Papers of the King Harman family

Repository: Longford County Archives

Identity Statement

TitlePapers of the King Harman family
Archive ReferenceIE LDCA/P3
Web Link to this Entryhttps://iar.ie/archive/papers-king-harman-family
Creation Dates1789-1951
Extent Medium11 boxes, 1 map + 1 plan

Context

Creator(s): Harman Harman, Lawrence Parsons (1749-1807) (later earl of Rosse) Jane, Countess of Rosse (died 1838) Robert Edward, 1st Viscount Lorton (died 1854) King Harman, Lawrence Harman (1816-1875) King Harman, Edward Robert (1838-1888) King Harman, Wentworth Henry (1840-1919) King-Harman, Alexander Wentworth (1869-1949)

  • Administrative History ↴

    The King Harman family were the owners of the largest estate in County Longford in the nineteenth century, with its seat at Newcastle House, near Ballymahon. The family descended from Nicholas Harman who settled in County Carlow in the reign of King James I (1603-1625). His great-grandson, Wentworth (died in 1719) of Castle Roe, County Carlow married secondly Frances Sheppard (died in 1766) of Newcastle, who was sister and heir of Anthony Sheppard. Wentworth’s daughter, Anne married Sir Lawrence Parsons, 3rd baronet, Birr Castle, King’s County (Offaly) (she was his second wife). Their son, Lawrence Parsons-Harman (1749-1807), of Newcastle House, served as an M.P. and was created Lord Oxmantown in 1792, and earl of Rosse in 1806. He married Lady Jane King in 1772; she is still referred to in Longford lore as Lady Rosse. On Lawrence’s death, the title passed to his nephew Sir Lawrence Parsons, 5th bart., and his Harman estates to his only child, Lady Frances Parsons-Harman. She married Robert Edward, 1st Viscount Lorton (died in 1854), in 1799. Frances died in 1841 and was succeeded by her second son Lawrence Harman-King (1816-10 October 1875) who assumed the additional name ‘Harman’ (becoming Lawrence Harman King Harman). On Lawrence’s death, the property passed to his eldest son, Colonel Edward Robert (1838-10 June 1888), who served as an M.P. Edward’s only son, Lawrence Harman, died on 23 October 1886, so Edward was succeeded by his brother, Colonel Wentworth Henry King Harman (1840-1919). Wentworth’s son Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Wentworth King Harman (1869-1949) was the last of the family to live at Newcastle, and he died unmarried. The parts of the King Harman estates in Longford were the ‘Newcastle estate’ in the Ballymahon area; the ‘Mosstown estate’, near Kenagh; the ‘Ballinamuck estate’, near Drumlish; and the ‘Smear/Smare estate’ in Colmcille parish. Smaller parts were the ‘Callows estate’ in Cashel parish; and the townlands of Corlea, Lisnanagh and Torboy.
  • Archival History ↴

    Most of the collection was deposited in Longford-Westmeath Joint Library. The rent book of Lord Lorton's estate, 1838-1846, was deposited by Mr Luke Baxter, Longford, and the final copy of the catalogue of contents of Newcastle House was deposited by Ms Norma McDermott.
  • Immediate Source Acquisition ↴

    Donation

Content & Structure

  • Scope & Content: Harman Harman, Lawrence Parsons (1749-1807) (later earl of Rosse) Jane, Countess of Rosse (died 1838) Robert Edward, 1st Viscount Lorton (died 1854) King Harman, Lawrence Harman (1816-1875) King Harman, Edward Robert (1838-1888) King Harman, Wentworth Henry (1840-1919) King-Harman, Alexander Wentworth (1869-1949) ↴

    The bulk of the collection dates from the period 1838-1951, but there are a small number of items prior to that period, including a map of Ballydrum townland, Killashee, 1810. Most of the collection concerns estate management, including: rent books, 1838-1919; account books, 1846-1948; a book with details of valuations of properties (presumably a draft of ‘Griffith’s Valuation’), undated; some items concerning tenant purchase, 1902-1910; an inventory of Newcastle House, 1911; and copies of the catalogue for the sale of the contents, 1951.

  • Appraisal Destruction ↴

    Permanent Retention
  • Accruals ↴

    No accruals expected.
  • Arrangement ↴

    Arranged by individual family member in generational order.

Conditions of Access & Use

Access Conditions All items available in Library HQ.
Conditions Governing ReproductionNo photocopying is permitted.
Creation Dates1789-1951
Extent Medium11 boxes, 1 map + 1 plan
Material Language ScriptEnglish
Finding Aids Item-level descriptive list Archive Web Link →

Allied Materials

There are no Allied Materials

Descriptive Control Area

Archivist NoteMartin Morris
Rules/ConventionsISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description. 2nd ed. Ottawa: International Council on Archives, 2000.
Date of Descriptions40603