Navan & District Historical Society

Landlord Estates 19th century


There were four main estates in Navan in the 19th century. All four were absentee landlords and their impact on the town was not significant.


Duke of Bedford:

Earl of Essex: Canon Row.

Lord Howth: Around Market Square.

Lord de Ros:

Various middlemen and less substantial property owners operated within the system.

Fitzherbert:  Blackcastle. (This family lived at Blackcastle. The Fitzherberts were not absentee landlords)

Russell: Between Railway Street and Brews Hill.

landlord estate map

Source: Changing Faces Shaping a Nineteenth Century Irish Town

A Case Study of Navan – Peter Connell

Occasional Papers No 1  Geography Dept. Maynooth 1978

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Some Landed Gentry in Navan and District area:

Athlumney Summerville;    Aylmer –  Balrath; BarnewallStackallan;

Bedford – Navan / Ardsallagh;

Briscoe –  Bellinter;   Dillon & Everard, Randlestown; Fitzherbert –  Blackcastle;

Gerrard  – Gibbstown / Clongill; Ludlow, Nangle & Plunkett – Killeen & Dunsany;

Preston Lord Tara –  Ardsallagh/Swainstown Kilmessan/ Bellinter, Ranelagh;

Talbot – Dardistown;  Tisdall  – Bloomsbury / Charlesfort Cortown

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The Times, 21 Dec 1863: Right Hon. Sir William Meredyth Somerville newspaper report

Letters patent have passed the Great Seal granting to the Right Hon. Sir William Meredyth Somerville, and the heirs male of his body, the style, title, and dignity of Baron Athlumney, of Somerville and Dollardstown, county Meath, in the peerage of Ireland.  The title of Athlumney is taken from a castle in the name near Navan, belonging to the Somervilles, and was chosen, 100 years ago, by Sir Quale Somerville, for the designation of a peerage which was then offered to him.