Author Topic: Grattan family in Kildare  (Read 15237 times)

Offline C.B.D. Smith

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Grattan family in Kildare
« on: Saturday 30 October 10 21:13 BST (UK) »
We are American descendants of the Grattan family who lived at Drummin House in Carbury, County Kildare, Ireland (who were linked to the Irish politician Henry Grattan). According to Samuel Lewis's "A Topographical History of Ireland," the owner of Drummin House and the surrounding property in 1837 was a Richard Grattan, Esq., M.D. My mother's father's grandparents were named Angeline Allen Grattan and William Henry Grattan, both born in New York in the 1820s, but I believe their parents (my grandfather's great-grandparents), also named Grattan, emigrated from Ireland. I don't know their names or when or why they emigrated.

What I am interested in doing is tracing the members of the Grattan family who lived at Drummin in Carbury (near Edenderry) from the early 1800s to the 1920s, when I believe two old great (or great-great) aunts of my grandfather, with the surname Grattan (who stayed behind when the rest of the family left for America) willed the house to their physician, a Dr. Wheeler (who I believe lived at Johnstown House, about five miles away) and his family, instead of leaving it to my grandfather, Grattan Colley Dichman, and his brother, Ernest Dichman, as was originally intended. My grandfather, Grattan Dichman, an early US Navy aviator who was apparently too busy to pay much attention to what was happening to his ancestral home in Ireland, was killed in an air crash in California in 1924, leaving behind two young daughters, one of whom was my mother, Elizabeth Braxton Dichman.

In the early to mid 1960s, my parents stopped off in Carbury during a trip to Ireland, where they happened to meet Hubert and Pamela Potterton of Ardkill, who were well aware of the story of the Drummin inheritance. We remained friends with the Pottertons over the years, and in 1984, while studying in Ireland, I was invited to lunch with the De Courcy-Wheelers, descendants of the Dr. Wheeler who had served as physician to the Grattan sisters, at Drummin House.  At the time, the De Courcy Wheelers were running a prosperous mushroom business and raising cattle on the property. Later that summer I met their only son, * De Courcy Wheeler, the current occupant of Drummin, who was then living and working in London. He is now living at Drummin (his sister Diana died about 10 years ago), but does not appear to be farming.

I am not interested in trying to claim ancestral rights to Drummin, but wonder if anyone knows what the full names of the Grattan sisters were, and which Grattans inhabited Drummin during the 100 years or so prior to their deaths. In other words, who owned or inhabited the house between 1837, when a Richard Grattan, M.D. lived there, until it passed to the Wheelers, I guess some time in the 1920s? When I met the De Courcy Wheelers in 1984, I made sketchy notes about the story, but these have disappeared, my parents have died, and now I am interested in finding out more about our ties to Ireland, Carbury, and Drummin House in particular.  Does anyone have any information or know of any sources I could turn to to help me with my research?

Thanks very much,

C.B.D. Smith

* details of living person removed, as per Rootschat policy

Offline Jack2227

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Re: Grattan family in Kildare
« Reply #1 on: Friday 25 February 11 19:30 GMT (UK) »
Family Search;

Grattan Harriet; 1837 The Corragh Kildare
Spouse; Neptune Blood William Gallway; 1835 The Corragh Kildare
--------
Jack

Offline Mark30

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Re: Grattan family in Kildare
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 27 November 12 16:41 GMT (UK) »
Dear RootsChatter,
                                  I saw your post about the Grattan family in co. Kildare and thought what an interesting subject it would be to research.  If you are still looking for the names of the owners of Drummin House in co. Kildare in the 1837 - 1920s period then I would be happy to help you.  Though I live in England, I have Irish roots myself and have written a number of articles tracing the history of derelict Irish houses for a site called AbandonedIreland.com.  I have written up buildings like Cavetown House co. Roscommon and Dartfield House co. Galway for this site.  I have also down quite a bit of searching in Irish genealogical records.  So I am pretty confident that I can answer your questions about this house - or at the very least suggest where you can find the answers.   Looking forward to hearing from you,   

                                            Mark30

Offline georgiadcwheeler

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Re: Grattan family in Kildare
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 04 March 14 17:33 GMT (UK) »
Hi CBD Smith

I'm sorry but I don't know all the details however, I do know that Miss Anne Grattan left Drummin to Robert de Courcy Wheeler in 1915. It passed to Robert's son Cecil in 1939. I haven't come across anything about a Johnstone House. There was a Robertstown House in the family in Kildare and Robert de C W did rent Monkstown Castle in 1925/26 but that is over towards Blackrock/Dublin.

I've done a search through the old census from 1901 and think I have located the Anne Grattan who left the house to Robert. She was 66 in 1901 and living with her sister Elizabeth aged 64 and their 20 year old servant Margaret Leonard. Although on the census Drummin/Drummin House is not mentioned  the location and names match up. The location is Drummond and co. Kildare. When you go to the house and building return form you can see that Anne Grattan's house has 17 outbuildings  (several times the number of other's in the area) so I'm pretty confident this is the right person especially as there is no street address - just area.

I'm a de Courcy Wheeler descended from Robert's brother and have been investigating the family history which is how I came across this information and your post.


Offline dathai

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Re: Grattan family in Kildare
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 04 March 14 18:33 GMT (UK) »
the Irish Calendar of wills index has a good few of the Grattan wills listed most of these were destroyed in custom house fire but you can see who the beneficeries were.

edit i cant make the link to the site but i am sure some kind person reading this will do it for you.

Offline georgiadcwheeler

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Re: Grattan family in Kildare
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 04 March 14 18:57 GMT (UK) »
thanks for the tip! Anne Grattan's will is indeed on there
http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/reels/cwa/005014919/005014919_00537.pdf

Offline dathai

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Re: Grattan family in Kildare
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 04 March 14 19:12 GMT (UK) »
So are the wills of Grace Nickson Grattan 28 April 1881
Richard Grattan 29 May 1886 both of Drummin House.

Offline dathai

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Re: Grattan family in Kildare
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 04 March 14 19:29 GMT (UK) »
Several articles in the Kildare Observer relating to the  Grattan family, deaths,court cases against trespass etc,there is a link on here just go back through the Kildare postings and you will find it posted by Sinann.

Offline dathai

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Re: Grattan family in Kildare
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 04 March 14 20:10 GMT (UK) »
I Googled the names Richard Grattan and Grace Nickson which took me to a very interesting article titled
''DubStewartMania Dr Richard Grattan,Drummin House'' .
Gives a family history.