Friday 20 October 2023

Dunleckney Manor

THE NEWTONS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY CARLOW, WITH 5,134 ACRES


This family, originally from Lancashire or Cheshire, accompanied WILLIAM III to Ireland in 1688.


The first settler was Bartholomew Newtown, whose son,

JOHN NEWTOWN, wedded, in 1730, Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Lodge, of County Kilkenny and the city of Dublin, and founded the family residence at Bennekerry, a short distance from the town of Carlow, which, though still in the family's possession, was not then the family seat.

He died in 1748, leaving an eldest son,

BARTHOLOMEW NEWTOWN (d 1780), of Busherstown, County Carlow, who married, in 1767, Anne, daughter of Philip Bernard (by whom he acquired considerable property in the town of Carlow), and had issue (with a daughter, Catherine) two sons,
JOHN, Colonel, Carlow Militia, High Sheriff of Co Carlow, 1797; d unm;
PHILIP, of whom we treat.
The second son, 

PHILIP NEWTON (1770-1833), married, in 1785, Sarah, daughter of Beauchamp Bagenal, of Dunleckney, and had issue,
WALTER, his heir;
John;
Henry;
Philip;
Beauchamp Bartholomew. 
Sir Nicholas Bagenal came to Ulster as Marshal of ELIZABETH I's army, settled in County Carlow and founded Bagenalstown.

The family's first house at Dunleckney was built ca 1610, but a new house was built for Walter Newton, who inherited the estate from his mother, the Bagenal heiress, about 1850.

Mr Newton was succeeded by his son,

WALTER NEWTON (1790-1853), of Dunleckney, County Carlow, High Sheriff of County Carlow, 1827, who married, in 1817, Anne, fifth daughter of the Hon George Jocelyn (second son of Robert, 1st Earl of Roden), and had issue,
PHILIP JOCELYN, his heir;
Thomasina Jocelyn.
Mr Newton was succeeded by his only son,

PHILIP JOCELYN NEWTON JP DL (1818-95), of Dunleckney Manor, High Sheriff of County Carlow, 1846, who married, in 1841, Henrietta Maria, daughter of John Kennedy, of Dunbrody, County Wexford, and Cultra, County Down, and had issue,
Maria Charlotte;
ANNE HENRIETTA, of whom hereafter;
Adeline Sarah.
Mr Newton died without male issue, and was succeeded by his second daughter,

ANNE HENRIETTA, MRS W M VESEY (d 1927), of Dunleckney Manor, whose elder son,

SYDNEY PHILIP CHARLES VESEY CBE JP (1873-1932), Captain, King's Royal Rifle Corps, married, in 1902, Edith Blanch Power.

Dunleckney was sold in 1942.

It was subsequently owned by Mr Thomas Donnelly, who re-sold in 1958.



DUNLECKNEY MANOR, Bagenalstown, County Carlow, is a 19th century Tudor-Gothic house by Daniel Robertson of Kilkenny.

An early Irish example of the Tudor-Gothic style, the manor house, built about 1850, incorporates parts of an earlier house.
Robertson was a talented architect with a large country house practise, who worked comfortably in a variety of styles, from Classical to Gothic. His major buildings are at All Souls, Oxford, Johnstown Castle and Castle Boro, both in County Wexford.
Robinson's work at Dunleckney is certainly of a very high order.


The smooth ashlar surfaces make a superb foil to the crisp, delicately carved tracery details of the tower, door-case and oriel windows.


The interior has fine plaster fan vaulting in the late Perpendicular-Gothic style, and an elaborate wooden staircase which incorporates number of medieval wooden carvings ‘rescued’ from St Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny.


Helen and Derek Sheane purchased the house in 1989, and have spent the ensuing years in restoration.

They have carried out considerable works to the garden and parkland though the superb, straight, 18th century lime avenue was a casualty of long neglect.

First published in November, 2012.

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