St. Leger

A Norman family who first established connections with the Province of Munster in the mid 16th century, family members holding official positions in Munster from this time. Arthur St Leger of Doneraile was created Viscount Doneraile in 1703 and this title died out with the death of his son, Hayes, 4th Viscount, in 1767. The 4th Viscount's estates were inherited by his nephew, St Leger Aldworth of Newmarket, county Cork, who assumed the name of St Leger and was created Viscount Doneraile (2nd creation) in 1785. This title fell into abeyance in 1956. Sir William St Leger purchased much of the Doneraile estate from Sylvanus Spenser, son of the poet Edmund Spenser, in the early 17th century. The Buttevant estate, the other large property held by the family in county Cork, was acquired in the 1820s when Sir John Anderson went bankrupt. At the time of Griffith's Valuation, Lord Doneraile was among the principal lessors in the parishes of Buttevant and Liscarrol, barony of Orrery and Kilmore, Kilnaglory, barony of East Muskerry, Caherduggan, Clenor, Doneraile and Templeroan, barony of Fermoy. In the 1870s the county Cork estate amounted to 8,374 acres and the county Waterford estate to 6,584 acres. The latter was principally in the barony of Middlethird, parishes of Drumcannon, Islandikane, Kilmeadan and Newcastle as well as the parish of Killea in the barony of Gaultiere. It came into the possession of the St. Legers through the marriage with Elizabeth Otterington, daughter of the original owner. Most of the estate was sold to the tenants under the various Land Acts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Demesne lands amounting to 360 acres were sold to the Land Commission in 1943 and the house in 1969. In 1906 B.E.B. Fitzpatrick, 2nd Baron Castletown, son-in-law of the 4th Viscount Doneraile (2nd creation), held some of the St Leger estate. A large collection of estate papers in the National Library document this estate in three centuries.

Associated Families

St. Leger

Houses

Name	Townland	Civil Parish	PLU	DED	Barony	County	Map Ref
Buttevant Castle	Castleland	Buttevant	Mallow	Buttevant 237	Orrery and Kilmore	Cork	OSI Ref: R542 086 OS Sheet: 17 Discovery map: 73
Castle View	Knockbarry	Buttevant	Mallow	Buttevant 237	Orrery and Kilmore	Cork	OSI Ref: R537 089 OS Sheet: 17 Discovery map: 73
Springfield	Ballybeg East	Buttevant	Mallow	Buttevant 237	Orrery and Kilmore	Cork	OSI Ref: R548 079 OS Sheet: 17 Discovery map: 73
Doneraile Court	Demesne	Doneraile	Mallow	Doneraile 242	Fermoy	Cork	OSI Ref: R601 073 OS Sheet: 17 Discovery map: 73
Saffron Hill Cottage	Croaghnacree	Doneraile	Mallow	Doneraile 242	Fermoy	Cork	OSI Ref: R604 061 OS Sheet: 25 Discovery map: 73
Streamhill	Streamhill East	Doneraile	Mallow	Streamhill 145	Fermoy	Cork	OSI Ref: R605 117 OS Sheet: 17 Discovery map: 73
Newtown House (Tramore)	Newtown	Drumcannon	Waterford	Islandikane 75	Middlethird	Waterford	OSI Ref: S569002 OS Sheet: 26 Discovery map: 76
Amberhill House	Amberhill	Kilmeadan	Waterford	Kilmeadan	Middlethird	Waterford	OSI Ref: S510090 OS Sheet: 16 Discovery map: 82
Ballyduff Glebe	Ballyduff East	Kilmeadan	Waterford	Kilmeadan 70	Middlethird	Waterford	OSI Ref: S514015 OS Sheet: 16 Discovery map: 75
Cullenagh (KIlmeadan)	Cullenagh	Kilmeadan	Waterford	Kilmeadan 70	Middlethird	Waterford	OSI Ref: S501104 OS Sheet: 16 Discovery map: 75
Fairbrook House	Cullenagh	Kilmeadan	Waterford	Kilmeadan 70	Middlethird	Waterford	OSI Ref: S502100 OS Sheet: 16 Discovery map: 75
Knockaderry House	Knockaderry	Newcastle	Waterford	Newcastle 71	Middlethird	Waterford	OSI Ref: S482071 OS Sheet: 16 Discovery map: 75
Leckaun	Leckaun	Killea	Waterford	Killea 91	Gaultiere	Waterford	OSI Ref: S680021 OS Sheet: 27 Discovery map: 76

Archival sources

Doneraile Papers, collection of estate & personal papers of St Leger family Viscounts Doneraile relating to estates in Cos Cork & Waterford, 1756-1950. Collection List 62; National Library of Ireland
Rent roll of the Rt Hon Lord Donneralle's estate at Ballyhooly, 1777. MS 10,933; National Library of Ireland
Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Sayers, 4 Nov 1859, Vol 57 (7), 18 Nov 1864, Vol 74 (57), 5 May 1865, Vol 76 (12), 24 nov 1865, Vol 79 (30), MRGS 39/028, 39/037 & 39/038, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Moore, 27 Feb 1863, Vol 67 (45), MRGS 39/034, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
Account Books & Ledgers 1847-80. Acc 6317; National Library of Ireland
Doneraile Estate Papers, re the Doneraile, Buttevant, Tramore, Lisduff & Granston estates, include rentals, leagal papers, correspondence & accounts, c 1790-1920. U188 ; Cork City and County Archives
St. Leger Family: Tabular pedigree of the second or St. Leger branch of the Irish family of Aldworth of Newmarket (Co. Cork), showing all the descendants of St. Leger, 1st Viscount Doneraile in 1755. 19th c. Microfilm P 4550; National Library of Ireland
O’Connor & Dudley solicitor's collection includes deeds & documents re the Leighton interest in the lands of Ballygregan, barony of Barretts, Co Cork, re the marriage settlement of the Rev Francis K. Leighton & Catherine St Leger, 22 Feb 1843. Contains papers re St Leger family & Henry family from whom the St Legers held the lands of Ballygregan, 1831-1879. D.9009-9021; National Archives of Ireland
Irish Tourist Association Survey files, Parish of Doneraile; Cork County Library

Contemporary printed sources

''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Barony of Orrery and Kilmore, 20 (Ballybeg East), 25 (Castle-Land), 30 (Knockbarry)
LEET, Ambrose. ''A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland''. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 84 (Buttevant Castle - Amias Deane), 359 (Springfield - Hugh Norcott), 394 (Doneraile Castle)
LEWIS, Samuel. ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland''. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: I, 235 (Buttevant Castle & Castle View), 478 (Doneraile Park)
PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: 122
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] : 132
''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Fermoy Barony, 57 (Croaghnacree), 58 (Demesne), 71 (Streamhill East)
SMITH, Charles. ''The ancient and present state of the county of Kerry. Containing a natural, civil, ecclesiastical, historical and topographical description thereof.'' Dublin: 1774. : I, 329-332
TOWNSEND, Horatio. ''Statistical survey of the county of Cork...'' Dublin: Royal Dublin Society, 1810: 515-518
''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Barony of Middlethird: 10 (Newtown), 51 (Ballyduff East), 54 (Cullenagh), 69 (Knockaderry Lower)
''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Barony of Gaultiere: 25 (Leckaun)
PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of Untenanted Lands in Rural Districts, Distinguishing Demesnes on Which There is a Mansion...'', HC 1906, c, 177: 241 (Croaghnacree - Lord Castletown)
SLATER, Isaac. ''Royal National Directory of Ireland: List of the principal seats''. (Manchester: 1894) : xxvi, 187 (Doneraile Park)
WILSON, William. ''The Post-Chaise Companion or Travellers Directory Through Ireland''. The author: Dublin, 1786 : 233-4 (Doneraile)
BATEMAN, John. ''The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland''. London: Harrison, 1883. : p.134

Modern printed sources

HAJBA, Anna-Maria. ''Historical Genealogical Architectural notes on some Houses of Cork. Volume I: North Cork''. Whitegate: Ballinakella Press, 2002: 90, 110, 327, 335, 340
ST LEGER, Moya Frenz. ''St Leger, the Family and the Race''. Sussex: 1986: All
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND. Reports on Private Collections: Report (second report) on the Doneraile Papers (from 1589), preserved at Doneraile Court, Co. Cork, relating to the St. Leger family, and to lands in Cos. Cork and Waterford. No 22 [first report published in ''Analecta Hibernica'', XV]
MOSLEY, Charles (ed). ''Burke's Peerage and Baronetage''. Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999: I, 860-861
''Analecta Hibernica'': MacLYAGHT, Edward. Report on Doneraile Papers XV (1944) 335-362. AINSWORTH, J.F. Second report. & XX (1958), 55-90.
BENCE-JONES, Mark. ''A Guide to Irish Country Houses''. Revised ed. London: Constable, 1988. : 105 (Doneraile Court)
GAUGHAN, J. Anthony. ''Doneraile''. Dublin: Kamac Publications, 1970: 20-33
''Jnl. of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society''.: Historical and Topographical Notes, etc on Buttevant, Doneraile, Mallow and Places in their vicinity. Collected by James Grove White (c 1906). XXV, 2nd Series (1919), 194-195 (Saffron Hill)
MARSDEN, Simon & McLAREN, Duncan. . ''In ruins: the once great houses of Ireland''. Boston: Little Brown & Co, 1997. : 36-37 (Doneraile Court)
BLAKE, Tarquin. ''Abandoned mansions of Ireland''. Cork: Collins Press, 2010.: 46-53 (Buttevant Castle)
DOLMEN HISTORY GROUP. ''Some traditions and history of the Deise'' Portlaw: Dolmen History Group, 2005. : 42-43
''Weekly Irish Times'': 6 Nov 1937 Doneraile Court
''Jnl. of the Waterford and South East of Ireland Archaeological Society''.: Sadleir, Thomas U. The county of Waterford, 1775: principal gentry. XVI (1913), pp.49-55.
''Mallow Field Club Jnl'': O'SULLIVAN, Michael. A triumphal archway in Doneraile. XXXI (2013), pp.91-108.