Dignan/Duignan

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Estate(s)

Name	Description
Roycroft	William Roycroft, whose address was Danesfort, Carrick-on-Shannon, held over 350 acres in county Roscommon in the 1870s. The Census of Elphin shows that Gilbert and Ann Roycroft as well as other members of the Roycroft family were resident in the parish of Killummod in 1749. Keenehan and others state that some financial difficulties overtook the Roycroft estate in the later nineteenth century. In July 1888 William Roycroft offered property for sale in the Land Judges' Court but the sale was adjourned. It was later purchased by the Duignan family. The land continued in their ownership until the 1970s when it was divided by the Land Commission.
Dignan/Duignan	The Duignans were resident at Lisbride and held land at Rathbrenan in the parish of Roscommon, barony of Ballintober South from at least the mid 19th century. In the 1870s John Dignan of Lisbride, Margaret Dignan of Dublin and Philip Duignain of Ballina owned 567, 354 and 223 acres respectively in county Roscommon, while Philip Dignan of Ballyforan owned 651 acres in county Galway. John Duignan held untenanted land at Ballina in 1906.
Blacker	Murray MacGregor Blacker was a nephew of William Blacker, a well known author of books on agriculture. He was married to Frances Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Blacker, of the county Armagh family. In 1853 Murray Blacker, who had been farming in Norfolk, England, leased over 4000 acres at Keel West on the island of Achill, county Mayo from the Achill Mission. In 1855 he subleased half his acreage on the island to Charles Cunningham Boycott, to whom he was connected by marriage. In the late 1850s Blacker bought the lease of Claremount house, the former Browne home, outside Claremorris and a farm of over 300 acres. In 1872 he purchased a property in Virginia, USA and went to live there. He still owned 5665 acres in county Mayo in 1876 and 951 acres in county Galway, at Kilsallagh in the parish of Kilcroan, barony of Ballymoe, which he had bought from C.H. Lawder, assignee of Philip Dignan in 1852. The Blacker lands on Achill Island were sold to the Reverend Warburton Welford in 1877. At the time of Griffith's Valuation the townland of Srahgraddy, parish of Kilcommon, barony of Erris was in the possession of Captain Blacker.