Estate: Evans (Ash Hill Towers)

Associated Families

• Evans/Evans-Freke (Baron Carbery)
• Coote (Ash Hill & Bearforest)
• Evans (Ash Hill Towers)
• Evans (Kilbolane)

Description

A branch of the Evans family, Barons Carberys, descended from Thomas Evans of Miltown Castle, county Cork, Member of Parliament for Castlemartyr, who, in 1721, married Mary Waller of county Limerick. Their eldest son, Eyre of Milltown Castle, married a county Limerick heiress, Mary Williams, and their eldest son was Eyre Evans of Ash Hill Towers. Their second son, Reverend Thomas Waller Evans, was ancestor of the Evans of Knockaderry, county Limerick. Most of the estate of this family was in county Cork. In December 1858 over 900 acres in the baronies of Orrery and Kilmore, county Cork and Pubblebrien, county Limerick, part of the estate of Elystan Eyre Evans, a minor, were advertised for sale, by his guardians. Another sale of parts of E.E. Evans estate in the baronies of Orrery and Kilmore, county Cork, Coshlea, county Limerick and Granard, county Longford was advertised in June 1860. These lots were sold to Mr. Cagney and G.F. Ralph. Elystan Eyre Evans of Ash Hill Towers owned 2,148 acres in county Cork and 264 acres in county Limerick in the 1870s. Over 500 acres in counties Cork and Limerick including Ashhill Towers and demesne were advertised for sale in June 1877. The sale of many of these lots was adjourned due to insufficient bidding but some lots were sold in trust.

Houses

House Name / Description	Townland	Civil Parish	PLU	DED	Barony	County	Map Ref
Ash Hill Towers (H2585) The residence of a branch of the Coote family in the 18th century, possibly held from the Barons Carbery. Ash Hill is referred to by Wilson as the seat of Chudleigh Coote in 1786. Bought by Eyre Evans from Chidley Coote in 1794 (see sale rental 6 July 1878). Eyre Evans held the property in fee throughout the first half of the 19th century. The Ordnance Survey Field Name Book describes this house as having "a most superb new front with towers at each end". At the time of Griffith's Valuation the buildings were valued at £50. Bence Jones writes that Ash Hill Towers became the residence of John Henry Weldon in the later 19th century. The Irish Tourist Association surveyor wrote in 1943 that the property was owned by Captain P.M. Lindsay, nephew of John H. Weldon, who bought the house from the Evans family in 1880. Still extant, this house is the centre of a stud.	Ash Hill	St Peters and St Pauls	Kilmallock	Kilmallock 43f	Coshlea	Limerick	Lat/Lon: 52.39499 -8.58474 OSI Ref: R602 272 Discovery map #73. OS Sheet #47.
Milltown Castle (H2902) Originally the home of Thomas Evans, a younger brother of the 1st Baron Carbery, and of his son Eyre Evans. Mary, sister of Eyre Evans, married George Bruce in the mid 18th century. The Castle was subsequently leased by the Evans to the Bruces and it remained the home of the Bruces until the late 19th century. Described by Lewis as “a handsome castellated mansion in the later English style”. Reduced in size in the early 20th century. The Irish Tourist Association Survey of the 1940s noted that the buildings, at that time the residence of the Keane family, were not in good repair. However, the building continues to be occupied.	Milltown	Cooliney	Kilmallock	Milltown 187	Orrery and Kilmore	Cork	Lat/Lon: 52.32765 -8.73348 OSI Ref: R500 198 Discovery map #73. OS Sheet #7.

Archival sources

• Cork County Library: Irish Tourist Association survey files, Parish of Ballyhea
• Limerick Studies Department, Dooradoyle: Irish Tourist Association Survey file for parish of Kilmallock, barony of Coshlea, 1943. Limerick North East 22
• National Archives of Ireland: Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Evans & Crofton, 9 Dec 1858, Vol 54 (28), MRGS 39/027, (microfilm copy in NUIG)
• National Archives of Ireland: Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Evans & Crofton, 14 June 1860, Vol 59 (41), MRGS 39/030, (microfilm copy in NUIG)
• National Archives of Ireland: Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Evans, 29 June 1877, Vol 128 (37 & 38) & 6 July 1878, Vol 134 (4), MRGS 39/058 & 39/060, (microfilm copy in NUIG)
• National Archives of Ireland: Deeds re lands in Co Limerick, 1704-1816. D.20479-20510
• National Library of Ireland: Pedigree of Evans of Ballygrenane, Caheraass, Bulgaden Hall, Fanningstown, Co Limerick, Barons Carbery of Portrane, Co Laois, Ash Hill Tower & Bushy Island, Co Limerick, later Evans Freke, D’Arcy Evans & Waller Evans, circa 1628-1862. GO MS 178:475-494
• National Library of Ireland: Maps of estate of Elyston C. Evans, in Cos Cork & Limerick, with tenants’ names, 1867. 21 F 123
• National Library of Ireland: Pedigree of Evans of Ash Hill, through Burgamy, Co Longford from Rose of Morgans, circa 1700-1830. GO MS 174:7
• National Library of Ireland: Leases by members of, the family of Evans, relating to lands at Ardglass, Killares and Lissaree in the Barony of Orrery and Kilmore Co. Cork, 1845-1868. D. 27,283-27,285
• National Library of Ireland: Agreement of Samuel Kingston with Thomas Evans re lands at Sheaf, barony of East Carberry, Co. Cork, 1 May, 1728. D. 26,815

Contemporary printed sources

Many of these resources are now available online. For a list with Web links please see the Online Printed Sources Links

• GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Barony of Coshlea, 2 (Ash Hill)
• HUSSEY DE BURGH, U. H. The Landowners of Ireland. An alphabetical list of the owners of estates of 500 acres or £500 valuation and upwards in Ireland. Dublin: Hodges, Foster and Figgis, 1878. [available online at www.askaboutireland.ie] : 150
• LEET, Ambrose. A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 13 (Ashhill)
• LEWIS, Samuel. A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: II, 172-173 (Ash Hill Towers)
• ORDNANCE SURVEY NAME BOOKS, county Limerick: VI, 101 (Ash Hill Towers)
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of Untenanted Lands in Rural Districts, Distinguishing Demesnes on Which There is a Mansion..., HC 1906, c, 177: 265 (Ash Hill - Weldon)
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland. HC 1876, LXXX: 122, 148

Modern printed sources

• Irish Times: Landed Estates Court sale reports, 5 June 1860. 30 June 1877, p.3
• Jnl. of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society.: Historical and Topographical Notes, etc on Buttevant, Doneraile, Mallow and Places in their vicinity. Collected by James Grove White (c 1906). XXIII, 2nd Series (1917), 95-103 (Milltown Castle)
• BENCE-JONES, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses. Revised ed. London: Constable, 1988. : 13
• BURKE, Sir Bernard. A genealogical and heraldic history of the Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage. London: Harrison & Sons, 1886: 236-237
• HAJBA, Anna-Maria. Historical Genealogical Architectural notes on some Houses of Cork. Volume I: North Cork. Whitegate: Ballinakella Press, 2002: 263