The Kerryman Newspaper 28 Oct 2020
One week after the launch of The Fall of the Fitzmaurices, I have got around to give my readers some details of the book that I started researching five years ago. This research took me from Kerry (Lixnaw and Kenmare) to Dublin, London and Paris, not to mention calling on a number of other Kerry local historians whom I contacted over this time. While I might be credited as the writer of the book, it is collaboration of many heads, whose help, advice and criticism were invaluable.
So what is the book about? It tells the story of the demise of one of the most powerful families in County Kerry up to the late 18th century. It is also the story of the transition of the 90,000 acres of Kerry land from resident Irish landowners to new non-resident English investors. The Fitzmaurices arrived in Ireland with the Normans and
1762 List of Fitzmaurice tenants
established a base in north Kerry in the mid 13th century. Thomas Fitzmaurice was titled the first Lord of Kerry, the title is equivalent to a Gaelic Chieftain. For over 500 years having survived the Desmond Rebellions, Queen Elizabeth 1, Cromwell, and the Jacobite war they then lost both their wealth and fortune in the space of one hundred years.
It is the story of the Fitzmaurice family over three generations, from Thomas 1st Earl of Kerry and his wife Lady Anne Petty to Francis the spendthrift 3rd Earl. A potent story of power, wealth, land, money, and sex among the Irish aristocracy in the 18th century.
Francis 3rd Earl of Kerryp
With an introduction by Charlie Lansdowne, current 30th Baron of Kerry, 9th Marquess of Lansdowne and images of letters, deeds, and household bills of the 3rd Earl and his Countess. Published by the North Kerry Literary Trust, The Fall of the Fitzmaurices: The Demise of Kerry’s First Family is now on sale in local bookshops and online here.
Any connections to these…..
“My grandfather Valentine Elliott was married to to Margaret Fitzmaurice of “Duhagh” who descended from Earl, James the fourth of “Licksnaw”. They had three sons and two daughters, namely Joseph, my father James, and John, and Judith and Joanna.’
Yes they are the same family. Margaret Fitzmaurice of the Duagh branch would appear to be descended from a son of one of the Lords of Kerry ( they were not ‘Earls’ back then) whose base was Lixnaw.
Any further info or maybe a chart of the above family? Descendants?
Reg, there is actually a chart of Fitzmaurice family tree on page 8 of The Fall of The Fitzmaurices – from Thomas 16th Lord down to the current Earl of Kerry, Simon Petty-Fitzmaurice. Let me know if you would like me to email you a copy of the image (from the book).
Kay C.
Very interesting
Does Maurice Fitzgerald, died 1849, of Valentia fit into this family? He is buried beside Alexander Brock. We know that he signed a letter of support for Alexander’s son, sub-constable John Brock, when he was fired for getting married without permission. John Brock had married Ann Emmett of Dingle. John married his last wife, Lucinda Blennerhassett, in Canada.
No, this is a different family – Fitzmaurice. The Fitzgeralds were Knights of Kerry and lived in Valentia, at Glanleam from 1780 when Robert, 17th Knight rented it from Lord Orkney. The Fitzgeralds came into possession of the estate in 1807 when it was bought out by Maurice 18th Knight. ‘Knight of Kerry’ is one of three Anglo-Irish hereditary knighthoods, all of which existed in Ireland since feudal times.
Kay,
I purchase a copy in Brenda Woulfe’s bookshop last weekend while the lockdown was suspended and finished it yesterday. The Fall of the Fitzmaurices is an outstanding achievement and is and will become an essential source for all family tree researchers – amateur and professional. Anyone with North Kerry roots near or distant, will come across the various landlords of the 1800s; the Earl of Listowel, Benjamin Harenc, The Lockes, Benn-Walsh to name a few. Behind this time period in the 1700s were the Fitzmaurices. Your book brings this time to life. Highly recommended.
Congrats and thanks for this contribution to who we are and where we came from,
Rgds,
John Stack
John, thank you so much for your appreciative words on The Fall of the Fitzmaurices. Its always great to get feed-back of any kind but of course, so much more pleasing when the comments are positive! Yes, I am very interested in these new non-resident landlords who in fact dominated the lives of our great grand parents and before that. Francis the 3rd Earl was such a squanderer – he was an impossible man to do business with. He would decide on a particular deal and would go back on that decision if it suited him when the actual time came to seal the bargain. Something like a certain person in charge in the UK at present! The only good thing is that there are plenty details of the sales in the correspondence that survives the earl’s flight from the French Revolution. Kay C.
Kay,
I hope after a good rest, you will go again.
I am fascinated and mystified by just how well known and frequently remarked upon, Dromlegach (Demesne) was in the 1500s. This is just back the road from where I grew up in Craughatouke. It has good river frontage on the Feale but was heavily wooded as I think all the general Moynsha and Graigue area was. Any mention of a “Demesne” would indicate that the place had meaning for the Lords of the time, but Dromlegach is a fair step away from Listowel and Lixnaw even now – 500 years ago even more so.
One for your next tome hopefully
Rgds,
John
John, I am fascinated myself by ‘Dromlegach’. You have no idea of how many times it was mentioned in the letters to and from Rev. Christopher Julian. I could only include it a couple of times in the finished text but while writing it, I had already discussed it with Joe Harrington (Lyreacrompane) – ‘whats with Dromlegach’? When I get a chance which in effect is when I get time, I must go back over some of the documents that I have but did not quote. I gather that it was heavily wooded and this was one of the reasons that Francis (3rd earl) was Earls of Listowel who bought both Dromlegach and Craughatouke, so there should be details in the deeds of sale.
Also, my mother was from Duagh, so I had a particular interest. Kay
Kay,
I have an excellent lead on the townland of “Knocklegane”;
I was going through some research from 2017 when I was looking for and at old maps in the National Library for my own townland of Craughatouke (my father’s spelling – more formally Curraghatouk) Incidentally Craughatouke, Shanbally, Graigue and Moynsha all appear to be subsumed into “Dromlegagh”…. with “Ballymacjordan” subsuming Coolaneelig and Knocknacrohy at least.
The link to the NLI Catalogue is http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000746089/CollectionList?lookfor=&type=AllFields&view=list#tabnav or search under “Ennismore”
These refer to the;
Survey of the estate of William, Lord Ennismore in Co. Kerry, 1817.
Volume of twenty five hand-drawn, hand-coloured maps of the lands in Co. Kerry owned by William Hare, Lord Baron Ennismore (later 1st Earl of Listowel) and copied by Robert Stack from Henry Pratt’s 17th century originals.
I took a few IPAD screenshots which I will paste into a word document and will send on tonight – check you spam folder if you don’t see it at first!
Regards,
John Stack
John, great stuff – I look forward to your screenshots. I will also have a look at some of the Hare purchase documents and see if I can get anything on this area. You are correct in that this ‘Lot’ of townlands were always lumped in together as one unit.