Blakeney (Abbert)
Robert Blakeney, a member of a family of Elizabethan settlers, was granted lands at Castle Blakeney, parish of Killosolan, barony of Tiaquin, county Galway, by the Cromwellian Commissioners. This grant was confirmed by royal patent dated 27 Nov 1688, when Thomas Lovelace and Ralph Fenwick, the executors of the will of Major Robert Blakeney of Gallagh, were granted over 2,200 acres in the baronies of Tiaquin and Kilconnell, county Galway and in counties Mayo and Kilkenny. Castle Blakeney was burnt in the 1720s and the Blakeneys went to live at Abbert, which they bought from the Frenches and where they continued to reside until the beginning of the 20th century. Mr. Filgate of Ahascragh is recorded in the OS Name Books as their agent for the Ardrahan lands. Fee simple estates of John Henry Blakeney in the parish of Kilbride and at Caherateige, parish of Ardrahan, county Galway, were advertised for sale in 1855. The Freeman's Journal reported that the lands at Caheratigue in Ardrahan parish were bought in trust by Vesey Daly for over £1500. In 1862, lands belonging to John Blakeney were sold in the Landed Estates Court. The purchasers included James Smyth of Masonbrook, Henry Rose of Ballyclough, county Limerick, and R.O. Armstrong. The Blakeneys owned an estate of 7,504 acres situated in the parishes of Ballymacward, Killosolan and Monivea, barony of Tiaquin as well as lands in the parish of Ardrahan in the barony of Dunkellin and in the parishes of Drumatemple, barony of Ballymoe, Kilglass, barony of Ballintober North, and Kilbride, barony of Ballintober South, county Roscommon. In 1885 Terence Lynam was advertising for sale 172 acres at Corgowan in the parish of Kilbride, formerly part of the Blakeney estate. Over 1,500 acres of the Blakeney estate was vested in the Congested Districts' Board on 23 Nov 1911. John Blakeney, together with Richard O'Connor, was leasing 197 acres and a house valued at £3 10s in the parish of Kilconickney, to Charles Donnellan in 1855. Blakeney is also recorded as the proprietor of townlands in this parish in the 1830s. In 1824 he is listed as a resident proprietor in county Galway.
Associated Families
Houses
Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abbert | Abbert Demesne | Monieva | Tuam | Abbey East 187 | Tiaquin | Galway |
OSI Ref: M545426
OS Sheet: 58 Discovery map: 46 |
Greenhills | Greenhills | Ballymacward | Ballinasloe | Killaan 9 | Kilconnell | Galway |
OSI Ref: M667332
OS Sheet: 73, 86 Discovery map: 46 |
Dundermot | Dundermot | Drumatemple | Castlerea | Ballintober 60 | Ballymoe | Roscommon |
OSI Ref: M701 719
OS Sheet: 34 Discovery map: 39 |
Ashfield (Tiaquin) | Ashfield | Ballymacward | Mountbellew | Castleblakeney | Tiaquin | Galway |
OSI Ref: M671414
OS Sheet: 60 Discovery map: |
Archival sources
- Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Blakeney, 6 Feb 1855, Vol 33, MRGS 39/015 (microfilm copy in NUIG) ; National Archives of Ireland
- Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), part of Clostoken estate in Dunkellin barony, 11 Nov 1862, Vol 66, MRGS 39/033 (microfilm copy in NUI, Galway); National Archives of Ireland
- Lease from John Henry Blakeney to William Blakeney Persse of premises in Athenry, known as the Castle, 30 Apr 1831. D 11,074; National Library of Ireland
- Letters and other papers re the family of Blakeney of Castleblakney, late 18th-early 19th centuries, [c 300 items in bad condition]. MS 10,426; National Library of Ireland
- Muschamp Papers, papers re litigation between Denny Muschamp and Nicholas Ffrench of Abbert, Co Galway, with 2 lists of lands near Abbert, 1692-1699. MS 10,992; National Library of Ireland
- Recollections of Sarah Selina Blakeney (c1820-1900), 1 volume typescript, 1888, 1901. MS 19,782; National Library of Ireland
- Dundermot photos. 013/055; Irish Architectural Archive
- Raheen. Photographs. 030/048; Irish Architectural Archive
Contemporary printed sources
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: 293
- 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: 212 & 238 (Dundermot - Owens)
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of Untenanted Lands in Rural Districts, Distinguishing Demesnes on Which There is a Mansion...'', HC 1906, c, 177: 337
- 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] : 39
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Tuam Union, 208
- LEET, Ambrose. ''A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland''. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 1 (Abbert) & 171 (Dundermot - Kelly)
- DUTTON, Hely. ''Statistical and agricultural survey of the county of Galway''. Dublin: Royal Dublin Society, 1824. : 414
- LEWIS, Samuel. ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland''. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: Vol I, 497 (Dundermott) & Vol II, 388-389
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''15th Annual Report of the Commissioners of Public Records Ireland,'' 1825. Vol XVI, Appendix I, Grants under Acts of Settlement: 171
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Ballinasloe Union, 67.
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''24th Annual Report of the Congested Districts' Board for Ireland'', [Cd 8356], HC 1916, vi, 564-586. Appendix VIII: 43
- ORDNANCE SURVEY NAME BOOKS, County Galway, http://places.galwaylibrary.ie/default.html: Ardrahan Parish
- 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) : xxi, 78
- WILSON, William. ''The Post-Chaise Companion or Travellers Directory Through Ireland''. The author: Dublin, 1786 : 126 (Dundermot, Owens), 131 (Ashfield & Abbert)
- WALFORD, Edward. 'The County families of the United Kingdom''. London: Chatto & Windus, 1885): p.95
- BATEMAN, John. ''The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland''. London: Harrison, 1883. : p.43
Modern printed sources
- BURKE, Sir Bernard. ''A genealogical and heraldic history of the Landed Gentry of Ireland''. London: Harrison & Sons, 1912: 51-53.
- MONTGOMERY-MASSINGBERD, Hugh (ed). ''Burke's Irish Family Records''. London: Burke's Peerage, 1976: 123-128
- O'REGAN, Carol & LACEY, Audrey (eds.). ''Abbeyknockmoy: A Time to Remember''. Abbeyknockmoy Community Council, 1996: 110-111
- FLYNN, John S. ''Ballymacward: The Story of an East Galway Parish''. The author, 1991: 86 & 161
- ''Jnl. of the Galway Family History Society : Galway Roots'': A family tree of the Blakeney family. I, 17
- ''Jnl. of the Galway Family History Society : Galway Roots'': Big Houses of Co Galway, photograph of Abbert. I (1993), 41
- MELVIN, Patrick. ''Estates and landed society in Galway''. (Dublin: Éamonn de Búrca, 2012). : p.411 Photograph of Abbert
- ''Irish Times'': 12 November 1862, p.4
- ''Freeman's Journal'': Incumbered Estates Court sale reports, 7 February 1855, p.4.
- DEAN, J.A.K. ''The gate lodges of Connaught: a gazetteer.'' Dublin ; Wordwell, 2019. : p.17 (Abbert)