Berry (Middleton and Ballynagall)
This family are believed to have come from Wales in the 17th century. Members of this family were resident at Wardenstown, county Westmeath in the early 18th century. Thomas Berry purchased lands in county Westmeath and married Elizabeth Dames. Their son, John of Broadwood, county Westmeath married Hester Fleetwood and they had three sons, one of whom, James Middleton Berry (died 1823), married Mary, daughter and co-heir of Thomas Longworth Dames of Rathmoyle, King’s County (Offaly). In 1810, their son, John Middleton Berry (1787-1830) married Letita Catherine, daughter of William Smyth and his wife Frances Maxwell. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation (publ. 1854) their son James William Middleton Berry (1812-1855) was the lessor of many townlands in the parishes of Lacken, Leny, Portnashangan, Tyfarnham, Clonfad, Killucan, Rathconnell, Faughalstown and Mullingar, county Westmeath. In 1848, James W. M. Berry was High Sheriff of county Westmeath and in 1851 he married Caroline Augusta (Cusack-) Smith. He died suddenly while hunting in 1855. He had sold Middleton to Rochfort Boyd in 1846 and in 1850 appears to have purchased the Grangebeg estate of the D’Arcys. He was already leasing part of this estate at Corballis, Rathbrack and Clonakill (leased to James M Berry, 18 March 1788). Under the will of James Gibbons (who had married his maternal aunt) he succeeded to Ballynagall, which passed to Thomas James Smyth, son of Reverend Thomas Smyth and Mary Anne Gibbons following his own death. The representatives of Thomas Berry owned 528 acres in county Westmeath in the 1870s. See BLGGBI, 1858, 80-81 and https://sites.google.com/site/irishberrygenealogy/john-berry-i
Associated Families
Houses
| Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballynagall | Ballynagall | Portnashangan | Mullingar | Owel | Westmeath |
OSI Ref: N442588
OS Sheet: 12 Discovery map: 41 |
|
|
| Middleton Park | Kilhugh | Castletownkindalen | Mullingar | Middleton | Westmeath |
OSI Ref: N352430
OS Sheet: 32 Discovery map: 48 |
|
|
| Dalystown | Dalystown | Clonfad | Mullingar | Clonfad 100 | Westmeath |
OSI Ref: N395425
OS Sheet: 32 Discovery map: 48 |
|
|
| Dalystown House | Dalystown | Clonfad | Mullingar | Clonfad 100 | Westmeath |
OSI Ref: N403423
OS Sheet: 32 Discovery map: 48 |
||
| Derry Cottage/Drumcree Cottage | Ballymacahil and Derries | Kilcumny | Castletowndelvin | Kilcumny 42 | Westmeath |
OSI Ref: N549648
OS Sheet: 8 Discovery map: 42 |
||
| Ballyknock House | Derrynagarragh | Faughalstown | Castletowndelvin | Kilpatrick 30 | Westmeath |
OSI Ref: N503649
OS Sheet: 8 Discovery map: 41 |
||
| Gartlandstown House | Gartlandstown | Faughalstown | Castletowndelvin | Kilpatrick 30 | Westmeath |
OSI Ref: N481632
OS Sheet: 12 Discovery map: 41 |
|
Archival sources
- Genealogical notes on the Berry family, Wardenstown, Co. Meath, c. 1700, and on the Haslett family of Drumneechy, Co. Derry 1620-1928. T. 1021 (27-32); Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
- Marriage settlement, Lord Butler of Newtownbutler and his eldest son Humfrey, Mary Berry, spinster, of Wardenstown, Westmeath, Clement Barry of Dublin, Marmaduke Caghill of Dublin, Rev. Anthony Dopping of Meath. Recites deed of 1725 wholly Humfrey conveyed his estate interest to Coghill except for £300 annuity for his mother's jointure. Miss Berry's dowry £6,000. Recites various uses and trusts, Market Street, Belturbet, Co. Cavan. Manor of Dunglush also Deruglish, Co. Cavan. Lands in Co. Fermanagh, Westmeath c.150 place names. 16 March 1726. D859/15 See also Analecta Hibernica, No. 20, 1958 Smyth of Drumcree papers; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
- Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), D’Arcy, 7 May 1850, Vol 1 (27), MRGS 39/001, (microfilm copy in UG); National Archives of Ireland
- Copy of confirmation of arms of Berry with grant of quartering of Gibbons to James William Middleton Berry of Ballynagall, in memory of James Gibbons who dying childless left the estate of Ballynagall to him, 12 Jan, 1848. GO Ms 107, 376-377; National Library of Ireland
- Smyth Papers (Ballynagall) include conveyance from James William Middleton Barry to James Gibbons of lands at Castletown, Co. Westmeath and Derrycoffey, Co. Offaly, 7 Mar. 1836. D. 26,640; National Library of Ireland
- Smyth Papers (Ballynagall) include letters to James William Middleton Berry of Ballynagall, Co. Westmeath from John Hulton and Sons, Dublin re the building of a carriage, 17 Jan., 1848. Ms. 18,932; National Library of Ireland
- Smyth Papers (Ballynagall) include letter to James William Middleton Berry of Ballynagall, Co. Westmeath from Ardill and Gresson, solicitors, Dublin, re application by George Rait for renewal of lease of lands at Rathmoyle, Co. Offaly, 15 Jan. 1848. Ms. 18,931; National Library of Ireland
- Smyth Papers (Ballynagall) include copy of agreement between members of the family of Barry [Berry?] re lands in Cos Offaly and Westmeath, 5 Oct 1769. D 26,598; National Library of Ireland
- Smyth Papers (Ballynagall) include copy of draft will of John Barry [Berry?] of Broadwood, Co Westmeath, 6 Mar 1767. D 26,597; National Library of Ireland
- Smyth Papers (Ballynagall) include lease for 21 years by Clement Barry to James Brown of lands in Grange, barony of Corkaree, and further lease of Grange, 22 Aug 1747 and 1 May 1748. D 26,582 and D 26,583; National Library of Ireland
- Rentals of the Berry estates in Co. Westmeath 1893, 1902, 1904. M. 3679 (1-5); National Archives of Ireland
Contemporary printed sources
- 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] : 32
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: 82
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Mullingar Union, 77 (Ballynagall); 133 (Dalystown)
- LEET, Ambrose. ''A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland''. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 45 (Ballyknock); 285 (Middleton)
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Castletowndelvin Union, 23 (Ballymacahil and Derries); 43 (Derrynagarragh); 45 (Gartlandstown)
- LEWIS, Samuel. ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland''. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: I, 614 (Gartlandstown); II, 78 (Derry Cottage)