Castlerobin (cont.)

SOME EXTRACTS
FROM THE
RECORDS OF
OLD LISBURN
AND THE
MANOR OF KILLULTAGH.

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Edited by JAMES CARSON.
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LXXII.

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CASTLEROBIN, by R. R. Belshaw.

From "Lisburn Standard,"
Feb. 17, 1883.

(Continued.)

The second and last escape of the Earl of Antrim was one of thrilling interest -- a sort of miniature of the Royal fugitive. For the better security of the prisoner he was said to have been placed in charge of a "very godly officer" named Wallace, with whom was associated another called Gordon, who, it seems, though not so "truly Christian," was more obliging to the Earl in the way of planning his escape. He brought him the rope with which he let himself down the castle walls, where there was a servant ready to meet him. Both being well mounted, and having avoided the sentries, they made their way safely on to Glenarm Castle, where they remained a while. The alarm, however, was soon given, and they betook themselves once more to the beautiful glen, which was densely wooded. Being closely pursued by the Scotch troopers, the Earl changed clothes with his servant, who then rode on so as to attract their attention. In this way the Earl managed to escape once more, while the servant was taken back, to Carrickfergus, where he was hanged for his fidelity.

After wandering over the mountains for some time, in the month of October, without knowing where he was going, the Earl found himself early one morning under old Castlerobin. An account of this adventure has been written by an old soldier of Sir Hugh Clotworthy's regiment. We can well imagine the arrival of the Earl on the ancient road which winds past Castlerobin, over which the judges of assize were in the habit of travelling, bridle in hand, between Armagh, Carrickfergus, and Antrim, and which was equally well known to the famous outlaw, Redmond O'Hanlon. The grey dawn of the morning had just risen on the hills, and the mists of the mountain were rapidly passing away. The silence of night had given place to the song of the lark, the measured whistling of plover, and the distant lowing of cattle, whose mingled sounds came floating over the purple heather. In this condition of external nature, and on a crisp autumnal morning, the Earl was still wandering along, with the panorama of the ever-beautiful valley of the Lagan opening out before him, when he suddenly found himself beneath Castlerobin. The first person he met was a little withered old man, called in Irish a "scolloge," whose duties had called him forth at that early hour. The tongue of the Gael being common to both, they soon became fast friends, and the scolloge led him to a secret place where be might rest in safety; he then left him there while he went down to Lisnagarvey to buy some bread and beef. The Earl, having refreshed himself by this timely meal, was led to a hollow tree in the wood, where he slept until the following night, when his faithful friend returned and guided him safely to Charlemont, from whence he made his way to a relative who lived at Mellafont, in Meath.

The Earl was not ungrateful to his humble friend on the White mountain, but always made much of him, and gave him an ample pension for life. The officer (Captain Gordon) who connived at the Earl's escape left the garrison about the same time as his friend, and having made love to the Earl's sister Rose, they were married immediately after with the full consent of her noble brother. The captain got another company under the Earl of Leven, and returned to Scotland with his Irish bride, and the best wishes of all the Clandonnell.

In the vicinity of Castlerobin are the well-known Plover Plains, where in later times the Union Regiment of Volunteers, whose headquarters were at Lisburn, held some of their reviews. In after years all the yeomanry companies of the district -- infantry and cavalry, including Brookhill, Magheragall, Lisburn, &c. -- had a grand review there, which lasted two days, under Mr. Watson's command.

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SOME OLD CONWAY SETTLERS,


By R. R. Belshaw.

From "Lisburn Standard," Sept. 29, 1883.

The following list of names, without any reference to their present social position, will be found to include nearly all the original English families who came to Lisburn and the adjoining parishes in the 17th century. The bearers of them were mostly in Lord Conway's regiment and Rawdon's troop of horse, which served through the rebellion of 1641, and the Commonwealth, down to the Restoration. Sir Phelim O'Neill made their acquaintance once at Lisnagarvey, and met with a very warm reception. General Monroe, before he left his wig at Benburb, also paid them a visit while they were on duty at Glenavy. The "Irisshe Enemie," perhaps invited by some dwellers in the lake district, shortly after advanced to within a mile of the latter village, but they soon retired, like the King of France's men, who first marched up the hill -- and then came down again.

Lord Conway, writes on a Monday, in November, 1663, to his "dear brother," Major Rawdon, then in Dublin, stating that "he had raised the country that night to keep watch on all the ways through Killultagh into the County Antrim to arrest some conspirators who had been concerned in a plot to seize the Lord Lieutenant, and that he was afraid they might escape on the morrow, which was the market day." He also complains of the the duty as being "too much for one man."

In a quarter of  century later we find that brave old stock the life and soul of a little army of 4,000 men who had rallied at Lisburn after the unfortunate Break of Dromore. This latter event was not so remarkable after all, when we consider the unarmed state of the multitude which had then been so hastily drawn together. Under the leadership of their old favourite, Sir Arthur Rawdon, who was then the only person excluded from mercy in one of Tyrconnell's proclamations, they retired to Coleraine. On arriving there, they were sent on duty to Moneymore. While thus engaged, Sir Arthur sank under the exposure to which he was subject, and was obliged to withdraw from all further active service. His regiment then moved on to Derry, where their next colonel was the gallant Gov. Baker. With him they gave material assistance during the well-known siege, and having helped to free their country from Home Rule, so called, brass money, and wooden shoes, the moat of them returned to their desolated homes, which were soon restored again by the industry of a free people, and others went off to the tune of "Lillibullero" to see King William safe over the water.

These all having fought a good fight, and another century having passed away, we find them again represented by their worthy grandsons in a published list of voters (in the writer's possession) who did their duty at the general election of 1790, when the old elements of rebellion were again coming to the front. Our Scottish friends, the "Macs," also appear numerously on this election roll -- such as M'Allister, M'Beth, M'Call, M'Cay, M'Clelland, M'Cluskey, M'Clean, M'Clure, M'Connell, M'Cullough, M'Cullom, M'Gill, M'Kee, M'Kinstry, M'Kenzie, M'Neight, M'Nab, M'Fadden, M'Waters, &c. As they do not, however, come under the list of the old Conway Settlers, we have only given a few of them. They are all now in very good company, and we do not expect to hear of their making any mistakes in the marking of their ballots at the next election.

With reference to the old stock of whom this article is written, and who spread themselves over from Lambeg to Glenavy, the selection has been made chiefly to illustrate the nomenclature of the times. The founders of these names have long since passed away, and the remains of many of them, for seven generations, have been sleeping in the dust which surrounds the Cathedral of Lisburn, that is itself the monument of their existence. Some of these ancient and Christian names are still borne by the grandsons of those who voted in 1790. As their enemies alleged they came in with the sword in one hand and the Bible in the other, we shall therefore take the liberty of giving them a Scriptural introduction to the reader.

Adam Blackburn, Abraham Service, Isaac Hodgen, Jacob Bannister, Israel Williams, Joseph Fulton, Benjamin Sheppard, Ephraim Cumming, Moses Cupples, Aaron Brown, Gabriel Taggart, Samuel English, Saul Lendrick, Jonathan Richardson, David Calderwood, Josias Campbell, Elias Hughes, Isaiah Greer, Jeremiah Smith, Ezekiel Davies, Jonas Morrow, Daniel Chesnut, and Nehemiah Craig.

Matthew Thompson, Mark Peel, Luke Johnston, John Robinson, James Alderdice, Andrew Cousins, Simon Nicholl, Peter Sharp, Thomas Courtney, Philip Chapman, Nathaniel Allen, Paul Waring, Silas Steen, Timothy Rusk, Nicholas Oakman, and Alexander Culbert.

Clotworthy Walkinshaw, Skeffington Bristow, Conway Blizard, Thomas Wethered, Richard Whiteside, John Belshaw, Ralph Jefferson, Ravenscroft, Marmion, Gaston, Warwick, Wyckliffe, Latimer, Ridley, Milton, Musgrave, Barnsley, Burleigh, Blakely, Watson, Wakefield, Younghusband, Wolfenden, Gayer, Spencer, Hull, Hyde, Walkington, Shillington, Twaddle, Telfair, Watchett, Mussen, Merritt, Wheeler, Workman, Walker, Greenfield, Sedgwick, Ramage, Garrett, Casement, Entwistle, Cinnamond, Boomer, Braithwaite, Balmen, Maze, Stevenson, Bell, Bunting, Bennett, Sefton, Rollins, Suffern, Frissel, Barron, Gamble, Haslem, Titterington, Fleming, Lyons, Langtry, Love, Fisher, Fowler, Hunter, Horn, Harper, Peacock, Phœnix, Henshaw, Bradshaw, Grimshaw, Fanshaw.

(Next week: Commodore Watson.)


(This article was originally published in the Lisburn Standard on 1 March 1918 as part of a series which ran in that paper each week for several years. The text along with other extracts can be found on my website Eddies Extracts.)

Brookhill and Castlerobin

SOME EXTRACTS
FROM THE
RECORDS OF
OLD LISBURN
AND THE
MANOR OF KILLULTAGH.

-- -- -- --
Edited by JAMES CARSON.

-- -- -- --

LXXI.

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BROOKHILL, by R. R. Belshaw.

The mansion of Brookhill was founded by Sir Fulke Conway, the original grantee of what is since known as the Hertford Estate. In 1611 the plantation commissioners report that he had "buylte another house of cadgeworks at a place called Maynergedell, with a stone bawne about it which shall be buylded 15 feet high." It is, therefore, as old as the Castle at Lisburn, which was destroyed by the great fire of 1707. It seems to have been a favourite residence of the first Lord Conway until somewhere about 1641, when it was burned by the retreating rebels, with his lordship's library and other property of considerable value. From an early period it was the chief residence of the Rawdon family, the founder of which, Sir George, a native of Rawdon, in Yorkshire, was the first agent of the estate. He had been secretary of the Conways from his youth, and was afterwards connected with them by marriage. In 1641 he raised and became major of what was then known as Conway's Troop of Horse, which was largely composed of Killultagh men, whose rendezvous was at Brookhill. The Rawdons continued to reside there until some time after the Restoration, when they removed to the County Down, having secured large grants of land about Moira and Downpatrick, &c.

In 1698 we find Brookhill in possession of of Edward Ellis, who was high sheriff of the County Antrim that year, and his widow was living there in 1725. After her, the next family was that of James Watson, of Clough, in the County Down. He was born in 1700, and came to Brookhill about 1740. He was the first of his name there, and the first in the county who used lime for agricultural purposes Whilst living at Clough he was executor of the wills of his father-in-law, the Rev. John Williamson, vicar of Magheradroll; David Blakely, of Clough; and also of his brother-in-law, the Rev. Samuel Redman, vicar of Kilmore; all in the County Down. His son, John Watson, left for India about 1747, and returned on a visit twenty years afterwards, having attained great distinction during his absence abroad. He held high rank in the Company's naval service, and was an able coadjutor of Lord Clive, whom he materially assisted in establishing the Indian Empire. In matters of principle he was superior to his colleague, of which Macaulay gives a very striking proof in his account of their dealings with one of the native princes. Admiral Watson married in London, and afterwards returned to India, where he subsequently died of wounds received in action. His father outlived him, and died in 1777, as recorded on his tomb in Magheragall Churchyard erected by his daughters, Margaret Redman and Elizabeth Boyes. His eldest son, James, born in Dublin, and afterwards the last of his name at Brookhill, was left in charge of his cousin and uncle by marriage, Captain Robert Redman, agent of Lord Moira, the old Rawdon family. The Redmans had a villa, known as Larkhill, at Ballynahinch, where they generally spent every summer. On the death of old Mr. Watson they came to reside at Brookhill, and whilst there Captain Redman built the adjoining mansion of Springfield. In the construction of it he is said to have used the stones of an old round tower that stood adjacent in the graveyard of the old church of Magheragall, which had been burned by the rebels in 1641. It was in the townland of Ballyellough, or limestone town, a site formerly held sacred in times of Paganism. On the death of Captain Redman in 1788 his widow removed to Brookhill, and resided with her nephew until her death in 1806. Springfield was next occupied by Mr. William Younghusband, who was living there in 1790. His widow, a relative of the Redmans and Watsons, afterwards removed to Lisburn, where she subsequently died.

The district surrounding Brookhill, formerly known as the seven towns, or townlands embracing nearly three thousand acres, included Ballynadolly, Ballyclough, Ballycarrickmaddy, Ballymave, Ballyellough, Kilcorig, &c. This property, which lay in Magheragall and Ballinderry, was originally in possession of Sir John Rawdon, agent and lessee of the Conway family. Afterwards it appears to have been held jointly by the first James Watson and his two sons-in-law, Robert Redman of Springfield and William Boyes of Kilcorig, until at least the death of Madam Redman, as she was then called.

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James Watson -- The Young Commodore died in 1B50. John Grubb Richardson, of Moyallon and Bessbrook, and father of James N. Richardson, Bessbrook, purchased Brookhill in 1854 from John Wakefield, the Commodore's nephew. Mr. Richardson sold the property to Sir James M'Caulay Higginson, of Indian fame, about 1859. He repurchased it later from Sir James M. Higginson, or his representatives, and rented it to his brother, Joshua Pim Richardson, who was residing there in 1866. Shortly after this date John Grubb Richardson again parted with the property to W. T. B. Lyons, who was succeeded in occupation by W. H. H. Lyons, Robert Horner, and Robert Graham. Mr. Horner purchased the house and lands of Brookhill, about 303 acres, for £3,000, and was in occupation some 16 years, when he sold the estate early in 1918 to Mr. Graham for £12,000.

Captain Robert Redman built the old house at Springfield, and died in 1788. It was next occupied by William Younghusband, who was living there in 1790. Mr. Wakefield, a brother-in-law of James Watson's, would appear to have been the next occupier; followed by Major Haughton, from whom Joseph Richardson purchased it in 1857, and about the year 1861 built the new house.


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NOTES ON KILLULTAGH,

by R. R. Belshaw.

From "Lisburn Standard," July 22, 1882.

One of the chief fortresses of the O'Neills was at Innisloghlin, and it was said to be the most important in the North from its commanding the celebrated Pass of Killultagh. It was sometimes called the Pass of Kilwarlin, near Hillsborough. The Lord-Deputy Sussex, in his journey through Ulster in 1556, speaks of "the great Pass of Killultagh, as being the space of two miles in length, through which he, with Sir Henry Sidney and Sir William Fitzwilliam, with the rest of the army, marched on foot, all in armour."

In 1515 it was recommended that the race of Hugh Boy O'Neill or the Clannaboy should be expelled out of all the lands from Greencastle to the Bann, and that they "be assigned and suffered to have their habitation and dwelling in the great forest Keylulltagh, and the Pheux (Fews), which habitation and place they have often had before now by compulsion." In 1586 Sir Henry Bajenall, in his description of Ulster, says "Killultoe is a very fast country, full of wood and bogg, bordering on Lough Neagh and Clanbrassel," and that there was one Cormac O'Neill, son of Niall O'Neill, who had yielded to the Queen, and was able to make twenty horsemen and a hundred foot.

Killultagh in more recent times does not extend to the Crow Hill. It is composed of the following parishes:-- Magheragall, Ballinderry, Aghalee, Aghagallon, Magheramesk, and that portion of Blaris which lies north of last of the Lagan. The last of the Clannaboy O'Neills who lived there was known to the English as the Captain of Killultagh, and he lost it by having joined in the rebellion of his relatives in Tyrone, which soon after resulted in what is generally called the Flight of the Earls -- O'Neill and O'Donnell.

On the advent of the Conways, Rawdons, and Hills, with their sturdy followers, the valley of the Lagan was cleared in a great measure of its primeval forests, and the natives retreated behind the hills, or settled in certain districts about Lough Neagh, such as the Moyntaghs and elsewhere, in which locality many of their posterity may still be found. The immediate followers of Sir Fulke Conway came chiefly from Rugby and the adjoining localities of Gloucester, Worcester, and Warwick, whence they probably sailed from Bristol. The most of them settled about Lisburn, Lambeg, and Blaris, from whence they spread themselves over the Rawdon manors of Killultagh and Derryvolgie. By their fondness for orchards they justified the tradition of their fathers, having come from the apple counties of England. In addition to these there was another and perhaps smaller stream of settlers who followed the fortunes of the Rawdons from their Yorkshire home, Lancashire, Cheshire, and Cumberland. These appear chiefly in the northern part of the estate, where they came more into contact with the Scotch and native Irish from Killead and Crumlin to the Lough. They also spread themselves over from Camlin, Glenavy, and Ballinderry to Portmore and eastward about Brookhill, where the agent of the estate, Major Rawdon, afterwards resided. About the middle of the Protectorate, the third Lord Conway being desirous of having a residence at the other end of his property beyond Lisburn, selected a site of extreme beauty at Portmore, where there had formerly been an old fort of the Captain of Killultagh. On the north and east the eye rested for miles on the fertile and beautiful lands of Glenavy and Ballinderry, with the tower of Ram's Island rising from a curve of the lake. It was famous for its gigantic oaks; they were the pride of the neighbourhood, and the wonder of all who saw them. One of the largest, known as the great oak of Portmore, was blown down in 1760. Many articles of furniture were made of it, and are still held in great estimation amongst the descendants of those to whom it was once well known. Since then they have all ceased to exist, as well as the palatial residence of which they were once so great an ornament. The celebrated Jeremy Taylor resided for some time at Portmore, and whilst there he wrote his last great work, styled "The Rule of Conscience."

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CASTLE-ROBIN, by R. R. Belshaw.

From "Lisburn Standard," Feb. 17, 1883.

In the brave day's of old, when Sir Shane O'Neill, the last lord of Claneboye (known to his English friends as the Captain of Killultagh), was living, he had a residence in the pass which lies on the eastern slope of the White Mountain, two mile's north, of Lisburn. In former times this position was considered one of some strategic importance. On the mound and in the vicinity of the castle he must have had a good view of his subjects from the mountains behind him to Lisnagarvey in front, which was then known as the Gamblers' Fort, on the Lagan. It was the scene of many a festive gathering when those jolly sub-commissioners -- the O'Neills, the O'Lynns, including the historic Brien, the O'Laverys, the O'Hagans, and the O'Hanlons; with the Teagues of the Bohill and their cousins trom the Moyntaghs -- all met to talk over the latest "message of peace" to the lawyers, and all their social grievances, which were never lessened by a free use of usquebagh, or a little aqua vitæ if a Scotch friend happened to drop in. Their infatuation for games of chance was so great that they often played the clothes off each other's backs, and in this condition many of them were often ripe for "treasons, stratagems, and spoils," especially cattle-lifting. In those early times Lisburn must have been rather an uncertain market for those who had anything to lose. The industrial element being too much in abeyance, this state of affairs could not last always, so a time came when everything was changed; the Elisabethan captains appearing on the scene to settle the land question and all other disputes amongst the natives.

In command of these arrivals was a Colonel Sir Francis Brook, after whom Brookhill is said to have been called; also three brothers named Norton, one of whom became owner of an estate at Templepatrick, where he had a residence known as Castle Norton. His brother Gregory was attached to the garrison at Carrickfergus under Sir Fulke Conway, where he seems to have settled down, and was mayor for some years. In 1579 the third brother, Robert, rebuilt the old residence of the O'Neills at the White Mountain, and from his having done so it was ever afterwards known as Castlerobin. A grandnephew of these brothers, Edward Ellis, was high sheriff of Antrim, and lived many years at Brookhill during the interval between its occupation by the Rawdon and Watson families.

We must now return to Castle-Robin, and relate an incident which happened there during the year 1643. Old Shane O'Neill, its former owner, and after whom the castle at Lough Neagh -- his headquarters -- was called, married Rose, a daughter of Magennis, the chieftain of Iveagh, in Down. His eldest son, Sir Henry O'Neill, had an only daughter, Rose, who became the second wife of the second Earl of Antrim. Her predecessor was the widow of the ill-fated Duke of Buckingham. With reference to the frequency of the name Rose, almost every branch of the O'Neills had one, and she was generally the eldest daughter. In this way it passed through them into nearly all the leading families of the country with whom they were connected. This Earl of Antrim, who afterwards became first Marquis, was chief of the Clandonnell of the Routes and Glen's, and had been Lord of the Isles, which latter title he renounced in favour of his Scottish kindred. He was said to have been brought up in the Highland fashion, and to have worn neither hat, cap, shoes, nor stockings until he was eight years old.

In the month of April, 1642 -- six months after the outbreak of the rebellion in the previous year -- the first detachment of the Scottish army, under General Monroe, arrived at Carrickfergus. The zeal of General Monroe led him to look on the Earl of Antrim as an Irish enemy who was perhaps a little more cunning than some of the others. Having gone down with his forces to the Glens as far as Glenarm, he accepted an invitation from the chief of the Clandonnell at Dunluce, whom he must have considered as being in a state of amicable hostility. The hospitality of the Earl, as far as can be known, was abused. For some alleged acts of disloyalty on the part of his tenants, his estates were seized, and he was taken prisoner from his castle and lodged in Carrickfergus, where he was kept about six months, until he made his escape and went over to England. He returned shortly afterwards on some equivocal errand from the king, and was taken prisoner again on his landing in the County Down. Monroe had him brought back to his old quarters at Carrickfergus, where he remained for nine months more.

(To be Continued.)


(This article was originally published in the Lisburn Standard on 22 February 1918 as part of a series which ran in that paper each week through 1917 and 1918. The text along with other extracts can be found on my website Eddies Extracts.)