Interesting.

This a roundabout way but it is Interesting...

Robert Leigh of Rosegarland, married to Sir Caesar’s daughter, and eventual successor, gives a very interesting account of Sir Caesar’s possessions in that part of the County, his manuscript is published as I said before in the Kilkenny Archaeological Journal for 1858 /9, and need not be repeated here. He gives incidentally the inscription verbatim upon Sir Anthony’s Tomb, in the old Church at Tintern. It appears from Sir Caesar’s will – which w – that he had some years previous to its date, broken the entail on his property, with a view no doubt, to entailing on his daughter, in case his son should leave no issue and this, he accordingly did, providing, that she and her husband, and issue, should take the name of Colclough with remainders Duffry Hall, and his male issue with remainders over to testator's most remote male relations, and in default of such, the female succeeding to the Estates, to take name of Colclough, Sir Caesar was succeeded by his only son.

Sir Caesar the 3rd and last Baronet, of whom I have been able to learn absolutely nothing, except that he died unmarried three years after his father, and succeeded in his Estates by his only sister.  

Margaret, then the wife of Robert Leigh of Rosegarland which place was had been granted to his ancestor at the Restoration. Margaret who was a woman of mind and who possessed great personal attractions, appears to have been in every way worthy of representing her family. She, in accordance with her father's Will, and immediately after her brother's death, assumed the name of Colclough and managed the affairs of her estate with dignity and foresight. It is said that she invariably presided in person over the Baronial Court held under Charter in the Demesne. I am in possession of a plan of the Court House, the ground floor of which was used as a Market, and am indebted for it to my worthy old friend Richard Gill, now alas no more, and whose retentive memory was a storehouse of events connected with the family and place, and I now quote from one of his many letters to me, relative to past events promising however that I have thought it well to take some liberties with his grammar and spelling, with reference to the Court and Market House he says: “when young, this (the sketch) with many other things was drafted on a slate to commit to memory.

The loft floor was of oak, for the Manor Court, and for meetings of all sorts, especially theatricals. The ground floor was the Market, and on this two 8 pounders were kept mounted on carriages, and in front there was a space of 80 by 100 feet, kept clean and open, where bonfires were lit on rejoicing days. The full of that house was great. It occurred on the occasion of a rejoicing for Sir Vesey’s victory over Ram and Flood at an election for that County, which was about 1781.  

Madam Pigott during her time presided at Court every 21 days to hear cases connected with her tenants. She had a Chair for herself trimmed with crimson and blue. She also established a Funeral Committee of 30 persons, with scarfs and hat bands, black gloves, with a view of the Market House, with a woman to attend and care them. At this time she decorated the little Church in grand style, and gave the present Plate and Chalice.  It was she who took down the north boundary wall,(of the Abbey) and did away with the mounted Dragoons that should patrol around the Abbey, which was a principal injunction in Queen Elizabeth last letter to Sir Thomas. She (Madam P.) was called the Elizabeth of her day. After the destruction of the House, the Clerk of the Church had the care of the mourning cloths till the fatal year of ‘98, when they were included in the general destruction.”    A year after the death of her first husband, Margaret Leigh Colclough (better known locally as Madam Pigott) married as second wife to her cousin Councillor John Pigott of Kilfenny Co. Limerick, who also took the name of Colclough. A settlement was executed on the occasion of this marriage, which afterwards caused a great deal of unhappiness to the parties, in as much as, that failing issue, it gave the survivor the power of disposing of the estates, so that if Pigott survived he might, and probably would have, left them to his own issue by his first wife, a contingency that Madam Pigott in no wise approved of, and in case of accidents, as the story was told to me by Richard Gill, she one day in her husband's presence, took the deeds out of the strong box, and put them into the fire, remaining guard over them till they were consumed. This would not have availed her, for the Councillor had taken the precaution to have them registered, but eventually she had her own way, for as she herself was the survivor, she was enabled to carry out the darling wish of her heart by settling her estates on her cousin and male heir, Caesar of Duffry Hall, the grandson of Patrick, who was the first in remainder, under the will of Margaret’s father.  The difficulties between husband and wife, however, apparently smoothed over for she erected a handsome Tablet to his memory in Saint Paul’s Church, Dublin, and desired in her Will that in case she died in Dublin she should be placed beside her dear second husband.

A well-known and rather disreputable character in his day, Lord Altham, was a Tenant of Mrs Pigott Colclough’s at Dunmaine, and there the child was born, about whom in after days, there was so much litigation in connection with his claim to the Anglesey Tithe and Estates2. The evidence given on the trials was so conflicting that to this day I am unable to make up my mind whether the boy was Lady Altham’s son or not, but this at least is certain that Mrs. Colclough was his godmother. 

 I was in Wexford.

Now an I place, St. Iberius Church Wexford town. Built about 1660 possibly on an oratory site used by the St Iber. I think Oscar Wilde's forbearerers attended here. Some long time after them, last October (2017) on the way back from a sojourn around Fethard on Sea, and Tintern, I called in to St. Iberius church. I would say its well worth a visit. If you climb the stairs to the left as you go in you can sit on the Colclough seats looking down on the altar, there’s  a coat of arms, you can bask in family history.

Slán go fóill

John