Robert Ievers of Ballylusky

George Ievers of Athlacca’s eldest son Robert Ievers of Ballylusky and Castle Ievers was married twice. His first wife, whom he wed on 19th January 1747, was Mary Parsons of Cragbeg (Craigbeg) in County Limerick. Robert was made a Freeman of Limerick City on 9th September 1748. Robert and Mary had at least five sons and three daughters. Eyre H. Ievers records a note stating that their sons Henry, Thomas and Richard were ‘inoculated for small pox at Athlacca Monday 25 Apr 1757’. Their younger son George and his sister Mary ‘took the infection from them’ but, while George recovered, Mary ‘died of the disorder’ in 1757. Mary Ievers, wife of Robert, died on 16th November 1772 and was buried in Limerick.

COUNCILLOR HENRY IEVERS

Robert and Mary’s firstborn son Henry Ievers was a Councillor who married the widow of a Mr. Greene and died without any children sometime before 1802.

TOM IEVERS

Robert and Mary’s second son Tom Ievers (aka Thomas Robert Ievers) lived in Ennis, County Clare, where he was sworn in as an Attorney on 22nd June 1790. He died suddenly at Castle Ievers in November 1803.[i] By his wife Jane Hewet, who he married in 1787, he left a daughter Anna Maria Ievers. Anna Maria’s story is made interesting by her marriage in Ennis in 1807 to a young Fermanagh-born surgeon James Moore Graham (1784-1865) who was later known as ‘the Hunting Doctor’ of Cupar in Scotland and a celebrated reveller.[ii]

RICHARD IEVERS OF CASTLE IEVERS

Robert and Mary’s third son Richard Ievers established the family at Tuilerboy, later known as Castle Ievers.[iii] He married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Holmes of Newpark. When their son Robert Holmes Ievers was married, Richard and Elizabeth relocated to Green Park where Richard died on 3rd November 1827. Green Park passed to their second son, also Richard.

Bence Jones dates Castle Ievers from the early 19th century. The property was held from William Maunsell. At the time of Griffith's Valuation, Robert Holmes Ievers held land in the parishes of Grean, barony of Coonagh and Athlacca, barony of Coshma. The lands in the parish of Athlacca were held from Anthony B. St Leger, Lady Langford and William Maunsell.

In the 1870s Robert Ivers of Castle Ivers owned 1,104 acres in county Limerick. In 1943, a surveyor for the Irish Tourist Association described how much of Tullerboy Castle had been demolished in the 1860s to make way for the present building. The owner in the 1940s was Roderic Haines.

GEORGE IEVERS

Robert and Mary’s fourth son George Ievers is forefather of the present day Mount Ievers branch and so to him we shall return. He married Elinor Butler, a sister of James Butler of Castle Crine who was married to his sister Mary.

JOHN HENRY AND ELLEN IEVERS

Born in 17th July 1762, Robert and Mary’s sixth son John Henry Ievers lived at Mount Prospect and Streamstown House in Sixmilebridge. He was married on 12th Nov 1791 to Ellen, daughter of David Wilson of Belvoir, Sixmilebridge.[iv] He died on 20th May 1833, leaving three sons.

His eldest son Henry John Ievers was born in 1793 and lived at Atterbury in Sixmilebridge with his brother David. He died unmarried on 23rd June 1879, aged 86, and was buried in the Church of Ireland graveyard at Kilfinaghty.[v]

Also buried here was John and Ellen’s second son Captain David Wilson Ievers of Atterbury who died on 11th December 1877 aged 83. David was born in 1794 and served as staff secretary to the Royal African Corps, ranking as a Captain in the 10th Regiment of Foot (or 10th North Lincoln Regiment). In 1827, the 33-year-old Ensign, as he was then, was married at Six Mile Bridge church, by the Rev R. Welsh, to Eliza, daughter of the late Lucius Wilson, Esq, of Spring Field, Co. Clare. It’s utter speculation, of course, but the fact that David was connected to the Royal African Corps does bring to light the curious case of Lieutenant Ivers who was court martialed in Saint Lucia in February 1806. In the great hope that this rowdy officer was related, I set out his charges separately below.

John and Ellen’s youngest son Robert John Ievers (1800-1872) was operating as a wine merchant in Limerick from at least 1828 onwards, presumably in cahoots with his cousin George Hawkins Ievers. In 1845, he married Elizabeth Browne, third daughter of Major M. P. Browne of Woodstock, Co. Mayo. He appears to have been living in Galway from 1840 and died there in 1872, leaving two sons. His eldest son John Henry Ievers was born in Galway in 1847, served in the Royal Irish Constabulary with the rank of Sub Inspector from 1868 to 1877. He then emigrated to Australia, joined the police in Melbourne and died in 1879. Mysteriously his death was not registered in any of the six states, or contemporary newspapers, leading the family to ponder whether he had perhaps died at sea or in the bush. R. J. Ievers’ younger son Robert Wilson Ievers, aka Bob Ievers (1850-1905) was a major player in colonial Ceylon and through his daughter Ethel, Lady Rathdonnell, was ancestor of the McClintock Bunbury family of Lisnavagh, County Carlow.

ANNE IEVERS & R. HENN LOTAN

Robert and Mary’s second daughter Anne was married in 1791 in the Killaloe & Kilfenora Diocese to Richard Henn Lotan.[vi] The Henns, an English family, were granted lands in county Clare by the Earl of Thomond at the end of the 17th century. Members of this family were prominent lawyers and judges in the 18th and 19th centuries. Richard and Anne’s son John was baptised at Killaoe in 1797.

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Above: Castle Crine.

MARY IEVERS & THE BUTLERS OF CASTLE CRINE

Robert and Mary’s youngest daughter Mary Ievers was born on 22nd January 1761. In 1782, she married James Butler, son of William Butler by his marriage to Anne D’Alton. In 1791, William Butler succeeded to the landed property of his nephew Captain Henry Butler Esq., 14th Light Dragoons, of O’Brien’s Castle, Co. Clare. Captain Butler was a tremendous friend of his cousin Cornet Henry Butler of Millbrook, a phenomenal spendthrift who, according to one family chronicler, ‘gave wings to every shilling and acre he could dispose of’. As such, Henry’s fortune was considerably dissipated by the time William became his heir. As the eldest son, this dwindling inheritance passed to James and it looks like he renamed it Castle Crine. James’s brother Eyre Edward Butler established a cotton plantation at Demerara in British Guyana. James’s sister Elinor was married to George Ievers of Mount Ievers. Another of James’s sisters married the artist Henry Pelham, Agent for Lord Lansdowne's estates, who drowned in the Kenmare River in 1806. James, who died in 1821, and Mary had three sons and three daughters. Their eldest son Henry married into the banking family of Dawson; the second son William was in holy orders in Doon; the third son Robert died during the Peninsula War while serving with the 1st Royals.

ROBERT IEVERS SECOND FAMILY

After Mary’s death, Robert Ievers was married secondly in 1773 to Jane Butler, presumably from the Castle Crine family. He lived at Ballintlea Castle, the remains of which can be found in a farmyard on the western slopes of Woodcock Hill, near Sixmilebridge. He then lived at Old Court and, when that was burned, he reputedly built Castle Ievers. These details came from Eyre H Ievers notes but need confirmation. By Jane, Robert was father to a further three sons and three daughters.

1. William Ievers, the eldest of Robert and Jane’s sons, married Anne and died without issue in 1811.

2. Theophilus Ievers, the second son, was born in 1782, the year Grattan’s Parliament connected. By his wife Charlotte, Theophilus was father to John (b. 1813), Jane (b. 1810) and Mary Anne (b. 1819), all of whom were baptised at St. Mary’s, Limerick.

3. Augustine Ievers, Robert and Jane’s third son, became a police officer. By his wife Phoebe, he had Robert (b. 1823, Killaloe) and Anne (b. 1818). He may also have been father of Henry James Ievers who died in 1844.

4. Jane Ievers, Robert and Jane’s eldest daughter, was married in 1789 to Henry Bennis and their first son Michael was born 10th October 1790. There may also have been a son called Thomas and a daughter Elizabeth.[ix] Henry and Jane Bennis lived at Newpark, Co. Clare. Henry was a clerk of the Privy Seal and, following his death in 1802, the Ennis Chronicle advised that he was ‘well known thro' the Kingdom from his peculiar discharge of the duties of Clerk of the Crown’.

5. Frances Ievers, the second daughter, married Major Fitzgerald of Carrigaoran, Co. Clare, and lived on Glentworth Street in Limerick, but left no children.[xi] It is possible that she was the Frances Ievers, ‘daughter of the late Robert Ievers of Mount Ievers’ who was married on 2nd March 1810 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, to Robert Cox of Kilrush, but died in 1832.

6. Anne Ievers, the youngest daughter, married George Hastings Hourigan of Killaloe and had issue. Their son John was baptised at Killaloe in 1803.

THE DEATH OF ROBERT IEVERS, 1783

Robert died on 13th December 1783, apparently at Mount Ievers. His will was dated 6th December 1783, a week earlier, left his money to John and Robert, and to Tom ‘the farmyard of Carrogyle lately held by Henry Ievers’. Ann was left £12 a year. William, Theophilus, Augustine and Frances were left £800 between them. His youngest daughter Mary Butler was left £20 to buy mourning. His sons Henry, Richard and George were left 1/- each, they being otherwise already provided for. The residue was left to Henry, Thomas, George, Richard and John. He appointed sons Richard and George as his Executors. The witnesses were Alex Shearer, John Spellissy, Thomas Ievers and John Ievers.

Robert’s fourth son George duly succeeded to Mount Ievers.