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Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry

This page summarises records created by this Family

The summary includes a brief description of the collection(s) (usually including the covering dates of the collection), the name of the archive where they are held, and reference information to help you find the collection.

Date: 1100-2000
History:

The Stewart family settled in the early 17th century in County Donegal, where Ballylawn became its seat. Alexander Stewart (1699-1781) married his cousin Mary, sister and heir of Sir Robert Cowan (d. 1738), through whom he inherited property in County Londonderry, and he also bought lands in County Down, acquiring the manors of Newtown and Comber in 1744. The County Down estates were extended by his son Robert (1739-1821), who built Mount Stewart, and who was created Baron Londonderry in 1789, Viscount Castlereagh in 1795, Earl of Londonderry in 1796 and Marquess of Londonderry in 1816.

The 2nd Marquess (1769-1822), known for most of his political career as Lord Castlereagh, married in 1794 Amelia (or Emily), daughter and co-heir of the 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire (for the descent of her properties see Kerr, Marquesses of Lothian). He was succeeded by his brother Charles (1778-1854), who in 1819 had married Frances Anne, daughter of Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, 2nd Bt (1771-1813). She was heir through her father to the Vane and Tempest estates in County Durham (see below), and though her mother, Countess of Antrim in her own right, to Carnlough and other properties in County Antrim. The County Durham estates descended to her son Lord Vane (see below), but the County Antrim properties, following the death of her grandson Lord Herbert Vane-Tempest in 1921, to the family of her daughter Frances, Duchess of Marlborough.

The Tempest family was of medieval origin in County Durham, and enlarged its estates by marriages with the Heath and Wharton families in 1642 and 1706 respectively. John Tempest (1710-76) purchased Wynyard and other estates, but his son John died without surviving issue in 1794, leaving his estates to his nephew Sir Henry Vane, later Vane-Tempest, 2nd Bt, son of Sir Henry Vane, 1st Bt, of Long Newton, County Durham by his (Tempest's) sister Frances. Long Newton had been purchased in 1635 by Sir Henry Vane of Raby (see Vane, Barons Barnard), and settled on his second son George in 1640.

The 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, having succeeded to the County Durham estates in right of his wife, added to them by purchase, the most notable acquisition being Seaham in 1821-2. Also in 1822 he bought Holdernesse (later Londonderry) House in London. On his death in 1854 the Irish estates passed to his son by his first marriage, as 4th Marquess, but the County Durham estates, after his second wife's death in 1865, to his son by her, George Vane (later Vane-Tempest) (1821-84). He succeeded his father as Earl Vane, by special remainder, and also succeeded as 5th Marquess to the Irish estates on the death of his half-brother in 1872. In 1846 he had married Mary, daughter and heir of Sir John Edwards, 1st Bt, of Garth and Plas Machynlleth (Montgomeryshire).

Following the death of the 7th Marquess in 1949 the County Durham estates passed to his son as 8th Marquess, and the Irish estates to his youngest daughter, Lady Mairi Bury. Londonderry House and the Welsh estates were sold (Plas Machynlleth being given to the town of Machynlleth).

Estates in 1883: Co Durham 12,823 acres, Montgomeryshire 7,399 acres, Merionethshire 2,685 acres, Co Down 23,554 acres, Co Londonderry 2,189 acres, Co Donegal 1,673 acres, total 50,323 acres worth £100,118 a year.

Places:
  • Ardglass, County Down
  • Ballylawn, County Donegal
  • Bellaghy, County Londonderry
  • Belmont, Durham
  • Carnlough, County Antrim
  • Comber, County Down
  • Craiganu, County Down
  • Durham, Durham
  • Embleton, Durham
  • Fulham, Middlesex
  • Garron Tower, County Antrim
  • Gilesgate, Durham
  • Gilligate, Durham
  • Kelloe, Durham
  • Killyleagh, County Down
  • London
  • Londonderry, County Londonderry
  • Long Newton, Durham
  • Magherafelt, County Londonderry
  • Mount Stewart, County Down
  • Newtown, County Down
  • Newtownards, County Down
  • Pennal, Merionethshire
  • Penshaw, Durham
  • Plas Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire
  • Ranksborough, Rutland
  • Rogerley, Durham
  • Seaham, Durham
  • Springfield, Rutland
  • Talyllyn, Merionethshire
  • Towyn, Merionethshire
  • West Rainton, Durham
  • Wynyard, Durham
Sources of authority: Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, Guide to Principal Estate and Family Collections L-W, 1999.
Name authority reference: GB/NNAF/F89205 (Former ISAAR ref: GB/NNAF/F10856 )
Collections
Number Description Held by Reference Further information
1
17th cent-20th cent: Co Down (Mount Stewart, Newtownards, etc) and misc Co Antrim (Carnlough, etc), Co Donegal (Ballylawn, etc) and Co Londonderry (Londonderry, etc) deeds, legal and trust papers, rentals, accounts, estate and Stewart and Vane-Tempest-Stewart family papers 17th-20th cent, with Mount Stewart (Co Down) house building and household papers 18th-19th cent, etc
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
NRA 28860 Vane-Tempest-Stewart

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110a]
2
1678-1918: Co Down (Comber, Newtownards, etc) and Co Londonderry (Magherafelt, etc) legal papers
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110c]
3
late 18th cent-early 19th cent: Co Down (Comber, etc) estate papers of John Cleland (d1834) as Londonderry trustee late 18th-early 19th cent, with papers rel to the United Irishmen 1797-1801
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110d]
4
c1810-1839: Co Down (Comber, Mount Stewart, etc) estate agency and election papers of Mark Cassidy (Londonderry agent)
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110e]
5
c1810-1860: Co Down (Mount Stewart, Newtownards, etc) and Co Donegal (Ballylawn, etc) maps and surveys 1824-48 and misc Vane-Tempest-Stewart family papers c1810-60
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110f]
6
1835-1920: Co Antrim (Carnlough, etc) estate papers
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
NRA 28832 McDonnell family
7
1811-1842: Bellaghy (Co Londonderry) legal and estate papers
National Records of Scotland (formerly National Archives of Scotland)
NRA 10737 Kerr

See HMC Principal family and estate collections A-K, 1996 [58a]
8
12th-20th cent: Durham (Rainton, Seaham, Wynyard, etc) deeds 12th-20th cent and legal and trust papers, rentals, accounts, estate, colliery, harbour and Vane and Vane-Tempest-Stewart family papers 16th-20th cent, with estate papers for Fulham (London) 1829-50, Rutland (Ranksborough and Springfield) 1919-38, Plas Machynlleth (Montgomeryshire) 1906-51, Co Antrim (Carnlough, etc) mid 19th cent and Co Down (Mount Stewart, Newtownards, etc) 19th cent, household papers for Rogerley (Durham) 1647, Seaham (Durham) 19th cent, Wynyard (Durham) c1819-1950 and Londonderry House (London) 1822-1950, papers of John Buddle, agent and colliery viewer, 1818-43 and the Seaham Colliery Explosion Fund records 1880-1930, etc
Durham County Record Office
NRA 11528 Vane-Tempest-Stewart

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110g]
9
1699-1873: Durham (Seaham, Wynyard, etc) deeds, legal and trust papers
Durham County Record Office
NRA 18297 Durham RO misc

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110h]
10
1916-1939: Durham (Seaham, etc) legal papers rel to Londonderry Collieries Ltd
Durham County Record Office
NRA 18297 Durham RO misc

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110i]
11
1634-1964: Gilligate or Gilesgate in Belmont (Durham) manorial records
Durham County Record Office
NRA 28524 Durham Gilligate

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110j]
12
early 19th cent: Durham (Seaham, etc) estate and colliery agency papers of John Buddle (1773-1843)
Durham County Record Office
NRA 19490 NCB Durham
13
1898-1979: Seaham Harbour Dock Co records
Durham County Record Office
NRA 29256 Seaham Harbour
14
17th cent-20th cent: Merionethshire (Pennal, Towyn, etc) and Montgomeryshire (Plas Machynlleth, etc) deeds, rentals, accounts, estate, slate quarreying and lead mining papers 18th-20th cent, with misc wills settlements and papers rel to the predecessor Edwards family 17th-19th cent
National Library of Wales: Department of Collection Services
NRA 28748 Vane-Tempest-Stewart

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110k]
15
1879-1897: Plas Machynlleth (Montgomeryshire) estate account book
National Library of Wales: Department of Collection Services
NRA 38540 HE Roberts

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110l]
16
1805-1957: misc Vane-Tempest-Stewart family papers, incl papers of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry (1778-1854) and of Harford Montgomery Hyde (1907-1989) as private secretary to the 7th Marquess of Londonderry (1878-1949)
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
NRA 40370 Hyde

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110m]
17
18th cent-19th cent: Vane-Tempest-Stewart family papers, mainly those of the 2nd Marquess of Londonderry (1769-1822), the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry (1778-1854) and Frances Anne, Marchioness of Londonderry (1800-1865)
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
NRA 12865 Stewart

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110a]
18
19th cent-20th cent: Vane-Tempest-Stewart family papers, mainly those of the 7th Marquess of Londonderry (1878-1949), Edith Helen, Marchioness of Londonderry (1879-1959) and the 1st Viscount Chaplin (1840-1923)
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
NRA 19803 Stewart

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110a]
19
c1812-1880: Vane-Tempest-Stewart family trust and legal papers
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110b]
20
1874-1919: papers of Theresa, Marchioness of Londonderry (1856-1919)
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
NRA 25609 Vane-Tempest-Stewart

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110a]
21
late 18th cent-early 19th cent: misc papers of John Cleland (d1834, Londonderry agent)
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [110d]
22
c1790-1828: corresp of the 2nd Marquess of Londonderry (1769-1822) and his wife
Norfolk Record Office
NRA 4641 Kerr

See HMC Principal family and estate collections A-K, 1996 [58l]
23
late 18th cent-early 19th cent: corresp of Frances, Marchioness of Londonderry (1750-1833)
Kent History and Library Centre
NRA 8410
Related record creators
  Record creator Description of relationship Dates Category of relationship
1
Wife of 1st Viscount Allendale; daughter of the 5th Marquess of Londonderry
Family