Curraghmore House in Co Waterford is home of Henry Nicholas de la Poer Beresford, 9th Marquess of Waterford and of his wife, Lady Waterford, Amanda Thomson. They have three grown children. Here we examine the heraldry associated with the family.
Richard, Lord de la Poer (Power), the representative of a long line of ancient barons, was created in 1673, Viscount Decies and Earl of Tyrone. he was ancestor of James, 3rd Earl who died in 1704 without a male successor, the earldom became extinct but the barony devolved upon his only daughter and heiress, Catherine, Baroness de la Poer. She married in 1717, Sir Marcus Beresford, Baronet. In 1720 he was created baron Beresford of Beresford, Viscount of Tyrone, Earl of Tyrone in 1746. George, son of Marcus and Catherine became first Marquess of Waterford.
The back (working) entrance to Curraghmore House.
More details can be found:
The quartered arms of Beresford and de la Poer are depicted twice on the above side of the side. The arms and crest are given as follows:
The quartered arms of Beresford and de la Poer and the crest of de la Poer.
Notice the coronet of a marquess above the arms.
The cross of the crest is reputed to have saved the house from burning in the 1920's period as recalled by Lord Waterford in:
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/oh-lord-next-generation-takes-the-keys-to-waterford-county-1.2191959
On the keep, looking down on us, is a St Hubert’s Stag, a deer’s head with a cross between its antlers. The stag saved the house from burning in the 1920s. “The IRA, whoever it was, had straw along the top of the house ready to set the match,” says Lord Waterford. “But there was a full moon over the lake and the full moon shone onto the cross which shone onto the courtyard, and the man who was about to light the bales thought this was a sign from above so didn’t light them and hence the house is still standing.”
Below this appears the quartered arms, this time along with the supporters (angels) and the coronet of a marquess. The de la Poer motto 'Per crucem ad coronam' (by the cross to the crown) is also included. The collar and insignia of the Order of St Patrick surround the arms.
The quartered arms of Beresford and de la Poer, along with motto
and supporters and the collar and insignia of the Order of St Patrick.
George de la Poer Beresford, 2nd Earl of Tyrone among those members of the
Order of St Patrick listed in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.
Curraghmore House (front side)
Arms and Beresford motto and crest at Curraghmore
Further detail
Arms of de la Poer (Power) at Curraghamore
Clonagam Church
The burial place for the family is Clonagam Church just outside the estate. Please see the very informative blog of Sean O'Brien, Portlaw:
On that website you'll notice the heraldry there associated with the family. Two very good photos taken by Sean O'Brien depict this.
The quartered arms of Beresford and de la Poer along with those of Rowley
over the tomb erected by Henry, 5th Marquis to his wife Frances and child at Clonagam
(By the kind permission of Sean O'Brien, Portlaw)
http://www.portlaw.info/2012/10/clonagam-church.html
(By the kind permission of Sean O'Brien, Portlaw)
http://www.portlaw.info/2012/10/clonagam-church.html
Permission is being sought from Sean to include the photograph of the Beresford and de la Poer arms along with those of Rowley.
The
quartered arms of Beresford and de la Poer along with the arms of Rowley are to
seen over the memorial erected by Henry, 5th Marquis of Waterford to the memory
of his wife, Frances Grosvenor Rowley and child who had died in London in 1873.
The arms of Rowley matching those at Clonagam.
The memorial to Marcus
Beresford and his wife, Catherine de la Poer, who died in 1763 and 1769
respectively contains a full achievement of arms. They contain the multi-quartered arms signifying this marriage, along with the Beresford crest, motto and supporters.
The full achievement of arms on the memorial of Marcus Beresford
and his wife Catherine de la Poer at Clonagam.
(By the kind permission of Sean O'Brien, Portlaw)
The quartered arms contain in the first quarter, the arms of Beresford; the second quarter, the ancient arms of Beresford; the third quarter, the arms of Hassel and the fourth quarter contain the grand quarters of Hamilton to which we return.
Beresford (Old) Coat of Arms
The ancient arms of the Bear for Beresford.
The word bear would seem to correspond to the bere part of Beresford,
Hassel Coat of arms
The arms of Beresford and Hassel are as follows:
The ancient arms of Bernard also contain a bear. The Spectator Archive contains a good article on the Beresfords.
Tristram Beresford, founder of the Irish family living in 1574, was descended from Thomas Beresford and his wife, Agnes, daughter and heiress of Robert Hassel of Arelwyd in Chester.
Returning to the arms on Marcus and Catherine's monument, the small shield in the centre contains the arms of de la Poer, these also contain a coronet of a Baron, representing Catherine, Baroness de la Poer. The coronet of earl is over the arms of Marcus Beresford for Earl of Tyrone which was created in 1746.
We know examine the grand quarter of Hamilton.
The grand quarter of Hamilton.
The indented arms in the corner, is the inescutcheon of pretence on the overall shield for Catherine Baroness de la Poer. The inescutcheon of pretence on the Hamilton grand quarter is azure three fleur-de-lis or, just like the modern arms of France but for the dukedom of Chatelleraut.
The quartered arms of the Duke of Abercorn including the inescutcheon of the dukedom of Châtellerault
(The arms at Clonagam differ apart from the dukedom of Châtellerault from of Abercorn)
See the Heraldry of the Hamiltons by G. Harvey Johnston.
The story of the grant of the Dukdom of Châtellerault runs as follows. James
Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, became Regent of Scotland and next in line to the
throne, after the infant Queen Mary. He was rewarded the Dukedom of
Châtellerault by King Henry II of France in 1543 after the strategic key role
he played in arranging Mary’s betrothal to the French Dauphin, Francois, in
1559.
For
a short while, Scotland and France were united under the joint monarchy of
Mary, later known as Queen of Scots, and her new husband. The story of Mary’s
tragic, seven year reign is well known – coming to an end in 1567 when she was
deposed in favour of her baby son King James VI. She headed to Cadzow Castle,
the main stronghold of her Hamilton relatives, in 1568, after her escape from
prison in Loch Leven Castle.
The first and fourth quarters of the Hamilton grand quarter at Clonagam seems to contain a lion rampant. The second and third quarters contain an oak tree and saw.
Hamilton Crest
The Hamilton crest of the tree and saw is thus narrated:
see also