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Godfrey

The Godfrey family were granted in 1668 the confiscated Spring estate of Kilcolman Abbey, near Milltown, Co.Kerry.
They built a new house, Bushfield House, before 1700.

Sir William Godfrey, 1st Baronet,
born 1739,
of Bushfield, Kilcolman, Milltown, Co.Kerry.
See wikipedia.
He mar 1761 to Agnes Blennerhassett [born 12 Oct 1740, descendant of Edward III].
Marriage settlement dated 14 and 15 Aug 1761.
Bushfield House was destroyed by fire c.1774.
William soon after re-modelled a nearby tower house to live in.
High Sheriff of Co. Kerry 1780-1781.
He kept a mistress and had about 10 natural children. He and Agnes separated. See Deed of 1783.
MP for Tralee 1783-1790.
He was cr Baronet 1785.
Agnes died 1799.
He died 23 Jan 1817 (or 19 Jan), age 78 yrs.
Sir William and Agnes had issue:

1. Sir John Godfrey, 2nd Baronet,
   born at Elmgrove, 17 June 1763.
   He built a new house at Kilcolman, called Milltown House, later called Kilcolman Abbey (or Kilcoleman Abbey).
   Ancestor of Godfrey, Baronets.

   
   

2. Rev. William Godfrey,
   born at Elmgrove, 22 December 1764.
   Rector of Kenmare, Co.Kerry.
   He mar 1796 to Lucy Day and had issue.

   
   

3. Arabella Godfrey.
   She mar 11 August 1798 [Kilcolman CoI par records] to Rev. John Day and had issue.

Bushfield House, Milltown, Co.Kerry.
From p.187 of [Taylor and Skinner, 1777].

Kilcolman Abbey, Milltown, Co.Kerry, on 1829 to 1842 map.

Kilcolman Abbey.
From here.
The house was demolished in 1970s. It is now vanished and a housing estate built on the site.
See modern map and street view of entrance to estate.

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References

• GODFREY in [Burkes Peerage]
• KILCOLEMAN ABBEY in [Houses of Kerry]

• Page B 21 in Blennerhassett of Ballyseedy by Bill Jehan.

• Marriage settlement of Agnes Blennerhassett and William Godfrey. Two deeds, both dated Aug 1761.
  • Deed of 15 Aug 1761. Registered 1761. [LR] 213 229 140880.
  • Deed of 14 and 15 Aug 1761. Registered 1761. [LR] 213 232 140882.
  • Both deeds are witnessed by George Cashell of Dublin, attorney.

• Deed of 29 Sept 1783. Refers to the 1761 marriage settlement. This looks like their separation. [LR] 357 48 238554.

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Sources yet to be consulted

• Godfrey deeds and papers, 18th-19th century. In private possession in Ireland.
• Godfrey papers, 18th-19th century. In private possession in UK.
• [NLI]. Reports on Private Collections. No. 471. "Report on Godfrey papers, letters & other materials relating to Godfrey & other families in Kerry, including Day & Coltsmann, 1778-1865".

• Articles by Valerie Bary, Irish Ancestor.
  • "Household Lists 1826-1838 made by Lady Godfrey of Kilcoleman Abbey, Co. Kerry". XI (1979), 30-44
  • "The Hunting Diaries (1863-1872) of Sir John Fermor Godfrey of Kilcoleman Abbey, Co. Kerry". XI (1979), 107-118 and XII (1980), 13-25

• "The Godfrey Papers", series of articles by Valerie Bary and Jane Spring, Journal of the KAHS.
  • The Godfrey papers: abstracts of the eighteenth-century deeds. XX (1987), 32-78
  • The Godfrey papers: abstracts of deeds, 1800-1839. XXI (1988), 42-101
  • The Godfrey papers: abstracts of deeds, 1840-1848. XXII (1989), 35-60
  • The Godfrey papers: abstracts of deeds, 1850-1858. XXIII (1990), 48-68
  • The Godfrey papers: abstracts of deeds 1860-1898. XXIV (1991), 72-94

• GODFREY on p.62 of [Smith, 1756].

• John G. Knightly research:
  • "Eleanor Godfrey - a tradition of landlord philanthropy". Journal of the KAHS ser. 2, II (2003), 87-102.
  • "The Godfrey estate during the Great Famine". Journal of the KAHS Series II, V, 2 (2005), 125-153.
  • "The Godfrey family and their estate". PhD Thesis, UCD, 2009.
  • "The evolution of a Kerry demesne, 1730-1830: Kilcoleman Abbey, Milltown", in [Bric, 2020].

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• Godfrey estate
• Kilcoleman Abbey