Blake (Renvyle)
Henry Blake returned from Montserrat in 1676 and, according to Martin J. Blake, bought the Lehinch estate at Hollymount, county Mayo, about 600 acres, from the patentee John Porter. He also bought the Renvyle estate, county Galway, from Richard Nugent, Earl of Westmeath in 1680. In 1780 the estates passed to a cousin, Valentine Blake of Mullaghmore and Windfield, county Galway, whose son Henry Blake of Renvyle sold part of his Lehinch estate, including his house, to Thomas Lindsey of Hollymount circa 1812 and the rest of the estate was bought by the 2nd Marquess of Sligo in 1818. The Lehinch estate was in the parishes of Kilcommon, barony of Kilmaine and parish of Tagheen, barony of Clanmorris. The Renvyle estate of nearly 13,000 acres in the parish of Ballynakill, barony of Ballynahinch, county Galway, was visited by Henry Blake for the first time in 1811. He refused to renew the O'Flaherty's lease of the property and took up residence there in the early 1820s. His descendants continued to live at Renvyle until the early 20th century. A large portion of the estate was sold in the early 1850s. Mrs Caroline Blake of Renvyle owned an estate of 4,682 acres in the 1870s. The author Oliver St John Gogarty bought the house and about 200 acres in 1917 and entertained many well known artists and literary figures there.
Associated Families
Houses
| Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lehinch | Lehinch Demesne | Kilcommon | Ballinrobe | Hollymount 37 | Kilmaine | Mayo |
OSI Ref: M269 698
OS Sheet: 110 Discovery map: 38 |
|
| Renvyle | Rusheenduff | Ballynakill | Clifden | Rinvyle 31 | Ballynahinch | Galway |
OSI Ref: L677 638
OS Sheet: 9 Discovery map: 37 |
|
Archival sources
- Westport Estate Papers, Collection List 78; National Library of Ireland
- Blake Family Records. Rent roll of the Renvyle and Lehinch estates of Henry Blake, 1740-1741. MS 10790 (21); National Library of Ireland
- Volume of 22 maps of 8230 acres in the parish of Ballynakill, barony of Ballynahinch, the estate of Henry Blake of Rinvyle, prepared by direction of the Commissioners for Encumbered Estates, includes small lithograph of Renvyle house and surrounding area, 1852. M98; Galway County Library
- Renvyle photos, press cuttings & pamphlet on hotel. 022/084; Irish Architectural Archive
Contemporary printed sources
- M'PARLAN, James. ''Statistical survey of the county of Mayo''. Dublin: Royal Dublin Society, 1802: 105
- 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: 78 & 213
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Clifden Union, 25
- LEET, Ambrose. ''A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland''. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 334 (A. O'Flaherty)
- 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
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: 293
- WILSON, William. ''The Post-Chaise Companion or Travellers Directory Through Ireland''. The author: Dublin, 1786 : 123 (Lehinch)
Modern printed sources
- BLAKE FAMILY of Renvyle House (1823-1824). ''Letters from the Irish Highlands of Connemara'', 1995 edition. Clifden: Gibbons Publications, 1995: All
- BLAKE, Martin J. ''Blake Family Records'' 1300-1600 1st Series, 1600-1700 2nd Series. London: Elliot Stock, 1902: I, 138-148 & II, 1331-140
- MONTGOMERY-MASSINGBERD, Hugh (ed). ''Burke's Irish Family Records''. London: Burke's Peerage, 1976: 116-123
- ''Jnl. of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society'': BLAKE, Martin J. Notes on the Place Names mentioned in Browne’s map of Mayo 1584. VI (1909-1910), 95-106
- BENCE-JONES, Mark. ''A Guide to Irish Country Houses''. Revised ed. London: Constable, 1988. : 241 (Renvyle)
- TULLY CROSS GUILD IRISH COUNTRYWOMEN'S ASSOCIATION, ''Portrait of a Parish, Ballynakill, Connemara''. Tully Cross I.C.A., 1985: 19-24 & 121-124
- WILLIAMS, Guy St John. ''A Sea-Grey House, the history of Renvyle House''. Renvyle House Hotel, reprint 2001, : All
- BLAKE, Ellen M. ''My Connemara Childhood: 1876-1897''. Wendy Dixon, 1999: All
- ''Jnl. of the Galway Family History Society : Galway Roots'': DIXON, W.E. Where have all the painting gone? III (1995), 88
- ''Jnl. of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society'': BLAKE, Martin J. An account of the castle and manor of Bunowen. II (1902), 39-56
- WALFORD, Edward. 'The County families of the United Kingdom''. London: Chatto and Windus, 1885): p.93
- HICKS, David. ''Irish country houses: portraits & painters''. Cork: The Collins Press, 2014. : pp.180-191