Filgate of Lisrenny Papers

Repository: Louth County Archives Service

Identity Statement

TitleFilgate of Lisrenny Papers
Archive ReferenceIE LHA PP00001/
Web Link to this Entryhttps://iar.ie/archive/filge-lisrenny-papers
Creation Dates1757-1964
Extent Medium8 archival boxes

Context

Creator(s): Filgate Family

  • Administrative History ↴

    The Lisrenny estate where the Filgate family settled in the seventeenth century originally belonged to a branch of the Bellews of Castletown, Dundalk. It had been seized from the Bellews during the English Commonwealth confiscations of 1653. A daughter and heir of William Peppard who was granted Lisrenny, Anne, married a William Filgate in 1665 whose family seem to have originally been from Shrewsbury in England. Filgate’s father, also called William, was a Cromwellian officer married to Anne Storey of Lancashire, who had settled at Lisrenny (see item PP00001/002/002/001 for a Filgate genealogy). Upon the marriage of William and Anne in 1665, the lands of Lisrenny were confirmed by patent of Charles II (1666). William and Anne had a son William (1666-1721) and William’s son Alexander (1702-71) who succeeded him was in turn succeeded by his son William (1740-1816) who in 1770 married his cousin Anne Filgate (d1804), daughter of Thomas Filgate (1704-1785) of Ardee. William and Anne Filgate’s sons Alexander (1771-1827), Thomas (1773-1830) and William (1781-1875) successively inherited Lisrenny. A fourth son, Townley (1784-1822), who married Isabella Ruxton, daughter of William Ruxton of Ardee House, MP, in 1809, became Curate of Charlestown from 1807-16 where he then became Vicar (see sub-sub-fonds PP00001/004/004/). Thomas Filgate (1773-1830) was a barrister-at-law and treasurer of the Grand Jury from 1823-30, while William (1781-1875) was a Justice of the Peace for Counties Louth and Monaghan, treasurer of the Grand Jury from 1854-69, and High Sheriff in 1832. He married Sophia Juliana Penelope de Salis (1807-1886) in 1831, daughter of Jerome Count de Salis. Their eldest son, William de Salis (1834-1916), was appointed Captain of the Louth Militia in the 1850s, Justice of the Peace in 1859, Deputy Lieutenant in 1872, and High Sheriff in 1879. He served as chairman of the Ardee Board of Guardians and was elected the first chairman of Ardee Rural District Council in 1898. He was also elected an ex-officio member of Louth County Council from 1899 until his death in June 1916. William de Salis Filgate took up the opportunity to become Master of the Louth Hounds in 1860, a position which he held until 1912. In 1870, he married Georgiana French (d1927), and had two daughters. William and Sophia Juliana Penelope de Salis Filgate’s fifth son, Townley Fane, successfully canvassed for the position of secretary to the Louth Grand Jury in 1875. Townley Fane also became the first secretary to the new Louth County Council in 1898, an appointment which seems to have been well received at the time, thus showing how popular the Filgate family was in their locality. Further information on the administrative history of this collection can be found under Louth County Archives Service’s online catalogue, available at www.louthcoco.ie.

  • Archival History ↴

    The papers contained in this collection were compiled by the Filgate family, and presumably were held in the family until they were purchased at auction by Noel Ross on 30th June 1973 (accession P/00001) and on 11th May 1974 (accession P/00014). The collection was largely deposited in two lots by Noel Ross in Louth County Archives Service in April 2001. The photographs contained in reference PP00001/004/012/002 were donated by C Delaney in June 2003 (accession P/00077). They were found in a writing desk that was purchased at auction. Leonard Hatrick donated the National Savings certificates book listed as reference PP00001/004/013 in August 2005 (accession P/00151). Two items: PP00001/003/002/001 and PP00001/004/012/004 were deposited by the County Louth Archaeological & Historical Society in May 2009 (accession P/00281). A quantity of rentals and accounts in sub-fonds PP00001/001/ relating to the Foster and Doyne estates were transferred from Louth County Library in June 2009 (accession P/00297). These had been purchased at an auction in Charlestown Rectory, Ardee by Noel Ross on behalf of the County Library.

  • Immediate Source Acquisition ↴

    Donation

Content & Structure

  • Scope & Content: Filgate Family ↴

    The Filgate of Lisrenny Papers comprises papers relating to the Filgate family of Lisrenny, County Louth and their estate; landowners for whom the Filgates acted as land agents for in the nineteenth century such as the Foster family of Glyde Court and Philip Doyne; and the Grand Jury in which the Filgates were active in. Unfortunately the Papers do not constitute a complete collection of the Filgate family estate records. However, the Papers contain a wealth of information for family historians and genealogists, particularly under the first two sub-fonds which contain a quantity of rentals listing the names of tenants and their rent payments and terms (see the Filgate as land agents sub-fonds PP00001/001/ and the Filgate family estate sub-fonds PP00001/002/). Other records found in the first sub-fonds includes leases and other legal documents, a rent roll, survey of lands, valuations, and accounts relating to the Foster estate (1792 – 1896); leases of Blayney Balfour of Townley Hall (1820 – 1829); rentals and accounts of the estate of Philip J Doyne (1824 – 1868); estimates and correspondence relating to Killanny Mill (1852 – 1853); a list of principal landholders and a list of the poor residing in the parish of Tallanstown (1820s); and a valuation of Rathnestin [1881 – 1897].

    The second sub-fonds in this collection contains legal deeds (1801 – 1859) and accounts relating to the Filgate estate (1757 – 1883) including rents paid by Filgate, labourers accounts, payment of staff, a valuation of Filgate’s estate in 1853 (PP00001/002/002/015), and a statement of liabilities dated 6th April 1849 (PP00001/002/002/007); Filgate genealogical details from 1649 – 1846 (PP00001/002/002/001); rentals, arrears and grazing accounts relating to the estate (1842 – 1854); farm returns, and records of farm stock bought and sold (1763 – 1768, 1839 – 1914).

    A moderate quantity of items in the collection relate to the administrative and political history of Louth. These can be found in the Grand Jury sub-fonds PP00001/003/ and in the election posters sub-fonds PP00001/005/. Appointments to positions of public office and attendance at Grand Jury meetings are detailed and there is a small quantity of material relating to accounts.

    The Filgate family personal papers forms one of the collection’s smaller sub-fonds (reference PP00001/004/), however, the variety of items available provide a glimpse at the social conditions of the time from volumes containing sermons, recipes, or jokes, to personal account books, material relating to cricket matches, the Louth Hunt, Ardee Steeplechase Races, and invitations.

    Further information on the scope and content of this collection can be found under Louth County Archives Service’s online catalogue, available at www.louthcoco.ie.

  • Appraisal Destruction ↴

    Permanent Retention

  • Accruals ↴

    Further items may be received in the future

  • Arrangement ↴

    As there was no clear original arrangement the archivist arranged the collection in five main divisions or sub-fonds which were further arranged into numerous sub-sub-fonds as detailed below. Within each sub-sub-fonds, items have generally been arranged in chronological order as far as possible. There are different variations of placename spellings. Normally the spelling on the document has been used.

    List of sub-fonds, followed by sub-sub-fonds:

    Fonds: PP00001/ Filgate of Lisrenny Papers, 1757 – 1964, 8 boxes

    Sub-fonds: PP00001/001/ – Filgates as land agents, 1792 – 1896, [1897], 202 items
    PP00001/001/001/ – Foster estate, under Frederick Thomas Foster, 1792 – 1839, 5 items
    PP00001/001/002/ – John William Foster of Rosy Park, lands in Rathbrist, 1798 – 1810, 4 items
    PP00001/001/003/ – Foster estate & Sir Augustus John Foster, 1st baronet (1831), 1809 – 1856, 14 items
    PP00001/001/004/ – Foster estate & Sir Frederick George Foster, 2nd baronet, 1834 – 1861, 47 items
    PP00001/001/005/ – Foster estate & Reverend Cavendish Foster, 3rd baronet, 1857 – 1896, 62 items
    PP00001/001/006/ – Blayney Balfour of Townley Hall, 1820 – 1829, 3 items
    PP00001/001/007/ – Parish of Tallanstown, 1820s, 2 items
    PP00001/001/008/ – Philip Doyne, 1824 – 1868, 59 items
    PP00001/001/009/ – Killanny Mill, 1852 – 1853, 5 items
    PP00001/001/010 – Valuation of Rathnestin, [1881 – 1897], 1 item

    Sub-fonds: PP00001/002/ – Filgate family estate, 1757 – 1914, 92 items
    PP00001/002/001/ – Deeds and legal material relating to the Filgate estate, 1801 – 1859, 8 items
    PP00001/002/002/ – Accounts including schedules regarding rents paid by Filgate for land he occupies as tenant, 1757 – 1883, 36 items
    PP00001/002/003/ – Rentals, arrears & grazing accounts, 1842 – 1854, 22 items
    PP00001/002/004/ – Sale of farm stock, 1763 – 1768, 1841 – 1914, 23 items
    PP00001/002/005/ – Farm returns, 1839 – 1854, 2 items
    PP00001/002/006 – Certificate, 1857, 1 item

    Sub-fonds: PP00001/003/ – Filgate family & Louth Grand Jury, 1819 – 1885 [1892], 117 items
    PP00001/003/001/ – Official correspondence with Dublin Castle re returns, 1823 – 1830, 14 items
    PP00001/003/002/ – Appointments & attendance at Grand Jury assizes, 1819 – 1885, 18 items
    PP00001/003/003/ – Accounts of Alexander Shekleton with Thomas Filgate, 1825 – 1829, 5 items
    PP00001/003/004 – Statistics of Ardee union, 1849 – 1850, 1 item
    PP00001/003/005/ – Alexander Shekleton’s testimonial, 1875 – 1876, 60 items
    PP00001/003/006/ – Election of secretary to Grand Jury, 1875, 18 items
    PP00001/003/007 – Letter from John Callan (refers to BG), 1892, 1 item

    Sub-fonds: PP00001/004/ – Filgate family personal papers, 1785 – 1964, 62 items
    PP00001/004/001/ – Volumes containing sermons, stories, recipes and jokes, 1785 – 1849, 1917, 11 items
    PP00001/004/002/ – Cards and correspondence kept as mementos and keepsakes, [1786], pre-1879 – 1923, 6 items
    PP00001/004/003 – Last will and testament of Elenor Filgate, 1791, 1 item
    PP00001/004/004/ – Certificates received by Townley Filgate, 1804 – 1812, 3 items
    PP00001/004/005 – Family of William Filgate document, [1821], 1 item
    PP00001/004/006/ – Personal account books, 1831 – 1870, 3 items
    PP00001/004/007/ – Invitations received, [1841- 44], 1857, 1933, 1964, 5 items
    PP00001/004/008/ – Notices of meetings of the Northern Rangers, 1844-45, 3 items
    PP00001/004/009/ – Material relating to Louth Hunt and Ardee Steeplechase Races, 1864 – 1893, 3 items
    PP00001/004/010 – Account of monies given to Charles Roden Filgate on his preparing for the Bar, 1869-72, 1 item
    PP00001/004/011/ – Material relating to cricket matches, 1877 – 1901 (1918), 4 items
    PP00001/004/012/ – Photographs and paintings, no date, 20 items
    PP00001/004/013 – National Savings certificates book, 1940, 1 item

    Sub-fonds: PP00001/005/ – Election posters, 1852 – 1874, 4 items

Conditions of Access & Use

Access Conditions Open access by appointment
Conditions Governing ReproductionReproduction of items depends on condition of individual items
Creation Dates1757-1964
Extent Medium8 archival boxes
Material Language ScriptEnglish
Characteristics Tech ReqBound volumes and loose documents. Some deeds and leases may be difficult to read. Contact archivist for assistance. Careful handling required.
Finding Aids Descriptive list can be found on on-line catalogue available at http://www.louthcoco.ie Archive Web Link →

Allied Materials

Originals InformationLouth County Archives Service: PP00012/ Caraher of Cardistown Family Papers, 1738 – 1954 Dublin: National Library of Ireland, Ms. 5874, Mss. 11,942-11,945, Ms. 19,023, Ms. 22,449, Mss. 23,435-23,437, and National Library Report on Private Collections, No. 24 Public Record Offices of Northern Ireland: D562, Massereene-Foster Papers, 1623 – 1857 Public Record Offices of Northern Ireland: D1201/53, Irish Encumbered Estates rentals: Cos. Louth, 1849 – 1858 Public Record Offices of Northern Ireland: D3618, Foster Papers, 1529 – 1983 (Foster Family of Glyde)
Copies InformationSome digitised documents may occasionally be found on http://www.louthcoco.ie
Related MaterialLouth County Archives Service: GJ/ Grand Jury, (1310 - ) 1786 - 1899 Louth County Archives Service: E/OTH/002/, Nineteenth century election material Louth County Archives Service: PP00111, Ardee Hunt, 1799 - 1813
Publication NoteBurke’s Irish Family Records (1976) Burke's Peerage and Gentry, www.burkes-peerage.net Dooley, Terence, The Murders at Wildgoose Lodge (Four Courts Press, Dublin 2007) Edwards, John Arwel, The landless in mid-nineteenth century County Louth (CLAHJ 1966) Vol XVI, No 2, pp103-110 Flynn, Ann, Townland Survey of County Louth: Charlestown (CLAHJ 1987), Vol XXI, No 3, p317 L’Estrange, Rev Guy WC, Notes and Jottings concerning the parish of Charlestown Union in the County of Louth (Rectory Press, Charlestown, 1912), Chapter 2: Charlestown Parish (The Filgate Family, pp34-38, and other pages) Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (S Lewis & Company, London 1837), p588 Ó’Néill, Pádraig, Journal of Henry McClintock (CLAHS 2001), pp xvi-xviii – contains family tree of the Foster family O’Sullivan, Harold, A History of Local Government in the County of Louth (IPA, Dublin 2000) p132-3 Tempests Annual 1914 (Tempests, Dundalk 1914), p2 http://www.tallanstown.com – under History, see Lisrenny House, Glyde Court, Rathbrist House and Garden http://www.buildingsofireland.ie – under Garden Surveys, see Lisrenny House, Glyde Court, Rathbrist House; & under Buildings Surveys, see Lisrenny House

Notes

NoteGlossary: Coinage: Prior to decimalisation in 1971, the pound was divided into 20 shillings each of 12 (old) pence. Using the example of five shillings and sixpence, the standard ways of writing shillings and pence were: 5s 6d or 5/6, or 5/- meant for five shillings only with the dash standing for zero pennies. The abbreviation for the old penny, d, was derived from the Roman denarius, and the abbreviation for the shilling, s, from the Roman solidus. The shilling was also denoted by the slash symbol, also called a solidus for this reason, which was originally an adaptation of the long s. There were 20 shillings to a pound, 12 pence to a shilling, and 4 farthings to a penny. Head rents: where a sub-tenancy (or series of sub-tenancies) exists, the highest leaseholder in the chain pays head rent to the freeholder Incumbrance: charges against a property

Descriptive Control Area

Archivist NoteLorraine McCann
Rules/ConventionsISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description. 2nd ed. Ottawa: International Council on Archives, 2000.
Date of Descriptions40330