Bloomville House, Geashill

By Michael Byrne

A short history based on the title deeds and letters relating to the property

Original lease dated the 23rd of December 1789, Milo Bagot to the Rev. Ephraim Harper, being a lease of Shranure, King's County.

Milo Bagot Esq., Ballycumber in the King's County of the one part and the Rev Ephraim Harper of the other part where in it was witnessed that the said Milo Bagot for and in consideration of the yearly rents covenants etc. reserved there did grant set and farm let to Ephraim Harper all that part of the lands of Shranure now in the possession of the said Ephraim Harper and William Gibbs his under tenant containing of a survey there of 132 acres which are lying and being in the upper half of the Barony of Philipstown and parish of Ballycane in King's County and mare and bounded on the east by Thomas Cleary's farm, on the south by Bolins farm on the road leading to Killeigh and the west by the lands of Ballincrossan and the north by river of Down to have and to hold the demised premises with the rights appurtenance etc. belonging unto Rev. Ephraim Harper and his administrations and assigns from the date here of and for and during the term of 906 years and hence forth at yearly rent of £62. 4 shillings in sterling to be paid half yearly.

2.
The lease has the usual recitals thereafter and has the common seals of Milo Bagot and Ephraim Harper. The lease being signed and sealed in the presence of one John Webb.
Endorsed on the back of the lease is a reference to the provisions of the Great Southern and Western Railway Ireland Act of 1852 and several acts incorporated there reciting that the said railway company for the purposes of the Portarlington to Tullamore extension railway had taken certain lands in the townland of Shranure in the Kings County portion of the lands comprised within the lease and containing 4 acres 1 road and 35 perches Irish plantation measure. Further reciting that the rent of £62. 4 shillings late currency or now the equivalent of £57. 8 shillings and 3 pence should be further reduced by the annual sum of 1 pound 19 shillings and 6 pence as the proportion of the said reserved rent to be rebated in respect to the said portion of land so taken by the said company so as the now total sum of £55. 8 shillings and 9 pence, present currency and said endorsement dated 29 September, 1869 present Daniel Molloy, secretary.

Memorial of the said assignment of the Lease was registered in the Registry of deeds on the 7th day of April, 1793 in Book 461, page 561 and No. 297.

The second title document available is a conveyance of the 18th of March 1851 from Longfield and Hargreaves, two of the Commissioners for the sale of Encumbered Estates in Ireland. Reciting that a sum of £1,920 was paid by Sydney Webb Jennings of Cloneygowen in Co. Offaly for the lands of Bloomville otherwise Shranure situated in the upper half of the Barony of Philipstown and that the said moneys was paid into the credit of the Estate of Mary Anne Webb owner and petitioner . Further reciting that the lots of grounds were the land held for the term of 906 years from the 23rd of December 1789 and also lands at Gurteen called Mardykepark situated in the same barony and held under an unexpired term of 885 years from the 1st of November, 1810 with both denominations of land containing together 211 acres, 2 roads and 27 perches. Described on a map attached to the conveyance of 1851.

The tenants of the property are described on a schedule attached to the map and consisted of the following:

1. Bloomville and Gurteen called Mardykepark, tenants name Mary Anne Webb holding 88 acres and 20 perch in statue measure 142 acres, 2 roads and 3 perch and valued at British rent of £114 with the 10 acres known as the house division in possession of petitioner and her son who will give up possession on the 1st day of November and pay to the purchaser 1 half years rent at the rate set forth in the rent column.
2. Bloomville otherwise Shranure that has 29 acres, 3 roods and 39 perches (valued for British rent at £18.10 shillings) together with another part of the same property let to Margaret Flanagan comprising 31 acres, 2 roods and 19 perch ( valued in British rent at £19. 10 shillings). These tenants hold under lease stated the 25th day of December, 1804 for the Rev. Ephraim Harper to Thomas Flanagan and James Flanagan for the term of 31 years from the 1st of May 1805 for the lives of Ephraim Labatt and John Labatt sons of Mr. Valentine Chetwood Labatt formerly of Ballinakill in the King's County. Attached is the note that the quantity of land devised by this lease was 53 acres and 37 perch but a portion there of was surrendered and these tenants claim under this lease to pay rent separately for the quantity of land each tenants holds.
3. Lands at Bloomville otherwise Shranure led to Michael Hyland representative of William Barrett comprising 3 acres 1 rood 14 perch, valued at £4 2 and 6 in British rent. This lease is dated the 30th day of November 1839 from Rev. John Webb to William Barrett for 31 years from the 1st of November 1839.
4. Let to John Hunt comprising of 1 Irish acre and 1 acre 2 rood, 19 perch British measure and annual value in British rent £2. This tenant held from year to year from the 1st of November.
5. William Connor held 2 roods perch Irish measure and 3 roods 10 perch statute measure, in British rent £1. 5 shillings and held on a lease from the 6th February 1810 from the Rev. Ephraim Harper to William Connor for the life of the said William Connor the rent reserved by the lease was £3. 10 shillings and 10 pence which had been reduced to the amount said forth in the rent column (ie. £2). This lease contains a covenant that the lessee will not sell his interest in the premises without the consent of the lesser.
6. Bernard Dunne holding 1 acre or 1 acre 2 roods 19 perch statute measure at and annual British rent of £2 with the lease dated the 10th December 1827 for Richard John Webb to Bernard Dunne for 31 years from the 1st of November 1837. From these rents were to be deducted £57. 8 shillings and 3 pence for Bloomville, 18 shillings and 5 pence for the land at Gurteen and a tithe rent charge of £6. 10 shillings and 10 pence, totalling £64 and 16 shillings and giving a net profit rent of £96. 10 shillings and 10 pence.
   The purchaser paid £1,600 into the Bank of Ireland to the account and to the credit of the petitioner in July 1850. There is a photocopy of the map with this report and a photocopy of the schedules of the tenancies.

3.
The third deed on the title is the deed of partition of the 29th of June 1908 between Mary Caroline Louisa Jennings of Bloomville, Portarlington, Spinster of the one part and Kathleen Nora Jennings of Tudenham, Mullingar in the Co. Westmeath, Spinster of the other part.
Reciting the and indenture of the 14th of February 1851 was made between Sydney Webb Jennings of the 1st part and Benjamin Joseph Wilson of the 2nd part. Eliza Wilson, Henrietta Webb and Anne Eleanor Catherine Webb of the 3rd part and Thomas Montgomery Webb and John Charles Bliss Park of the 4th part. And a deed poll dated the 7th February 1896 under the hand and seal of Sydney Webb Jennings whereby the lands mentioned in the 1st and 2nd part of the 1st schedule in that deed were assured and appointed, subject to the estate and the interest therein of the said Sidney Webb Jennings for his life to his 3 daughters namely the said Mary Caroline Louisa Jennings, Edith Isabella Jennings and the said Kathleen Nora Jennings and the survivors and the survivor of them living and his death and equal shares as tenants in common subject to in charge with the payment the sum of £5 to each of the 4 sons of Sidney Webb Jennings namely Bliss Sidney George Jennings, Sidney Charles Jennings, Charles Cambell Jennings and John Edward Ulick Jennings who should be living at the death of the said Sydney Webb Jennings and reciting further to these parties joined in a mortgage with the National Bank Ltd. of the 29th of March 1896 for the term of years by the indenture now in recited to secure the payment of moneys due and further reciting that Sydney Webb Jennings executed his will dated the 9th day of December 1897 whereby he bequeathed all his real property of every kind to the said Mary Caroline Louisa Jennings, Edith Isalbella Jennings, Kathleen Nora Jennings in equal shares and reciting that Sydney Webb Jennings died on the 1st of March 1906 without having revoked or altered his said will and the will was proved on the 9th of November 1906 and granted to Mary Caroline Louise Jennings and Kathleen Nora Jennings 2 of the executrixes there in name set forth of the principal probate registry and reciting further that Bliss Sydney George Jennings and Sydney Charles Jennings predeceased Sydney Webb Jennings but that there was living at the time of his death Charles Campbell Jennings, John Edward Ulick Jennings, Mary Caroline Louise Jennings, Edith Isabella Jennings and Kathleen Nora Jennings and reciting also the will of Edith Isalbella Jennings dated the 27th day of August 1906 where by she bequeathed all the rest and residue of property to of every description to Mary Caroline Jennings absolutely and appointed her soul executrix and that she Edith Isabella Jennings died on the 16th of September 1906 without having revoked or altered her will and the probate was extracted on the 29th February 1908. Further reciting in deed of 19th of December 1906 and made between the National bank and Mary Caroline Louise Jennings and Kathleen Nora Jennings stating that the money then due was £133 .12 shillings and 6 pence and redeeming the mortgage.

Further reciting that there was due at the time of Sydney Webb Jenning's death the sum of £665 for various parties and described in the 2nd schedule to this deed of partition and further that there was due on the lands of Bloomville to the Board of Works an annual charge of £38. The total redemption amount been £400 .

The deed then went on to witness that the pursuance of the various agreements done for equality of exchange Kathleen Nora Jennings mortgagee and thereby assigned to Mary Carolina Louise Jennings all her share stated interest in certain sums of money and further that Mary Caroline Louise Jennings released her undivided 1/3 share in the lands to Kathleen Nora Jennings.

The deed is somewhat complex, a photocopy has been attached to this report. It should also be noted that it refers to other property's in the city of Dublin at Dorset street.

4.
Mary Caroline Louise Jennings of Bloomfield as it was now called created a mortgage on the 2nd of December 1926, between herself and her solicitors of Clare Street, Dublin

Mary Caroline Louise Jennings died on the 25th January 1939 and her probate of her estate was granted to Patrick Glynn of Bloomville, Portarlington. Farmer. Her personal estate was valued at £615 under her will, she devised all she possessed of to her faithful friend Patrick Glynn who has "managed everything for me for the past 18 1/2 years and without whom I could not have got on". "I have never been able to remunerate him in any way though he often risked his life in conducting my affairs and in preserving my home and lands for me".

Patrick Glynn made his last will on the 8th of January 1949, at Conway and Kearney Solicitors, Tullamore. He gave everything he possessed to his friend Miss Joyce
Taylor- Bloomville, Portarlington for her life and after her death to the children of his deceased sister Mrs. Bridget Grimme late of Dublin and he appointed Miss Joyce Taylor as his executrix. He died on the 1st of May 1951 and the gross value of his personal estate was £574 .17 shillings and 3 pence.

On the 31st of March 1952 Maria Jamieson of Bloomville in Cloneygowan sold the property to Robert Sydney Harvey and A. George Harvey both of Ballyboden Ballacolla in the Co. Laois. This document recites both the 1789 lease and the lease of the 21th of February 1811 which was made between William Newcomb and Arthur Newcomb and another.

Arthur Harvey died and his sister and brother assigned the Bloomville property in 1988 to Patrick Cairns of Wexford for £ 70,000.00. Cairn sold the property in 1992 to Christopher Fettes.

Back to List

Site Hosted by Dotser

A-Z of Offaly - About Offaly - Community History - Famous People - Photographs - Maps - Town Crests - 19th Century Offaly