Historical and topographical notes for Ballyvoher, Co. Cork, collected by Colonel James Grove White.
Ballyvoher or Ballinvoher. Grove White, Volume I, Page 270, Sheet 26, 6-inch O.S., and Sheet 176, 1-inch O.S.
It is situated on the left bank of the river Awbeg, and is now a townland. It is shown as such in 1841 on the 6-inch OS. It is not given on the 1-Inch O.S.
Ballinvoher is the Irish for “the town of the road.” (O’Donovan.)
In 1881 the townland contained 637a. 2r. 6p.; pop. 94; val., £439 10s. (Guy.)
According to the Book of Sur. and Dist., circa 1657, Ballyheene and Ballinvogher were owned by Lord Roche, and contained 164 acres. He forfeited this property, and the grantee was John Hodder, and subsequently passed to Sir Richard Hull. (P.R.O., Irld.)
Smith (pub. 1750) writes :—lt belonged to the Browns, whose ancestor, for a slight offence, was executed at Cork in King James’s time, soon after the landing of that Prince, his greatest crime being his attachment to the Protestant cause.
This Mr. Brown joined Sir Thomas Southwell and other gentlemen, who, being unwilling to part with their horses and arms, as many of them were plundered of their stocks before, and justly suspecting that if their arms were gone, neither their lives or substance could be safe, assembled with their servants and resolved to march to Sligo to join the Lord Kingston for their common defence.
Mr. Brown happened, on the way (his own horse being galed) to make free with one belonging to Mr. Nagle, a near neighbour of his, but not liking the design, he went back to his own house and returned the horse. For this he was first brought before Judge Daly at Limerick, who, upon examination of the matter, dismissed him innocent of any crime that would bear an indictment. But he was taken up again for the same fact at Cork, and brought before Judge Nugent (soon after King James had landed at Kinsale), who seemed, at first, to be of the same opinion with Judge Daly; but after he had discoursed his Majesty, he proceeded vigorously against the gentleman, and procured him to be found guilty by a partial jury.
Everybody looked on this only as an occasion sought for the King to show his clemency. Mrs. Brown, with five or six children, presented him a petition to save her husband’s life, as the first act of grace on his coming into the kingdom, but he rejected her petition; and notwithstanding she reinforced it with all the interest she could make, the gentleman was hanged, drawn and quartered. (I. 314.)
Note.—This statement, with additional particulars, appears Vol. 2, p. 158.
Isabella, daughter of William Galwey (Delacour and Galwey, bankers, Mallow) married in 1796 Henry Brown, of Ballinvoher, Co. Cork, barrister-at.law, and had issue. A grand-daughter of this Isabella is wife of the Chief Justice of Tasmania (? 1892). (Journal for 1893, p. 28.)
In 1814, James Raymond, Esq., lived here. (D.N.P.)
In 1844, a farmer named Lombard lived here.
The Field Book of 1839 gives BALLANV0HER.—” Property of Captain Browne, by deed for ever; land dry and of a light quality; houses in middling repair” (Ord. Sur. Off., Dub.)
A pedigree of “Browne of Ballinvoher” is given in Burke’s Landed Gentry, 1881. The family resided at Ballinvoher until about the early part of the 19th century. The family emigrated to Australia or Tasmania.
There are several entries to this family in the C. of I. Register of Castletownroche Parish, kept at Public Record Office, Dublin.
Ballinvoher, 2 1/2 plowlands, formed part of a large grant of land from James I. to David Lord Roche, Viscount Fermoy, on his surrender of them to the King, 16 December, 9 James I. (Patent Rolls, James I.)
I am informed (1905) that James Blake, of Ballinvoher, lives in what was formerly the house of the Brownes of Ballinvoher, and Mr. Raymond lived in the same house many years ago.
A tenant on the Ballinvoher estate, whose kith and kin have been there for over 200 years, states that he heard, in his youth, that the present house (now occupied by James Blake) was the third dwelling-house built on the same site by the Brownes.
According to Guy, the following farmers and residents have lived here
1875. Patrick O’Brien
1886. Michael Brien, Timothy Callaghan.
1892. James Blake, Michael Brin, Timothy Callaghan.
1907. James Blake, Michael Brin, Timothy Callaghan, Miss Cotter, Kate Fant, Cornelius O’Brien, James O’Brien, Owen Sweeney.
Note
Published 1905-1913. Contributed by Mr. Bob Meehan.