Mary Hamilton 1825 – 1877 Pt 1
Posted By Wendy on January 2, 2008
My GGG Grandmother Mary Hamilton was born in 1825 at the family residence of St Ernans, a family residence in Lough Erne, which was part of her father’s estate of Brownhall in Co. Donegal. Her parents were John Hamilton and Mary Rose.
Mary Hamilton aged 13. Photo taken Dresden, Germany.
The estate of Brownhall had been inherited by her father and had been owned by the Hamiltons since the late 17th century. The family seat of Brownhall, a substantial house, is actually located a few km’s away outside the village of Ballintra and hidden amongst the hills and valleys. The house was built by John Hamilton in 1697 when he moved the original family seat from the coastal area of Murvagh to Ballintra. No trace remains of the original Murvagh house today and is thought to have been constructed in the very late 1590’s.
Mary was born into one of the great landowning families of Ireland of the time. The Hamilton’s established themselves in Co Donegal in the late 16th century when John Hamilton, a grandson of the 1st Duke of Hamilton and descendent of Gilbert de Hamildone, was granted land by the Throne in gratitude for their loyal service. The Hamilton seat from which John came was in Lanarkshire Scotland and named ‘Broomhill’. The first residence was built at Murvagh near Ballintra until 1697 when his descendant, John Hamilton and his wife Jane Crichton (daughter of Col Abraham Crichton, ancestor of the Earls of Erne) built a new residence outside Ballintra. The location of Murvagh is a windswept coastal region in contrast to the area of Ballintra where the land and terrain is far more arable and given to farming. Possibly this was the reason for the move.
Mary’s father, John, inherited the estate on the death of his father James Hamilton in 1805. Mary’s grandparents were James Hamilton and Helen Pakenham, daughter of the 2nd Baron/Ist Earl of Longford Edward Micheal Pakenham. Sadly James and Helen died at relatively young ages - James in 1805 and Helen in 1807 - leaving three young children with Mary’s father, John, being the eldest at only seven years of age.
The three children, John (b-1800), Edward Micheal (b-1802) and Catherine (Kitty b-1804) were placed in the care and guardianship of their aunt and uncle Arthur and Catherine (Kitty) Wellesley; the Duke and Duchess of Wellington. John officially took control of the estate of Brownhall at the age of 21.
St Ernans House as it stands today. The house was sold in 1907 and was a Guest House until the present owners recently retired. St Ernans is privately owned.
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My partner is descended from the Hamiltons of Fintra(ugh)House in Donegal. I wonder if you know the connection between your branch and the Fintra branch. The Fintra Hamilton brothers, James and William, arrived early 1600.
Mary