Estate: Bowen/Bowen Colthurst (Oak Grove)

Associated Families

• Bowen/Cole-Bowen
• Bowen/Bowen Colthurst (Oak Grove)
• Colthurst (Dripsey Castle)

Description

A junior branch of the Bowen family of Kilbolane, county Cork and later of Bowen's Court, John Bowen second son of John Bowen of Kilbolane married Elizabeth Coote in 1724. Their son John Bowen of Carrigadrohid Castle and Oak Grove married firstly Katherine daughter of Bindon Scott of Cahircon, county Clare and secondly Anne White of Bridepark, county Cork in 1797. At the time of Griffith's Valuation John Bowen held an estate in the parish of Aghinagh, barony of East Muskerry, county Cork. 4600 acres of John Bowen's estate in the baronies of East and West Carbery and Kinelmeaky were offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court in October 1854. Later, in June 1855, the demesne and house at Roundhill were offered for sale in the Court. Robert Walter Travers Bowen of Oak Grove and Dripsey Castle was a grandson of the second marriage. He inherited Oak Grove in 1873, married his cousin Georgina Greer of Dripsey Castle in 1878 and assumed the additional name of Colthurst in 1882. In the 1870s Robert Francis Bowen of Oak Grove owned 1,420 acres in county Cork.

Houses

House Name / Description	Townland	Civil Parish	PLU	DED	Barony	County	Map Ref
Oak Grove (H3068) Home of the Bowen family, occupied by Mrs Bowen in 1814, by J. Bowen in 1837 and by John Bowen in the early 1850s when it was valued at £28 and held in fee. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage states that parts of the property were rebuilt c.1930 following the burning of the original house in June 1920. In the early 1940s the Irish Tourist Authority noted that it had been lived in by some years by a well-known actress, "Miss Lilly-Elsie" who was married to Major Ian Bullough. It in the early 2000s it was known as Oakpark House but in 2020 was offered for sale under its original name of Oakgrove.	Coolnagearagh	Aghinagh	Macroom	Aghinagh 224	East Muskerry	Cork	Lat/Lon: 51.90898 -8.84145 OSI Ref: W421 733 Discovery map #79. OS Sheet #71.
Roundhill (H3376) The house and demesne at Roundhill were offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court in 1855. The sale notice indicates that the property was being leased by the Bowens to the Earl of Bandon's estate. Leet refers to Roundhill as the residence of Rev. Kenny in 1814. The building is now in use as part of Bandon Grammer School.	Roundhill	Ballymodan	Bandon	Ballymodan 1	Kinalmeaky	Cork	Lat/Lon: 51.73249 -8.75420 OSI Ref: W479536 Discovery map #. OS Sheet #.
Hanover Hall (H3788) Occupied by J. Bowen in 1837 and by Robert Harnett at the time of Griffith's Valuation, when the house valued at £10 was held from Jonas Morris. A large farm exists at the site now.	Coolaniddane	Clondrohid	Macroom	Rahalisk 228	West Muskerry	Cork	Lat/Lon: 51.93074 -8.93491 OSI Ref: W357 758 Discovery map #79. OS Sheet #60.

Archival sources

• Cork County Library: Irish Tourist Association files, Parish of Aghinagh
• Irish Genealogical Research Society Library: Pedigree of Bowen family of county Cork (Leader Collection)
• National Archives of Ireland: Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Bowen, 19 October 1854, Vol 30, MRGS 39/013, (microfilm copy in NUIG)
• National Archives of Ireland: Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Bowen, 4 June 1855, Vol 35, MRGS 39/016, (microfilm copy in NUIG)
• National Library of Ireland: Copy of grant of arms to Robert Walter Travers Bowen of Oak Grove, Co. Cork and Georgina de Bellasis Greer, his wife, on their assuming under Royal Licence and in compliance with the will of Joseph Colthurst of Dripsey Castle, Co. Cork, the name and arms of Bowen Colthurst Feb. 8, 1883. GO Ms. 110, pp. 37-8
• Public Record Office, Northern Ireland: Papers of the Alexander, Greer, and Lowry families, Co. Tyrone, include rental and brochure for the sale of the Oakgrove estate, Killinardrish, Co. Cork, [seat of the Bowen-Colthurst family] 1919 & letters to Thomas McGregor Greer, 1920-1921. D4121/A/8 & D4121/C/1/3

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. : East Muskerry Barony, 105 (Coolnagearagh)
• 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] : 48
• LEET, Ambrose. A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 312 (Oak-grove)
• LEWIS, Samuel. A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: I, 248 (Oak Grove), 355 (Hanover Hall)
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland. HC 1876, LXXX: 118

Modern printed sources

• BENCE-JONES, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses. Revised ed. London: Constable, 1988. : 227
• BURKE, Sir Bernard. A genealogical and heraldic history of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. London: Harrison & Sons, 1904: 56, 104