Estate: Ffrench (Monivea)

Associated Families

• Ffrench (Monivea)

Description

The Monivea estate, barony of Tiaquin, county Galway, was acquired by the ffrenchs from the O'Kellys in the early 17th century. Confiscated by the Cromwellian Commissioners it was repurchased from Lord Trimlestown in 1702 by the family and it remained in their possession until the early 20th century. In the 18th century members of the family represented county Galway in Parliament and established the linen industry at Monivea. Arthur Young in his ''Tour of Ireland'' wrote extensively on the estate improvements made by Robert ffrench. The estate was mainly in the parishes of Killoscobe, Killosolan and Monivea, barony of Tiaquin, county Galway. Robert Ffrench is recorded as the lessor of several townlands in the parish of Athenry, barony of Dunkellin, county Galway in both the Ordnance Survey Field Name Books and Griffith's Valuation. In the 1870s the estate exceeded 10,000 acres. In the late 19th century the estate was inherited by Kathleen ffrench who also owned large estates in Russia. She sold a large part of the Monivea estate to the Land Commission in 1905.

Houses

House Name / Description	Townland	Civil Parish	PLU	DED	Barony	County	Map Ref
Monivea (H608) An O'Kelly tower house, acquired by the ffrenches in the early 17th century, who made additions in the 18th century. Held in fee by Robert French at the time of Griffith's Valuation when it was valued at £40. In 1894 Slater refers to it as the seat of Acheson French. In 1938it was bequeathed by Kathleen French to the State as a home for artists, subsequently demolished and now only the original tower remains. A mausoleum, modelled on the tower house and constructed at the end of the nineteenth century, is located in the adjacent woodland.	Monivea Demesne	Monivea	Tuam	Monivea 191	Tiaquin	Galway	Lat/Lon: 53.37587 -8.67773 OSI Ref: M549 364 Discovery map #46. OS Sheet #71.
Corrandoo House (H840) This property was granted to the ffrenches in the late 17th century in lieu of Monivea Occupied by the Reverend Mr Marsh in the 1770s sand 1780s, by M. Dowdall in the 1830s and Thomas Kenny at the time of Griffith's Valuation when it was valued at £10. It is no longer extant.	Corrandoo	Moylough	Tuam	Monivea 191	Tiaquin	Galway	Lat/Lon: 53.38317 -8.65680 OSI Ref: M563 372 Discovery map #46. OS Sheet #72.
Glennagloughaun North (H841) A building valued at £12 was occupied by Digby French at the time of Griffith's Valuation, this may have been the old charter school marked on the first Ordnance Survey map. The latter building appears to have fallen into disuse by the 1890s and site is now occupied by a farm supply stores.	Glennagloughaun North	Monivea	Tuam	Monieva 191	Tiaquin	Galway	Lat/Lon: 53.37390 -8.70775 OSI Ref: M529362 Discovery map #46. OS Sheet #71.

Archival sources

• Irish Architectural Archive: Currandoo photos. 039/098
• National Archives of Ireland: Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), rental of lands in baronies of Athenry & Dunkellin, 8 Nov 1853. Vol 24, 39/010. Copy at NUI, Galway.
• National Library of Ireland: Unsorted collection, including correspondence and estate accounts, c 1730-1870.
• National Library of Ireland: Account books relating to the French family and their estate at Monivea, 1744-1855. MSS 4918-4931
• National Library of Ireland: 11 vols of rentals, furnished by John R. Berwick, 1855-1867. MSS 4932-4942
• National Library of Ireland: Account of stock on farm of Robert French of Monivea, 1806-1811. MS 5942
• National Library of Ireland: Correspondence re management of the estates, 1847. MS 8717
• National Library of Ireland: Volume containing miscellaneous documents re family of Ffrench of Monieva, especially during Cromwellian & Williamite wars, 17th -18th centuries. MS 2745
• National Library of Ireland: Pedigree of Ffrench of Monivea Castle, c 1700- c 1890. GO MS 180: 472-275
• National Library of Ireland: Notes on cases in English & Irish law courts (compiled by Patrick French of Monivea?), with index, 1704-1708. MS 4917
• National Library of Ireland: Printed Encumbered Estate sale rentals of lands belonging to Robert French of Monivea, 1851-1853 & 4 manuscript rentals 1869-1874. MS 780
• National Library of Ireland: Papers of Captain Evelyn Ffrench of Monieva & New South Wales, mainly literary, genealogical and family, C 1880-1968. MS 22,110
• Oxford University: Bodleian Library: Carte Papers, Letter from the King to the Lord Justices of Ireland re an 'Enquiry to be made into the allegations of Patrick French, in respect to his title to the Castle and Lands of Monevah, in the Barony of Tyaquin, and County of Galway... ', 10 Dec 1661. MS. Carte 42, fol(s). 469

Contemporary printed sources

• DUTTON, Hely. Statistical and agricultural survey of the county of Galway. Dublin: Royal Dublin Society, 1824. : 415
• GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND, 1850-1858. : Tuam Union, 213 (Glennagloughaun North), 215 (Monivea) & 216 (Corrandoo)
• 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: 171
• LEET, Ambrose. A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 291 (Monivea)
• LEWIS, Samuel. A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: Vol II, 388-389 (Monivea & Corrandoo)
• ORDNANCE SURVEY NAME BOOKS, County Galway, http://places.galwaylibrary.ie/default.html: Athenry Parish
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of Untenanted Lands in Rural Districts, Distinguishing Demesnes on Which There is a Mansion..., HC 1906, c, 177: 341 (Monivea)
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland. HC 1876, LXXX: 295
• SLATER, Isaac. Royal National Directory of Ireland: List of the principal seats. (Manchester: 1894) : xxx, 78 (Monivea)
• TAYLOR, George & SKINNER, Andrew. Maps of the Roads of Ireland, surveyed in 1777 and corrected down to 1783. Facsimile of 2nd edition. Shannon: Irish University Press, 1969: 212
• WILSON, William. The Post-Chaise Companion or Travellers Directory Through Ireland. The author: Dublin, 1786 : 131 (Monivea)
• YOUNG, Arthur. A Tour in Ireland 1776-1779. Shannon: Irish University Press, 1970 reprint: 261-277

Modern printed sources

• Jnl. of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society: BLAKE, Martin J. An Old Lynch Manuscript. VIII (1913-1914), 207-224
• Jnl. of the Galway Family History Society : Galway Roots: HIGGINS, Bríd. Monivea – 1847 Letters. III (1995), 102-106
• Tuam Herald: BLAKE, Martin J. The Lynches of Antigua - The Ffrenches of Monieva. Abstract of Deeds relating to French of Monieva. 31 Dec 1927
• BARNARD, T.C. The worlds of a Galway squire: Robert French of Monieva 1716-1779. In MORAN, G. (ed). Galway: History and Society. Dublin: Geography Publications, 1996. : 271-296
• BENCE-JONES, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses. Revised ed. London: Constable, 1988. : 208 (Monivea)
• BURKE, Sir Bernard. A genealogical and heraldic history of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. London: Harrison & Sons, 1912: 223
• CRAIG, Maurice & Craig, Michael. Mausolea Hibernica. Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1999. : 108-109.
• CRONIN, Denis. A Galway gentleman in the age of improvement: Robert French of Monieva, 1716-1779. Dublin: Academic Press, 1995: All
• GLIN, Knight of, GRIFFIN, D. J. & ROBINSON, N.K (eds). Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland. Dublin: Irish Architectural Archive/Irish Georgian Society, 1989. : 76 (Monivea)
• MCHALE, Bernard. Menlough Looking Back, a parish and sporting history. [1989?]: 78-79
• MELVIN, Patrick. The Galway Tribes as Landowners and Gentry. In MORAN, Gerard (ed). Galway: History & Society. Dublin: Geography Publications, 1996 : 319-374
• O'REGAN, Carol & LACEY, Audrey (eds.). Abbeyknockmoy: A Time to Remember. Abbeyknockmoy Community Council, 1996: 105-108
• PINE, L.G. (ed). Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. 4th ed. London: Burke's Peerage, 1958.: 272-273.

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