Cypress Grove
Cypress Grove. Adjoining Templeogue Demesne is Cypress. Grove, so called from some fine old cypress trees, which still flourish. About 1795, i...
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Cypress Grove. Adjoining Templeogue Demesne is Cypress. Grove, so called from some fine old cypress trees, which still flourish. About 1795, i...
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Cypress Grove.
Adjoining Templeogue Demesne is Cypress. Grove, so called from some fine old cypress trees, which still flourish. About 1795, it belonged to the Jocelyn family. In that year the house was entered one night by robbers. The servants all hid themselves. Young Lieutenant Jocelyn, of the Royal Navy, who happened to be at home at the time, attacked the robbers with his sword. He put them to flight, wounding one of them, who had resisted, in the head and arm.
Some months afterwards a man was taken into custody on suspicion of belonging to the party. Major Sirr brought Mr. Jocelyn to identify the prisoner. He could not do so, but said if he was the man whom he had wounded, he would have a sword-cut on his arm, and another on his head. His arm was bared, and there was a cut, which the man said he had got long before at sea, as he had been a sailor. He was then asked did he ever get a cut on his head, which was covered with a thick shock of hair. He declared he never did, whereupon Major Sirr ordered his head to be shaved, when there appeared a freshly closed cut. Major Sirr then told the man there was no doubt of his identity, and that his only chance to save his life was to confess his crime, and declare who were his accomplices.
He did so, and some of them were taken and hanged. He also said that he had committed the great robbery at the Castle of Dublin, on the 2nd of December, 1794. The office of my grandfather, Matthew Handcock, Deputy Muster Master-General, in the Lower Castle Yard, was then broken into. An iron safe that lay therein, locked and padlocked, was opened by means of skeleton keys. Debentures to the value of £1,750, and notes and cash amounting to that of £550, were then abstracted. A reward of £120 was offered, but in vain. This man said that he had bribed a sentry, who was on guard every fortnight. Admitted by him, he had taken impressions on wax, from which keys were made that did the work. He told where some of the debentures were to be found, but the cash was gone. My grandfather lost over £1,000 by the robbery.
After the Jocelyns, the Orr family lived in Cypress Grove for many years. They were very wealthy flier-chants, but subsequently failed.
The Duffys of Ball’s Bridge were also tenants here; and then the late Master Ellis. Charles King is now the owner. The gardens and conservatories are very extensive, and well stocked, as Mr. King is a great florist.