Eustace.—Campion
states, that the ancestor of this ancient
family
was Robert le Powere, who was despatched to
Ireland as an envoy, in the year 1175. Stanihurst says, that the name
was originally Powar, or de Powar. We have not ascertained when the
descendants of Robert le Power, or Powar, assumed the name of
Eustace,
or Fitz-Eustace,
but it seems to
have been previously to the year 1300.
These
changes
of name were
very
frequent in the middle ages; of which arbitrary alteration of
family
appellation, that of Bunbury furnishes another instance. The name
of the Carew
family, Hooker informs us, was originally Montgomerie, but
they altered the latter to that of their residence at Carew in Wales.
Names were sometimes assumed from offices held by the person; thus the
high names of Butler, in Ireland, and Stuart, or Steward, in Scotland,
arose from the honorary offices held by individuals in the royal
household. Instances of this optional change of name might be
multiplied.
Campion tells us, that Powere, alias
Eustace,
is named as baron of Domvile,
anno 1317. A.D. 1454, Sir
;Edward FitzEustace
was lord deputy to the Duke of York, chief governor of
Ireland. Sir Rowland
Fitz-Eustace,
created
baron of Portlester in 1461, was in that year lord deputy to George,
Duke of Clarence, chief governor of Ireland. Lord Portlester was ,lord
high treasurer of Ireland for a period of thirty-eight years ; and also
filled the office of deputy chancellor at various times. He died without
male issue in 1496. About this period the
family
seem to have had
estates and residences at Castlemartin, Harristown, and Kilcullen.
A.D. 1541, Henry VIII. granted to
Thomas Eustace,
the title of viscount Baltinglass, and in 1542, the
dissolved abbey of Baltinglass was presented to him. He died in 1549,
and was succeeded by Rowland, his second son. Rowland's son, named
James, wag the third viscount Baltinglass. He was a zealous supporter of
the popish cause, and engaged with Fitz-Gerald, earl of Desmond, the
Kavanaghs, O'Byrnes, and others, in open rebellion against the
government of Queen Elizabeth. The termination of this career was,
however, not happy; as in the year 1584, lord Baltinglass and his four
brothers were convicted of high-treason, and all their estates
confiscated, by an express statute. Lord Baltinglass retired to Spain,
as has been already [mentioned, p. 111. The Baltinglass estates were
granted to Sir Henry Harrington.
In. the reign of Charles I., Sir
Maurice Eustace
was speaker of the house of commons. In 1660, he was lord
chancellor of Ireland, and one of the lords justices. Having much
improved the house, demesne, and appurtenances of Harristown, he
obtained a patent empowering it to return two members to parliament. He
is frequently mentioned in this work. The
county
of
Carlow family
are of the same branch with Sir Maurice
Eustace.'
They seem to have been settled in this county
at least two centuries, as in 1639, Oliver
Eustace,
Esq., was
returned one of its members to parliament.
At the time of James II., the
Eustace family,
then, we presume, Roman Catholics, espoused the cause of
that misguided and unfortunate monarch. Other families in the county
acted similarly. An inquisition taken in the reign of William III.,
informs us, that Francis
Eustace
of Castlemore,
fought at the Boyne and Aughdm, for James. As will be seen by reference
to our account of the proceedings of the court of claims, the estates of
Francis and Oliver
Eustace
were in
consequence confiscated; though a considerable
portion
was eventually
saved.
Edward
Eustace,
Esq., of Castlemore, married Bridget, daughter
of Longfield, Esq., of the county of Cork, early in- the last century.
Issue: James, Robert, William, Maria, Anne, and Bridget . Their
descendants are as follows:
James had issue: 1, Edward, who
married Elinor, daughter of Sir Richard Butler, Bart. His son is the
present James
Eustace, Esq., of Castlemore. 2, Hardy, married Bernard.
Issue: present James Hardy
Eustace,
Esq., of
Hardy-mount, and several others.
Robert married Catherine Whelan and
had issue: Edward, Robert, Thomas, James, Elinor, and others.
William married Meredyth, and had
issue.
Maria married Nathaniel Evans, Esq.,
of Ballywilliamroe. — Issue: 1, William. 2, Anne, married to David Ryan,
Esq., of Baron-hill, in this county. 3, Maria, married to Harman
FitzMaurice, Esq. 4, Bridget, married to John Hill, Esq.
Anne married Jacob Warren, Esq.
Bridget
married M'Carthy, Esq.
Source: The History and
Antiquities of The County of Carlow by John Ryan
Esq M.R.S.L. 1833
From Michael Purcell November 2009
Recent
visitors to Carlow were descendants of the Eustace family who
travelled from Newfoundland, Norway and the United States including
Alaska
. The Eustace family came to Ireland at the time of Strongbow in the
12th century where they settled in the Baltinglass / Ballymore
Eustace area. They held lands in Carlow in the 16th century.
Carlow is said to be the last remaining
county in which descendants of the Baltinglass Eustace branch remain
as landowners in the 21st century.
During the visit by the group to Carlow
they were greeted by several Eustace's at Tullow, county Carlow.
Carole and Robin Eustace Harvey coordinated
an event at Ballykealy House to welcome the Eustace family
members where they were addressed by Michael Purcell of Carlow
Heritage. The group then went on a tour of local places of interest
to the Eustace family at Castlemore, Hardymount, Ardoyne Church,
Bromville, and Newstown.
The
Eustace Family of Castlemore & Newstown, County Carlow website:
http://www.roneustice.com/Family%20History/IrishFamiliessub/Castlemore.Newstown.carlow.2html.html
Workmen's Accounts
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