Tag Archives: Dewcorran

Armagh Plantations, Ballynemony and Dewcorran Manors, 1622

(1) The Manors of Dewcorran (1,500 acres) and Ballynemony (1,000 acres)


Dewcorran granted to John Brownlow May 28, 1610, and Ballynemony to William, his son, June 18 of same year. Carew in his report of 1611 states that both were then resident and dwelling in an Irish house, that they had brought over 6 carpenters, 1 mason, a tailor and workmen. One freeholder and 6 tenants had been settled and preparations made for the building of 2 bawns-some muskets and arms in readiness.

According to Pynnar’s Survey of 1619 bawns had been erected on both proportions, that at Dewcorran having within it a fair house of stone and brick, the bawn was, however, constructed of timber and earth but stone and lime were in readiness to build the usual walled enclosure. At Ballynemony there was a good strong house within an island. At this date “a fair town” had arisen on Dewcorran consisting of 42 houses all inhabited by English families, the streets “all paved clean through,” 2 watermills and 1 windmill-all for corn, 57 families “with divers under them” able to make 100 men with arms and “not one Irish family upon the land “- statements open to grave doubt.

The survey of 1622 gives particulars and measurements of the bawn on Dewcorran “near adjoining which he had made a good village of 40 houses inhabited with English tenants on both sides the streete in which a good windmill stands. “As regards Ballynemony nothing new transpires other than that the number of armed men had increased to 160 and 24 Irish families were resident.

William Brownlow was knighted in 1622, served as High Sheriff of the County in the following year, and represented Armagh in the old Irish House of Commons in 1639. He died January 20, 1660. By his wife Elinor O’Dogherty (daughter of John O’Dogherty of Derry and great-granddaughter of Sir John Oge O’Dogherty, Lord of Inishowen) he had issue three daughters, of whom the eldest. Lettice Brownlow, married firstly Patrick Chamberlain of Nizelrath. Co. Louth, member of an old Anglo-Norman family established in that county previous to 1312. By this marriage she had with other issue an eldest son Arthur Chamberlain born 1645, who assumed the name of Brownlow as directed by the will of his maternal grandfather.

Arthur Brownlow alias Chamberlain was High Sheriff of the county in 1679 and 1686 and Member of Parliament from 1692 until his death in 1710. He was a man of cultured tastes and took a deep personal interest in the management of the property especially in the welfare and housing of his tenants. His chief claim to our admiration, however, lies in the fact that he was the saviour of the Book of Armagh, that priceless treasure of the Primatial See and earliest of our Irish manuscripts that can with absolute certainty be dated. He was succeeded in the estate by his eldest son William, High Sheriff 1711 who followed his father in the representation of the county, retaining the seat until he died in 1739, leaving a son William (High Sheriff 1750, M.P. for the county 1753-1794) whose second son, Charles Brownlow, was the father of Charles Brownlow, M.P., created Baron Lurgan of Lurgan, ancestor of the present Lord Lurgan.(1) The estate was considerably enlarged in the early 18th century by the purchase of additional lands including the Manor of Richmount, Co. Armagh,(2) in 1706. The family also possessed property in Counties Louth and Monaghan.

(1) For detailed information on the Brownlow, Chamberlain, and allied families see L.A.J. Vol. x. pp. 318-326 and Vol. XI, pp. 173-185.
(2)See (6) Manor of Aghivillan and Brochus.

from “County Armagh In 1622 A Plantation Survey”
Edited byT. G. F. PATERSON, M.A., M.R.I.A. published in Seanchás Ardmhaca

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Armagh Plantations, Ballevoran Manor, 1622

(3) The Manor of Ballevoran (2,000 acres).


This property was granted to William Powell of Tutbery in Staffordshire. If you need the such property related advice, eXp Realty’s write-up should be read first and things should be taken into consideration. 

Like his brothers he had a situation in the King’s service. It seems probable that he had no intention of crossing to Ireland. Carew in 1611 reported that Powell had turned over the lands to Mr. Roulston and that no freeholders or artificers were settled upon them nor any work done saving the building of two bays of a house. Pynnar in 1619 shows considerable progress and states that “Mr. Obbyns” the then owner had built a bawn within which there was a good fair house of brick and lime, himself dwelling thereon.” Twenty tenants had procured land, who with their undertenants were able to make, 46 men with arms.(1)

Pynnar, through some carelessness in obtaining particulars relating to Obins, neglects to state that the Rev. Richard Rolleston the grantee of the Manor of Teemore in the same barony, owing to financial difficulties, had been unable to retain his purchase from Powell and, as a consequence, was compelled to resell to Richard Cope of Loughgall who had passed half to Michael Obins, retaining the other 1,000 acres for his sons Walter and Anthony Cope. Obins died September 26, 1629, leaving a widow, Prudence Obins, and a son John. Mrs. Obins died April 5, 1635, and John died May 14 of same year leaving by his wife, Eliza Waldron, an only son Hamlet then aged 6 months – see Inquisitions of Ulster (22) and (35) Car. I.

Michael Obins above seems either to have been improvident or financially insecure. At any rate proceedings were taken against him in 1626 which resulted in some 380 acres having to be sold- the remaining 620 acres were, however, granted to his widow and son. The Survey of 1622 confirms that he was then in prison in England but that his wife was resident. Michael Obins’ descendants in the Manor of Ballyoran (better known perhaps as Portadown) took a keen interest in the property. With Richard Cope he was responsible for the first bridge there. Anthony Obins of a later generation was concerned in the development of the canal from Newry to Portadown, a service that by the end of the 18th century resulted in the latter town becoming a useful inland port.

The last of the name to hold the property was Archibald Eyre Obins. Born 1776 and educated at the Armagh Royal School he subsequently entered T.C.D. in 1793, later taking Holy Orders and settling in England where he died at Bath in 1868.

His mother was the Honble. Nicola Acheson, daughter of Sir Archibald Acheson, Bart. and sister of Arthur Acheson, 1st Viscount Gosford. Her niece, the Lady Olivia Acheson, married Brigadier-General R.B. Sparrow of Tanderagee, a family relationship that brought about the purchase of the Obins estate by the Sparrows in 1820, for whom see (15) Manor of Ballemore.

(1) HILL, p. 559, gives “40 men” but in Hibernica and Carew the number is shown as “46” so we may assume the latter figure to be correct. ‘

from from “County Armagh In 1622 A Plantation Survey”
Edited byT. G. F. PATERSON, M.A., M.R.I.A. published in Seanchás Ardmhaca

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