The following blog posts aim to chronicle a significant shift in the purpose of the  Northern Irish Big House; one that can be seen clearly through the purpose of the grand parties held there since the late Victorian era. Mount Stewart will be used as a case study on this occasion, as it is most illustrative of this seminal conversion whereby the once indefinitely exclusive world of the Anglo-Irish élite became publicly owned. By the late 1930s, parties at the Big House were increasingly used as a means towards promoting community inclusiveness and cohesiveness with the rise of the (what I term) ‘family fête’, or otherwise, a public festival held in the gardens of a country house at which attendance was not dependent on social standing. Firstly, however, it is necessary to introduce the Londonderry family, and give a brief history of social functions held at their principal Irish seat.

 

   The Stewart lineage can trace its roots from one Alexander Stewart of Ballylawn and Stewart’s Court, Donegal, who was granted an estate on the Ards Peninsula in 1744; upon which he built a rather humble abode. The house and estate were then known as Mount Pleasant and would remain under that title until the turn of the nineteenth century. Alexander’s son, Robert, became MP for County Down, was made Baron in 1789, and subsequently Marquess of Londonderry in 1816. Robert’s son—named after his father—would become the household political figure, Viscount Castlereagh (1769-1822), and would play an integral role in the conciliation of the European powers following the dismantling of the French Empire in 1815. The chairs upon which the delegates sat at the Congress of Vienna (at which Castlereagh represented Britain) would be given to him as a gift for his diplomatic contribution to the settlement, and remain in the dining room at Mount Stewart to this day; as does the table upon which the Treaty was signed.

 

   The current house—and to some extent the gardens—are the consequence of the architectural efforts of the 3rd Marquess and his wife Helen Vane-Tempest; the latter of whom was responsible for bringing the real fortune into the, until then, rather humble county family through her father’s ownership of extensive coal mines in the north-west of England. It was thanks to this couple that the current classical villa now resides over the Lough—offering the appropriate stage for hosting important political banquets.^[1]

 

 

by Courtenay Mercer

Who and when?

Originally owned by the Hamilton family, Major General Nicholas Price of Hollymount bought the estate within the townlands of Killynure and Oughley, in 1709 for his 3^rd son, also Nicholas.[1] He quickly sought to build a house on it, however this was later burnt during the 1798 United Irishmen rebellion.[2]

The house and estate itself today is still privately owned, by Mr Tony Griffith, with his late Wife being the heir of the Price family.

The house has never left the ‘Price’ family line, although the name has slightly changed throughout the years, from the Blackwood-Prices of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, and then Perceval-Price. Nonetheless, it is one of the few remaining ‘Big Houses’ within Ireland still privately owned and managed, and not used by the tourist or hospitality industries

Style

In regards to the style of the post-1800 house, it could be described as Georgian or neo-classical in nature. Revealing the typical 3-winged sectioned layout, it is quite equally symmetrical on the external, featuring a traditional demesne overlooking greenery and wood. The old servants’ “ha-ha” is still a feature today, conveying the typical neo-classical style that many Irish country houses made popular during the early-mid 19^th century.

There also features a large pathway that leads straight up to the front demesne of the house, another typical feature of Irish country houses during this period.

 

Landowning heritage

Like many Landowning families during the 19^th century, the Price family owned vast swathes of land throughout rural Co Down, in the North-East of Ireland. Not only did they own large parts of Saintfield town, and surrounding townlands such as Lisdoonan, Oughley, Killynure, Drumaconnell and Glassdrumman, but also further north in the county in townlands such as Ballyknockan, Lisbane and Comber. The also owned several plots of land in the Downpatrick area, further south of Saintfield. Therefore, the Price family’s influence as landowners, especially on rural Co Down society was great.

The Price family held a great influence within the town of Saintfield itself. Renaming it from the Irish Toughnaneave in 1712, Nicholas Price and his heirs set about creating Saintfield into a key market town within North Down, to not only encourage different trades, especially Linen, but also to develop the town.

They set about building not only their own Church of Ireland, but also 1^st Saintfield Presbyterian church, which still stands today, and the Catholic chapel, which is now used as a youth club by the local Catholic parish.[3]

In the 19^th century, the Price family also set about helping to fund the building of a road from Belfast, through Saintfield and then onto Downpatrick, to increase trade to the area, and to allow for more exports of Saintfield goods and services.

The Price family’s influence on the town was still prevalent in the early 20^th century, when they helped to fund badly needed repairs to their own Church of Ireland in Saintfield, in 1915, during the Great war.[4]

Even today, the heritage of the original Price family lives on. The local secondary school, Saintfield High School’s badge features the Price family’s coat of arms. Indeed, Tony Griffith and the estate still own several buildings within Saintfield town, including the local Orange hall.

Even in the 20^th century, their landowning tradition lives on, and still helps to partly finance the estate in its modern form!

 

 

[1] Nicholas Price, Saintfield house to Bernard Ward and James Macartan, trustees for Roman Catholic congregation of Saintfield, Wallace papers, PRONI, T1009/191.

[2] Letter requesting repairs for the Church of Ireland property in Saintfield, Messrs. Martin and Henderson, Solicitors papers, PRONI, D1255/10/1B.

[3] Fee farm grant from Ann Hamilton, Tollymore, on the death of James Hamilton and selling of part of his estate to Nicholas Price of Hollymount, Earl of Ranfurly papers, Public Record Office Northern Ireland (PRONI), D235/7.

[4] http://discoversaintfield.com/ (Accessed on 26^th November 2016).

 

Michael Burns

Ballywalter Park was built in the 1840s by Sir Charles Lanyon having been commissioned to do so by the Andrew Mulholland (1792-1866), who owned multiple flax & linen mills in the North of Ireland and was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1845. His only son, John Mullholland (1819-1895) was a savvy business man as well as an active political member of the elite; becoming an MP for Downpatrick in 1874 and being made Baron Dunleath of Ballywalter in 1892. John (1^st Lord Dunleath) was able to grow the family business and firmly established the family as one of the largest landowners in Co. Down, centred on their estate in Ballywalter.

170 years on from the completion of Ballywalter Park the political and economic landscape has changed quite significantly with many landed families dying off and still others losing their fortune and their land. However the Mulholland’s of Ballywalter have persevered and today Ballywalter Park is now home to the 5^th Lord & Lady Dunleath and their family. However the house suffered over the years and according to a Belfast Telegraph interview with Lord Dunleath in 2014, there were serious issues with house with the entire 2^nd floor uninhabitable until refurbishment took place and a friend joking that going to bed in the house was ‘like climbing in between sheets of wet cardboard’.

Extensive restoration has ensured the survival of the house, however times have changed in that the big houses of the past can no longer be maintained as purely private homes and so the Mulholland family have had to adapt to changing circumstances as seen in how they are able to make their big house work today. The house is now as a location for corporate events as well as a country getaway for groups who can experience duck & peasant shooting. Furthermore historical and cultural tours of the estate and grounds can be organised for private groups with the tours conducted by the Lord or Lady Dunleath themselves. As of 2014 Ballywalter House is also open on European Heritage Day in late September and indeed proves to be a popular event every year. They also reach out to the public through Lady Dunleath’s ‘Walled Garden blog’, which is a fascinating insight not only into her love of horticulture and the development of the gardens in Ballywalter but also of the history of the estate as well as the various activities and events run today.
The rise of popular period dramas such as Downton Abbey (filmed at Highclare castle in Hampshire, England), has seen a growth in demand for similar locations to film. Therefore a new and exciting use for the Big Houses and their estates are as film locations for many television shows or films, with Ballywalter Park among them. It has been used for a number of local and national television and film productions such as Christopher & his kind, 37 days & Hitler on Trial; with Ballywalter House aiming to ‘provide the ideal location that can be used for multiple scenes, thus giving a saving on transport costs, and to offer the Producer and Director a totally controlled and friendly environment in which to film’(http://ballywalterpark.com/film-location/).

The continued and varied use of Ballywalter Park today is a prime example of the development and continuing purpose of the Irish Country House. The great landed families of the past can no longer live an isolated existence and indeed depend on the public to survive in many ways. Ballywalter Park is a ‘big house’ which works today in a very different world than the one in which it was built; as a home, events venue, visitor’s attraction & a film set.

Further Reading:

Primary

• Dunleath Estate Papers in PRONI (1706-1972) – PRONI Ref. D1167
• Personal Papers of 4^th Lord Dunleath in PRONI (1933-1998)- PRONI Ref. D4179

Secondary

• Ulster Architectural Society, Ballywalter Park (Belfast, 1985).
• Belfast Telegraph ‘Once crumbling Ulster country pile is now favoured location for film crews’ accessed at http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/once-crumbling-ulster-country-pile-is-now-favoured-location-for-film-crews-30811465.html (31.10.2016)
• Official website of the house & business- accessed at http://ballywalterpark.com/
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography- Andrew Mulholland (1791-1866) & John Mulholland (1819-1895).
• Dictionary of Irish Biography- Charles Edward Henry John Mulholland- 4^th Lord Dunleath (1933-1993).

 

“The 600 cards are to be made up as follows –

400 with the Mount Stewart address, and 200 with the address Wynyard Park, Stockton on Tees”[1]

by Ruby Buchanan

Christmas is a time of Joy and Kindness. It is a time of companionship – when you spend time with family and close friends and indulge in all of the luxuries that emerge at that time of the year. It is a time when the streets echo with carols and houses rumble with the excited squeals of children eagerly awaiting the visit of the one and only Santa Claus. However for others it has a different meaning.

For the landed elite Christmas was a time to establish yourself among influential people – politicians, royalty and anyone who held even a snippet of power. I suspect some of you are wondering what the ‘landed elite’ was. Before the political turmoil that unleashed itself upon Ireland in the nineteenth century and at the turn of the twentieth century (The Land Wars and Home Rule) there were people in Ireland who owned big houses and dominated the poorer classes. These people were Ireland’s politicians and owned a lot of land in Ireland. Very few people remain part of the landed elite today because many laws and events took this power away from them.

I am going to focus on an example of those at the very top of this pyramid of power; (which I have illustrated below) the Londonderrys and how they used Christmas to strengthen their position of power in a broader political sphere.  The quote that I have included at the top of the page is taken from the Christmas card lists of the Londonderry family in 1924. Nowadays, Christmas cards are sent to family members who tend to be forgotten about during the year; family members who only ever hear from you through the means of a Christmas card. In my house Christmas card lists are written on the back of an old piece of paper in haste so that the cards are sent out on time and the family members aren’t forgotten about.

 

The Londonderrys’ Christmas lists took planning and were a tactic in their strategy to uphold their political cause. Christmas card lists? I hear you ask, how can Christmas card lists be used to exert political influence? Christmas was important to the Londonderry’s to show people that they were important to them and to prove their loyalty.  These lists included influential figures such as the Duke of Abercorn and Sir James Craig. I’m sure you can imagine how special you would feel if you sent a Christmas card to a leading politician and got a response. Well this was the norm for people like Lady Londonderry who was in charge of writing these Christmas lists and making sure that nobody had been forgotten about. Can you imagine the scandal if you forgot to send a Christmas card to one of your closest political allies?

The unionist world (yes the Londonderrys were unionist) was a web of mass communication. In an era with no mobile phones and no Wi-Fi to send a quick email, letters and cards were important methods of contacting your friends and cohorts. By sending a Christmas card to those within the elite, the Londonderry’s could be sure that everyone was aware that they were still part of the unionist cause and hadn’t converted to the other side. So just remember, when you are scribbling your Christmas list this year, that in previous times they had a much more significant purpose.

[1] PRONI D2099/12/11

Ballywalter Park is home to Lord and Lady Dunleath and has been passed down through their family for 170 years. The Mulholland family, who would later boast of several Lords Dunleath were unique as they were not originally part of the prestigious elite that country house owners usually hailed from. Although not the first owners of the estate, they grew to hold considerable influence over society.

A relative of the Mulhollands, E. Holmes, wrote in 1907 that, “There were several families of the name of Mulholland in Belfast at the end of the 18th century but the one which has risen to a very high degree of worldly distinction and to whom Belfast is probably more indebted than any other for its unexampled progress is that of Thomas Mulholland.”[1]

While the family’s early history is limited, Thomas Mulholland (1756-1820) married Ann Doe in Belfast in 1784 and had 11 children, including four sons: William, Thomas, Andrew and St Clair. The family is believed to be of relatively humble origins. They entered the thriving cotton industry by purchasing a mill around 1815. While Thomas Sr. died in 1820, the business continued its expansion with his sons building a spinning mill near York Street in 1822. However, disaster struck in June 1828 when a fire almost completely destroyed this mill. Time would prove this to be a most fortuitous catastrophe for the family.

The brothers, Thomas, Andrew and St Clair, decided to rebuild the mill for the spinning of flax instead of cotton due to the cotton industry’s growing economic problems. It was with this business that they began to scale the social ladder. The York Street linen mill was opened in 1830 and by 1856 it could be described as one of the largest mills of its kind. Mill-owner Hugh MacCall wrote that the mill’s production “gave a new impulse to the manufacture of linen … Belfast can never forget how much she owes to the house of Mulholland.”[2] He was also impressed by the Mulhollands’ vast profits that, according to him, were far beyond their imagination.

The family was also active in civic affairs. St Clair was a J.P. for County Down and a High Sheriff of County Louth and in 1865 donated money towards a new wing at what would later be known as the Royal Victoria Hospital. His older brother, Andrew was elected Mayor of Belfast for the year 1845. He built Ballywalter Park but is best known for having provided the Ulster Hall with its grand organ in 1862. Andrew’s only son John (1819-95) attended the Royal Academy in Belfast and assumed control of the family interests which grew to include 13,500 acres of land in County Down and 1,000 acres near Cookstown, County Tyrone. John also had political ambitions and was elevated to the peerage in 1892, becoming Baron Dunleath of Ballywalter, by recommendation of the Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury.

Although Ballywalter Park, the Dunleath family’s base, had a different origin (the Matthews family), most of the Ards estate came from the Blackwood family of Clandeboye, Bangor. The head of that family, later known as the 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, became seriously mortgaged to the 1st Lord Dunleath, whose acquirement of the Dufferin estate, to the north of Ballywalter, was a matter of foreclosure. Through Ballywalter Park, his existing estates, the newly attained Dufferin land and his significant wealth and philanthropy, John Mulholland’s status as an established gentleman was secured. His will in 1895 illustrates the family’s growing affluence. The gross value of personal estate amounted to £583,266 with assets in Ireland adding up to around £65,783. It also discusses his ‘contingent interest in [his] villa in Cannes’.[3] In less than a century the Mulholland family had successfully elevated to the landed class and were playing a significant role in the political and public sphere.

Amy Lyttle, Queen’s University Belfast

[1] (Notebook): Family annals collected and arranged by E. Holmes, 1907, PRONI: D3739/6

[2] (Summary): Dunleath papers, 1706-1972, PRONI: D1167

[3] (Will): Rt. Hon. Baron John Dunleath, 1 Feb 1895, PRONI: LPC/14