Captain Hugh Harpur (left) with the Shell aeroplane in 1932
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Hugh & Isabel in 1912
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Harpur of Thendara (formerly Mount Anville Lodge)
Henry Singleton de la Maziere Harpur married Sara Septima St George
born 25 Sep 1863 12 Apr 1887 born circa 1863
Parsonage, Kildare Armagh Co Armagh
died 26 Nov 1947 died 22 Jul 1929
Tandragee
Henry Singleton Maziere Harpur born circa 1863 son of the Rev Thomas Bernard Harpur
and Jane Law. Henry took Holy orders. He married Sara Septima (Saisie) St George on
12 Apr 1887 at St Mark’s Church, Armagh. Saisie was the youngest daughter of
Christopher St George and Eliza Turner of 4 Beresford Row, Armagh. Henry was curate
of Drumbeg and appointed rector of Ardglass in 1889, Loughgilly Armagh by 1893 and
Killeshandra by 1915. Saisie died 22 July 1929 at Tandragee. Henry’s older brother Dr
Francis John Harpur, founder of the Old Cairo Hospital in Egypt, came to live with him on
retirement. Henry died 26 Nov 1947 and was interred at Loughgilly.
1 Thomas Hugh St George (Hugh) Harpur eldest son born 9 Feb 1888 at Beresford
Place, Armagh. He attended St Oswald College in Ellesmer and the Royal School,
Armagh. He married Isabel Gertrude (Dolly) Wrigley at Brampford Speke. He
volunteered in 1914, granted a commission in 1915 and served with the Royal
Army Service Corps. He had a passion for automobiles and was a pioneer of
commercial flying. He worked with Harry Ferguson, the first Irishman to design,
build and fly his own monoplane and for Hutton’s of Summerhill, the Talbott
Derracq agents. He joined Shell in 1922 and when in 1932 Shell Mex merged with
BP, he became managing director. Shell had their own plane, a Puss Moth, for
carrying out inspections. That same year he was one of the 14 passengers on the
first commercial flight from Baldonnell to Berlin (refuelling in Croydon and
Rotterdam). The 30 seater plane also carried over 1000 pieces of mail.
From Flight Magazine 1932
Our Irish Correspondent informs us that on October 22nd a flight by a Fokker monoplane,
organised by Col. Charles F. Russell, one-time Commander of the Irish Free State Air Corps, will
be made from Dublin to Berlin to demonstrate the possibilities of a regular service to the
business community of Ireland. It is understood that the flight is being made in co-operation
with Royal Dutch Air Lines. The machine, it is stated will be a 30-seater and in addition to
passengers, arrangements are being made with the Free State Department of Posts and
Telegraphs to carry a limited quantity of mails. The aeroplane will leave Dublin in the morning
and return on the following day; the return fare being £15. Subscriptions for the organising of
the flight and campaign for the promotion of aviation in Ireland have been received from
many important business men in Dublin and the Association of Chambers of Commerce,
Dublin, has expressed an interest in the project.
They lived at Geraldine House Milltown and had moved to Thendara (formerly
Mount Anville Lodge) by 1936. Hugh was a member of the Masonic Order and a
member of Milltown Golf Club. He retired from Shell in 1948 but remained as
chairman of the board. He died at Thendara on 9 Jun 1953, his son in law Stanley
the informant. Dolly died 15 Nov 1972 aged 86 at The Cottage, Clonskeagh, the
residence of her daughter and son in law.
1 Ursula Marguerite St George Harpur born 2 Jul 1914 at Baggot Street,
father resident at Coolgreany, Rathfarnham. She married Stanley
Morgan Huet and they lived at The Cottage, Clonskeagh.
2 Muriel Gwynn Harpur born 16 Nov 1890 at the rectory at Ardglass. She died
21 Dec 1895 from peritonitis and was buried at Loughgilly.
3 Stillborn daughter Harpur born 17 Dec 1891 at the Rectory, Ardglass.
4 Henry Eric St George (Eric) Harpur* second son born circa 1893. He volunteered
in 1914 and was granted a commission in 1915 with the Royal Irish Rifles. Henry
was severely injured by shell shock during shelling of his position on 1 Feb 1916.
His condition was so severe that he was invalided out of the army into the care of
his parents in Caledon, Tyrone being unable to look after himself - his father had
retired there from the ministry. He was essentially a on-functioning emotional
and nervous wreck - in the words of one specialist doctor who examined him, the
worst case of shell shock he had ever encountered. His father wrote many letters
to the War Office pleading for financial help in the form of wound gratuities given
the family's dire financial state since the father was "barely existing" on his small
pension. He also helped him set up a poultry farm as a means of assisting his
recovery as well as earning some income.
He married Elizabeth Lindsay Staples on 5 July 1933 at All Saints, Blackrock.
Elizabeth was the second daughter of Thomas Staples and Mary Ussher Greer.
She was nearly 20 years his junior and they had a daughter. Eric died within hours
of his father in a Belfast Hospital on 27 Nov 1947. He was interred at Loughgilly,
Co Armagh in a double funeral. He was survived by his widow and 10 year old
daughter Elizabeth. His widow Elizabeth had a second and third marriage.
5 Maziere Harpur (Henry) youngest son born 5 Mar 1894 at Dromilt, Co Armagh.
Second Lieutenant J Henry de la Maziere Harpur, 15th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles,
was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry for carrying in a wounded man under
very heavy shrapnel and machine-gun fire. He enlisted in the 13th Battalion, Royal
Irish Rifles. In January, 1915, he was given his commission in the 17th Battalion
R I R, and was subsequently transferred to the 15th Battalion.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - October 2023
* Information on Eric Harpur kindly provided by David Marshall
Return to Mount Anville Lodge/Thendara page
Henry Singleton de la Maziere Harpur married Sara Septima St George
born 25 Sep 1863 12 Apr 1887 born circa 1863
Parsonage, Kildare Armagh Co Armagh
died 26 Nov 1947 died 22 Jul 1929
Tandragee
Henry Singleton Maziere Harpur born circa 1863 son of the Rev Thomas Bernard Harpur
and Jane Law. Henry took Holy orders. He married Sara Septima (Saisie) St George on
12 Apr 1887 at St Mark’s Church, Armagh. Saisie was the youngest daughter of
Christopher St George and Eliza Turner of 4 Beresford Row, Armagh. Henry was curate
of Drumbeg and appointed rector of Ardglass in 1889, Loughgilly Armagh by 1893 and
Killeshandra by 1915. Saisie died 22 July 1929 at Tandragee. Henry’s older brother Dr
Francis John Harpur, founder of the Old Cairo Hospital in Egypt, came to live with him on
retirement. Henry died 26 Nov 1947 and was interred at Loughgilly.
1 Thomas Hugh St George (Hugh) Harpur eldest son born 9 Feb 1888 at Beresford
Place, Armagh. He attended St Oswald College in Ellesmer and the Royal School,
Armagh. He married Isabel Gertrude (Dolly) Wrigley at Brampford Speke. He
volunteered in 1914, granted a commission in 1915 and served with the Royal
Army Service Corps. He had a passion for automobiles and was a pioneer of
commercial flying. He worked with Harry Ferguson, the first Irishman to design,
build and fly his own monoplane and for Hutton’s of Summerhill, the Talbott
Derracq agents. He joined Shell in 1922 and when in 1932 Shell Mex merged with
BP, he became managing director. Shell had their own plane, a Puss Moth, for
carrying out inspections. That same year he was one of the 14 passengers on the
first commercial flight from Baldonnell to Berlin (refuelling in Croydon and
Rotterdam). The 30 seater plane also carried over 1000 pieces of mail.
From Flight Magazine 1932
Our Irish Correspondent informs us that on October 22nd a flight by a Fokker monoplane,
organised by Col. Charles F. Russell, one-time Commander of the Irish Free State Air Corps, will
be made from Dublin to Berlin to demonstrate the possibilities of a regular service to the
business community of Ireland. It is understood that the flight is being made in co-operation
with Royal Dutch Air Lines. The machine, it is stated will be a 30-seater and in addition to
passengers, arrangements are being made with the Free State Department of Posts and
Telegraphs to carry a limited quantity of mails. The aeroplane will leave Dublin in the morning
and return on the following day; the return fare being £15. Subscriptions for the organising of
the flight and campaign for the promotion of aviation in Ireland have been received from
many important business men in Dublin and the Association of Chambers of Commerce,
Dublin, has expressed an interest in the project.
They lived at Geraldine House Milltown and had moved to Thendara (formerly
Mount Anville Lodge) by 1936. Hugh was a member of the Masonic Order and a
member of Milltown Golf Club. He retired from Shell in 1948 but remained as
chairman of the board. He died at Thendara on 9 Jun 1953, his son in law Stanley
the informant. Dolly died 15 Nov 1972 aged 86 at The Cottage, Clonskeagh, the
residence of her daughter and son in law.
1 Ursula Marguerite St George Harpur born 2 Jul 1914 at Baggot Street,
father resident at Coolgreany, Rathfarnham. She married Stanley
Morgan Huet and they lived at The Cottage, Clonskeagh.
2 Muriel Gwynn Harpur born 16 Nov 1890 at the rectory at Ardglass. She died
21 Dec 1895 from peritonitis and was buried at Loughgilly.
3 Stillborn daughter Harpur born 17 Dec 1891 at the Rectory, Ardglass.
4 Henry Eric St George (Eric) Harpur* second son born circa 1893. He volunteered
in 1914 and was granted a commission in 1915 with the Royal Irish Rifles. Henry
was severely injured by shell shock during shelling of his position on 1 Feb 1916.
His condition was so severe that he was invalided out of the army into the care of
his parents in Caledon, Tyrone being unable to look after himself - his father had
retired there from the ministry. He was essentially a on-functioning emotional
and nervous wreck - in the words of one specialist doctor who examined him, the
worst case of shell shock he had ever encountered. His father wrote many letters
to the War Office pleading for financial help in the form of wound gratuities given
the family's dire financial state since the father was "barely existing" on his small
pension. He also helped him set up a poultry farm as a means of assisting his
recovery as well as earning some income.
He married Elizabeth Lindsay Staples on 5 July 1933 at All Saints, Blackrock.
Elizabeth was the second daughter of Thomas Staples and Mary Ussher Greer.
She was nearly 20 years his junior and they had a daughter. Eric died within hours
of his father in a Belfast Hospital on 27 Nov 1947. He was interred at Loughgilly,
Co Armagh in a double funeral. He was survived by his widow and 10 year old
daughter Elizabeth. His widow Elizabeth had a second and third marriage.
5 Maziere Harpur (Henry) youngest son born 5 Mar 1894 at Dromilt, Co Armagh.
Second Lieutenant J Henry de la Maziere Harpur, 15th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles,
was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry for carrying in a wounded man under
very heavy shrapnel and machine-gun fire. He enlisted in the 13th Battalion, Royal
Irish Rifles. In January, 1915, he was given his commission in the 17th Battalion
R I R, and was subsequently transferred to the 15th Battalion.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - October 2023
* Information on Eric Harpur kindly provided by David Marshall
Return to Mount Anville Lodge/Thendara page