The Family of Barnewall In Ireland
de
Berneval Origins. . . Normandy France
"The
Barnewalls," came from little Britain, where they are at this day a great
surname." In 1066 "le Sieur do Barneville" was one of the
knights in the train of William the Conqueror, as Bromton's list runs:
Barneville et Berners,
Cheyne et Chalers.
In 1078 the
Conqueror, having pursued the insurgent Saxons to the Roman wall, returned to
York in triumph, and there bestowed upon Roger de Barneville the
manor of Newton in Cleveland, and various other lands which his immediate
descendants possessed until the 14th
century. Roger, together with his brother Hugh, on the declaration of the Holy
War at the Council of Clermont in 1095, hastened to receive upon their habits
the consecrated cross. In the following year they joined the banner of Duke
Robert, wintered in Apulia, and early in 1097 sojourned for some days at
Constantinople, where, in the Blanchernal palace, de Barneville and the
rest of the Duke of Normandy's retainers did homage to the Emperor A1exius, and
received for this acknowledgement the most expensive presents. The subsequent
achievements of de Barneville against the Sultan Kilidge Anslan, the
Solyman of Tasso, are the theme of the most glowing eulogies from the Latin
historians. Roger ultimately fell before the walls of Antioch. His third son
Roger was one of the military retainers of Robert de Bruce, and finally became
a monk in the abbey of St. Sauveur le Vicomte. The family was also established
in the 12th century in Southamptonshire.
In 1170 Jordan de
Barneville was one of the knights bound to render military service
for his possessions in the Duchy of Normandy, which he lived to see subdued by
Philip Augustus, to whom, in 1204, he vowed allegiance. At the close of the 12th
century, the family is traced in the records of Essex, Suffolk, Yorkshire,
Lincolnshire, Wiltshire, Middlesex, and a highly respectable branch at
Hockworthy in Devonshire.
About the same time
some of its members passed into Ireland, where, "upon their first
arrival,"they won great possessions at Beerhaven, but were at length, by
conspiracy of the Irish, headed by the O'Sullivans, all slain, except one young
man, who then studied the common laws in England; Hugh alias Ulfran
de Barneville, to whom, on his return, King John, in 1215, granted the
lands of Drymnagh and Tyrenure in the Vale of Dublin, which his posterity held
until the reign of James the First, when it was granted to Sir Adam Loftus.
This Hugh gave 20 ounces of gold to the crown for the custody of the son of
William Traim, and the daughter of Adam Rudipat, his wife, and of their lands
during their minority, which was accordingly granted to him, saving the dower
of Adam Rudipat's widow. Hugh died without issue, whereupon Reginald de
Barneville, his brother, succeeded as his heir, acquired considerable
accession of property by royal grant,
and was the direct ancestor of the Lords of Trimlestown. About this time the
Augustinian monastery of Odder was founded by one of the family.
In 1277 and the immediate
subsequent years, Gilbert de Barneval was summoned to perform military
service against Llewellyn, Prince of Wales. Members of the family were at this
time considerable landed proprietors in Middlesex, Devonshire, and Yorkshire.
In 1319 John de Berneville was knight of the shire for Somersetshire.
In 1348 and
previously, Sir Wolfran Barnewall was seised of Kilbrue in the county of
Meath, with the advowson of its church, and about the same time Reginald de
Barnewell was seised of Tyrenure in the vale of Dublin, as hereafter
mentioned.
In 1373 John de
Barneval, knight, was summoned to a great council to be held in Dublin. In
1433 John Barnewall, the ancestor of the Lords of Kingsland, was sheriff
of the county of Meath.
In 1435. Christopher
Barnewall of Crickstown, was Chief Justice of the King's Bench in
Ireland, he was the son of Sir Wolfran de Barnewall by the
daughter of the celebrated Lord Furnival. In 1462 Robert Barnewall, for
his good services to the king's father when in Ireland, had a grant constituting
him a baron of parliament, to hold said dignity to him and his heirs male by
the title of Lord and Baron of Trimlestown, with an annuity of £10 payable by
the Prior and Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, out of the farms of the
Salmon-leap.and Chapelizod; and the further privilege of being of the King's
Council in Ireland during life. At the same period, Sir Nicholas Barnewall
of Crickstown, the lineal ancestor of Sir Aylmer Barnewail, baronet,
and brother of said Robert Lord Trimlestown, was Chief Justice of the Common
Pleas in Ireland.
In 1474, when the
brotherhood of St. George was constituted by parliament of 13 of "the most
noble and worthy persons within the four shires," Barnaby Barnewal,
brotber of Christopher of Crickstown C. J. of the K. B., was one of the three
for the county Meath They were to assemble annually at Dublin, on St. George's
day to express their zeal for English government, and thence were styled the
fraternity of St. George To their captain, who was to be chosen, for one year,
on their anniversary, were assigned as his train 120 archers on horseback, and
40 other horsemen with one attendant to each. The archers were to receive
sixpence daily pay, the others, for themselves and their attendants, fivepence,
with an annual stipend of four marks. Thus was the defence of the English pale
entrusted to 200 men and 13 officers, with such tumultuary levies as might be
raised on any sudden emergency. To support this armament the fraternity was
empowered to demand 12 pence in the pound out of all merchandises sold in
Ireland, except hides and the goods of freemen of Dublin and Drogheda. They
were also empowered to make laws for the regulation of their society, to elect
new members on vacancy, and their captain had authority to apprehend outlaws,
rebels, and all who refused due obedience to law.
In 1487 Christopher,
the second Lord Trimlestown, was one of the Irish nobles deceived by the
pretensions of Lambert Simnel, for which, however, he received pardon in 1488.
Lord Trimlestown sat in the parliament of 1490, and, attending the Earl of
Kildare into Connaught, was present at the battle of Knocktow.
In 1495 Thomas
Barnewall was second Baron of the Exchequer in England.
In 1509 John
(afterwards third Baron of Trimlestown) was nominated second justice of the
Court of King's Bench. In 1522 be was appointed Treasurer of Ireland, and High
Treasurer in 1524. In 1532 he received a fee-farm grant of certain lands in the
county Louth, and in 1534 was constituted Lord High Chancellor of Ireland,
which office he held till his decease. The annals of the Four Masters, speaking
of the invasion of Munster, by the Lord Deputy against the O'Briens, in 1510,
records an engagement which took place near O'Brien's Bridge, in which, amongst
others "on the English side," fell Barnewall of Crickstown. In
1536 the aforesaid Barnewall, Lord of Trimlestown, while chancellor of
Ireland, was joined with Sir William Brabazon in a foray on the lands of
O'Connor in Carbury. In 1537 he was one of those deputed to parley with
O'Neill, on which occasion he affected a peace with that chieftain. His son
Peter was solicitor general of Ireland in 1534. In the parliament of 1541 the
Baron of Trimlestown was one of the sitting lords. In 1547 Patrick Barnewall,
of the Kingsland line, was a sergeant-at-law, and in 1550 was [305] created
Master of the Rolls, while in 1559 James Barnewall was Attorney-General for
Ireland. At the hosting of Tara, Robert Barnewall attended to do
military service, in right of lands in the county of Dublin; and in 1560 Patrick
Barnewall, Baron of Trimlestown, was one of the sitting lords in the
parliament held by the Lord Deputy Sussex.
In 1563 Sir
Christopher Barnewall, whose political information was much esteemed, was
the popular leader of the parliament, and strongly resisted the suspension of
Poyning's law. In 1568 he vehemently inveighed against the constitution of the
Irish House of Commons. First, because there were certain burgesses returned
for sundry towns, which were not corporate and had no lawful voice in the
parliament. Secondly, because certain sheriffs and certain mayors of towns
corporate, had returned themselves; and thirdly, because a number of Englishmen
were returned to be burgesses of such towns and corporations, which some of
them never knew, and none at all were resident and dwelling in the same,
according as by the laws was required.
In 1572 "Robert
Barnewall, Lord of Trimlestown, a rare nobleman, and endued with sundry
good gifts, having wholly wedded himself to the reformation of his miserable
country, was resolved for the whetting of his wit, which, natheless, was
pregnant and quick, by a short trade and method he took in his study, to have
sipt up the very sap of the common law; and, upon this determination, sailing
into England, sickened shortly after at a worshipful matron's house, where he
was, to the great grief of all his country, pierced with death, when the weal
public had most need of his life?' - Some years before his decease, this
nobleman was joined in commission with Hugh, Archbishop of Dublin, for the
preservation of the peace within the pale, against Shane O'Neill. In 1575 died
at Turvey the before-mentioned "Sir Christopher Barnewall, knight,
the lanthorn and light as well of his house as of that part of Ireland where he
dwelt; who, being sufficiently furnished as well with the knowledge of the
Latin tongue as of the common laws of England, was zealously bent to the
reformation of his country; a deep and a wise gentleman, spare of speech and
therewithal pithy, wholly addicted to gravity, being in any pleasant conceit
rather given to simper than smile, very upright in dealing, measuring all [306]
his affairs with the safety of conscience, as true as steel, close and secret,
fast to his friend, stout in a good quarrel, a great householder, sparing
without pinching, spending without wasting, of nature mild, rather choosing to
pleasure where he might harm, than willing to harm where he might
pleasure?" His is the monument hereafter noted as still existing in the
north aisle of the church of Lusk.
In the parliament of
1585 Lord Trimlestown sat as a baron, while John Barnewall was one of
the representatives for Drogheda, Robert Barnewall for Ardee, and Richard
Barnewall for the county Meath, Sir Patrick Barnewall of Crickstown
also sat in that parliament.
At the general
hosting at Tara in 1593, Sir Patrick Barnewall of Crickstown brought
four archers on horse-back as his service, as did Sir Patrick of Turvey one
archer for Turvey, and four for Grace Dieu in defence of the county Dublin;
this latter was a patentee to a great extent of monastic property in the
counties of Dublin, Meath, Galway, Kildare, and Roscommon. He also was buried
at Lusk. In l597 the BaTon of Trimlestown and his son attended the standard of
the Lord Deputy in his incursion on O'Neill. It was found necessary, however,
to detach the latter with a thousand men to attack an English associate of
O'Neill, named Tyrrel, who, affecting to fly, drew his enemies into a defile
concealed by trees, where he was enabled to attack them in front and rere,
utterly defeated their forces, sent their young commander prisoner to O'Neill,
and gave his name to the locality of Tyrrelspass.
In 1605 Sir
Patrick Barnewall, the great agent of the Irish recusants, was, on account
of his zeal in their behalf, by the king's command sent in custody into
England, and committed to the tower of London. The English council, consisting
of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Chancellor Ellesmere, &c. thereupon
required Sir Arthur Chichester, Lord Deputy of Ireland, and his council, to
answer the accusations which Barnewall made against the said deputy, the
most important of which they considered, that he complained of precepts being
sent forth in Ireland under the great seal to compel men to go to church. About
this time, Robert Barnewall of the county Meath line, and a lawyer of
Gray's Inn, published an abridgment of the second part of the Year Book of King
Henry the Sixth, which, as it contained many cases concerning Irish affairs, he
dedicated to Sir Robert Gardiner, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. In this
dedication he observes, "that among all the volumes of the law he had
read, the second part of Henry the Sixth was the worthiest to be heeded by all
who should intend the manner of proceeding of law in Ireland?"
In 1606 occurs a
curious notice in reference to the daughter of the aforesaid Sir Patrick
Barnewall and Valerian Wellesley, who being a minor, his guardian
contracted for his marriage with that lady; on attaining, however, the age of
14, he came personally into the Court or Exchequer, and there in full court
protested against the contract, as "being fully resolved in my own mind to
keep myself at liberty, until God shall grant me best judgment to make choice
for myself."
In 1612 Robert Lord
Trimlestown was one of the six peers of the Pale who addressed, to a monarch
habituated to the most abject flattery, the honest remonstrance well known to
every reader of Irish history, especially complaining of the deposing the most
loyal of the magistrates for not taking the oath of supremacy, and also
requiring a thorough corporate reform. "And so upon the knees of our loyal
hearts we do humbly pray, that your highness will be graciously pleased not to
give way to courses in the general opinion of your subjects here, so hard and
exorbitant, as to erect towns and corporations of places consisting of some
poor and beggarly cottages, but that your highness will give direction that
there be no more created till time, or traffic, or commerce, do make places in
the remote and unsettled countries here fit to be incorporated, and that your
majesty will benignly content yourself with the service of understanding men,
to come as knights of the shires out of the chief countries to the
parliament?" And these noblemen offered to prove their allegations in
person, and begged permission so to do; "for we are those by the effusion
of whose ancestors' blood the foundation of your highness's empire over this
kingdom was first laid."
In the parliament of
1613 Robert Barnewall was one of the representatives for the county
Meath, and in 1621 Patrick Barnewall of Shankhill, in the county Dublin,
was also seized of very considerable possessions in the county Wicklow.
In the priorities of
Lord Strafford's celebrated procession in 1634, Lord Trimlestown walked after
Lord Dunsany and before Lord Howth, the youngest being foremost. Lord Dunsany
subsequently claimed precedence, but his petition was disallowed.
In the parliament of
1639 Nicholas Barnewall of Turvey, and Peter Barnewall of Tyrenure
were the representatives for the county of Dublin, while Sir Richard
Barnewall of Crickstown was one of those for the county of Meath, and Patrick
Barnewall of Kilbrew for the borough of Trim. This Sir Richard raised and
commanded 100 horse at his own charges in the ensuing troubles, and on one
particular occasion despatched Christopher Barnewall of Crackenstown,
and Andrew, son of Patrick Barnewall of Kilbrew, with 200 men under
their command, to defend the town of Kilsallaghan against the English army.
In 1641 Barnewall
of Rathesker, a colonel of the Irish army, and deputy custos rotulorum of
the county Louth, was taken prisoner by Lord Moore in the action of Tullyallen,
and his castle with great store of provisions taken and plundered; while about
the same time, "Patrick Barnewall of Kilbrew, one of the most
considerable gentlemen of the Pale, a venerable old man, a lover of quiet, and
highly respected in his country, having surrendered himself to the Earl of
Ormond, and received a safe conduct from Sir William Parsons, was nevertheless
upon his arrival in Dublin imprisoned and put to the rack; which," says
Leland, "he endured with so steady an avowal of his innocence, and such
abundant evidence was offered in his favour, that the Justices were ashamed of
their cruelty, and to make some amends to the unhappy gentleman, he was
permitted to reside in Dublin, and his estate protected from the general havoc
of the soldiery?' He had been one of those present at the great meeting on the
hill of Crofty. At the same era of trouble, Lord Trimlestown attended the
gathering on Tara Hill, and was one of the eight noblemen, who signed the
letter of remonstrance against the intolerance of the Lords Justices. In the
subsequent measures, adopted by the confederate Catholics, for raising soldiers
in the several baronies of the Pale, that of Navan was assigned to this
nobleman, as were those of Ratoath and Dunboyne to Sir Richard Barnewall of
Crickstown and Patrick Barnewall of Kilbrew. This general muster
organized a force of upwards of 12,000 men, on the assembling of which Lord
[309] Trimlestown was one or the four peers who, from their camp near Drogheda,
addressed the Marquis of Clanricarde, assigning the motives for thus taking up
arms. "First, then, we declare unto your lordship, that the only scope and
purpose of our taking up of arms is for the honour of God, to obtain a free
exercise of the ancient Catholic Roman religion, so long and so constantly
adhered unto by us and our progenitors in this kingdom, and whereof we have
been threatened to be utterly deprived, and from which nothing but death or
utter extirpation shall remove us. Next, for restitution of the 'absolute
sovereignty or prerogative royal of our most gracious king, whereof we to our
great grief do behold him abridged by some ill affected subjects, aiming
therein at their own private ends; and, thirdly, for the liberty of this our
country, which the parliament of England (our fellow-subjects) seeketh to
captivate and enthral to themselves, the experience whereof we have for a long
while found under the heavy pressures of the sub-ordinate governors placed over
us, the particulars whereof, too tedious to be related, are sufficiently known
to most parts of the Christian world, and yet obscured and concealed from the
eyes and ears of our gracious king at home, because he should not commiserate
us to give order for our deliverance. These, then, and none other, we call God
to witness, are the grounds and motives of the action we have in hand." His
castle at Trimlestown, in the county of Meath, was soon afterwards taken by the
Lord Deputy.
On the breaking out
of these troubles Noholas Barnewall, then proprietor of Turvey, fled
with his family to Wales, whence he returned in 1643, and the king soon afterwards,
being sensible of his loyalty and taking a special notice both of his services
in Ireland and those of his son Patrick in England, created him Baron of
Turvey and Viscount Barnewall of Kingsland. He married the widow of
O'Donnell Earl of Tyrconnel, and on his decease was also buried at Lusk.
Amongst the confederate Catholics, who sat at Kilkenny in 1646, were George
Barnewall of Kingstown, Henry Barnewall of Castlerickard, and James
Barnewall Sir Richard Barnewall, the second baronet of Crickstown was also
one of the provincial council at Kilkenny, and was excepted from pardon for
life and estate by Cromwell's act of parliament passed in August 1652 He was
afterwards transplanted into Connaught attainted, and deprived of all his
estates until the Restoration, when, being one of the nominees mentioned in the
Act of Settlement he was restored to his mansion-house and 2,000 acres
adjoining, soon after which he died. In 1650 Mathias, the 12th Lord Baron of
Trimlestown, was also transplanted into Connaught by Cromwell, who gave him
some less valuable estates in that province, in lieu of those which he had
inherited in Leinster, although the said baron had taken no part in the civil
wars, as was afterwards particularly declared in the Acts of Settlement and Explanation.
In 1688 John
Barnewall of Crickstown, was appoirted second Justice of the Exchequer.
Viscount Kingsland, and Robert, the ninth Baron of Trimlestown, sat in the
peerage of King James's parliament in 1689, while among the Commons on that
occasion, were Francis Barnewall of Woodpark, county Meath, and Sir
Patrick Barnewall, the third Baronet of Crickstown, one of the
representatives for that county. King James at this time gave a warrant to Lord
Trimlestown for the reversal of the outlawry that affected his title, but the
process was interrupted by succeeding events. Nicholas, the third Viscount
Kingsland, also espoused the cause of King James, and was outlawed accordingly.
On the route at the Boyne he went to Limerick, whore be continued until its surrender;
but, being comprehended within the Articles, he obtained a reversal of his
outlawry. In King William's first parliament he delivered his writ of summons,
and took the oath of allegiance, but, being required to subscribe the
declaration according to the English act, he refused so to do, declaring it was
not agreeable to his conscience, whereupon, the Lord Chancellor acquainted him,
that the consequence of his refusal was, that he could not sit in that house,
upon which his lordship withdrew.
In September, 1691,
Mathias, the tenth Baron of Trimlestown, was one of the hostages from the Irish
army, pending the Treaty of Limerick. He and his brother John followed the
fortunes of the fallen monarch. The former had a commission under the Duke of
Berwick, and fell in action against the Germans in 1692, whereupon the latter
returned from Flanders to this country, recovered the family estates, and had
writ of summons to parliament as Baron of Trimlestown, but being a Roman
Catholic, he applied to the then Lord Deputy in council to excuse him
accordingly.
In 1695 Alexander
Barnewall was lieutenant-colonel in Clare's regiment of dragoons in the French
service, while about the same time Lord Trimlestown had three sons in
foreign service, Thomas in France, James in the Spanish service, and Anthony,
who went into Germany at the age of 17, in General Hamilton's regiment of
cuirassiers. He was engaged in every action of note against the Turks, and in
the memorable battle of Crotzka, in September, 1739, on the fall of his
superior officer, twice led his regiment to the charge, but perished on the
last occasion, being surrounded and cut down by the enemy.
In 1745 Lieutenant
George Barnewall of Berwick's regiment, was taken prisoner off Montrose, on
board the Louis the Fifteenth, by the Milford, as was another Lieutenant
Barnewall on board the Charité in 1746, and Lieutenants William, Edward,
and Basil Barnewall were also captured at sea, fighting in the same
service. In the engagement which occurred in 1747 at Lauffield village rear
Maestricht, Captain Brian Barnewall of Clare's regiment of the Irish Brigade
was killed, as was Captain Edward Barnewall in Berwick's, and Captain Thomas
Barnewall badly wounded.
Thomas, the 13th
Lord Trimlestown, was a Knight of Malta. In 1768 Nicholas, the 14th Baron of
Trimlestown, married the only daughter of Monsieur Joseph d'Augin, President of
the Parliament of Tholouse, by whom he had issue the succeeding lord, and one
daughter who was married in 1795 to Peter, Count D'Alton.
In 1793 John
Thomas Barnewall, Esq. (the present Lord Trimlestown), only son to Court
Barnewall, formerly of the kingdom of France, and cousin to the Lord
Trimlestown of that day, was married to Miss Kirwan, the eldest daughter of the
celebrated Richard Kirwan, whose scientific acquirements were so highly
esteemed. In 1795 this nobleman obtained an absolute avoidance of the outlawry
which affected the title in his line, and judgment of reversal was entered in
the Court of King's Bench in Hilary term of that year as of Michaelmas term,
1689, when it had been intended to he granted by King James.