Landed Estates
University of Galway

ffrench (Claremont)

Gonville ffrench was a younger brother of the 3rd Baron ffrench of Castle ffrench, county Galway. He lived at Claremont, county Roscommon and held lands in county Mayo in the parishes of Kilmainebeg, Kilmainemore and Moorgagagh, barony of Kilmaine, in county Galway in the parishes of Killeroran and Killian, barony of Killian and in county Roscommon in the parishes of Cam and Dysart, barony of Athlone. The lands in the parish of Cam were sold to Sir Thomas ffrench of Castleffrench in November 1792 by Robert Blakely who had bought them the previous July. They later formed part of Gonville ffrench's marriage settlement trust. Some of Gonville ffrench's county Galway estate was held from Nicholas D'Arcy. His interest in county Mayo lands may possibly have derived from his mother, a Redington of Kilcornan, county Galway, a family who had landed interests in county Mayo. His main tenant and agent was James Fox of Lakefield, Shrule. In 1851 and 1852 his assignee Henry Lyons advertised for sale his estates in counties Mayo and Roscommon, each amounting to just over a thousand acres. Some of the county Mayo estate was bought by William Booth, while another lot was purchased by Thomas H. Kenny. The Roscommon estate was still in Gonville ffrench's possession at the time of Griffith's Valuation. His interest in the fee farm rent of Gorteens, parish of Moorgagagh, barony of Kilmaine, was sold by his assignees in 1867. The Irish Times notes that it was purchased by Mr. A. Kyne for over £1900. Gonville ffrench married Clare or Clarinda Kenney of Kilclogher, county Galway. They had no children and the ffrench interest in Claremont appears to have been inherited by Gonville's nephew, Edward Thomas ffrench Beytagh, of Cappagh, county Galway. Some of this latter property was sold by the trustees of Clarinda ffrench's estate in February 1873. The purchasers were Messers. Hynes of Ballinasloe, Mr. Conway, solicitor in trust and Patrick and William Murphy. Claremont on 181 acres was advertised for sale in November 1885.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Claremont Ballyforan Taghboy Athlone Taghboy 8 Athlone Roscommon OSI Ref: M823 465
OS Sheet: 47
Discovery map: 47 		Photo of Claremont

Archival sources

  • Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), French, 29 Apr 1851 & 11 May 1852, Vols 6 & 15, MRGS 39/003 & 39/007, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Murphy and French, 5 July 1867, Vol 86, MRGS 39/042, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), D'Arcy, 6 May 1851, Vol 7, MRGS 39/003, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Ffrench of Castleffrench, unsorted collection, 17th-19th centuries; National Library of Ireland
  • Land Judges’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Beytagh, 3 Nov 1885, Vol 149, MRGS 39/066, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Claremont photos. 046/012; Irish Architectural Archive

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources