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| Notes for Sir Francis Berkeley | ||||||||||
| He inherited from his father the farm of Horsleigh, South Brewham, Somerset. __________________________________________________________________________ In Aug 2005, Pam Akibair pass on this account that covers the life of a Sir Francis Berkeley, almost certainly this man: From: "Pamela Abikhair" <pabikhair@ozemail.com.au> To: "Tim Powys-Lybbe" <tim@powys.org> Subject: Fw: Berkeleys Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 22:42:51 +1000 ----- Original Message ----- From: "R Young" <rmyoung@iol.ie> To: "Pam Abikhair" <pabikhair@ozemail.com.au> Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 9:10 PM Subject: Berkeleys > Just received excerpt from the Limerick Library taken from a book "Eas > Cead Tine" The Waterfall of the Hundred fires by Patrick J. Cronin published > 1999 by Askeaton Civic Trust: > > > "Lismakeera Church & Parish > Lismakeera in the 1300s was a Parish in the diocese of Limerick. Surveyed > for Papal Taxation in 1302 the Parish was then referred to as Lismaceyre > and > later Lismakeery. In the 14th Century it was held by the Abbey of > Keynsham, > Somerset, England, as were a number of Churches and Parishes in the > locality. The name Lismakeera is derived from the name, Mackeery's Fort. > (there is a short description of a ruined church here then) The church and > lands were in the possession of the de Lacy family during the 16th > century. > In 1571 James Roe Lacy who held Lismakeera was executed in Limerick during > the Desmond rebellion. It then passed to John de Lacy of Ballingarry. > In 1603 King James 1 granted the lands of Lismakeera to Sir Richard Boyle. > Sir Richard Boyle was born in 1455 and arrived in Ireland in 1588 with few > possessions. He married a very rich heiress, Joan Apsley in 1595 and > accumulated much wealth. Boyle settled in Youghal and recognised the > suitability of the area for the production of pig iron (goes on to what he > did then) He was also appointed first Earl of Cork in 1620. During > Boyle's > reign Lismakeera Church became a Protestant house of worship but reverted > to > being a Catholic Church in the 1620s. > > Lismakeera was granted to Sir Francis Berkeley constable of Limerick > castle, > about 1610 and he in turn leased it to Edmond Drew in 1612 who was first > Provost of Askeaton. Sir Francis was very zealous for the Protestant > religion and he promoted it at every opportunity. Sir Francis Berkeley > died > in 1615 and his constableship of Limerick castle passed to George > Courtenay > and the lands to his daughters Elizabeth Crofton and Gertrude Taylor**** > > (goes on to refer to the de Lacy family then) "As well as the land Francis > Berkeley also received the castle of Askeaton. Berkeley was given a > life-long lease of the manor for £87. 10s and was instructed to erect over > 50 houses; four houses for freeholders, three for farmers and forty six > for > copy-holders. The grant was dated October 18th 1590. The castle was once > again attacked in October 1598, this time by James, half brother to Gerald > the 15th Earl. This James was married to a daughter of Maurice Roche Lord > of Fermoy. James who assumed the title Sugan Earl attacked the castle, > taking Berkeley by surprise. It was reported that over 500 of the English > settlers in the locality, comprising of me, women and children poured into > the castle yard, fearful of their lives. Some of them were able to escape > by boat to Limerick where the Mayor took care of them, while others > remained > in the castle until the siege was over. > > In June 1599 the Earl of Essex visited Askeaton in an attempt to quell the > uprising. The town and castle were further besieged on June 10th but the > English were resilient and held out. Berkeley, for his bravery in holding > out, was Knighted there and then by Essex. The castle was then granted to > Sir Anthony St. Leger on October 17th 1599. In the summer of 1600 Sir > George Carew arrived in Askeaton and immediately installed a garrison of > 700 > foot soldiers and 75 horsemen. Meanwhile in 1601, Kinsale was besieged by > the Earls of Ulster and Francis Berkley took an active part on behalf of > the > English. The Sugan Earl was finally captured on 29th May 1601 and was > sent > to the Tower of London. His fate, like many of his predecessors, was > inevitable, death by the executioner's axe. > > In January 1610 Sir Francis Berkeley visited Sir Arthur Chichester, the > Lord > Deputy and he offered to wall Askeaton under the terms and conditions he > (Chichester) required. A few months later King James 1 directed > Chichester > to pas the castle and forty acres to Berkeley as he had offered to make it > a > safe haven for English settlers. Berkeley had already held the manor up > to > 1599, prior to it being granted to Sir Anthony St. Leger. He also > constituted Askeaton castle to be the Manor of Rock Barkeley and > established > a fair and a weekly market. In a second grant on April 25th 1611, the > Constableship of Limerick was granted to Maurice Berkeley, who was the son > of Sir Francis. this would come into being on the death of Sir Francis. > The Government, weakened by the many uprising and troubles were anxious to > maintain a certain status to strengthen their position in the next > Parliament, so Askeaton was granted Corporate status. Askeaton was > granted > this standing on October 20th 1612. The first Provost or sheriff was > Edmund > Drew, and the Burgesses or consultants to Parliament were Sir Francis > Berkeley, Edmund Ley, Roger Rue, William Rastell, Henry Widman, John > eaton, > Gilber Rue, Anthony Cooper, John Gree, John Atkinson, John Stokes and > Andrew > Davies. From 1613 to 1800 Askeaton sent two full members to Parliament. > > Francis Berkeley, it would seem, was a fair and trusted Landlord. He was > noted for bringing his tenants to Church and employed Irish speaking > ministers. At one stage during his Constableship he was accused and found > guilty by the Government of violating the terms of his grant by harbouring > Irish husbandmen. The authorities dropped the charge, as they had few > friends and were fearful of reprisals. Sir Francis Berkeley died at > Askeaton castle on December 20th 1615 and was succeeded by his eldest son, > Maurice. Maurice was seventeen years old at the time but died on > September > 8th 1622 at the tender age of twenty four. His brother Henry succeeded > but > he also died before the age of twenty. His remaining co-heirs were his > nephew and his sisters, William Courteney and his wife Kathleen Berkeley, > Elizabeth, wife of George Crofton, Frances Berkeley and Gertrude, wife of > John Taylor. Livery of the estate was given to Elizabeth Crofton and > Gertrude Taylor on November 21st 1626." > > The Bibliography shows Primary Sources > Notes on Askeaton County Limerick from the Royal Society of Antiquaries of > Ireland 1903-1904- T.J. Westropp 1903 **** > Catholic Encyclopaedia, 1913 - Electronic version 1997 > the stereo Pair Photographic Collection 1860-1883 > The Lawrence Photographic collection 1870-1914 > The Cardall Photographic collection 1940-1960 > > Books > A Survey of the ancient churches of co. Limerick T.J. Westropp 1904*** > Ancients Castle of Co. Limerick T.J. Westropp 1906*** > The Antiquities of Limerick and its neighbourhood T.J. Westropp > 1916*** > English Romanesque Architecture A.W. Clapham (Vol. 11 1934) > Norman Castles in Britain D.F. Renn 1970 > From Templar to Mason Piet van Praet > > Newspapers Magazines Periodicals etc. > North Munster Antiquarian Journal Vol 16 1973-1974 > Web Life Productions Inc 1996 > Renascence Editions - the University of Oregon Richard Bear > Sir Walter Raleigh Web Page Jim Batten, 1996-1998 > Historian and archaeologists of Youghal Web Page > Corpus of Electronic Texts on Annals of the 4 Masters Compiled by Karen > O'Brien UCC > Ireland's Eye Homepage 1997 > The Askeaton Experience (Video) Dr. Patrick Wallace 1990 (this could be > worth looking at!!) > > > A second book by the same author quotes > "The Queen to the Lord Deputy and the Lord Chancellor, informing them that > for the better re-peopling of the Province of Munster, she desired that > Sir > Edward Berkeley should amongst the rest of the undertakers have assigned > unto him the Castle of Askeaton, in the County of Limerick, with the whole > seignory thereunder attached; which premises had been passed to Berkeley > immediately before his death, and before the great seal was affixed. Her > Majesty in consideration of the services of his brother Francis, grants > him > the Seignory, with all the land and tenements thereunto belonging, > reserving > the Castle of Askeaton with 40 acres next, adjoining, which nevertheless > Her > Majesty commits to his care during her pleasure and directs that the pay > of > the fifteen footmen and the constable shall cease. > Richmond, December 18th 1589 > In consequence of having obtained the Seignory, a pension of 5/- a day to > Francis Berkeley was discontinued." > > A further paragraph goes on to describe the walling and incorporation of > Askeaton in 1612 much as above except describes "According to the Royal > societies of Antiquaries of Ireland, 1903, the Desmond Castle was also > called "Magnestre" and "Rock Barklie" and that the lands had originally > been confiscated from Donough Mac Teige." ______________________________________________________________________ | ||||||||||
| Last Modified 6 Sep 2005 | Created 19 Feb 2007 by Tim Powys-Lybbe |