DE FREYNE 115 BARONY. OF ARTAGH, co. Roscommon. Having, however, no , male issue, he was, 5 Apr. 1851, cr. BARON DE A- i«5i- FREYNE OF COOLAVIN, co. Sligo, with a spec. rem. failing the heirs male of his body to his brothers, "John French, Clerk, Charles French, Esq., and Fitzstephen French, Esq." in like manner respectively. (") Lieut, of co. Roscommon, 1854-56. He w., in 181 8, Mary, da. of Christopher McDermott, of Cregga. She d. 7 Sep. 1843. ^^ ^- ^-P-i ^9 ^^P- ^^5^> when the Barony of de Freyne of Artagh (1839) became extinct, but the Barony of 1851 devolved as under. II. 1856. 2. John (French), Baron de Freyne of Coolavin, br., and h. under the spec. rem. in the creation of that Barony; b. 1788; B.A. (Trin. Coll.), Dublin, 1810, M.A., 1815; in holy orders: Rector of Grange Sylvaj, co. Kilkenny. He d. s.p., 22 Aug. 1863, in Dublin, aged 75.() III. 1863. 3. Charles (French), Baron DE FreyneofCoolavin, br., and h. under the spec. rem. in the creation of that Barony; b. 22 Oct. 1790; sometime Capt. 8ist Foot. Sheriff of co. Ros- common 1853. A Liberal. He »?., 17 May 1854, in the Protestant Church of Grange Gorman, Dublin, () Catherine, a peasant girl, da. of Luke Maree. He d.2i Oct. 1868, at French Park afsd, aged 78. His widow d. 13 Oct. 1900, at Caher House, Loughglynn, co. Roscommon, aged 73. IV. 1868. 4. Arthur (French), Baron DE Freyne OF Coolavin, 1st legit, s. and h., b. 9 July 1855 ; ed. at Downside and at Beaumont (Roman Catholic) Colleges. A Conservative. He ;;;., istly, sum. to Pari, in 1336. Why it should have been selected as a peerage title by a gentleman of Ireland in the 19th century, is not clear; possibly he thought that Frene was an old form of French, in which case he was wrong; but at any rate he secured a title with an archaic sound, which is always something. According to a pedigree registered by Sir William Betham, Ulster, in 1837, "The name of De Fraxineto or De Fraxines is rendered in Norman French De la Freigne, and Freyne is very distin- guished in English history." After giving some references to the family of De Fraxineto or De la Freyne of the counties of Kilkenny, Tipperary, Cork, and Water- ford, he states "The family name of the Freynes were Oliver, Patrick, Robert, John, and GefFery, equally those of the Frenches of Galway, they were undoubtedly the same family." Nevertheless the pedigree only begins with John French, father of Peter French, Mayor of Galway in 1576. Representatives of the family of de la Freigne, afterwards Freyne, continued in co. Kilkenny till the estates were forfeited in 1650. V.G. (^) Though generally a supporter of the Whigs, to whom he owed his peerage, he voted and signed a protest against the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. V.G. (^) Though a Liberal he voted with the Conservatives against the repeal of the Paper Duty in i860. V.G. (■=) A previous marriage was alleged, to have taken place 13 Feb. 1 85 1, of which there were three sons, viz. (i) Charles, b. 21 Oct. following; (2) John, h. 13 Mar. "^^SZ (3) William John, h. 21 Apr. 1854, all being alive at their father's death, but passed over (as illegitimate) in the succession to the peerage.
