Estate: Franks (Ballyscadden)

Associated Families

• Ryves
• Franks (Carrig Park)
• Franks (Ballyscadden)

Description

The Franks of Meadstown, county Cork and Ballyscadden, county Limerick, share a common ancestry with the Franks of Carrig Park. Matthew Franks of Moorestown, county Limerick, had three sons, Henry of Moorestown, county Limerick and Meadstown, county Cork, Thomas of Ballymagooly, county Cork and Welstead of Kilfinnan, county Limerick. From Thomas of Ballymagooly descend the Franks of Garrettstown and Ballyscaddane. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Henry Franks, grandson of Henry, held land in the parishes of Farahy and Kildorrery, barony of Fermoy. He was also "of Gortnavidera, county Tipperary". Sir John Franks, a distinguished lawyer and Judge of the Supreme Court of Bengal, was a younger son of Thomas Franks of Ballymagooly, county Cork. He married his cousin, Catherine Franks of Carrig, county Cork, and had two sons and three daughters. The Franks family bought the Ryves estate in the early 1850s and Sir John's eldest son is referred to as John Franks of Ballyscaddane in Burke's ''Landed Gentry of Ireland'' (1904). John Franks of Ballyscadane owned over 3,196 acres in county Limerick in the 1870s. The Franks still owned Ballyscaddane at the beginning of the 20th century.

Houses

House Name / Description	Townland	Civil Parish	PLU	DED	Barony	County	Map Ref
Ryves Castle [Castle Jane] (H2591) Ryves Castle, previously known as Castle Jane, was the home of the family of this name in the 18th and early 19th centuries. It is referred to as Castle Jane by Wilson in 1786 when he notes it as the seat of Mr. Ryves. By the 1830s however William H. Ryves of Ryves Castle appears to have moved to live in Brighton, as the birth of many of his children is recorded in the Limerick newspapers as having taken place there. In 1826 Fitzgerald records Ryves Castle as the residence of John Lowe. Lewis referring to the parish of Knocklong, notes that Thaddeus R. Ryan was resident at Castle Jane and that there was a vault of the Lowe family located in the grounds of Ryves Castle, that family having previously been its proprietors. For the parish of Ballyscanlan he records Ryves Castle as the residence of P. [T?] Ryan. At the time of Griffith's Valuation the house was valued at £29 and occupied and held in fee by William H. Ryves. In 1906 it was valued at £31 and was occupied by Thomas J. Franks. Later owned by Mr D. Fleming, this house is now demolished.	Ryvescastle	Ballyscaddan	Kilmallock	Knocklong 32	Coshlea	Limerick	Lat/Lon: 52.42102 -8.36898 OSI Ref: R749 300 Discovery map #73. OS Sheet #41.
Lisnagoorneen (H3229) Hajba writes that Thomas Franks, a nephew of Thomas Franks of Ballymagooly, occupied this house at the end of the 18th century. He married Margaret Maunsell of Ballybrood, county Limerick. They and their son were murdered by Whiteboys in 1823. A new house was built by George Foster Delaney in the 1830s and he was succeeded by his nephew George Johnson who occupied the house at the time of Griffith's Valuation. It was valued at £17 and held from the representatives of G.B. Lowe. The Johnson remained in possession until the early 20th century leasing the house to Major Mansergh among others. In 1942 the Irish Tourist Association survey noted that the Major had owned a famous horse called Lord Cunningham and that Lisnagoorneen house was then occupied by his nephew.	Lisnagoorneen	Castletownroche	Fermoy	Castletownroche 130	Fermoy	Cork	Lat/Lon: 52.19796 -8.41833 OSI Ref: R714 052 Discovery map #73. OS Sheet #26.
Meadstown (H3262) Burke's ''Landed Gentry of Ireland'' (1904) records the Franks family of Maidstown, county Cork. Hajba dates the present house circa 1860 replacing an earlier house. At the time of Griffith's Valuation the Reverend James Golden occupied Meadstown which he held from Henry Franks. The buildings were valued at £10.15 shillings. This house is still occupied.	Meadstown	Farahy	Mitchelstown	Farahy 291	Fermoy	Cork	Lat/Lon: 52.23388 -8.42745 OSI Ref: R708 092 Discovery map #73. OS Sheet #18.
Ballymagooly (H3307) The home of the Franks family in the mid 18th century. John Nash was living here in the late 18th century. In 1790 his daughter Catherine married Robert Courtenay of Ballyedmond and the property passed to the Courtneys. Ballymagooly was occupied by the Courtneys in 1814 and in 1837. Held by John Courtney in fee at the time of Griffith's Valuation when the buildings were valued at £35. Also known as The Garrison the house was burnt and the stableblock converted into a residence in 1955.	Ballymagooly	Rahan	Mallow	Rahan 255	Fermoy	Cork	Lat/Lon: 52.13698 -8.59596 OSI Ref: W592 985 Discovery map #80. OS Sheet #33.
Garrettstown (H3323) In 1851 John Cuthbert Kearney held this property in fee when it was valued at £80. In the 1870s this house was the home of Abram T. Forster. The Forsters and the Cuthbert Kearneys were related. By the early 20th century Garrettstown had passed into the possession of the Franks family throught the marriage of Thomas Franks of Dromrahane, Mallow and Mary Anne Cuthbert Kearney in 1834. Though the main house is ruinous the site is now the focus of Garrettstown Holiday Park, see www.garrettstownhouse.com.	Garrettstown	Templetrine	Kinsale	Laherne 206	Courceys	Cork	Lat/Lon: 51.65250 -8.59536 OSI Ref: W588446 Discovery map #87. OS Sheet #124, 137.
Gortna House (H4640) This house was located close to the shore of the River Shannon and is marked on the first edition Ordnance Survey map and the later 25 inch map as Gortna House. Lewis records H. Franks as resident at Shannon View in the parish of Templeachally. Henry Franks occupied a house valued at £12+ and held from Stephen H. Atkins at the time of Griffith's Valuation. Henry Franks was married to Elizabeth daughter of Ringrose Atkins. There are still buildings at this location.	Garrynatineel	Templeachally	Nenagh	Ballina 97	Owney and Arra	Tipperary	Lat/Lon: 52.78479 -8.43431 OSI Ref: R707 705 Discovery map #58. OS Sheet #25.
Dromrahan (H4839) A mansion house valued at £20 is recorded at Dromrahan in 1906. Matthew H. Franks was the occupier. This house was built in the second half of the 19th century and is not recorded in Griffith's Valuation. A large complex of buildings at the site is labelled Dromrahan House on the 25-inch Ordnance Survey map of the 1890s. It is still extant and occupied.	Dromrahan	Rahan	Mallow	Rahan 255	Fermoy	Cork	Lat/Lon: 52.14438 -8.55223 OSI Ref: W622 993 Discovery map #80. OS Sheet #33.

Archival sources

• Cork City and County Archives: Copy of map of lands belonging to the house of Old Castle (Macroom) Showing the contents of each field by itself in statute measure, by Edward Vaughan, Surveyor. 15 Sept 1768. Also copy of lease of Meadstown by Thomas Roche to William Roche. 20 May 1758; lease by William Roche to John Nettles 5 Mar 1767. 1758-1768. U066
• Cork City and County Archives: Franks Estate Papers, Acc 2007/007
• Cork City and County Archives: Deeds re the Co Cork estate of the Franks family. U631
• Cork County Library: Irish Tourist Association survey files, Parish of Ballinspittle
• Limerick City Museum: William B. Fitt & Co, auctioneers, 46 O'Connell St., Limerick, inventories & valuations of Co Limerick properties, including Ballyscaddane, 1925. Ref. 1993.0164
• Limerick Studies Department, Dooradoyle: Irish Tourist Association Survey file for parish of Knocklong, barony of Coshlea, 1943. Limerick North East 25
• National Archives of Ireland: Collection of miscellaneous items from the British Records Association, includes probate of will of William Henry Franks, of Farrincantillon, Co Kerry & Drumonboy, Co Limerick, from Exeter District Registry, 1859. Small Accs Index 101, T.7317
• National Archives, UK: Franks of Ballyscaddan Papers, 1830-1890, collection held privately, inquiries to Archives Sector Development, National Archives, Kew. NRA catalogue Ref. NRA 31521
• National Library of Ireland: Copy of confirmation of arms to descendants of Thomas Franks of Ballymagooly, Co Cork & his grandson John Franks of Ballyscaddane Castle, Co Limerick, eldest son of Sir John Franks, Judge of Supreme Court, Bengal, 29 Oct 1860. GO MS 108:332-333
• National Library of Ireland: Miscellaneous deeds & estate papers, Franks & Cuthbert families, 1681-1854. Accession No 1075, Ms 4,731 & PC 242

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. : Fermoy Barony, 80 (Meadstown)
• GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Barony of Owney and Arra, 100 (Garrynatineel)
• 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] : 170
• LEWIS, Samuel. A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: II, 605 (Shannon View)
• ORDNANCE SURVEY NAME BOOKS, County Tipperary: Vol.VIII, Parish of Templeichally, p.201
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of Untenanted Lands in Rural Districts, Distinguishing Demesnes on Which There is a Mansion..., HC 1906, c, 177: 242, 265
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland. HC 1876, LXXX: 148

Modern printed sources

• 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), 37-40 (Lisnagourneen) & 91-92 (Meadstown)
• HAJBA, Anna-Maria. Historical Genealogical Architectural notes on some Houses of Cork. Volume I: North Cork. Whitegate: Ballinakella Press, 2002: 246, 261
• NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND. Reports on Private Collections: Report on the Franks Papers (from 1681), formerly the property of Mr. H. C. Franks, Gerrattstown, Kinsale, now in the National Library of Ireland, relating to the Bernard, Coppinger, Deane, Forster and Rowland families and to lands in the City and County of Cork. No 275
• NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND. Reports on Private Collections: Report on Franks Papers, in the custody of Messrs. Fetherstonhaugh and Carter, solicitors, Mountrath, Co. Leix, mainly leases relating to the family of Franks, of Dromrahan Co. Cork and formerly of Westfield, Co. Leix, also some papers relating to the family of Price, 17th - 19th c. No 441
• PINE, L.G. (ed). Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. 4th ed. London: Burke's Peerage, 1958.: 296