Sunday 9 August 2015

Stratford House, Dublin (Portland Road)

Built by Edward Augustus Stratford (1736-1801), 2nd Earl of Aldborough as Dublin’s last great house of the eighteenth century. The foundation was laid down in 1792 and after its completion there is no record in my possession that any of the family made it their permanent residence, and, although it bears the date 1796, evidence shows that it was still not fully completed by 1798. It included a Play House, a cold bath and a music room and on the Earl of Aldborough’s death, the property became owned by his wife.


Older Photograph of Stratford House


     Stratford House (August 2015)

It is built of brick, and cut granite forms the facade, and when built, had balustrading all the way around the parapets, with urns and eagles, sphinxes and lions, and a Coat of Arms, displayed bearing Stratford, Herbert, Henniker, North, Neale, and Major.

It was uninhabited from 1802 to 1813, when Prof Von Feinagle leased it and opened it as a school. he built an addition to the house including large classrooms and a Chapel. He died in 1820 and by 1830 it had been closed altogether as a school. At the outbreak of the Crimean War when it was used as Barracks on acquisition of the Government, and then used as the Stores Department of the Post Office. It is now empty.

John Stratford
1st Baron Baltinglass later 1st Viscount Aldborough later 1st Earl of Aldborough

3rd son of Edward Stratford, of Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, and of Belan, Co Kildare,
born 1698

married
Martha O'Neale (b. c. 1706; d. 11 Mar 1796), daughter and heiress of Ven Benjamin O'Neale, Archdeacon of Leighlin

First Son
1. Hon Edward Augustus Stratford, later 2nd Earl of Aldborough
born c. 1741

married (1)

29 Jul 1765 Barbara Herbert (b. Jul 1742; dsp. 11 Apr 1785), 2nd daughter and heiress of Hon Nicholas Herbert, of Great Glemham, Co Suffolk (by his wife Anne North, dau. and coheiress of Dudley North, of Great Glemham, Co Suffolk)

married (2)

24 May 1787 Hon Anne Elizabeth Henniker only daughter of  John Henniker, ist Baron Henniker by his wife Anne Major, 1st daughter and coheiress. of Sir John Major, 1st Bt., of Worlingworth Hall, Co Suffolk

died s.p. 2 Jan 1801 (bur. at St Thomas's, Dublin)


The multiquartered arms on Stratford House, Portland Road, Dublin  (August 2015)

Herbert, Stratford, Henniker
North, Neale and Major (see description of the arms below)


Arms, Crest and Motto of Stratford


Arms of Neale (O'Neill)



Arms of Herbert
Per Pale azure and gules three lions rampant argent

Arms of North
Azure a lion passant between three fleurs-de-lis