Estate: Drew (Drewsborough & Drewscourt)

Associated Families

• Drew (Drewsborough & Drewscourt)
• Skehan (Drewsborough)

Description

A branch of a Devonshire family who settled in county Waterford in the reign of Elizabeth I. By the beginning of the 18th century Francis Drew was residing at Drew's Court, county Limerick. He married Margaret daughter and co heir of John Ringrose of Moynoe, near Scarriff, county Clare and acquired land in that locality. Drew's Court was inherited by their grandson Francis in the early 19th century. He died childless and the property passed to his sister Margaret who married John Cuffe Kelly. ''The Freeman's Journal'' (18 July 1823) records the death of Francis Drew and that his extensive estates in counties Limerick and Kerry passed to his sister, the wife of John Cuffe Kelly of Stormont. Mrs O'Kelly of Kinsale is recorded as the owner of Drew's Court townland circa 1840. She died in 1845 and the property reverted to the family of her uncle Ringrose Drew of Drewsborough, county Clare. Ringrose Drew had property in Scariff, county Clare and either he or his son Francis built Drewsborough House in the second half of the 18th century. The Drews were in financial difficulties from the beginning of the 19th century and their estate, which included the Scariff Mills, was offered for sale in the aftermath of the Famine in the Encumbered Estates Court. The Scariff Mills had been leased to Thomas Walnutt and his son Charles, who was declared a bankrupt in 1853. Michael Skehan bought Drewsborough and 352 acres. He renamed the house Victoria Park. Gerard Madden gives a detailed account of the Drew family in his book on the history of Tuamgraney and Scariff. At the time of Griffith's Valuation the Drews held land in the parishes of Bruree, Corcomohide, Kilmeedy and Dromcolleher, barony of Connello Upper and Ballingaddy, barony of Coshlea, county Limerick. The Ballingaddy lands were advertised for sale in 1852 and an estate of over 1,500 acres in the barony of Connello Upper in November 1853. In the 1870s Francis Drew of Drewscourt owned 1,021 acres in county Limerick. In 1906 Clennell Frank M. Drew owned about 500 acres of untenanted land at Drewscourt East and buildings valued at £18.

Houses

House Name / Description	Townland	Civil Parish	PLU	DED	Barony	County	Map Ref
Drewsborough (H2096) A home of the Drew family from the mid 18th century, occupied by Ringrose Drew in 1814 and by Francis Drew in 1837. Bought by Michael Skehan in the Encumbered Estates Court, he is recorded as being resident at the time of Griffith's Valuation, when the house was valued at over £22. Drewsborough, or Victoria Park as it was then known, was sold to William Scanlon in 1869. In 1899 it was bought by John O'Brien, grandfather of Edna O'Brien, the author. The original house was burnt in June 1921. A modern bungalow has been built on part of the site and the O'Brien home is closeby. Some farm buildings and an underground cellar still remain.	Drewsborough	Tomgraney	Scarriff	Scarriff 136	Tulla Upper	Clare	Lat/Lon: 52.90116 -8.54397 OSI Ref: R634 835 Discovery map #58. OS Sheet #28.
Stormont (H2400) Storm-mount was the residence of John Cuffe Kelly esq in 1814 and of Mrs Kelly in 1837. Mrs Kelly was a sister of Francis Drew of Drewscourt. By the time of Griffith's Valuation it was occupied by Joseph Walplate who held it from Sir Richard De Burgho. The buildings were valued at £19+.	Coolbane	Stradbally	Limerick	Castleconnell 47	Clanwilliam	Limerick	Lat/Lon: 52.71351 -8.50315 OSI Ref: R660 626 Discovery map #58. OS Sheet #1.
Drewscourt (H2480) Home of the Drew family in the 18th and early 19th century. Drew's Lodge, Charleville, is listed as the residence of F. Drew in 1814 and Lewis refers to Drew's Court as the residence of the Drew family. The house appears to be vacant at the time of Griffith's Valuation and was in the possession of Henry Thomas Allen who held land from Francis Drew. Clennel Frank Massy Drew occupied this house in 1906, valued at £18. Drewscourt was burnt down in the 1920s but the farmyard complex remains.	Drewscourt East	Corcomohide	Croom	Ballyagran 8	Connello Upper	Limerick	Lat/Lon: 52.38671 -8.77412 OSI Ref: R473 264 Discovery map #73. OS Sheet #46.

Archival sources

• James Hardiman Library, National University of Ireland, Galway: Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (Dunboyne), Drew, 29 Nov 1853, Vol 5, 73 & 2 May 1854, Vol 6, 1-44
• James Hardiman Library, National University of Ireland, Galway: Papers of the Lucas Family, Co Offaly (including papers of the Drews of Drewscourt, Cos Waterford & Limerick, & the Ryans of Ballymackeogh, Co Tipperary), 17th-19th centuries. LE37
• National Archives of Ireland: Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Drew, 29 Nov 1853, 2 May 1854 & 7 Nov 1854, Vol 25 (17), Vol 27 (36a) & Vol 31 (14), MRGS 39/011, 39/012 & 39/014, (microfilm copy in NUIG)
• National Archives of Ireland: Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Drew, (Ballingaddy), 22 Jan 1852, Vol 13 (24), MRGS 39/006, (microfilm copy in NUIG)
• National Archives of Ireland: Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Drew, (Connello Upper), 29 Nov 1853, Vol 25 (18), MRGS 39/010, (microfilm copy in NUIG)
• National Archives of Ireland: Collection of miscellaneous documents, includes deed of trust lands in Co Cork, Francis Drew of Drewsborough to William Lysaght of Fort William, 1780 & marriage settlement Pierce W. Drew of Cork & Elizabeth Oliver, 1821. Small Accs Index 85, D.12381 & D.12489
• National Library of Ireland: Pedigree of Drew of Ballinlote, county Kilkenny, of Rockfield, Fermoy, Cargeen, Ballintobber and Youghal, county Cork & Drewscourt, Flowerhill and Flagmount, county Limerick. c.1480-1839. Genealogical Office Ms. 93, 1-17.
• National Library of Ireland: Pedigree of Drew of Rockfield and other places in England and Ireland, c.1450-1839. Genealogical Office Ms.174, 82-99.
• National Library of Ireland: O’Callaghan Westropp Papers (unsorted collection), includes copy will & codicils of Margaret Cuff Kelly 1845. PC 97 & PC 12,153-12,154 Box List

Contemporary printed sources

• GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND, 1850-1858. : Barony of Connello Upper, 68-69 (Drewscourt East)
• HUSSEY DE BURGH, U. H. The Landowners of Ireland. An alphabetical list of the owners of estates of 500 acres or £500 valuation and upwards in Ireland. Dublin: Hodges, Foster and Figgis, 1878: 136
• LEET, Ambrose. A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 159 (Drewsboro & Drews-lodge)
• LEWIS, Samuel. A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: I, 309-310 (Drew's Court), II, 636 (Drewsborough House)
• ORDNANCE SURVEY NAME BOOKS, county Limerick: II, 241-242
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of Untenanted Lands in Rural Districts, Distinguishing Demesnes on Which There is a Mansion..., HC 1906, c, 177: 262
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. 15th Annual Report of the Commissioners of Public Records Ireland, 1825. Vol XVI, Appendix I, Grants under Acts of Settlement: 236
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland. HC 1876, LXXX: 148
• SLATER, Isaac. Royal National Directory of Ireland: List of the principal seats. (Manchester: 1894) : xxvi, 180 (Drew's court)

Modern printed sources

• Jnl. of the East Clare Heritage Group: Sliabh Aughty: O’GORMAN, Michael. Drewsboro. 1 (1989), 10-14
• BURKE, Sir Bernard. A genealogical and heraldic history of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. London: Harrison & Sons, 1904: 159
• MADDEN, Gerard. A History of Tuamgraney & Scariff since earliest times. Tuamgraney: East Clare Heritage, 2000: 93-100
• SEOIGHE, Mainchín. From Bruree to Corcomohide. The author, 2000: 434-437

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