Louisa Jane Townshend (249)

Date of Birth: ca 1824
Date of Death: post 1887
Generation: 6th
Residence: Kilfinnan Castle, Co Cork
Father: Jonas Morris Townsend [222]
Mother: Digby, Jane
Spouse:
  1. de Burgh, John Hamilton Hussy
Issue:
  1. Walter
  2. Maurice
  3. John
  4. Ulysses
  5. Hubert
  6. Jane Adeliza Clementina
  7. Louisa
See Also: Table II ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree

Notes for Louisa Jane Townsend

Married at St Peter's Church, Dublin, on 30 April 1844 (1). John Hamilton Hussey de Burgh JP (2) of Dromkeen House (3) and Kilfinnan Castle,(4) near Glandore, Co Cork. See Burke's Irish Landed Gentry 1912 - de Burgh.

In a letter to John FitzHenry Townshend [250] written from Pavillion Pollau, 17 Promenade des Anglais, Nice and dated 15 January 1858 Frances Townshend [248] wrote “My sister continues very delicate and does not enter with any society at present. She is under the care of the English physician here, Dr Gurney.” For how long Louisa remained in Nice is not known.

Robert H Laing’s Cork Mercantile Directory 1863 records on page 185 ‘De Burgh, John Hamilton Hussey, Kilfinan Castle, Leap’ as a magistrate. Page 189 lists his kinsmen who were also magistrates ‘Townsend Henry J, Castletownshend’, ‘Townsend, Horace, Derry, Rosscarbery; Union Club, London SW’, ‘Townsend, Horatio DL, Woodside, Cork’, ‘Townsend, J Handcock, Myross Wood, Leap’, ‘Townsend, John Henry, Dunbeacon, Ballydehob’, ‘Townsend, Richard, Clontaff, Union Hall, Leap’, ‘Townsend, Saml, Blackrock, Cork’, ‘Townsend, Samuel Richd, Whitehall, Skibbereen’.

John de Burgh was born on 10 June 1822 and died 25 April 1887. Page 159 of The Calendar of Wills and Administration 1858-1922 in the National Archives of Ireland records that the will of "John Hamilton Hussey de Burgh late of Kilfinnan Castle Glandore County Cork Esquire", who died on 25 April 1887 at the same place, was proved at Cork on 6 July 1887 by "Louis Jane de Burgh Widow and FitzJohn Hussey de Burgh the Executors”. Effects £1,246 11s 1d.

Of the children:

Walter John de Burgh was born in 1845. He married Emily Florence Sherlock, daughter of Thomas Sherlock,(5) of Ballinvoskig on 12 November 1869 and died in 1874, leaving two sons

John Digby Townshend de Burgh of Dromkeen House was born on 10 September 1890.

Hubert Hussey de Burgh was born on 31 May 1872.

Maurice Hussey de Burgh was born in 1848 and emigrated to New Zealand in 1863. His uncle John Henry Townsend [238] wrote (6) to his friend Donald McLean (7) in New Zealand from Shorecliffe, Leap, Glandore on 1 November 1863. “A young friend of mine, the son of my cousin, is anxious to emigrate and though very young is just the fellow suited for a settler’s life, and most clever amongst horses and cattle. His habits are perfectly steady, but he is more of a practical than book learning youth. I showed his father Mr de Burgh your letter of 30th of last April, and he would be very glad to place him under your wise counsel for a year if you would take him. Of course he would all and everything you required during his year of probation and at the end of that time he would be sent out some money to work on with on his own account. The boy’s taste lies in horses and cattle although his family on both sides are second to none in respectability I assure you he is as competent and would be as willing to do any of the duties attending bush life as any youth I know. It is for you just to say if you would wish to take the lad on the terms that I have said, and I make no doubt if you do, that the benefits will be reciprocal and that both parties will be pleased. I did not hear from my nephew Richard (Richard Townsend [251]) but I suppose the monotonous life he leads offers no subject to write on. Should you see him would you kindly let him know that the young person I have recommended to you in this letter is Maurice de Burgh, now a fine steady and active lad”. Maurice returned to Ireland sometime later and married the widow of Major Whitty. Burkes shows the marriage as 1891 and Maurice’s death as 1 May 1898.

John Hussey de Burgh was born in 1850, married Wilhelmina Hungerford and died on 17 August 1896.

Ulick Hussey de Burgh was born in 1858.

Jane Adeliza Clementina de Burgh was born in 1845 and married in 1864 Henry John Townsend [251] who died in 1869. At some time after the death of her father-in-law, Maurice Townsend [231] in 1872 Jane sold all the heirlooms from Chavenage (see the entry at [251]). Correspondence of the time records that Arthur was blind and that relationships between Jane and her sisters-in-law were appalling. In a letter dated 4 June 1897 to Edward Mansel Townsend [630], Geraldine Townsend [252] wrote of her sister’s “horror of my brother's marriage at 38 (after repeated attacks of delirium tremens) with Miss Hussey de Burgh of 18 years old - & their subsequent conduct & the behaviour of my brother's widow - makes her not willing even to make the acquaintance of these two young men Maurice & Hubert.” (Henry John’s two sons). In another letter six weeks later, again to Edward Mansel, Geraldine wrote of “having a horror of Mrs. Cave to whom we impute all our misfortunes. She certainly fixed the sale of our Mother's beautiful place, Chavenage, in Gloucestershire.” Jane married secondly Arthur Cave of Schull, Co Cork, in 1877.

Louisa Hussey de Burgh was born in 1849 and married John Hamilton Bryan (8) of Dunmanway, Co Cork.

(1) The entry in the diary of Agnes Townsend [334] reads 'April 30 1844 Louisa Townsend (Shepperton) married to Mr Burgh'.

(2) The entry for de Burgh (Dromkeen) in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "This family of Bourke originally from county Mayo settled at Dromkeen in county Limerick in the 15th century. In 1726 Thomas Burgh of Dromkeen, son of the Reverend Richard Burgh, married his cousin Mary Burgh of Oldtown, county Kildare and they had a son Richard who died in 1762 and left his estate to his cousin Walter Hussey later Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer in Ireland. Richard's sister Mary married Philpot Wolfe of Forenaghts, county Kildare, and appears to have inherited land in county Limerick. Walter Hussey de Burgh held land in the parish of Dromkeen, barony of Clanwilliam, county Limerick, at the time of Griffith's Valuation. His estate appears to be connected to that of the Balfes. His son, John Hamilton Hussey de Burgh, married Louisa Townsend, of Shepperton, county Cork and is associated with property in that county. Members of this family were still residing at Dromkeen in the 1970s."

(3) The entry for Dromkeen House in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "Fitzgerald refers to the old mansion of the Burghs as standing opposite the old walls of a church. Lewis refers to Dromkeen as "formerly the residence of the Burgh family" then occupied by the Reverend M. Lloyd, and that "the remains of the ancient mansion show it to have been an extensive and important establishment". A house at this site was occupied by Henry Croker at the time of Griffith's Valuation and valued at £34. It was held from Robert Smithwick. The Ordnance Survey Field Name Book refers to this house as William's Fort and states that it first belonged to the Burgh family and was rebuilt in 1820. Valued at £17 in 1906 and occupied by Digby H. De Burgh.

(4) The entry for Kilfinnan Castle in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "Occupied by John O'Brien, leasing from John de Burgh , at the time of Griffith's Valuation, when it was valued at £15. Noted in Lewis in 1837 as the residence of J. Ranclud. John French was occupying the house and demesne at Kilfinnin, barony of East Carbery, when it was offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court in May 1851."

(5) The entry for Sherlock (Cork) in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "At the time of Griffith's Valuation members of the Sherlock family owned land in the parishes of Ballintemple and Dangandonovan, barony of Imokilly, Dunmahon, barony of Fermoy and Kilquane, barony of Barrymore, county Cork. In February 1863 the estate of Thomas Sherlock and his wife Elizabeth Anne at Ballinvoskig, barony of Cork, was advertised for sale. In November 1864 the trustees of the will of Wright Sherlock, deceased, advertised for sale moieties of the lands of Coolqurisk, barony of Barrymore and lands in the barony of Decies within Drum, county Waterford. In the 1870s George K. Sherlock of Bandon owned 769 acres in county Cork, while William R. Sherlock and Wright Sherlock, both of Blackrock, Cork owned 300 and 284 acres respectively. Lands in the barony of Imokilly leased by Wright Sherlock to Thomas Gaggin in 1840 and to Thomas Anthony in 1857 were advertised for sale in June 1876."

(6) Donald McLean papers MS-Papers-0032-0606. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

(7) Sir Donald McLean 1820-1877. Administrator, runholder, politician, provincial superintendent. Crown Protector of Aborigines, Native Land Purchase Commissioner and Minister of Native Affairs. Appointed KCMG in 1874.

(8) The entry for Bryan (East Carbery) in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "John Hamilton Bryan, of Prospect Hill, Dunmanway, was the owner of over 600 acres in county Cork in the 1870s. Hamilton Bryan, of Underhill, owned over 200 acres. The Bryans appear to have been a Methodist family who held a number of official or government posts in this area in the mid-nineteenth century. They were connected by marriage to the Hussey-de Burgh family."