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Cruise/Cruice
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It is evident from documents in the Westport Papers that the Cruise family, originally from Cruisetown, county Louth, acquired land at Castlegar, in the parish of Ballynakill, barony of Killian, county Galway, in the mid 17th century. In the 19th century the Cruises were occupying Cruice Lawn on the estate of James Galbraith in the parish of Killosolan, barony of Tiaquin, which Galbraith held from the Blakeneys and nearby Greenville, which the Cruises held from the Bellews. In the 1850s Daniel Cruise held a townland in the parish of Drum, barony of Athlone, county Roscommon. The Cruise family were petitioners in the sale of Kelly-Egan property at Grange in the barony of Clonmacnowen, county Galway, in November 1858. Daniel W. Cruice of Fairfield, Ahascragh owned 360 acres in county Galway in the 1870s and Daniel J. Cruise of Killarney owned 1,386 acres in county Roscommon. In 1875 Ardkeenan held in fee and lands in the parishes of Taghmaconnell leased from Sir Thomas Burke of Marble Hill were advertised for sale by members of the Cruice family. In 1878 the house and lands at Bredagh, as well as other properties in the baronies of Kilconnell and Tiaquin, county Galway, were offered for sale in the Land Judges' Court. Daniel William Cruice is described as bankrupt in the sale notice.
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Galbraith
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The Galbraith family acquired lands in east Galway which had previously belonged to the O'Fahys, following the Williamite settlements. In 1824 Richard Galbraith is recorded as a resident proprietor in county Galway. In the mid 19th century James Galbraith held four townlands in the parish of Killosolan, barony of Tiaquin, from the Blakeney family of Abbert and other lands in the parishes of Dunmore and Tuam, barony of Dunmore. Lands in the baronies of Kiltartan, Dunkellin, Dunmore and Clare belonging to Galbraith family members were advertised for sale in 1864. Their lands in the baronies of Dunmore and Clare were held from the Bishop of Tuam. James Galbraith of Cappard owned 4,636 acres in county Galway in the 1870s. This included over 1000 acres in the townlands of Lakeview and Cregboy in Claregalway parish in the barony of Dunkellin. Galbraith later sold some of the Lakeview lands to John G. Holmes of Rockwood, Claregalway. In 1906 Richard Galbraith held over 350 acres of untenanted demesne lands in the townland of Cappard demesne as well as lands in neighbouring townlands.
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Bellew (Mountbellew)
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The Bellew family of Williamstown, county Louth, were granted lands in the parish of Moylough, baronies of Tiquin and Killian, county Galway, under the Acts of Settlement, patents dated 26 Nov 1677 and 21 Mar 1678. They founded the town of Mountbellew and built a large house. The Bellews remained Catholic and although they owned a large amount of land they were not adverse to engaging in business enterprises, such as flour milling. They intermarried with the Dillons, Nugents and Grattans, assuming the additional surname of Grattan in 1859. In 1838 the head of the family, Michael Bellew, was created a Baronet. In the 1870s the Bellews owned over 10,000 acres in county Galway and almost 1,895 acres in county Roscommon (parish of Cloontuskert, barony of Ballintober South and Cloonfinlough, barony of Roscommon). In the 1880s Bateman notes that the family also held substantial property in Queen's County [Laois]. The Bellews retained these acreages in Galway and Roscommon until the early 20th century. By March 1916 the Bellews had accepted an offer from the Congested Districts' Board for over 1,000 acres of their estate. The estate was taken over by the Land Commission in 1937. Karen Harvey has written a book on the Bellews, based on the collection of Bellew estate papers in the National Library of Ireland.
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