Landed Estates
University of Galway

Pierce (Shercock)


Estate(s)

Name Description
FitzHerbert/Rothwell (Shantonagh) William FitzHerbert, the second son of William FitzHerbert, 3rd Lord of Swynnerton, married the only child of Sir Henry Pierce of Pierce Court or Shercock, county Cavan. Their son William FitzHerbert of Shercock had three sons who all died without heirs. One of his five daughters, Letitia, married John Ruxton of Ardee, county Louth. Their daughter, Mary Ruxton, married James Corry of Shantonagh, Castleblayney, county Monaghan. Two of their sons were William Ruxton of Ardee, county Louth and John Ruxton of Black Castle, county Meath. Shirley writes that the Shantonagh estate in the parish of Aghnamullen, county Monaghan, was granted after the Restoration to Lord Massereene and held under him in fee farm by James Corry of Shantonagh. Corry’s daughter Letitia married Thomas Rothwell of Rockfield, county Meath and their son, Thomas Rothwell of Black Castle, Navan, county Meath, inherited the Shantonagh estate and eventually the Black Castle property. Thomas Rothwell assumed the name FitzHerbert in 1863. In 1878, Thomas FitzHerbert of Navan, county Meath, owned 2,387 acres in county Monaghan and 2,011 acres in county Meath. In 1906, Richard Ruxton FitzHerbert owned untenanted land and a mansion house valued at £30 in Tooa.
Ruxton (Ardee) William FitzHerbert, the second son of William FitzHerbert, 3rd Lord of Swynnerton, married the only child of Sir Henry Pierce of Pierce Court or Shercock, county Cavan. Their son William FitzHerbert of Shercock had three sons who all died without heirs. One of his five daughters, Letitia, married John Ruxton of Ardee, county Louth. Their daughter, Mary Ruxton, married James Corry of Shantonagh, county Monaghan while their eldest son William held lands in the Shercock locality. His grandson, also named William Ruxton, was the immediate lessor of 12 townlands in the parish of Shercock and other lands in the parishes of Drumgoon and Knockbride, county Cavan, at the time of Griffith’s Valuation. However, by 1878 William Ruxton of Ardee had disposed of his Cavan estate but still owned an estate of 2,262 acres in county Louth. In May 1857, the estate of William Ruxton in the parishes of Shercock, Knockbridge and Drumgoon, amounting to 2,865 acres was offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court.