Blakeney (Abbert)
Description
An extensive family history is given in ‘Burke’s Irish Family Records’ (1976).
Estate(s)
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Blakeney (Abbert) | Robert Blakeney, a member of a family of Elizabethan settlers, was granted lands at Castle Blakeney, parish of Killosolan, barony of Tiaquin, county Galway, by the Cromwellian Commissioners. This grant was confirmed by royal patent dated 27 Nov 1688, when Thomas Lovelace and Ralph Fenwick, the executors of the will of Major Robert Blakeney of Gallagh, were granted over 2,200 acres in the baronies of Tiaquin and Kilconnell, county Galway and in counties Mayo and Kilkenny. Castle Blakeney was burnt in the 1720s and the Blakeneys went to live at Abbert, which they bought from the Frenches and where they continued to reside until the beginning of the 20th century. Mr. Filgate of Ahascragh is recorded in the OS Name Books as their agent for the Ardrahan lands. Fee simple estates of John Henry Blakeney in the parish of Kilbride and at Caherateige, parish of Ardrahan, county Galway, were advertised for sale in 1855. The Freeman's Journal reported that the lands at Caheratigue in Ardrahan parish were bought in trust by Vesey Daly for over £1500. In 1862, lands belonging to John Blakeney were sold in the Landed Estates Court. The purchasers included James Smyth of Masonbrook, Henry Rose of Ballyclough, county Limerick, and R.O. Armstrong. The Blakeneys owned an estate of 7,504 acres situated in the parishes of Ballymacward, Killosolan and Monivea, barony of Tiaquin as well as lands in the parish of Ardrahan in the barony of Dunkellin and in the parishes of Drumatemple, barony of Ballymoe, Kilglass, barony of Ballintober North, and Kilbride, barony of Ballintober South, county Roscommon. In 1885 Terence Lynam was advertising for sale 172 acres at Corgowan in the parish of Kilbride, formerly part of the Blakeney estate. Over 1,500 acres of the Blakeney estate was vested in the Congested Districts' Board on 23 Nov 1911. John Blakeney, together with Richard O'Connor, was leasing 197 acres and a house valued at £3 10s in the parish of Kilconickney, to Charles Donnellan in 1855. Blakeney is also recorded as the proprietor of townlands in this parish in the 1830s. In 1824 he is listed as a resident proprietor in county Galway. |
| O'Conor (Dundermot) | A branch of the O'Conor Don family who resided at Dundermot for 2 generations in the 19th century. In 1683 Hugh O'Connor was granted over 1,800 acres in county Roscommon, including the castle of Ballyntobber and lands at Laraha and Ross. At the time of Griffith's Valuation, Patrick O'Conor held land in the parishes of Kilcroan and Kilbegnet, barony of Ballymoe, county Galway, and in the parishes of Oran and Drumatemple, barony of Ballymoe, Lissonuffy, barony of Roscommon, county Roscommon. Some of this land was held from the Blakeneys and some of the land in the parish of Oran was offered for sale by the Brownes of Castlemagarrett, county Mayo in May 1852. His brother Roderic also held land in the parishes of Oran and Drumatemple. In 1851 some of Roderick O'Connor's land in the parish of Drumatemple was advertised for sale in the Encumbered Estates' Court by his assignee Christopher Hume Lawder. From 1853 Patrick O'Conor held Laragh and Ross, which adjoined the demesne of Dundermot, from Arthur Irwin Mahon. Mahon advertised these lands for sale in May 1856. Patrick O'Connor and Charles O'Connor also held extensive lands at Rathconor and Tonlegee, parish of Kilbride, barony of Ballintober South at the time of Griffith's Valuation, previously part of the Croghan estate. In the 1870s Hussey records that the late Patrick Hugh O'Conor of Dundermot owned 2,435 acres in county Roscommon and his brother Nicholas O'Conor owned 810 acres. Nicholas O'Conor, a prominent British diplomat, sold Dundermot. The estate of his daughter Fearga O'Conor was vested in the Congested Districts' Board in March 1915. |
| Blakeney (Holywell) | In 1761 Charles Blakeney, a member of a junior branch of the Blakeneys of Abbert, married Bridget, daughter and heiress of Barnaby Gunning of Holywell, county Roscommon. Their second son, the Reverend Thomas Blakeney, rector of Roscommon parish in the early 19th century, took over the Holywell estate. He was succeeded by his son Charles William, who sold the estate comprised of 1681 acres of the townland of Coolteige, in 1853 and emigrated to Australia. Other descendants of Charles and Bridget Blakeney are recording as holding small estates in county Roscommon in the 1870s. 579 acres belonging to Anne Blakeney in county Roscommon was vested in the Congested Districts' Board in March 1912. |