Fonds P17 - Rental of the Estate of the Earl of Charleville

Open original Digital object

Identity area

Reference code

IE OCL P17

Title

Rental of the Estate of the Earl of Charleville

Date(s)

  • 1868-1901 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

1 bound volume

Context area

Name of creator

(1806-1875)

Biographical history

The earldom of Charleville (of the second creation) was granted to Charles William Bury (1764-1835) in 1806. He had inherited his wealth and estates at Charleville through his paternal grandmother, the sister and heiress of Charles Moore (1712-1764), the 1st earl of Charleville (of the first creation). Lord Charleville and his wife, Catherine Maria (widow of James Tisdall, County Louth), set about building the Gothic mansion Charleville Forest in 1800 on the site of an older 17th century house known as Redwood. The building project took many years and cost an enormous sum of money, which ultimately caused a financial burden for successive generations of the Bury family. They also continued with a lavish lifestyle, living for part of the year in London and travelling extensively on the continent.

Their son, Charles William, Lord Tullamore (1801-1851) married in Florence in 1821 and set up a second expensive household. When he inherited the estate in 1835, it was heavily encumbered. By 1844, it was unsustainable, Charleville was closed up and Lord and Lady Charleville headed for Berlin. Their son, Charles William George, 3rd earl of Charleville (1822-1859) succeeded to the estate in 1851 and returned to Charleville with his wife, Arabella at this time. Unfortunately, they both died within a couple of years of each other, leaving five young children as wards of chancery in Charleville Castle. The children's guardian was named as Alfred Bury, their uncle.

Charles William Francis Bury (1852-1874) inherited the earldom as a minor of seven years in 1859. When he came of age in 1873, there was much festivity and celebration in Tullamore, but sadly he died in New York a year later at the age of 22. The title then reverted to Alfred Bury (1829-1875), the youngest brother of the 3rd earl. He also only had one year as earl, dying in 1875 with no male heirs.

The earldom became extinct at this point but the estates passed to Lady Emily Howard-Bury (1856-1931), Alfred's niece. Her son, Col. Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury (1883-1963), who was born and raised in Charleville Castle, inherited Belevedere in Mullingar in County Westmeath from a cousin Charles Brinsley Marlay in 1912, and made it his permanent home. By the time he inherited Charleville in 1931, the family had ceased to live on the estate. In 1948 he arranged a large auction of all its furniture and paintings. On his death in 1963, he bequeathed Charleville to his cousin, Major William Hutton Bury (1914-1982) whose family have managed the estate since.

Archival history

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Rental of the estate of the Earl of Charleville. Lists the denominations, tenants, acreage, yearly rent and other notes. Frequently amended with addition of new tenants and details of lease renewals

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Original ledger available to view by appointment only. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Reproduction permitted for research and private study only as per the Copyright and Related Rights Act (2000). No reproduction in print, online, or broadcast, without prior permission. High resolution images available by request.

Language of material

    Script of material

      Language and script notes

      Physical characteristics and technical requirements

      Fragile volume which was damaged and disbound on acquisition. Underwent professional conservation in 2024 supported by the Heritage Council Organisations Support Fund.

      Finding aids

      Allied materials area

      Existence and location of originals

      Offaly County Library

      Existence and location of copies

      Related units of description

      Notes area

      Alternative identifier(s)

      Access points

      Genre access points

      Description control area

      Description identifier

      Institution identifier

      Rules and/or conventions used

      ISAD (G), 2nd Ed.

      Dates of creation revision deletion

      August 2019, Ciara O'Brien.
      Revised listing and digital object added, October 2024, Orla Connaughton.

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          Archivist's note

          Digital object (Master) rights area

          Digital object (Reference) rights area

          Digital object (Thumbnail) rights area

          Accession area