Major Patrick Kirwan rented Freshford Manor between 1818 until 1821 from Frances, daughter of Thomas Joyce. He was to be the first of a number of illustrious tenants who were to live here for the next 70 years.
He was the head of the ancient family of Kirwan from Ireland whose family home had long been Cregg Castle in Galway. He had a number of distinguished ancestors which included an uncle -Richard Kirwan (1733-1812) who was described as a Chemist, natural philosopher, musician, linguist and scientist. He was a member of many learned institutions and was the first president of the Royal Irish Academy.
Patrick's childhood would have been spent at Cregg Castle and later he was join the army and serve in the Napoleonic wars as a Major. He married Louise-Margaret , 4 th daughter of Dominick Browne, Esq. Of Castle Macgarrat, co. Mayo in 1811. They were to have seven children, two of whom were born in Freshford and were baptised at St. Peters Church.
His name appears as a member of the Vestry which ran the village of Freshford at the time. He also is shown as the Overseer of John Curls Charity which distributed money each year to the poor of the village. Sadly his wife was to die not long after they left the village in 1826 at the age of just thirty nine.
By 1832 he is shown as a Captain on half pay in the Army List for the time. The family name of Hyacinth appears regularly in their family tree and Patrick's son of this name is admitted as a scholar at Eton in 1838. When Patrick dies aged 60 in 1847 he leaves behind a successful family with his eldest son –Richard Andrew Hyacinth, J.P. living at Bawnmore in Galway.
Cregg Castle, the family home for many centuries ,is today a hotel.
Year Age Events
1787 B Patrick Kirwan is the 4 th son born to Hyacinth and Elizabeth Kirwan of Cregg in County Galway in Ireland
1811 24 marries Louisa Margaret Browne, daughter of Dominic Browne of Castle Margarett, Co. Mayo, Ireland. She is the sister of Dominic, 1st Lord Oranmore
1813 26 Richard Andrew Hyacinth Kirwan born
1814 27 Edward born at Cheltenham
1816 29 John Henry Kirwan, born at 77 Pulteney St, Bath
1818 31 Louise Margaret born in Freshford. Patrick rents Freshford Manor from John and Frances Joyce for 4 years, and appears each year as Major Kirwan in the Land Tax Lists for the village.
1820 33 Hyacinth born and baptised at Freshford , Patrick appears as a major in the Army List.His name is on the list for the village Vestry, and he is Overseer for the list of poor who are entitles to payment from John Curl`s Legacy
1826 39 Louisa, wife of Patrick dies
1832 45 He is shown as a Captain in the Army Lists on half pay.
1838 51 Hyacinth Kirwan is admitted as a Kings scholar at Eton
1847 60 Patrick dies.
Hyacinth Kirwan (from Who was Who)
Hyacinth Kirwan is admitted At King's a scholar from Eton September 24 1838 (4 th. Son of Patrick, of Creggy, Co. Galway, and loisa Margaret, Daughter of Dominick G. Browne, of Castle Margarett, Co. Mayo) B. July 28, 1820 at Freshford Somerset, Matriculated Michs. 1838; B.A. 1843; Crosse Scholar, 1845, Tywhitt Hebrew Scholar (2nd), 1845; M.A. 1846. Fellow, 1841-1857. Chaplain to the East India Co. With the field force under General Sir Colin Campbell at Lucknow. Died there, unmarried, in hospital of smallpox, April 1858. Bequeathed his Oriental Books to King's College, Cambridge. Brother of Edward D.G.M. (1834) and the next, etc. (Burke, L. G. Ireland; Kings College. Register: The Ecclesiastical Gazette, June 8, 1858.
Edward Dominic Geoffrey Martin Kirwan (from Who was Who)
Edward Dominic Geoffrey Martin Kirwan was admitted at King's , a scholar from Eton, January 30, 1834. (2nd son of Patrick) B. Aug. 5 1814 at Cheltenham. Matriculated Easter 1834; B.A. 1838; M.A. 1841. Fellow, 1837-1854. Ordained Deacon (Lincoln) 1838; Priest, 1839. Rector of Prior's portion, Tiverton, Devon, 1843-6. Vicar of Wootton– Wawen, Warwickshire., 1854-76. Subsequently resided at Rue Neuve Chaussee, Boulogne -sur -Mer. Married Louisa, only daughter of Thomas Macquoid. Translator of Don Adolfo de Castro`s History of the Jews in Spain. Died June 27 1890 at Dover. Brother of Hyacinth (1838), John H. (1835), etc. Burke), L.G. of Ireland (Edward only); Clergy List; Crockford; King's College Register; William Cowper.
John Henry Kirwan. (from Who was Who)
John Henry Kirwan was admitted at King's College, Cambridge, a scholar from Eton, August 18, 1835. (3 rd Son of Patrick Kirwan, Esq., of 77 Pulteney Street, Bath and Louisa Margaret Browne. Born December 25 1816, at Beaumaria, Isle of Anglessey. Matriculated Michaelmas 1834; B.A. 1840, M.A. 1843. Fellow 1838-1857. Cricket Blue, 1839 Admitted at Inner Temple, November 14 1838. Ordained Deacon (Lincoln), 1842; Priest (Gloucester and Bristol, Litt. Dim. From Bath & Wells) 1843. Canon of Old Cleeve, Somerset, 1850-1. C. of Withycombe, 1851-6. Church of St. Feock, Cornwall 1856-1863. P.C. of Buck Mills , Devon, 1863-74. Rector of Anthony, Cornwall, 1874-99. Died June 13, 1899. The times June 21, 1899.
Charles, Lionel Fitzgerald Kirwan (from Who was Who)
Charles, Lionel Fitzgerald Kirwan , Admitted . Pens. At Corpus Christi, Feb. 16 1828. Of Mayo. (Doubtless eldest son of Patrick, of Cregg, Galway.) matriculated Michaelmas 1829; B.A. 1834.