John Primrose : Short Biography

JOHN PRIMROSE Jr

James Primrose, grandfather of John Primrose Jr, moved to Cahirciveen Kerry in the mid 1700s. He  sub leased  land from Trinity College in Cahirciveen   and married Julia McCrohan.

Their second son John Primrose Sr was born about 1770. He married Honoria O’Connell in 1797. They had ten children – six boys and four girls.

Hillgrove was the house built by John Primrose Sr in 1797 on land at  “Upper Carhen situated in the Parish of Cahir Barony of Iveraga and County of Kerry. Lease 25 April 1797 from Charles and Catherine O’Connell –forty years renewable lease”

John Primrose Jr was born there in 1796.

When he was twenty-two John was appointed as Land Agent and at times Political facilitator for Daniel O’Connell –the Liberator. They were related. Honoria O’Connell John’s mother was a cousin of Daniel . John also had land holdings of his own. He was a Justice of the Peace/Magistrate for many years.
This was withdrawn by the Government on 18th September 1843 due to his membership of Daniel O’Connell’s repeal association, which advocated the repeal of the Act of Union of 1808. His Magistracy was restored in September 1846 after a change of Government in Westminster.

There are several surviving letters from Daniel O’Connell to John Primrose. (see  “The correspondence of Daniel O’Connell”). Mostly concerning farming matters, instructions on what was required from tenants, notice of visits – he attended several parties and hunting trips from Hillgrove. Later there were letters of concern about how to deal with the tenants as life became increasingly hard in Ireland as the famine struck. Many starved or migrated. Landowners or landlords like John Primrose just became bankrupt and ended up losing everything.

Twice John Primrose was imprisoned for debt, once in Cork in 1848 for 12 days and later in England in 1856.

Hillgrove was offered for lease and later for sale, but was just one of many and did not sell.

The house has since been demolished.  The coachhouse remains. It has been refurbished and is now owned by Brian O’Sullivan who runs a porcelain business there.

FAMILY

In 1830, at the age of 34 John married Ricarda Connor.

 Ricarda was the daughter of James Connor a lawyer and legal partner of Daniel O’Connell. Ricarda’s mother was Elizabeth O’Connell and sister to Daniel’s wife Mary. James Connor and Elizabeth had nine children – three girls and six boys. Elizabeth died in childbirth with the youngest child  on 2nd January 1815 and James died not long after that in 1819. Daniel and Mary helped raise and educate  these children and I believe Ricarda was living with them at the time of her marriage to John, she was also 34.

John Primrose Sr and Honoria moved to a house in Denny Street Tralee and John Jr and Ricarda moved into Hillgrove.

Six children followed Betsy March 1831; Philip September 1832; Honora November 1833;  Daniel (my great grandfather)January 1835; James March 1836; and Ellen November 1837.

  Ricarda died at Hillgrove on 5th August 1848

John moved to England round 1850 or 1851  and married a rich widow – Mary Simmons. This marriage did not last but she provided him with an annual income of $300 and a house to live in in London   He died in London in 1865

His eldest son Philip was by his side. His son Daniel (my ancestor) returned from India where he was living at the time but did not arrive before John died.

His descendants are now scattered all over the world.