Blake (Towerhill & Bunowen)
The Blakes of Menlo Castle, county Galway, held the lands of Clonyne and Clooneen or Towerhill, parish of Touaghty, barony of Carra, county Mayo, from the time of Strafford's Survey in 1636. Clooneen may have been purchased from Oliver Bowen in 1632 by the Blakes of Menlo for £400. In the early 18th century Isidore Blake had a lease from his cousin, Sir Walter Blake, 6th Baronet, of the lands of Clooneen and his son Maurice bought the fee simple in 1753 from Sir Ulick Blake, 8th Baronet. Most of the Blake estate was in the parish of Touaghty. Maurice's son, Isidore Blake, was the first to live in the house at Towerhill. A member of a junior branch of this family bought the Fisherhill estate from the trustees of Richard Martin in 1788. When Isidore's son married in 1803 he went to live at Oldhead, parish of Kilgeever, barony of Murrisk. In 1853 Valentine O'Connor Blake bought Bunowen Castle and estate in the parish of Ballindoon, county Galway, from John Augustus O'Neill. He is also recorded as holding several townlands in the parish of Kilbeacanty, barony of Kiltartan, in south county Galway and in the parishes of Athenry and Claregalway, barony of Clare, in 1855. In the 1870s Valentine O'Connor Blake of Towerhill and Bunowen Castle, Clifden, owned 4,198 acres in county Mayo and 7,690 acres in county Galway. The county Galway property was sold to the Congested Districts Board in 1909 and half the county Mayo property in February 1914.
Associated Families
Houses
| Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Towerhill | Towerhill | Touaghty | Ballinrobe | Burriscarra 35 | Carra | Mayo |
OSI Ref: M207 759
OS Sheet: 100 Discovery map: 38 |
|
| Oldhead House/Oldhead Lodge | Oldhead | Kilgeever | Westport | Louisburgh 143 | Murrisk | Mayo |
OSI Ref: L829 820
OS Sheet: 86 Discovery map: 30 |
|
| Bunowen Castle | Bunowenmore | Ballindoon | Clifden | Bunowen 21 | Ballynahinch | Galway |
OSI Ref: L597 426
OS Sheet: 49 Discovery map: 44 |
|
| Benmore | Benmore | Grange | Loughrea | Grange 121 | Loughrea | Galway |
OSI Ref: M642241
OS Sheet: 97 Discovery map: 52 |
|
| Carnmore | Carnmore West | Claregalway | Galway | Carnmore 54 | Dunkellin | Galway |
OSI Ref: M402299
OS Sheet: 83 Discovery map: 46 |
|
| Fisherhill | Carrownurlaur | Breaghwy | Castlebar | Breaghwy 63 | Carra | Mayo |
OSI Ref: M179 896
OS Sheet: 79 Discovery map: 31 |
|
Archival sources
- Copy of will of Isidore Blake of Oldhead, Co Mayo, 3 July 1819. D.17,055; National Library of Ireland
- Volumes containing pedigrees and genealogical notes on family of Blake of Towerhill and allied families. Compiled by Martin J Blake, c 1900. MS 4132 -4143; National Library of Ireland
- John Kirwan v Sir Walter Blake re lands of Cloneen, barony of Carra, Kinlough, barony of Kilmaine and Ballidonough, barony of Ross, June 1721. House of Lords Appeals Vol. 4; King's Inn Library
- Copies of deeds relating to lands of the Blake family in Bunowen, Lissard and Cloonmore, Co Galway, 1852-1861. D 16,935-16,954; National Library of Ireland
- Pedigree of Blake of Menlough (Barts), of Brendran, of Cloneen & Tower Hill, 1374-c 1817. GO MS 171: 1-4; National Library of Ireland
- Blake estate maps, 1688-1865. 21.F.74(1-26); National Library of Ireland
- Lease of part lands of Cloonmore, barony of Clanmorris, Co Mayo, Val O'Connor Blake to Thomas Healy, 20 Apr 1856, D 27,547; National Library of Ireland
- Blake of Towerhill Papers, family papers, leases, deeds, bonds, assignments and various other legal documents used in the compilation of ''Blake Family Records 1300-1700'' by M.J. Blake, listed by F.A. Ward in 1942 [papers now in NLI]. Special List 3; National Library of Ireland
- Ordnance Survey maps showing lands in non congested districts, C.J. Blake's estate, 1311 acres in baronies of Loughrea, Athenry & Kilconnell, Co Galway, 1906. 15.A.23(1-2); National Library of Ireland
- Deeds re Blakes and Blake property, in particular re lands in baronies of Kiltartan, Clare & Killian, Co Galway, 18th & 19th centuries. D 16,899-16,932; National Library of Ireland
- Photos. 011/084 (Towerhill) & 022/018 (Bunowen); Irish Architectural Archive
- Deeds re property of the Blakes in Co Mayo, outside the barony of Carra, 1688-1855. D 16,888-16,898; National Library of Ireland
- Blake of Towerhill Papers, includes many original deeds & copy documents used by Martin J. Blake in the compilation of ''Blake Family Records''. MS 10,789-10790; National Library of Ireland
- Blake of Towerhill Papers, accounts, legal papers & a large amount of correspondence, 18th-19th centuries. MSS 10,791-10,841; National Library of Ireland
- Blake of Towerhill Papers, transcripts of some original charters 1316-1819 by Martin J. Blake. MS 9936; National Library of Ireland
- Blake of Towerhill Papers, ledger of Mark Blake (of Galway?) & copy letter book of Isidore Blake c 1790. MSS 9972-9973; National Library of Ireland
- Marriage settlements, bonds & miscellaneous deeds re Blake family, c 1750-1850. D 16,955-17,000; National Library of Ireland
- Fragmentary notes from various private sources made by Martin J. Blake on pedigrees, 1896-1928. MS 8388; National Library of Ireland
- Commonplace books of Martin J. Blake. MSS 1743-1744; National Library of Ireland
- Fr. Martin Heaney Collection, Mayo Abbey, newpaper cutting dated 01/02/1978 refers to purchase of Clooneen in 1632 from O. Bowen. P45/09/11; Tuam Diocesan Archives, Tuam
Contemporary printed sources
- LEET, Ambrose. ''A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland''. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 314 (Oldhead) & 375 (Towerhill)
- LEWIS, Samuel. ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland''. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: Vol II, 639
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Ballinrobe Union, 25 & Clifden Union, 9
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: 293 & 307
- 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] : 38
- ORDNANCE SURVEY NAME BOOKS, County Mayo: Vol VI, 356
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''24th Annual Report of the Congested Districts' Board for Ireland'', [Cd 8356], HC 1916, vi, 564-586. Appendix VIII: 52
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of Untenanted Lands in Rural Districts, Distinguishing Demesnes on Which There is a Mansion...'', HC 1906, c, 177: 355 (Towerhill)
- TAYLOR, George & SKINNER, Andrew. ''Maps of the Roads of Ireland, surveyed in 1777 and corrected down to 1783''. Facsimile of 2nd edition. Shannon: Irish University Press, 1969: 76 (Benmore)
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Galway Union, 179 (Carnmore).
- DUTTON, Hely. ''Statistical and agricultural survey of the county of Galway''. Dublin: Royal Dublin Society, 1824. : 417
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Loughrea Union, 90.
- ORDNANCE SURVEY NAME BOOKS, County Galway, http://places.galwaylibrary.ie/default.html: Claregalway and Grange Parishes
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of names of proprietors and area and valuation of properties in counties in Ireland, held in fee or perpetuity or long leases at chief rents,'' 1876. (412) LXXX. 395: 148.
- SLATER, Isaac. ''Royal National Directory of Ireland: List of the principal seats''. (Manchester: 1894) : xxxiii, 94 (Towerhill)
- BATEMAN, John. ''The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland''. London: Harrison, 1883. : p.43
Modern printed sources
- BENCE-JONES, Mark. ''A Guide to Irish Country Houses''. Revised ed. London: Constable, 1988. : 49 & 275
- BURKE, Sir Bernard. ''A genealogical and heraldic history of the Landed Gentry of Ireland''. London: Harrison & Sons, 1904: 41-42
- NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND. Special Lists.: Blake of Towerhill. No. 3
- VILLIERS-TUTHILL, Kathleen. ''Beyond the Twelve Bens: A History of Clifden and District 1860-1923''. [Dublin]: the author, 2nd ed. 1990: 125
- BLAKE, Martin J. ''Blake Family Records'' 1300-1600 1st Series, 1600-1700 2nd Series. London: Elliot Stock, 1902: I, 155-161 & II, 153-159
- GLIN, Knight of, GRIFFIN, D. J. & ROBINSON, N.K (eds).'' Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland''. Dublin: Irish Architectural Archive/Irish Georgian Society, 1989. : 69.
- ''Jnl. of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society'': BLAKE, Martin J. An account of the castle and manor of Bunowen. II (1902), 39-56
- MELVIN, Patrick. The Galway Tribes as Landowners and Gentry. In MORAN, Gerard (ed). ''Galway: History & Society''. Dublin: Geography Publications, 1996 : 319-374
- BLAKE, Tarquin. ''Abandoned mansions of Ireland''. Cork: Collins Press, 2010.: 96-103 (Bunowen Castle) & 238-245 (Towerhill)
- WALFORD, Edward. 'The County families of the United Kingdom''. London: Chatto and Windus, 1885): p.93, 94