Emla House

Fuerty (Roscommon)

In the 1820s and 30s, Emla was the property of Edward Mills Harrison.

APPEALS FROM THE COURT OF BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY. In the Matter of Harrison, an Insolvent. This was an appeal from order pronounced by Judge Macan, the 16th June last, the appellant being Mr. Thomas Naughten, a creditor. The sum of £898 13s. 3d. having been realized the assets of Mr. Christopher S. Harrison, the insolvent in this matter, and the same being available towards the payment of his debts, the appellant, who had himself been previously discharged as an insolvent, had, in consequence of there being a debt due to him by CS. Harrison, obtained an order of the 11th of February, 1858, directing a reference to the Chief Clerk, for the purpose of impeaching C. S. Harrison's schedule of debts, and thus increasing the amount of the dividends payable out of the fund in court.

The debt upon which discussion arose was one returned upon the insolvent’s schedule of £2,000 due to his brother, Edward Mills Harrison, which had been stated in a letter written by E. M. Harrison, in the form of an undertaking with his brother as a bond passed for £2,000, the fine for the reversionary interest, after his decease, in certain lands of Emla in Roscommon, in consideration of which sum he agreed to execute a proper legal deed when tendered. This transaction was the year 1839, and previous to the different arrests for debt, which took place in the year 1841. Mr. E. M. Harrison, who was thus stated the creditor of his brother, was afterwards, in the year 1850, committed for debt, and he having died in the gaol of Roscommon, Mr. O'Beime, his assignee, since represented his interest: and thus, between this assignee and the appellant, the sufficiency of the securities for the £2,000, represented as debt due from one estate to the other, became matter of contention. Upon the reference the Chief Clerk, evidence had been gone into, and his report having been in favour of O'Beime, the assignee of E. M. Harrison, the appellant Nanghten had taken his objections. The judge in the court below had, however, confirmed the officer's report. portion of the evidence, besides the bond and judgment for the £2,000, a deed was produced by the insolvent, which was a conveyance of the lands of in the county of Roscommon, from Edward M. Harrison to the insolvent Christopher S. Harrison, dated 7th May, 1840, and alleged to be made in consideration of £2,000. the argument of the case before this court, counsel upon either side referred to the numerous and irreconcilable statements contained in the schedules filed the Messrs. Harrison, far they related to the £2,000, it being submitted on behalf of the appellant that the alleged debt was fictitious, while the existence of the judgment and the deed was relied upon on the other side. The Lord Chancellor stating his opinion to be that the matters relating to the disclosed fraudulent and fictitious a transaction as had ever been presented to a court, he then proceeded to read, out of the alleged conveyance from £. M. Harrison to his brother the solicitor, what might be supposed to deal with mansion and property to thenceforth handed down through the male heirs of this Harrison family, while in truth neither money nor property had passed. Such being the evidence what was question of fact, his lordship added, that even though so much reliance had been placed in the judgment and in the conveyance, yet still things were called their right names, and that in the present case no bone fide creditor ought to be prejudiced or even delayed, or, as counsel had suggested, left his remedy a suit for specific performance. The Lord Justice of Appeal, concurring, likewise added, that he had never met case in which the marks of fraud were so numerous and indelible. After a discussion as to the frame of the order, and the effect of merely remitting the case to the court below, where the decision there was to be reversed, their lordships directed that their order should now declare the securities fraudulent void. Order accordingly. Counsel for the appellant—Messrs. Brewster, Q.C.; Fitzgerald, Q.C.; and Phillips. the other side—Messrs. J. D. Fitzgerald, Q.C., and Heron. This case having concluded the business set down for these sittings, the court adjourned. [Dublin Daily Express - Monday 20 December 1858]

In 1857, at the time of Griffith's Valuation, this house was valued at almost £10, and occupied by Lewis Ormsby Esq. (formally of Church Park) who had been resident there since at least 1847. He was a gentleman farmer and later County Coroner. In 1853, his daughter Mary Jane Ormsby of Emlagh wed Christopher S. Harrison and resided at Woodbine Cottage, Henry Street, Roscommon Town.  

Emla is no longer extant and a modern house named Emlaghkedew House exists at the site now. It was sold in 2014. 

Type of Building: