Pottagh

[anneenglish]

Hi
Does anyone know who used to own the Pottagh Estate in the 1800's? It was left to a relative of mine Elizabeth Coates (nee Spencer) in a will by an Aunt Nugent sometime between 1816 and 1897. Elizabeth then sold it to the Government. We have no idea who Aunt Nugent was, any help would ne much appreciated.
Thanks

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   It may not help much but the whole townland of Pottagh, 155 acres, in Griffiths Valuation of 1858 was rented by a John Wilson from Sir Henry H. Bruce.

Regards

[aghadowey]

Most people at this period (before 1900) would have been tenants and not owned their farms outright (although some places, like the Marquis of Waterford's Estate sold c1870, had been sold off earlier).
Pottagh is the name of a townland, not an estate, in Dunboe area.
Sir Henry Hervey Bruce (1820-1909) was a local landowner and is the man whose name appears in Griffith's Valuation.

Griffith's Valuation is dated 1859 for Pottagh area- the printed pages can be viewed here (search by name or place): www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=placeSearch
There are Valuation notebooks which updates the printed information and with the notebooks you can follow a property until the 1920s but they are in PRONI which is closed until the end of March (www.proni.gov.uk).

Think the first thing to do is get more details about where this property might have been, etc. PRONI also have Will Extracts, and some copies of Wills, online. However, if "Aunt Nugent" had her will probated/estate administered before 1858 it will not be listed here.
http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/will_calendars.htm
PRONI has an information leaflet explaining about Wills and it mentions details for pre-1858

[aghadowey]

Belfast Gazette, 6 May 1932, lists Pottagh under Estate of Sir Hervey John William Bruce (a minor) under the Court of the Land Commission (Land Purchase Acts) so it looks as though tenants wouldn't have been actually buying their land until quite a bit after World War I.

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   1831 census for Co. Londonderry lists two households in Pottagh townland. One is headed by Hudson Wilson and the other by John Wilson.

Regards

[anneenglish]

Thanks for your help. The extract from Elizabeth Spencer Coates will that I have refers to the 'pottagh estate' I can however find no concrete link between Henry Hervey Bruce and the 'Nugent' family. This is all very confusing! Elizabeth was born in Portarlington in County Laois and I have not managed to find any details of her parents either.
I will keep looking, maybe a trip to Ireland is needed
Thanks again

[aghadowey]

The extract from Elizabeth Spencer Coates will that I have refers to the 'pottagh estate'
What extract? more details might help solve this mystery.

[anneenglish]

Hi
The abstract is from Elizabeths will, it reads"the sum of £567 at present retained by the Irish land Commission being two fifths of the value paid by them for my Pottagh Estate in Ireland"
Elizabeth died in 1898. I think that Henry Hervey Bruce must have brought the estate from the Land Commission before the Griffiths Valuation, after Elizabeth had sold it to them. I have tried the Land Commission but am trapped in a burocratic circle as I have no dates and no more evidence. I did find an old map from the 1830's on the web that did show Pottagh as an Estate, however I cannot find it again no matter how hard I search!
Any more ideas would be very helpful

[mbxled]

Hi - I'm interested in the Wilsons of Pottagh since they may be connected to my own Wilsons who emigrated from Ballywildrick to Mauch Chunk, Carbon Co., PA in 1839 and Articlave to Philadelphia, PA in 1846. Both Townlands are in Dunboe Parish, and Pottagh is just down the road from Articlave. I know Charles Wilson leased Pottagh in 1796 from the Bishop of Derry, and it remained in the family at least through the lide of John Wilson Jr. who married Sarah Hazlett, dau. of Isaac Hazlett/Hezlett of Liffock. A Charles Wilson, age 25, emigrated to Philadelphia ca. 1834-35 according to the O.S. Memoirs. He eventually made his way to Mauch Chunk / Summit Hill, PA where he married a Martha McLean. By 1850 they had moved to Port Richmond just north of Philadelphia, and in 1852 Charles Wilson died there. Martha then married John Lyle, son of Revd. William Lyle of the First Dunboe in Articlave.