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.