Magheramorne House

[erikabl3]

Hi...

I found an envelope from my great grandmother's sister to my great grandmother. The address on the envelope is

Magheramorne House Larne
Atrim Co. N. Ireland

First, just double checking the address (county and name of this grand house) is correct and now asking about this house. What kind of place is this and if you were there during the 1920's through the 40's, what would you be doing? I have no date on the envelope, Nanny had removed the Irish postage long ago. The woman she wrote to is Margaret (Maggie) Jane Pringle and the name on the envelope was written "MJ Pringle." Maggie Jane was born in 1898 in Clones.

Any help would be appreciated!

~Erika

[Sinann]

Nice house, this gives some of its history http://www.flpireland.com/mmh.htm

[erikabl3]

Gorgeous house... Wonder how I can find out some of of the history, such as who worked there. Wonder if they still have records. Thank you for your reply!

[scotmum]

A Margaret Jane Pringle died in 1957 and her will is indexed on PRONI website:

Pringle Margaret Jane of Magheramorne House Magheramourne county Antrim spinster died 19 March 1957 at the Moyle Hospital Larne county Antrim Administration (limited) Belfast 19 August to Robert Knox solicitor. Effects £701 8s

Also referenced in the Belfast Gazette:

www.belfast-gazette.co.uk/issues/1891/pages/259/page.pdf

[Elwyn Soutter]

Is this Maggie Jane Pringle in 1911? If so, she was a farmer’s daughter then. Could she perhaps have gone to work at Maghermorne House as a servant of some sort?

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Monaghan/Newbliss/Rateerbane/805384/

[erikabl3]

Thank you so much, Scotmum! That is very interesting information!

Elwyn Soutter, that is the same girl as my Maggie Jane. Thank you!

[Sinann]

I think this is the family living there in 1911 http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Glynn/Newlands/194934/
Although that says Newlands, but it's a 13+ bedroom house with 19 windows and James McCalmont owns it.

Looking at the map on Griffith's Valuation Magheramorne is included in Newlands.

[TheWhuttle]

Erika,

"Charles McGarel, a native of Larne in County Antrim, left his slave-derived fortune to his
brother-in-law James MacNaughten Hogg in 1876 on condition that Hogg changed his name (which
he duly did): one of James MacNaughten McGarel Hogg’s first acts after Charles McGarel’s death
was to build a new house, Magheramorne House, on the estate he inherited near Larne and which
had been bought by McGarel in 1842"

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/slavery-and-british-country-house/slavery-british-country-house-web.pdf

There was a long established connection between Ireland and the West Indies.
[About 75% of the trade out of Belfast in the late 18thC was with that region.]

The big landholders in County Antrim all had estates there (e.g. on Dominica).
[Lord Belfast (CHICHESTER), Lord Hertford (SEYMOUR-CONWAY), Lord Hillsborough (HILL), ...
The paradigmatic country house venue built using profits from the trade is Harewood House just North of Leeds, built by the Lords Harewood (LASCELLES), who stitched up Jamaica (and nearly got tried for High Treason!).]


Papers of Lord Magheramorne (HOGG) are deposited at PRONI under T28-T29 & T758.
http://www.proni.gov.uk/index_alphabetical_index_to_private_deposits.pdf

----
Colonel James McCALMONT was a Conservative/Unionist politician, a leading player in the Orange Society (even being depicted on banners), and was fully engaged politically in the efforts to prevent Home Rule during the Ulster Crisis of 1912.

He seems to have acquired the house in 1904.
http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/1st-baron-magheramorne.html

Capt. Jock

[erikabl3]

Wow! Thank you all for this fascinating information! You guys are incredible with all you know and what you are able to dig up. I really appreciate all your help!


~Erika