Wednesday 29 June 2011

Heraldry at Tandragee

The beautiful stained-glass window at Tandragee bears the full achievement of arms of the Duke of Manchester.








Arms:

Quarterly: 1st and 4th, Argent three Lozenges conjoined in fess Gules within a Bordure Sable (Montagu); 2nd and 3rd, Or an Eagle displayed Vert beaked and membered Gules (Monthermer)

 Crest:

A Griffin's Head couped wings expanded Or gorged with a Collar Argent charged with three Lozenges Gules

Supporters:

Dexter: an heraldic Antelope Or armed tufted and hoofed Argent; Sinister: a Griffin Or gorged with a Collar as in the Crest

Motto:

Disponendo Me, Non Mutando Me (By disposing of me, not by changing me)








Tuesday 28 June 2011

Galway 'Browne Gate' Heraldry

The well known landmark, the Browne Doorway now at Eyre Square, Galway was removed from an old house in Lower Abbey Gate Street and it bears the names of Martin Browne and Mary Linch along with the date of 1627. 



On the left hand side are the arms and crest of the Browne family and on the right are the impaled arms of Lynch and Penrice with the Lynch crest on top. The arms of Browne are ‘argent an eagle displayed sable’ while those of Lynch are given by ‘azure on a chevron between three trefoils slipped or’.
The Penrices of Galway bore two coats, usually quartered when marshalled with other coats. These were ‘per pale indented argent and gules’ and ‘azure three lions passant argent’. The Browne arms are ‘or an eagle displayed with two necks sable’.


Sunday 26 June 2011

Heraldry at Springhill, Moneymore, Co Derry

Springhill house in Moneymore has been in the ownership of the Lennox-Conyngham family until they handed it over to the National Trust.


Three chairs at Springhill bear the families multiquartered arms

The first one shown here has the multiquartered arms of Conyngham impaling the quartered arms of Staples and Molesworth.





The quartered arms of Conyngham and Lenox

The quartered arms of Hamilton and Arran




The second chair bears the multiquartered arms of Conyngham impaling those of Arbuthnot as follows:


The multiquartered arms of Conyngham impale the quartered arms of Staples and Molesworth on one chair at Springhill while they impale the arms of Arbuthnot on another chair.

The multiquartered arms of Conyngham are:

1st and 4th [quartered: 1st and 4th argent a fesse chequy azure and gules, over all a shake fork sable for Conyngham, and in chief a lion rampant of the third (gules); 2nd and 3rd argent, a saltire indented vert, between four roses gules for Lenox]

2nd and 3rd [quartered: 1st and 4th gules three cinquefoils argent for Hamilton; 2nd and 3rd argent a lymphad sails furled sable, flagged gules for Arran]

Crests: 1. a unicorn’s head argent, armed sable; 2. a demi-lion rampant purpure, armed and langued argent.

Arbuthnot: three mullets and crescent

Staples: on a fess ermines three hurts two goats heads erased argent

Molesworth: vaire, a bordure gules charged with eight charged with eight cross crosslets argent


William Arbuthnot Lennox Conyngham = (1932) Mina Ethel Lowry

Sir William Fitzherbert Lennox Conyngham = Laura Arbuthnot

dau of John Staples (Lisson) and Harriet Molesworth


Friday 24 June 2011

Belvedere Heraldry

The quartered coat of arms at Belvedere House poses an interesting question about the origin of the Rochfort family's arms.



  
The Rochfort arms are given as azure, a lion rampant argent.

It can often happen with quartered coats that the other quartering represents some heiress even going back to the 1300s say. The Lion is for Rochfort alright but I am not sure about the other quartering. Sometimes families had an 'ancient' coat of arms that they continued to carry in quartered form as well.

 

The following information from Denis O’Neill suggests the origins of the arms. The first mention of the Rochfort family was in the year 1243, when a family of French nobility named “de Rupe-Forti“settled in Ireland. The family name was hyphenated at that time as it was the result of a co-joining of two wealthy French houses, the house of de Rupe (now Roche) and the house of Forti (now Ford or Forde). The area around Avignon in France appears to be where the family name "de Rupi" originated though other sources place it further north. Avignon is not confirmed but the most likely origin of the Roche or "de Rupe" branch...little is known of the "Forti" family. An Intresting detail is the Irish version of the townland wherein they settled now called Gaulstown or in Irish "Baile na nGall" translates as "town of the Galls". Perhaps Gaul is the seat of the "de Rupi-Forte" family
The new family coat of arms shows clearly this union, with elements from both family arms merged to form a new family name, the name "de ROCHFORT"


The Earl of Belvedere By Denis O’Neill

A collection of poems and history about The Rochfort Family Of Gaulstown, Rochfortbridge

Written and compiled by Denis O’Neill, Beechwood Lodge, Gaulstown, Rochfortbridge,

Thursday 23 June 2011

Heraldry at Hillsborough

The church at Hillsborough bears two coats of arms for the Hill family.



The coat of arms of Hill is given as sable on a fess argent between three leopards passant guardant or, as many escallops gules.

The motto is ‘Per deum et ferrum obtinui’, By God and my sword I have obtained.




Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire (30 May 1718 – 7 October 1793), known as the Viscount Hillsborough from 1742 to 1751 and as the Earl of Hillsborough from 1751 to 1789, was a British politician of the Georgian era.



The coat of arms dated 1774 also include the supporters Dexter:  a Leopard Or spotted Sable ducally gorged and chained Gules;  Sinister:  a Reindeer Gules attired unguled and plain collared Or

Viscount coronet bearing eight strawberry leaves (four visible) and eight silver balls (or pearls) around the rim (five visible).

Hillsborough Castle was the residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland from 1922-1973. Their arms can be seen on the building outside as follows:



The arms of Duke of Abercorn (1922-45)


The arms of Lord Granville (1945-52)


The arms of Lord Wakehurst (1952-64)


The arms of Lord Erskine of Rerrick (1964-68)


The arms of Lord Grey of Naunton (1968-73)

For more on Hillsborough and the Richhill connection see:







Sunday 19 June 2011

Heraldry at Kildare

Walter Wellesley, Prior of Great Connell, Newbridge was appointed Bishop of Kildare on 1 July 1529. He died in 1539 and was buried in the priory.


In the 1800s the stones from the tomb were discovered. In 1971 the tomb was reconstructed in St Brigid's Cathedral in Kildare.




Wellesley Arms (Dangan, Co Meath, 1603) Argent on a cross sable five escallops argent.

Friday 17 June 2011

Grady Heraldry on a side board

A side board that was in Palmerstown House in 2011 contains the achievement of arms of Standish O'Grady.



It belonged to Rt Hon Standish O’Grady (1st Viscount Guillamore in 1831) Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland. Standish O'Grady born in 1766 married Katherine Waller, daughter of John T. Waller in 1790. He died on 21 April 1840. He was created 1st Baron O'Grady, of Rockbarton, co. Limerick  on 28 January 1831 and was created 1st Viscount Guillamore, of Cahir Guillamore, Co. Limerick on the same day.

The O’Grady coat of arms per pale gules (red) and sable (black) three lions passant guardant per pale argent (silver) and or (gold), the centre lion charged with a portcullis azure (blue). Supporters: Two lions guardant per fesse argent and or, each charged on the shoulder with a portcullis azure. Motto: ‘Vulneratus non virtus’ (‘wounded but not conquered’).

When we visited in 2011 the house was owned by the late Jim Mansfield, but all its contents were sold in 2014.

Thursday 16 June 2011

Heraldry at Knockabbey, Co Louth, O'Reilly family

Knockabbey Castle has been advertised for sale. It was home to the O'Reilly since the late 1700s. It originally was a tower house built by the Bellew family. The first deed dates to 1399.


The crest the O'Reilly family lies on the south side of the house.



 
 
 
The current owner has a display of the arms associated with various owners of Thomastown (Knockabbey) including the arms of O'Reilly.The arms in the second quarter are curious as they appear to belong to a family named Orrell, whose spelling is not unlike Oreill(y).
 
 


The arms of Orrell
http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/visitations/CV23.html

Acknowledgement to Martin Goldstraw 
http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk

A copy of O'Ferrall's "Lines Antiqua" a collection of Irish genealogies with additions by Sir William Bethom and J. Bernard Burke, c. 1860. A copy of O'Ferrall's "Lines Antiqua" a collection of Irish genealogies with additions by Sir William Bethom and J. Bernard Burke, c. 1860. This available on GO 155 or GO 156? at the National Library and the association of the arms of Orrell with O'Reilly is mentioned in the Linea Antiqua, this is second hand, but  may point to the origin of the source and that Orrell is not necessarily a quarter in the sense of representing a family of an heiress.


John Bellew was granted an estate in Co Louth including the townland of Thomastown. The construction of the tower house followed. The Bellew’s were to reside theThere for some three hundred years. Around 1653-5 Roger Bellew’s lands were confiscated by the Crowellian forces and the Bellews were ‘transplanted’ to Co Galway.



William Tichburne then acquired Thomastown but it was granted to the Bellews again on the ‘restoration’.  However it was not for long as Roger Bellew lost half of his estate when he supported James II.  Through marriage with the Bellew’s the MacCartan’s came to own Thomastown. Sean MacCartan has carried out extensive unpublished research on the ownership of Thomastown and the Bellew/MacCartan ownership carried on for a longer period than previously attributed eventhough they did not reside there.

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Heraldry at Loughcrew, Naper and Petty

St Oliver Plunkett grew up in Loughcrew. Born in 1625, his parents were John Plunkett and Thomasina Dillon.



The following coat of arms  is on the building at Loughcrew. It is the quartered arms of Naper and Gerard impaling those of Petty.

                   

Sir Nathaniel Naper of More Critchell was knighted in 1617 by James I. He married Elizabeth Gerard of Hide. Their fourth son, James Naper married the niece of Sir William Petty who granted Loughcrew to the Napers. Naper: Argent a saltire engrailed between four roses gules
 
Petty: Ermine on a bend azure a magnetic needle proper at the pole star or
 
Gerard (Hide): Azure a lion rampant or crowned or a bordure ermine.



Can anyone identify or suggest the family for this coat of arms at Oldcastle.