Dillon family of Mount Dillon, Roebuck
Thomas Dillon married Marcella Eliza
born circa 1778 born circa 1790
Mount Dillon Roscommon
died 15 Jun 1828 died 2 Jan 1860
France Kensington
Thomas Dillon born circa 1778 of Mount Dillon married Marcella Eliza and they lived at Mount
Dillon at Roebuck. Thomas was one of the locals who opposed window taxes in Taney in 1817
the same year a stone was erected at Taney graveyard in memory of his two son who died in
infancy. Thomas died at Meudon, near Paris on 15 Jun 1828. Marcella was living with her
daughter Jane in Southampton by 1841 and at Clarence House, St James, Dover, Kent in 1851.
Marcella died 2 Jan 1860 at her residence Shaftesbury House, Kensington. She was buried at
St John’s Chapel, Ramsgate (attached to St Augustine’s). Her funeral was attended by her son
in law Kenelm Henry Digby and her three surviving grandsons - Kenelm Thomas Digby, Thomas
Southwell and Charles Southwell.
1 Cornelius Dillon died an infant and was buried at Taney.
2 Thomas Dillon died an infant and was buried at Taney.
3 Mary Anne Agnes Dillon born circa 1810. As eldest daughter she married Arthur
Southwell in Paris in 1834. Arthur died at Mount Dillon in 1849 and Mary Anne died at
Bath on 12 Nov 1851.
4 Jane Mary Dillon born circa 1817 in Dublin married Kenelm Henry Digby at Dover on
21 Oct 1833 by the rites of the Catholic Church and subsequently 'as the law directed'.
Kenelm was living at Lacken in Sligo and was the son of William Digby, Dean of Clonfert.
He was an Irish writer author of ‘Broad-Stone of Honour, or Rules for the Gentlemen of
England (1822) and later converted to Catholicism. They lived in Paris and later in
Springfield House near Southampton. Kenelm published Mores Catholici, or Ages of Faith
from 1831 to 1842. When their home was burned down in 1842 during a visit by the Rev
Richard Waldo Sibthorpe, a convert to Catholicism it was thought to have been the work of
a sectarian group. Kenelm was listed as the owner of about 3000 acres in Kildare and
Westmeath in the 1870s and donated the high altar to St Muredach's Cathedral, Ballina.
They moved to Clarence House, St James, Dover, Kent and later to Shaftesbury House,
Kensington. He published The Children's Bower after the death of two of his sons in
1856. Jane died on her way home from church on 18 Jul 1860 aged 42. Her funeral was
met by the monks of St Augustine’s and was attended by her nephews Viscount Southwell
and Charles Southwell. Kenelm died 22 Mar 1880 aged 80 at Shaftesbury House, Kensington.
1 Marcella Digby born 3 Nov 1835 in Paris. Marcella joined the mother Vicars of the
Sacré-Cœur and was elected Mother Superior in 1895.
2 Thomas Everard Digby eldest son born circa 1836 in Paris, France died 12 Oct 1856
at Thanet, Kent.
3 Mary Anne Digby born circa 3 Oct 1838 at Place Vendome, Paris became a nun with the
order of St Benedict. Sister Mary Anne Benigna died on 28 Dec 1863 at Kensington.
4 Kenelm Thomas Joseph Digby born 1840 at Bath. He was living at Killiney Castle in
1868 and was elected Liberal MP for Queen’s County. He later served as a home ruler
until 1874. He married Elizabeth G Groesbeck on 27 Jan 1870 at Cincinnati. Elizabeth
was the daughter of congressman the Hon William Slocum Groesbeck and Elizabeth
Burnet of Cincinnati. The Digby family were living at East Preston in 1891. Kenelm
died on a visit to Oxford where he had been summoned to see his sick son who was
an undergraduate at Christ Church College on 20 Nov 1893. Elizabeth and her
children were living at Worthing East Preston in 1901. Elizabeth died in Worthing
aged 82 on 19 Oct 1928 and was buried at St Augustine’s, Ramsgate.
1 Kenelm Everard Joseph Digby born circa 1873 in London an unmarried
lieutenant in the militia in 1901. He died 26 Sep 1957 at Windsor, probate to
Cecil Francis Joseph Dormer.
2 Marcella Maria Pax Digby born 7 Mar 1878 in Kensington died unmarried in
1970 at Worthing and left 126k in personal estate.
3 Ermengarde Elizabeth Maria Venetia Digby born and died 1880.
4 Claude Christina Marcella Digby born 24 Jul 1884 in London died unmarried in
1966 at Worthing.
5 Mary Jane Elizabeth Alice Digby youngest daughter born circa 1844 married the Hon
Hubert Francis Dormer in 1865. Hubert was the third son of Lord Joseph Thaddeus
Dormer and they had eleven children. Hubert died on 16 Apr 1913 aged 76. Mary died
15 Aug 1939 at Firthorpe, Ascot.
1 John Hubert Aloysius Dormer born on 13 Jan 1874.
2 Sir Cecil Francis Joseph Dormer born 14 Feb 1883.
6 John Gerald Digby born circa 1848 in Paris died in July 1856 and was buried at St
Stephen’s Roman Catholic Church at Canterbury.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - January 2025
Return to Mount Dillon page
Thomas Dillon married Marcella Eliza
born circa 1778 born circa 1790
Mount Dillon Roscommon
died 15 Jun 1828 died 2 Jan 1860
France Kensington
Thomas Dillon born circa 1778 of Mount Dillon married Marcella Eliza and they lived at Mount
Dillon at Roebuck. Thomas was one of the locals who opposed window taxes in Taney in 1817
the same year a stone was erected at Taney graveyard in memory of his two son who died in
infancy. Thomas died at Meudon, near Paris on 15 Jun 1828. Marcella was living with her
daughter Jane in Southampton by 1841 and at Clarence House, St James, Dover, Kent in 1851.
Marcella died 2 Jan 1860 at her residence Shaftesbury House, Kensington. She was buried at
St John’s Chapel, Ramsgate (attached to St Augustine’s). Her funeral was attended by her son
in law Kenelm Henry Digby and her three surviving grandsons - Kenelm Thomas Digby, Thomas
Southwell and Charles Southwell.
1 Cornelius Dillon died an infant and was buried at Taney.
2 Thomas Dillon died an infant and was buried at Taney.
3 Mary Anne Agnes Dillon born circa 1810. As eldest daughter she married Arthur
Southwell in Paris in 1834. Arthur died at Mount Dillon in 1849 and Mary Anne died at
Bath on 12 Nov 1851.
4 Jane Mary Dillon born circa 1817 in Dublin married Kenelm Henry Digby at Dover on
21 Oct 1833 by the rites of the Catholic Church and subsequently 'as the law directed'.
Kenelm was living at Lacken in Sligo and was the son of William Digby, Dean of Clonfert.
He was an Irish writer author of ‘Broad-Stone of Honour, or Rules for the Gentlemen of
England (1822) and later converted to Catholicism. They lived in Paris and later in
Springfield House near Southampton. Kenelm published Mores Catholici, or Ages of Faith
from 1831 to 1842. When their home was burned down in 1842 during a visit by the Rev
Richard Waldo Sibthorpe, a convert to Catholicism it was thought to have been the work of
a sectarian group. Kenelm was listed as the owner of about 3000 acres in Kildare and
Westmeath in the 1870s and donated the high altar to St Muredach's Cathedral, Ballina.
They moved to Clarence House, St James, Dover, Kent and later to Shaftesbury House,
Kensington. He published The Children's Bower after the death of two of his sons in
1856. Jane died on her way home from church on 18 Jul 1860 aged 42. Her funeral was
met by the monks of St Augustine’s and was attended by her nephews Viscount Southwell
and Charles Southwell. Kenelm died 22 Mar 1880 aged 80 at Shaftesbury House, Kensington.
1 Marcella Digby born 3 Nov 1835 in Paris. Marcella joined the mother Vicars of the
Sacré-Cœur and was elected Mother Superior in 1895.
2 Thomas Everard Digby eldest son born circa 1836 in Paris, France died 12 Oct 1856
at Thanet, Kent.
3 Mary Anne Digby born circa 3 Oct 1838 at Place Vendome, Paris became a nun with the
order of St Benedict. Sister Mary Anne Benigna died on 28 Dec 1863 at Kensington.
4 Kenelm Thomas Joseph Digby born 1840 at Bath. He was living at Killiney Castle in
1868 and was elected Liberal MP for Queen’s County. He later served as a home ruler
until 1874. He married Elizabeth G Groesbeck on 27 Jan 1870 at Cincinnati. Elizabeth
was the daughter of congressman the Hon William Slocum Groesbeck and Elizabeth
Burnet of Cincinnati. The Digby family were living at East Preston in 1891. Kenelm
died on a visit to Oxford where he had been summoned to see his sick son who was
an undergraduate at Christ Church College on 20 Nov 1893. Elizabeth and her
children were living at Worthing East Preston in 1901. Elizabeth died in Worthing
aged 82 on 19 Oct 1928 and was buried at St Augustine’s, Ramsgate.
1 Kenelm Everard Joseph Digby born circa 1873 in London an unmarried
lieutenant in the militia in 1901. He died 26 Sep 1957 at Windsor, probate to
Cecil Francis Joseph Dormer.
2 Marcella Maria Pax Digby born 7 Mar 1878 in Kensington died unmarried in
1970 at Worthing and left 126k in personal estate.
3 Ermengarde Elizabeth Maria Venetia Digby born and died 1880.
4 Claude Christina Marcella Digby born 24 Jul 1884 in London died unmarried in
1966 at Worthing.
5 Mary Jane Elizabeth Alice Digby youngest daughter born circa 1844 married the Hon
Hubert Francis Dormer in 1865. Hubert was the third son of Lord Joseph Thaddeus
Dormer and they had eleven children. Hubert died on 16 Apr 1913 aged 76. Mary died
15 Aug 1939 at Firthorpe, Ascot.
1 John Hubert Aloysius Dormer born on 13 Jan 1874.
2 Sir Cecil Francis Joseph Dormer born 14 Feb 1883.
6 John Gerald Digby born circa 1848 in Paris died in July 1856 and was buried at St
Stephen’s Roman Catholic Church at Canterbury.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - January 2025
Return to Mount Dillon page