The Darley Family of Hollyville and Fernhill.
William Frederick Darley born circa 1806 was the sixth son of Alderman Frederick Darley
and Elizabeth Guinness. He was called to the Bar in 1830 and married Maria Sanders on
27 Feb 1838 at St Michan's Church, Dublin. Maria was the second daughter of the late
William Saunders of Charleville, Cork. They lived at 38 Lower Baggot Street before moving
to 96 Leeson Street. He was later a County Court Judge and the family moved to Fern Hill
on the death of his father in 1841.
His father leased Fernhill in 1812 from Sir William Verner and William eventually purchased
the property for £3670 under the Land Purchase Act in 1852. William was taken to court by
the inhabitants of Newtown Little in 1859 for illegally ‘stopping up’ a public road between
Fern Hill and Enniskerry by digging a cutting across the road. (He built a underpass under
the new broadwalk created in the grounds so that workers and tenants still had a short cut
to Barnacullia. He enlarged the gardens at Fernhill and created a broadwalk edged with
giant Sequoia (Giant Redwood or Wellingtonia). The ‘Fernhill Silver’ rhododendron tree
planted on the boardwalk was given to him by botanist David Moore of Glasnevin Botanical
Gardens. The width of the path was set to accommodate three ladies walking abreast in
hooped skirts. William was a director of the Dublin & Bray Railway Company. Maria died
15 Nov 1880 aged 67 at Fernhill and William died at Fernhill on 16 Feb 1898 and both were
buried at Mount Jerome.
1 Eliza Darley born 1839, died 25 Jun 1842 and was buried at Mount Jerome.
2 Maria Olivia Darley born 24 Mar 1840 eldest daughter married Edward Miller,
youngest son of the late Rev George Miller 5 Dec 1861 at Kilternan Church. They
were married by Rev F A Sanders, uncle to the bride.
3 Son Darley born 3 Sep 1841 at Baggot Street.
4 Anna Louisa Darley born 27 Nov 1842 at Baggot Street married John Fitzthomas Rutherfoord of
Calcutta India and Mooretown House, Ardee, son of Thomas Rutherfoord at Kilternan Parish
Church on 4 Jan 1865.
5 William Sanders Darley born 3 Sep 1843 at Baggot Street joined the 5th regiment of foot. He served
in India and returned to 96 Leeson Street in 1878. He married Mary Elizabeth Smith at St Georges
in Hanover Square in 1890 and died in London in 1921 without issue.
6 Robert Sanders Darley born 1845 second surviving son lived at the family home at 96 Leeson
Street and was a JP. He was thrown from his horse during a polo match at the Phoenix Park against
The Fusiliers. He died a bachelor on 5 Sep 1879 at St Stephens Hospital from his injuries and was
buried at Mount Jerome.
7 Edmund Sanders Darley born circa 1846 married Mabel Elizabeth (May) Trouton, daughter of
Thomas Trouton of 12 St James Terrace, Clonskea at Donnybrook on 3 Dec 1878. Edmund was an
agent working for the Royal Exchange Assurance Company with offices at 5 Westmoreland Street
and lived at Hollyville on Newtownpark Avenue between 1889 and 1898. He was a JP and the
founder of the Foxrock Golf Club and in 1912 the Royal Exchange Assurance company built them a
clubhouse. In 1909 Edmund became a director of the company.
He moved to Fern Hill after the death of his father and continued to enhance the garden. He created
a rock garden by diverting a mountain stream to flow through it. In 1908 he won his appeal to have
no labourers cottages built on the demesne of Fern Hill. He died at Fern Hill on 27 Sep 1912 and was
buried at Kilgobbin graveyard. He left 15K in personal estate. Mabel applied for a interlocutory
injunction against the local residents for trespass in 1930 but it was not granted. The Darleys
claimed they were blocking the route through their grounds for one day only which they did each
year, to stop it becoming a public right of way but locals claimed this had never happened before.
Mabel regularly opened the gardens to the public and in 1934 sold Fernhill to the Walker family.
1 Eva Darley only child born 10 Sep 1879 at 96 Lower Leeson Street married Hubert
Maxwell Lenox Conygham, youngest son of Col Sir William Fitzwilliam Lenox Conyngham, of
Spring Hill, Co Derry at Kilternan on 19 Oct 1909. Hubert entered the Army Veterinary Corps
in 1897 and served in the East Africa campaign. Brevet-Lieut Conyngham died at Chester in
March 1918.
8 Frederick Sanders Darley youngest child born 16 Jun 1849 at Fernhill died in December
1851 and was buried at Mount Jerome.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – April 2020
William Frederick Darley born circa 1806 was the sixth son of Alderman Frederick Darley
and Elizabeth Guinness. He was called to the Bar in 1830 and married Maria Sanders on
27 Feb 1838 at St Michan's Church, Dublin. Maria was the second daughter of the late
William Saunders of Charleville, Cork. They lived at 38 Lower Baggot Street before moving
to 96 Leeson Street. He was later a County Court Judge and the family moved to Fern Hill
on the death of his father in 1841.
His father leased Fernhill in 1812 from Sir William Verner and William eventually purchased
the property for £3670 under the Land Purchase Act in 1852. William was taken to court by
the inhabitants of Newtown Little in 1859 for illegally ‘stopping up’ a public road between
Fern Hill and Enniskerry by digging a cutting across the road. (He built a underpass under
the new broadwalk created in the grounds so that workers and tenants still had a short cut
to Barnacullia. He enlarged the gardens at Fernhill and created a broadwalk edged with
giant Sequoia (Giant Redwood or Wellingtonia). The ‘Fernhill Silver’ rhododendron tree
planted on the boardwalk was given to him by botanist David Moore of Glasnevin Botanical
Gardens. The width of the path was set to accommodate three ladies walking abreast in
hooped skirts. William was a director of the Dublin & Bray Railway Company. Maria died
15 Nov 1880 aged 67 at Fernhill and William died at Fernhill on 16 Feb 1898 and both were
buried at Mount Jerome.
1 Eliza Darley born 1839, died 25 Jun 1842 and was buried at Mount Jerome.
2 Maria Olivia Darley born 24 Mar 1840 eldest daughter married Edward Miller,
youngest son of the late Rev George Miller 5 Dec 1861 at Kilternan Church. They
were married by Rev F A Sanders, uncle to the bride.
3 Son Darley born 3 Sep 1841 at Baggot Street.
4 Anna Louisa Darley born 27 Nov 1842 at Baggot Street married John Fitzthomas Rutherfoord of
Calcutta India and Mooretown House, Ardee, son of Thomas Rutherfoord at Kilternan Parish
Church on 4 Jan 1865.
5 William Sanders Darley born 3 Sep 1843 at Baggot Street joined the 5th regiment of foot. He served
in India and returned to 96 Leeson Street in 1878. He married Mary Elizabeth Smith at St Georges
in Hanover Square in 1890 and died in London in 1921 without issue.
6 Robert Sanders Darley born 1845 second surviving son lived at the family home at 96 Leeson
Street and was a JP. He was thrown from his horse during a polo match at the Phoenix Park against
The Fusiliers. He died a bachelor on 5 Sep 1879 at St Stephens Hospital from his injuries and was
buried at Mount Jerome.
7 Edmund Sanders Darley born circa 1846 married Mabel Elizabeth (May) Trouton, daughter of
Thomas Trouton of 12 St James Terrace, Clonskea at Donnybrook on 3 Dec 1878. Edmund was an
agent working for the Royal Exchange Assurance Company with offices at 5 Westmoreland Street
and lived at Hollyville on Newtownpark Avenue between 1889 and 1898. He was a JP and the
founder of the Foxrock Golf Club and in 1912 the Royal Exchange Assurance company built them a
clubhouse. In 1909 Edmund became a director of the company.
He moved to Fern Hill after the death of his father and continued to enhance the garden. He created
a rock garden by diverting a mountain stream to flow through it. In 1908 he won his appeal to have
no labourers cottages built on the demesne of Fern Hill. He died at Fern Hill on 27 Sep 1912 and was
buried at Kilgobbin graveyard. He left 15K in personal estate. Mabel applied for a interlocutory
injunction against the local residents for trespass in 1930 but it was not granted. The Darleys
claimed they were blocking the route through their grounds for one day only which they did each
year, to stop it becoming a public right of way but locals claimed this had never happened before.
Mabel regularly opened the gardens to the public and in 1934 sold Fernhill to the Walker family.
1 Eva Darley only child born 10 Sep 1879 at 96 Lower Leeson Street married Hubert
Maxwell Lenox Conygham, youngest son of Col Sir William Fitzwilliam Lenox Conyngham, of
Spring Hill, Co Derry at Kilternan on 19 Oct 1909. Hubert entered the Army Veterinary Corps
in 1897 and served in the East Africa campaign. Brevet-Lieut Conyngham died at Chester in
March 1918.
8 Frederick Sanders Darley youngest child born 16 Jun 1849 at Fernhill died in December
1851 and was buried at Mount Jerome.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – April 2020