Watch Your Step

This is the view out of the door that leads through the shade house to our garage.  It's the main door that we use to come and go from the house.

But the other day when I went to go out I got quite a surprise as I went to step out the door.  This 1.2 m Red Belly Black Snake was having a nice little sun bake right in front of the door on the door mat.

 He/She did not stick around and headed off into the garden.

However when hubby went to put on a load of washing later on it had decided to get out of the heat (38 degrees) and have a sleep behind the washing machine.  We had to spend the day keeping an eye on it but eventually when it cooled down it went back out side.

Any ideas on snake proofing your house?

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Antrim Lieutenancy

County of Antrim

LORD-LIEUTENANT           

CHRISTIE, Mrs Joan, OBE

VICE LORD-LIEUTENANT  

READE, Mr Richard George, DL



DEPUTY LIEUTENANTS 
                                     

RATHCAVAN, The Rt Hon the Lord, DL

CUNNINGHAM, Mrs Carol, DL

BROOKE, The Hon Christopher A, DL

CASEMENT, Mr Patrick, OBE DL

FRAZER, Mr Andrew David, DL

HILLAN, Mrs Sheelagh Elizabeth, MBE DL

KINAHAN, Mr Danny de Burgh, DL MLA

KELLY, Mr Liam Gerard, JP DL

MITCHELL, Mr Joseph, DL

MONTGOMERY, Mr Hugh Edward J, DL

RAINEY, Mr William Eric, CVO MBE DL

TISDALE, Mrs Miranda, DL

WALLACE, Mrs Patricia, DL

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Viscount Dungannon (2nd Creation)

This is a branch of the noble house of Downshire.

ARTHUR HILL was grandson of William Hill Esq, by Mary, eldest daughter of Sir Marcus Trevor, created Viscount Dungannon in 1662.

Having succeeded to the estates of his maternal great-grandfather, Sir John Trevor, of Brynakilt, Speaker of the House of Commons in England, and first lord commissioner of the Great Seal, Mr Hill assumed the name and arms of TREVOR.

This Arthur Hill-Trevor was raised to the peerage, in 1765, as VISCOUNT DUNGANNON, the former creation having become extinct.

Lord Dungannon was buried at Knockbreda parish church, near his seat, Belvoir Park.

His lordship had no issue by his first wife; but by his second, Anne Stafford, whom he wedded in 1737, he had an only son, 

ARTHUR, who married, though died in the lifetime of his father, leaving three daughters and a son, 

ARTHUR (1763-1837), 2nd Viscount, and Baron Hill, of Olderfleet, County Antrim; born in 1763; married, in 1795, Charlotte, eldest surviving daughter of Charles, Lord Southampton, by whom he had issue, 

ARTHUR (1798-1862), 3rd Viscount, on whose decease the titles became extinct.

The Dungannon estates, including Brynkinallt, passed to the latter's kinsman Lord Edwin Hill, 3rd son of 3rd Marquess of Downshire, who assumed the additional surname of Trevor and was created Baron Trevor, of Brynkinallt, Denbighshire, in 1890.

Of particular interest is the fact that Lord and Lady Dungannon had one son and two daughters, one of whom, the Hon Anne Hill-Trevor, married Garrett, 1st Earl of Mornington, by whom she had issue Richard, 1st Marquess Wellesley; and Arthur, 1st Duke of Wellington.

Of course this makes Lord Dungannon the grandfather of "The Great Duke" of Wellington; and it can be supposed that the Great Duke would have been familiar with the Belvoir demesne and spent time there during his childhood.

Below is the 1st Viscount's memorial:-


First published in February, 2010. Dungannon arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

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Coffee Morning

I motored the six or seven miles to Holywood, County Down, this morning for coffee and a chin-wag with my aunt and Pat.

I managed to get a private parking space close to the café, the Coffee Yard.

It was rather busy this morning. The topics of discussion included a luncheon my aunt gave for friends yesterday; Pat's imminent trip to Bristol; my week and a tiresome character at the National Trust volunteers, who persistently airs his left-wing, nationalist views on the aristocracy ~ viz. the Londonderrys ~ and everything contrary to the Conservative interest.

Of course it antagonises me, though I generally say nothing. He is likely trying to provoke me.

I am of the opinion that it is totally inappropriate to air one's political views in such a context.

The intention is to bring a radio with headphones; thus becoming blissfully oblivious to him whenever he is within ear-shot.

Of course my perspective can be reactionary, a cross I gladly bear.

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Grey Abbey House

The Montgomery family has been of great antiquity and historical importance in Ulster and the Ards Peninsula. I have written an article about the house of MONTGOMERY.

William Montgomery is one of the foremost brokers of country estate management, sales, fine arts and property consultancy in Northern Ireland and, indeed, further afield; and he also represents Sotheby's interests in the Province from Grey Abbey House.

Flora Montgomery, his daughter, is a well-known actress.

Sir Hugh Montgomery (1560-1636), 1st Viscount Montgomery of the Great Ardes, was founder of Newtownards and a pioneer of the plantation of Ulster. 

The 3rd Viscount was created 1st Earl of Mount Alexander in 1661. The titles became extinct in 1757 on the death of the 5th Earl.

The name, Grey Abbey, which is also that of the adjacent village, derives from the late 12th century Cistercian Abbey at the site. The ruins of the abbey can be seen from Grey Abbey House.

The manorial demesne, long known as Rosemount, was established in the early 17th century and the present house was built during the early 1760s.

Originally the property of the Clandeboye O’Neills, Grey Abbey was granted in 1607 to Sir Hugh Montgomery. In 1634 his son, Sir James, built a ‘noble house and stately out-offices’.

It was described by William Montgomery in 1683 as:

‘a double roofed-house and a baron and fower flankers with bakeing and brewing houses, stable and other needful office houses….built after the forraigne and English manner; with outer and inner courts walled about and surrounded with pleasant gardens, orchards, meadows and pasture inclosures under view of ye said house called Rosemount from which ye manner taketh name. The same was finished by …Sir James Ao Domi 1634’.

In 1701 William Montgomery was to add to this account that ‘only some small convenient additions of buildings and orchards were made by ye sd William and improved lately by his sd son James’.

In Harris’s County of Down, 1744, it was related that: 

‘Rosemount was the mansion house of Sir James Montgomery …he built here a noble house and stately out-offices (which were afterwards burnt down Ann. 1695) and laid out fine gardens behind it, executed in the form of a regular Fortification, some Bastions of which are yet to be seen. 

However the present worthy proprietor [William Montgomery] has built a neat and commodious house with handsome offices on part of the site of the former offices, and laid out his gardens and Out-grounds about it in elegant taste’.

This house too, built in 1717 by William Montgomery (d. 1725), was itself later burnt. 

In the absence of surviving 17th or 18th century Montgomery estate maps (no doubt burnt in one of those fires or in a fire in a fire in the agent’s house) it is difficult to be certain where exactly these various early buildings stood.

The house, which was accidentally burnt in 1695, may have stood in the vicinity of the present stable yard, and indeed could have the 1717 house, but some believe could have stood on the seaward side of the present mansion.

The ‘fortified’ garden may have occupied what is now the walled garden to the north-west, but there seems to be no physical sign of this today.

It is possible that the present yard, being a complex of 18th and 19th century buildings, could incorporate elements of the ‘handsome offices on part of the site of the former house’, mentioned by Harris in 1744.

The present house (above) at Rosemount, located on a rise in the park, was built from 1762 by William Montgomery, who had succeeded to the property in 1755. It was still being erected when James Boswell visited the place on 2nd May 1769 and noted the ‘excellent house of Mr. Montgomery’s own planning, and not yet finished’.

The house is a three-storey block over basement, Palladian in style, with six bay entrance front, hipped roof and balustraded roof parapet.

It has a three-sided bow in the centre of the garden front (Gothic windows on ground floor, inspired by Castle Ward, are a later addition, possibly c.1785) and canted projections and diagonally set single-storey side porches on the side elevations, the latter being added in 1845-6 to design of James Sands, commissioned by Hugh Montgomery, who succeeded to the family property from his father William in 1831.

The roof-balustraded parapets were also added in the 1840s. A single-storey smoking room extension was added to the north-east in 1895.

The existing naturalistic landscape park with its woodlands, shelter belts, meandering walks and sweeping carriage drives, was laid out as a setting for this house in the 1760s or 1770s. 

The old abbey ruins were made a feature of this park and a sunken drive was created below the garden front of the house.

In the 1840s, a masonry pedestrian humped bridge was built, allowing access to the park across this sunken way.

Near the abbey a well house was built in the 1770s, known as ‘The Nun’s Well’, possibly replacing a medieval well-house mentioned by Harris in 1744.

The stable yard, being a complex of one and two-storey ranges of both 18th and 19th century construction, including a free-standing game larder, are hidden within the park, as is the walled garden lying to the north-west.

The three 19th century gate lodges were added in the 19th century; viz. the old gate lodge ca 1820, known as Rosemount Cottage, made redundant by a re-alignment of the public road; the Abbey entrance of ca 1815-20; and the village West Gate Lodge of ca 1860.

The entrance lodge is in Georgian-Gothic style, as is the pinnacles gate-screen, and appears to have been inspired by the lodges at Mount Stewart, designed by George Dance (the younger), in 1808-09.

In 1843, the garden designer, Ninian Niven, made some alterations to the park layout, notably adding a parterre to the terrace on the north east side of the house. This has been grassed over in recent decades. 

The parkland survives today in good order and contains fine mature trees with shelter belts and woodlands down to the lough shore.

Contemporary ornamental planting is maintained to the east and west of the north front; the south entrance front is in lawns, with a sweeping carriage drive.

Part of the walled garden to the northwest of the house is cultivated. A portion of what was once a much larger orchard is retained.

William Montgomery, who lives with his family at Grey Abbey estate today, is descended from the younger brother of the 1st Earl of Mount Alexander, Sir James, who was given the Grey Abbey estates which remain, in part, in the family today.

The family is, therefore, of the same family but not directly descended from him.

In Victorian times, the family owned land in the Ards Peninsula extending to some 5,000 or so acres, though this figure would have been closer to 100,000 acres in the 16th century.

The Montgomerys also owned the Tyrella estate, near Rathmullan, County Down - it having come into the family through the marriage of William Montgomery to Suzanne Jelly in 1749.

Mrs Daphne Montgomery is the granddaughter of 1st Viscount Bridgeman. William Montgomery is a Trustee of Weston Park estate in Shropshire. The Bridgeman family inherited Weston Park itself during the 18th century and today it is run as a trust by the Weston Park Foundation.

I am grateful to William Montgomery for providing me with further details and images of Grey Abbey House. Mount Alexander arms courtesy of European Heraldry. First published in May, 2010.

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Blackberry Sponge

County Down blackberry sponge pudding, made this afternoon at Belmont GHQ. The flavour is sublime.

The blackberries were picked in September at Portavo reservoir, near Donaghadee.

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NY Daily News Reports Classic Car Market At All-Time High

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

We're asked constantly about the values of classic cars, and whether the current trend in popularity will be on-going or whether we're in for a bubble-burst. As much as I'd love to provide a definitive answer, there is really no way to accurately predict. The previous gas war we were in in the 1970's proved fatal to a thriving muscle car era.

Even following the downturn following the 1970's highs, there were always the true enthusiasts who not only kept their enthusiasm in tact, but helped to keep the cars themselves from extinction. I think that this will always be the case. And, if we are faced with another downturn in collector attention, it should drive up the prices when they once again surface because there would be fewer survivors. As we all know, rarity does drive up the values of collector cars.

That said, the news in the collector world is still good. It is being reported in the New York Daily News that, "The demand for classic cars is at an all-time high. If viewed as a class of commodity, they would seem like the only sure bet for investors."

We'll continue to monitor demand and valuations of classic cars, but for us, it's more than the monetary value. Guy Algar states, "I have always believed that the fun of owning a classic car or truck is NOT in the financial gain you might get from owning one. It is in the joy that owning and driving one brings, even if the costs outweigh the value. It has the ability to take us back to our youth when life was delightfully simpler, and cars were something that you actually enjoyed!" As one person commented online, "treating old cars as an investment would suck the fun out of owning them." We agree!

RESOURCES FOR CLASSIC CAR INVESTMENT:
Classic Car News - Buying Classic Cars As Investments - What Are Your Chances of Making Money? 
Classic Car News - Don't Let The Thrill Of Driving Die - Traditional Ritual In Danger
Classic Car News - Future of Cars May Be Incredible, But Will They Be As Fun To Drive?
NYDailyNews.com - Demand for Classic Cars Reaches New Heights

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

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3rd Viscount Palmerston

One of the topics chosen on the BBC's Mastermind programme this evening is the life and career of the Right Honourable Henry John [Temple], 3rd Viscount Palmerston, KG, GCB, PC.

I have written about the Temple family and their association with Classiebawn Castle.

The TEMPLES, and the ducal house of Buckingham & Chandos, maternally descended, are said to have been of Saxon origin, and to have sprung immediately from the son and heir of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia.

SIR WILLIAM TEMPLE, knight, a learned and eminent person in the reign of ELIZABETH I, secretary to the unfortunate Earl of Essex, removed into Ireland, and was appointed provost of Trinity College, Dublin.

He received the honour of knighthood in 1622. His elder son,

SIR JOHN TEMPLE, knight, born in 1600, who was constituted master of the Rolls in Ireland. His youngest son,

SIR JOHN TEMPLE, knight, was solicitor and attorney-general, and speaker of the House of Commons in Ireland. His grandson,

HENRY TEMPLE ESQ, who was raised to the peerage, in 1722, with the dignities of Baron Temple and VISCOUNT PALMERSTON.

The 3rd Viscount was a statesman who served twice as Prime Minister in the mid-19th century.

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Castle Durrow

THE VISCOUNTS ASHBROOK WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTIES KILKENNY AND OFFALY, WITH 16,768 ACRES

SIR WILLIAM FLOWER, knight, was a military man in service under Michael Jones, governor of Dublin, during the Irish rebellion in 1641, and was subsequently one of the Privy Council of CHARLES II.

Sir William was born at Whitwell, Rutland, in 1600. During the Irish rebellion, he was seized, in 1648, with other officers, on suspicion of affection to the Marquess of Ormonde (Lord Ormonde was their former general at that time, upon his return to the Kingdom), where they were sent prisoners to England. 

Sir William lived to see the restoration of CHARLES II, to whose first Parliament, In 1661, he was returned as member for Irishtown.

He was made captain of a company of foot and afterwards lieutenant-colonel to His Majesty's King George II Regiment of Guards, in Ireland.

He was appointed, in 1662, one of the trustees for "Satisfying the Arrears of the Commissiioned Officers" who served the King in Ireland before 5th June, 1649.

His nephew,

THOMAS FLOWER, of Durrow, County Kilkenny, married, firstly, in 1683, Mary, 4th daughter of Sir John Temple, attorney-general for Ireland. His elder son,

WILLIAM FLOWER, of Durrow, 1st BARON CASTLE DURROW, who represented County Kilkenny in parliament. His only surviving son,

HENRY, 2nd Baron, was created VISCOUNT ASHBROOK, in 1751.

CASTLE DURROW, near Durrow, County Laois, is an early 18th century mansion, with a high-pitched roof and tall chimney-stacks.

It was constructed by Colonel William Flower MP, later 1st Lord Castle Durrow. Colonel Flower commenced with the construction of the manor in 1712. The Flower family assumed residency of Castle Durrow in 1716.

The house consists of two storeys with a dormered attic in the roof; nine bays, of which the front is divided into three groups of three bays by huge Doric pilasters, formerly crowned with urns (now erected on the porch).

Later generations of the Ashbrooks adorned the house with 18th century plasterwork and 19th century stained-glass.

There is a notable castellated entrance gate in the square of the town of Durrow.

Castle Durrow was sold by the 9th Viscount in 1922.

Subsequently, the property was sold to a Mr Maher of Freshford, County Kilkenny, who was primarily interested in the rich timber reserves of the estate.

By 1928 the old hard wood forests of Durrow were scarce.

Eventually the Irish Land Commission divided up the arable portions of the property, and the forestry department took over many of the woods for further plantation.

During this time Castle Durrow was vacant for a few years.

In 1929, with the Bishop’s approval, the parish of Durrow acquired the estate for the purchase price of £1,800 and Castle Durrow was transformed into a school, St Fintan’s College and Convent.

Peter and Shelley Stokes bought the castle in 1998 and transformed it into a hotel.

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Theft Alert: 1932 Ford Coupe Stolen While Florida Man On Vacation

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

News broke today of a DeLeon Springs, Florida man who returned home from vacation to find that his 1932 Ford Coupe had been stolen from his garage. As our regular readers are aware, we've been running a weekly series, Keep Our Rides Safe, on classic car and muscle car theft prevention and protection. We had just written about the need to take active steps to protect your rides even in your own garage, and this is heartbreaking proof that these types of thefts DO occur where you feel most safe...your home.

Stolen Car: 1932 Ford 3-window Coupe
Estimated Date of Theft: Sunday 10-21-12 from DeLeon Springs, FL

The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that David Gallentine discovered the theft when he "went to his garage to put some fishing poles and other equipment away Monday night when he noticed some items out of place. And completely missing was his restored 1932 Ford three-window coupe." Upon closer inspection he discovered that the thieves had pried the metal on the side of his shop to gain access. "They knew it was there, they knew I wasn't here, and they knew how to get into the shop," he said. And the car was the only thing missing. Nothing in the home was touched.

Gallentine estimates that he spent about 3,000 hours building the coupe over a three year period.  The car is estimated to be worth approximately $90,000. One neighbor reported hearing activity on Sunday, thinking it sounded like the car leaving the residence.

If you have any information, please contact the DeLeon Police Department at 386-734-1711.

RESOURCES FOR REPORTING:
DeLeon Police Department - DeLeon Police Dept Website

Hemmings - Hemmings Daily Blog Report a Theft Form

RESOURCES FOR THEFT PREVENTION:

Classic Car News - Preventing Class Car Theft: The Big Picture

Classic Car News - Take Caution Where You Take Your Classic Car Or Muscle Car

Classic Car News - Identifying The Potential Classic Car Thief - Know Who Your Friends Are
Classic Car News - How & Where To Park Your Classic or Muscle Car To Minimize The Threat of Theft
Classic Car News - Purchasing Classic Car Insurance - Why You Don't Want To Procrastinate!
Classic Car News - At Home Theft Prevention for Your Classic Car or Muscle Car
Classic Car News - On The Road Theft Protection - How to Keep Your Car Safe While Traveling

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

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Phoenix Lodge

CHARLEY OF SEYMOUR HILL

The family of Charley, or Chorley, passing over from the north of England, settled in Ulster in the I7th century, at first at Belfast, where they were owners of house property for two hundred years; and afterwards at Finaghy, County Antrim, where  

RALPH CHARLEY (1664-1746), of Finaghy House, was seated. His son,  

JOHN CHARLEY (1712-93), of Finaghy, died aged 81, leaving a son and successor,

JOHN CHARLEY (1744-1812), of Finaghy House, born in 1744; married in 1783, Anne Jane, daughter of Richard Wolfenden, of Harmony Hill, County Down. His 2nd son,

MATTHEW CHARLEY (1788-1846), of Finaghy House, married, in 1819, Mary Anne, daughter of Walter Roberts, of Colin House. His eldest son,

JOHN STOUPPE CHARLEY JP (1825-78), of Finaghy House, County Antrim, and Island of Arranmore, County Donegal; JP for counties Donegal, Antrim, and Borough of Belfast; High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1875-6; married, in 1851, Mary Stewart, daughter of Francis Forster JP, of Roshine Lodge, County Donegal. The 3rd son,

WILLIAM CHARLEY, of Seymour Hill, Dunmurry; married, in 1817, Isabella, eldest daughter of William Hunter JP, of Dunmurry, and died in 1838, aged 37. The eldest son,

JOHN CHARLEY, of Seymour Hill, died unmarried in 1843, aged 25, and was succeeded by his brother, 

WILLIAM CHARLEY JP DL (1826-1904), of Seymour Hill; married, in 1856, Ellen Anna Matilda, daughter of Edward Johnson JP, of Ballymacash, near Lisburn, and granddaughter of Rev Philip Johnson JP DL.

Mr Charley was juror of Great Exhibition, 1851; chairman of J & W Charley & Company. He wrote the book Flax And Its Products. He was succeeded by his son,

EDWARD JOHNSON CHARLEY (1859-1932), of Seymour Hill. His 6th son, 

COLONEL HAROLD RICHARD CHARLEY CBE DL (1875-1956), of Seymour Hill; officer, 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles; fought in the Boer War, and First World War, with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, and was wounded and became a PoW.

In 1916 he started workshops for interned British servicemen at Murren. He was Officer-in-Charge for Technical Instruction for servicemen interned in Switzerland in 1917; Commissioner of British Red Cross Society, Switzerland, 1918; commander of the 1st Royal Ulster Rifles, 1919-23.

CBE, 1920; City Commandant, Ulster Special Constabulary, 1924-52; originator of the British Legion Car Park Attendants scheme (adopted throughout Great Britain); Honorary Colonel, 1938, Antrim Coast Regiment (Territorial Army). His eldest son, 
 
COLONEL WILLIAM ROBERT (Robin) HUNTER CHARLEY OBE, born in 1924; married Catherine Janet, daughter of William Sinclair Kingan, in 1960. 

In 1943 he was enlisted in the Royal Ulster Rifles; fought in 2nd World War, and the Korean War; Commanding Officer, OTC Queen's University, Belfast, 1965-68; Officer, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. 

He retired from the army in 1971; was on Staff in 1972 at Northern Ireland Polytechnic; lived in 1976 at Seymour Lodge, Larch Hill, Craigavad, County Down.

Colonel Charley was appointed OBE (civil) in 1989, for services to The Forces Help Society and Lord Roberts' Workshops.



IN 1837 THE ULSTER RAILWAY COMPANY opened its first line from Belfast to Lisburn. To encourage use of the railway, free passes were offered to people if they built new homes near the stations and halts.

It is thought that this may have influenced William Charley (1790-1838) to build Phoenix Lodge for his daughter Anne Jane in 1837, shortly before he died.

In 1842, Anne Jane Charley married William Stevenson of Belfast and they lived at Phoenix Lodge until his death in 1855. His widow then moved to live with her mother at Huntley.

In 1882 the name of the house was changed to The Lodge, after the Phoenix Park murders in Dublin when Lord Frederick Cavendish and Thomas Burke, Chief Secretary & Under Secretary of Ireland, were assassinated.

Captain Arthur Charley JP (1870-1944), lived there with his wife Clare after the Great War until his brother, Edward Charley JP DL (1859-1932), died and he moved into Seymour Hill.

In the 1930s and at the beginning of World War II, The Lodge was rented by Lord and Lady Ampthill.

In 1940, Major-General Sir James and Lady Cooke-Collis lived there. He was the first Ulster Agent in London but died in 1941 as the result of a German air raid on his club in London.

Nextly it was occupied by Major-General Majendie, GOC Northern Ireland; and finally, in 1947, it was bought by Mrs Harland, the sister of Sir Milne Barbour Bt, of Conway House.

Despite being listed, the house was vested in the early 1960s after Mrs Harland died. The grounds taken over for the expansion of a nearby factory. 

A large, weeping ash tree dominated the front lawn of the Lodge.

The information has been sourced from Lisburn Historical Society. First published in March, 2011.

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1st Earl of Strafford

THE EARLS OF STRAFFORD WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LONDONDERRY, WITH 7,647 ACRES

THE HON ROBERT BYNG (1703-40), 3rd son of 1st Viscount Torrington, MP for Plymouth, one of the commissioners of the Navy and afterwards governor of Barbados, married and had issue,

GEORGE BYNG, MP for Middlesex, of Wrotham Park, who married, in 1761, Anne, daughter of the Rt Hon William Conolly, of Castletown, in Ireland, by Lady Anne, his wife, eldest daughter of Thomas Wentworth, EARL OF STRAFFORD (2nd creation), and co-heir of her brother William, 2nd Earl; and had issue, the 3rd son, 

FIELD MARSHAL THE RT HON SIR JOHN BYNG GCB GCH (1772-1860), of 6 Portman Square, London, and Bellaghy, County Londonderry, inherited the significant Bellaghy Estate through his mother Anne.

Sir John was one of the most distinguished commanders in the Peninsular war. He entered the Army in 1793, and took a leading and brilliant part in the battles of the Peninsula, and at Waterloo.

He twice received the thanks of Parliament for his services in the Peninsula and at the battle of Waterloo; and from the Crown an honourable augmentation of his arms.

In 1828, Sir John was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, and appointed to the privy council of Ireland the same year.

After leaving Ireland in 1831, he was appointed a GCB and turned his attention to politics, being elected MP for Poole, Dorset, a seat he held until he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Strafford in 1835.

In 1841, he was promoted to General.

Lord Strafford was further advanced to the dignity of an earldom, as EARL OF STRAFFORD (of 3rd creation), and Viscount Enfield (arms displayed above), in 1843, and inherited Wrotham Park from his eldest brother in 1847.

In 1855, Lord Strafford was further promoted to the highest military rank of Field Marshal.

Lord Stafford's Bellaghy estate included Dreenan along with most of Lavey, Bellaghy, Greenlough and parts of Maghera, including Fallagloon.

The Vintners' Company was associated with the other City Companies in JAMES I's scheme for the plantation of Ulster.

It owned estates known as Vintners' Manor, or Bellaghy, until 1737, when it sold them, subject to an annual rent charge of £200 and "a brace of good bucks."

The Vintners held in excess of 32,000 acres in County Londonderry. This area of land stretched from Lough Beg in the south, to outside Maghera in the north, the rivers Bann and Moyola being part of its eastern and western boundaries.

The Manor of Vintners, commonly called the Bellaghy Estate, comprised fifty townlands, the most distant of which was seven miles from the village of Bellaghy, where the manor court was held.

The Conolly Papers state that

The third major component of the Conolly estate, the Vintners proportion, resembled the Limavady estate in that it was freehold and was acquired outright (subject only to a chief rent of £200 a year).

It was centred on the village of Bellaghy, and was bounded on the north by the Mercers proportion; on the south by Lough Beg; on the west by the barony of Keenaght; and on the east by County Antrim. 

The lessees prior to Speaker Conolly were the 2nd and 3rd Viscounts Massereene, to whom the Vintners had granted a 61-year lease in 1673, subsequently extended by about ten years. Conolly seems to have bought the Massereene lease, possibly in 1718.

It was devised to four parties, represented by Lord Strafford, Lord Clancarty, Lord Lothian and Colonel Connolly [sic], as tenants in common.

In 1929, under the Northern Ireland Land Act, the Bellaghy Estate, which at that time belonged to Lord Deramore, the Hon Millicent Valla Alexander (wife of the Hon Herbrand Charles Alexander DSO) and Alice, Dowager Countess of Strafford (widow of the 3rd Earl), was sold to its tenants.

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On-The-Road Theft Protection - How to Keep Your Classic Car or Muscle Car Safe While Traveling

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

Last week, we looked at security when we're at home. It's our sanctuary and a place we keep our most cherished items (classic car, muscle car, antique, street rod, vintage truck, or our project car of course). Even though more than one third of all car thefts occur from a home or residence, we're very vulnerable when we travel, especially when far from home on a road trip. But, bad things can happen even when on the road not all that far from home as well!

Keeping Your Classic Car Safe On Road Trips

When you're traveling, you'll need to change priorities a bit. You'll be out of your element and will need to have take reasonable precautions. How far from home and for how long will play a big part in the types of things you'll need to consider, and the steps you may need to take to maximize your safety strategies.

Some steps are obvious while others are easy to overlook when it comes to preventing car theft when you're away from home!

Prepare With Accurate, Up-To-Date Records

In addition to the maps, hotel reservations and activity list, make sure you take the time to prepare a list of information you might just need if you get into any trouble on the road. Make, model and VIN numbers are a good start. Adding identifying numbers of your engine, paint and interior colors, rim and tire information, and any other identifiers which are unique or can help identify your car should be listed. When you're in crisis mode, it's easy to forget to list obvious ones that can aid officials in locating your ride. The more information they have the better.

In addition to making sure you have a way of reaching your insurance company 24/7, you might also want to write contact information of your repair or restoration shop, and bring along photos of your car (front, side, rear). These can aid in getting bulletins out quickly. Jot down the e-mail address for Hemmings Daily so you can notify them of a theft by simply filling out a brief form (see link below). They've been instrumental in getting the word out, as we do, to fellow enthusiasts who can keep an eye out!

Make Sure You Have Adequate Classic Car Insurance

Make sure you've got active insurance in place. If not, take a look at purchasing a classic car insurance policy, and make sure that it is active before any long trip. Talk with an agent who can help advise about potential loop-holes in coverage. If you're considering a long trip or cruise, make sure that it will cover the mileage and the possibility you may be out of state. The cost is low compared to auto insurance for your modern daily driver, and it can mean the difference of losing your cherished ride forever, or the possibility of being able to begin again with another without losing your shirt. And remember, the use of deterrents and active anti-theft devices can save you money on your premiums. Read the full article on insurance in the resources link below, and don't procrastinate in getting it.

Use An Alarm System

Today's assortment of alarms can seem overwhelming, and we'll be covering them in detail in a future installment in this series of theft prevention articles. There are passive alarms that signal a monitoring device, those that will page you, those that sound an audible alarm, those that will activate hidden cameras, and those that will trigger active GPS monitoring. We will take a look at each of these in detail, but for now remember that all the theft deterrents and alarms in the world won't help keep your ride safe unless you actively use them. Remember to activate them whenever you're not in your car, and especially when you are away from home and/or on a road trip.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings - Take Care Where You Park

The point here is to be aware of your surroundings, including where you park your car. Don't take it for granted that just because you're at a national show or event with fellow enthusiasts or on a popular cruise or road trip that something bad can't happen. Take preventive action by checking out your intended destination and taking the time to secure your old car or truck while on the road.

Guy Algar states, "Don't forget to take precautions even during short trips or visits to popular places. You may feel safe parking your ride because you've been there before or know people where you're going, but remember, that thieves can take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself, and will sometimes create their own opportunities as well! They can follow you from a cruise, a show, an event or even from a restaurant and plan a theft after watching you entering your hotel. If you have a ride that catches other people's attention, remember that it will also catch the wrong attention!" Keep these things in mind:

• Never park behind buildings. This tends to provide cover for thieves.
• If you can, park in plain sight of windows, doors, and areas with good foot traffic.
• Do not park next to thick bushes or shrubbery.
• Do not park next to alcoves, walls and areas where a person can hide. 
• Avoid extremely remote areas.
• Avoid unattended parking lots. Parking garages are safer choices.
• Select parking garages that are fenced in and secure. Preferably with good visibility into the lot.
• When parking on the street, select busy well-lit areas.
• Be especially cautious at night, which is a thief's preferred time.
• Check on your vehicle regularly.
• Never leave a spare set of keys in the car.
• Don't leave hotel keys in car.
• Don't leave travel plans, maps, hotel or travel pamphlets in plain sight.
• Do not leave personal items and baggage in plain sight whenever possible.
• Remove your GPS device or hide it.
• Never hide keys in/or about your car.
• Never leave your title in the vehicle.
• Never move valuables after you've arrived.
• Don't park in two spaces. This only brings attention to your car.
• Arm your car with your anti-theft measures and your multi-layered security system.

Use All Your Self Deterrents

Don't forget the basics in theft prevention. We'll take a closer look at each of these, and many more, in upcoming weeks:

• Lock all doors and windows.
• Use hood locks.
• Use steering wheel and/or brake locks.
• Use a kill switch.
• Disconnect the car's battery.
• Use a fuel cut-off switch.
• Remove the Distributor Cap and/or Ignition Rotor.
• Remove Fuel Pump Fuse.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: 
Guy and I realize that the safety of your classic car or muscle car is extremely important to most owners. Everyone wants to protect their ride with methods that work, and that won't bust the bank. Guy Algar was an Installation Technician for LoJack at one point in his career, and served as a troubleshooter for difficult installations. A complete list of links for Theft Prevention and Theft Protection will appear in my upcoming article. Have a story you'd like to share? Leave a comment and we may publish your story! - Andrea L. Algar

REFERENCES / RESOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Classic Car News - Preventing Class Car Theft: The Big Picture

Classic Car News - Take Caution Where You Take Your Classic Car Or Muscle Car

Classic Car News - Identifying The Potential Classic Car Thief - Know Who Your Friends Are
Classic Car News - How & Where To Park Your Classic or Muscle Car To Minimize The Threat of Theft
Classic Car News - Purchasing Classic Car Insurance - Why You Don't Want To Procrastinate!
Hemmings - Hemmings Daily Blog Report a Theft Form
No Nonsense Self Defense - Car Theft Prevention

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

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Gibb's Island Day

I have been on the go all day. This is the first opportunity I've had to update the blog.

I arrived at Gibb's Island at about nine-thirty this morning, despite a major diversion between Killyleagh and Delamont, County Down.

There were eight of us today, the task being to cut down a large patch of gorse. Two bonfires were lit.

For lunch I had home-made egg salad sandwiches, which were delicious: hard-boiled egg; cream cheese, onion; mustard; a little sugar; seasoning; and fresh wholemeal bread.

There were plenty of logs, so we all had a share of the spoils. I got two sackfuls.

As soon as I arrived home, I snatched my swimming apparel and dashed up to the sports club for the customary sixty lengths.

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Culloden House

ROBINSON OF CULLODEN HOUSE

William Auchinleck Robinson JP (ca 1830-84), originally from Scotland, married, in 1847, at St Anne's Shankill, Belfast, Elizabeth Jane (1819-89), daughter of Patrick Culloden (1768-1843), of Stranmillis, Belfast.

Mr Robinson was a stockbroker, and initially settled on the Antrim Road, Belfast. He conducted his business at 67 High Street.

This gentleman's commercial prowess and acumen was such, that he purchased land at Craigavad, County Down.

Culloden House was built in 1876 by the Belfast firm, Young & Mackenzie.

Most of the stone came from Scotland by boat, landed at Portaferry, and was conveyed by horse and cart to the Craigavad site.

The mansion took two years to build, during which time the Robinsons lived in a modest cottage within the grounds.

Mr Robinson died in 1884, a mere eight years after his new home was built.

Culloden House, named after his widow, Mrs Elizabeth Jane Robinson (née Culloden) was presented to the representative body of the Church of Ireland.

Consequently, at the end of the 19th Century, Culloden House became the official residence of the Lord Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore, and was known as the Bishop’s Palace.

Previously the bishops' palace was “Ardtullagh”, at Knocknagoney, near Holywood, but this property was acquired in 1886 by the War Department (Ministry of Defence) for use as a barracks.

The barracks is still in use today by the Army and is known as Palace Barracks.

The Rt Rev Thomas James Welland was the first prelate to live at Culloden, in 1898.

In subsequent years, three further bishops lived at the Bishop's Palace.

During the tenure of Bishop Crozier (subsequently Archbishop of Armagh), a private chapel, the Jeremy Taylor Memorial Chapel, was dedicated within the house.

During this period, the celebrated songwriter and entertainer Percy French often stayed at the palace.

Indeed, Bishop Crozier was godfather to French’s second daughter.

In the 1920s, the Church sold Culloden House to Sir John Campbell MD FRCS LL.D, a celebrated Belfast gynaecologist and MP.

In 1959, Culloden was purchased from Sir John’s son, Robert, for £10,000, by Thomas C Reid, sometime chairman of the Northern Ireland Ploughing Association.

Mr Rutledge White, proprietor of White’s Home Bakery, purchased Culloden in 1962. It was opened as a hotel, comprising eleven bedrooms, the following year, under the management of Mr White’s son-in-law, Mr Roberts.

The well-known hotelier, Sir William Hastings, CBE, purchased the premises in 1967 and Culloden House has been transformed into the Culloden Hotel,  Northern Ireland's longest-established deluxe hotel.

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A Home Made Christmas

Each Wednesday from now until Christmas I will be blogging about a gift idea that can be made at home and I would love it if you would join in each week with your own contribution to "A Home Made Christmas".
I am sure that there are great projects to make, goodies to make, bake and bottle and ideas that you all have to share. I look forward to reading all about the things you make and being inspired by your ideas.

If you are worried about ruining the surprise feel free to post about something you have made in the past, something you saw or something you have received.

When planning home made gifts you need to consider a number of things:
How long the item will take to make? How far ahead do I need to plan?
How long will it keep?  What is the shelf life?
Does it need time to mature like Christmas Cakes/Puddings?
Can I make more than one at a time and give them to a number of people?

This week I want to talk about something really quick and easy to make, that can be made at the last minute and is great to team up with a selection of imported beer for the man who is hard to buy for.

Spiced Beer Nuts

   

These would be great teamed up with the recipe so that the recipient can make them for them selves in the future.  They only stay fresh for about 3 days so are really a last minute make.

1 kg Raw Nuts (Macadamias, Almonds, Brazil, Peanuts, Cashews, Pecans)

100gm Pumpkin Seeds

100gm Sunflower Seeds

3 Tbs Olive Oil

3 Tbs Runny Honey

3 Tsp Sea Salt Flakes

3 Tsp Cummin Seeds

2 Tsp Paprika

1 1/2 Tsp Celery Salt

1/4 Tsp Freshly Ground Black pepper

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees and while it is heating grind you Cummin seeds to a course grind in a morter and pestle.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper and set to the side.  Put the nuts in a large bowl and drizzle with the oil and honey.  Add the spices, salt and pepper and mix to coat them evenly.  Tip the mix onto your baking tray and bake in the middle of your oven for about 10 - 15 minutes stiring every 2 mintes.  When they are golden remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before packaging.  

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Warren House

CHARLEY OF SEYMOUR HILL

The family of Charley, or Chorley, passing over from the north of England, settled in Ulster in the I7th century, at first at Belfast, where they were owners of house property for two hundred years; and afterwards at Finaghy, County Antrim, where  

RALPH CHARLEY (1664-1746), of Finaghy House, was seated. His son,  

JOHN CHARLEY (1712-93), of Finaghy, died aged 81, leaving a son and successor,

JOHN CHARLEY (1744-1812), of Finaghy House, born in 1744; married in 1783, Anne Jane, daughter of Richard Wolfenden, of Harmony Hill, County Down. His 2nd son,

MATTHEW CHARLEY (1788-1846), of Finaghy House, married, in 1819, Mary Anne, daughter of Walter Roberts, of Colin House. His eldest son,

JOHN STOUPPE CHARLEY JP (1825-78), of Finaghy House, County Antrim, and Island of Arranmore, County Donegal; JP for counties Donegal, Antrim, and Borough of Belfast; High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1875-6; married, in 1851, Mary Stewart, daughter of Francis Forster JP, of Roshine Lodge, County Donegal. The 3rd son,

WILLIAM CHARLEY, of Seymour Hill, Dunmurry; married, in 1817, Isabella, eldest daughter of William Hunter JP, of Dunmurry, and died in 1838, aged 37. The eldest son,

JOHN CHARLEY, of Seymour Hill, died unmarried in 1843, aged 25, and was succeeded by his brother, 

WILLIAM CHARLEY JP DL (1826-1904), of Seymour Hill; married, in 1856, Ellen Anna Matilda, daughter of Edward Johnson JP, of Ballymacash, near Lisburn, and granddaughter of Rev Philip Johnson JP DL.

Mr Charley was juror of Great Exhibition, 1851; chairman of J & W Charley & Company. He wrote the book Flax And Its Products. He was succeeded by his son,

EDWARD JOHNSON CHARLEY (1859-1932), of Seymour Hill. His 6th son, 

COLONEL HAROLD RICHARD CHARLEY CBE DL (1875-1956), of Seymour Hill; officer, 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles; fought in the Boer War, and First World War, with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, and was wounded and became a PoW.

In 1916 he started workshops for interned British servicemen at Murren. He was Officer-in-Charge for Technical Instruction for servicemen interned in Switzerland in 1917; Commissioner of British Red Cross Society, Switzerland, 1918; commander of the 1st Royal Ulster Rifles, 1919-23.

CBE, 1920; City Commandant, Ulster Special Constabulary, 1924-52; originator of the British Legion Car Park Attendants scheme (adopted throughout Great Britain); Honorary Colonel, 1938, Antrim Coast Regiment (Territorial Army). His eldest son, 
 
COLONEL WILLIAM ROBERT (Robin) HUNTER CHARLEY OBE, born in 1924; married Catherine Janet, daughter of William Sinclair Kingan, in 1960. 

In 1943 he was enlisted in the Royal Ulster Rifles; fought in 2nd World War, and the Korean War; Commanding Officer, OTC Queen's University, Belfast, 1965-68; Officer, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. 

He retired from the army in 1971; was on Staff in 1972 at Northern Ireland Polytechnic; lived in 1976 at Seymour Lodge, Larch Hill, Craigavad, County Down.

Colonel Charley was appointed OBE (civil) in 1989, for services to The Forces Help Society and Lord Roberts' Workshops. 

WARREN HOUSE, originally known as Warren View, was a small house on the Charley estate and, until 1922, was occupied by different members of the Johnston family. 

In 1923,  Edward Charley, of Seymour Hill, gave it to his brother Colonel Harold Charley (1875-1956) on his marriage to Phyllis Hunter MBE (1893-1988). 

They extended the house and enlarged it over a number of years. 

Estate agents describe it today as a

"Six bed Detached Edwardian House. Six Bedrooms, Three Reception Rooms; Self Contained Annex Set On Circa 1 Acre Stunning Gardens; Approved Guest-house Full Of Potential.

Once the home of flamboyant car magnate John DeLorean and also the former home of the Charley family involved in the linen industry, this historic Edwardian dwelling is now run as a successful guest-house. Set in tranquil riverside gardens, the impressive façade gives way to a sumptuous living space".

Warren House looks across the Derriaghy river to an ancient mound and rabbit warren.

In 1951 the house was sold by the Charleys. It was then sold again and is is understood that one later owner converted the large drawing-room into a Plymouth Brethren chapel.

In 1970, when the DeLorean factory was built in the nearby fields, Warren House became the residence of John DeLorean. 

A special road-way was made directly from the factory to the house.

First published in March, 2011.

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