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Ruin near St Margarets (St Margarets House??)

  • 25-07-2011 10:15am
    #1
    steve9859
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,554 ✭✭✭


    We've just spent a few days down in Wexford and the other night were randomly exploring between Kilmore Quay and Rosslare. Anyway, we found ourselves driving past St Margarets Caravan site and down to the beach that runs between St Margarets and Carna. Near the beach (on the left as you are going toward the sea) there is quite a large ruin with a 'Beware of the Bull' sign on the gates. Needless to say, we had to have a poke around (having checked for absence of said bull)

    It is a pretty cool site, and would once have been a beautiful house. There are two large square walled areas to the east of the house, which I could not for the life of me work out what they would have been.

    Having done a bit of a search on google and google maps, I presume that this is St Margarets house.

    I was wondering if any locals know what this place was, who lived there, and if there is anything interesting about it. I just thought it was a really cool site.

    (of course I do not condone trespassing, but the inner child in me was too powerful to resist, and we left the place exactly how we found it)

    Thanks to anyone who can satisfy my curiosity!


Comments

  • #2
    Missent
    Registered Users Posts: 157 ✭✭Missent


    Steve

    According to the Rowe/Scallan book on Wexford houses, it is indeed St. Margarets and was owned by the Cheevers family until Cromwellian times when it was granted to Richard Nunn. He was one of Cromwell's officers and may also have been his son-in-law. A paltry 2,054 acres came with the house. Other owners in the 19th century included Edward Nunn and Joshua Nunn and several houses may have existed on the same site.


  • #3
    steve9859
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,554 ✭✭✭steve9859


    Missent wrote: »
    Steve

    According to the Rowe/Scallan book on Wexford houses, it is indeed St. Margarets and was owned by the Cheevers family until Cromwellian times when it was granted to Richard Nunn. He was one of Cromwell's officers and may also have been his son-in-law. A paltry 2,054 acres came with the house. Other owners in the 19th century included Edward Nunn and Joshua Nunn and several houses may have existed on the same site.

    Thanks for that! I googled Edward Nunn of St Margarets and turns out he was the British appointed Sheriff of Wexford in 1850.

    Mark Cheevers was the Mayor of Wexford who tried to negotiate with Cromwell in 1649 before the bloody Sack of Wexford, so St Margarets could have been his family home. Not clear what happened to him. It could be a coincidence as there are many Cheevers in the records, but it would stand to reason that Cromwell would have taken a high profile residence for his officer (son-in-law?), so St Margaret's could have well have been the mayors family residence

    Its good to have a story (albeit some guesswork!) around the place having thoroughtly explored it!!!


  • #4
    maxjc
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭maxjc


    Steve,

    I was interested to stumble across your interest in St. Margarets, as I am writing a most complex history of Chevers covering a thousand years, but mostly in Ireland. I have nothing much on this place other than a funeral certificate relating to Richard Chivers (frequently mispelt), 2nd son of David also of St. M, and the death looks like Dec 1634, registered with the Ulster King of Arms 1636. The H.Q. of the family was Ballyhealy, near Kilmore, with others at Killiane ( now farmhouse B & B), with the senior branch mainly at Macetown, co Meath, but with interests in Wexford, and Grangeforth, Kilkenny. I would be interested to learn anything you find on St. M. My difficulty is that I make few visits to Ireland, except for a reunion of the class of '61, next week and a visit to Meath, to search Cheeverstown for more information. I can email the Funeral Certificate, but the file appears to big for attaching here.
    With best regards,

    Max Chevers


  • #5
    Mollmoments
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭Mollmoments


    Hey Max and op ... There's a locked up graveyard across from the caravan park but I don't know how you'd get in or who you could contact. Also I think it's the nunn family graveyard but I could be wrong..it may also be cheevers. I'd love to know the history!


  • #6
    maxjc
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭maxjc


    [Embedded Image Removed]


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  • #7
    eddiethecastle
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭eddiethecastle


    Hi to all those interested in the ruins at St. Margarets Beach, Wexford
    I am currently researching and writing the history of these ruins and the Nunn family who lived there and in other major houses in Wexford County. The ruins consist of 2 walled gardens and stables outhouses etc.
    The family were the Nunn family and the adjoining private burial ground is theirs.The history of this Cromwellian family is incredibly interesting.Every generation included either a Military Officer, Doctor, magistrate and lastly the maltsters for Guinness.
    The story has lead me to India, Australia, Savannah Georgia, Portland Oregon, the Caribbean island of Dominica, Flanders and, North Africa and South Africa.
    The family fought in the Crimea, the Napoleonic Wars, the Indian mutiny, the Boer War, World Wars 1 and 2 and just about every conflict in which the British Army was engaged. A really fascinating story indeed.And it all started in St. Margarets.
    I hope to complete the history in 2012 and my intention is to have it published.I will let you all know the details when its finished.
    I cvan be contacted therough Boards or my e-mail address
    Regards
    Eddie Jordan


  • #8
    vicwatson
    Registered Users Posts: 28,403 ✭✭✭✭vicwatson


    There are two large square walled areas to the east of the house, which I could not for the life of me work out what they would have been.

    According to this website -

    http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/cgi-bin/viewsite.cgi?siteid=503

    and

    http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/cgi-bin/viewsurveyresults.cgi?siteid=503

    they were "Kitchen / Walled and Productive Gardens"

    Colour image of site here -

    http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/cgi-bin/displayimage.cgi?id=503&size=f&type=a1

    and map of the site here -

    http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/cgi-bin/displayimage.cgi?id=503&size=f&type=m1
    Hey Max and op ... There's a locked up graveyard across from the caravan park but I don't know how you'd get in or who you could contact. Also I think it's the nunn family graveyard but I could be wrong..it may also be cheevers. I'd love to know the history

    According to the map above there was a church there hence the graveyard.


  • #9
    eddiethecastle
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭eddiethecastle


    Hi to all those interested in the amazing ruins near St margarets Beach in Wexford, the Nunn family home.
    I have at last completed my research and writing and have published the finished work digitally as an EBook on Smashwords. Its relatively cheap to buy and will cover my research costs if anyone is interested.
    The book is called "They Came with Cromwell; The Story of the Nunn family of County Wexford, Ireland" and the isbn number is 9781311462725 for anyone interested.
    Regards and thanks

    Eddie Jordan


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