Henry Family - Rathnestin

Dear Judy,

Would you believe I live in Rathnestin House! Myself and my husband have rented it for the last year and I have become gradually more fascinated with its history.

My research has focused around 1900 when your anscestors the Henry family were still living in the house. Richard Alexander Baillee Henry (son of Richard Baillee Henry) who is listed as living in the house on the 1901 census, married Eileen Filgate of Lisrenny in 1902. Lisrenny was a bigger, wealthier house and its owner William De Salis Filgate (father of Eileen), who had no male heirs, clearly required his son-in law Richard to change his name. Thus Richard A B Henry assumed the surname Filgate under a royal liscence in 1917.

Our landlord is a Filgate, a direct descendant of Richard Henry and Eileen Filgate. Although they now have the surname Filgate, they are by rights, Henrys and thus, related to you! 

I have become frustrated in my research of the house history because all I can find are the wealthy and powerful Filgates who clearly held sway over co. Louth in centuries past. I have not been able to turn up anything on the Henry family of Rathnestin and am eager to find out anything I can. I would love to know who lived, loved and worked in the beautiful Georgian house I now live in.

As I understand the house was built in 1820. It has a warm atmosphere much commented on by guests. I am very interested to hear more of Eliza and anything else you know of the Henrys before or after.

Dear "Edwardiana" -- 

Please forgive my delayed response!  Life has a habit of interrupting my fun!  I was delighted to hear back from you; I had seen on-line that the house was for lease and it sounds as though it has found its way to loving hands.  You seem to have very quickly found the information that took me a long time to piece together.  Good for you!  To my knowledge, everything you wrote is accurate.  I actually visited the house when it was being used for social service purposes; the director very kindly invited my sister and I in and showed us around.  The house was quite run-down but you could clearly see its former beauty.  If I am correct, John Filgate is the landlord?  I had some correspondence with his cousin, Caroline Filgate Purcell of Toberdoney House in Dromin.  Her father is Richard Filgate who lives at Rathescar House (Dunleer, I think?), another Wm. Filgate descendant.  Caroline was going to try and do some research for me but two babies quickly took that off her list.

As best as I can figure, Richard Baillie Henry (b. 1847) was the son of Richard Cooper Henry of Rathnestin House (1802-1886) and his 2nd (or 3rd wife), Elizabeth Baillie.  They married in Dublin in 1846; they also had a daughter, Elizabeth Frances Gertrude, born in 1849.  Richard Cooper Henry was also married, in 1836, to Elizabeth Needham.  A distant relative told me she had died in childbirth the following year.  Richard Cooper Henry was the son of John Henry, who died in 1827.  This is where it gets complicated!!  If I am correct, John Henry had a number of siblings:  Alexander, William, George, Thomas, Jane, Sarah, Dorcas.  I believe that the family is originially from Broomfield, Co. Monaghan.

The name "Alexander" figures prominently in several generations; the Henry Family also resided at Richardstown Castle.  A member of the Dawson family, Catherine Dawson, married Alexander Henry (1756-1796); Caroline Filgate Purcell named her first son Dawson, so there is clearly a connection to that prominent Louth family.  Generation after generation, the names Alexander and John appear frequently; I have alot of information on the Henrys but keeping the lines straight, with cousins sharing the same first names, has been very challenging.

I have hit a dead end in terms of who my gr-gr-grandmother Eliza Henry's parents were.  If my research is correct, Eliza married Denis Hughes of Dundalk in 1849.  My guess is that she was born in the late 1820s/early 1830s.  That led me to believe that she was Richard Cooper Henry's daughter; however, his marriage to Elizabeth Needham was later than that.   Either he had an earlier wife or I am on the wrong track as to who Eliza's father was.  All I know is that the family disowned her, I assume because they disapproved of her husband (possibly because he was Catholic?).  I have not been able to find a birth/baptism record for her.

In any case, if you'd like me to send you more details on all of those siblings above, I'm glad to do so.  Perhaps John Filgate knows more history, or at least where to find it.  Eliza is one of the great mysteries of the family and I am determined to find out who she is!!  In the meantime, I hope you are truly enjoying the house and the gorgeous property.  

All best,

Judy Rice

Hi again -- 

I am attaching a worksheet with which I have been playing over the past few years.  It might be of help!

Best,

Judy

Some more Henry information:

HENRY – Sacred to the memory of Elizabeth Henry, the dearly beloved wife of Richard Cooper Henry, of Rathnestin House, in the County of Louth, Esquire, second daughter of the late John Baillie, of Chatham, and Sherwood Park in the County of Carlow, esquire, who departed this life on the 20th day of February, 1882, in the 70th year of her age. Also to the memory of her husband, Richard Cooper Henry, who departed this life the 5th day of February, 1886, in the 84th year of his age.

BAILLIE – In loving remembrance of Gertrude Davisine[?] Baillie, third daughter of the late John Baillie, of Chatham, and Sherwood Park, in the county of Carlow, esquire, who departed this life at Rathnestin, 4th December 1878, in the 68th year of her age

Both of these inscriptions are from Charlestown New Graveyard; Gertrude was Elizabeth Baillie Henry's sister and may have also resided at Rathnestin House, as she was not married.

Richard Baillie Henry (son of Richard Cooper Henry and Anna Sophia Bolton) had at least three sons:

1)  Richard Alexander Baillie Henry (married to Eileen Georgina Filgate)

2)  Robert Clive Bolton Henry -- he died very young (aged 20) as a member of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers.  He was killed in action during the Boer War on Dec. 15, 1899.  

There was a third brother -- 3)  Captain W.R.P. Henry -- I have not found any information on him.

I am attaching a document with photos of two of the brothers.

Best,

Judy

I think the attachment did not come through -- attaching now. 

Dear Judy,

I have only seen this conversation by looking up my family house on Google.

Would love to get in contact. johnfilgate@gmail.com

Kind regards,

John Filgate