George Family

GEORGE, LUCIUS. II., 76. He was son of the Rev. ― George, R.V. Ballyadams, Leighlin, and also Rector of a parish in the co. Louth, where he resided. Lucius George held for a short time in 1820, the R. Ballyheigue, Ardfert and Aghadoe. His uncle, the late Baron George (of the Irish Exchequer), had a daughter, Ellen, wife of Darby O'Grady, of Ahamarta Castle, near Carrigaline, and mother, inter alios, of Dudley O'Grady, Esq., of Askeaton, co. Limerick.

The Church of Ireland in Co Kerry p37 (J. A. Murphy)

Ballyheigue
1817-1821 Lucius George (1791-1859) Son of Rev Luke George, rector of Ballyadams, Co Laois and nephew of Baron Denis George of the Irish Court of Exchequer. Curate Ballynahaglish 1817, curate Farrahy, Co Cork 1845, rector Bruhenny, Co. Cork 1845-59. Rev George was called as a witness in a breach of promise case between Dorothea Forrest and Donagh O'Brien in 1845 while curate at Farrahy, near Kildorrery, Cork (The Standard, 22 March 1845). He found himself back in court in 1853 while rector of Bruhenny, Co Cork when sued for libel by his curate, Rev John McDonough, their quarrel having erupted in a correspondence six years earlier (McDonough v George, Morning Post, 12 Feb 1853). Rev George died in December 1859 and was buried at Bruhenny.

The Court of Common Pleas, Dublin, has been engaged for several days in hearing a case of libel, between the Rector of the parish of Churchtown, county Cork, and his Curate. The case of action is a libel, or, rather, a series of libels, by the former against the latter. It seems that a certain Sir Edward Tierney possesses the presentation of the living—that the plaintiff, Mr. Macdonough had been “grindging” for the bar, the army, or any other profession that luck might offer, when the death of (we understand) the learned and benevolent Dr. Traill, the translator of Josephus, (and who died whilst tending the poor in famine), placed in the hands of Sir Edward the reversion of Protestant souls, and the Catholic Tithes, in the fortunate parish of Churchtown. The plaintiff, being cousin “germane” of Sir Edward, he received an intimation, that an “Established” business was about as good way to “fix it.” as any other profession his versatile genius could adopt; but, it being necessary to provide for the “spiritual wants” of the naturally large congregation, which a State Church in Cork has to accommodate, Sir Edward installed an elderly gentleman, named Lucius George, in the rectory, to keep the place warm for cousin Macdonough, who at once proceeded, to use a Cockneyism, to read “like bricks” for the apostolic office, of which Sir E. T. held the key. But, oh, the disappointment! when “holy orders” had been obtained, and all was ready for induction, Mr. George manifested a most inconvenient longevity, and obstinately refused a demise of any description. So the patron of the living was fain to compromise the matter, by fastening, as curate, the rector in petto upon this individual in possession. A queer pair rector and curate seemed to be; and libels and recriminations fell, thick as the snowflakes this last week, upon man and master. The libels were of a flagitious kind—the rector accusing the curate of malversation of funds, of eaves-dropping, and, graver still, of puseyism, and of having the undannted effrontry to speak with un-Protestant respect of the ever-blessed mother of God. In his examination, Mr. George expressed his sorrow for some of the libels; but said they had been drawn from him by sayings and writings of the plaintiff. The case altogether is only worth mentioning for the opportunity it affords of observing upon the economy of the “Established Church,” not only in the south, but almost everywhere in Ireland. The incumbent of the parish in question, (Mr. Lucius George) resided in the city of Cork, and, as it would appear, at a club-house—the parish being twenty or thirty miles distant. The curate lived in the parish, or its immediate vicinity. The value of the living is four or five hundred a year. The curate’s wages were £120. He had all the business, such as it was, to execute. The parties quarrelled, because each thought—and rightly, we have not a doubt—that one could manage affairs just as well as two. Incidentally, it appeared that the congregation amounted to about twenty; sometimes fewer, and sometimes no one at all. For the sustentation of the sinecure rector, this parish has been fined, as if under the whiteboy Act, for many years. The rent-charge amounted to four or five hundred pounds. And what was the name of the parish?—Skull!—Skull, in the famine years, the head-quarters of pestilence and starvation! The proprietors in the parish, therefore, had not only to pay poor rates, but the “Church” also. There were not, at the utmost, more than twenty or twenty-five Protestants in the parish—men and boys, women and girls. The remainder were Catholics: and these, of course, though perhaps not directly, had to pay the sinecure parson—to them an entire stranger, and, from the nature of his calling, an enemy. During the trial it was stated that the collections were on a par with the number of the congregation—the latter ranging from twenty down to a nullity: and the former, on one memorable day, to twopence half-penny, on which occasion the plaintiff accused somebody of having forestalled him in the possession of a “fourpenny bit,” which his own brother had invested in the collection-box, for the purpose of experimenting on the honesty of the rector and his officials. So the case stands at present.

Description
Detached L-plan three-bay two-storey house, built c. 1835, having two-storey lean-to addition to rear, with recent glazed porch extension. Pitched slate roofs with cut limestone chimneystacks, and some cast-iron rainwater goods. Roughly coursed tooled limestone walls with tooled limestone quoins. Roughcast render to south elevation. Square-headed window openings with cut tooled limestone voussoirs and limestone sills, with timber sliding sash windows, six-over-three pane to first floor and six-over-six pane to ground floor. One two-over-two pane window to return. Square-headed door opening with painted render cornice partially covering cut tooled limestone voussoirs, and replacement uPVC door. Outbuildings around yard to east comprising two multiple-bay two-storey blocks with pitched slate and corrugated-iron roofs, cast-iron rainwater goods and random rubble limestone walls, both having single segmental-headed openings with cut tooled limestone voussoirs. Rubble limestone gate piers on square-plan to north side of house, accessing yard, with double-leaf wrought-iron gates having decorative scroll detail. Random rubble limestone walls to garden to front of house, having pedestrian gate with roughly dressed square-plan limestone piers and wrought-iron gate.
Appraisal
This elegantly proportioned house occupies a central location in the village of Churchtown and was probably built by Sir Edward Tierney, land agent to local absentee landlord the Earl of Egmont. Tierney was largely responsible for rebuilding the village between 1825 and 1849. Known locally as the Parson's House, this building was probably a rectory serving the now ruined Church of Bruhenny situated in the graveyard to the north-east. The first recorded occupant was Reverend Lucius George, after whom George's Street may be named. The materials for the finely crafted elevations of this building are believed to have come from the nearby Windmill Quarry, owned by the Earl. The house has retained its varied timber sash windows, considerably enhancing its interest. As one of a group of nineteenth century structures built for the enrichment of the village, its construction forms a significant part of the history of the area, playing an important role the collective memory of the local community.

Luke George

KILLANY.
Vicars.
1788.—Luke George, coll June 26 (D.R.); 2nd son of Denis G., of Clophook, Queens County (by Sarah Young), who was younger son of Joshua G., of Clophook, by a sister of Dean Delany; ed. by Mr. Ball, ent. T.C.D. July 8, 1761, Sch. 1764, B.A. 1766, M.A. 1769, ord. D. (or P ?) Oct. 1, 1767 (S.R.) He was bro. of Sir Rupert G., Bart., and of Rt. Hon. Denis G., Baron of the Exchequer. He was V. Donagh, 1778-88. He m. 1783, Dorothea, 2nd dau. of Rev. John Maxwell, Archdeacon of Clogher, He had a son, Luke, ed. by Mr. Miller, ent. T.C.D. July 4, 1808, aged 17, B.A. 1812. He d., according to D.R., on June 2, 1806, but there is a monument to his memory in the churchyard, the inscription on which is printed in S.P.M.D., 1921, p. 78, and in Shirley, and this
gives the date ot his death as June 1, 1807 [recte 1806 ]. His P. Will was proved in 1806. He was C. Clogher 1773.

The George Family

Catherine George

Edward George

Lucius George

Luke George