Gardiner
Description
Three related branches of this family lived at Farmhill, Tonroe and Courthill, in the barony of Tirawley, Co Mayo.
Estate(s)
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Gardiner (Farmhill) | The Gardiners were resident in the parishes of Kilfian and Rathreagh, barony of Tirawley, county Mayo from early in the 17th century. By the 19th century their estate spread over many parishes in the barony of Tirawley, county Mayo. Farmhill in the parish of Rathreagh was their principal seat. It became the property of the notorious landlord, Harriet Gardiner (granddaughter of Baron Tyrawley), in the mid 19th century, who owned 4,073 acres in 1876. Harriet Gardiner had purchased some Knox lands from the Encumbered Estates' Court in 1854 and 1858, which she sold again in the Landed Estates' Court in 1867. |
| Gardiner (Courthill) | The Ordnance Survey Name Books record John Gardiner of Courthill leasing lands from the Earl of Arran in the parish of Killala and in the townland of Rathnadoffy, parish of Rathreagh, barony of Tirawley, from Sir William Palmer. His son, Robert Gardiner of Cloonskirtaun, parish of Killala, held land in the parishes of Kilfian and Killala, which he sold in the Encumbered Estates' Court in 1852. These lands were held under lease originally dated 2 Nov 1678 from Sir Arthur Gore to John Gardiner Junior. |
| Madden | At the time of Griffith's Valuation Daniel Madden held lands in the parishes of Doonfeeny, Kilbride, Kilfian and Killala, barony of Tirawley, county Mayo. These lands had been sold in the Encumbered Estates' Court in 1852 and 1853 by Robert Gardiner of Cloonskirtaun and the Knoxes of Castlereagh. Quinn writes that the family were extensive merchants in Ballycastle, who bought land but that they were badly affected by the Famine, sold their property and went to Australia. However John William Madden of Ballycastle still owned over 4000 acres in county Mayo in 1876. He sold 478 acres to the Congested Districts' Board on 26 Apr 1905. |
| Cuff | Sir James Cuff was granted the town and lands of Ballinrobe, barony of Kilmaine, county Mayo, under the Acts of Settlement, date of grant 1 Feb 1667. Under this grant he was given 1,872 acres in county Mayo which included lands in the baronies of Kilmaine and Carra and 1,963 acres in the county Galway baronies of Longford, Dunkellin, Clare and Ross. He also received a small parcel of land in county Clare. By a further grant dated 27 May 1669 he received smaller acreages in the baronies of Kilmaine and Tirawley, county Mayo and in the baronies of Longford and Ballymoe, county Galway. He also received grants of lands in the parish of Kilmainemore, barony of Kilmaine and in the parishes of Kilbelfad and Crossmolina, barony of Tirawley. His son Gerald Cuff, collector of quit rents, bought land from Colonel John Browne of Westport, near Belcarra, barony of Carra and built Elmhall. He was succeeded by James Cuff of Elmhall and Ballinrobe Castle, who, in 1731, married Elizabeth, sister of Arthur Gore, 1st Earl of Arran. It was their son, James Cuff of Ballinrobe, who was created Baron Tyrawley of Ballinrobe in 1797. The Cuffs leased land in the barony of Tirawley from the Gores, mainly in the parishes of Ardagh, Crossmolina and Kilbelfad. The rest of their estates were in the parishes of Ballinrobe, barony of Kilmaine and Drum, barony of Carra. Most of the estates of Lord Tyrawley passed to his daughter Jane and her husband, Colonel Charles Nesbitt Knox. Jane's niece, Harriet Gardiner, for a time claimed the Belcarra estate. From the early 18th century a branch of the Cuff family had an estate at Creagh, just outside Ballinrobe, but this eventually reverted to the Knoxes. In 1876 Colonel St George Cuff of Deel Castle owned 3,205 acres in county Mayo. Monuments in memory of family members are located in the Church of Ireland graveyard, Ballinrobe. A branch of this family resided at Ballymoe in the 18th century and intermarried with the Caulfields of Donamon and the Bagots of Aghrane. |