Sarah Juliana Le Poer Trench : Short Biography

Lady Sarah Juliana Butler was the daughter of the 3rd Earl of Carrick, Somerset Richard Butler and Anne Wynne. She was born on the 29th of July 1812 and the 1901 census records her place of origin as Dublin. On the 8th of September 1832, she married William Thomas Le Poer Trench, the 3rd Earl of Clancarty, an Irish peer and Dutch noble. The family home of the Earls of Clancarty was Garbally Court, Ballinasloe Co. Galway. Lady Sarah Juliana and the Earl would go on to have six children,

• Richard Somerset Le Poer Trench (13 January 1834 – 29 May 1891) married Lady Adeliza Georgiana Hervey - Became 4th Earl of Clancarty upon his father's death

• Major Hon. Frederick Le Poer Trench (10 February 1835 – 17 December 1913) married (1) Harriet Mary Trench (2) Catherine Simpson

• Colonel William Le Poer Trench (17 June 1837 – 16 September 1920) married Harriet Maria Georgina Martins

• Lady Anne Le Poer Trench (1839 – 12 March 1924) married Frederic Sydney Charles Trench

• Power Henry Le Poer Trench (11 May 1841 – 30 April 1899)

• Lady Sarah Emily Grace Le Poer Trench (6 December 1843 – 2 August 1875) married John Melville Hatchell.  

The 3rd Earl died on the 26th of April 1872. As their eldest son, Richard Somerset Le Poer Trench, had been married since 1866, this meant that Lady Sarah Juliana would now be relocating to the Dowager House  of Coorheen House on the shores of Loughrea, Co. Galway. From then on she was styled as the Dowager Countess of Clancarty. She lived in the Dowager House with her staff. The 1901 census lists seven members of staff, none of whom were from Co. Galway, and all bar one of whom were members of the Church of Ireland. 

The Dowager Countess died on April 28th 1905 in Coorheen House. Her death cert describes her cause of death as a cerebral haemorrage at the age of 92, and her death was recorded by George Aitkin, the Land Steward of Coorheen House, who was present at her death.