Westbury

NAME                      Westbury, St. Philomena's home for the children of unmarried mothers,
                                 Saint Philomena’s Primary School and Marillac Marillac secondary school.

AREA LOCATION   STILLORGAN, Kilmacud Road Upper on the section that runs from the Kilmacud
                                 Road Lower to the junction at Stillorgan Heath.
 
MAP LOCATION    OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Kilmacud East
                                 and it is annotated as Westbury on both.
 
GENERAL                 An eighteenth Century house, two storey five bay with a cut stone ionic portico.
The house had a Pilkington heraldic window which has since been altered.  Some internal original
features in the dining room and ballroom are still in existence (2016).  The 'Chinese stove' pillars
entrance screen and railings which served both Clonmore and Westbury now serve as the entrance
to Stillorgan Wood housing estate.  There were two gate lodges which are no longer extant.  It would
have been one of the most imposing houses in the area, east facing with panoramic views of Dublin
bay.  It may have had a tower at some point, which the Pilkingtons (ship owners) used as an eagles
​nest to watch out for their ships coming into port. 

YEAR BUILT             Original house built circa 1760 rebuilt circa 1835
 
VALUATION             In 1912 the valuation was 265 pounds and in the 1901 census it is noted as
                                   having 24 rooms occupied by family.
 
ARCHITECT               Unknown 
 
SOURCES                   Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Wilson family in Surrey,
​                                    OSI Maps and NAI Census & Wills
  
OCCUPANTS

1835 - 1837              Edmund O’Beirne
1837 - 1857              Thomas Wilson
1858 - 1887              Joseph Wilson
1888 - 1919              Frederick C. Pilkington
1920 - 1930              Mr William (Liam) Devlin 
1930                          Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul
1942                          Primary School known as Saint Philomena’s and the Secondary School as Marillac.  
1971                          Handmaids of the Sacred Hearts renamed St Raphaelas in 1977
1977 - to-date          St Raphaela's Secondary School
​

STAFF
1849                          Bernard Solan - Gate Keeper
1860                          William Earl
1875                          Charles Hasell - Gardener
1889                          Joseph Baker - Gardener
1894                          Richard Cooper - Butler/Gardener
1866 - 1890              William Stuart  - Stewart/Gardener
1890                          Samuel Crowther - Coachman
​1899                          William Allen - Coachman
1900 - 1902              James Cunningham
1901                          Bridget Shanley - Cook
                                   John Meaney - Butler   
                                   Edward Gannon - Groom
                                   Sarah Delany – 1st Housemaid
                                   Laura Doney - Domestic
                                   Mary Stepleton - Kitchen Maid

1906                          John Henry Steer - Gardener

​1904 - 1907              John Thornton - Gardener (Living in gatelodge)

1911                          William Milan - Butler
                                   Mary Byrne - Cook
                                   Margaret Gavigan – House maid
                                   Mary Ardagh - Housemaid
                                   Mary Callan – Kitchen maid


CURRENT
STATUS                    Extant and in use as a part of St Raphaela's School.

CONTRIBUTOR      © June Bow/Karen Poff
DATE                        April 2017