In 1539 King Henry VIII awarded the Monkstown lands to Sir John Travers, Master of the Ordnance in Ireland. John Travers lived at Monkstown Castle from 1557 to his death in 1562. He was buried in the Carrickbrennan graveyard. Monkstown Castle was then inherited by James Eustace, 3rd Viscount Baltinglass through his marriage to Mary Travers. During 1580, James Eustace and his followers used the castle as a rebellion stronghold. Following the defeat of Viscount Baltinglass, Monkstown Castle was awarded to Sir Henry Wallop the Vice Treasurer of Ireland. Among those who were found guilty of treason and executed for their involvement in helping James Eustace escape to Spain from Ireland was Edward Cheevers. On September 27, 1992, Pope John Paul II beatified seventeen individuals known as the Wexford Martyrs; among those was Edward Cheevers.

The lands were later returned to Mary Travers, widow of Viscount Baltinglass who later married Gerald Alymer. On her death in 1610 the castle was transferred to the Chevers family through the marriage of Mary Travers’s sister Catherine to John Chevers, and the property passed directly to his second son Henry Chevers, who married Catherine, daughter of Sir Richard Fitzwilliam, of Merrion, Co.Dublin.

Henry & Catherine Chevers lived at Monkstown with their four children (Walter, Thomas, Patrick, Margaret). On the death of Henry Chevers in 1640, the castle and lands were passed to the eldest son, Walter Cheevers. Walter Cheevers and family were ordered to vacate Monkstown in 1653, by the Cromwellian Commissioners, and transplanted to Killyan, County Galway. After making complaints (read more) Walter Cheevers was restored to his estate at Monkstown Castle in 1660 where he lived until his death in 1678. Monkstown was later purchased by Bishop of Armagh Michael Boyle whose son enlarged the castle making it one of the finest residences in Ireland. Thomas Chevers, brother of Walter Chevers of Monkstown was issued a warrant by Cromwell’s followers, on Nov 26, 1653 which authorized Captain John Whittey to transport the Thomas Chevers family to America. The Shivers family of America trace their lineage to Thomas Chevers. Read more here...

Thomas Chevers was married to Katharin Eustace, daughter of Nicolas Eustace of Confey, County Dublin. Nicolas and his father John Eustace, who died in 1598, were included in a list of important men in County Dublin. Go to this link for additional information. Nicholas Eustace married Margaret, daughter of John Sarsfield of Lucan, and secondly Margaret Bath. (Nicholas had a daughter, Catherine, who married Thomas Chevers.) His son James Eustace married a daughter of Sir Nicholas Whyte of Leixlip Castle and his wife Lady Ursula Moore, daughter of 1st Viscount Drogheda. Nicholas and his father James were outlawed soon after 1641 and their lands were forfeited. James Eustace had sons Nicholas Eustace and Thomas. Thomas the survivor regained all the property (which had been entailed) by stating that his father had died before the forfeiture. This was later proved to be false and Thomas Eustace lost all the lands except part of Confey, with Balscott and Eyersland just south of it in Donoghcumpter parish. Of the other lands, Ballycorne (west of Confey in Laraghbryan parish) went to Benedict Arthur and William Fitzgerald, and the property near Clongowes Wood to Richard Reynolds. For pedigree of the Eustace family of Confey from the late 1300s until the Cromwellian Transplantation to County Clare Click here.

These pages © Ronald Eustice, 2009