Landed Estates
University of Galway

Maxwell (Faulkland)

This family were a branch of the Maxwell family of Farnham, county Cavan and descend from William fourth son of Robert Maxwell, Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh. The Bishop was chaplain to the 1st Viscount Falkland hence the name of the house and townland. William’s great grandson, the Reverend William Maxwell of Falkland, county Monaghan and of Bath, was a friend of Samuel Johnson’s. He was the last family member to reside at Falkland Castle, leaving it in 1780 to live in Bath. He died in 1818. As his eldest son was described as a ‘lunatic’, his county Monaghan property was administered by trustees on his behalf. He died in 1861 and the property passed to the family of his sister Anne Lyte. The Maxwell estate was located in the parishes of Donagh, barony of Trough and Tehallan, barony of Monaghan. In July 1868, the estate of Edward Maxwell Lyte (Anne's grandson) was advertised for sale. It amounted to 1,943 acres but did not include the townland of Faulkland containing the ruined Faulkland Castle. It did include Bessmount Park, Liscarney House and Sallymount. Shirley states that the Maxwells held their estate under a fee farm grant from the Leslies, who repurchased it in 1871. By 1876, the representatives of the Reverend Dr Maxwell owned 30 acres in the county.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Faulkland Castle Faulkland Donagh Monaghan Glaslough Trough Monaghan OSI Ref: H696377
OS Sheet: 9
Discovery map: 28A
Sallymount Golree Tehallan Monaghan Tehallan Monaghan Monaghan OSI Ref: H706349
OS Sheet: 10
Discovery map: 28A
Bessmount Park Drumrutagh Tehallan Monaghan Tehallan Monaghan Monaghan OSI Ref: H692353
OS Sheet: 9
Discovery map: 28A 		Photo of Bessmount Park
Liscarney House Liscarney Tehallan Monaghan Tehallan Monaghan Monaghan OSI Ref: H698354
OS Sheet: 9
Discovery map: 28A 		Photo of Liscarney House

Archival sources

  • Pedigree of Maxwell of Cos Armagh, Tyrone, Down, Armagh, Meath, Cavan, Faulkland, Co Monaghan and Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, Barts, c 1050-1847. GO Ms 177, 9-102; National Library of Ireland
  • Pedigree of Maxwell of Falkland [Faulkland], Co Monaghan, c 1691-c 1820. GO Ms 178, 125-133; National Library of Ireland
  • Perceval-Maxwell Papers, 1705-1947. D3244; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Landed Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Lyte, 7 July 1868, Vol 90 (61), MRGS 39/044, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Lyte Trust – Massingbred Mundy family and estate papers, include petition in Landed Estates Court concerning lands in Co Monaghan, 1867-1873. 1MM/14/3.; Lincolnshire Archives

Contemporary printed sources