Legge Family of Rodeen

Legge Family of Rodeen & Garrane [Garvane], Tipperary, Limerick, Dublin & Tasmania

Much of the information that I have found on the Legge Family comes from Burke's "A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Colonial Gentry" & is yet to be supported by proof & dates, however it is proving to be fairly factual for recent people [* Recent documents reveal some significant errors, see below...]. I have come across some long pedigrees that go back to the 12th Century, but proof of a connection is lacking, other than believed to be descended from one of the sons of....so I will start with the more definite parts of the tree! According to Burke's, the family seats were Garrane [Parish of Kilbarron, near Finnoe] and Ballinderry in Tipperary, Ireland and Pinner in Middlesex, England. There were also Legges at Cullenswood, Dublin, and since this is the name the Legge family gave their Estate in Tasmania, it seems that there must be another connection to this family. Another place associated with the family Rodeen is in Finnoe, a parish in Lower Ormond, Co Tipperary and Province of Munster.

The National Library of Ireland lists in its catalogue "Draft Pedigree of Legge of Cappagh, Ballinderry, Rodeen & Garrane, All Co Tipperary, and of Cullenswood House, Tasmania. c1680-1915, MS 811(29).

The earliest Legge I have identified so far is Edward Legge of Tipperary. In a list of those who fled King James in 1689 in the Diocese of Killaloe was an Edward Legge, Gent of Tipperary along with four sisters and two brothers. There is also a mention of a Francis Legge of Cappagh, Tipperary in Analecta Hibernica issue 16-19 on page 282. He apparently died about 1690 and his will was probated in 1691. Some recently digitised memorial land deeds & digitised books have enabled me to connect Fancis Legge to the tree & improve the correct parentage [although there may still be errors, there are now fewer!]

Some online trees have the following as the main line, but I cannot reconcile this with other evidence.
Edward Legge of Killoe married before 1700 to Grace Macnamara. [The will of Grace Legge als McNamara was probated in 1753 at Killaloe]. An Edward LEGGE [along with John MacNamara] was a church warden at Killoe in 1728.

There are claims that the LEGGE family was closely related to the Earl of Dartmouth, including the claim that Francis LEGGE [died 1691] was his uncle. This would make him a brother of the Earl's father, but if so he must have been illegitimate. Other suggestions are that he & his brother Henry LEGGE were sons of Robert LEGGE and his wife Mary NORTON.

MR LEGGE had at least 2 sons. His name & wife unknown.
1. Francis LEGGE of Cappagh, Tipperary. His wife is said to be Alice Fitzgerald, but I do not know the source of her name]. He must have been born before 1640, as he & his brother Henry were Poll Tax Commissioners in 1661. In 1662, he leased land from Randall Cleyton, Esq of Mallow, Cork [record from the Virtual Treasury]. In 1683 he is noted as the Captain of a troop which assembled at his house at Cappagh on the 9th August.
b. Before 1640
d. 1691
His will was dated 6th March 1686 and proved in 1691. There is no mention of his son William Legge, so he may have died. There is also no mention of his wife. Daughter Alice is the wife of George LeHunte. Also mentioned is his brother Henry LEGGE of Ballinderry, along with nephews Edward & Henry LEGGE.
        1. Alice Legge
         b. abt 1662
         d. After 1686 probably before 1697 as she is apparently not in her husband's will.
         Married about 1681 to George LeHunte [1659-27 May 1697 Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Buried there at St Martin of Tours]. Their known children are
         Richard, Francis, William, George & Thomas.
         2. William Legge
         b. 1664 Armeal, Co Tipperary, Ireland
         d. After 1681, but probably before 1686 as he was not mentioned in his father's will.
         Admitted to Trinity College, Dublin 20th April 1678, born Armeal, Co Tipperary, son of Francis Legge, Arminger. B.A. Vern, 1681.
2. Henry Legge, of Ballinderry, Co Tipperary. He must have been born before 1640, as along with his brother Francis LEGGE, was a Poll Tax Commissioner in 1661. He was alive in 1686, when his brother Francis wrote his will. Several online trees name his wife as "Marilyn Spice", but no sources are given. His wife was living in 1683.
A Google book search produces the following; " 1683 Calendar of Manuscripts of the Marquess Ormonde, H.M. Stationery Shipping Office 1912. p. 366 "Captain Henry Legge and his three sons Edward, Theophilus, and John Legge did come that night about nine of the clock from the said Captain Legge's house, which is some three miles in the country, to Borriskane, and that he brought his wife and a young child and a servant with him, and that he and his..."
Had issue;
         1. Edward Legge
         b. ? d. Before 1746, married, wife may be Grace McNamara.
         Edward Legge was the eldest son of Henry Legge. He is listed in a 1683 recount of an uprising, along with his father and brothers Theophilus and John. He is
         mentioned in the 1686 will of his uncle Francis Legge. In 1689 a list of Protestants who fled Killoe includes an Edward Legge, two brothers and four sisters. In 1728,
         the churchwardens at Killaloe are Edward Legge and John McNamara.
         Had at least two sons, the eldest being another Edward LEGGE.

1746 Deed 83337 11th day of April 1746. Between Edward LEGGE of Rodeen, Co Tipperary, eldest son and heir of Edward Legge, late of Ballinderry, Co Tipperary, Gent, deceased, who was the eldest son and heir of Henry Legge, late of Ballinderry, Co Tipperary, Gent, dec. and of the first part Simon Purdon late of Bealkelly, second son of Simon Purdon & now his heir at law etc and Michael LEGGE, late Lieut of Foot in the Regiment which was commanded by George Grove, since deceased of the second part....granted by Henry LEGGE and Edward LEGGE his eldest son of the 30th of March 1693...the said Michael Legge is witnessed by the said Robert Minnitt and Coulter LEGGE of Rodeen in the county of Tipperary, Gent,
         2. Henry Legge
          Known from a 1683 document about an uprising. Mentioned in the 1686 will of his uncle Francis Legge of Cappagh.
         3. Theophilus Legge
         Known from a 1683 document that lists him as a son of Captain Henry Legge.
         4. John Legge
         Known from a 1683 document that lists him as a son of Captain Henry Legge. Maybe the the John Legge, minor brother of Michael Legge whose estate was settled
         by an act of Administration to Michael Legge in 1718.
         5. Lieut Michael Legge; see below.
         6. Francis Legge
         1718 Betham's abstracts William/John/Francis LEGGE of Ballinderry, all minors, Gents, Admon to brother Michael LEGGE
         7. William Legge
         1718 Betham's abstracts William/John/Francis LEGGE of Ballinderry, all minors, Gents, Admon to brother Michael LEGGE

          Lieutenant MICHAEL LEGGE was a son of Henry LEGGE. He is most likely the Michael Legge who administered the estates of three brothers [John, William &
          Francis] who had all died as minors. There is a connection between the LEGGE family & the PURDON family that can be seen in memorial deeds, so it may be that
          his wife was a PURDON. This would account for the name of his youngest son. He had three surviving sons and may well have had daughters too.

1743 Deed 77442 dated 30th September 1743 Made between Captain Michael LEGGE of Dublin Esq of the one part & Francis LeHunte and Thomas LeHunte both of the city of Dublin of the other part. Reciting that on 30th March 1693 made between Henry LEGGE and Edward LEGGE of Ballinderry, Co Tipperary & Edward Coulter of Clonmel, Gent of the other part....is come vested in the said Michael LEGGE...said Michael Legge during his life...400 pounds for the purchase of an Ensign Commission for Richard Legge, second son of Michael Legge, and to pay 400 pounds after the death of the said Michael Legge unto Purdon LEGGE, third son of the said Michael LEGGE, and residue to Francis LEGGE the eldest son of the said Michael LEGGE... signed by Michael LEGGE in the presence of Francis LEGGE

1. Major Francis Legge
b. about 1719 in Tipperary, Ireland
d. 20 May 1783 at The Grove, near Pinner/Pinnar, Middlesex, Engand. [From the London Chronicle] and was buried 20th May 1783 at St John the Baptist at Pinner.
Francis bequeathed Pinner to William Legge, the 2nd Earl of Dartmouth and also left money to his nephew William Legge [proven to be the son of Richard Legge] and the children of his nephew Michael Legge [who can only be the son of Purdon Legge]. Francis Legge was the Governor of Nova Scotia 1773-6. He did not marry.
2. Richard Legge
b. abt 1721
d. 3 August 1778 at Falmouth, Cornwall aged 57 and buried there at St Charles the Martyr.
He was a Lieut Captain in the 62nd Foot.
He married Dorothy Pye on 24th August 1758 and their son William Legge was the nephew in Francis Legge's will.
Many thanks to Rosemary Martin for connecting this branch to the family and solving the mystery of William's father! There are surviving letters from William to his uncle Francis.
3. Lieutenant Purdon Legge
b. abt 1722
d. November 1752 in Dublin, Ireland & was buried on the 3rd November 1752 at St Werburgh, Dublin, Ireland.
He is sometimes said to have died in the West Indies, but his burial gives his address as Skinners Row and the probate record as Roscawes.
The name of his wife is unknown, but they had at least a son Michael LEGGE [from the will of his uncle Francis LEGGE above]
          1. Michael LEGGE
          b. abt 1740 at Rodeen, Tipperary
          d. After 1791
          Married on the 24th May 1759 at Anne Young, daughter of Simon Young and his wife Anna Maria Ewer. She was still living in 1777 [mentioned in a court case]

A Gent, of Rodeen, Co Tipperary. A list of Freeholders in Co Tipperary for 1775-6 lists a Michael Legge of Leggesborough & Garvane [Garrane?] and a John Legge of Clonmel, Tipperary. Michael Legge married on the 24th May 1759 at the Church of Ireland, Newport, Co Tipperary to Anne Young. Anne was born in 1742 at Brookfield, Limerick, the daughter of Simon Young[ born about 1714 & died 16 Jan 1776 in Limerick & was buried at Rathkeale Graveyard, Co Limerick] and Anna Maria Ewer [daughter of William Ewer of Clonsingle, Co Tipperary & Mary Philips of Dublin . She died in 1781].
A gravestone at Rathkeale is inscribed " Mrs Anne Flanedy ered ys stone In memry of her father Simon Young who depd ys life Jan 16th 1776 aged 62 years & her son Edmund Flanedy who died Novr 8th 1799 aged 22 years." This has been suggested as proof that Michael Legge died before 1777 and his widow remarried, but it seems that there are at least two Anne Young, daughter of Simon Youngs!
Michael and Anne Legge had several children, although so far I only know the name of two.His letter to the Earl of Dartmouth refers to an Affidavit listing the names and dates of birth of his children, but so far I cannot locate this. The letter does refer to "my younger children" and two daughters who married without consent and in 1784 are still under 21.The name of one daughter is known because her husband also wrote to the Earl.
1. Michael Legge
b. 1764-68 Garrane, Tipperary
d. 1 August 1834 aged 66, buried at Finnoe, Co Tipperary [Information from transcript of gravestone]. Burke's gives his date of death as 17 October 1834 at Dublin & age as death as 70, possibly his descendants in Australia had forgotten some of the details. Alternatively, the Limerick Chronicle of the 11th October 1834 contains the following death notice; " Sunday last at Garrane, county Tipperary, Michael Legge, Esq. Attorney-at-Law". This gives him a date of death of 5th October 1834.
2. Susanna Legge
b. ?
d. ?
Married before 1784 to William Frith of Shinrone, County Birr, Ireland [Known from letters written to the Earl of Dartmouth by her husband]
3. Miss Legge
Also under 21 and married by 1784.

Michael Legge was a Barrister in Dublin & apparently fell on difficult financial times, leading to most of his children emigrating to Australia. He married on 8th August 1796 at St Michaels, Limerick, Ireland to Blanche Vincent, daughter of John Vincent of Limerick & Clare and his wife Lucy Westropp. Her gravestone at Finnoe, Tipperary gives her date of death as 25 April 1819 [Burkes has 15 & her age as 46, giving her a birthdate of about 1773], although Burkes "The Landed Gentry of Ireland" gives her birthdate as 17th April 1775. [Blanche's sister Frances Vincent married a William Legge; although it seems likely that he was related to Michael, unfortunately, Burke's doesn't indicate a relationship. Other known siblings were Thomas, Lucy, Rev George, Berkeley, Sarah & Elizabeth. From John Vincent's first marriage to Catherine Love, another brother Arthur Vincent.]

Blanche Vincent [Photo from Robert Legge] Michael Legge [Photo from Robert Legge]

Michael Legge & Blanche Vincent had seven known children [See Below].
Robert Vincent Legge, the younger son of Michael & Blanche, aged 23, escorted four of his five sisters; Eliza, Sarah, Alicia and Frances to Tasmania aboard The Medway, leaving England on the 1st April and arriving at Hobart on the 20th August 1827. Travelling on the same ship was the Solicitor Henry Jennings who would later marry Alicia. Also on board among the 35 passengers was quite a few members of the Gray family, including Mary nee Legge [the other sister!] who it seems was already married to Captain James Kingsley Gray and probably already had a daughter; Blanche Eliza Gray [they had another child on the 13th September 1827 in Tasmania so poor Mary must have been relieved not to give birth aboard the ship!]. James's brother Major William Gray, his wife Ellen Kingsley, 4 children [may include Blanche] and a Mrs Gray [she may be the Mrs Anne Gray, relict of Richard Gray who died at Rockford aged 77 in 1837]

1. William Vincent Legge
b. abt 1798 Dublin, Ireland
d. 15 June 1873 at Meath, Ireland. Executors of his will were John & Lucy Legge.
The death notice of his son William in 1898 describes his father as of "Navan, Co Meath"
Attended Trinity College, Dublin in 1813, aged 15, born Dublin, son of Michael, Pragmaticus, MA 1836. Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of 1837 lists a William Legge of Garrane, Kilbaron, Tipperary. He married in Dublin, 1824 to Maria Eyre Silk & they had William Vincent Legge in 1829, John Vincent Legge in 1831 [who married a Maria Frances Wilkinson and had seven known children. John Vincent Legge lived at 26 Elgin Rd, Dublin & was Chief Clerk in the court of the Exchequer. He died 14th July 1896 in Dublin], Blanche Legge who married 31st July 1848 at the Parish Church, Julian's Town, Ireland to Samuel Parsons, Curate at Navan,Co Meath. They emigrated to Tasmania arriving about January 1852. Rev Samuel Parsons became the incumbent at All Saints & Canon at St Davids in Hobart before his death at Elbodan Place, Hobart on the 7th November 1876 in his 54th year. Blanche remarried on the 19th November 1878 at All Saints to Sir James Wilson Agnew. She died on the 16th December 1891 at Lorne, Victoria Pde, Melbourne, Maria Caroline Legge who married in Tasmania to Robert William Franks [although as yet I cannot find this marriage], her cousin, Letitia Arabella Legge in 1833 at Carnarvon, Wales & Lucy Legge who died 9th Feb 1879 at Meath, Ireland and left her estate to her brother John Vincent Legge.

William Vincent Legge jnr, at Delgate River, Victoria.
2. Eliza Legge
b. abt 1800 in Dublin, Ireland [from her death record]
d. 28 May 1858 at Oakden, Alma Rd, St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She was a widow, her husband having died on the 3rd May 1851.
Eliza married on the 15th January 1834 at Rockford, Campbell Town, Tasmania to Matthew Franks. The witnesses were Robert Vincent Legge of Cullenswood, William Gray of Rockford, William Franks of Launceston and J. K. Gray of Grayfort. They had three known children; Ellen Anne Franks b. 1835 & married Charles Cockburn Schaw/Shaw. Poor Ellen died on the 4th June 1855 at the residence of her Uncle Henry Jennings from a combination of TB & "Premature Confinement". She was ministered to by the Rev. Michael Henry Becher who was reported to be a great comfort., Rebecca Franks born 1836 & Robert William Franks b. 1837 [married Maria Caroline Legge above]
3. Mary Legge
b. 1802 [based on age of 63 given at death]
d. 9 October 1865 at Alms Terrace, St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria
Mary Legge married Captain James Kingsley Gray of Greyfort/Grayfort on the South Esk River. I had originally thought that Mary & James had married in Tasmania, but the discovery of "Captain & Mrs Gray" in the Shipping List for the Medway, as well as the fact that Mary gave birth to a child just weeks later makes it clear that they married in Ireland or England, possibly several years earlier as there is no evidence that their daughter Blanche was born in Australia. In fact, they married by Licence at Killaloe in 1824. An article in the Mercury 12 Aug 1927 also states that Mary was already married when she arrived in Tasmania on the Medway. James Kingsley Gray was either a Captain in the 18th Royal Irish Regiment or the 8th Regt of Dragoon Guards & died 18 May 1849 at Fingal, Tasmania. Mary & James had eight children; Blanche Eliza Gray [probably born in Ireland or England] & witness at Annie's 1855 marriage] Annie Frances Gray born 13 Sep 1827 in Tasmania & married in 1855 to Alfred Darby, James Vincent Gray born 15 Nov 1828 who drowned on his 10th birthday in the Saint Pauls River, Mary Eliza "Minnie" Gray born 29 Jan 1831 and died 5 Dec 1853 of Consumption, Eliza Gray born 14 Feb 1832 [who married William Alexander Jennings in 1871], William Legge Gray born 2 Nov 1833, Ellen Gray born 1 Feb 1839 & died soon after of General Debility on 18th March 1839, Richard "Talbot" Gray 27 May 1842 and died 7 April 1875 at Bolinda Vale, Victoria, .
4. Colonel Robert Vincent Legge
b. 3 October 1803 [date from Burkes Colonial Gentry] Garrane, Co Tipperary
d. 11 June 1891 at Cullenswood House, Fingal, Tasmania & buried at Cullenswood Anglican Cemetery.
Married 24 April 1839 Castledawson, Ireland [from the Sydney Gazette 3 September 1839] to Eliza Graves de Lapenotiere [1816-11 September 1888], youngest daughter of Captain John Richards de Lapenotiere, RN of Roselands, Cornwall. They had six children; Colonel William Vincent Legge, Robert Graves Legge, Edward Walter Legge, Elizabeth "Lilla" Blanche Legge, Thomas Parsons Legge & Fanny Amelia Legge.
5. Sarah Legge
b. 1807 Ireland [based on age of 67 at death]
d. 15 April 1874 at the residence of Henry Jennings, St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria aged 67. She is buried at St Kilda Cemetery.
Sarah Legge married on the 8th Feb 1831 at Hobart, Tasmania to Thomas Pitcairn of Kinninmond, River Nile. Tom died only 4 years later on the 13th August 1835, leaving Sarah with a son Thomas Pitcairn who was to die aged only 19 on 22nd May 1850 at Ballochyle, Blanche Elizabeth Pitcairn born 23 April 1833 and Robert Henry Pitcairn posthumously on 5 March 1836.
Connected somehow with this branch is "Cousin Phoebe Pitcairn". I cannot find any birth or death details for her, although she is listed in some family wills, without the details of the family relationship being defined. She was a bridesmaid at Blanche Becher's [daughter of Philippa Catherine Jennings] wedding in 1896 & looks to be a similar age, so was probably born in the 1860's. If anybody can identify her for me I would be delighted!I have been contacted by a researcher who is sure that Phoebe is the daughter of Robert Henry Pitcairn who died in New Zealand in 1869.
7. Frances "Fanny" Blanche Legge
b. about 1810 in Ireland if her age at death is correct.
d. 15 July 1855 at Brighton, Sussex, England [some sources give Mount Ireh, Hadspen, Tasmania, but this is incorrect. Her death was definitely registered in England] Her death was announced in the Argus 25 October 1855 " On the 15th July 1855, at the residence of General Darling, at Brighton, in England, Fanny Blanche, wife of Edward Dumaresq, Esq of Illawarra, Tasmania"

Fanny Legge married on 7th November 1827 at Hobart, Tasmania to Captain Edward Dumaresq. He was born 16 June 1802 at Swansea. Wales & died 23rd April 1906 at Longford, Tasmania aged an impressive 104. He was a Magistrate & Surveyor General. After Fanny's death he apparently married again to a Mrs Charlotte Fogg. Before coming to Australia he was in the East India Co & Bengal Army.
Fanny and Edward Dumaresq had eight children; Blanche-Marianne 1828, Elizabeth Frances 1830, Amelia Penelope 1831, Edward John 1836, Henry Rowland Gascoigne 1839, James 1840, Cornelia Maria 1842 & Alfred William in 1845.
6. Alicia Legge
b. 1809 Garane, Tipperary or Dublin
d. 18 September 1875 at Crag-y-don, Acland Street, St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria aged 66. She is buried at St Kilda Cemetery.
She married on the 3rd June 1830 at the residence of Major Gray, Rockford, St Pauls Plains, Tasmania to Henry Jennings, a Solicitor. They had 11 children.

Cousin Phebe Pitcairn, Nell Becher, Alicia Becher, and Colonel William Vincent Legge in Army Uniform & his plaque.
in front, lying on the tiger skin, Fassie Becher at Blanche
Becher's marriage 12 March 1896.

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