Major Jonathan Willington : Short Biography

Officers and the Gentry

The Tithe Applotment books of 1823-37 shows a Major Willington paying tithes (Church tax) to the Church of Ireland in 1829 for land he held at Loran, Gortderryboy and Ballykelly in the parish of Bourney. In the townland of Gortderryboy he paid tithes on 120 acres of profitable land and 20 acres of bog, valued  £3 13 shillings. In Loran and Ballykelly he paid tithes on 3 rood ( ¾ of an acre) in each townland valued 19 shillings 11 pence each (1d less than one pound ) for land that is described as “fox cover”. He also owned 3 roods in Templemore house plots and 23 acres 1 rood and 30 perches in Goslingreen, Woodville, Templemore.  Why this Officer held a considerable amount of land in the parish of Bourney was unclear. He is an unknow figure in the parish history and I was intrigued to know who he was and where he had lived.

Major Jonathan Willington, (1773 – 1835), noted on his death record ( Late Major 17th  Regiment, registered December. 4th  1835 by Joseph Armstrong  curate) He was unmarried and served in the army, enlisting at twenty two years of age. He was appointed Cornet 30th dragoons  1795, transferred to the 15th dragoons 1796, Lieutenant 1798, Captain 1807 and Major in 1818. he died on  November 20th, 1835 aged 62 years. He is buried in Templemore town park in the  family burial place. When he died his estate was sold and the following appeared in the Freemans Journal 1763-1924, Tuesday, November 15, 1836. The late Major Jonathan Willington's estate of Loran and its sub-denominations, in the barony of Ikerrin, county of Tipperary, producing a rental of 436/. (= £ 21.16 shillings) per annum, was sold by auction on Friday, to George Roe, Esq., one of the tenants on the estate, for 6,852/.( = £342.6s) So a year later from the date of  Major Willington’s death his tenant George Roe Esq. purchased his estate in Loran. Most of that estate was the 120 acres in Gortderryboy.  

Loran Park was the seat of the Roe family, George Roe took up residence one year after the sale in 1837. This was leasehold property and held from the owner Henry Minchin, He descended from the English branch of the Minchin family of Ballinakill Castle and Busherstown, Co. Offaly. .He was an absentee landlord and described as the “immediate lessor” in the Griffith Valuation records in 1850. Absentee landlords sub-let their estates to intermediate landlords and in turn rented smaller lots to tenants by sub dividing it again.. The intermediate landlords usually held large quantities of land, sometimes up to a ninety- nine years lease and it would often pass down through generations. Roe was the intermediate landlord in Loran Park and when he purchased Major Willington’s land and its sub-denominations he only acquired the lease held by Minchin. In in the mid-1870s Ellen Robinson Borrisokane owned 353 acers in Loran Park and resided there, it was the home of her mother’s family. Her parents Elizabeth Roe married George  Robinson, Fairy Hill, Ballingarry. Helena Maria (Helen or Ellen) Robinson died April 1895 and is buried in Ballingarry. By the beginning of the 20th century Deputy Surgeon General William Carden Roe was living at Loran Park. He was the third son of William Roe of Lismore House. William Robert Roe son of Deputy Surgeon General William Carden Roe, resided there in 1911. The Kennedy family from Glencrow, Toor, Newport, are living in Loran Park since 1926 -27.

I mentioned Fox Cover land cited in the Tithe Applotment books in the townlands of Loran and Ballykelly. The Gentry were very much into hunting and shooting, as a result they provide areas to facilitate this sport and made sure they protected and grew their supply of game.  They planted areas of woodland set aside near open ground  to ensure a good run for the hunting pack while enabling the fox to have enough cover to escape or elude the chasers for a while.  It was also an area to protect the supply of foxes and provided them with safety when rearing the cubs. It provided a rich supply of food for foxes such as rabbits and small animals to prey upon. They were sown with thorny bushes, gorse or furze and small trees.  The fox cover areas were spaced apart so as to ensure the fox could be found easily and insure a good chase from one cover to another. Land was undeveloped and unobstructed in the 1830s with less ditches and no wire fences as we see today. The hunting pack had more or less a clear run which was ideal for the hunter but not for the hunted.

Major Jonathan Willington descended from a very ancient noble family of Willington, of Umberleigh, Co. Devon, England. His Great Grandfather James Willington, Esq, ( c1646 – 1750) was the first of the family who came to Ireland. He resided at Killoskehane Castle and married Miss Mary Carden, daughter of John Carden Templemore. They had three sons, John, of Killoskehane, (d1767) m Mary Eyre. Jonathan, of  Castlewillington m Mary Drought, James of Newhouse and one daughter Priscilla. Both Major Jonathan’s parents were first cousins. His father John Willington, Esq. (High Sheriff) (1740 – 1812) son of John (1700 – 1767) of Killoskehane Castle and  his mother Alicia Willington from Castlewillington, Ballymackey, daughter of Jonathan  Willington.Esq. (1708- 1767).  Major Jonathan had six siblings, and three step-siblings. The eldest son John Esq. (1770 -1835) of Killoskehane, married Sarah, daughter of Christopher Ormsby, Esq. Ballinamore Co Mayo. Mary (1767 - 1823) married George Bennett Richmond house Templemore. Alicia (d 1868) married  Ringrose Drew of Drews Court, near Scarriff  Co. Clare. Elizabeth (1764-1838) married John Shelton of Rossmore, Croom. Co Limerick,  Lieutenant  James Willington ( 1781-1812) 45th Regiment & served in the Peninsular war, unmarried and Priscilla unmarried.   

Major Jonathan’s mother Alice (1749 – 1783) died when the family were young and his father John ( high sheriff ) married again. He married secondly (1785) Bridget Butler, (1755 – 1838) daughter of Theobald Butler, Esq. of Knocka Castle Templemore. They had two sons and one daughter. The eldest stepson Theobald Butler Willington married Anne Lydia Woods daughter of the late Thomas Woods Esq. Mount Erin, Co Offaly. The second stepson Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Willington (1792-1870), of the 84th Foot (later the Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiment) unmarried, joined the army in October 1812 as a Cornet in the 17th Light Dragoons and rose through the ranks with various Regiments until his retirement in September 1845. His death occurred in July 1870 on the Isle of Wight. His stepsister and youngest of the family Bridget (1790 -1843) married Charles Joseph Kelly Monck, 3rd Viscount Monck.

Major Jonathan’s eldest stepbrother, magistrate, in North Tipperary and Laois,  Theobald Butler Willington (Tobias) owned Richmond House, in Richmond Place, Templemore. The Griffiths valuation house books 8th June 1846 show him paying £29.8 shillings. When the valuation was taken again on the 27th March 1847 it shows the same valuation, but noted under the heading Observations: ( Mr Willington lives in Abbeyleix, has a lease for sum of this house, offices & gardens, costs £60 to fund his concerns). It shows he has leased part of his house to Major Hart (occupation gentry) On 15th  Jun 1842  Tobias Willington is recorded in the valuation field books in the townland of Rathmoyle, Abbeyleix as owning a country house and offices costing £23. He had six children, one daughter Maria Bridget born 1828, John 1829, William 1831, Richard Butler 1832, Jonathan James,1834 and Thomas Theobald 1839. Tragically three of his sons died young, William died Aug 28th, 1839 aged eight years; noted on his death record (On the 28th  instant, at Richmond House Templemore. William, second son of Theobald B Willington Esq) John died August 15th, 1845 aged sixteen years; noted on his death record (Died near Abbeyleix, John - son to Theobald B Willington.) and Jonathan James died the 2nd of Oct. 1855 aged twenty years; noted on his death record (At Kinsale, deeply regretted, Jonathan J. Esq South Tipperary Artillery. His remains were attended by the officers of the Tipperary Limerick and Cork artillery, then to the family burial place at Templemore). His daughter Maria married  Rev George Chute (1808-1883) son of  Richard Chute of Roxborough Co Kerry, curate of Chair 1834 and Molahiffe 1839. She was his second wife married 1868. I can’t find any records on his youngest son Thomas Theobald showing where he went or if he died young. 

 His third son Richard Butler Willington was a highly decorated officer. He was one of only six men of his regiment to be decorated with this honour. (Richard Butler Willington was born in December 1833 and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 77th Foot in May 1853. Advanced Captain, he served with the Regiment throughout the Crimea campaign. Advanced Major in April 1866,) On the 14th May 1863 he married Mary Ormsby Rose second daughter of the late Simon L Rose. Esq., of Ballycullen, Co. Limerick. They had three children Richard Henry Rose, b. 1864, Ernest Theobald Woods, b. 1865, and Thomas, Canada.  Richard Butler Willington died  aged just 36. at Murree in the Punjaub East Indies on the 1st September 1868. In his Will of 1869 he grants the effects of under £2000 to his widow Mary Willington of Grosvenor terrace Rathgar Dublin. His companion officers erected a memorial tablet in the Church of Ireland, Templemore, and it states; (Crest and motto “Vicever de dessus” Crimea Alba in affectionate remembrance of Major Richard Butler Willington 77th (East Middlesex) Regiment, who died at Murree in the Punjab, East Indies on the 1st September 1868. His brother officers have erected this tablet.)

His medals went up for auction in New York on the 30th October 2017, the description given by Spink and Son Ltd (Great Britain. Group of Five to: Major R.B. Willington, 77th Foot, one of just six men of his regiment to be decorated with the Sardinian al Valore Militare during the Crimean campaign. Crimea, 1854-56, three clasps: "Alma",

 "Inkermann", and "Sebastopol" (Capt'n Rich'd Butler Willington, 77th Regt.), contemporary re-engraved naming; France, Second Empire, Legion of Honor, Knight's Breast Badge, silver, gold and enamels; Sardinia, al Valore Militare (Captn Ricd Butler Willington 77 Regt), mint mark 'F.G' and 'Spedizione D'Oriente 1855 - 1856' reverse; Turkey, Order of the Medjidjie, Fifth Class breast badge, silver, gold and enamels; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue, several points bent and enamel damage to second, otherwise very fine or better 5) 

In the London Evening Standard of 5 September 1857, upon the announcement of the award of Al Valore Militare medals from the King of Sardinia, the entry confirms; 'Served Eastern campaign of 1854-55, including the battles of Alma and Inkerman and [the] siege of Sebastopol. This would be added to his Crimea Medal with 3 clasps, French Legion of Honour, Turkish Order of the Medjidjie, 5th  Class (London Gazette 2 March 1858 refers) and Turkish Crimea medal.

Major Jonathan’s stepsister Bridget the youngest (1790 -1843) married Charles Joseph Kelly Monck, 3rd Viscount Monck and 3rd Baron Monck of Ballytrammon, County Wexford.  He owned one of the principal seats “Belleville”, in Templemore, Belleville House was situated opposite the Thurles road junction on the Templemore Borrisoleigh road behind Duggan Brothers, building contractors. It was reported to be burned and the stones were used to build the Priory. He also had a street named after him “Monck Street” now called Quarry Rd and once called Hospital St, as a fever hospital was once there. It is between Mary street and Church avenue where St. Joseph's Primary School is located. Viscount Monck died in Dublin, in a Georgian townhouses, built by his father (Lord Monck (Charles Stanley Monck) in the 1760's, situated on Upper Merrion Street, opposite Government Buildings were the Merrion Hotel is situated now. Press Information by Sarah Glavey on The Merrion, Hotel Dublin states  (One of the four house build by Monk is remembered historically as being the birthplace of Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington. All four houses had been in use as state offices for most of this century. The well-known Irish writer, Flan O’Brien, (also known as Myles na Gopaleen) author of “The Third Policeman,” allegedly worked in the buildings when he worked for the government.) They had seven children, the eldest being the most famous Charles Monck, 4th Viscount Monck, (born 10 Oct 1819 died 29 Oct 1894) John Willington Monck (born 9 October 1820) Captain William Monck (born 28 February 1823, died 20 September 1854) Lt.-Gen. Richard Monck (born 23 October 1829, died 7 October 1904) Anne Monck (died 23 Sep 1853) Isabela Bridget and Henrietta Monck (died 6 May 1911).

A nephew (step) to Major Jonathan Willington  eldest son of Bridget Willington and Charles Monck, 3rd Viscount, was Charles Stanley Monck, 4th Viscount Monck and Governor General of Canada, who was born in Templemore. He married his cousin, 24th July 1844. Lady Elizabeth Louise Mary Monck, daughter of his uncle Henry, the 2nd Viscount, who was the co-heir of her father estates in Enniskerry - Charleville. He was the last Governor-General of the Province of Canada Prior to Confederation he was Lieutenant Governor of both Canada West and Canada East. During his term of office as Governor General of Canada the family resided in Quebec. Their four children were Frances Mary Monck (married Richard Aslatt Pearce, died 30 Oct 1930), Elizabeth Louise Mary Monck (died 16 May 1913), Henry Monck, 5th Viscount Monck (born 8 Jan 1849, died 18 Aug 1927) and Richard Charles Stanley Mountjoy Monck (born 2 Aug 1858, died 13 Dec 1892) Charles Monck, 4th Viscount, Governor General of Canada died in November 1894, aged 75 and his wife Lady Elizabeth died in June 1892, aged 78. 

The reason I started researching Major Jonathan Willington was of his connection to Bourney and finding that he was in possession of 120 acres of land in the townland in Gortderryboy. He was an unknow figure in the parish history and I was interested to know more about him. Studying his family lineage revealed he had close family connections to many Officers and Gentry in Templemore, Killoskehane, Ballymackey, Abbeyleix to name a few in Ireland but many more in England and Canada. I always assumed Roe was the only family that lived in Loran Park before Kennedy’s acquired it. The question is, How many more people are there, who lived in our parish in the past that we don’t know about?   

Tim Lee