Landed Estates
University of Galway

Maunsell (Oakly Park & Blackwater)


Estate(s)

Name Description
Maunsell (Oakly Park & Blackwater) This was a junior branch of the Maunsell family of Ballywilliam, county Limerick. Their main residence was at Oakly Park, Celbridge, county Kildare. They held land in the parishes of Caherconlish and Inch St Lawrence, barony of Clanwilliam, county Limerick. In the 1870s their estate amounted to 1,190 acres in county Limerick and 1,308 acres in county Kildare. In 1877 Richard Mark Synnot Maunsell married as his second wife Mary Eliza, daughter and heiress of Samuel Caswell of Blackwater, county Clare and their son Richard John Caswell Maunsell succeeded his father in 1907. By 1916 R.J.C. Maunsell had agreed to sell his 2,057 acres of tenanted land in county Clare to the Congested Districts' Board. Another family member George Woods Maunsell held land in the parishes of Killulagh and Killucan, county Westmeath, amounting to 511 acres in the 1870s plus other acreages in counties Dublin, Kildare, Limerick Meath and Wexford (Hussey de Burgh). George W Maunsell was the father of Richard Mark Synnot Maunsell.
Caswell The Caswell family were farmers and millers in the Blackwater locality, parish of St Patricks, county Clare, just north of Limerick city. Memorials in the Registry of Deeds record Andrew Caswell leasing part of his holding in Derramore Mill, which he held from Thomas McAdam, to his eldest son Samuel Caswell in 1801. In 1837 Lewis refers to the two large flour mills owned by S. Caswell at Blackwater. In the mid 19th century Samuel and Andrew Caswell both held townlands in the parish of St Patricks, barony of Bunratty Lower, while Mary Caswell held land in the parish of Killaloe, barony of Tulla Lower. Samuel Caswell's house, offices, miller's house and flour mill at Rosmadda West were valued at £85 in Griffith's Valuation. He had purchased Rosmadda and other lands from the sale of the Clive estate in 1842. In the 1870s Mary Caswell of Blackwater owned 935 acres according to the return of landowners of one acre or more while Hussey gives her acreage as 2,995 acres. In 1877 Mary Eliza Caswell married as his second wife Richard M.S. Maunsell of Oakly Park, county Kildare and their son sold the Caswell estate to the Congested Districts' Board in the 1910s. A detailed account of the Caswell family can be consulted at www.moonraker.com/genealogy/caswell/relatives.doc
Maunsell (Ballywilliam) Richard Maunsell (1721-1790), second son of Richard Maunsell, Member of Parliament for Limerick city 1740-1761, settled at Ballywilliam, parish of Rathkeale, county Limerick. He married Helena Toler and was succeeded by his eldest son, George, who married Sarah Meares in 1779. They had eleven sons. In the mid 19th century the Ballywilliam estate was in the parishes of Kilscannell and Rathkeale, barony of Connello Lower, Crecora, barony of Pubblebrien and Killeedy, barony of Glenquin. The lands of Annaghrosty, barony of Pubblebrien were advertised for sale in June 1851.The estate was comprised of 4,231 acres in the 1870s. Two of the eleven sons of George and Sarah Maunsell married members of the Lloyd family of Beechmount, county Limerick and in 1851 one of their grandsons, John Maunsell of Edenmore, Raheny, county Dublin, married his cousin, Catherine Lloyd, described in ''Burke's Irish Family Records'' as the only surviving daughter and "heiress" of Thomas Lloyd of Beechmount [she was the only surviving child of Thomas Lloyd's first marriage]. In the 1870s John Maunsell of Edenmore owned over 5,000 acres in county Limerick. George Maunsell of Milford was a younger brother of Daniel Maunsell of Ballywilliam. The fee simple estate of Frances Maunsell, [widow of George] in the lands of Sreelane, barony of Clanwilliam, which included the mills of Messrs John Norris Russell and Sons and the "newly built" Plassy House plus the "splendid residence" of the Dowager Lady Massy called Milford House was advertised for sale in July 1868.