Richey

Description

Alexander George Richey (1830-1883) was a prominent historian, author and lawyer. He wrote a number of books on the history of Ireland and on the Irish land laws.

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Estate(s)

Name	Description
Bellingham	An estate of 11,810 acres in the parish of Kilcommon, barony of Erris, county Mayo was advertised for sale in the Landed Estates' Court by Reverend Sir William Palmer in 1869 and bought by Sir Alan E. Bellingham. The estate was held on a lease in perpetuity from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to Alexander George Richey dated 1857. Mr Smithwick was the agent. An unsorted manuscript collection in the National Library contains some rentals for the Erris property of the Bellingham family, part of which was known as the Burnshead estate. In 1876 the family also owned 4186 acres in county Louth. The Bellingham estate in county Mayo was sold to the Congested Districts' Board on 23 May 1907.
Palmer (Kenure Park)	The Palmer family held extensive estates in counties Mayo and Sligo, some of which they were granted by royal patent dated 1684. Other lands were acquired from other grantees and landowners such as Henry Webb, Gerrard Colley, Richard Thompson and the Gores, Cuffs and Veseys. The Palmer's Mayo estates were concentrated in the barony of Tirawley, but they also had land in the baronies of Gallen, Burrishoole and Murrisk. Lane notes that Thomas Ormsby acted as agent for these estates. The Palmers bought a large estate in the barony of Erris from the Encumbered Estates' Court in 1857 but resold it in the 1860s. These lands had previously been leased by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to Alexander George Richey. In 1870 lands in the Barony of Erris were offered for sale in the Landed Estates Court. The purchasers included Messers Ker St. George and Whyte, both in trust. In January 1872 Mr. John McCormack bought over 130 acres of the Palmer lands at Froghill. The Palmer's estates in Sligo were usually administered by an agent. In 1876 the Palmers owned over 80,000 acres in county Mayo, 9,570 in county Sligo and 4,202 in county Dublin. The Palmer estate in county Mayo was sold to the Congested Districts' Board in 1916. The principal family seat was at Kenure Park, Rush, county Dublin.By his will dated 7 Sept 1907 Sir Roger W.H.Palmer left the rent and profits from his Mayo and Sligo estates in trust for his wife and thereafter to the male issue of his niece Mary Adela Fenwick. Roderick George Fenwick succeeded his uncle in 1913, took the additional name of Palmer and lived at Cefn Park, Wales, until his death in 1968. After 1909 an offer from the Congested Districts Board for almost 8000 acres in county Sligo was accepted. A large collection of papers from the legal firm of W.J.Shannon and Company relating to the acquisition and history of the Palmer estates was deposited in the National Archives in 1990, Acc.1174. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation, William Palmer held two townlands in county Westmeath, Milltown, 701 acres in the parish of Churchtown and part of Streamstown, 513 acres held by Captain James A Dickson. The Palmer connection with Streamstown appears to have come through the marriage of Sir William Palmer 3rd Baronet and his first wife Mary Toole who with her three sisters became co-heiresses to their father William Toole of Kilcock, county Kildare. One of Mary’s sisters Jane was the fourth wife of John Greatrakes Hill of Streamstown, county Westmeath. On 12 January 1852 the mansion house at Streamstown with 591 acres were advertised for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court. This property was held on a lease renewable for ever dated 1792 and the last renewal of 14 May 1846 was from William Palmer to John Thomas Barlow for three lives. By March 1867 when Streamstown and other lands amounting to over 1,000 acres in county Westmeath and less in county Dublin were offered for sale in the Landed Estates Court, Richard Somers had become the tenant. He held Streamstown under a fee farm grant from Sir William Palmer [4th Bt] dated 29 April 1856.
Richey	In the mid 19th century Alexander George Richey, historian and author of books on land law, held an estate of about 13,500 acres in the parishes of Kilcommon and Kilmore, barony of Erris, county Mayo, from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, on a lease in perpetuity, the last renewal dated 14 Mar 1857. Two months later the Encumbered Estates' Court conveyed the Richey estate to the Reverend Sir William Palmer. In 1869 and 1870 Palmer resold the estate in parts to Sir Alan Bellingham and John Reilly. In 1876 Alexander Richey owned 64 acres in county Mayo, which was later acquired by the Congested Districts' Board. The Richeys were related to the Brownes of Raheens.
Browne (Raheens)	A junior branch of the Brownes of the Neale held an estate in the parishes of Aglish and Islandeady, barony of Carra, county Mayo, from the senior branch of the family represented by Lord Kilmaine. In 1876 Dodwell Francis Browne, a judge in Ceylon, owned an estate of 703 acres in county Mayo.