Barbara Townsend (306)
| Date of Birth: | Unknown |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | dsp |
| Generation: | 4th |
| Residence: | Hollybrook, Skibbereen, Co Cork |
| Father: | John Townsend [300] |
| Mother: | Barry, Katherine |
| Spouse: |
|
| Issue: | None |
| See Also: | Table III ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for Barbara Townsend
Married 10 Oct 1771, as his second wife, Colonel John Becher (1) of Hollybrook,(2) Co Cork, son of Henry Becher of Creagh.(3) See ‘A Guide to Irish Houses’ by M. Bence-Jones, London, 1988 – “SKIBBEREEN cor Hollybrook. Becher - Morgan 1750+. Demolished 1903”.
'The Post Chaise Companion or Traveller's Directory through Ireland 3rd Edition 1804' page 351 records "Within a mile and a half from Skibbereen, on the R. is Hollybrook, the seat of Mr John Becher, Esq and about a mile father to the R. is Thornhill, the seat of Mr Townsend" (probably Philip Townsend [304]; the 'NUI Galway Landed Estates Database' shows Thornhill as part of the 'Townsend Scartagh Estate'.)
John died in 28 Feb 1778 at Hollybrook. Barbara is not shown in 'Pooles of Mayfield'. See Hibernian Chronicle 23 February 1778.
(1) The entry for Becher in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "Burke's ''Irish Family Records'' and Smith both indicate that the Beechers were originally a Kent family. Fane Becher was granted over 12,000 acres in county Cork during the reign of Elizabeth I. Henry Beecher was granted land in West Carbery in 1669 and is recorded as the purchaser of land from Lord Kingston and Sir William Petty. In 1778 Mary daughter of John Townshend Becher of Creagh and Annisgrove, county Cork, married William Wrixon of Cecilstown, county Cork. She succeeded to the estates of her brother Henry Becher of Creagh. Their eldest son William Wrixon of Ballygiblin assumed the name of Becher and was made a baronet in 1831. He married an actress Miss O'Neill and had a number of children. Griffith's Valuation records Sir William Wrixon Beecher holding an estate in the parishes of Castlemagner, Clonfert, Kilmeen, Knocktemple and Subulter, barony of Duhallow, county Cork. Sir Henry Becher, who succeeded his father in 1850, was among the principal lessors in the parishes of Castlehaven, Aghadown, Creagh and Tullagh in the barony of West Carbery, county Cork. Sir William Becher also held land in the parish of Kilvellane, barony of Owney and Arra, county Tipperary. The estate of Sir Henry Wrixon Becher of Ballygiblin amounted to 18,933 acres in county Cork and 358 acres in county Tipperary in the 1870s. Michael A Becher held townlands in the parish of Kilmeen, barony of East Carbery and in the 1870s Michael R. A. Becher of Ballyduvane, Clonakilty owned over 2,000 acres in county Cork. In 1854 lands and mining interests, the property of Edward Baldwin Becher, were offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court, and includes a report on the mines of Coolaghmore and Coolaghbeg. In the 1870s the Becher estate in Cork (a combination of the Wrixon and Becher estates) amounted to over 18,000 acres while he also held lands in Tipperary. The estate of the representatives of the late John Beecher amounted to over 1600 acres in the 1870s. At the time of Griffith's Valuation, Edward and George Beecher were among the principal lessors in the parish of Kilcoe while Richard Beecher was the lessor of townlands in the parish of Skull. Eliza Beecher held several townlands in the parish of Kilgarriff, barony of Ibane & Barryroe, at the same time. In October 1851, 17,000 acres, the estate of Richard H. Hedges Beecher, was offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court. Lot 1 included the owner's house at Hollybrook. A sale of the remaining lots took place in February 1852 and included the house at Lakelands, leased to Richard O'Donovan Beecher. In April 1858, the house and demesne at Hollybrook were again offered for sale. An extensive family history of both the Becher/Beecher and Wrixon families is given by Grove White and published in the ''Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society'' (1907) under Ballygiblin. The spelling Becher and Beecher are used almost interchangably thoughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries."
(2) The entry for Hollybrook in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "At the time of Griffith's Valuation, John Beecher held two substantial properties in fee at Maulbrack. They were purchased in 1703 by Henry Beecher from the trustees for forfeited estates. In the early 1850s the larger was valued at £36 10s. In 1837 Lewis and Leet in 1814, had noted Hollybrook as the seat of Richard Beecher. It was offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court in 185 and again in February 1852 and April 1858, when the sale notice included a lithograph and floor plan of the house. A plan of the demesne is also included. This house was also the seat of the Beecher family in the late 1770s. Col. Anthony Morgan was the owner of a property valued at £150 here in 1906 and The O'Donovan was resident in the mid 20th century. The original house is not extant but a later house exists at the site."
(3) The entry for Creagh House in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "At the time of Griffith's Valuation, Sir H. Becher was in possession of Creagh House, then valued at £25. In 1906 this was owned by Sir John Becher and valued at £30 15s. It is still extant and the well-known gardens are sometimes open to the public."
Much of the information on the Becher Family has been provided by Jenny Stiles from Australia who is a descendant of John Becher (b. 6 Apr 1700 d. 1738) of Creagh and Mary Townsend [121] through their son Michael (b. ca 1735 d. Aug 1778).
For other Becher connections see Horatio Townsend [104], Mary Townsend [121], Richard Townsend [201], Edward Mansel Townsend [401], Samuel Townsend [412] and Anne Townsend [417].