Landed Estates
University of Galway

Coote (Bellamont)

Richard Coote, 1st Baron Coote of Collooney and brother of Sir Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Mountrath, was granted extensive estates in counties Roscommon, Galway, Mayo and Sligo in the seventeenth century. Much of his Sligo land was eventually purchased by other Sligo landowners in the eighteenth century, notably the Coopers of Markree. The ''Extinct Peerage'' notes that Richard Coote, 4th Baron Collooney, sold Collooney and other lands to Joshua Cooper of Markree in March 1729. In 1689, the 1st Baron's eldest son Richard was created 1st Earl of Bellamont but this title became extinct following the death of the 3rd Earl in 1766, however, the title Baron of Collooney passed to his cousin Charles Coote of Coote Hill, who was created Earl of Bellamont in 1767. Charles was a grandson of Thomas Coote of Coote Hill, county Cavan, (fourth son of Richard 1st Baron Coote of Colloony, county Sligo), who had inherited Coote Hill from his uncle Thomas Coote, who was granted large estates in counties Cavan and Monaghan and smaller acreages in counties Meath and Queen’s County [Co Laois] in 1667. Charles married a daughter of the 1st Duke of Leinster but their only son died before his father and the earldom of Bellamont became extinct again in 1800. Charles Johnston Coote, illegitimate son of the last Earl of Bellamont, succeeded to the house Bellamont Forest and fee simple estates. In 1810, he married Louisa Dawson, sister of Richard 2nd Lord Cremorne and died in 1841. Their eldest son was Dawson Richard Coote, who died in 1850. By the time of Griffith’s Valuation in the mid-1850s Richard Coote, a minor, held an extensive estate in the parishes of Drumgoon and Kildrumsherdan, county Cavan. The estate was then administered by Colonel Charles George Henry Coote of H.M. Indian Service, who also had property in London. Over 7,500 acres were offered for sale in 1857, mainly in county Cavan. Again in 1859, portions of the the estate of Richard Coote in the counties of Cavan, Leitrim (600 acres in the barony of Carrigallen) and Monaghan were offered for sale in the Landed Estates Court. In 1876, Richard Coote of Bellamont Forest owned 5,321 acres in the county while his uncle, Colonel George Charles Henry Coote, owned 2,235 acres. In 1875, the house Bellamont Forest was sold to Edward Smith, a coal tycoon.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Bellamont House Collooney Ballysadare Sligo Collooney 48 Tirerrill Sligo OSI Ref: G680263
OS Sheet: 26
Discovery map: 25
Bellamont Forest Bellamont Forest Drumgoon Cootehill Cootehill Rural Tullygarvey Cavan OSI Ref: H609157
OS Sheet: 17
Discovery map: 28
New Grove House Lisnageer Drumgoon Cootehill Cootehill Rural Tullygarvey Cavan OSI Ref: H629110
OS Sheet: 17
Discovery map: 28
Ann's Fort Lisangoon Drumgoon Cootehill Knappagh Tullygarvey Cavan OSI Ref: H659106
OS Sheet: 23
Discovery map: 28
Beehive Carrickacroman Larah Cootehill Larah South Tullygarvey Cavan OSI Ref: H572014
OS Sheet: 27
Discovery map: 35 		Photo of Beehive

Archival sources

  • Landed Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Coote, 17 November 1859, Vol 57, MRGS 39/028, (microfilm copy in NUIG) ; National Archives of Ireland
  • Rental of the estates in Co Cavan of Charles H.G. Coote for sale in Landed Estates Court, 8 Nov 1859. M. 5461.; National Archives of Ireland
  • Seventy three leases and renewals of premises in Cootehill, granted by Charles Coote, Earl of Bellamont and other members of the Coote family, 1766-1830. D 6791-6863.; National Library of Ireland
  • Assignment of trust Lord Carleton to George Browne, concerning lands in Cavan and Monaghan bequeathed by late Earl of Bellamont, 5 May 1810. D 23,896.; National Library of Ireland
  • Assignment by F. Blundell to W. Worthy and T. O’Reilly of land in Lisnagoan [Lisnagoon, parish of Drumgoon], Co Cavan, 1840. D 6930.; National Library of Ireland
  • Coote family papers, notes about the Coote family of Bellamont Forest, c 1602-c 1949, compiled c 1970. T2819.; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Lease of park in possession of lessees' father, John Mitten, and 1 acre of turf bog, for three lives renewable for ever. Rent: £1.4s.6d. per annum for 1st three years, and thereafter 10s. per acre per annum Hon. Thos. Coote, Cootehill, Co. Cavan, to John Mitten, Jr., Campstown, and James Mitten, Carolina, both Co. Cavan. Relating to land at Drumavealle, Tullyhunshin, Co. Cavan. D645/14; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Uncompleted Draft Lease by Deborah and Elizabeth Carleton heiresses of Joshua C. Jas. Trenor of Keechan, Kilshirding, Co. Cavan, one part, Benj. Simson, Monalea, Clownish, Co. Monaghan, linen-drapers, and John Shepherd, Cootehill, linen-weaver, of Quaker Meeting House, Cootehill, Co. Cavan of the other part. Document also recites the original lease for lives from Chas. Coote of Cootehill to Joshua Carleton. 1754. D847/1/4; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Memorial of a deed of mortgage of 22 May 1860 whereby Richard Coote of Bellomont Forest mortgaged his estate, almost exclusively in the barony of Tullygarvey, Co. Cavan, with a small overspill into the barony of Cremorne, Co. Monaghan, to the Duke of Sutherland and others for £43,500; the document mentions that the Bellomont Forest demesne still contained 1,137 statute acres. 3 April 1868. D3053/13/4; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Title-deeds, rentals, etc, relating to the estates of the Coote family of Fortwilliam, Co. Cavan, in Cos. Monaghan and Cavan, bequeathed by the Earl of Bellomont in 1800 to the third of his natural sons, Thomas Coote, later of Fortwilliam; the earliest document in the collection is a copy of Lord Bellomont's will, by which he bequeathed Bellomont Forest, Cootehill, on the Cavan/Monaghan border, and the bulk of his real estates to his eldest natural son, Charles Coote. 1800-1906. D3406/B/; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Coote and Oliver Estate and Family Papers, Charles Coote, Bellamont Forest, Co. Cavan, 1810-1842. D3168/12; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Letter from James Dolan to Richard Coote, esquire, Bellamont Forest, county Cavan. Dolan proposes to become tenant to Coote in respect of tenement at Market street, Cootehill, county Cavan, at present occupied by Dolan, Bernard Markey and Thomas Markey, and to pay him annual rent of £12 sterling as well as a fine of £50, 20 March 1857. P017/0068 ; Cavan County Archives Service, Small Private Collections
  • Returns of wages paid on Bellamont forest demesne farm, Co. Cavan, 1920 - 1921. Ms. 16,116; National Library of Ireland
  • Will of Lord Bellamont, 1800. D. 8982; National Library of Ireland
  • Minutes of a court-martial involving Charles Coote, Earl of Bellamont and Sir Richard Steele, 3rd Bt., Jan., 1796. Ms. 16,082; National Library of Ireland
  • Rental of Lord Bellamont's estate in counties Cavan and Monaghan, May 1782 to November 1782.; Cavan County Archives Service, Small Private Collections

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources