Pages 200 to 205 - Cork Past and Present

200
HISTORICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL NOTES.
tnanslation in "Silva Gadelica":—"Inis Derglocha, or red loch island, is t h e island's
n a m e ; because of a red loch t h a t is in it, containing an island surrounded with a
palisade (sonnaeh) of gold." The words tonnach and sonnach a r e probably of different
origin. Leading to the fort of Liosach Ghuaire (the Ebhlin of the "Book of Rights"),
near the village of Murroe, Co. Limerick, there is a ford locally named Ath an
tonnaigh, or ford of the tonnach, from which it appears t h a t the term tonnach was
applied to t h e liosach or "fort," which is on a hill, an outlying peak of the mountains
of Ebhliu, and is surrounded by a strong and high m u r , or r a m p a r t , of earth, which
appears to be t h e tonnach. On the other hand, the term sonnach occurs in t h e Tain
1
Bo Cualnge in a passage wherein it is stated in connection with t h e residence of
Ouland Cerd, t h a t although t h e door of the c a t h a i r or fort was open, each one inside
the dun, or enclosure jumped right over t h e sonnach on account of the uproar outside.
Professor Windisch explains sonnach o r sondach by Palisade and Pfahlwerk, i.e.,
paling, stockade, palisade, and derives t h e term from sonel or sonn, "Pfahl," i.e., a
stake or pale, a word also given by O'Reilly, who has from the same word, sonnadh,
a fort; sonnaim, to pierce.
The Sonnach of Ua Gobhann, Chief of the Hi Bece Abha Upper, which is named
Stonnagh, now Shanagh, in t h e list of the lands of Lord Roche, was accordingly a fort
defended by a palisade, exactly similar to t h a t sonnachs by which t h e fort of Culand,
the Ultonian cerd or artificer, was defended, as stated in the passage in the Tain Bo
Cualnge to which reference has been already made. Ua Gobhann means descendant
of Gobha, or "smith," and hence t h e ancestor of Ua Gobhann, from whom the name
was taken, was a smith.
I n one of t h e extracts concerning Clenor taken by Colonel Grove White from t h e
Pipe Roll of Cloyne, there is mention of Dominus Denis Ygown, or O'Gown, i.e., Ua
Gobhann, who no doubt wSs descended from t h e Chief of Sonnach Gobhann.
We a r e informed in t h e Fermoy Topography t h a t t h e Comarbship of t h e church
of Claen Uir, o r Clenor, is the hereditary privilege of t h e Hi Annadha, and Oolonel
Grove White quotes a passage from t h e Pipe Roll of Cloyne in which i t is stated
J o h n Ohanneda held land from Lord Roche in the ville of Clenor. I n t h e Fermoy
Topography i t is also stated t h a t the Daire or "oak-wood" of the Hi Ceinneidigh
was in the district of t h e Hi Bece Abha\ Upper, whose chief was U a Gobhann; and
Colonel Grove White again informs us, by aid of the Pipe Boll, t h a t Philip O'Kennedy
and H a r r y O'Kennedy held land adjoining the lands of Dominus Denis Ygown in the
manor of Clenor
Garran O'n Gnimha, o r the "shrubbery," out of which a r e t h e Hi Gnimh (from
gniomhaim, to do, act, perform), according to t h e Fermoy Topography, is also mentioned
as Garran in one of the extracts from t h e Pipe Roll.
I t appears to me highly probable t h a t the Luimneach Beg of t h e Fermoy Topography, which m u s t from its name have been a bog o r marsh, a t one time under water,
is the moor called Deupduyst in t h e Pipe Roll, "where H.L. a n d his t e n a n t s have
commonage for digging of turf and pasturing beasts."
According to Dinueen's Irish Dictionary, Luimneach means a lake or body of water,
a n d Limerick a n d Luimneach Laighean, i n t h e Co. of Wexford, is given as illustrations
of t h e name.
Clifford.
Sheet 34, six-inch O . S . ; Sheet 176, one-inch O.S.
Barony of Fermoy. Parish of Bridgetown.
It lies two miles south of Castletownroche, and about i\ miles east of
Killavullen. It is situated near the left (north) bank of the river Blackwater.
In 1881 the town was given as 128a. ir. 3op., statute; pop. 3 0 ; val.
£i$6 (Guy).
1
Mr. James Byrne, J . P . , thinks the old name of Clifford was "Ballinaraha."
1 See these "Notes," ii., 187, where Eev. Canon J. F. Lynch states t h a t Magh na
h-aille o r Magh n a faille, i.e., "plain of the cliff/' may be a t Clifford.
("Fermoy
Topography").
CLIFFORD.
{Photo by Col. Grove White,
URN
May, 1907.)
AND PEDESTAL ERECTED AT
BY M R . R I C H A R D
{Photo by Col. Grove
White,
CLIFFORD
MARTIN.
-2ydSept.,
1907.)
CLIFFORD.
201
In 1814 Richard Martin, Esq., lived here. The post town was Castletownroche. (D.N. P.)
Townsend writes: ''Clifford, the seat of Richard Martin, Esq., richly
planted. (T. S. I., 479).
Crofton Croker writes: " F r o m Castle Town Roche we returned to the
Blaickwater, and visited Clifford, the seat of Mr. Martin, about a mile
beyond Bridgetown, and midway between Fermoy and Mallow.
The
Blackwater, if not flooded, may be forded with safety beneath the house,
from which circumstance, and a large limestone rock that overhangs the
river, it has received the appropriate and descriptive name of Cliff-ford.
"Highly cultivated and improved, planted with peculiar taste and care,
and surrounded by picturesque objects, it is difficult to conceive a more
fascinating spot. The house is small, and completely concealed by trees;
from a tablet in the hall I transcribed these beautiful lines:— .
-
•
2"Parva domus! nemerosa quies
Sis tu quoque nostris hospitium laribus
Subsidium din: postes tuas Flora ornef
Pomohaque mensas."
"Rambling through the domain, we came to a retired rocky hollow, containing an urn of considerable size, upon a proportionate pedestal, and
shaded by trees so closely planted as to cast, even at noonday, a congenial
monumental gloom.
" I have heard that the hospitable owner of Clifford erected this urn,
intending his heart to be deposited in it after his death, which the inscription on the pedestal seems to confirm :
Monumentum hocce
Diis manibus B.M. posuit
^ ^ • ^ ^ ^ • ^ ^ ^ H A.D. 1790. ^ • ^ • ^ H
Quisquis hoc sustulerit
Aut jusserit: ultimus
Suorum morietur.
Linquenda tellus, et domus et placens
Uxor: neqiie h a r u m quas colis arborum
Te, praeter invisas cupressos,
TJUa brevem dominum sequetur.
Vivus seu mortuus
Oor hie quiescit
Quiescat!
Inveni portum, spes et fortuna valete:
Sat me lusistis, Indite nunc alios.
(Croker, p. 137, pub. 1824).
Geo
"Little house! wooded retreat,
Long may you be a dwelling place and shelter for our household gods.
May Flora adorn your doorposts, and
Pomona your tables."
Flora, Goddess of Flowers; Pomona, Goddess of Fruits.
a e M r ' M a r t i n ' 8 heart was not put into t h e urn as he wished to have done. He had
was d f e a T ° f b e i n g b u r i e d a l i v e * s o h e a sked Dr. Cook to cut out his heart after he
d
a n d Pla0e 4t i n - 8ilver
blet
&r M S°
which was in the urn. Dr. Cook died before
• Martin, and the goblet was stolen. Mr. Martin was buried in Castletownroche.
202
HISTORICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL NOTES.
Lewis (pub. 1837) mentions Clifford thus : " T h e only seat (in the parish)
is Clifford, the residence of Thos. Lloyd, Esq., pleasantly situated on the
north bank of the Blackwater.'' (Under Bridgetown Parish).
The Field Book of 1840 gives the following:—
CLIFFORD TOWNLAND
is the property of Colonel Hodder, who holds it under a deed for ever.
It is flat and dry and of good quality. The houses and roads are in good
repair.
•
CLIFFORD H O U S E
is the residence of Thomas Lloyd, Esq., who holds it under a lease for
ever. It is pleasantly situated on rising ground and is in good repair.
(Ord. Sur. Off., Dub.)
O'Flanagan (pub. 1844) writes: "Resuming our route by the river
(Blackwater), we behold Nagles* mountains raising their wooded heads on
the south bank. To the north are large limestone rocks, overhanging the
flood, and so obstructing the stream in some places as to render it fordable. These give name to a picturesque mansion, surrounded by a tasteful lawn-—Clifford, seat of Bart Lloyd, Esq. The house looks remarkably
well from the river, and is a comfortable dwelling." O^Flanagan then
gives a copy of the inscriptions abovementioned by Crofton Croker.
According to local tradition, Mr. Lloyd brought the jawbones of a
4
whale to Clifford and set them up on the avenue as an arch.
Mr. Tisdall lived a t Clifford after Mr. Lloyd, in t h e 'sixties.
Walford's "County Families," 1878, states t h a t a t t h a t t i m e Charles Newburgh
Tisdall, Esq., J.P. Co. Cork, lived a t Clifford. He was son of J o h n Tisdall (by Alicia
Maria Camac, dau. of Arthur Newburgh, of Bally Laise, Co. Cavan), fifth son of
J o h n Tisdall (by Martha, dau. of Charles Aston, of Ardee). See Burke's L. G., 1846,
"Tisdall of Charleville" (formerly Clintonstowii Castle, Co. Louth).
C. N. Tisdall, of Clifford, was b. 1821, and m. first, 1848, Lucy, only dau. of Alexander
Elliott (she d. 1849), and secondly, 1858, Matilda Maria, second dau. of Major Carter.
In the P a r i s h Church a t Castletownroche a r e following inscriptions:—
To the Memory of Brevet-Major J o h n Loftus Otway Mansergh, 44th Eegt., who died
n e a r Aden on his passage to England, 24 J a n u a r y , 1863, aged 27 years, after arduous
1
exertions in the zealous performance of his duty on Field Service in the North of
China. The tablet was erected by the Officers of his Regiment, &c.
There is also a tablet to the memory of Mary, wife of John Southcote Mansergh,
of Grenane, Co. Tipperary, and only child of Richard Martin, of Clifford, Castletownroche Parish. She died 3 Sept., 1811, aged 37.
There is also a tombstone over her grave in t h e churchyard.
From the Memoir of "Martin of W i c h e , " B.L.G., 1886, it appears that
Miles Martin, Esq., b. 1660 (great-great-great grandson of John Marten,
Esq., of Wiche, co. Worcester), was an Officer in the army of William III
and fought at the Boyne and at Limerick.
By his marriage in 1706 with Elizabeth, dau. and co-heir of Richard
McLaughlin, Esq., by Catherine Blennerhasset, his wife, he obtained
considerable estates in counties Cork and Kerry. He sold the county Cork
estates and purchased property in Cork City, where he went to reside.
• >
4 According to family tradition, i t was Mr. R. Martin who p u t u p t h e whale's jawbones. Mr. St. Geo. D. Mansergh removed t h e remains of them over thirty years ago
ia
(circa 1870) and made a stile of them out on to t h e Mallow road from the top fi^
(com close).
CLIFFORD.
203
His son, Henry, an eminent merchant in Cork City, b. 1710, sold the
Kerry estates and purchased property in Cork City. He m. 1743, Elizabeth, dau. of John De La Cour, Esq., of Cork, and had issue Richard,
of Clifford, b. 1744; m. 1773, Catherine, only dau. and heir of Randal
Roberts, Esq., of Bridgetown (near Castletownroche), and d. 1823, having
an only dau. and heir, Mary, m. John Southcote Mansergh, Esq., of
Greenane, Co. Tipperary.
MANSERGH OP GRENANE (B. L. G., Ire., with slight additions, 1904).
Lineage. This family derives its surname from the parish and township of Mansergh,
Westmoreland (Barber's "British Family Names," p. 161), which county is surveyed in
the Doomsday Book, A.D. 1066—86, under head of Yorkshire, Westmoreland, and Cumberland, a t t h a t time not being known by those names (Freeman's "Reign of WiUiaim
Eufus," vol. ii., p. 545), and were seated there since the Norman' conquest. "Mansergh
and Barbon formed originally one manor, but were deemed separate as early as the
Doomsday Survey" (Whellan's "Cumberland and Westmoreland," p. 890).
Amongst the fines in* 12 Edward I I . (A.D. 1319) Thomas de Mansergh purchased
certain laads in Barbon, Westmoreland; and in De Banco Rolls (Hilary, 6 Edward HI.,
A.D. 1332). The Abbot of the Blessed Mary a t York puts in his place John de Mansergh,
and in 7 Richard II. (A.D. 1384) John de Mansergh was chosen Knight of the Shire to
represent t h e County of Westmoreland in Parliament (Nicholson's and Burn's "History
of Westmoreland and Cumberland," Vol. i., p. 252).
Three members of the family, described as brothers in the will of James Mansergh,
settled in Ireland. They were,
I. BRYAN.
II. Robert, of Kilkenny, &c.
H I . James, of Macroney Castle, Fermoy, &c.
The great-great-grandson of BRYAN was JOHN SOUTHCOTE MANSERGH, of Grenane, Tipperary, J.P. Cos. Cork and Tipperary; High Sheriff 1809; m. 7 Jan., 1795,
Mary, only dau. and heiress of Richard Martin, of Clifford, Co. Oork,5 and by
her (who d. 3 Sept., 1811) had issue six sons, the three eldest being,
I. NICHOIiAS SOUTHCOTE, b. 9 January, 1799, d. young.
EL RICHARD MARTIN SOUTHCOTE, his heir.
HI. CHARLES CARDEN OP CLIFFORD, Co. Cork, J.P., Lieut. 3rd Dragoon Guards,
M.A. Trin. Coll., Dublin; W. 2 Oct., 1802; m. Jan., 1830, Elizabeth, dau. of Oapt.
Loftus Otway Bland, R.N., of Bath, and d. 14 Dec., 1873, having by her (who d.
1876) had issue five sons and four dans., the two eldest sons being,
1. John Loftus Otway, Major 44th Regt., b . 1835; d.s.p. 1863.
^
2. CHARLES STEPNEY PERCIVAL EGMONT, Major 40th Regt., of Clifford, Castletownroche; b. 31 Oct., 1841; m. 26 Mar., 1870, Helen, dau. of George Ogilvy,
of The Cove, Go. Dumfries, and d. 1879, having by her (who m. secondly, 1886,
Col. Walter Luttrell Mansel, 40th Regt. (see Mansel-Pleydell of Whatcombe,
B. L. GJ) had issue,
(1) LOFTUS CHARLES OGn/VY, Lieut. R.N., b. 2 March, 1873. Went down in
the Al submarine boat 17 March, 1904. He was landlord of Bridgetown
and head landlord of Clifford and Ballinaraha.
(1) ETHEL MARGUERITE' OTWAY LOUISA, only dau. of the late Major
Charles Stepney Percival Egmont Mansergh. 40th Regt., of Bridgetown,
Co. Cork, m. 23 April, 1907, Philip St. George Mansergh, Esq.,s of
Grenane, Go. Tipperary, and has issue,
1. Charles Ogilvy Martin Southcote, b. 22 March, 1908.
2. Philip Nicholas Seton, b. 27 June, 1910.
*
•r
s
See Martin of Wiche, and Roberts of Kilmoney Abbey, B.L.G., Irld., 1912 .
6
Philip St. George Mansergh, Esq., b. 12 May, 1863, of Grenane, Co. Tipperary (late
Railway Surveyor, Bulawayo, S. Africa), younger son of Richard St. George Mansergh,
Esq., of Friarsfield, Co. Tipperary, who died 1897, by Sophia Elizabeth, who d. 1905, eldest
daughter of the late Richard Oliver Ellard, Esq., of Newtown Ellard, Co. Limerick;
born 1863; s. his brother, Richard Southcote Mansergh, Esq., J.P., of Grenane, in 1906.
fSee B.LG. Irld.. p. 384. Ed. 1904);
I
204
HISTORICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL NOTES.
Arms.—Quarterly of eight: 1st, arg. a bend ragnly gu. between three arrows points
downwards of t h e last flighted and barbed or (Mansergh); 2nd, arg. a chevron engrailed
gu. between three cootes sa. (Southcote); 3rd, per pale gu. and arg. on a chevron
between three mullets as many talbots all connterchanged (Martin); 4th, arg. on a
bend between two lions rampant sa. a wyverm, wings displayed, of the first (Eudinge);
5th, per pale or and arg. an escutcheon within an orle of eight) martlets sa. (Brownlow);
6th, arg. a stag current ppr. on a chief vert three mullets of fne first (O'Doherty); 7th,
az. on a chevron arg. three mullets* sa. (Roberts); and 8th, az. on a fess erm. three
cross-crosslets fitchee gu. (Bomford).
Crest.—Out of a ducal crest coronet charged with a label of three points gu. a demilion rampant arg. gorged with a collar ragnly of the second, holding in the dexter
paw an arrow point downwards of the last, flighted and barbed or.
Motto—Tout jour pret.
Livery.—(Dress)—White coat, with crimson collar and cuffs, crimson waistcoat and
breeches; (Undress)—light drab, with crimson collar and cuffs. (Fox-Davies).
Clifford was purchased (paying a small head rent) by Henry Cecil
Phillips, Esq., late Captan of 9th Batt. K.R.R.C. (North Cork Militia), in
1896. H e m. 14 Nov., 1892, Hilda Margaret, youngest dau. of Colonel
Sir Francis E. Workman Magnaghton, Bart., of Dundarave, Bushmills,
Co. Antrim (see that family, B. P . and B.). He died 18 January, 1905,
leaving issue,
(1) Philip Cecil, b . 1894. (2) Silvia Margaret.
Mrs. Phillips married, secondly, 1907, in London, Richard Grove
Annesley, Esq., of Annesgrove, Castletownroche, Co. Cork.
In 1910 Mrs. Grove Annesley sold her interest in Clifford to Mr.
D. B. Sullivan, auctioneer, Mallow. She gave permission to Mr. Philip
St. George Mansergh to remove the urn and pedestal, before-mentioned,
from Clifford. He did so the day before the auction, and it is now put
up at Greenane, Tipperary.
I heard locally, in August, 1910, that a silver casket, containing Mr.
Martin's heart was dug up and taken away with the u r n ; but I am told
- by Major H. C. Mansergh, of Rocksavage, Castletownroche, that there
is no truth whatsoever in this story.
TEe jawbones of the whale were not visible when I visited Clifford in
191 o, and Major Mansergh informed me that they rotted and were taken
down, and all that remained of them is a step in the stile going into the
field next the railway crossing.
Mrs. Ethel Margaret Mansergh, of Grenane, Tipperary, writes, 20
August, 1910, to Colonel Grove W h i t e : " Y o u are quite correct in the
statement that no silver casket was found in or near the urn when it
was moved. W e had it brought from Clifford, as old Richard Martin
was my husband's and my great-great grandfather.
The property—•
Clifford and Bridgetown—was left to my grandfather, Charles Carden
Mansergh, being second son of John Southcote Mansergh and Mary
Martin, his wife. He, however, let it on a very long lease to the Beatty
family, who, in turn, apparently sublet the place to Messrs. Tisdall
and Lloyd. Later, my grandfather returned there to live, and died there
in 1873. T h e head rent is now paid to us (my mother and self) by
members of the Beatty family.
19 April, 1817. George Walker, Esq., of Fermoy Parish, married to Catherine Mansergh,
of Clifford, Spin. (Kalian Par. Beg.)
23 July, 1834. Baptized, Thomas, son of Thos. Lloyd, Esq., and his wife Anne, of Clifford.
(Castletownroche Par. Keg. and Monrne Abhey P a r . Beg.)
O
w
o
O
U
"V.
a:
CLOGHEEN.
205
•
22 Sept., 1824. Buried, Bichard Martin, Esq., of Clifford. (Castletownroche P a r . Reg.)
1860. Born, a daughter of Charles Newburgh and Matilda Maria Tisdall, of Clfford,
gent. (Bridgetown P a r . Reg.). Another daughter baptized 1864.
11 J a n y . , 1837. Millicent Anne, dau. of Thomas (Esq.) and Anne Lloyd, of Clifford.
1845. Georgina Lettitia, their daughter, bap. (Mourne Abbey P. B..)
Major Henry Wrixon-Becher, late West Biding Begt., and third son of Sir John
Wrixon-Becher, Bart., D.L., of Ballygiblin, rented Clifford for three y e a r s from March,
1907 to March, 1910.
Mr. George E. V. Cuppage purchased Clifford from Mr. D. B.
Sullivan, auctioneer, Mallow, in December, 1910, and is now resident
there (1912).
He is the fourth son of the late George William Cuppage, J . P . , of Clare
Hall Co. Dublin, and Mount Edwards, Co. Antrim, and his wife, Louisa
Emily, only dau. of the late J. E. V. Vernon, J.P., D.L., of Clontarf
Castle, Co. Dublin.
(See Cuppage of Mount Edwards, and Cuppage of Clare Hall, B.L.G.,
Irld., 1912 ed.)
Clogheen.
Sheet 25, six-inch O.S. ; Sheet 164, one-inch O.S.
Barony of Fermoy. Parish of Caherduggan.
It lies about three miles south-west of Buttevant, which is the post
town.
Clogheen is the Irish for " a small stone," but is generally applied to
stony land, or to a place full of round stones (Joyce).
O'Donovan states that Clogheen is the Irish for a *' little stone, or
stone fort.''
In 1881 the townland was 442a. or. 2p. statute; pop. 4 3 ; val. ^ 4 4 2 5s.
od. (Guy).
Clogheen formed part of a grant of land from James I. to David Lord
Roche, Viscount Fermoy, and consisted of two ploughlands, and appeared
at that time to have been called Cloghins (p. 208-204, folio Patent Rolls,
James I., ,16, Dec.; 9 James I., 1611).
He had surrendered his property, which was re-granted to him.
On the Down (Survey Map, made circa 1656*9, the townland of
Clogheen is not shown as such.
It formed the southern portion of the townland of Kilmacoom, which
then extended to the stream on the Buttevant-Doneraile road, and ran
parallel to Lower Kilbyrne.
Kilmacoom which is now bounded on its northern side by the MallowDoneraile road, then apparently ran about a mile further north.
The land now occupied by Clogheen House and demesne appears to
have been Bantigarriff, or close to it. (Down Survey Map).
The Survey and Distribution Book, circa 1657, gives Redmond Roche
c<
as the original proprietor of Bantigarriff, who is described as an
Irish
Papist." His property (including Caherduggan) was confiscated and
granted to Sir Peter Courthorpe. (P.R.O., Dublin). Although William
Grove claimed Caherduggan, as it had been held by Grove Family since
1603.