Monday 12 September 2022

Stuart Hall

THE EARLS CASTLE STEWART WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY TYRONE, WITH 32,615 ACRES

This is a branch of the royal house of STEWART, springing from Robert, Duke of Albany and Regent of Scotland, third legitimate son of ROBERT II, King of Scotland.

MURDOCH, 2nd Duke of Albany (1362-1425), succeeded his father Robert as Regent of the Kingdom, but was beheaded, with his two eldest sons, 1425.

His third son, JAMES MOR STEWART, called James the Fat, fled to Ulster, and was father of

ANDREW STEWART, 1st Lord Avondale (c1420-88), who died without issue; and of WALTER, whose son,

ANDREW (c1505-48), succeeding to the titles and estates of his uncle, became 2nd Lord Avondale, and "exchanged" the title for that of OCHILTREE.

His lordship married Margaret, natural daughter of James, 1st Earl of Arran, and had issue,
ANDREW, his successor;
Walter;
Isobel.
He was succeeded by his eldest son,

ANDREW (c1521-91), 2nd Lord Ochiltree, who married Agnes Cunningham, and had a son and heir, Andrew Stewart, styled Master of Ochiltree, who predeceased him in 1578, and was succeeded by his grandson,

ANDREW, 3rd Lord Ochiltree (c1560-1629), who having sold the feudal barony of OCHILTREE to his cousin, Sir James Stuart, of Killeith, was created, 1619, Baron Castle Stewart, of County Tyrone, where he possessed considerable estates.

He wedded, ca 1587, Margaret, daughter of Sir John Kennedy, of Blairquhan, and had issue,
ANDREW, his successor;
JOHN, 5th Baron;
Robert, ancestor of the Earl Castle Stewart;
Margaret, George Crawford, of Crawfordsburn;
Maria, John Kennedy, of Cultra;
Anna.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR ANDREW, 2nd Baron (1590-1639), who had been previously created a baronet.

He espoused, ca 1604, the Lady Anne Stewart, fifth daughter and co-heiress of John, 5th Earl of Atholl, by which lady he had issue,
ANDREW, 3rd Baron;
JOSIAS, 4th Baron.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

ANDREW, 3rd Baron (-1650), who married Joyce, daughter and heiress of Sir Arthur Blundell, by whom he had issue, an only child, MARY, who wedded Henry 5th Earl of Suffolk.

His lordship died without male issue, and the honours devolved upon his brother,

JOSIAS, 4th Baron (c1637-62), who espoused Anne, daughter of John Madden, of Enfield, Middlesex, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter and co-heiress of Charles Waterhouse, of Manor Waterhouse, County Fermanagh.

This marriage was without issue and the titles reverted to his uncle,

JOHN, 5th Baron, after whose decease without issue, the title remained in abeyance until 1774, when it was claimed by, and allowed to

CAPTAIN ROBERT STEWARTde jure 6th Baron, who married Anne, daughter of William Moore, of Garvey, County Tyrone.

He died ca 1685, and was succeeded by his son,

ANDREWde jure 7th Baron (1672-1715), who wedded Eleanor, daughter of Robert Dallway, of Bellahill, County Antrim, by whom he had issue,

ROBERTde jure 8th Baron (1700-42), who wedded, in 1722, Margaret, sister and co-heiress of Hugh Edwards, of Castle Gore, County Tyrone, and had issue,

ANDREW THOMAS9th Baron (1725-1809), who was created Viscount Castle Stewart in 1793.

His lordship was further advanced to an earldom, in 1800, as EARL CASTLE STEWART.

His lordship wedded, in 1781, Sarah, daughter of the Rt Hon Godfrey Lill, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Ireland, by whom he had issue,
ROBERT, his successor;
Andrew;
Caroline; Sarah.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROBERT, 2nd Earl (1784-1854), who espoused, in 1806, Jemima, only daughter of Colonel Robinson, by whom he had issue,
EDWARD, 3rd Earl;
CHARLES ANDREW KNOX, 4th Earl;
Andrew Godfrey, in holy orders, father of 6th Earl.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

EDWARD, 3rd Earl (1807-57), who married, in 1830, Emmeline, only surviving daughter and heir of Benjamin Bathurst, in a childless marriage.

His lordship was succeeded by his brother,

CHARLES ANDREW KNOX, 4th Earl (1810-74), who wedded, in 1835, Charlotte Raffles Drury, only daughter of Acheson Quintin Thompson, of County Louth, and had issue,
HENRY JAMES, his successor;
Mary; Ella Sophia; Alice Maude; Margaretta.
His lordship was succeeded by his son,

HENRY JAMES, 5th Earl (1837-1914), High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1870, who espoused, in 1866, Augusta Le Vicomte, daughter of Major William Stewart Richardson-Brady, and had issue, two daughters,
Mary; Muriel Albany.
His lordship died without male issue, and the titles reverted to his cousin,

ANDREW JOHN, as 6th Earl (1841-1921); who married, in 1876, Emma Georgiana Diana, daughter of Major-General Arthur Stevens, and had issue,
Andrew John, Viscount Stuart (1880-1915), killed in action;
Robert Sheffield (1886-1914), killed in action;
ARTHUR, of whom presently;
Charles Patrick;
Katherine Frances.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

ARTHUR, 7th Earl (1889-1961), MC, Major, Machine Gun Corps, MP for Harborough, 1929-33, who wedded, in 1920, Eleanor May, daughter of Solomon Robert Guggenheim, and had issue,
David Andrew Noel, Viscount Stuart (1921-42), killed in action;
Robert John Ochiltree, Viscount Stuart (1923-44), died of wounds in action;
ARTHUR PATRICK AVONDALE, of whom hereafter;
Simon Walter Erskine.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

ARTHUR PATRICK AVONDALE, 8th Earl (1928-2023), of Stuart Hall, near Stewartstown, County Tyrone, who married firstly, in 1952, Edna, daughter of William Edward Fowler, and had issue,
ANDREW RICHARD CHARLES, his successor;
Bridget Ann.
His lordship was succeeded by his son,

ANDREW RICHARD CHARLES, 9th Earl (1953-), who wedded, in 1953, Anniw Yvette, daughter of Robert le Poulain, and has issue, a daughter,
Celia Elizabeth, born in 1976.

THE other major event of his long reign as head of the family was the 1st Earl's acquisition, in 1782, of a third manor in County Tyrone, the manor of Orritor, alias Orator.

Orritor was near Stewartstown, and was thus geographically well-situated to round off the existing manors of Castle Stewart and Forward.

However, the Orritor Estate adjoined Drum Manor and was, thus, closer to Cookstown than Stewartstown; or New Mills, around where the Forward estate is situated.
The fourth manor in the Tyrone estate came in by inheritance, not deliberate purchase, and was remote from the other three: the manor of Hastings, alias Castlegore (near Castlederg) formerly the property of the Edwards family of Castlegore.
Robert Stewart of Stuart Hall had married Margaret Edwards of Castlegore back in 1722; and, as a result of failure of heirs male in the Edwards family, Castlegore passed to the Stuarts.

In 1862, the four manors generated an annual income of £7,567.

A further temporary addition to the Tyrone estate was made in 1866, when Lord Stuart, later 5th Earl Castle Stewart, married the heiress of the Richardson Brady family of Oaklands, alias Drum Manor, Cookstown.

On his death in 1914, however, he was succeeded in the earldom and in the Castle Stewart estates by his cousin; but at Drum Manor by one of his daughters, Lady Muriel Close.


STUART HALL, near Stewartstown, County Tyrone, was built about 1760 for Andrew, 1st Earl Castle Stewart.

It was originally a three-storey Georgian block with a pillared porch, joined to an old tower-house by a 19th century Gothic wing.


More recently, the top two storeys of the main block were removed, giving it the appearance of a Georgian bungalow.

Stuart Hall was blown up by the IRA in July, 1972, and subsequently demolished.

A new dwelling was subsequently built on the site in 1987.

The present house is surrounded by lawns and a maintained woodland garden.

There is a ha-ha to grazing, with fine views of the landscape park and woodland beyond.

The stables and farm buildings survive from the 18th century and are listed.

The walled garden has a 1832 date stone and is adorned by a castellated wall and two folly towers backing onto the former stack yard.

Rowan describes it as ‘…castellated, of rubble stone with brick corbelling and a plump round tower at either end.’

A stone inscription on a frieze, though, has an inscription which reads either 1783 or 1785.

The walled garden is not kept up.

There were extensive glasshouses.

The chief attribute of the demesne is the fine stands of mature trees, disposed in the landscape style of the mid-18th century.

There is also forest planting.

A gate lodge of ca 1835 has gone but the gate screen remains.

First published in December, 2009. Castle Stewart arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

30 comments :

Anonymous said...

Does nothing of the house remain - or is it now 'bungalowed'?

Anonymous said...

It probably looked quite fine as a Georgian cottage.

Mike, Vancouver said...

I enjoyed reading your posting on the Castle Stewart Estate and am intrigued by the comment that Stuart Hall was built in about 1760.
This date would suggest that he mansion was built by Andrew Thomas Stuart (1725-1809)the first Earl Castlesutart and the son of Robert Stuart (1700-1742).

There may well have been an earlier mansion or at least a residence called Stuart Hall as Robert Stuart (1700-1742) is styled "Robert Stewart of Stewart Hall, County Tryone, Esq." who in 1722 granted a lease to William Blacker of Rughan. The deed was perfected in the preference of his younger siblings, Dallway, Elinor and Ann Stewart of Stewart Hall, witnesses.
I am most interested to learn more of Stuart Hall built 1760 and it's predecessors. Can you let me know the source for your 1760 date?

Many thanks. Mike

Timothy Belmont said...

Hi Mike,

My two sources for the 1760 date were:
Burke's Guide To Country houses - Ireland, by Mark Bence-Jones; and

http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/built/registerni-revision.pdf

Look under "Stewart Hall".

You could also have a look at:

http://www.proni.gov.uk/introduction__castle_stewart_d1618.pdf

Let me know how you get on.

Tim

Mike, Vancouver said...

Thanks. I see that the local university library has a copy of Burke's Guide to Country Houses so I will follow up with that. I hope the book may also have some information on a few other houses that I am interested in.

Thanks for the other information - -I should have reread the PRONI summary of the papers before posting. Oh, how nice it would be to spend a few weeks looking over these Castle Stuart papers.

And I forgot to include the source for the deed dated 1722 in my previous post. It came from the Registry of Deeds memorials vol 49-folio 421 number 32722 found on LDS film 522814.

Mike

JLaver said...

I was told by my grandfather who were good friends of the earls son at the time which must of been in the 60s 70s that the earl commited suicide in his study with a gun and the butler who found him then cleaned the gun first and then alerted the police .

Timothy Belmont said...

The 7th Earl died in Uckfield, East Sussex, in November 1961, aged 72, and was succeeded in his titles by his third son Arthur, the present Lord Castle Stewart.

JLaver said...

They had a lovely farm house on the somerset mendips not sure if they still have it .

Anonymous said...

The Somerset farmhouse which has been mentioned is presumably Manor Farm in Somerton, near Babcary. I am given to understand that it is Lord Castle Stewart's principal residence today, rather than Stuart Hall, but I may be quite wrong. I think his son lives in Exeter and that his daughter has a farm at East Pennard, also in Somerset. I am very distantly related to Lord Castle Stewart through his paternal grandmother, Emma Georgiana Diana Stevens, the wife of the sixth earl. Her great-grandmother was Susanna Franklin Longcroft of Havant, and I am writing a history of the Longcroft family. I cannot comment on the death of the seventh earl in 1961, the suicide story is certainly news to me, but it would hardly have been openly publicised.

James Phillips-Evans
Blorenge@btinternet.com

Anonymous said...

Can anyone give me any information regarding 'Stuart Hall' or Castle Stuart in 1901? I have discovered that my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather was the Coachman for Henry James Stuart (Earl of Castlestuart) and I hoped I might be able to find out some info about my relative(very litte available on the census of Ireland about him), can anyone point me in the right direction?
Thank you

Anonymous said...

I have photographs of Stuart Hall and staff circa 1919 when my grandfather was butler to Lord and Lady Castle Stuart at Old Lodge on Ashdown Forest.
I also have photos of David Stuart as baby.
can email copies of photos taken by my Grandfather

George Speer said...

George Speer of San Francisco, CA said...

I'm a descendent of Hugh Edwards 1617-1674

Hugh Edwards, of a Welsh Family Origin, with an Estate in Rhyl, Flintshire, North Wales (Genealogical notes on the Edwards Family, PRONI D2547/30) ; settled in the City of Londonderry early in the 17th Century; Alderman, in the First Corporation after the Restoration.

Purchased the estate known as the Manor of Hastings, (from Lucy, wife of the Earl of Hastings, and only Daughter of Sir John Davies, the original grantee 1609)

A total of 42,636 acres [thats about 35 sq. miles] which extended from near Omagh to the shores of Lough Derg on one side, and in another direction nearly to the Gap of Barnesmore, an estate forfeited by the Earl of Tyrone, and granted in 1609 to Sir John Davys, whose only daughter, Lucy, married Lord Hastings.

Hugh was a MP for Derry 1661 in Cromwells Parliament; Mayor, Four Years before his death; died 24th February, 1672; buried in Saint Columb's Cathedral, City of Derry, in which on the north side is his monument; will dated 26th June, 1662, proved 1675...

This link will take you to Mary Edwards who married Rev. Robert Stewart son of George Roe Stewart;

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=malise&id=I322


This link will take you to Margaret Edwards who married Robert, son of Andrew Stuart and Eleanor Dallway;

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=malise&id=I4545

Love your site!

George Speer
email: genealogy@speer.org
www.speer.org

ross said...

Hi

I am keen to find out information/pictures/history about Lady Ella Sophia Stewart and her siblings to bring them to life. I am married into the family of her descendants and keen to establish some more info about her families background.

Any help appreciated.

thanks

Ross

Anonymous said...

As an evacuee during World war 2 living at Stuart Hall Is there any information or pictures taken during that period I would appreciate any help.
thank you colin

Anonymous said...

As an evacuee during World war 2 living at Stuart Hall Is there any information or pictures taken during that period I would appreciate any help.
thank you colin

Colin, I have 30 photos taken of the evacuees and their living quarters at Stuart Hall. A family member was involved in the orgainsation so I can provide some informstion.
My email address is clairenewcastle@btinternet.com

Stewart 143035 said...
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Stewart 143035 said...
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Anonymous said...

My Family were Blacksmiths to the Castle Stewarts and they live in the house on the property adjoining Stuart Hall (which was also owned by them). The McIntyre's/McAteer's were invited over from Scotland as their Master Blacksmiths so I am told. I would love to get a look a the Castle Stewart Papers too, but alas am in Australia, I asked a Genealogist from Coalisland but he said it would be too costly. Maybe one day, as I am on a mission to see where in Scotland my McIntyres originated from. Elizabeth.

Anonymous said...

On the death certificates for both my late husband's grandmother and great grandmother for place of death it says Stewart Hall. His grandmother died about 1955. What would they have been doing here.?

Unknown said...

I am a direct descendant of the Stewart line and I am trying to get more information on the family and make contact with the current Baron and/or Viscount. My family and I are wanting to open a Stewart clan here in America but I need to contact the family in Ireland first. Could you help me? I have been contacting historical societies all over Co. Tyrone and Stewartsville without much luck.

Timothy Belmont said...

Andrew, agreed entirely re your comment (you shall know what I mean). Tim.

Andrew said...

Thanks Tim. Thought better of posting afterwards, but too late. Heads down and all that. You never know where things lead. This is not the Spectator after all!

Unknown said...

I have a portrait of the Lady dating around 1800-1850 which I brought to the Antiques Road Show some 20 years ago - the artist was known and the portrait valued at the time at £400. I also have a chair from the house - oak with a central sculpted panel in a light relief - I’m currently renovating the chair to its former condition. If you’d like photos of her Ladyship or the chair I’m contactable at john.shackels@gmx.com

David Macgregor said...

Paddy, the current earl, has a reputation as an enthusiastic dancer, gained at a Goetheanum conference at Queen’s College Cambridge in 1997, when his enthusiastic, terpsichorean antics impressed many, leading to his being accorded the epithet of the Galloping Earl.

David Macgregor said...

Patrick (not Arthur) Castle Stewart moved back to Stuart Hall several years ago.
The farm at Somerton is now run by Bridget Castle Stewart with her husband. I believe they grow apples for cider

Stewart 143035 said...

My (Stewart # 143035) 5th cousin 1x removed genealogist Julius Mark STEWART (1912-1985) helped publish a book about some of the ancestors of his and my MRCA James Finley STEWART, Sr. 1698-1777. I interpreted the two pages that are attached to this comment to mean that I descend from:
John STEWART, Parson at Kirkmahoe, Dumfries-shire, Scotland
B:1529 Kirkcudbright, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland
D:19 August 1592 Wigtownshire, Scotland.

My 20th great-grandfather was therefore Sir John STEWART (1245-1298). Sir John was a brother of James the fifth hereditary High Steward of Scotland, and a 9th proavus of King James l of England.

I descend from Sir John's son Alan STEWART (1274-1333), of Dreghorn via:

Alexander STEWART (1315-1374), of Cruikston & Darnley, 7th proavus of James I of England

Alexander STEWART ( -1404), MRCA of King James 1st and Stewart # 143035

William STEWART (1364-1402), of Jedsworth & Teviotdale, 2nd great grandson of the Sir John who died in 1298

John STEWART (1381-1420), 1st of Dalswinton and Garlies, cousin of his wife Marian STEWART

William STEWART (1407-1479), 2nd of Dalswinton and Garlies

Alexander STEWART (1430-1500), 3rd of Garlies

Alexander STEWART (1474-1513), 4th of Garlies

Alexander STEWART (1507-1580), 5th of Garlies, MRCA of the Earls of Galloway and Stewart # 143035

John STEWART (1529- Aug 10, 1592), Parson at Kirkmahoe, Dumfries-shire, Scotland. He married Margaret, a daughter of Walter STEWART, of Barclye.

John STEWART (1587-1659), 1st of Ballymorran, migrated from Glassertown, Galloway to Eire about 1620 and purchased Ballymorran from James HAMILTON (afterwards Viscount Claneboye) soon after 1627. His wife Grizzel GLENCROSS was born ~1595 in Dumfries, Dumfries-shire, Scotland and died ~1651 in Ballymorran, County Down, Ireland. Their son William left Ballymorran and settled in Ballydrain in 1608.

John STEWART , "remained at Ballymorran" 1618-1642

William STEWART , was named "on a Chancery Bill in 1676, in a case against the extensive Claneboye estate, a suit that lasted 20 years". I do not know when he was born so I guessed 1636.

William STEWART (1671-1716) married Judith FINLEY (1676–1780).

James Finley STEWART , Sr. 1698-1777 - Autosomal DNA tests of descendants of several of his children proved that he is my fifth great grandfather.

Stewart 143035 said...

(CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)

James STEWART , Sr. 1741-1829 - On Oct. 2, 1767 James and his wife Rosanna WHITE and her parents and many siblings sailed from Belfast aboard the "Earl of Donegal". They arrived in Charleston SC on Dec. 22, 1767. James received a 150 acre "Royal Land Grant" thanks to the "Bounty Act". That land is now located where Stover Creek intersects the boundary line between Fairfield County and Chester County, SC (where I was born). Jim's family in Ireland "never heard from him again". Thanks to the results of my autosomal test at AncestryDNA I identified descendants of some of James' siblings who immigrated from County Down to North Carolina. They told me about the book that my fifth cousin Julius Mark STEWART (1912-1985) wrote, and that James' family lived near Killyleagh, Downpatrick, County Down, UK, on Ardigon Rd. See
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ardigon+Rd,+Downpatrick,+UK/@54.4098631,-5.6936609,483m/
I'm hoping that the NGS test results of other descendants of John STEWART (1529-1592), Parson at Kirkmahoe (or other members of my patriline) will prove that what Cousin Mark wrote about my Stewart ancestors is correct. I doubt that this will occur unless the administrator of THIS STEWART-2 PROJECT motivates more Stewarts to have NGS tests. Since FTDNA removed the administrator (Stewart #143035) who first created all of its Royal Stewart projects, they have unfortunately not made much progress (the price of political correctness). The members of those projects donated so much money to their General Funds when I (# 143035) administered them that I asked them to stop donating until more was needed. Our royal Stewart projects have great members. I regret that their progress has been impeded.

Robert "Robin" STEWART 1784 -1865

Thomas B (Bankhead?) STEWART 1828 - ~1910. Tom and two of his sons were in the "Tramps Brigade" during South Carolina's War for Southern Independence. Until the end of the war this brigade travelled to battles wherever they were needed. Tom was a Private at the "Battle of the Crater", where an "explosion killed 352 Confederates and opened up a vast crater, 130 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 30 feet deep." See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Crater
After the end of "Reconstruction" in 1877, Tom and his family moved ~13 miles south to Longtown in Fairfield County. He and his children built the Longtown Presbyterian Church on a corner of his plantation that is adjacent to Longtown Road. His and his wife's graves in its cemetery were once marked by an iron cross with the initials CSA on it. A plat of this cemetery that was created in 1912 shows where Tom's grave is but the current congregation of his church won't give me permission to erect an inscribed tombstone for him, I suppose because he was a soldier of the CSA (none of my Stewart ancestors ever owned a slave).

Stewart 143035 said...

(CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)

James E. STEWART 1848-1918 - "Big Jim'' was so young that he was not allowed to fight for South Carolina's independence from the Federal Empire. Nevertheless, for two days Jim followed his father and brothers off to war before he was discovered and sent back home. He shot at the soldiers who invaded SC when they swarmed up the "Kings Highway", looting, burning and destroying homes, crops and everything they saw. Jim was captured but not killed because he was so young.

Joseph Beverly STEWART 1878-1947 - Joe travelled all over Fairfield County building roads with mules and the "Chain Gang". He married Carrie Lyles TRAYLOR. See
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/81047841/person/32437808868/facts
Joe moved from Longtown to Feasterville, SC, where the Traylor family had farms. They and my parents, etc. are buried at Antioch Methodist Church a mile or two west of the farm where they raised eight children.

William James STEWART 1913-2001

STEWART # 143035

The information and photos are at
https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/stewart-2/activity-feed

Anonymous said...

My Great Uncle and Aunt were caretakers there until one day returning from shopping the IRA gave them 12 minutes to get out before blowing the place up. We visited them often before that, it was such a beautiful place

Bremenmurray said...

The eighth Earl died 21 November 2023 and is succeed by his son