Belmont House (Templecarrig)
Introduction
A large detached two storey, five bay gentleman’s house with double height bow to side elevation, that was part of the Kilruddery Demesne. It may have been a dower house to the Earl of Meath’s Estate. It had an Ice house of Brick and stone and a fishing lake. Today a ivy clad ruin with walled garden and woodland surrounding the ruin.
History
Belmont Demesne became part of the Bradazon family estate in 1618. The house was we the ruin of today was built between 1774 and 1781. In the late 1790’s it was the summer house of George Lewis Jones, the Bishop of Kildare. In 1787 Belmont was resided in by the Rt Hon Marcus Paterson. In the late 1790’s the residence of Colonel George Rawson. By the early 1800’s Belmont was residence of Colonel Keating and for a period after Rawson the occupied by Edward Pennefather and his family.
In 1872 an industrial school for girls was founded by lady Ardee, daughter in law of the Earl of Meath and 18 of the girls were residing at Belmont. The house was destroyed by a fire in December 1914 and has been a decaying ruin ever since.
Biography of Occupants
Bishop George Lewis Jones
George Lewis Jones was born in 1725 in England, the son of Theophlilus Jones. He was ordained in 1747 and became chaplain to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Simon Harcourt later the 1st Earl Harcourt. In 1774 he became the Bishop of Kilmore and in 1890 he became the Bishop of Kildare and at the same time was the Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. Jones died in March 1804.
Colonel George Rawson
Colonel George Rawson was born c1740 and was an officer in the 5th Regiment of the foot and an MP for County Armagh. He was married to Mary the daughter of John Bowes Benson. In 1792 he was residing at Belmont and had another residence on Dawson Street in Dublin. He died in 1796.
Colonel Keating
This was Maurice Bagenal St Leger Keatinge was born in 1761, the son of Maurice Keating and Catherine the daughter of Walter Bagenal of Dunleckney Co Carlow. Maurice B St. L. Keating was a Colonel in the Army, later the High Sheriff in the early 1790 and 1793. He married Lady Martha Brabazon the second daughter of Anthony the 8th Earl of Meath. After selling his family seat, he lived at Templecarrig for a period of time. He died in Paris in 1835 leaving three daughters. Col Keating wrote several books on his travels in Europe and Morocco with General Payne.
Edward Pennefather
This was The Right Hon. Edward Pennefather the late Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and Privy Councilor in Ireland. Edward was born in 1774, the younger son of Major William Pennefather of the 13th Light Dragoon and his wife Ellen nee Moore. He became the Solicitor General in 1835. In the Autumn of 1841 when Bushe, the then Chief Justice of Ireland resign, Edward was offered the office and accepted. Pennefather held the office until 1846, when he resigned due to health reasons. He died in Dublin in September 1847, he was 72. He was married to Susan nee Darby, the sister of John Nelson Darby.
Marcus Paterson
Marcus Paterson was an Irish Politician born in 1712, the son of Montrose Paterson. He became an MP for Ballynakill in 1756 and in 1764 became the Solicitor General for Ireland. He later in 1770 became the Chief Justice of Common Pleas. He died near Bray in 1787.
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