Crofton (Mote Park)
Description
John Crofton, an Elizabethan settler, was granted lands in the counties of Roscommon and Leitrim. He had 4 sons, Edward founder of the Mote Park family, John of the Lisadurn family, William of Temple House, county Sligo and Henry of Mohill, county Leitrim.
Estate(s)
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Vesey (Boyle) | Over 250 acres of the Vesey estate in the barony of Boyle was offered for sale in the Landed Estates court in February 1866. The original lease on these lands was dated 1792 from Sir Edward Crofton of Mote. The sale also included a small amount of land in the barony of Clare, county Galway. |
| Dillon (Feamore) | Gerald Dillon of Feamore, Prime Serjeant and signatory to the Treaty of Limerick 1691, is well documented in the Westport Estate Papers. He was granted lands in counties Roscommon, Mayo and Galway, by patent dated 16 Aug 1677. His estates in the baronies of Costello and Clanmorris, county Mayo, and in counties Westmeath and Roscommon were confiscated at the end of the 17th century and sold to Bryan Higgins. His son was married to a sister of Anthony Malone and the Malones appear to have gained possession of the Dillon estate. In 1752 Luke Dillon held 802 acres of Feamore on a lease for three lives from Anthony Malone. |
| Somerville (Mount Nugent) | A junior branch of the Somerville family of county Meath, Barons Athlumney, had an estate in counties Roscommon and Leitrim in the 19th century. In 1771 Sir James Somerville married Catherine Crofton of Mote, county Roscommon and it was their younger son James Somerville of Ross who held the Connacht lands. His county Roscommon lands were in the parishes of Kilmore, barony of Ballintober North, Clooncraff and Kilcooley, barony of Roscommon. The estate was offered for sale in July 1852. However in the 1870s James Somerville, of Ross House, Mount Nugent, county Cavan, still owned over 400 acres in county Leitrim and over 500 acres in county Roscommon. He also held estates in county Meath. |
| Crofton (Mote Park) | The senior branch of the Crofton family settled at Ballymurray, county Roscommon in the 16th century. In the 17th century they resided at Mote Castle and in 1661 Edward Crofton was created a baronet. Other branches of the family settled at Lissadurn, county Roscommon, Temple House, county Sligo and Mohill, county Leitrim. In August 1677 Gerald Dillon of Feamore was granted land in the barony of Athlone in trust for Sir Edward Crofton and his heirs. Dillon was married to the mother of Sir Edward Crofton. The Westport Estate Papers contain documents relating to the Croftons and Gerald Dillon in the late 17th century. In the mid 19th century the Croftons owned lands in the barony of Athlone in the parishes of Killinvoy and Kilmeane and in the parishes of Kilteevan and Roscommon, barony of Ballintober South, Aughrim and Ogulla, barony of Roscommon. Admiral George Alfred Crofton, 3rd son of Sir Edward Crofton, held land in the parish of Kilteevan, barony of Ballintober South, county Roscommon in the 1850s. In the 1870s the Crofton estate was comprised of 10,509 acres in county Roscommon. |
| Crofton (Sligo) | The Croftons acquired land in the 17th century from the McSweeneys which had previously been part of the O'Dowd lordship in Tireragh. The family seem to have had a house in the area since the 1630s.In addition Henry Crofton received lands in the parish of Achonry, barony of Leyny, which were confirmed under the Acts of Settlement. They appear as Craston in the Census of 1659. The present Longford House was built c. 1783 but was destroyed by fire in the early 19th century. It was partially rebuilt and is still extant. James Crofton converted to the Protestant faith in 1731 and inherited the family estates. The Croftons also had another house in Templeboy parish, Corkhill, which was usually leased. They also held land in the parishes of Cloonfinlough and Kiltrustan, barony and county of Roscommon in the mid 19th century. In 1906 Sir Malby Crofton is described as the occupier of property at Longford Demesne, including the mansion house. This branch of the Crofton family was connected with the Crofton family of Mote Park, County Roscommon. The family vault is in the old graveyard in Dromard. |