Forster (Blake Forster)

The Forster family were of English origin who first acquired property in Galway in the 1640s. The progenitor of the family in county Galway was Francis Forster who was the son of Thomas Forster of Hunsdon, Hertfordshire. He obtained the Clooneene/Ashfield property by Royal grant from Charles II dated 18 Aug 1677 and chose to live there from then on. Francis married Mary O'Donnellan, daughter of Sir James O'Donnellan. The family also had houses at Rathorpe and later at Fiddaun as well as in county Clare in the parishes of Kilfenora and Drumcreehy. Francis Forster, who inherited the estate in 1752, married Anastasia Blake of Menlough and the family became known as Blake-Forster. The estate at Ashfield passed from the Blake Forster family in the 1830s. The Abbeyknockmoy estate situated in the baronies of Tiaquin and Athenry, county Galway, also belonged to the Blake Forsters. Samuel Lewis writing in the 1830s refers to a grant of Abbeyknockmoy by James I to Valentine Blake in 1629. This estate of almost 4,000 acres was offered for sale in Oct 1851. A newspaper cutting with the rental in the National Archives records the purchase of the unsold portions of the estate by Dominick Donnellan and Richard C. McNevin, a relative and agent to the Blake Forsters. By the time of Griffith's Valuation, a few years later, Donnellan and McNevin's purchases were in the possession of Martin J. Blake of Ballyglunin and James Thorngate. In the 1870s Captain Francis Blake Forster owned 3,593 acres in county Galway and 1,308 acres in county Clare, while Robert Blake Forster of Corofin, county Clare, owned 572 acres in county Galway. In 1906 Marcella Blake Forster owned over 250 acres of untenanted land and a mansion house at Corr, in the barony of Longford. An offer from the Congested Districts Board on a small acreage owned by Miss M. L. Forster was accepted sometime after 1909. see /www.celticcousins.net/ireland/kilmacduagh.htm. For McNevin and Blake Forster marriage see http://www.irelandoldnews.com/Clare/1813/MAY.html

Associated Families

Houses

Name	Townland	Civil Parish	PLU	DED	Barony	County	Map Ref
Ashfield House	Ashfield Demesne	Beagh	Gort	Beagh 98	Kiltartan	Galway	OSI Ref: R 436972 OS Sheet: 128 Discovery map: 52
Hermitage or Neptune	Tawnagh West	Kinvarradoorus	Gort	Doorus 103	Kiltartan	Galway	OSI Ref: M334123 OS Sheet: 112 Discovery map: 52
Rosepark House	Derry	Beagh	Gort	Beagh 98	Kiltartan	Galway	OSI Ref: R429967 OS Sheet: 128 Discovery map: 52
Castle Lodge/Fiddane House	Fiddaun	Beagh	Gort	Beagh 98	Kiltartan	Galway	OSI Ref: R404950 OS Sheet: 128 Discovery map: 52
Corr Lodge/Corr House	Corr	Kilmalinogue	Portumna	Kilmalinoge 181	Longford	Galway	OSI Ref: M860094 OS Sheet: 118 Discovery map: 53
Ballykeel	Ballykeel South	Kilfenora	Ennistimon	Kilfenora 49	Corcomroe	Clare	OSI Ref: R177 948 OS Sheet: 9 Discovery map: 51
Rathorp	Attyslany North	Kilkeedy	Corrofin	Boston 13	Inchiquin	Clare	OSI Ref: R402 972 OS Sheet: 11 Discovery map: 52
Culliagh North [Knockmoy Abbey]	Culliagh North	Abbeyknockmoy	Tuam	Abbey West 188	Tiaquin	Galway	OSI Ref: M500432 OS Sheet: 58 Discovery map: 46

Archival sources

Newscuttings about Knockmoy Abbey, collected by Charles French Blake Forster, 1871. MS 18,266; National Library of Ireland
Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Knockmoy-abbey estate, 7 Oct 1851, Vol 11, MRGS 39/004 (microfilm copy in NUIG) ; National Archives of Ireland
Rental of the Blake-Forster estates in Cos Galway & Clare. Gordon Presentment No 215; National Archives of Ireland
Pedigree of Forster of Esker and Ardroe, Co Galway, c 1650- c 1750. GO MS 93, 88-89; National Library of Ireland
Pedigree of Foster and Blake Foster of Co Galway & Co Roscommon, c 1650- c 1850. GO MS 93, 84-87; National Library of Ireland
Lease by Francis Blake Foster of Foster Park, Salthill, Co Galway to Eleanor Corcoran, Elizabeth Martyn and others of a plot of land in Galway town, 10 Sept 1859. D.11,090; National Library of Ireland
Copy of royal licence to Robert Blake Foster of Knockmoy, county Galway to take name and arms of Blake, 16 Feb 1847. GO MS 152: 33-34; National Library of Ireland
Copy of grant of arms to Robert Blake Foster of Knockmoy on assuming name and arms of Blake, in obedience to an injunction of Dame Mary Blake. GO MS 107: 360-361; National Library of Ireland
Copy lease of Galway properties, Capt Francis Blake Forster to Michael Henessey, 13 Aug 1881. 999/390/14/1; National Archives of Ireland
Encumbered Estates Court Rental, Blake Forster, 7 Oct 1851, baronies of Tiaquin, Athenry & Galway. M24,254; Galway County Library
Specification of works on Kinvarra Harbour, Blake Forster estate, 1891. Ms.41550. ; National Library of Ireland
Irish Tourist Association File, Parish of Kilfenora, Clare North 9.; Clare County Library

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources

McNAMARA, M. & MADDEN, M (eds). ''Beagh: a history and heritage''. Beagh, county Galway: Beagh Rural Development Assoc., c.1995. : 74-78.
FORSTER, Francis J.P. ''The story of my family''. Burlingame, CA: Forbach, 1978. : 23-32.
''Jnl. of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society'': LANE, Pádraig G. The Impact of the Encumbered Estates Court upon the Landlords of Galway and Mayo. (1981-1982) XXXVIII, 45-58
''Galway Vindicator'': Extensive pedigree of Blake-Forsters. 20 Oct 1866
BREW, Frank. ''The Parish of Kilkeedy, a local history''. Co Clare: the author, 1998, reprint 1999: 94-95
''Jnl. of the Royal Society of Antiquaries Ireland'': GLYNN, J.A. Knockmoy Abbey, Co Galway. Fifth Series, Vol. 34, No. 3, [Fifth Series, Vol. 14] (Sep. 30, 1904), pp. 239-243
''Freeman's Journal'': Incumbered Estates Court sale reports, 24 January 1852, p.4