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Birr Castle Archives Parsons, Laurence, 2nd Earl of Rosse
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Dr George Heenan's rent account book

Quarto account book in which the agent, Dr George Heenan, has kept his rent accounts with the 2nd Earl for the entire Rosse estate in King’s County and Tipperary. [Also on MIC.564]

Lease to the 2nd Earl, when Sir Laurence Parsons

Lease to the 2nd Earl, when Sir Laurence Parsons, of a house in Newtown Pery, Limerick, [presumably occupied by him when the King’s County Militia was stationed in Limerick].

Parsons, Laurence, 2nd Earl of Rosse

Leases and fee farm grants of premises in John’s Place/Mall

Large envelope of leases and fee farm grants of premises in John’s Place/Mall. [The short time-span (1839-49) of the original lettings is a reminder that this street was laid out in memory of the adored second son of the 2nd Earl of Rosse.] The envelope also includes papers relating to the sale of properties in John’s Mall to various purchasers.

Leases and maps of Tullynisky, Woodfield and Woodville, barony of Eglish and an agreement to surrender

Box of leases of Tullynisky, alias Tullaneskeagh, etc, etc, Woodfield and Woodville, barony of Eglish. [The present house on this townland, Tullynisky Park, was built by and for the two bachelor brothers of the 2nd Earl of Rosse, Rev. William Parsons and Thomas C. Parsons, c.1820; but in the first half of the 18th century the heir apparent to the baronetcy seems to have lived in an earlier house situated in this townland. From c.1860 it was the residence of the three
generations of the Garvey family who acted as Rosse agent, up to at least the 1890s being called ‘Thornvale’ (an English translation of the Irish, Tullaneskeagh) – see V/27. Woodfield and Woodville are sub-denominations, not townlands in their own right.] The box also includes papers relating to a 10-year lease of Tullynisky Park to George Gossip, together with maps of the premises, an agreement to surrender, and a 1997 licence to extract sand and gravel from Kiltemony Quarry, beside Tullynisky.

Leases and papers relating to the sale of Clondalla, barony of Eglish; deeds and documents relating to purchase of 'Finnegan's Field'

Envelope of leases of Clondalla, alias Clondallow, alias Clondallagh, barony of Eglish, adjoining Boolanarrig. [In date order.] The leases, up to and including 1825, are from members of the Berry family of Dovegrove, an adjoining townland; Clondalla, Dovegrove and Clonahane were held by them under a perpetuity from the Viscounts Loftus/ Marquesses of Drogheda. In or about the 1830s, the 2nd Earl of Rosse must have acquired the Berry interest, which was tantamount to outright ownership, in these townlands, subject
to continued Berry occupation of and residence in part of Dovegrove. These townlands were then subsequently settled on the 2nd Earl’s third son, the Hon. Laurence Parsons, who is a party to the leases of 1860, 1865 and 1872 in this sub-section.] The sub-section also includes papers relating to the sale of Clondallow to Daniel J. Earley, and deeds and documents relating to the (re )purchase of ‘Finnegan’s field’ in 1997.

Leases of Crinkle, a barony of Ballybritt

Box of leases of Crinkle, alias Crinkhill, barony of Ballybritt, on the outskirts of Birr, and many of them therefore including holdings in the town. The Crinkle leases also contain an above-average number of integral maps, some of
them rather handsome. Included under Crinkle are the sub-denominations of Whiteford and Birr View, the latter of which is described in a lease of 1797 as ‘the spot of ground whereon the viewing-house for the quality is placed to see the races of Birr’. Crinkle was also the site of the Birr Military Barracks, and a lease of 1831 is from the 2nd Earl of Rosse to the Ordnance Department. A number of the leases are dated 1763 (the earliest date in the box), which would suggest that a substantial middleman’s lease, perhaps of the whole townland, fell in in that year. The box also includes papers relating to the sale of a fee farm grant of the Military Road (purchased by Michael O’Dwyer) and to the sale of the Old Schoolhouse (purchased by John and Sophia Hogan).

Leases of premises in Langton’s Lane and other premises bearing the name Langton

Envelope of leases of premises in Langton’s Lane and other premises bearing the name Langton, [which seem to have been in the vicinity of Chapel Lane and Back Lane]. The Langton who was extant in the 1790s was a Philip Langton of Trinidad, [but clearly the family were major Birr tenants of the Parsonses, some of whose leases were probably reacquired by the 2nd Earl of Rosse, who seems to have been active in buying out long and perpetuity leases in the town – presumably in connection with his building plans.]

Leases of the Shinrone estate

Envelope of leases of the Shinrone estate (Shinrone, Cloughmoyle, Manure, etc) owned jointly by the 2nd Earl of Rosse and the Lloyd family of Gloster. Leases of this property seem to have continued to be made jointly, in spite
of the partition effected in 1806 [see E/37. In date order.]