THE HOUSE OF EUSTACE
By Reverend John Kingston; Published in
Reportorum Novum; Catholic Families of the
Pale
With the exception of the Fitzgeralds, Earls of
Kildare, no family exercised a greater influence
in the county of Kildare than the Eustaces. For
more than three
hundred years they occupied large estates
in Wicklow and Kildare which gave them
considerable power and enabled them to
play a dominating role in the development
of the Pale. To mention that five of the
families were chancellors of Ireland, two
deputies and one lord high treasurer proves
their importance, but some also fought
the English power and some gave their
lives and fortunes for the Catholic faith. There
is no mention of the name among the
retinue of Strongbow, yet they were settled
in Kildare a century later. Consequently
some local historians
" Lodge VI, p. 211.
like Lord Walter Fitzgerald believe they were a
branch of the Poer family who used Eustace as a
Christian name, others suggest they were a
junior branch of the Fitzgeralds, while De Burgo
makes the extraordinary suggestion that they
were descended from the Roman martyr, St.
Eustacius. In the church of St. Sixtus in Rome
is the tomb of a Father Eustace who died in 1712
with the inscription" hic jacet R. D. Eustacii
alias FitzEustace, sacerdos ex familia Sancti
Eustacii Romani Martyris in Hibernia circiter
sexcentis annis stabilita." De Burgo thinks they
came to Britain and were befriended by the Saxon
kings, but the theory is too fanciful to merit
serious consideration.
15
Certainly the
Eustaces were settled in Kildare very early in
the fourteenth century. Their chief residence
was a lovely property on the Liffey near
Kilcullen called Castlemartin and they appear
here in 1317 and in the neighbouring townlands
of Kilcullen, Brannockstown and Nicholastown.
There was a Robert FitzEustace Lord Treasurer of
Ireland in 1327 while Geoffrey FitzEustace was
appointed to oversee the garrisons of Kilteel,
Rathmore, Ballymore and Graney in 1355. The
little town of Ballymore, then a manor of the
Archbishop of Dublin, became specially
identified with the family. Important as an
outpost of the Pale the Eustaces established
castles around the town of which the Archbishop
made them constables. We know they were owners
of estates in the vicinity at Craddockstown,
Gaganstown, Harristown, Barrettstown, Boleybeg,
Mullaghcash, Coghlanstown, Punchestown and
Blackball in the 15th century, but they were
also proprietors of lands in Newland, Carnalway,
Kerdiffstown and Confey. Sir Thomas FitzEustace
was appointed to collect the " smoke silver" for
Kildare in 1386 (this was a tax of a half-penny
on every hearth), and later was constituted
constable of Ballymore by Thomas Minot.
The office of
constable with its salary of ten pounds a year
was important and onerous because of the raids
of the O'Byrnes, it remained in the Eustace
family until 1524. It involved the holding of
markets and fairs, the collection of taxes, the
strengthening of castles and the raising of
armed levies to resist the clansmen. They were
not always faithful to their charge, the
parliament of 1468 reproved Sir Richard
FitzEustace for lack of diligence in defending
the town and allowing the mere Irish to exercise
authority there.
Sir Edward
Eustace of Castlemartin was high sheriff of
Kildare in 1421, 1423, 1425, 1428 and 1430. He
was appointed a privy counselor in 1431 when he
paid a visit to Henry VI and later became lord
deputy for the Duke of York. The lands of the
Eustaces were often raided by the Irish, In 1448
Sir Edward successfully defended Castlemartin
from an onslaught of the O'Connors of Offaly.
The most important of the Eustaces in the 15th
century was a son of Sir Edward's named Roland
who occupied the castle and lands of Harristown.
Born about 1430 he played a prominent part in
the Wars of the Roses and in the government of
the Pale. Trained to the law Roland became chief
clerk to the King's Bench and keeper of the
rolls. The Duke of York impressed by his
father's loyalty and ability appointed him lord
treasurer, a post which he held for thirty-eight
years. He was knighted in 1459 and in 1462 was
created Baron Portlester. The title was taken
from lands in County Meath which belonged to the
family. The following year he became lord deputy
for the absent viceroy, the Duke of Clarence.
Closely allied by marriage to the Fitzgeralds
the Eustaces were zealous supporters of the
Yorkists and flaunted their partisanship even
when Henry VII conquered at Bosworth. Roland was
captain of the Guild of St. George, a body of
knights constituted by the parliament of 1472,
for the defense of the Pale. Once he was accused
of treason but escaped trial, and at the end of
his life he was deprived of the chancellorship
but refused to give up the seal. Obviously he
was typical of the turbulent barons of the age,
yet he was a generous benefactor of the Church.
Beside Kilcullen in a beautiful setting on the
river Liffey he founded and endowed a friary for
Franciscans of Strict Observance called New
Abbey. Little remains to-day of this convent as
the stones were used by the poor Catholics of
Kilcullen to build their first church after the
Penal Laws. His effigy with that of his third
wife, Margaret, can be seen on his tomb. He is
in armour and Margaret in a long pleated costume
with a " horned " head-dress, with the arms of
Eustace and D'Artois on a panel.16 A monument very
similar exists in the old parish church of St.
Audoen's in High Street where Portlester erected
a chantry in honour of Our Lady. Sadly scarred
by age and neglect it reads "orate pro anima
Rolandi Fitz-Eustace de Portlester qui hunc
locum sive capellam dedit in honorem Beatae
Mariae Virginis, etiam pro anima Margaretae
uxoris suae et pro animis omnium fidelium
defunctorum. Anno dom. 1455." He also founded
chantries at Piercetown, Laundey and Greenogue
and re-erected the Guild of English Merchants
trading with Ireland. For forty years he was a
dominant figure in the Pale and the marriage of
his daughter to the powerful Earl of Kildare
gave him unlimited influence. Yet his last days
were dogged by misfortune. Although an old man
he espoused the cause of Lambert Simnel and
followed him to England.
Forgiven by the
king he was later accused of peculation and
dismissed from the office of treasurer. For a
while he was imprisoned in Dublin Castle before
his death in 1496. Portlester had no legitimate
heir so the title died; it is believed he had
two natural sons who predeceased him. His four
daughters married well but the Countess of
Kildare died in 1495 and was buried in New Abbey
beside her father. Portlester's estate may have
included Coghlanstown as there is still extant
there the pedestal of a small memorial cross
with the inscription " Portlester 1462.""
Whether he or his brother built the little
chapel behind Castlemartin is uncertain, but it
was erected about this time.
The Eustaces
were now spread all over Kildare and had
properties in Dublin and the present County
Wicklow. Alen refers to a number of them in his
Register including Richard who was a canon of
St. Patrick's and prebendary of Swords in 1497.
Their loyalty to the Geraldines cost them dearly
when Silken Thomas made his rash revolt. James
of Tipperkevin, Thomas of Cardiston and
Christopher of Coghlanstown joined the rebellion
and forfeited their lands, Christopher was
executed. However the family not for the first
time were divided, Sir Thomas Eustace the nephew
and heir of Portlester remained loyal and even
raised troops to oppose the rebels. He was
rewarded by a peerage, being created Baron
Kilcullen in 1535 and Viscount Baltinglass in
1541. Yet his mother was a sister of Christopher
who had been executed for treason a few years
before. The Reformation further enriched the
first Viscount Baltinglass with the loot of the
great Cistercian abbey of Baltinglass and a
lease of New Abbey. He was one of the lords of
parliament who proclaimed Henry VIII king of
Ireland in 1541 and he was granted the demesne
of Kilberry (near Athy) on the suppression of
St. Patrick's Cathedral. It is impossible to
know how far he was prepared to go with the new
religion although Maurice of Castlemartin seems
to have accepted the Protestant faith.18
As a reward he was
given the forfeited estates of his kinsman,
Christopher of Coghlanstown.
The first
viscount died in 1549 leaving a large family and
was succeeded by his eldest son, Roland. This
man was a fervent Catholic who took every
opportunity of professing his faith. How he must
have grieved when he saw New Abbey left desolate
and the lovely church a ruin. He attended the
parliament of 1558 and vigorously challenged the
Act of Uniformity. Roland married Joan, the
daughter of James Butler, eighth Lord of
Dunboyne, and had six sons and two daughters.
The queen was annoyed with his constant
opposition to heresy and ordered his
imprisonment in 1567 but the Irish government
did not deem it politic to interfere with him.
It was no surprise to find the eldest son of
such a man even more valiant in defense of his
religion.
Perhaps the
most distinguished of the Eustaces, James, third
Viscount Baltinglass was born in 1530 and
received his education from a kinsman, Sir
Norman Eustace who was a priest and a fearless
champion of orthodoxy. Even before his accession
to the estates James boldly protested to the
deputy, Sir Henry Sydney, about the persecution
of the Catholics and the illegal taxation
enforced without any parliamentary sanction.
Convinced that Elizabeth was an usurper because
of the papal decree of 1570 he looked to Mary,
Queen of Scots, for a true sovereign who would
restore the old religion. There is no doubt that
James was a Catholic of heroic mould who was
prepared to sacrifice everything for the faith.
He was imprisoned in 1577 but was released the
following year to assume his title on the death
of his father. His possessions were vast and
were increased by an advantageous marriage to
Mary Travers of Monkstown Castle,19
unfortunately from this union there was no
issue. Prior to his father's death he lived for
many years in Monkstown but immediately on
coming to Harristown commenced dangerous
intrigues with Desmond and the O'Byrnes and
O'Tooles of Wicklow. James Eustace was shocked
by the treatment of the Earl of Desmond as a
letter, still extant, to Black Tom, the
formidable Butler testifies. He implored the
Protestant Ormonde to return to the faith of his
ancestors and to refrain from harrying the
Geraldine. Obviously the third viscount was an
idealist, his preparations for war to aid
Fitzmaurice and Desmond were too hesitant and
far too slow. The rebellion in Munster had been
crushed before he was ready to move, yet he and
his allies liad one glorious success at
Glenmalure before the inevitable defeat. A party
of Spaniards who escaped the Smerwick massacre
marched across Ireland to assist him but were
slaughtered outside Naas.20
Baltinglass
escaped to Munster and eventually to Spain where
Philip II received him kindly and many Spaniards
revered him as a true confessor of the faith. He
died in exile 1586. Forty-five of his adherents
were hanged in Dublin, including two of his
brothers, Thomas and Walter. Another brother,
William, was killed in the fighting according to
an official report to Walsingham " head of
William Eustace another of the Baltinglass
brethren, taken this morning " but Edmund
escaped to Scotland and thence to Spain where he
assumed the title of fourth viscount while
Richard, the remaining brother, became a priest
and died in Rome. Among the other Eustaces who
took part in the rising were Maurice of
Castlemartin and Thomas of Kerdiffstown who were
both executed, and John of Newland and Oliver of
Blackball who were pardoned.
In 1585 the
Statute of Baltinglass was passed by the Irish
parliament with considerable opposition. The
title and arms of Baltinglass were attainted and
all the great possessions of the family were
forfeited. New Abbey was granted to the poet,
Edmund Spenser, but the major parts of the
estates were given to Sir Henry Harrington.
Harristown was restored to John Eustace of
Castlemartin in 1590 and William, his brother,
was restored to Castlemartin two years later.
The queen was hopeful that by this clemency the
family might resume their former loyalty; it was
believed they were both Protestants as William
had actually fought with the English army
against his own brethren. There is no question
that Baltinglass believed he was fighting a holy
war. The English too knew it was a vital
religious struggle, which perhaps explains the
despicable efforts to pervert the condemned
gentry on their way to the scaffold.21
One victim of the rising deserves special
mention. Maurice Eustace, son and heir of John
Eustace of Castlemartin, refused to follow his
father and accept the new religion. Instead he
went abroad with the intention of becoming a
priest and entered the Jesuit novitiate at
Bruges. His father disinherited him but died
shortly afterwards and Maurice was hurriedly
summoned home by his relatives. His brother,
William, who
was anxious to placate the government at all
costs in the hope of succeeding to Castlemartin
promptly, handed over Maurice to their custody.22
Only twenty-four
years old, the young levite was accused of
treason and of correspondence with Baltinglass.
At his trial all that could be proved against
him was membership of the Society of Jesus,
which the judge said was quite sufficient to
prove his treason, and the young man was
sentenced to the usual cruel death by hanging
and quartering.23
William
profited by his treachery. He himself was
confirmed in Castlemartin and his son John was
granted Harristown and some of the old
Baltinglass lands in Rochestown and Calverstown.
In 1606 he was given the tolls of the annual
fair at Kilcullen Bridge and a year later was
High Sheriff of the county. He married four
times and died at a great age in 1635. He was
buried at Castlemartin. Strangely enough, one of
his cousins married Elizabeth Bigland of
Yorkshire, a daughter of Mary Strickland, the
loyal friend and companion of Mary, Queen of
Scots, who brought a drinking cup into the
family with the inscription, " this was Mary,
Queen of Scots, drinking cup ye day she was
beheaded. She gave it to her goddaughter Mary
Strickland to be kept for her sake." This
treasure has been carefully handed down in the
Eustace family despite their later vicissitudes.24
The eldest son, John, who had been granted the
Baltinglass estate at Harristown died in 1623
leaving his lands to his eldest son Maurice, who
became a great and powerful force in the land
after the Rebellion of '41. Known to history as
Sir Maurice Eustace he was a learned lawyer, a
biblical scholar of note, a student of Hebrew
and an immensely wealthy man. Born about 1595
and brought up a Protestant, Maurice entered
Trinity College in 1610, graduated 1615 and
became a fellow and lecturer in Hebrew in 1617.
Probably he was intended for the church but
changed his mind and studied law at Lincoln's
Inn where he was called to the Bar in 1625. The
favour of Adam Loftus, the Protestant
Archbishop, procured him a very useful clientele
and brought him to the notice of Stratford the
deputy. His promotion was rapid, in 1629 he was
Serjeant-at-law and 1634, leader of the Irish
Bar. He was knighted on his election as speaker
of the Commons in 1639 when he made a speech of
fervent loyalty to church and state. There is no
question that he acquired enormous wealth which
was invested in lands at Palmerstown, Chapelizod
and Rathdown. His town house occupied the
present site of Eustace Street, to which he has
given the name, but he also had a very fine
residence at Palmerstown and, of course, his
home at Harristown. A considerable part of the
Phoenix Park belonged to him, it was later
acquired from his heirs to enclose the park by
Ormonde. With acute political insight, Sir
Maurice abandoned his patron in his difficulties
and adhered to Ormonde the rising star.
The Rebellion
of 1641 radically changed the ownership of Irish
land, the Catholics only recovered a fraction of
their former property. This is well illustrated
by the fate of the Eustaces who suffered cruelly
in the Cromwellian plantations. The Civil Survey
shows how widespread the family were in Kildare
with a statement of their farms and acreage. The
following list gives the name of the owner in
1641 and the number of acres computed by the
surveyors.
James Eustace of Confy - 21, 5i and 396 acres.
Thomas Eustace of Straffan - 24 and 140 acres.
William Eustace of Craddockstown - 14, 160, 120,
40 and 620 acres.
Rowland Eustace of Blackhall - 260 acres.
Alexander Eustace of Duddingstown - 40 acres.
Christopher Eustace of Newland - 284, 206, 320,
34, 309, 163, 232 and 66 acres.
Sir Maurice Eustace of Yeogostown -
166,130,50,126, 38, 160 and 270 acres.
Richard Eustace of Blackrath - 380 acres.
Maurice Eustace of Castlemartin - 60, 160, 30,
80, 200, 1,00, 385, 200, 185 and 45 acres.
Thomas and Maurice Eustace of Moone - 75 and
1,000 acres.
Walter Eustace of Ballycollan - 192 acres.
James Eustace of Clongowes - 24, 40 and 340
acres.
John Eustace of Castledermott - 12 acres.
This was an
estimate of their lands in the county but the
Eustaces of Confy had a large farm at Milltown
in the parish of Clondalkin, Sir Maurice had his
lands at Chapelizod and Rathdown and other
members of the clan had farms in Carlow and
Wexford. According to the Survey all were
Catholics except Sir Maurice who became Master
of the Rolls in 1644. His cousin and namesake
the owner of Castlemartin joined the Rebellion
in its early days and was declared a traitor,
all his estates were forfeited and a reward of
400 Pounds placed on his head. Charles II
granted the lands to Sir Maurice but Ormonde
seized the fortress in 1643 and four years later
it was completely destroyed by the parliamentary
forces under Colonel Jones. The Eustaces of
Ballymore, Tipperkevin and Barrettstown are not
included in the Survey but, of course, they
would also lose their lands under the
Commonwealth. The Catholics of Ireland were now
to transplant to Connaught and all their lands
to be given away to English adventurers and
soldiers. We know that transplantation
certificates were issued to Christopher of
Newland, Walter of Ballycallane and Mary of
Blackhall and lands in Connaught were allocated
to Martha, John, Francis, Anne and Cisly Eustace
but whether they ever got possession of them is
doubtful. The Puritans did their uttermost to
entice Sir Maurice to their service but he
remained steadfastly loyal to the king. In 1648
he was arrested at his house in Palmerstown and
sent to England where he spent seven years in
prison at Chester. Through the influence of Lord
Valentia he was allowed to return to Ireland in
1655 where for a time he enjoyed the friendship
of Richard Cromwell.25
However, he was suspected of corresponding with
the king and spent a time in prison in Dublin
before the Restoration. The hope of the Irish
Catholics for justice and restitution of their
property was not fulfilled on the return of
Charles II and thousands of acres of the best
land in the country remained in the possession
of penniless adventurers and bigoted puritans.
This was not the fault of the king who wished
his Irish subjects well, but rather his
inability to deal with corrupt and desperate
factions who were determined to prevent peace
and justice in Ireland.
Many of the
Eustaces never recovered their estates and the
prominence and importance of Sir Maurice only
saved others. From the beginning Charles II
realised he must find a lawyer of integrity to
try and solve the tangle of the Cromwellian
settlement. Sir Maurice Eustace was his obvious
choice and despite his unwillingness was
appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland and one of
the lord justices. Unfortunately his two
co-justices were dangerous schemers with bitter
hostility to the Catholics, whom they had
slaughtered and robbed. There is no doubt that
Sir Maurice was most anxious to restore the
Catholics to their land, he believed there could
be no peace in the ruined country if men who had
loyally fought for their king were refused
justice. But he was an old and ailing man and
his fellow justices, the Earls of Orrery and
Mountrath, overruled him.
Sir Maurice had
all his estates restored to him including the
old family home of Castlemartin. The old owner
of it had died in exile and his son, John
Eustace, was given back the lovely estate by the
Chancellor. Thus Catholic Eustaces returned to
Castlemartin. The generosity of Sir Maurice was
probably stimulated by John's marriage to his
niece. The last days of the Chancellor were sad,
continual ill health and constant controversy
over the land settlement were augmented by worry
about the succession to his vast property. To
his deep sorrow he had no legitimate heir and he
was perplexed whether to leave his estate to a
natural son or a nephew. Charles II wished to
grant him a peerage but the patent never passed
as Sir
Maurice wanted
a special clause in favour of his son.
Eventually Sir Maurice made a settlement of his
property a few days before his death in 1665
mostly in favour of a nephew who became Sir
Maurice of Harristown, but his brother William
was given Calverstown and Blackrath and
Alexander who appears to have been a younger
brother was given Yeomanstown and Castlekeely.
These latter lands were forfeited lands which
Sir Maurice received by grant and now restored
to their owners or at least kept in the family.26
Buried in
Castlemartin, Sir Maurice was also given a great
funeral with effigy and heraldic honours in St.
Patrick's Cathedral. His chief heir was also a
lawyer who represented Knocktopher in parliament
and in 1681 formed Harristown into a manor of
4,000 acres with markets, fairs, its own
sovereign, burgesses, prison and returning two
members to parliament. Sir Maurice Eustace of
Harristown was a convinced Protestant. He
supported William of Orange and had to flee to
England during the war, being attainted by the
parliament of 1689 but returned to resume
possession in 1700.
He died in 1704
when the estate was divided up between his three
daughters. Harristown was sold in 1738 to Rev.
John Kearney and purchased in 1768 by the
well-known Dublin banker David La Touche in
which family it remained until 1935.
The complex and
difficult genealogy of the Eustaces is
illustrated in this century as there were three
Sir Maurice Eustaces, (1) the Lord Chancellor,
(2) Sir Maurice of Harristown, (3) Sir Maurice
of Castlemartin. As we have seen the Chancellor
restored John Eustace to the old home and in
1684 his eldest son, Maurice, succeeded to the
property. This Maurice was an uncompromising
Catholic who had fought gallantly against
Cromwell. During the war he was accused of
hanging a spy but the Chancellor obtained pardon
for him at the Restoration. James II created him
a baronet and confirmed his title to
Castlemartin. In the war that followed James had
no more devoted servant than Sir Maurice. He
raised Eustace's Regiment and distinguished
himself at Derry and the Boyne. Amongst his
officers were James Eustace of Yeomanstown,
Richard and John Eustace and Richard Warren a
nephew of the Chancellor. Richard of Barretstown
(north of Ballymore Eustace) was second in
command of Lord Gormanstown's regiment. When the
end came at Limerick Sir Maurice refused to
desert his sovereign and went to France where he
died in 1693 leaving two daughters. As a result,
Castlemartin was declared forfeited to the crown
and sold in 1703 to Thomas Keightly of Dublin.27
The present owners acquired it in 1850. It was
from Castlemartin that General Dundas made his
proclamation in 1798 which resulted in the
Curragh massacre. Also included in the
Williamite confiscation were the lands of
Alexander and Laurence Eustace, 618 and 261
acres
respectively.
A most unusual
circumstance arose in the case of Yeomanstown.
When the war ended the family consisted of three
brothers, Maurice, Thomas and James. Maurice was
in France but availed of the fourth article of
the Treaty of Limerick to return and claim the
estate. Unfortunately, he died in 1697 without
issue. Thomas who was outlawed had died in 1692
so James entered into possession. The
Commissioners expelled him in 1700 but a special
act was passed granting him the property on
condition his children were brought up
Protestants. James was included in the treaty
but the Commissioners held that Thomas had an
interest in it.28
Another Catholic
branch of the Eustaces that survived the war
through the Treaty of Limerick was the owner of
Barretstown and both houses were of great
importance during the persecution that followed.
Yeomanstown, which is situated three miles
directly west of Naas, must not be confused with
Yeogostown now corrupted to Gaganstown which
lies between Kilcullen and Ballymore Eustace and
south of Harristown.23
Ireland now lay
at the mercy of the Protestant Ascendancy who
imposed upon the unfortunate country a spate of
iniquitous laws known as the Penal Code. In the
government lists of 1697, Father James Eustace
of Cradockstown was stated to be living at the
house of Colonel Richard Eustace and a
Franciscan named James Eustace was also
ministering in the locality. When the
persecution was at its worst in 1712 an informer
told the government that the famous Dr. Nary,
Vicar-General of Dublin, was hiding in Kildare
and orders were given to have him apprehended.
Naas 25 Sept.
1712
This day I received from the Sub-Sheriff of
Kildare a proclamation for the taking and
apprehending of John Burke, Dr. Byrne and Dr.
Nary and immediately I went to the house of
Captain James Eustace of Yeomanstown in this
neighbourhood where Dr. Nary had been for three
or four months past and made diligent search for
the said Doctor but could not find him but was
told the Doctor had gone this day to surrender
himself to the Government and that the search
should have been made yesterday for the said
Doctor. Francis Sotheby.30
It would appear
that the Franciscan was caught as another letter
cites:
Naas 24 October 1714
Sir—There is only one James Eustace a popish
priest under sentence of transportation in my
gaole. He was convicted before my being a
sheriff. I received no order for his
transportation else I would have sent him away
before now. He is in close confinement. I shall
be ready to dispose of him as their
Excellenceyes shall direct.
Brabazon Ponsonby, Sheriff.3
Life was not
easy for a Catholic landowner in the eighteenth
century and accumulation of debt overwhelmed
James Eustace who died in 1720 when Yeomanstown
had to be sold. Barrettstown also passed out of
the family so that the only Eustace left in
Kildare was the Naas line. This branch which has
always been Protestant and still survives traces
its descent from William, a brother or nephew of
Lord Baltinglass.31
This William married a Margaret Ashe of
Forenaght's Great near Naas and his grandson as
a result inherited valuable property in the
town. Later they moved to Robertstown where in
1839 the Rev. Charles Eustace as senior
representative of the line claimed the title of
Baltinglass. The Attorney-General admitted the
pedigree submitted was unshakable but stated the
attainder precluded his claim. The present
representative of this line is Frank Rowland
Eustace of Cullenamore, Co. Sligo who is entered
in the most recent edition of the Landed
Gentry as
Eustace of Baltinglass.32
Divorced from
the land and forbidden the professions, some of
the Catholic Eustaces entered industry. In the
registers of the XVIII century we come across
the familiar names—Rowland, Portlester, Maurice,
Richard and Christopher—chiefly in the silk and
linen trades. Father Chetwode Eustace, the
famous antiquary, was descended from Anne,
daughter of Sir Maurice of Harristown. He was
for a time professor of Rhetoric in Maynooth but
later went to England where he caused
considerable scandal by his friendship with
leading Protestants and his residence at
Cambridge. Dr. Milner reproached
him for his indifferentism and said his conduct
was offensive to all Catholics. Father Eustace
travelled widely and published many books on his
travels which had a wide popularity. He died in
1815. To-day, the little town of Ballymore and a
few scattered monuments in St. Audoen's and New
Abbey are all that reminds us of the past
glories of the Eustaces who were so often worthy
of their motto " Cur me persequeris " and
the crucifix emblazoned on their shield. Many of
them truly died for faith and fatherland.
He married Lady
Francis Hyde
3
"Burke, Irish Priests in the Penal Times,
p. 327.
31
There is much
dispute about the parentage of this William but
apparently
he
was living in London in 1610 as Viscount
Baltinglass.
32
Landed Gentry
of Ireland,
27
Later Sir T.
Keightley, M.P. for Kildare. He married Lady
Francis Hyde
the daughter of
Lord Clarendon.
28
Williamite
Confiscation—Simms, p. 129.
sv
Also Gagostown.
s"
Newland was another which he gave to Sir Maurice
of Harristown
25
Valentia later
earl of Anglesey was a trusted servant of
Parliament whose
brother had
married a niece of Sir Maurice
21
Irish Martyrs
in the Penal Days—Ronan.
22
The Catli. Ency.
states that he was secretly ordained a priest
before his
mprisonment and
that he fought at Glenmalure.
23
Ronan—ibid.
Lives of the Irish Martyrs O'Reilly, p. 158.
24
Irish Landed
Gentry—Burke, 1958. .
19
Mary was
daughter and co-heiress of Sir John Travers,
master of the ordnance,
and after the
death of Baltinglass remarried Sir Gerald
Aylmer. She died in 1610.
^ Kildare
Arch. Journal, Vol. XIII, No. 6
17
Rep. Novum,
Vol. II, No. i—article on Ballymore by Rev. W.
Hawkes.
» Kildare
Arch. Journal, Vol. XIII, No. 6.
16
Portlester
married (i) Elizabeth Brune, (2) Joan Bellew
widow of Christopher
Plunkett first
Lord Killeen, (3) Margaret, widow of John
Dowdall, and daughter
and co-heiress of Jenico D'Artois.
15
The origin of
the Eustaces is treated by Lord W. Fitzgerald,
Fr. Denis
Murphy, S.J.,
and General Eustace Tickell in the Kildare
Arch. Journal. |