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Jigginstown (Sigginstown) Castle
JIGGINSTOWN CASTLE
Early
History of Jigginstown:
3. Tickell, p. 322 BY ARTHUR VICARS You are now assembled amidst the ruins of Jigginstown, or Sigginstown, Castle—a residence of the celebrated Earl of Strafford, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in King Charles I's time. Charles I was King of England from March 27, 1625 until his execution in 1649. It is not my intention today to go at any depth into the history of this building, but merely to give you a few details concerning it, and shortly to describe its features. There are few ruins in Ireland about which so little is known. It is said to have been built by a Rev. Mr. Johnson, Rector of Dromlease, in Kilmore Diocese, but Cromwell, in his " Excursions through Ireland," says by one of the Allen family, who was well-known for his taste in architecture, and who built Old St. Wolstan's, not many miles distant, itself an Allen residence at one time. This Allen was the founder of the Allen family (Viscount Allen), and in Almon's Peerage of Ireland, (1768), I find it mentioned that John Allen came from Holland, as a factor for the Dutch, at the close of Queen Elizabeth's reign, and, "being skilful in architecture, was esteemed and consulted by the most eminent of the nobility and gentry in their buildings, particularly by the Earl of Stratford, the Lord Lieutenant, in his intended edifice near Naas." It is probable that Allen planned the building and Johnson carried it out; for in the “Life of Bishop Bedell," by Rev. A. Clogy, London, 1862, p. 60, we find the following: " I know not any person that was permitted to be non-resident, save one Mr. Johnson, a man of great reach, whom the Earl of Strafford, the Lord Lieutenant, made his engineer over his great and glorious buildings at the Naas, and at Carme, and Coshar (Coollattin), in the County Wicklow." The Regal Visitation, 1633, states the income of Dromlease at £24 per annum. It was in the gift of the Bishop of Kilmore. Ireland is essentially a stone-building country, and we seldom come across brick ruins. You must all be struck with the exquisite masonry here before you, showing the brick wallsas perfect in some places as when they were first erected. The bricks used here are said to be Old Dutch. But I am inclined to think that they were made by native workmen under the direction of Allen, who it is reasonable to suppose taught the natives here how to make bricks on the Dutch principle. There is a tradition that the bricks for this building were brought from Dublin by hand—i.e. a chain of men who passed the bricks down from Dublin, one to another. Now, wherever one dips in archaeology in Ireland, one constantly meets with these absurd traditions. On the very face of it, this legend bears the stamp of impossibility, for—even supposing the roads at that time were too bad to permit of the transit of bricks by cart—if a chain of men such as I have described were utilized for this purpose, it would require at a rough calculation some 20,000 men. Now, Stratford's standing army was only 11,000, so he would have got little help by pressing it into his service. I venture to any that Strafford was by far too shrewd a man to adopt this method of carrying the bricks with which to build his castle. The length of this main block (not counting the corner wing) measures inside 448 ft., and the extreme width 47 ft. 4 in. A wall ran down the centre of this block, which separated the apartments on either side. You will observe the fine fireplaces still remaining, which probably had stone chimneypieces, for portions of the stone still remain. These hearths were the prevalent ones in use in the seventeenth century, when wooden logs were used on iron dogs, generally with cast-iron fire-backs,. having the arms of the owner, or in many cases the Royal Arms impressed on them. All vestiges of these, however, have disappeared. The small molded bricks lining the fireplaces are of foreign workmanship, and are doubtless Dutch. Beneath you will find a most magnificent range of vaulted cellars, with the plastering —and such plastering, too—still adhering to the walls. A well will also be found below, which probably was the water supply of the house. Lord Mayo having obtained the kind permission of the owner, Lord Fitzwilliam— the present representative of the "Wentworth family—to allow what we believed to be a hitherto unopened cellar lying between the main cellars and those at the far end, to be opened, we proceeded this morning to effect an entrance from the outside, fully expecting to find some relics of Strafford or a pot of money to reward us for our trouble. From early morning there have been masons and men at work endeavoring to affect an entrance to this cellar, but, up to this, Stratford's magnificent masonry has withstood all our efforts, and I fear we must only postpone the operation, but I do not think this particular part will be found to be vaulted. In our excavations, however, we have, I think, discovered where the main entrance to the building was, which a matter of question was always. The hall-door, doubtless, led out on to a raised balustrade platform, from which a broad flight of steps (the foundations of part of which we have laid bare) descended, gradually expanding in width till the ground was reached. My friend Mr. Deane has kindly has drawn a rough sketch to give you an idea of the entrance. I cannot call to mind amongst the old houses of the seventeenth century in England any building similar in style to this, with its huge windows; but, I am inclined to think that all these windows at one time had wooden mullions, which have long since disappeared, leaving only the recesses in the wall where they once existed. Some people say that Jigginstown Castle was never finished, that it was in process of building when Strafford left Ireland in 1640 never to return, for, as we all know, he met his sad fate in 1641, when he was beheaded. I have been at some trouble to obtain information on this point. In Strafford's Letters, vol. ii; p. 105, there is a letter from the Lord Deputy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, from which I extract the following:—
Next, they say, I build up to the sky. I acknowledge that were myself only considered in what I build, it were not only to exoena, but of even to folly, having already houses moderate for my condition in Yorkshire. But his Majesty will justify me that, at my last being in England, I acquainted him with a purpose I bad to build him an house at the Naas, it being uncomely his Majesty should not have one here of his own, capable to lodge him with moderate convenience (which in truth as yet he hath not) in case he might be pleased sometimes hereafter to look upon this kingdom, and that it was necessary in a manner for the dignity of this place, and the health of his deputy and family that there should be one removing house of fresh air, for want whereof, I assure your lordship, I have felt no small inconvenience since my coming hither; that when it was built, if liked by his Majesty, it should be his, paying me as it cost; if disliked, a suo damno, I was content to keep it and smart for my folly. His Majesty seemed to be pleased with all; whereupon I proceeded, and have in a manner finished it, and so contrived it for the Rooms of State and other accommodations which I have observed in his Majesty's houses, as I had been indeed stark mad ever to have cast it so for a private family. Another frame of wood I have given order to set up in a Park I have in the County of Wicklow [this refers to Coollattin] and gnash the tooth of these gallants never so hard, I will by God's leave go on with it, that so I may have a place to take my recreation for a month or two in a year, were it for no other reason than to displease them, by keeping myself, if so please God, a little longer in health. Yet, lest these magnificent structures might be thought those of Nebuchadnezzar, the plain truth is that at the Naas with the most may stand in £6000, that in the Park at £1200. Faith, at worst, me thinks they should not judge it very much for a person of my great "Hacienda" to cast away £1200 upon his own fancy; and yet to profess a truth to your Grace, but that I did consider his Majesty might judge it hereafter for his service to visit this kingdom, in that case foresaw no part able to give him the pleasure of his summer hunting like that park and country adjacent; and lastly that I would provide a lodge that might house him dry from the injuries of the weather, I protest that there had not been one timber of it fastened together. In the meantime, my confidence is my comfort, that if I he made so happy as to see his Majesty on this side, he will give me thanks for them both, and then I am at the height of my ambition, and these my well-wishers fairly hounded upon the very place to accuse me, if anything they have to say unto me.—Dublin, this 27th of September, 1637.
In the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal is printed some letters of Strafford which point to the fact that Jigginstown was in a fair way of being inhabited. They are dated from Naas, which I take it means that he writes from Jigginstown, which is not a mile from Naas; and in those days, probably, the park extended to the town. On his journey from Cork to Dublin, Strafford writes to his wife:— FRIDAY MORNING Through foul weather & ways we draw nearer you A this day are for Cork, where I purpose if the weather serve to stay till Saturday come seven night, then to the Naas, where having stayed a few days to order my business— then I am God willing for Dublin.—Yorkshire Archaeological Journal ^ Parts xxiii; xxiv., p. 383.
Then writing to his wife from “Naas," on September 12, 1637, he says:— Sweet Heart—I shall desire you not to come hither at this time, for being wrangling & busy with my workmen, I am extreme ill women's company, but when the house is ready to receive, I shall in no place see you more gladly—my business here dispatched I will come with all speed to you.— Yorkshire Archaeological Journal.
On the same day he writes to Bramhall, Bishop of Derry:— You are beholden to me for writing so many letters with my own hand, being here the busiest and pettish creature, you ever saw, or read of in all your books.—Rawdon Papers, p. 35.
A letter of introduction for Bramhall to present to the Lord Keeper, Coventry, is also written from the same house the previous day, September 11.
That Jigginstown remained in Strafford's possession is evident from the following letter, written shortly before his execution, to his Secretary, Sir George Radcliffe:— If the debts cannot otherwise be discharged, the lands in Kildare may be sold. Radcliffe Correspondence, p. 226.
Boullage Le Gonz, a French traveller, in his tour in Ireland in the year 1644, alludes to this Castle of Jigginstown, as then belonging to Sir George Wentworth. In speaking of Naas, he says:— Where I saw the house of the late Lord Strafford, Viceroy of Ireland, beheaded in London. This Castle belongs to his brother, who resides in Dublin, and guards it by 40 English soldiers.
We also have the fact that Strafford dated many of his letters from this building, and alludes to it in them, and it figures in Gilbert's “History of the War of 1641," from which we may infer that it was at one time used. Rev. Denis Murphy informs me that many letters of the “Cessation" are dated from Jigginstown. Strafford's estimate that this building would cost him £6000 does not seem excessive when we recollect the relative value of money in those days and in the present. Outside you will see the traces of the old Fish Pond, which most country houses possessed in olden times. It is probable that a range of terraces existed along the frontage of the house at this side, which is in accordance with the plan of such houses. I was informed that a subterranean passage existed here. Now stories about underground passages abound throughout the country, and must be received with caution. On my receiving the statement with some incredulity, my informant assured me that he had seen the entrance, and described the location with some minuteness. So, on the principle that tales about imaginary subterranean passages in no way weaken the evidence of real ones, I was determined to investigate it, and found a large vaulted aperture in the lower part of the wall in the laneway, but, after examination, it proved to be only two feet high, and merely an old watercourse from a mill which once existed on the site of the adjoining farm-house. I heard someone express astonishment that Strafford should build his castle so near the road and canal! But I need hardly point out that the presence of a canal in those days would have astonished Stratford just as much as the person who made this remark. There is a building in the adjacent field which is of an earlier date than the castle, and in the vaulted roof of the lower chamber distinct marks of the wattle-centering can be seen. I am aware there is a prevalent idea that the appearance of wattle-centering in buildings is a proof of considerable antiquity, but I know instances of this mode of forming the arch in buildings of the sixteenth and even seventeenth centuries. Thomas Wentworth, the Earl of Strafford was executed before a crowd of about 200,000 on 12 May 1641. These pages © Ronald Eustice, 2012 |
