Estate: Beare (Cork)

Associated Families

• Bullen/Crofts Bullen (Ballythomas)
• Beare (Cork)

Description

Brady records this family as descendants of the O'Sullivan Beare and that they settled at Bearforest near Mallow. He refers to a Reverend Richard Beare who died in 1771 and had brothers named William and John. Brady also refers to the family papers being in the possession of Richard Beare Tooker of Cork. In 1743 Thomas Beare sold the lands of Knockskehy, parish of Clonfert, barony of Duhallow, county Cork, to Robert Crofts of Ballythomas. The documents in the National Archives also refer to Richard Beare of Mallow and John Beare of Lisbon. A Richard Beare also lived at Copstown, near Cork city. His estate at Copstown and other premises in Cork city were advertised for sale in October 1851, the estate of his devisee Ernest De Tocqueville of Bordeaux. In the mid 19th century Richard Beere held the townland of Copsetown, parish of Buttevant, barony of Orrery and Kilmore, county Cork, in fee. He occupied Fitz Urse Lodge, valued at £6, this house was later known as Copsetown Abbey.

Houses

House Name / Description	Townland	Civil Parish	PLU	DED	Barony	County	Map Ref
Bearforest (H3291) Named after Richard Beare who held this land in the early 18th century, the house was built in 1807-1808 by Robert Delacour, a partner in the Delacour bank of Mallow. Townsend writes that it was designed by Richard Morrison. Delacour was living in the house in 1814 but had vacated it by 1837. At the time of Griffith's Valuation it was occupied by John Hugh Bainbridge who held it from James Murphy. The buildings were valued at £70. Bence Jones records the Purdon Coote family as later owners. The house was burnt in June 1921 during the War of Independence when it was the residence of Maj. Charles Purdon Coote but was rebuilt.	Bearforest Lower	Mallow	Mallow	Mallow North Urban 251	Fermoy	Cork	Lat/Lon: 52.12778 -8.63527 OSI Ref: W565 975 Discovery map #80. OS Sheet #33.
Copsetown Abbey (H4808) This building is named Fitz Urse Lodge on the first edition Ordnance Survey map. It was valued at £6 occupied and held in fee by Richard Beere in the mid 19th century. Hajba writes that William Fitzgibbon, a Cork draper, bought the house in 1851 and that it was the home of the O'Connors in the 20th century. The house was known as Copsetown Abbey by the end of the 19th century.	Copsetown	Buttevant	Mallow	Killmaclenine 235	Orrery and Kilmore	Cork	Lat/Lon: 52.17778 -8.69446 OSI Ref: R525 031 Discovery map #73. OS Sheet #24.

Archival sources

• Cork County Library: Irish Tourist Association survey files, Parish of Buttevant.
• National Archives of Ireland: Deeds and papers of the Crofts and Bullen families, 1715-1877. Other parties include Lord Lisle, Lord Egmont, Beare & Browne families. Small Private Accessions 999/370
• National Archives of Ireland: Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Beare, 20 Oct 1851, Vol 11 (24), MRGS 39/005, (microfilm copy in NUIG)

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 Orrery and Kilmore, 26 (Copsetown)

Modern printed sources

• BRADY, William Maziere. Clerical and Parochial Records of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts and Green, 1864 : 135-136
• HAJBA, Anna-Maria. Historical Genealogical Architectural notes on some Houses of Cork. Volume I: North Cork. Whitegate: Ballinakella Press, 2002: 128