Vance (Church of Ireland)
The Vance family succeeded the Lees at Blackrock House and were owner occupiers for some 30 years (one generation) until the death of Thomas Vance in 1889 and the grant of probate to his son Captain Eustace John Vance in 1890. From 1892 the house was rented until the auction that eventually sold it to T.C. McCormick.
Thomas Vance, born c.1810 and the head of this household, married Mary Walker in 1844 in Bury. Mary was the eldest daughter of Richard Walker, first MP elected for that constituency. The marriage record gives Leeds as Thomas's address. Since his father Andrew and two brothers Andrew and John are documented as living in Dublin, it seems unlikely that Thomas was born in Leeds but spent time there because of his business interests in the wool sector.
Eleven (known) children were born to the couple, of whom two were sons – Richard and Eustace John – and nine were daughters – Mary Emily, Helena, Kathleen, Alice, Edith Ann, Janetta, Georgina, Florence and Leonora. The last three were born at Blackrock House. Three children died young. Leonora was only six months old when she died in Blackrock. Richard died aged 12. Alice was 4years old when she died in 1854 before the family moved to Blackrock.
The family seems to have been close although the children were scattered in adult life. The sisters in particular visited each other in their various residences and visited their parents in Dublin.
Mary Emily, Edith Anne and Florence all married in Monkstown church – Mary Emily to Fielding Scovell of Ryecroft in Bray, Edith Ann to Charles Arrowsmith, and Florence to Dr Benjamin Beamish whose address at the time of marriage was Langton, Lancashire although he was Irish.
The Scovell couple lived in England and Fielding died there in 1888. The 1891 census shows Mary Emily a widow in Chelsea with her mother and sisters Kathleen and Janetta visiting her. She married for the second time in 1892. Her new husband was Horatio Page Vance, a knight of the realm and (reportedly) her relative, and so her entry in the Calendar of Wills (1904) lists her as Dame Mary Emily Vance.
The Arrowsmiths too made their home in England where Charles was an army officer. By 1891 he had retired from his army career, being described as such in the census. He was the son of an army officer William Arrowsmith and was born in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) where presumably his father was stationed. His death record has still to be found but Edith Ann is described in the 1911 census as a widow and living back in Dublin with her daughter. Edith later returned to England where she took up residence in Portsmouth.
The Beamish couple also spent time in England – in Buckinghamshire where Benjamin was a general medical practitioner and their first son was born. They later moved to Newry, Co Down where their second son was born. Helena Vance is listed as a visitor (with independent means) to their house in the 1901 census. It seems that Benjamin and Florence died in England but this has still to be confirmed. Florence was still living in 1939 (in Hampshire) although she was by then an invalid.
Georgina married Arthur Cleveland Heathcote, a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, in Chelsea in 1886. The couple lived in Hampshire with their six-year old son. In 1911 the census tells that Georgina is visiting Blackrock while Arthur is visiting his mother in Hampshire.
In 1875 in Lucknow, Eustace John married Alice Harding who had been born Bombay. Eustace had a distinguished army career and at least one of his children was born at sea.
Kathleen and Janetta lived in England, either together as indicated in the census of 1911 or visiting each other, and describing themselves as living on independent means.
Thomas's main business was the cloth trade under the name of Vance and Beers. He had his warehouse in Bridge Street in Dublin city. Additional business interests included the Gresham Hotel, the Henry Street Warehouse Company, McKenzie & Co on Great Brunswick Street, the Royal Insurance Company, the Dublin United Tramways Company, and several others.
Politics may have been a family interest. Thomas's brother, John Vance, was a Conservative MP for Dublin 1852-1865 and later for Armagh City from 1867 until he died in 1875. His father-in-law Richard Walker was the first MP elected for the newly formed constituency of Bury in 1832. A Liberal, Walker remained at the House of Commons until 1852. Thomas himself was also very active in politics. A Conservative, he spent some time as a representative of the Rotunda ward on Dublin Corporation although his candidacy was contested because he did not actually live in the ward but only had his business there. He was a member of, and chair of, the Blackrock Town Commission. He was also a member of the Poor Law Board of Guardians Commission that managed the workhouses and other charitable functions.
The Vances seem to have lived a sociable and privileged life, with their activities frequently reported in the press. Given the amenities of Blackrock House it is not hard to imagine that theirs was a world of tennis and bathing parties, and jaunts in Thomas Vance's yacht that he kept in his harbour that still bears his name.
Thomas died suddenly on 16 October 1889 at his home Blackrock House. One of his daughters was with him but she is not named in the newspaper reports. He had spent the day in the city and returned home to dine as usual. After dinner, he complained to his daughter of headache. A doctor was summoned but it was too late. He was buried in the family vault in Mount Jerome cemetery.
Probate of Thomas Vance's will (personal estate valued at £32, 880) was granted to his executors – his son Eustace John Vance and his sons-in-law Arthur Cleveland Heathcote and Benjamin Beamish. The latter had replaced Fielding Scovell who had died earlier. The will mentions, as beneficiaries, his son Eustace John and daughters Mrs Emily Scovell, Mrs Edith Ann Arrowsmith, Mrs Georgina Florence Heathcote, Helena, Kathleen and Janetta. There is no mention of the widow Mary Vance in the press reports of the will. This is curious because she outlived Thomas by 10 years. She died in London in 1899 attended by her daughter Edith.
The family name is still retained in the vicinity of Blackrock House though the naming of the harbour below the house as Vance's Harbour where, it is said, Thomas kept a yacht.
Thomas Vance Profile
Born c.1810
Died 1889
Buried Mount Jerome
Father Andrew Vance 1763-1849
Mother Mary Falls
Siblings John 1808-1875.
James 1811
Andrew 1815-1862
William 1818-1855
Jane Eliza 1810-
Ann 1816-
Mary c1806-1832
Spouse Mary Walker (1818-1899), married 1844 in Bury, Lancashire.
Children Mary Emily 1845-1904
Helena Augusta 1846-1921
Richard Andrew Sidney 1848-1860
Kathleen c1849-1934
Alice 1850-1854
Eustace John 1852-1892
Edith Ann 1853-aft 1939
Janetta 1855-1921
Georgina Florence 1856-1938
Florence 1857-aft 1939
Leonora 1858-1859
Sources General Registry Office UK, General Register Office Ireland, Church records,
Directories, Press reports, Alumni Dublinenses
Contributor Bríd Nolan & Ross Nolan
Date July 2017. Updated August 2017
The Vance family succeeded the Lees at Blackrock House and were owner occupiers for some 30 years (one generation) until the death of Thomas Vance in 1889 and the grant of probate to his son Captain Eustace John Vance in 1890. From 1892 the house was rented until the auction that eventually sold it to T.C. McCormick.
Thomas Vance, born c.1810 and the head of this household, married Mary Walker in 1844 in Bury. Mary was the eldest daughter of Richard Walker, first MP elected for that constituency. The marriage record gives Leeds as Thomas's address. Since his father Andrew and two brothers Andrew and John are documented as living in Dublin, it seems unlikely that Thomas was born in Leeds but spent time there because of his business interests in the wool sector.
Eleven (known) children were born to the couple, of whom two were sons – Richard and Eustace John – and nine were daughters – Mary Emily, Helena, Kathleen, Alice, Edith Ann, Janetta, Georgina, Florence and Leonora. The last three were born at Blackrock House. Three children died young. Leonora was only six months old when she died in Blackrock. Richard died aged 12. Alice was 4years old when she died in 1854 before the family moved to Blackrock.
The family seems to have been close although the children were scattered in adult life. The sisters in particular visited each other in their various residences and visited their parents in Dublin.
Mary Emily, Edith Anne and Florence all married in Monkstown church – Mary Emily to Fielding Scovell of Ryecroft in Bray, Edith Ann to Charles Arrowsmith, and Florence to Dr Benjamin Beamish whose address at the time of marriage was Langton, Lancashire although he was Irish.
The Scovell couple lived in England and Fielding died there in 1888. The 1891 census shows Mary Emily a widow in Chelsea with her mother and sisters Kathleen and Janetta visiting her. She married for the second time in 1892. Her new husband was Horatio Page Vance, a knight of the realm and (reportedly) her relative, and so her entry in the Calendar of Wills (1904) lists her as Dame Mary Emily Vance.
The Arrowsmiths too made their home in England where Charles was an army officer. By 1891 he had retired from his army career, being described as such in the census. He was the son of an army officer William Arrowsmith and was born in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) where presumably his father was stationed. His death record has still to be found but Edith Ann is described in the 1911 census as a widow and living back in Dublin with her daughter. Edith later returned to England where she took up residence in Portsmouth.
The Beamish couple also spent time in England – in Buckinghamshire where Benjamin was a general medical practitioner and their first son was born. They later moved to Newry, Co Down where their second son was born. Helena Vance is listed as a visitor (with independent means) to their house in the 1901 census. It seems that Benjamin and Florence died in England but this has still to be confirmed. Florence was still living in 1939 (in Hampshire) although she was by then an invalid.
Georgina married Arthur Cleveland Heathcote, a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, in Chelsea in 1886. The couple lived in Hampshire with their six-year old son. In 1911 the census tells that Georgina is visiting Blackrock while Arthur is visiting his mother in Hampshire.
In 1875 in Lucknow, Eustace John married Alice Harding who had been born Bombay. Eustace had a distinguished army career and at least one of his children was born at sea.
Kathleen and Janetta lived in England, either together as indicated in the census of 1911 or visiting each other, and describing themselves as living on independent means.
Thomas's main business was the cloth trade under the name of Vance and Beers. He had his warehouse in Bridge Street in Dublin city. Additional business interests included the Gresham Hotel, the Henry Street Warehouse Company, McKenzie & Co on Great Brunswick Street, the Royal Insurance Company, the Dublin United Tramways Company, and several others.
Politics may have been a family interest. Thomas's brother, John Vance, was a Conservative MP for Dublin 1852-1865 and later for Armagh City from 1867 until he died in 1875. His father-in-law Richard Walker was the first MP elected for the newly formed constituency of Bury in 1832. A Liberal, Walker remained at the House of Commons until 1852. Thomas himself was also very active in politics. A Conservative, he spent some time as a representative of the Rotunda ward on Dublin Corporation although his candidacy was contested because he did not actually live in the ward but only had his business there. He was a member of, and chair of, the Blackrock Town Commission. He was also a member of the Poor Law Board of Guardians Commission that managed the workhouses and other charitable functions.
The Vances seem to have lived a sociable and privileged life, with their activities frequently reported in the press. Given the amenities of Blackrock House it is not hard to imagine that theirs was a world of tennis and bathing parties, and jaunts in Thomas Vance's yacht that he kept in his harbour that still bears his name.
Thomas died suddenly on 16 October 1889 at his home Blackrock House. One of his daughters was with him but she is not named in the newspaper reports. He had spent the day in the city and returned home to dine as usual. After dinner, he complained to his daughter of headache. A doctor was summoned but it was too late. He was buried in the family vault in Mount Jerome cemetery.
Probate of Thomas Vance's will (personal estate valued at £32, 880) was granted to his executors – his son Eustace John Vance and his sons-in-law Arthur Cleveland Heathcote and Benjamin Beamish. The latter had replaced Fielding Scovell who had died earlier. The will mentions, as beneficiaries, his son Eustace John and daughters Mrs Emily Scovell, Mrs Edith Ann Arrowsmith, Mrs Georgina Florence Heathcote, Helena, Kathleen and Janetta. There is no mention of the widow Mary Vance in the press reports of the will. This is curious because she outlived Thomas by 10 years. She died in London in 1899 attended by her daughter Edith.
The family name is still retained in the vicinity of Blackrock House though the naming of the harbour below the house as Vance's Harbour where, it is said, Thomas kept a yacht.
Thomas Vance Profile
Born c.1810
Died 1889
Buried Mount Jerome
Father Andrew Vance 1763-1849
Mother Mary Falls
Siblings John 1808-1875.
James 1811
Andrew 1815-1862
William 1818-1855
Jane Eliza 1810-
Ann 1816-
Mary c1806-1832
Spouse Mary Walker (1818-1899), married 1844 in Bury, Lancashire.
Children Mary Emily 1845-1904
Helena Augusta 1846-1921
Richard Andrew Sidney 1848-1860
Kathleen c1849-1934
Alice 1850-1854
Eustace John 1852-1892
Edith Ann 1853-aft 1939
Janetta 1855-1921
Georgina Florence 1856-1938
Florence 1857-aft 1939
Leonora 1858-1859
Sources General Registry Office UK, General Register Office Ireland, Church records,
Directories, Press reports, Alumni Dublinenses
Contributor Bríd Nolan & Ross Nolan
Date July 2017. Updated August 2017