Landed Estates
University of Galway

Clive (Co Clare)

Robert Clive, known as "Clive of India", bought an estate in county Clare from the Dublin banker Henry Mitchell circa 1760. Mitchell had bought the two portions of his estate from General John Thomas Fowke and the trustees of Henry O'Brien, Earl of Thomond about twenty years earlier. The estate was comprised of dispersed pockets of land mainly located to the west and north of what is now Shannon Airport. Clive purchased the head rent of these lands which were leased to such families as the Spaights, Hickmans, Lewins, Creaghs, Wolfes, MacDonnells. His agent was Caleb Powell. Logan estimates the estate to have been over 12,000 acres. Robert Clive was created Baron Clive of Plassey [Ballykilty], county Clare, in 1762. The 1761 rental of the estate of Robert Clive lists William Monsell as tenant of "Plassey otherwise Ballykilty". Clive died in 1774 and was succeeded by his son Edward who married the sister and heir of George E.H.A. Herbert, Earl of Powis, who held the head rent of an estate at Castleisland, county Kerry. In 1804 Edward was created Earl of Powis. In 1790 Edward Clive visited counties Kerry, Limerick and Clare. Following this visit Stephen Rice was appointed agent to the estates in Edward Clive's control in counties Kerry and Clare. Before his death in 1839 Edward Clive had specified that his Irish estates were to be sold to pay off any debts due from the consolidation of the Clive and Herbert estates. His son Edward had inherited the Herbert estates of his uncle. The county Clare estate of the Clives was sold in 1842 and Logan lists the names of the tenants in 1761, 1841 and the purchasers. The purchasers included names such as Gabbett (Ballykilty), Caswell (Rosmadda), McMahon, Hickman (Carrigoran), Roseingrave, Brady and Ball (Fortfergus).

Associated Families

No houses were found for this estate

Archival sources

  • Robert Clive Papers; National Library of Wales
  • Powis Papers; National Library of Wales
  • Monteagle Papers, include power of attorney to manage estates in Co Kerry from Edward Baron Clive of Plassey to Stephen Edward Rice of Cappa, Co Limerick & S.E. Rice the younger of Dublin, Mar 1791. Small Acc Index 58, D.6652-6653; National Archives of Ireland

Modern printed sources