The Moncks and Charleville Estate

I obviously wasn’t the only Seery who did some work at Charleville. This is my grandfather. My first piece of local history ‘research’ was on Charleville House in Enniskerry. As a student working there during summers, I was smitten with the elegant grandeur of the house and the stunning gardens,…

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16 thoughts on “The Moncks and Charleville Estate”

  1. I am a second year mature student at NUIM. I am studying The Big House in Ireland, and I would like to do a survey of History in relation to Charleville house and the Monck Family in particular Lady Elizabeth Monck. Would there be family papers, newspaper articles, dairies etc. I would appreciate any assistance with respect to this. Thank you.
    Regards,
    Elaine Morrow

  2. Hi Elaine,

    There’s a book called ‘The Moncks and Charleville House’, by Elisabeth Batt, which could be worth a look. Also, there’s an extensive collection of Monck papers at the National Library. There is an index to the collection, which you’ll find on sources.nli.ie.

    Good luck, look forward to seeing what you come up with.
    Michael

    • Michael,

      Thank you for that information will contact NLI. Were could I get the book, can I get it on loan?

      Regards andf thank you,
      Elaine

  3. Hi Elaine

    I’ve seen Batt’s book in most Wicklow libraries. Given its content, I’d be surprised if it isn’t in Maynooth. The Monck papers from what I remember are extensive, as one of them was Governor General of Canada, but there’s a finding aid (No. 4) to their contents which might help you isolate out the papers relating to Elizabeth – probably in the family papers section.

    The finding aid is online as a PDF:
    http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000041575

    Good luck,
    M

    • Michael,

      Sorry I am just getting back and thank you for your reply. This information is of great assistance will check the library in nuim. Will keep you posted on now I am getting on!

      Thank you,
      Regards
      Elaine

      • Hi Michael,

        I have decided to take a different aspect to my project as I am having difficulty tracing appropriate information on Elizabeth. I am going to focus on Frances Monck (Lady Rathdowne) and her invlovement in the Education Enquiry 1825. Any assistance with this would be of great help.

        Again, thanking you!
        Elaine

        • Hi Elaine,

          Yes I did a good but on the 1825 inquiry and put it in the book. Happy to meet up with you to discuss. Lady Rathdowne was certainly a powerful player there although might be hard to find material directly related to here (i.e. a lot of it is second hand). It’s a topic I am veru interested in myself so would be glad to discuss. enniskerrylocalhistory@gmail.com

          Michael

          • Hi Michael,

            Thank you for your reply. Would love to meet up and discuss further. Would you be free next Friday morning? (16th). If it does not suit no problem and maybe we could arrange another time?

            Again thank you and look forward to meeting with you.

            Regards.
            Elaine

  4. Hi Michael,

    Sorry I am just getting back to you and thank you for the information, will check library at NUIM. I will keep you posted on my research.

    Thank you,
    regards

    Elaine

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  6. I am trying to find out if the Buckleys of Enniskerry are an old Irish family or came in from England, perhaps in 1653 or thereabouts certainly in the early 20h century they were protestants My grandfather Francis Buckley owned and ran the Powerscourt Arms when it burned down and later., Can either of you, Michael or Elaine tell me where I might look – also Michael I should like to buy or download a copy of your book Enniskerry Archives…. 2013Temperley Brian

  7. I am Canadian a descendent of an Irishman named William Mulvaney. According to family history Mulvaney was coachman at Charleville house and eloped with Lord Monck’s eldest daughter Lady Anne Florinda. She had a child at 16 years of age, John Mulveney who was born around 1823 about the time Viscount Monck was elevated by George IV as Earl of Rathdowne. It would have been a scandal had the truth of Lady Anne Florinda’s elopement become public and so she was sent off to Canada with her child where she arranged for her son to be raised with her father’s support and then returned to Charleville around five years later. Reading Elisabeth Batt’s (nee Monck) book was enlightening where Lord Monck was very concerned with his other ten daughter’s virtue but paid little attention to his eldest daughter Anne Florinda. She never married but did raise her sister’s child and moved in with her brother in law William Smythe after her father’s death at Barbavilla, Westneath. That itself raised another scandal and Lady Anne and her unmarried sisters were known as Smythe’s “harem”. I assume Lady Anne Florinda lived there until her death in 1876, twelve years after her son John Mulveney died in Toronto in 1863 in a pauper’s grave a victim of consumption. The Mulveney’s in Canada were always staunch Methodist I assume because of the Monck tradition, unlike most of the Irish immigration to Canada at the time. It is ironic that her sister Lady Elizabeth Monck came to Canada at the same time as wife of the first Governor of Canada. Lady Anne Florinda never accepted the invitation of her sister to visit Canada.
    I wonder if it would be possible to trace the Mulvaney family in the area of county Wicklow to see if I could identify my ancestors.
    Although the Monck family history sounds something like the television series, Downton Abbey, where similar stories are related I would like to verify some of the family history passed down through two centuries in Canada.
    Larry Dunn

    • Hi Larry…..My name is Daniel King and I live in Hamilton, Ontario. I have recently discovered that I am also a descendant of William Mulveney and Lady Anne Florinda Monck. My mother’s maiden name was Elizabeth Mulveney and her family primarily resided in the Muskoka Lakes area of Ontario. Her great, great grand parents were William Mulveney and Louisa Last Mulveney, the former being the son of John Mulveney (and Margaret Johnston Mulveney). John Mulveney, I believe was the son of William Mulveney (the coachman) and Lady Anne Florinda Monck. I would be delighted to explore my ancestry further as I find it all highly intriguing. I have a lot of info regarding my branch of the Canadian Mulveneys and would like to learn more. A lot of my info can be found on my Facebook page or I can be contacted at danielking50@acanac.net. Hope to hear from you!

  9. I also have a family connection to Lord Charles Stanley Monck. My ancestor, William Mills, traveled with him from Ireland to Quebec, Canada in 1861. I’m researching to find out how they were connected to one another. Please contact me at michellekolbe@hushmail.com
    Thank you.

  10. You mention in your commentary that the wife of 6th Lord Powerscourt met with Robert Daly – I think you likely should say wife of 5th Lord Powerscourt. & step mother of 6th …

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