Chapter 5.

Lissen-Hall

next invites attention, a spacious house on the brink of a small creek.

A memorial of the lords of the Pale to king Henry the Fifth in 1417, [Ellis’s Letters, New Series, vol. i. p. 60.] contains the following interesting passage referable to this 1ocality. “On Monday in the Whitsunweek, at Lissenhall, Maurice O’Keating, chieftain of his station, traitor and rebel to you our gracious Lord, for the great fear which he had of your said lieutenant, (Lord Furnival), for himself and his nation, yielded himself to the same your lieutenant without any condition, with his breast against his sword-point and a cord about his neck, then delivering to your said lieutenant, without ransom, the English prisoners which he had taken before, to whom grace was granted by indenture and his eldest son given in pledge, to be loyal lieges from thenceforward to you our Sovereign Lord.”

[328] In and previous to this year, the Morres family were settled here. Subsequently, on the occasion of an Inquisition taken as to the possessions of the prebend or rectory of Swords, it was shown that the demesne appropriated thereto was the Court of Lissenhall, with its orchard, garden, and lands. The lands of “big Lissenhall’ were then accounted as 150a., while those of *little *Lissenhall were stated as 200.

For further notices of Lissenhall about this period see ante, at “Swords,” in the years 1541 and 1637.

In 1800 the glebe lands here were leased for £112 per annum.

Passing through Swords a picturesque road leads to Brazeel, at first ascending at the south of the churchyard, then passing on the edge of a terrace that overhangs the little river and glen of Brackenstown, with its mills in the depth of the secluded valley, and its mansion-house seen on the opposite ascent from the glen.

This house was formerly the residence of Viscount Molesworth, whose ancestor, Robert Molesworth of Brackenstown was one of those attainted in King James’s parliament. He subsequently filled the office of ambassador from King William to the Court of Denmark, and ultimately was elevated to the Irish peerage by King George the First. He was the author of “An Account of Denmark,” and more especially of “Considerations on the Agriculture and Employment of the Poor of Ireland.” In this pamphlet his lordship deprecates the ruinous consequences of a tenant being suffered to deal with his farm as he pleases, for “that is what his laziness, his ignorance, or dishonesty prompts him to without regard to covenants.” He recommends enactments restrictive of the courses of husbandry, the duration of leases, the extent of farms, the abolition of subletting, landjobbing and tithejobbing, the enclosure of commons, the establishment of agricultural schools in every county, the distribution of premiums to the best husbandmen, and the curtailment of holidays. On all whicb points he makes some very pertinent observations. “In [329] England,” he ‘says, “it is taken for granted that a tenant, who comes into a farm of good land with the grass side uppermost, at the usual rent of corn land in that country, and obtains liberty to break it up or make his best of it by ploughing it, has a profit during the first four years equal to the value of the inheritance of the land. Few landlords in this kingdom are sensible of this, and therefore do not provide accordingly.”

In reference to the extent of farms, “twenty acres,” he remarks: “rightly distributed and well husbanded, shall yield more profit to the tenant, and do no harm to the landlord, than a hundred acres, managed as in Ireland, with infinite damage to both.” He strongly recommends the erection of public granaries, to prevent the ruinous advance in the price of provisions when years of scarcity occur, and where he speaks of the agricultural schools, he suggests that Tusser’s old book of husbandry should be taught to the boys, as “the very best English book of good husbandry and housewifery that ever was published, fitted for the use of humble men and farmers, and ordinary families. In these schools,” he says, “I would not have any precepts, difference, or distinction of religions taken notice of, and nothing taught but only husbandry and good manners, and that the children should daily serve God according to their own religions, this school not being the proper place to make proselytes in.”

On his death in 1725 his eldest son, John, who had been envoy to the Duke of Tuscany in 1710, and to the King of Sardinia in 1720, acquired the title as second Viscount, but dying in the same year was succeeded by his brother Richard, the third viscount, who became a field marshal in the army, and general and commander-in-chief of the forces in Ireland. He entered a volunteer in Queen Anne’s reign, in 1702 received a commission in the Earl of Orkney’s regiment, whose colours he carried at the battle of Blenheim, and on the eve of the battle of Ramillies was appointed aid-de-camp to the Duke of Marlborough, whom he rescued from the French, by mounting him on his horse, when run down by their cavalry. After a campaign of active and successful service, he was appointed a colonel in 1710, and with his regixnent was sent into Spain where be fought under the Duke of Argyle and the great Staremberg, and on the breaking up of that [330] regiment at Minorca, his lordship devoted the remainder of his life to study. The water works at Chelsea were at this time carried on under his direction. In 1715 he was again called into military service, fought and was wounded at the battle of Preston. He died in 1758 and was succeeded in the title by his only son Richard, the fourth viscount.

Passing from Brackenstown, the ruins of the house of Brazeel appear at right.

On this townland, on the night of the tattle of the Boyne, the Duke of Berwick rallied about 7,000 foot, “of which he sent to acquaint King James, then in Dublin, and desired he would please to send him some horse and dragoons to enable him to make his retreat. The king accordingly ordered six troops of Luttrell’s regiment or dragoons, and three of Abercorn’s horse, (which were all he had but those newly arrived with the king) to march to the Duke’s relief; but, as soon as it was night, that general found most of his gathering dispersed again, of which he sent an account.” [Clarke’s Life of James the Second, vol. ii. p. 402.]

Brazeel became subsequently the property of the Bolton family, of whom Edward Bolton, the founder of this line, was, for his attachment to the cause of King William, attainted in James’s parliament, as was also Richard Bolton. The mansion was destroyed by fire some years since, at which time a unique portrait of Sir Richard Bolton is said to have been burned. He was formerly Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and in 1640 was impeached in the House of Commons as having assisted in the introduction of arbitrary government, by the assistance and countenance of the Earl of Strafford. In 1661, however, all records of this transaction were voted to be expunged, “inasmuch as they seemed to be an entrenchment upon the honour, worth, and integrity of honourable persons, whose memory this house cannot in justice suffer to be sullied with the least stain of evil report.”

In November, 1647, Owen Roe O’Neill and Sir Thomas Esmonde, with their royalist forces, encamped here. See at “Castleknock?”

Beyond this

Ch. 6. Knocksedan.