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Drew (Drewsborough & Drewscourt)
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A branch of a Devonshire family who settled in county Waterford in the reign of Elizabeth I. By the beginning of the 18th century Francis Drew was residing at Drew's Court, county Limerick. He married Margaret, daughter and co heir of John Ringrose of Moynoe, near Scarriff, county Clare and acquired land in that locality. Drew's Court was inherited by their grandson Francis in the early 19th century. He died childless and the property passed to his sister Margaret who married John Cuffe Kelly. ''The Freeman's Journal'' (18 July 1823) records the death of Francis Drew and that his extensive estates in counties Limerick and Kerry passed to his sister, the wife of John Cuffe Kelly of Stormont. Mrs O'Kelly of Kinsale is recorded as the owner of Drew's Court townland circa 1840. She died in 1845 and the property reverted to the family of her uncle Ringrose Drew of Drewsborough, county Clare. Ringrose Drew had property in Scariff, county Clare and either he or his son Francis built Drewsborough House in the second half of the 18th century. The Drews were in financial difficulties from the beginning of the 19th century and their estate, which included the Scariff Mills, was offered for sale in the aftermath of the Famine in the Encumbered Estates Court. The Scariff Mills had been leased to Thomas Walnutt and his son Charles, who was declared a bankrupt in 1853. Michael Skehan bought Drewsborough and 352 acres. He renamed the house Victoria Park. Gerard Madden gives a detailed account of the Drew family in his book on the history of Tuamgraney and Scariff. At the time of Griffith's Valuation the Drews held land in the parishes of Bruree, Corcomohide, Kilmeedy and Dromcolleher, barony of Connello Upper and Ballingaddy, barony of Coshlea, county Limerick. The Ballingaddy lands were advertised for sale in 1852 and an estate of over 1,500 acres in the barony of Connello Upper in November 1853. In the 1870s Francis Drew of Drewscourt owned 1,021 acres in county Limerick. In 1906 Clennell Frank M. Drew owned about 500 acres of untenanted land at Drewscourt East and buildings valued at £18.
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Skehan (Drewsborough)
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At the time of Griffith's Valuation Michael Skehan held a small estate in the parish of Tomgraney, barony of Tulla Upper, county Clare, which he had purchased in the Encumbered Estates Court from the Drews. His property included the Scarriff Mills. Skehan, a native of O'Briensbridge, had made money prospecting in the gold fields of Australia. In 1869 Skehan sold his estate at Drewsborought to William Scanlan.
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Scanlon/Scanlan (Drewsborough)
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In the 1870s William Scanlon of Drewsborough owned 540 acres in county Clare. The estate of William Scanlan, desceased, was offered for sale in the Land Judges court in March 1881 by Timothy Bunton, trustee. Amounting to over 1300 acres it was situated in the barony of Islands and Tulla Upper, county Clare and the barony of Leitrim, county Galway. The Galway estate had amounted to over 700 acres in the 1870s.
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Drew (Rockfield & Mocollop Castle)
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This family were a junior branch of the Drews of Drewscourt, county Cork and held land in counties Waterford and Kerry. This was primarily due to a marriage in 1752 between Francis Drew of Mocollop, county Waterford and Arabella Godfrey of Kilcolman and Bushfield, county Kerry.
The representatives of John Drew were among the principal lessors in the parish of Kilbonane, barony of Magunihy at the time of Griffith's Valuation. The Drew property at Rockfield was being administered by Alicia Wherland in the early 1860s. Sarah Drew held several townlands in the parish of Kilgarrylander, barony of Trughanacmy, at the same time. Rev. Browning Drew was the owner of over 600 acres and Rev. Pierce Drew the proprietor of over 500 acres in county Kerry in the 1870s. Barry Drew, of Flowerhill, Lismore, owned over 1500 acres in county Waterford at that time.
An offer was made by the Congested Districts Board on over 700 acres of the Drew estate in Kerry in 1914. The Irish Tourist Association survey of the 1940s indicates that Dr. Drew, owner of the Waterford estate, resided principally in North Africa.
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