ffrench (Castle ffrench)

Family title

Baronet

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Estate(s)

Name	Description
ffrench (Claremont)	Gonville ffrench was a younger brother of the 3rd Baron ffrench of Castle ffrench, county Galway. He lived at Claremont, county Roscommon and held lands in county Mayo in the parishes of Kilmainebeg, Kilmainemore and Moorgagagh, barony of Kilmaine, in county Galway in the parishes of Killeroran and Killian, barony of Killian and in county Roscommon in the parishes of Cam and Dysart, barony of Athlone. The lands in the parish of Cam were sold to Sir Thomas ffrench of Castleffrench in November 1792 by Robert Blakely who had bought them the previous July. They later formed part of Gonville ffrench's marriage settlement trust. Some of Gonville ffrench's county Galway estate was held from Nicholas D'Arcy. His interest in county Mayo lands may possibly have derived from his mother, a Redington of Kilcornan, county Galway, a family who had landed interests in county Mayo. His main tenant and agent was James Fox of Lakefield, Shrule. In 1851 and 1852 his assignee Henry Lyons advertised for sale his estates in counties Mayo and Roscommon, each amounting to just over a thousand acres. Some of the county Mayo estate was bought by William Booth, while another lot was purchased by Thomas H. Kenny. The Roscommon estate was still in Gonville ffrench's possession at the time of Griffith's Valuation. His interest in the fee farm rent of Gorteens, parish of Moorgagagh, barony of Kilmaine, was sold by his assignees in 1867. The Irish Times notes that it was purchased by Mr. A. Kyne for over £1900. Gonville ffrench married Clare or Clarinda Kenney of Kilclogher, county Galway. They had no children and the ffrench interest in Claremont appears to have been inherited by Gonville's nephew, Edward Thomas ffrench Beytagh, of Cappagh, county Galway. Some of this latter property was sold by the trustees of Clarinda ffrench's estate in February 1873. The purchasers were Messers. Hynes of Ballinasloe, Mr. Conway, solicitor in trust and Patrick and William Murphy. Claremont on 181 acres was advertised for sale in November 1885.
Fletcher	At the time of Griffith's Valuation Henry G. Fletcher owned an estate at Rosleague in the parish of Ballynakill, barony of Ballynahinch, county Galway, containing 1286 acres. He bought his property in 1851 from the sale of the estates of the ffrenchs of Castle ffrench in the Encumbered Estates' Court.
ffrench (Castle ffrench)	Originally known as Clogher and purchased by the ffrenches from the O'Kellys in 1636. Confiscated by the Cromwellian Commissioners and granted to a Doctor Fennell and repurchased from Fennell's widow by Jasper ffrench in 1671. Charles ffrench was created a baronet in 1779. In the early 19th century family members were heavily involved in banking and business enterprises in Galway and Tuam. In 1851 following banking setbacks and the Famine the estate was sold in the Encumbered Estates' Court to James Thorngate. The Castle Ffrench estate was in the baronies of Killian and Kilconnell, county Galway, but it also included Rosleague and other land in the parish of Ballinakill, barony of Ballynahinch and the lands of Beagh, barony of Moycarn, county Roscommon. Rosleague was sold to Henry G. Fletcher. The ffrenches repurchased the estate in 1919. At the time of Griffith's Valuation two sons of Sir Thomas Ffrench, 2nd Baron, namely Martin and Gonville, held estates in counties Galway and Mayo in their own names (see separate entries for ffrench of Claremont and Ballinamore).
ffrench (Ballinamore)	The Honourable Martin ffrench was a younger brother of Sir Thomas ffrench, 3rd Baron. Martin ffrench held a large amount of land in the parishes of Killeroran and Killian, barony of Killian, county Galway, in the mid 1850s. In the 1870s he owned 3,818 acres in county Galway.