Monday 15 April 2024

Synnot of Ballymoyer

THE HART-SYNNOTS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY ARMAGH, WITH 7,321 ACRES


Synnot, Synot and Sinnot, a French family, derived its descent from a Marquis of Lusignan, who came to England either with WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR, or some time after. A younger brother settled in Ireland at a very early period, and among the oldest records of Wexford the name occurs. In that county, the ancestors of the family of which we are about to treat possessed considerable estates, and ranked amongst the most eminent of the gentry of the baronies of Forth and Bargy.


JOHN SYNNOT, of Ballytramon, County Wexford, son of Stephen, and grandson of Pierce Synnot, both of Ballytramon, married and had issue,
WALTER, ancestor of SYNNOT OF BALLYTRAMON;
PIERCE.
The younger son,

PIERCE SYNNOT, of Ballytramon, was father of 


DAVID SYNNOT, of Ballytramon, whose son,


STEPHEN SYNNOT, of Wexford, married Eleanor, daughter of John Bolane, and left issue, an only son,


MICHAEL SYNNOT, of Raheen, County Wexford, 1618, who wedded Elinor, daughter of George Dormer, County Wexford, and had issue,

John;
Michael;
DAVID, of whom presently;
Mary; Margaret; Catherine.
He espoused secondly, Mary, daughter of Edmond Hore, of Harperstown, County Wexford, and had a daughter, Elinor.

The youngest son,


DAVID SYNNOT, a colonel in the army, was the gallant Governor of Wexford when that place was besieged by CROMWELL in 1649.


His son,


TIMOTHY or TOBIAS SYNNOT, of County Londonderry, was brought up a Protestant, and was in Derry during its celebrated siege.
The family is said to have come originally from Flanders, where the name "Sigenod" meant "Victory-bold". Translations and modifications over time saw the name become "Synad". Various explanations of when and how the family travelled to Ireland have been documented, however all revolve around the Norman Invasion of Ireland.
It is believed that a Richard de Synad was one of the Flemish that crossed to Ireland with Strongbow in the invasion force. After various campaigns from Waterford to Wexford and on to Dublin, he returned to the Wexford region to settle down. He later built a castle at Ballybrennan, close to the present village of Killinick, on the main Wexford-Rosslare road.
This was the family's chief castle, which remained until dispossessed in the Cromwellian confiscations. The castle is long gone, but part of its walls is incorporated into the present large dwelling house at the site.
His eldest son,

THOMAS SYNNOT, Town Major (Chief Constable) of the City of Dublin and Captain in Lucas's Regiment of Foot, 1711, left a son and heir,

RICHARD SYNNOT, of Drumcondra, Registrar of the Diocese of Armagh, who married, in 1694, Jane, daughter of Edward Bloxham, of Dublin, and had (with a daughter) a son,

MARK SYNNOT (1696-1754), of Drumcondra, who wedded firstly, Euphemia, daughter of Mr Rivers; and secondly, in 1769, Anne, daughter of Walter Nugent, of Carpenterstown, County Westmeath, and had issue,
Mark, of Drumcondra;
WALTER (Sir), of whom presently;
Mary, W Smyth, of Drumcree.
The younger son, 

SIR WALTER SYNNOT (1742-1821), of BALLYMOYER HOUSE, County Armagh, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1783, espoused, in 1770, Jane, daughter of John Seton, of New York,  and had issue, 
MARCUS, his heir;
Walter.
Sir Walter married secondly, in 1804, Ann Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev Robert Martin, and had a daughter, Elizabeth (who married the Rev Fitzgibbon Stewart), and a son,
Richard Walter.
By the time of his death, Sir Walter and his son, Marcus, had made considerable improvements to the estate and many of the beautiful trees, buildings and structural improvements date from this time.

The demesne was noted as being very ornate.


He was knighted by Lord Buckingham, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.


The eldest son and heir,

MARCUS SYNNOT JP (1771-1855), of Ballymoyer, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1830, wedded, in 1814, Jane, daughter of Thomas Gilson, of Wood Lodge, Lincolnshire, and had issue,
MARCUS, his heir;
MARK SETON, of Ballymoyer, succeeded his brother;
Parker George;
William Forbes;
Mary Marcia; Maria Eliza; Agnes Jane; Barbara Cecilia; Juliana Hewitt.
Mr Synnot was succeeded by his eldest son, 

MARCUS SYNNOT JP DL (1813-74), of Ballymoyer House, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1852, who married, in 1844, Ann, eldest daughter of William Parker, of Hanthorpe House, Lincolnshire.

Mr Synnot died without issue, when the estates devolved upon his brother,

MARK SETON SYNNOT JP DL (1820-90), of Ballymoyer, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1876, Captain, Armagh Light Infantry, who espoused, in 1843, Anne Jane, second daughter and co-heir of Mark Synnot, of Monasterboice House, King's County (Offaly), and Grove House, Clapham, Surrey, and had issue,
MARK SETON, late of Ballymoyer;
MARY SUSANNA, of Ballymoyer;
Rosalie Jane; Eva Charlotte; Charlotte Augusta; Ada Maria; Annette Beatrice.
Mr Synnot was succeeded by his only son, 

MARK SETON SYNNOT JP (1847-1901), of Ballymoyer, Captain, Armagh Light Infantry, who died unmarried, where the estate devolved upon his eldest sister,

MARY SUSANNA SYNNOT (1844-1913), of Ballymoyer, who married, in 1868, Major-General Arthur FitzRoy Hart CB CMG (who assumed the name and arms of SYNNOT), and had issue,
ARTHUR HENRY SETON, his heir;
RONALD VICTOR OKES, succeeded his brother;
Beatrice May; Horatia Annette Blanche.
The elder son,

BRIGADIER ARTHUR HENRY SETON HART-SYNNOT CMG DSO, married his nurse, Violet Drower, while convalescing from his wounds, though died without issue in 1942.


LINEAGE OF HART

THE REV WILLIAM HART (c1668-1746), of the parish of Netherbury, Dorset, 
possessed land in the county of Dorset, namely Corfe, in the parish of West Milton, Pomice, Hurlands, Colmer's Estate, Camesworth, Greening's Orchard, and Furzelease House, in Netherbury.

He was buried at Netherbury, leaving by Ann, his wife (with other issue who died young), a son,

WILLIAM HART (1707-71), of Netherbury, who wedded, in 1731, Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Henville, of Hincknowle, Netherbury, and had issue (with two daughters, Betty and Ann, who both died unmarried), an only surviving son,

GEORGE HART (1744-1824), of Netherbury, who possessed lands in Dorset, viz. Corfe, Cape Leazne [sic], and Pomice.


His elder son,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL WILLIAM HART (1764-1818), of Netherbury, had issue, his third son,

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL HENRY GEORGE HART (1808-78), whose fourth son was

MAJOR-GENERAL ARTHUR FITZROY HART-SYNNOT CB CMG.

*****

The tenanted land of BALLYMOYER estate was transferred to the occupiers under the Irish land acts of 1902 and 1909.

Subsequently Brigadier Hart-Synnot and his brother, Ronald Victor Okes Hart-Synnot, sold the farm land of the demesne and, in 1938, donated the avenue and glen to the National Trust, and had the house demolished owing to damage suffered from requisitioning.


The estate is now open to the public.

First published in February, 2012.

2 comments :

jane Willams said...

Thought you would like to know that SIR WALTER was married TWICE.
His second wife, Ann MARTIN was the mother of Ann {who never married} and RICHARD who had two children. Ann died in ROME {age 14}. She is buried with Sir Walter in the PROTESTANT CEMETARY There.
LADY Synont returned to England.
She is my 3rd great AUNT.
I have a great family HISTORY and can tell more if you require.
Jane Williams.

Unknown said...

Interesting comments. I have a descendancy tree for Richard de Synad on www.sinnottnz.com and would be interested in comparing it with Jane's Synnot family history.