A Dear Old Fashioned Irish House

I have been re-arranging some books to make more room for biography and fiction and came across this niche memoir published in 1932 by J Catherall & Co (Printers) Ltd in Hexham.

T M (Tommy) Fergusson lived at Braeside, Eglingham in Northumberland. The house is now a B&B but doesn’t look as if it was ever very attractive. Fergusson’s book would hold little interest for me if he didn’t go to Ireland and Kilkenny in 1902. His style, content and grammar leave much to be desired and he was wise to put his pen down after his debut in 1932. I wonder if perhaps he may have incentivised the local printer to publish him? Anyway, it is interesting to read his not entirely accurate recollections of my family at the turn of the century.

”Well, to hark back to dear old Kilkenny, I had the good fortune to make friends with near neighbours, the Bellews, of Jenkinstown Park, a dear old fashioned Irish house in a lovely demesne. It was left to the present Lord Bellew by his uncle Mr George Bryan, who in the late 70s and 80s was in residence. He was indeed an Irish gentleman of the old type and was MP for the county. Kept open house and rode to hounds well. Judging from the pictures of his hunters which adorned the walls in the old passage, he had lovely horses. Not only hunting, but racing appealed to him, and he had a private race course on his property and held a meeting every year> Fordham rode there, and all the best jockeys of the period in Ireland. He, of course, kept open house for his meeting, and was also a regular attender at all the classic fixtures in England.

After his demise, Jenkinstown, like a lot of small cheery meetings (Col Cosby’s at Stradbally for instance) died out. The Squire of Jenkinstown was a bit hot in the temper, and like all quick-tempered people, it passed off quickly. During his hunting  career he had a groom called Archer who liked a “drop”. On the occasion of his last meeting he cautioned Archer as to getting “drink taken”. Archer fell, and the Master in a fit of temper, sacked him on the spot. The Squire left for England, and did not return to Jenkinstown for some time. Meanwhile Archer laid “doggo” in the stable. On the Squire’s arrival, he met him polishing a a boot, and said: “Welcome home, Squire!” and was warmly shaken by the hand. Mr Bryan had forgotten he had sacked him and old servants stayed on there in the kindly dear old Irish way.

Major Bryan’s brother (Dicky Bellew*) and he kept house together at Jenkinstown, and I was indeed a proud person when they took me into the fold. They had charming children (all grown up and married now) and full of divilment and fun. They rode their ponies to hounds and were loved by all the people high and low.” (Border Sport and Sportsmen, T M Fergusson, 1932)

* Richard Eustace Bellew, my great-grandfather, 1858 – 1933.

(to be continued)