Dennis (Cork)
Family title
Baron Tracton
Estate(s)
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Dennis (Cork) | Hugo Read writes that in the mid 18th century John Dennis, a Quaker, was a timber merchant in Cork. He married Sarah Newenham and had an only child Elizabeth who married in 1763 Cooper Penrose. Through this marriage the Penroses inherited property in Cork city. Another member of this family was James Dennis, Baron Tracton of Tracton Abbey. Born in 1721 he was the son of John Dennis, a timber merchant of Kinsale and his wife Anne Bullen. James Dennis became a barrister and later a Member of Parliament. He was also legal adviser to the Earl of Shannon and in 1781 was made a Baron. In 1769 he married Elizabeth Piggott, daughter of Edmund Piggott of Chetwynd, county Cork. When Baron Tracton died in 1782 without an heir he left his estate in county Kerry to his eldest nephew the Reverend Meade Swift and his estates in counties Cork and Dublin to his other nephew John Swift, both of whom took the additional surname of Dennis. At the time of Griffith's Valuation James Dennis held an estate in the parishes of Carrigaline, Rathcooney and St Annes Shandon, barony of Cork, county Cork. In the 1870s the representatives of James Denis owned 1,029 acres in county Cork. |
| Foley (Cork) | At the time of Griffith's Valuation Daniel Foley held land in the parish of Kilquane, barony of Barrymore, county Cork. In October 1858 the estate of Daniel Bartholomew Foley and William Foley amounting to 831 acres in the barony of Barrymore and premises near the city of Cork were advertised for sale. Daniel B. Foley lived at Evergreen House, Cork, which he held from James Dennis, a London barrister. |
| Pigott (Chetwynd & Knapton) | A family originally from Shropshire, who settled in county Laois in the 16th century. Alexander Pigott, a younger son, was granted over 4,500 acres in county Cork in 1666 and further lands in a number of counties in 1668. His family was established at Innishannon in county Cork by the end of the 17th century. A number of generations of the family lived at Chetwynd, parish of St Finbarrs, Cork city, in the early 18th century. By the late 18th century the family had moved to Knapton, county Laois and in 1808 George Pigott was created a baronet. In the mid 19th century Sir George Pigott held an estate in the barony of Cork parishes of Inishkenny, Killanully and St Finbarrs. In May 1857 the 2,679 acre estate of the trustees of Sir Charles Robert Pigott Baronet in the baronies of Cork and Kinalea, county Cork was advertised for sale. His representatives were the proprietors of over 500 in county Cork in the 1870s, leased from the De Vesci family of Abbeyleix. This included lands in the parish of Inishannon, barony of Kinalea. |
| Dennis (Westmeath) | Thomas Swift of Lynnbury, county Westmeath, born 1711, second son of Meade Swift of Lynn, married Frances only daughter of John Dennis of Kinsale, county Cork by Anne Bullen his wife, sister of Rt Hon John Dennis, created Lord Tracton in 1780. They had two sons the Rev Meade and John, a barrister. When Lord Tracton died without heirs in 1780 he left his estates in counties Kerry and Cork to his two Swift nephews, who both assumed the name Dennis. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation (publ. 1854) children of the Rev Meade, including the Rev George Meade Dennis, rector of Enniscoffey and Kilbride, held lands in the parishes of Lynn and Mullingar. In the mid-1870s the Rev George M Dennis owned 211 acres in county Westmeath while other family members owned smaller acreages. |
| Swift (Lynn) | The Rev Thomas Swift of Herefordshire had a number of sons by his wife Elizabeth Dryden and died in 1658. His fifth son Jonathan, a Dublin solicitor, was the father of the Very Rev Jonathan Swift, Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. From the Rev Thomas’ eldest son Godwin descend the Swifts of Lynn, county Westmeath. Godwin’s son Meade Swift of Lynn, born 1682 married Mary daughter of John L’Estrange of Keoltown, county Westmeath. From this marriage descend the Swifts of Lynn and Keoltown. The town and lands of Lynn amounting to about 700 acres were bought by Robert Edgeworth of Longwood, county Meath for £200, from the Trustees for forfeited estates in 1703. As well as owning land, members of the Swift family found employment as barristers and doctors. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation (publ. 1854) the Swifts held land in the parishes of Lynn and Mullingar. Ninety eight acres of the townland of Lynn and the house known as Lynn Lodge were put up for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court in July 1850 by James Scott Molloy, assignee of Richard Swift, the owner. In the mid-1870s John Swift of Keoltown owned 454 acres while the representatives of Richard Swift owned 480 acres in county Westmeath. |