The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix by Raymond rothwell

The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix

It seems that sometime following the famine of the 1840s, two brothers, james and Samuel Rothwell of Deerpark, moved to Queen´s County, where they both took employment as land stewards. Family traditions are now obscure but james did tell his grandchildren of the famine days, when “people would fall at road side (probably from what was known as “road fever” or cholera) and you had to pass them by, because there was nothing to give them”. Samuel Rothwell appears in 1856, then living Clontyco near Blandsfort, and probably working for Loftus Bland. He appears as a subscriber to Daniel O´Byrne´s “History of the Queen´s County”. This at least indicates that he was an educated man, and of sufficient means to pay the then substantial sum of five shillings for a book. He appears again in connection with O´Byrne´s in September 1858 when O´Byrne sent the following article to the Kilkenny Archaeological Society: “About fourteen days past, Mr Samuel Rothwell, now residing in Timahoe, being employed as stewart by Mr Doyne, over workmen labouring on Derryforn bog, about two miles south-east from Abbeyleix discovered two cow´s horns. Each measuring about six inches long. Mr Rothwellis a very intelligent man and has assured me that from the unusual marks on the horns, that the animal that once bore them could not have been less than on verge of twenty years. They rested about eleven feet under the surface of the bog. In the place where Mr Rothwell found the horns he discovered a crib made of small stakes and small switches and in the crib rested an egg equally as black as the bog, not more than eight feet from the surface to the bottom, Mr Rothwell discovered, three feet below the surface, the remains of a wooden enclosure. The paling, if i may call it by that name was thus XXXXXXX formed and fully showed that a saw was not made use of when the paling was erected, it gives evident marks that an axe was used in forming the rails and that the instrument was very sharp, as the

The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix cuts are very long and smooth. The enclosing bars or stakes are about five feet high and each one about one foot sunk in the stature lying under the bog. For what purpose this enclosure was made is a matter for conjecture...”

Samuel may have returned to Deerpark in about 1864, although there is a tradition that he lived to about the age of 99 and lies buried in Ballyroan, Co.Laois. Ballyroan Church and Cementry

James his brother, was working on the Earl of Ossory´s estate at Grantstown Manor in 1866. He seems to have been living in Grantstown House, when he married Farm building at Grantstown Elizabeth, the daughter according to Manor their marriage certificate, of a labourer, Denis Wright. The family tradition is that These would be familiar to they were horse traders in Portarlington James. or Mountmellick and certainly a John Wright married a Hannagh Burton in Mountmellick in 1722. Despite the uncertainty of their background, the Wright´s appear to have a good local connections, being related to the Mitchells who were farmers at Tunduff House, and army officers; Hartfords who were described as “gentlemen, carpenter·; Griffiths who possessed 500 acres of land at Boley, and also the case family, Neighbours of the Griffiths. (Elizabeth’s niece, Mary Ann Griffith married Humphrey Case of Boley.) Both James and Elizabeth were in their mid-forties at the time of there marriage, and yet within a year Elizabeth gave birth to twins, James and John, at Raheen a Brogue, near to Tenakill, where the family were now settled. Again, it is believed that three more

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children were born to the marriage, Joseph and Hanna, who both died young, and another daughter, whose name is forgotten, who married and settled on a farm in Co Kildare. James tried to settle farms twice. He came into conflict with the black and white Fenians, one of a number of secret sects known as Ribbonmen, so called from the colours of the ribbons they wore as a sign of their “freemasonry”. The risk to his family was too great, so he remained contented as a steward. He is described as a good hunter and agriculturalist, over six feet height with flowing long white hair, long beard and cravat he cut a remarkable figure. Elizabeth was dainty by contrast and well learned in all manner of herb lore and midwifery; she White-Abbey of Lord Vesci won the Queen´s County garden competition of 1904. They lived for years on the Fingleton estate in Abbeyleix occupying a place known as Figleton´s lodge. The house is now demolished. The site was called by Elizabeth, the “Half moon”, a name inspired by the unusual curve of the road near to where it stood. In old age the couple joined their son James in his cottages at The Tiles. It was an apparently strange name for these buildings, for no tiles were used in their construction. However, the name appears to originate from a local nickname for these cottages, “the toilers”, as in workers. A lord De Vesci built these cottages to accommodation artisan craftsmen. Some originally had looms, others were for shoe makers and ets. This was in the late eighteenth century, by 1906 they were family accommodation.

The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix

The two Rothwell cottages at “The Tiles” forming one house. The “newer house” attached to the toiler´s cottage, was in fact constructed by Parnell´s land commission. And it had a small holding or farm attached to it. Together they formed the last house in the town and the first house in the country.

Toilet in the back garden of The Tiles

The Tiles

James lived to be 103 years old. He was active up to his death, having gathered sticks for firewood in Galibraith´s Grove a short time before. He died resting in bed and smoking his clay pipe. Elizabeth died within the same week, aged 102. There is supposed to be a strong Masonic tradition among the Rothwell´s. At any rate it had been confirmed that James Rothwell was initiated into Abbeyleix Masonic Lodge (nº 402 ) on June 2, 1904. Parnell´s Land commissioner

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Masonic lodge I am amazed not to have located any early Rothwell family bibles, so far. James Rothwell (died 1928) possessed a large leather bound bible which survived until the mid 1970´s. In it´s precious pages was reputed to be a family pedigree going back to the seventeenth century. My father could certainly remember the tradition that the Rothwell´s “came over with a King”. The King was of course King William. There were also loose pages in his flowing copperplate writing recording his memoirs. All lost. Ellen Rothwell (died 1980) had a small bible which is still preserved. In it she made the following brief notes: the diary of a religious girl, a bride, a proud mother a widow. ELLEN SHORE JAMES WILLIAM ROTHWELL AND ELLEN SHORE MARRIED APRIL 27th 1906 AT RATHMORE CHURCH, NAAS BY THE REV CANNON ADA ELLEN SHORE THIRD DAUGHTER AND JAMES WILLIAM ELDEST SON OF JAMES WILLIAM ROTHWELL (THE TILES), ABBEYLEIX JAMES WILLIAM BORN MARCH 5th 1907 SAMUEL JOHN BORN NOVEMBER 6th 1908 EDMOND ROBERT BORN APRIL 12th 1910 RICHARD FRANSIS BORN SEPTEMBER 4th 1914 JAMES WILLIAM ROOTHWELL DIED (1928) AGED 103

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These entries were later supplemented by numerous newspapers cuttings recording the deaths of husband and “in memoriam” clippings. Ellen Shore was the daughter of William Shore of Kilgory, Co Laois and Ellen McLean. William´s family were long established at Kilgory, and it seems probable that they were descended from Cromwellian soldier. Captain William Shore who was granted land in Kilkenny. Ellen McLean was a daughter of Captain Robert McLean of Ballyadams Ballyadams Castle

Castle, she was born on the steps of the old keep in 1840. Her father may of been an aid de camp to General Butler of Ballyadams House during the Napoleonic wars. The Butlers fell upon hard times in the 1840s when the Kemmis family foreclosed upon a mortgage. Robert moved through the social ranks, he appears as a farmer, in another, as a gamekeeper, but still he was a captain and he kept the castle fortified against a rebellion. His son in law, William Shore, probably served in the Dublin Fusiliers, certainly after his death a representive from a museum in Dublin came to collect his uniform. This William was somewhat of an adventurer, like James Fintan Lawer of Tenekill he joined the Australian gold rush. He was bushwhacked, attacked with an axe,

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and he bore the mark across his face until his dying day. The aborigines found him tied to a tree; nursed him back to health and he returned to prospecting. William filled two “green beer bottles” with nuggets before returning to Ireland. It is difficult to trace his movements; his daughter Ellen was born in Lowther street, Belfast and baptised in the Iron Church. The family lived at Ballyadams for a time. In 1896 the estate was sold by the kemmis family to the tenants and with it, the furnishings of the Castle despite Shore´s objections, the sale included an old black mantle clock which was an heirloom of the McLeans. The well at the castle poisoned in the name of the nationalist cause; so Shore left Ballyadams to buy a farm at Crettyyard on the Kilkenny border. He and his wife Ellen sold up this farm and retired to live at Oldtown in a house near John Rothwell. Ellen, who was now blind, used to give her grandson Edmund a shilling every Sunday as he walked her to church. She died in 1920 and William went to live with his daughter at The Tiles. Ballyadams was burnt to the ground in 1922, the same year that William died. Old Black Mantle Clock

Ballyadams Leinster

John Rothwell was the younger identical twin of James Rothwell, many people got the two confused. He worked at the Munster and Leinster Bank. He started work remarkably early in the day, walking several miles from his home at Old Town to the bank in Abbeyleix. John was married twice. His first wife Susan, was sister to the eccentric Thomas Yule of Island Farm. John developed a serious drink

The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix

problem after her death. He had a drink constantly ready for him at Morrissey’s, opposite the bank. On one occasion, Challenged by the vicar of Abbeyleix over this, he responded by converting to the Methodists. There was a bible presented by the Methodist Chapel in Abbeyleix, to James brother, John Rothwell of Old Town. The single entry in it entry records that: John Rothwell married Henrietta Williams, 18 December 1929. He was widowed a second time and in truth he drank himself to death. Having no children of his own he left his furniture to his nephew, Edmund, who having no house sold it to Baggot´s furniture store for a paltry ten shillings. As I have said, John´s first wife was a sister of Thomas Yule of Island Farm. At this time the farm house was part of long range of outbuildings, it must have had a house which was long disappeared. The young Edmund or Ned Rothwell who often used to sleep there complained of hearing ghostly riders outside in the dead night. The place was promised to Edmund but Yule died without making a will. The land commission took control of the farm and local people expected it to be divided among them. Instead it was given to a man called Lyons of Mountrath. A land war developed and “there was shooting”. It was a war of three parties but Lyons stuck it out even though a grave for him was dug inside his gate by the locals. This was in the years following the civil war. The Rothwell enjoyed the patronage of the De Vesci family to an extent. Captain Fitzherbert of Millbrook was a cousin to Lord De Vesci, and co-owner of the estate; he was in fact a Rothwell of

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Rockfield. He changed his name due to an inheritance from his Fitzherbert grandmother.

Of the four sons, the eldest, James Rothwell was the most notorious. With his brothers, he led an attack on Bailiffs who arrived to evict a neighbouring family. The eviction was never completed. He married Christina Ward of Castlecomer. It was not a happy marriage and he joined the British Army, tank corps, on outbreak of war in 1939. He saw action at Dunkirk, returning to Ireland shell-shocked. He was also an active supporter of Oliver J.Flanagan at the start of his long political career. James sons, Seamus and Thomas, now live at Castlecomer with their families.

Castlecomer in 1832

Samuel, recruited by Coronel Vesey, Joined the Irish Guards as soon as he was of age;

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Irish guard’s world war 2

he served his full time, marrying and settling in North Yorkshire. He served as a councillor for Richmondshire district council together with his wife Margaret, who later became Chairman. They have two sons, Samuel who settled in Germany and Roderick, former chief petty officer, R.N. Edmund had a long and varied career, A regular visitor to his grandparents and uncle at Oldtown, where as a child he watched palling the wheelwright at work. Perhaps out of favour with his family (he and Samuel Galbraith burnt down his father’s barn) he was sent to work at the age of 12 at stables in Co Wicklow. He soon ran away and back home he was taken as an apprentice blacksmith for Taylor in Abbeyleix, then by De Vesci as an engineer. Part of his training was by the designer of the famous “Flying Scotsman”. With a reputation for great strength, Edmund was most prominent as a footballer and hurler for the county in the late 20´s and 30´s. He was the first non-catholic member of the G.A.A. in Laois. He did much for the reputation of Abbeyleix, helping create the local playing field and later representing his town at the finals at Crough Park. The Flying Scotsman

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Crough Park Dublin

After many years of consideration he became a catholic convert upon his marriage, which was late in life, to Josephine Gleeson of Ballyglishen. The couple migrated to England and Edmund led an active life until his death in 1989. They had one son, Daniel.

Richard and Lulu

The back garden Carlisle road

Richard, the youngest of the surviving sons, moved a lot, he was married to Lulu Collier in 1934 and they had seven children, Richard 1940, Frances 1941, Caroline 1944, Norman 1946, Ronald 1948, Rosaline 1952 and Raymond 1956. He emigrated first to England around 1960 with all the family, To Carlisle Road in

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Dartford, this is where Lulu died (I think it was around 1962) as the children were small he decided to get married again, he was working in a mental hospital in Bexley and this is where he meet´s a Spanish lady “Lola” she could hardly speak English, but they got married in the church of Dartford, After some years Richard had his first heart attack, and he decided to go on holidays to Spain, when we went home to England and had his medical check-up, the doctor found him a lot better and invited him to go and live in Spain, At this time Norman had went back to Ireland to live with Granny in The Tiles, and Frances was married, Richard (Dicky) was living with anti May in Harpender, Caroline wasn’t living in Dartford and Ronald went to the army, so the only children left were Rosaline and Raymond, that made it easier to move, so he got the two children and Lola and moved to Spain to Madrid where he got a job in a big building of flats as a caretaker, they let him live in a flat on the top of the building with the condition that if he leaves the job he leaves the flat. Richard was a person that didn’t stop to long in the same place, so Lola had a brother in a little town that is inside a castle in Salamanca the town is Miranda del Castañar he went to the town and bought a house, Richard went back to Madrid to work and Lola, Rosaline and Raymond stayed in Miranda to repair the house, we took of the roof and all the front main wall and made all new, After that Richard, Lola and Rosaline went back to England and Raymond with only 16 years stayed by

Clara de Rey 15

The flat where they lived (this was new year day 1969 )

Madrid

Richard working hard in his office

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himself in Spain, a few years later Richard and Lola came back to live in Miranda del Castañar , A man of the town left him use his field which was about 2 kilometers outside the town so he could grow his own potatoes, tomatoes ,etc, The house he bought in miranda And to go to the field he bought a little tractor, As once again he got bored and went into Salamanca where he bought a little old house and sold the one in Miranda, And lived there until 1994 where he died sitting on a chair on the road after dinner time, he is buried in the cemetery of Salamanca .

Richard’s grave in salamanca’s cemetery (Spain)

Of the seven sons of Richard and Lulu the eldest Richard or as everbody knows him “Dicky” was living in Harpender in the house of antie May and kieron he was a bus driver, but he also drove all over Europe with a non-pasanger bus with electronic components for computers. He never got married.

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Dickyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bus

Frances the first girl got married to Ken Nash they had three children, Clive, Melanie and Tracey, Clive got married to Hilary and had two children Jason and Kira, for what i know they are still living in England.

Frances â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s wedding day

Caroline got married with Brian and they have two children Marie and Kiaay they also live in England.

Norman, is the only one living in Ireland in The Tiles, he got married with Betty and they have eight children, Richard the eldest got married with Margaret and they have one son Richard. Sandra is the next and married Steven. Norman is the third he married Martina and have two girls Tracie

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and Lisa. Mark married Melanie and have five children, Hannah, Megan, Mark, Lee and Amy. Jason married Sandra and have one son Kiurt. Ronald is the next he married Liz and they have three children, Victoria, Caoimhe and Jesika. Vincent is with Ashley and the last Shane is with Ifa.

NormanÂ´s Family. Ronald, was living at first in tha family house in Dartford, he never found a good job so he signed up to the army, he also is living in England.

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Ronald with Lola Rosaline and Raymond in England

Rosaline, as i said before she lived in Dartford and then she was in Spain living in Madrid, she started studies there and in her free time she had to sell flats in the building they were living with Richard and Lola, she also have to help cleaning the stairs and flats, then she went with Lola and Raymond to Miranda del CastaĂąar to help doing up the house, during that time she had a boyfriend but nothing serious. When she went back to England after a time she got married with Sam Shunmoogum they have two daughters Mandy and Rosaline, Mandy is married to Scott and have two girls Ellie and Isabella.

RosalineÂ´s family before isabbela was born

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Raymond, was born in a house just up the portlaois road about half a kilometre from The Tiles,

Richard and Luluâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house on portlaois road

He also started living in Dartford and went to the St. Albans Infants School and later to the York Road Junior School.

He was taken over to Spain where in Madrid he had to learn the language living on our own Rosaline and Raymond in a friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house of Lola York Road Junior School

Raymond in Madrid at the door of the guest house

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where we had to help because it was a guest house for the telephone workers until Richard their father got the job, and he was always doing little repairs in the flats for the owners. Then he was taken over to Miranda del CastaĂąar and after doing up the house he was left there by himself,

Raymond and Lola at the popular town festival in Miranda del CastaĂąar

everybody had gone back to England, On the town festival he met a girl that was on holidayÂ´s there (it is the town where she was born but she was living in a town near Barcelona) after a time he got bored of being alone so he decided to go to Barcelona to meet the girl he danced with in the festival, Her name is Riqui and they got married in the church of Cornella de LLobregat (1975),the town where they are living just outside Barcelona , they have four boys, Richard, Raimond, Raul and Roberto, Richard got married to Mari and have two children, Ivet and Pol.

The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix

After all this Raymond had lost all contact with his family until Dicky went to Barcelona with his bus, and found Raymond and they were a few days together, the next time he saw dicky was at the death of

Raymond’s wedding day with his father Richard and Lola 1975

Richard their father in Salamanca, and also Rosaline came over as well; after that Rosaline with Sam and the girls went twice to Salou to a bungalow on holidays and Raymond went down to see them. Camping Sanguli Salou, Rosaline and Raymond’s family’s together

In 2009 Raymond and Norman found one another through internet in Facebook and in October of 2010 Raymond was invited by his brother in law (Riqui´s brother) to go to Ireland with a reserved room in Dublin and a car, when he got to the hotel in the next morning Norman and Rosaline were waiting for him in the coffee shop.

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The emotional reunion after half a century

This was nearly 50 years without seeing one another. The newspaper Leinster Express took down the notice and put in out the 27 October 2010.

Sam

Norman Rosaline

Raymond

Now he is waiting to find the way to see, Frances, Caroline and Ronald, because they are also half a century away.

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Raul

Riqui

Richard

Raymond

Roberto

Raimond

Raymond’s family the day of Richard’s wedding.

There was also a Richard Rothwell (from Athlone (Ireland), November 20, 1800 - September 13, 1868) he was an Irish painter. He is mainly remembered for his work in painting Mary Rothwell Shelley. In 1842 he married Rosa Marshall and in 1868, he went to work in Rome and died. Rothwell did his work and exhibited in the United States, Ireland, United Kingdom, France and Italia. I don’t know if he was part of our family.

(the painting of Mary Rothwell Shelley)

The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix

If we talk about the Tiles, Norman Rothwell still lives there, after the death of granny Rothwell, he sold part of the ground and in the back of the house he made another house but not for living in, he made it for his model railway that goes through the walls from one room to the other. All handmade and computerized.

The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix

Abbeyleix is known as the Town of the Fountains. The Fountains of Abbeyleix are intertwined with the landlord history of the town and reflect the esteem in which the de Vesci's were held. The most prominent of these is the monument to John 2nd Viscount de Vesci.John 2nd Viscount de Vesci Interestingly, there is an unusual link between the fountains of Abbeyleix and The Market House. According to an account written by W.G. Hartford in the 1960's, when John Robert, 4th Viscount de Vesci passed away, the townspeople, in time honoured fashion, held a collection to erect a fountain in his memory. Ivo de Vesci, John Robert's nephew, who had just inherited the de Vesci estate, thought it more prudent to refurbish the Market House and pledged to add the monies required to that which had been already collected for the fountain. Thus, in 1906 the Market House was refurbished and dedicated to John Robert instead of the planned fountain. This was the first of many wise decisions on the part of Ivo de Vesci and The Market House remained in use as a centre for the community from 1906 to the present day. We are grateful to Mike Hartford for this information on the wrtings of his grandfather, a most interesting man. The Market House. This edifice had a practical use on market day and yet it was also a further reminder of the de Vesci influence in the town of Abbeyleix as it carries cut stone plaques of the de Vesci crest. The market was the lifes blood of the town. Early in the life of the new town of Abbeyleix the landlord applied for a licence to hold a market in the town. He got permission to hold six markets or fairs per year, in addition to a Saturday market. This essentially put the town on the map economically and these markets or fairs remain in the living

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memory of the town. The Market House is being refurbished at present and will become a dedicated library for the people of Abbeyleix. It is hoped that this work will be completed by September 2007. The Rev Wingfield. One of the longest serving pastors in the annals of the Church of Ireland in Abbeyleix was the Rev Wingfield. His ministry lasted over forty years and it could be argued that he presided over the greatest period of change in Abbeyleix. So prominent was he that he is included in the Fountains of Abbeyelix. In 1770 John Vesey, 2nd Viscount de Vesci decided that the old town of Abbeyleix was an unsuitable town for his tenantry, and unlikely to prosper. His decision to built a new town was both bold and decisive and the results of this decision has given us the Planned Estate town that is Abbeyleix today. The concept of the Planned Estate Town is not unique in Ireland, other notable Planned Estate Towns would be Westport in Co. Mayo and Adare in Co. Limerick. There is also a strong link between Abbeyleix and Blessington, Co. Wicklow, which was built by Archbishop Michael Boyle, the last ecclesiastical Lord Chancellor. Michael Boyle's secretary was one Denny Muschamp who was married to a daughter of the Archbishop and whose daughter Mary was in time married to Bishop Thomas Vesey. When the couple married Denny Muschamp gave them a present of the former Abbeylands at Abbeyleix, which he had acquired in a land deal circa 1674. The story of the North National School begins with the 3rd Viscount and his marriage to Lady Emma Herbert, daughter o f the Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery. The de Vesci's were intent on the development of the new town of Abbeyleix, to the extent that the terms of marriage of the 3rd Viscount to Lady Emma included an agreement from her father to build a terrace of houses in the new town. Today, Pembroke Terrace remains one of the most striking

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pieces of architecture and represents a significant piece of the built heritage of Co. Laois. 1909 Bank of Ireland Designed by J.P. Wren and built in 1909. A wonderfully eccentric design for the Hibernian Bank which mixes a myriad of architectural features. The small tower with corner window and copper dome is the entrance to the residence above the branch.

There was a little carpet factory in Abbeyleix, Established in 1904 by Ivo de Vesci, the 5th Viscount, the story of a small carpet factory in the midlands which would supply carpets both to the S.S. Olympic and the S.S Titanic is explored in detail in Mairead Johnstons 'Hidden in the Pile'Books. You can see actual carpets produced for the Church of The Most Holy Rosary in Abbeyleix and for the Mansion House in our Carpet Factory display.

In the Heritage House of Abbeyleix very neer to the Tiles there is still parts of the carpet factory and carpets,

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Abbeyleix Heritage House

Abbeyleix Heritage Titanic Exhibition The Titanic exhibition at Heritage House celebrates the initiative of Ivo de Vesci, the 5th Viscount, who was instrumental in setting up a very successful carpet factory in Abbeyleix in 1904. Making high quality carpets, the factory supplied carpets to Harrods in London, Marshall Fields in Chicago and supplied specific orders for the coronation of King George V, for the secretary's office in the Grandstand at Royal Ascot , for the Mansion House in Dublin and many more. Forced to amalgamate with a factory in Kildare and losing control of the Abbeyleix factory, the Titanic connection was born out of Ivo de Vesci's determination to win back the factory. Following a personal drive to fill orders for the flagging factory, The White Star Line ordered four hand-tufted rugs for the S.S. Olympic, built at Harland and Wolff and launched in 1911. When the Titanic was being fitted out, The White Star Line, impressed with the quality of the carpets supplied to the Olympic, ordered three hand-tufted

The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix carpets for the state rooms of the S.S. Titanic. Believing the fortunes of the factory to be on the turn, and recognising the power of advertising, Ivo de Vesci had the foresight to photograph the Titanic carpets on the looms at Abbeyleix A copy of that photograph forms part of the Titanic Exhibition, and uniquely, a photograph from the Fr. Brown collection depicting the writing room on the Titanic clearly shows one of the Abbeyleix rugs in situ on the Titanic.

The Titanic exhibition is complemented with some wonderful memorabilia which is on loan from The Shannon Ulster Titanic Society. Abbeyleix Heritage Company is indebted to Patrick Toms for his continued support of the Titanic Exhibition at Heritage House.

The model railway in the Heritage House of Abbeyleix is also work of Norman Rothwell.

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He is a part of the history of Abbeyleix. George Clooney's Irish descendant made carpets for the Titanic. Sarah Clooney, who worked in a small factory in Co Laois, made carpets that were laid in the famous ship that sank on April 15, 1912. As the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster approaches this April, George Clooney is set to holiday in Ireland when he is expected to meet his long-lost Irish relatives. 'George Clooney's Irish Roots -- The real Descendants' by Kilkenny documentary maker Gabriel Murray -- explores a Clooney link to the midlands town. Sarah Clooney worked in the carpet factory in Abbeyleix owned by Ivo de Vesci. She had originally come from Dunamaggin, Co Kilkenny but moved to Abbeyleix after her family were evicted from their land. Griffith ’s Valuation is the name widely given to the Primary Valuation of Ireland, a property tax survey carried out in the mid-nineteenth century under the supervision of Sir Richard Griffith. The survey involved the detailed valuation of every taxable piece of agricultural or built property on the island of Ireland and was published county-by-county between the years 1847 and 1864. The process of valuation was painstakingly thorough, involving multiple visits by valuation teams to analyse all of the factors influencing the economic status of the property: the chemical and geological properties of the land; average rents paid in the area; distance from the nearest market town. The aim was to get as accurate as possible an estimate of the annual income that each property should produce. This is the “Net Annual Value” figure (in £ s d, pounds sterling, shillings and pence) in the far right column of each valuation record. This was then used as the basis for local taxation, and continued up to the 1970s. The local authorities decided on a percentage of the Annual Value to be paid every year and usually expressed as “pennies to the pound”. For example a rate of 3 pennies to the pound meant that someone in possession of property valued as £10 would have to pay 30 pence, or 2/6.

The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix The individual in economic occupation of the property was responsible for payment of the local taxation based on Griffithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, with one exception: tenants with a holding valued at less than ÂŁ5 annually were exempt, but their landlord was liable for the tax. This liability was a powerful incentive for landlords to get rid of smaller tenants in any way they could and certainly contributed to the wave of evictions that took place throughout the second half of the nineteenth century.

A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. Every new Lodge must be warranted or chartered by a Grand Lodge, but is subject to its direction only in enforcing the published Constitution of the jurisdiction. By exception the three surviving lodges that formed the world's first known Grand Lodge in London (today called the United Grand Lodge of England) have the unique privilege to operate as time immemorial i.e. without such warrant; only one other lodge operates without a warrant - this is the Grand Stewards' Lodge in London, although it is not also entitled to the "time immemorial" title. [1] A Freemason is generally entitled to visit any Lodge, in any jurisdiction (i.e. under any Grand Lodge) in amity with his own. In some jurisdictions this privilege is restricted to Master Masons (that is, Freemasons who have attained the Order's third degree). He is first usually required to check, and certify, the regularity of the relationship of the Lodge - and be able to satisfy that Lodge of his regularity of membership. Freemasons gather together as a Lodge to work the three basic Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason.

The Masonic Lodge 402, based in Abbeyleix, held a celebration dinner in the Manor Hotel to mark their 150th anniversary. Founded in the same year as the Charge of the Light Brigade, the Abbeyleix celebrations come at a time of the revival of the Freemasonry in Ireland. Master of the lodge is Des Lalor, originally from Ballacolla, who has been a member of the Freemasons for 27 years. Essentially a charitable organisation, he said that in the past they used to give money to various causes anonymously. An all male organisation, the emphasis is on ethics and strict moral standards in life. The members come from all backgrounds and professions and everyone is on the same level.

The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix There are two topics not allowed for discussion at the meeting and that is religion and politics. Their view is to look on the positive side of things and work on people's strengths. There are 41 members in Abbeyleix which makes it the largest in the county. They meet on the first Friday of every month in the Masonic Hall in Abbeyleix. A Lodge has various officers such as master, secretary and treasurer. The Master is elected for one year and the officers have collars which signify rank, and aprons. Apart from that members are asked to wear a jacket and tie to the meetings. They follow the ritual from a historical point of view. Mr Lalor said that it was a very democratic organisation and is run along the lines of the will of the majority. The Master's job is not to dictate but to act as a chairman. Half of the fun is visiting other Lodges and see how they organise and by mixing they get new ideas. Over the year they collect money for charities and hold fundraising events such as race nights, golf competitions and musical evenings. The funds are distributed by the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Midlands Counties.

Viscount de Vesci, of Abbey Leix in the Queen's County, now called County Laois, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1776 for Thomas Vesey, 2nd Baron Knapton. The title of Baron Knapton was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1750 for the first Viscount's father Sir John Vesey, 2nd Baronet, who had earlier represented Newtownards in the Irish House of Commons. TheBaronetcy, of Abbey Leix in the Queen's County, was created in the Baronetage of Ireland on 28 September 1698 for the first Baron's father Reverend Thomas Vesey, Bishop of Killaloe (1713â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1714) and Bishop of Ossory (1714â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1730). The first Viscount's son, the second Viscount, was a Member of the Irish House of Commons for Maryborough. He also sat in the House of Lords as an Irish

The Rothwell The Tiles and Abbeyleix Representative Peer from 1839 to 1855 and served as Lord Lieutenant of Queen's County between 1831 and 1855. His son, the third Viscount, represented Queen's County in the House of Commons as a Conservative and was an Irish Representative Peer from 1857 to 1875. His son, the fourth Viscount, served as Lord Lieutenant of Queen's County from 1883 to 1903. In 1884 he was created Baron de Vesci, of Abbey Leix in the Queen's County, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which gave him an automatic seat in the House of Lords. However, this title became extinct on his death while he was succeeded in the Irish titles by his nephew, the fifth Viscount. He was an Irish Representative Peer from 1909 to 1958. On his death the titles passed to his nephew, the sixth Viscount. As of 2012 they are held by the latter's son, the seventh Viscount, who succeeded in 1983.

The History Of The Queen's County by Daniel O'Byrne was published in 1856. He describes the history of Queen's County from earliest recorded history until the 19th century. O'Byrne discusses the prehistoric monuments of its ancient inhabitants, the Gaelic Irish families, the coming of Christianity, the 12th century Norman conquest and the emergence of an Anglo-Protestant aristocracy. He also describes churches, monasteries, castles and other historical places of interest. Laois has been inhabited for thousands of years. O'Byrne describes burial mounds at Clonaslee and Cuffsborough, hill forts at Clopook and Monelly and a standing stone and ring fort at Borris-in-Ossory and other ancient sites. The Gaelic Irish, who controlled the region, included the O’More, O’Lalor, O’Doran, O’Dowling, O’Devoy, O’Kelly and McEvoy clans. Laois gets its name from Lughaid Laoighesach who was an ancestor of the most powerful O'Mores clan.

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Following the arrival of Christianity in Ireland , St. Canice founded Aghaboe Abbey, St. Mochua founded a community at Timahoe and an important Christian settlement was created at Dun Masc or Mascâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fort, on the Rock of Dunamase. In the 12th century religious orders such as the Augustinians, Dominicans and Cistercians arrived and took over many of the early Christian monastic sites and established new ones such as the Cistercian monastery at Abbeyleix. In 1169 a force of Normans led by Richard De Clare better known as Strongbow invaded Ireland . The Rock of Dunamase was part of the dowry of Aoife McMurrough, the daughter of King Dermot of Leinster who promised her in marriage for his services in recovering his kingdom from his enemies. Strongbow claimed the succession to the kingship upon Dermot's death which was disputed by his son Donal MacMurrough-Kavanagh leading to a Gaelic uprising. The Normans initially built wooden forts and later stone fortresses such as Lea Castle . Castletown, Durrow and Timahoe were Norman towns. A number of factors such as the Black Death, civil war in England , the burden of the Crusades and Scottish invasion weakened the power of the English in Ireland . The O'Moores and O'Dempseys and their allies launched repeated rebellions, launching raids on Dublin and the Pale, capturing the fortress of Lea Castle as well as building their own tower houses such as those at Ballaghmore and Cullahill. These rebellions were brutally suppressed by the 16th century and Gaelic lands were confiscated. Under the reign of Queen Mary I and her husband Phillip II of Spain , the English plantation of King's County (Offaly) and Queen's County (Laois) began. The towns of Philipstown (present day

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Daingean) and Maryborough (present day Portlaoise) were established. However continued Gaelic resistance discouraged settlement and the plantation remained a series of military posts. The Gaelic Irish and the Old English, descendents of the Norman conquerors, refused to renounce their Catholicism during the English Reformation. They suffered decisive defeats during the Cromwellian invasion and the Williamite Wars of the 17th century and thereafter Protestant aristocratic landowners would control Laois until the late 19th century. The Gaelic Irish in County Laois became tenant farmers and peasants who lived in wretched poverty and became increasingly dependent on the potato for survival were decimated by the Great Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s. O'Byrne's history is coloured by his nationalist sympathies and is historical writings are replete with bitterness against English misrule.

I have a copy of this book in PDF if anyone wantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to read it.

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Family Fotos

Lulu Collier

Carolineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wedding with her father Richard F. Rothwell

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Frances with antie May

Richard and luluâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children without Norman and Raymond

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Dicky on his motorbike at Carlisle road

Rosaline and Raymond on Dickyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motorbike on Carlisle road

Lulu working at Bexly Hospital

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Lulu with Raymond in the back garden of Carlisle road

Ronald, Rosaline and Raymond in the garden of Carlisle road

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Richard and Lulu 14-9-1956 I think this is dublin

Grandad and Granny Collier

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Dicky with his acordeon

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Rosaline Flamenca in Madrid

Raymond and Rosaline with santa Claus in Dartford

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Norman and Betty

Having somthing to eat in the kichen of The Tiles after half a century gap. October 2010.

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