Wilson's Hospital
Andrew Wilson, described as a local merchant, made his will in 1724. In the event of him dying without heirs, all profits from his estate were to be used to build a hospital for ‘aged’ Protestant men and a school for poor Protestant boys. The school opened in 1761 and still operates today, http://www.wilsonshospitalschool.ie/ At the time of Griffith’s Valuation (publ. 1854) the Trustees of Wilson’s Hospital held an estate in County Westmeath, mainly in the parishes of Churchtown, Leny, St Mary’s and Taghmon, which amounted to 4,495 acres in the mid-1870s. The agent at this time was Charles W Hamilton. They also owned 137 acres in County Dublin and 231 in County Longford. The school building was designed by John Pentland.
Associated Families
Houses
| Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson's Hospital | Heathland | Lackan | Mullingar | Ballinaleck 90 | Westmeath |
OSI Ref: N386625
OS Sheet: 11 Discovery map: 41 |
||
| Rathbennett House | Rathbennett | Leny | Mullingar | Westmeath |
OSI Ref: N373616
OS Sheet: 11 Discovery map: 41 |
|
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| Cummerstown House | Cummerstown | St Marys | Castletowndelvin | Fore East 35 | Westmeath |
OSI Ref: N545689
OS Sheet: 8 Discovery map: 42 |
Archival sources
- Armagh Diocesan Registry papers include material relating to Wilson’s Hospital. DIO/4; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
- Rental of the estates of Wilson's Hospital, in Co. Westmeath, Co. Kildare and Balrothery, Co. Dublin, 1846 - 60. Ms. 3098; National Library of Ireland
- Rental of the estates of Wilson's Hospital in Counties Westmeath, Longford, Kildare and Dublin, 1822-43, and accounts for the years 1843-4. Ms. 1000; National Library of Ireland
- Minute Books of the Trustees, 1762-1913. P1567; National Library of Ireland
- Photostat copies of maps of lands in Cos Westmeath and Longford belonging to the Trustees by D Geraghty, J O’Donnell and others. 17th to 19th centuries. 21 F 114; National Library of Ireland
- Records of Wilson’s Hospital, 1768-1956. BR.WM.1; National Archives of Ireland
Contemporary printed sources
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: 86
- 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] : 480
- LEWIS, Samuel. ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland''. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: II, 249, 258
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Mullingar Union, 60 (Heathland); 68 (Rathbennett)
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Castletowndelvin Union, 75 (Cummerstown)
Modern printed sources
- NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND. Reports on Private Collections: Report on the records of Wilson’s Hospital from 1760. No 337
- O'Brien, Donal. ''The Houses and Landed Families of Westmeath''. The author, Athlone (2nd edition 2015): 55 (Cummerstown); 105 (Rathbennett)