Colclough Family of Newpark and Tintern Abbey
John Rossborough married Margaret Nicholson
Mullinagoan House
Fermanagh
died 24 Jul 1842
Boyle
John Rossborough, son of Hugh Rossborough married Margaret Nicholson, daughter of John
Nicholson of Nicholson's Court.
1 John Thomas Rossborough, eldest son born circa 1809 and of Mullinagood, Co Longford
married Mary Grey Wentworth Colclough* on 12 Jan 1848 at St Thomas’s Church, Dublin.
Mary born 9 Jul 1811 was the second daughter of Caesar Colclough (1754-1822), Chief
Justice of Newfoundland and afterwards of Prince Edward Island and his wife Suzanna
Leech.
She was also the heiress of Caesar Colclough (1766 -1842) the then owner of Tintern
Abbey. When Caesar died in 1842, Mary as his cousin should have inherited the
Tintern estate as he had no issue but a Will dated some days before his death left
everything to his wife Jane. Tintern Abbey on Hook Head in Wexford was founded by
the Cistercians circa 1200 and the land totalling 9K acres was in the ownership of Sir
Thomas Colclough in 1613 and had remained in the Colclough family until this time.
In 1852 John Rossborough took an action again Jane Stradford Boyse nee Kirwan, widow
of Caesar (1766-1842) who had since married a Thomas Boyse, executor of Caesar’s Will
to recover the estates of Tintern. He won the case and in 1853, John Rossborough
assumed the additional name of Colclough and the family moved to Tintern. The case
was appealed and re-appealed and a new case was heard in 1857 at which point a
compromise was reached. Jane Boyse kept the profit from the estate from 1842 to 1853
(22K) plus 500 per year and the estate was passed to John Rossborough Colclough in 1857.
John was High Sheriff of Wexford in 1860. The family were well thought of by their tenants
and John reopened the school on the estate and gave generously to both the Roman
Catholic and Protestant poor.
In 1864 another case as to the rightful ownership was taken by Patrick Colclough of County
Laois, son of Sarsfield Colclough, who claimed that his father Sarsfield Colclough was the
only legitimate son of Adam Colclough and Maryanne Byrne of Cabinteely. Patrick also
claimed that Mary was the illegitimate daughter of Caesar who in turn was the illegitimate
son of Adam Colclough and Maryanne Byrne (a Roman Catholic). These claims were
supported by a family pedigree which was unsupported but for the memories of members
of the family, hearsay and family lore. The defendants also produced a family tree
supported by copies of birth, marriage and death registers, convert rolls and deeds
disproving the claim of illegitimacy. Patrick Colclough, head bowed, withdrew the action. The
costs to both sides ran into thousands and Tintern estate suffered near financial ruin.
The couple used Newpark as their Dublin residence from 1858 to 1869. John died at
Newpark on 11 Aug 1869 leaving 685 pounds in personal estate and Mary died at
Tintern Abbey on 3 Nov 1884 aged 73. Both are buried at the Colclough vault at Old
Abbey, Tintern.
1 Louise Wilmot Maria Susanna Colclough born November 1848 at 4 Portland Row
in Summerhill (the home of her grandmother) and was heiress to the Tintern
estate. She married Franc Digby Biddulph, captain 3rd Middlesex Militia on
15 Sep 1885 at Castleknock. Franc assumed the name Colclough in 1886. Louisa
suffered from what is now known as post-natal depression and was confined to
her room until her husband Franc died on 13 Jul 1895 aged 42 at Tintern Abbey.
He was buried at Tintern Abbey. Louisa died 29 Jan 1912 at Tintern abbey and
was buried in a separate plot.
1 Caesar Franc Biddulph-Colclough born on 15 Sep 1886 died 6 Jul 1888
from scarlet fever.
2 Lucy Maria Wilmott Biddulph-Colclough born 2 Jun 1890 at Tintern Abbey
lived at the Abbey. Lucy never married and moved out of the Abbey which
had neither electricity or a phone to a small house in the local village of
Saltmills in the late 1950’s and the Abbey, now minus its lands was
presented to the state in 1958. Lucy is buried with her mother at Tintern
Abbey.
2 Susanna Frances Julia Colclough born January 1850 at Portland Row married John
Hardress Lloyd, DL and of Gloster House, Roscrea in the King’s County on
14 Nov 1872. Suzanna died 6 May 1886 at Gloster House.
3 Mary Grey Wentworth Fanning Colclough born October 1853 at Myles Villa, Co Dublin,
a spinster living at Tintern in 1911. Mary, last surviving daughter died 27 Dec 1936.
4 Belinda Powell Leech Trimble Colclough born circa 1854, a spinster living at Tintern
in 1911 died at Saltmills 13 Apr 1929 and was buried at Tintern graveyard.
2 Abraham Hamilton Rossborough youngest son died at Boyle on October 1849.
* Pronounced Coke-Lee in Ireland
©June Bow & Karen Poff – November 2019
John Rossborough married Margaret Nicholson
Mullinagoan House
Fermanagh
died 24 Jul 1842
Boyle
John Rossborough, son of Hugh Rossborough married Margaret Nicholson, daughter of John
Nicholson of Nicholson's Court.
1 John Thomas Rossborough, eldest son born circa 1809 and of Mullinagood, Co Longford
married Mary Grey Wentworth Colclough* on 12 Jan 1848 at St Thomas’s Church, Dublin.
Mary born 9 Jul 1811 was the second daughter of Caesar Colclough (1754-1822), Chief
Justice of Newfoundland and afterwards of Prince Edward Island and his wife Suzanna
Leech.
She was also the heiress of Caesar Colclough (1766 -1842) the then owner of Tintern
Abbey. When Caesar died in 1842, Mary as his cousin should have inherited the
Tintern estate as he had no issue but a Will dated some days before his death left
everything to his wife Jane. Tintern Abbey on Hook Head in Wexford was founded by
the Cistercians circa 1200 and the land totalling 9K acres was in the ownership of Sir
Thomas Colclough in 1613 and had remained in the Colclough family until this time.
In 1852 John Rossborough took an action again Jane Stradford Boyse nee Kirwan, widow
of Caesar (1766-1842) who had since married a Thomas Boyse, executor of Caesar’s Will
to recover the estates of Tintern. He won the case and in 1853, John Rossborough
assumed the additional name of Colclough and the family moved to Tintern. The case
was appealed and re-appealed and a new case was heard in 1857 at which point a
compromise was reached. Jane Boyse kept the profit from the estate from 1842 to 1853
(22K) plus 500 per year and the estate was passed to John Rossborough Colclough in 1857.
John was High Sheriff of Wexford in 1860. The family were well thought of by their tenants
and John reopened the school on the estate and gave generously to both the Roman
Catholic and Protestant poor.
In 1864 another case as to the rightful ownership was taken by Patrick Colclough of County
Laois, son of Sarsfield Colclough, who claimed that his father Sarsfield Colclough was the
only legitimate son of Adam Colclough and Maryanne Byrne of Cabinteely. Patrick also
claimed that Mary was the illegitimate daughter of Caesar who in turn was the illegitimate
son of Adam Colclough and Maryanne Byrne (a Roman Catholic). These claims were
supported by a family pedigree which was unsupported but for the memories of members
of the family, hearsay and family lore. The defendants also produced a family tree
supported by copies of birth, marriage and death registers, convert rolls and deeds
disproving the claim of illegitimacy. Patrick Colclough, head bowed, withdrew the action. The
costs to both sides ran into thousands and Tintern estate suffered near financial ruin.
The couple used Newpark as their Dublin residence from 1858 to 1869. John died at
Newpark on 11 Aug 1869 leaving 685 pounds in personal estate and Mary died at
Tintern Abbey on 3 Nov 1884 aged 73. Both are buried at the Colclough vault at Old
Abbey, Tintern.
1 Louise Wilmot Maria Susanna Colclough born November 1848 at 4 Portland Row
in Summerhill (the home of her grandmother) and was heiress to the Tintern
estate. She married Franc Digby Biddulph, captain 3rd Middlesex Militia on
15 Sep 1885 at Castleknock. Franc assumed the name Colclough in 1886. Louisa
suffered from what is now known as post-natal depression and was confined to
her room until her husband Franc died on 13 Jul 1895 aged 42 at Tintern Abbey.
He was buried at Tintern Abbey. Louisa died 29 Jan 1912 at Tintern abbey and
was buried in a separate plot.
1 Caesar Franc Biddulph-Colclough born on 15 Sep 1886 died 6 Jul 1888
from scarlet fever.
2 Lucy Maria Wilmott Biddulph-Colclough born 2 Jun 1890 at Tintern Abbey
lived at the Abbey. Lucy never married and moved out of the Abbey which
had neither electricity or a phone to a small house in the local village of
Saltmills in the late 1950’s and the Abbey, now minus its lands was
presented to the state in 1958. Lucy is buried with her mother at Tintern
Abbey.
2 Susanna Frances Julia Colclough born January 1850 at Portland Row married John
Hardress Lloyd, DL and of Gloster House, Roscrea in the King’s County on
14 Nov 1872. Suzanna died 6 May 1886 at Gloster House.
3 Mary Grey Wentworth Fanning Colclough born October 1853 at Myles Villa, Co Dublin,
a spinster living at Tintern in 1911. Mary, last surviving daughter died 27 Dec 1936.
4 Belinda Powell Leech Trimble Colclough born circa 1854, a spinster living at Tintern
in 1911 died at Saltmills 13 Apr 1929 and was buried at Tintern graveyard.
2 Abraham Hamilton Rossborough youngest son died at Boyle on October 1849.
* Pronounced Coke-Lee in Ireland
©June Bow & Karen Poff – November 2019