40 sterling. 12 April 1835. P017/0045 ; Cavan County Archives Service, Small Private Collections
  • Thirty-one deeds relating to properties in Counties Cavan and Fermanagh of the Butler family, afterwards Viscounts Lanesborough, 1616, 1664, 1669, 1678, 1681, 1683 - 19th c. D. 8896-8926; National Library of Ireland
  • Pedigree of Butler, Earls of Lanesborough, also Danvers Butler, c.1700 -- 1820. GO Ms. 168, p. 316; National Library of Ireland
  • Administration de bonis non of goods of Brinsley, Visct. Lanesborough (died March 6, 1735), Feb. 27, 1836. D. 18,702; National Library of Ireland
  • Lord Butler of Newtownbutler & eldest son Humfrey Mary Berry, spinster, of Wardenstown, Westmeath, Clement Barry of Dublin, Marmaduke Caghill of Dublin, Rev. Anth? Dopping of Meath, Marriage settlement. Recites deed of 1725 wholly Humfrey conveyed his estate interest to Coghill except for £300 annuity for mother's jointure. Miss Berry's dowry £6,000. Recites various uses and trusts, Market Street, Belturbet, Co. Cavan. Manor of Dunglush also Deruglish, Co. Cavan. Lands in Co. Fermanagh, Westmeath c.150 place names. 16 March 1726. D859/15; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Lanesborough Papers, mainly rentals and accounts of the estate agents Frederick and Arthur Trench in the 19th century, for estates in counties Cavan and Fermanagh. 1780-1930. D1908; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Bundle of c.60 docs: Estate papers and correspondence of Bedel Stanford, Cheltenham, Gloucester, concerning lands at Knockbeggar, Lurganboy, and Gortgommon, Co. Fermanagh, Drumherrif, Enaragh, Killyvilly, Ardue, Clonmullagh, Gortrahan and Ture, Co. Cavan, Magherabeg, Co. Wicklow and a tenement in Gardiner's Row, Dublin and including:- Copy fee farm grant forever, Stephen Butler Belturbet, Co. Cavan to John Hecklefield, Newtown, Co. Fermanagh, concerning lands at Gortgommon, Co. Fermanagh. Rent 16 shillings p.a. [1661]. D1096/67/6; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Miscellaneous documents, relating mainly to the Lane family, Viscounts Lanesborough, dealing for the most part with business transactions, including letters, household expenses, etc. 1701-1713 and 1830. Ms 8645.; National Library of Ireland
  • A survey of Wardenstown and Brutonstown Little in the parish of Killucan barony of Farbill and County Westmeath part of the estate of Robert Herbert Earl of Lanesboro. 1804. MS 21 F. 47 (34); National Library of Ireland

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources