Heraldry at Lisrenny - Filgate family

The gateway at Lisrenny designed by John Neville in 1872 was erected in memory of Thomas William Filgate and bears the inscription:

This gateway was erected in memory of Thomas William by the tenantry of the extensive estates under his management and his numerous friends to commemorate the many good qualities by which he was endeared to them in life, died 20^th Feb^y. 1868 aged 49 years.

The Filgate coat of arms is also depicted on the gateway.

Filgate: Azure two bars between six estoiles argent.

Crest: A griffin vulned proper.

Motto: Virescit Vulnere Virtus.

                           

The following book plates further illustrate heraldry associated with the family.

William Filgate (1781-1875) married in 1831 Sophia, daughter of Jerome, Count De Salis.

A book plate of William Filgate helps account for the names of Fane and de Salis that occur as Christian names in the Filgate pedigree. He married on 27 October 1831 Sophia Juliana Penelope De Salis, daughter of Jerome, 4^th Count de Salis by his second wife, Penelope Freeman. The bookplate has the arms of Filgate impaling a multi-quartered coat of arms for de Salis. The first quartering is again quartered, the quarterings in this case represent the fact that the de Salis family are counts of the Holy Roman Empire and that their lordship or fief was in Oberaich. They bear their family shield with its canting willow tree (salix) en surtout on a shield showing the eagle of the Empire quartered with the lion and wavy bendlets sinister of their fief Oberaich. (Crotty, Irish Roots 1998 No. 1, Heraldry in Ireland: Marshalling Part 5).

The remaining quarters represent the arms of de Salis, Fane, Neville, Beauchamps and Despencer (Spencer). Jerome, fourth Count de Salis D.L., J.P. Co Armagh and Middlesex was granted a royal licence to bear the title of Count in England in 1809 and he assumed by royal licence the name of Fane in addition to that of De Salis as the inheritor of the estates and next representative of the second and last Viscount Fane in December 1835. His grandfather, Jerome, second Count de Salis married in 1735 Mary Fane, eldest daughter of Charles, first Viscount Fane. The titles of Viscount Fane and Baron Loughgur, in 1718 were created on the strength of Charles’s inheritance (Tandragee Co Armagh and Loughgur Co Limerick) from his grandaunt Rachael Fane who married in 1638 Henry Bourchier (1587-1654) of Loughgur. The Fanes were descended from Thomas Fane who married in 1574 Mary Neville, daughter and heiress of Henry Neville, Lord Abergavenny who in turn was descended and inherited titles from Despenser and Beauchamp ancestors. The fess on the Beauchamp is charged with a  mullet for difference. There seems to be an error on the bookplate where the six crosses of Beauchamp are replaced by six mullets, possibly confusion by the artist with the six mullets from Filgate.

Beauchamps  Gules a fess between six crosses crosslet or.

De Salis           1^st and 4^th or an eagle displayed sable crowned of the field; 2^nd and 3^rd azure three bends sinister wavy argent a lion rampant and crowned or brandishing in the right paw a sword proper hilt gold, overall (in pretence) an inescutcheon, per fesse the chief or, a salix or willow-tree eradicated proper, the base paly of six argent and gules.

Despencer      (Lord le Despencer) Quarterly argent and gules in the second and third quarters a fret or, overall a bend sable.

Fane                Azure three dexter gauntlets backs affrontée or.

Neville             (Lord Abergavenny) Gules a saltire argent, a rose of the field barbed and seeded proper.