Lyons of Roebuck Cottage
John Charles Lyons married Penelope Melesina Tuite
born 22 Aug 1792 14 Mar 1820
Ledeston, Mullingar
died 3 Sep 1874 died 10 Feb 1855
Ledeston, Mullingar Ledeston, Mullingar
John Charles Lyons born on 22 Aug 1792, was the only child of Charles John Lyons and Mary Anne
Levinge. His father died when he was four and he succeeded to the estate on the death of his
grandfather John in 1803. He was educated at a boarding school in Reading and then at Pembroke
College, Oxford. He returned to Ledeston on the death of his grandfather and didn’t graduate. In
1813 he rebuilt Ledestown as a Georgian Mansion incorporating part of the old house and a tower
house into the structure. He acted as an Agent to the Commission and had an office at 12 Kildare
Street and his County Dublin Residence at Woodfield, Roebuck, later named Roebuck Cottage. He
married Penelope Melesina Tuite on 14 Mar 1820. Penelope was the only daughter of Henry Tuite, of
Sonna near Mullingar, Co Westmeath. He was a JP and DL and elected lifetime member of the RDS in
1823. A keen horticulturist and inventor, he made a heating and watering system for his glasshouses
which housed his orchids. He bought a printing press in Edinburgh in 1820 and then in 1827
constructed a larger printing-press to print his own books. He built clocks, wrote poetry, painted and
sculpted. In 1838 he was secretary of the Westmeath Horticultural society. In the same year he
imported tropical orchids from Mexico, and in 1839 received thirty-five specimens from Trinidad. He
is attributed with producing the first manual on orchid cultivation in 1843 ‘Remarks in the Management
of Orchidaceous Plants’ for which he received a gold medal from the RHS. His cattleya labiate and
phalaenopsis amabilis orchids also won many awards at the RHS. He published at least two other books
for public subscription. ‘Estates forfeited in the County of Westmeath in the year 1641,’ and ‘The Grand
Juries of Westmeath from 1727 to 1853'. He also used his press to print antiquarian and genealogical
works including histories of the Levinge and Nugent families.
1 Charles Lyons born 7 Feb 1821 lived in Mallow. He died a bachelor on 24 Feb 1859 in Co Cork.
His death notice does not mention his father and he is noted at the nephew of Hugh M Tuite.
2 Mary Anne Melesina Lyons only daughter married James Malley on 24 Feb 1848 at St Thomas’
Church. James was the second son of William Malley of Ballyvarry, County Mayo.
John Charles secondly married Frances Ellen Walsh 12 Nov 1856 at St George’s Church Dublin. Frances
was the third daughter of Thomas Walsh, of Bellvue, Co Westmeath. She was over forty years his junior.
He was chairman of the Mullingar Board of Guardians and retired in 1867 citing ill health. John Charles
died on 3 Sep 1874, and was interred in the churchyard of Mullingar, Co Westmeath. He left 5k in personal
estate and a memorial was erected in Mullingar (All Saints) Church by his wife. Frances died at 46 Barrow
Road, Streatham, London on 9 Jan 1929 aged 94 and left 3K in personal estate. Ladestown House was for
sale in 1967 and was subsequently demolished. Some out offices, stables and the gatelodge survive. In
1876 the estate consisted of 1,754 acres in counties Westmeath and Meath.
3 Caroline Constance (Constance) Lyons born 27 Jun 1858 at Ledestown presented at Court in 1880
married, William Owen Daly on 6 May 1885 at St Stephen’s Church. William was a lieutenant in the
1st Battalion Prince of Wales Leinster and was the eldest son of W Dawson Daly of Riversdale,
Galway and grandson of Owen Daly of Mornington, Westmeath.
4 Mary Anne Camilla (Camilla) Lyons born 8 Dec 1859 at Lediston was presented at Court in 1880.
5 John-Charles Lyons born 1 Feb 1861 married Evelyn Maude Pilkington on 29 Nov 1882. Evelyn was
the daughter of Frederick Pilkington of Newberry Hall, Co Kildare. A marriage settlement of 10K
by way of an insurance policy was agreed by John in favour of his wife and any issue. The couple
separated circa 1897. John got into financial difficulty and volunteered to go to the front in South
Africa in 1900. The rent from the estate did not cover the increase in the premium that this would
give rise to, and an injunction was granted to prevent him from going. John moved to
Haverfordwest circa 1900 and died there on 27 Aug 1908. Evelyn died 15 Nov 1930 late of 60
Kensington mansions, Earl's Court and left 2K in personal estate.
1 John Charles Geoffrey (Geoffrey) Pilkington Lyons born 17 Nov 1883 at Ledeston
joined the RAMC in 1908. He married Ida Lapper on 14 May 1914 at St John's in
Sandymount. Ida was the daughter of Edwin Lapper and living at Clyde Road at the time
of her marriage. Geoffrey purchased his grandfather's printing press from the estate of
James Tuite of Mullingar in 1917. John died 13 Sep 1930 and left personal estate of £750.
2 Gladys Maude Pilkington (Pansy) Lyons born 14 Jun 1887 married John Victor Macartney,
MC, Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) on 20 Nov 1922 at Ferezopore
India. John was the son of Lieut Col Macartney of 7 Clanricarde Gardens in London.
3 Coral Cecil Constance Lyons born 27 Sep 1889 at 117 Baggot Street. Coral died a spinster
on 7 Jun 1970 and left £850 in personal estate.
6 Charles John Lyons, younger son born circa 1863 became a surgeon and worked for the British
Honduras medical Service. He married Cora Alicia Persse on 24 Jun 1896 at St Nicholas’ Church,
Galway. Cora was the daughter of Charles Persse and the adopted nice of H S Persse of Glenarde,
Galway. They moved to Johannesburg and later lived at Arcturns, Southern Rhodesia. Charles John
died 17 Jun 1951 aged 88.
1 Alice Eleanor Persse Lyons only child born circa 1900 married Anthony Henry Montagu
Browne at Salisbury Cathedral, Rhodesia on 29 Dec 1924. Anthony was the younger son of
Major Alec Browne of Callaly Castle, Northumberland.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – April 2022
Return to Roebuck Cottage page
John Charles Lyons married Penelope Melesina Tuite
born 22 Aug 1792 14 Mar 1820
Ledeston, Mullingar
died 3 Sep 1874 died 10 Feb 1855
Ledeston, Mullingar Ledeston, Mullingar
John Charles Lyons born on 22 Aug 1792, was the only child of Charles John Lyons and Mary Anne
Levinge. His father died when he was four and he succeeded to the estate on the death of his
grandfather John in 1803. He was educated at a boarding school in Reading and then at Pembroke
College, Oxford. He returned to Ledeston on the death of his grandfather and didn’t graduate. In
1813 he rebuilt Ledestown as a Georgian Mansion incorporating part of the old house and a tower
house into the structure. He acted as an Agent to the Commission and had an office at 12 Kildare
Street and his County Dublin Residence at Woodfield, Roebuck, later named Roebuck Cottage. He
married Penelope Melesina Tuite on 14 Mar 1820. Penelope was the only daughter of Henry Tuite, of
Sonna near Mullingar, Co Westmeath. He was a JP and DL and elected lifetime member of the RDS in
1823. A keen horticulturist and inventor, he made a heating and watering system for his glasshouses
which housed his orchids. He bought a printing press in Edinburgh in 1820 and then in 1827
constructed a larger printing-press to print his own books. He built clocks, wrote poetry, painted and
sculpted. In 1838 he was secretary of the Westmeath Horticultural society. In the same year he
imported tropical orchids from Mexico, and in 1839 received thirty-five specimens from Trinidad. He
is attributed with producing the first manual on orchid cultivation in 1843 ‘Remarks in the Management
of Orchidaceous Plants’ for which he received a gold medal from the RHS. His cattleya labiate and
phalaenopsis amabilis orchids also won many awards at the RHS. He published at least two other books
for public subscription. ‘Estates forfeited in the County of Westmeath in the year 1641,’ and ‘The Grand
Juries of Westmeath from 1727 to 1853'. He also used his press to print antiquarian and genealogical
works including histories of the Levinge and Nugent families.
1 Charles Lyons born 7 Feb 1821 lived in Mallow. He died a bachelor on 24 Feb 1859 in Co Cork.
His death notice does not mention his father and he is noted at the nephew of Hugh M Tuite.
2 Mary Anne Melesina Lyons only daughter married James Malley on 24 Feb 1848 at St Thomas’
Church. James was the second son of William Malley of Ballyvarry, County Mayo.
John Charles secondly married Frances Ellen Walsh 12 Nov 1856 at St George’s Church Dublin. Frances
was the third daughter of Thomas Walsh, of Bellvue, Co Westmeath. She was over forty years his junior.
He was chairman of the Mullingar Board of Guardians and retired in 1867 citing ill health. John Charles
died on 3 Sep 1874, and was interred in the churchyard of Mullingar, Co Westmeath. He left 5k in personal
estate and a memorial was erected in Mullingar (All Saints) Church by his wife. Frances died at 46 Barrow
Road, Streatham, London on 9 Jan 1929 aged 94 and left 3K in personal estate. Ladestown House was for
sale in 1967 and was subsequently demolished. Some out offices, stables and the gatelodge survive. In
1876 the estate consisted of 1,754 acres in counties Westmeath and Meath.
3 Caroline Constance (Constance) Lyons born 27 Jun 1858 at Ledestown presented at Court in 1880
married, William Owen Daly on 6 May 1885 at St Stephen’s Church. William was a lieutenant in the
1st Battalion Prince of Wales Leinster and was the eldest son of W Dawson Daly of Riversdale,
Galway and grandson of Owen Daly of Mornington, Westmeath.
4 Mary Anne Camilla (Camilla) Lyons born 8 Dec 1859 at Lediston was presented at Court in 1880.
5 John-Charles Lyons born 1 Feb 1861 married Evelyn Maude Pilkington on 29 Nov 1882. Evelyn was
the daughter of Frederick Pilkington of Newberry Hall, Co Kildare. A marriage settlement of 10K
by way of an insurance policy was agreed by John in favour of his wife and any issue. The couple
separated circa 1897. John got into financial difficulty and volunteered to go to the front in South
Africa in 1900. The rent from the estate did not cover the increase in the premium that this would
give rise to, and an injunction was granted to prevent him from going. John moved to
Haverfordwest circa 1900 and died there on 27 Aug 1908. Evelyn died 15 Nov 1930 late of 60
Kensington mansions, Earl's Court and left 2K in personal estate.
1 John Charles Geoffrey (Geoffrey) Pilkington Lyons born 17 Nov 1883 at Ledeston
joined the RAMC in 1908. He married Ida Lapper on 14 May 1914 at St John's in
Sandymount. Ida was the daughter of Edwin Lapper and living at Clyde Road at the time
of her marriage. Geoffrey purchased his grandfather's printing press from the estate of
James Tuite of Mullingar in 1917. John died 13 Sep 1930 and left personal estate of £750.
2 Gladys Maude Pilkington (Pansy) Lyons born 14 Jun 1887 married John Victor Macartney,
MC, Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) on 20 Nov 1922 at Ferezopore
India. John was the son of Lieut Col Macartney of 7 Clanricarde Gardens in London.
3 Coral Cecil Constance Lyons born 27 Sep 1889 at 117 Baggot Street. Coral died a spinster
on 7 Jun 1970 and left £850 in personal estate.
6 Charles John Lyons, younger son born circa 1863 became a surgeon and worked for the British
Honduras medical Service. He married Cora Alicia Persse on 24 Jun 1896 at St Nicholas’ Church,
Galway. Cora was the daughter of Charles Persse and the adopted nice of H S Persse of Glenarde,
Galway. They moved to Johannesburg and later lived at Arcturns, Southern Rhodesia. Charles John
died 17 Jun 1951 aged 88.
1 Alice Eleanor Persse Lyons only child born circa 1900 married Anthony Henry Montagu
Browne at Salisbury Cathedral, Rhodesia on 29 Dec 1924. Anthony was the younger son of
Major Alec Browne of Callaly Castle, Northumberland.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – April 2022
Return to Roebuck Cottage page