Protestant Exiles from France/Book Second - Chapter 3 - Section VI
Sec. 6. — His Appointment as one of the Lords-Justices of Ireland,
and His Elevation to the Earldom of Galway.
The government of Ireland, for about thirty years after 1688, was sometimes confided to a viceroy, called the Lord-Deputy or Lord-Lieutenant, and sometimes to Lords- Justices. During the term of a viceroy’s office there were Lords-Justices also, but these were only deputies during his temporary absence from Ireland, like the Lords-Justices of England, appointed by William during his visits to Holland, or by the first two Georges for their short terms of absence in Hanover. The office of Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland was often dormant (the leading statesmen regarding it as a banishment), and a Vice-Regal Board held sway, the Lords-Justices composing it being not a viceroy’s deputies, but the king’s. It was as one of a vice-regal board that Lord Galway was gazetted on February 6th, 1697, when it was announced that “Lord Viscount Galway and John Methuen, Esq., Lord Chancellor of Ireland, were constituted Lords-Justices of that kingdom.”
To Lord Galway Ireland was not a scene of banishment; in fact, it had since 1692 been his head-quarters, and the home towards which his eye had often wandered. Detained at first by the exigencies of the campaign of 1693, he, by the casualties of war, had been suddenly required to go to Savoy, and to undertake the temporary work of an envoy-extraordinary. As there is no official record of his appointment to command the forces in Ireland in 1697, we conclude that the first commission had been kept in force, and that a deputy had been discharging his duties. The only difference in his military position was, that formerly he had the local rank of Lieutenant-General, but now, being a Lieutenant-General in the army, he had the local rank of General.
He was also a landed proprietor in Ireland. The forfeited lands were regarded by the king as suitable rewards to the supporters of his royal authority. Some public men, who maliciously studied to thwart him in everything, kept alive the sentiment that these lands should be sold, and that the national debt should be paid with their price. The king therefore led parliament to expect that the legislature would be consulted previously to any estates being given away. The confusion of the times often cut short the existence of parliaments, so that there was no time for going through all the stages of a bill, which otherwise might have been sure to pass both houses. In the parliament that began on 22d October 1691, a bill passed the House of Commons, and was in 1692 laid on the table of the House of Lords, “to vest the forfeited estates in Ireland in their Majesties, to be applied to the uses of the war,” which bill “reserved to their Majesties one-third part of the forfeitures, to be disposed and given to such military officers and soldiers (as their Majesties should think fit) who actually served in the wars in Ireland in person there, and to no other person or persons whatsoever” (Parliament had nothing to do with the royal estates which King James had been in possession of). This being therefore the law that seemed certain to be passed in due time, King William took the management of the forfeitures, and gave grants of land in custodiam, that is, nominal leases, followed by annual releases from the payment of rent. In the course of years, on the ground that the House of Commons seemed to have no suggestions to offer, the king converted the custodiam grants into absolute grants. So Lord Galway received the Portarlington Estate, first in custodiam in 1693, and afterwards absolutely on the 26th June 1696, as appears from the Irish Patent Rolls, Grants to Henry, Viscount Galway. The proprietor who had forfeited the estate was Sir Patrick Trant of Brannockstoune, as he styled himself; the lands of Brannockstoune, in the county of Kildare, being probably favourite ones, originally the property of Sir John Eustace, who had mortgaged them to Sir Patrick. The Portarlington Estate had been so named by Lord Arlington. The original lands of the Trants were probably in county Kerry. The grant to Lord Galway calls the whole domain “the Lands of Ballybrittas and others.”[1]
This grant of land, though large, cannot be called lavish. Luttrell states that it was worth £3000 a yeer. What had been the estate of a knight would not appear to be a prodigal settlement on a peer. The author of “Memoirs of Ireland” (page 185) states that John Trant, Sir Patrick’s son, “by the encouragement of some Tories near King William, came to England to solicit for his estate, which had been granted to the Earl of Galway; but he was baulked in his expectations, and his friends could do him no service. Upon which he went to the Earl of Galway and represented to him the want he was reduced to, being kept out of his estate by his lordship. The Earl, whose humanity gained him the love of all that knew him, said in answer, I owe the estate I hold to His Majesty’s bounty, in consideration of my service in this kingdom. I had a much better estate in France which was taken from me. I doubt not your interest with the king of France, and you may very readily get out of that French estate an equivalent for this Irish one.”
I give from the Irish Patent Rolls an abridged catalogue of the Estate. The different lots are described either as “lands” or “town and lands” (the word “town” meaning simply a house and farm-buildings). Where &c. is added, a number of other names are implied, for which the reader may search in the Patent Rolls of the Irish Public Record Office. The acres are Irish — and an Irish is to an English acre as 92 to 149. Throwing profitable and unprofitable acres into one sum, we find the total to be about 36,068 Irish, or 58,414 English acres. If we deduct the unprofitable, there remain 23,985 Irish, or 38,845 English acres.
I. — The portion of Portarlington Estate in the Barony of Portnehinch, Queen’s County.
| Ballybrittas, &c, | 1128[2] | (242) |
| Ballintogher, &c, | 729 | (139) |
| Cooletundery, alias Cullcuddery, alias Portarlington, &c, | 540 | (53) |
| Tircogher, alias Tyrcoger, alias Forraigne, Brackloan, &c, | 370 | (6) |
| Ballycoduffe, alias Ballyteigduffe, alias Jamestown, | 354 | (79) |
| Rathrousin, alias Rathacres, | 725 | (56) |
| Killesberaghmore, &c, | 307 | (33) |
| Bally fobole, alias Bally fobyle, alias Ballyfoble, alias Ballypople, alias Cordustowne and Berretuben, | 345 | (186) |
| Kinnester magna, Kinnester parva, &c, | 567 | (66) |
| Killnecort, Sec, | 1156 | |
| Ballybrittas, &c, Ballymorish, alias Morristowne, &c, | 407 | (9) |
| Rathleiss, alias Rathleissagh, alias Lowerland, &c, | 138 | (26) |
| II. — The other portion of Portarlington Estate situated in the Barony of Phillipstowne, King’s County. | ||
| Derryoglagh, alias Sherwood Marsh, | 512 | |
| Endagh, &c, | 398 | (149) |
| Rathfestan, &c, with the red bog, | 869 | (892) |
| Ballygowl, alias Ballyduff, &c, | 298 | |
| Gortinegapple, &c, | 227 | |
| Knockean, alias Ballykean, alias Keansbury, alias Entertierny, and Ballywrine, | 385 | (158) |
| Killcowny, &c, | 275 | (691) |
| Nourney, alias Purney, alias Leisbury, | 253 | (9) |
| Raghine, &c., | 556 | |
| Ballymacrossan, &c, | 463 | |
| Clonagownagh, alias Clonegowny, &c, | 867 | (164) |
| Kilpagheshailagh, alias Ballynallownagh, alias Kilcappagh, | 487 | (626) |
| Innaghan, alias Shepard, &c., | 313 | (397) |
| Disart, alias Discart, &c, | 1466 | (2218) |
| Clonehome, alias Clonequin, alias Queensclone, &c, | 225 | (478) |
| Gortineassey, alias Gortinefassey, alias Westland, | 450 | |
| Enarthmore, alias Rathmore, alias Firstsight, | 133 | |
| Graffin, alias Gregnafin, and timberwoods, called Killenane, alias Portarlington-Woods, belonging to the adjacent woods, | 1322 | |
| Cloonhorke, &c, | 678 | (1150) |
| Loghill, alias Lockhill, alias Henryshin, | 335 | |
| Templeshenes, alias Templeshane, alias Templeshore, | ||
| III. — Brannockstoune Estate in the Barony of Naas, County Kildare. | ||
| Brannockstoune, | 397 | |
| Grangemore, | 270 | |
| Yeagogstoune, | 126 | |
| Rochestoune, | 38 | |
| IV. — Estate in County Kerry.[3] | ||
| Scartaghegleny, &c, | 1280 | (4316 / Mountain) |
| Obreenane, &c, | 1380 | (27) |
| Lemerchahall, &c, | 336 | (10) |
| Ballymonteene, &c, | 272 | |
| Ballynorrig, &c, | 348 | |
| [The above in the Barony of Trughanackmy.] | ||
| Ballymore, | 185 | |
| [In the Barony of Corkaguiny.] | ||
| Ballynorrick, | 230 | |
| Killykill the east, | 100 | |
| Ardconnell, | 106 | |
| Killykill the west,
107 | ||
| Ballyinandrew, | 106 | |
| Tyreshannaghan, | 75 | |
| [The above in the Barony of Clanmorris.] | ||
| Aghadoe and Raghernane, | 870 | |
| Knockernaght, | 473 | |
The able Irish historian, Dr. Reid,[4] says, with reference to the Lords-Justices of this period, that upon Lord Galway “the chief responsibility of the government rested.” It appears that Mr. Methuen was specially sent to be a working member of the board. There was some difficult political work, which would expose any chief governor to unpopularity. Mr. Methuen was therefore prevailed upon to serve, as an able barrister accustomed not to select his work, but to do it, and also as an Englishman who had no Irish friends to lose. He was recommended to the king by the Earl of Sunderland; and for the object in view, he was appointed not only the Irish Chancellor, but also a Lord-Justice. However, even Methuen shrank from facing a parliament, and it was thought better that he should remain as Lord Chancellor only. Lord Galway was for a short time the sole Lord-Justice. This was a kind of interregnum, during which he visited England. His visit is alluded to in a letter from Lady Russell.[5]
Lord Galway was now promoted to the rank of Earl of Galway in the Peerage of Ireland. His patent is dated 12th May 1697, and styles him Comes de Galloway in regno nostra Hibernian. He also received a grant of supporters for his armorial bearings — namely, “two savages crowned and girt with laurel, each holding in his hand a club, and on the same arm as the club a shield with the arms of Ireland.”[6]
Lord Galway founded Portarlington as a town. He built and endowed two churches and two schools. The liturgy in the French language was used in the French Church (or St. Paul’s) until the beginning of the present century. The schools taught the purest pronunciation of French, and Portarlington for more than a century was the most fashionable seat of education in Ireland. Originally the boys at Lord Galway’s schools had a costume resembling the dress still worn at Christ Church. In an old account-book they are called ye blewbois (the blue boys). English settlers were encouraged by the erection of the English Church (St. Michael’s). This church contained a slab, on which were engraved Lord Galway’s name as the founder, and the appropriate quotation from the Prayer-book Psalter, “The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.” The author of “Jus Regium” states that Lord Galway’s tenants, “by the encouragement they had from the compassion and goodness of that lord, built about one hundred and thirty neat tenements.” Lord Galway’s leases were and are renewable for ever. The following is a specimen of the tenure by which lands in the Portarlington estate are held in the present day:— “Lease, dated 13th September 1699, from the Earl of Gallway to Colonel Daniel Le Grand Du Petit Bosc, for the term of three lives, renewable for ever, on payment of half a year’s rent as a renewal fine on the fall of each life — the last renewal whereof bears date the 28th February 1850, from the Earl of Portarlington and others, to Mrs. Elenor Newton, for lives of Lessee, the King of the Belgians, and Prince Albert.”
- ↑ A paragraph in Narcissus Luttrel’s “Historical Relation” would lead a reader to believe that Lord Clanrickard’s estate was given to the Earl of Galway. But instead of Galway read Portland, and Luttrell’s paragraph is correct. Therefore I correct it, and then copy it as follows:— “4 Nov. 1699. The Earl of Galway, one of the Lords Justices of Ireland, has sent over two Popish youths (grandsons to the Earl of Clanrickard whose estate was forfeited and given to the Earl of Portland) to Eton School to be brought up in the Protestant religion; and as soon as they come to age, if they embrace that religion, my Lord Portland will resign their grandfather’s estate to them, and will in the meantime provide for them according to their quality.”
- ↑ The first number is the number of profitable acres (unprofitable acres are numbered within the brackets).
- ↑ I find that the grant does not say that this estate belonged to Trant. But as it gives no other name, I leave my former statement as a conjecture: though it may be more probable that Sir Patrick was altogether the architect of his own fortune, and that there was no ancestral estate of the Trant family.
- ↑ See Reid’s “History of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland” — a first rate work, which it is almost presumptuous in me to praise. I am indebted to it for many facts and references.
- ↑ Lady Russell to Rev. Mr. Thornton, May 1697, “If I see Lord Galway, I will not fail to remember your orders, sir, about Mr. Davids.”
- ↑ Burke’s Extinct Peerage (edition of 1866), page 360. The arms of Massue De Renneval were a huntsman’s gold horn on a blue shield. But the arms of Massue De Ruvigny were, “Quarterly: 1st Arg., a fesse gu., in chief, three martlets, sa., on a canton, or, a battle-axe of the third. 2nd gu., a chaplet of laurel, or, a chief cheque, arg. and az. 3d, arg., three mallets, gu.”