| Erne Papers | Public Record Office of Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Collection | |
|---|---|
Identifier |
D/1939 |
Description |
The Erne papers comprise material, 1611-1981, relating to the family and personal affairs of the Creighton family of Crom Castle, Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh, Earls Erne, most of which relate to the administration of their various estates: at Crom, Callowhill, Derrylin, Killynick, Lisnaskea, Knockballymore and Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh; at Lifford, Co. Donegal; and in Dublin City, Co. Sligo and Co. Mayo. Most of the material relates to the period 1830-1950, with comparatively few documents for the 17th and 18th centuries as the original Crom Castle was destroyed by fire shortly after it was built in 1764. The main exception, in terms of early archival survivals, are the papers relating to the Balfour estate at Lisnaskea (Castle Balfour) and elsewhere in Co. Fermanagh which was purchased in 1821 and which provide important information about early 17th century settlement. The Erne papers comprise such material as title deeds, settlements, marriage settlements and mortgages, wills, leases, rentals, accounts, maps, surveys, formal documents (commissions of the peace, Orange order initiations etc.), household and farm accounts of Crom Castle from 1764, inventories, papers relating to churches, schools and charities on the estates and Land Commission sale papers relating to the various properties, together with correspondence about estate, political and family affairs, 1727-1728 and c.1775-1945. The most important papers relating to Crom are the c. 125 architectural drawings for the exterior and interior of the castle by Edward Blore, 1830-38. |
Strengths |
Of interest to those researching estate management, the family history of the Ernes and the development of the Crom estate, and yachting on Lough Erne. Some of the Balfour documents, particularly the rentals for the 1630s, are of considerable importance to the study of Plantation Fermanagh because of their early date. |
Physical Characteristics |
Approx. 11,750 volumes and documents occupying c. 85 PRONI boxes |
Languages |
English |
Contents Date Range |
1611 - 1981 |
Collection Type |
Collection.Archive.Text.Image |
Accrual |
Policy: Closed
Method: Indefinite Loan
Periodicity: Closed |
Access |
The collection is stored in secure, closed accommodation and can be requested for on-site consultation using an in-house document ordering system. Access is supervised and for research and/or reference purposes only. |
Description or Catalogue |
See PRONI reference D/1939 for catalogue of the papers. The catalogue is available for consultation in PRONI's Public Search Room. See also http://www.proni.gov.uk/records/private/erne.htm" target="new_window">http://www.proni.gov.uk/records/private/erne.htm for a more detailed introduction to the collection. |
Publications Note |
Archive collection |
| Collector | |
|---|---|
Name |
Creighton Family, Earls of Erne |
History |
In 1613 James and/or Thomas Creighton bought the proportion of Aghalane, near Crom, where he built a castle in 1615. Through marriage and other means of acquisition of land, the freehold of Crom was granted to Abraham Creighton in 1665. The Creightons were created Earls Erne in 1789, from 1842 calling themselves Earls of Erne. They held high public office, were members of Parliament and military men, served and died in the 20th century World Wars. Lieutenant Col. John, 3rd Earl of Erne, 1802-1885, was a keen agriculturist and set up an agricultural museum in Lisnaskea in 1839. By the end of 1850 his model farm complex at Crom was the best equipped in the country, with baths for the pigs. In 1884 it had the first silo in Ireland. He was interested in railways but most of all in yachts and yachting. The yacht club at Crom was the heart of all sailing activities for which Lough Erne was world famous. The large bulk of the Erne estates were sold by the 4th Earl between 1904 and 1909 under the Land Act of 1903. Part of the demesne was sold to the Department of the Environment in 1980; in 1987 the National Trust acquired the rest of the demesne in part as a gift, the castle being retained by Henry George, 6th Earl of Erne, Lord Lieutenant, JP, who resides there at the start of the 21st century. |
| Owner | |
|---|---|
Name |
Creighton Family, Earls of Erne |
History |
In 1613 James and/or Thomas Creighton bought the proportion of Aghalane, near Crom, where he built a castle in 1615. Through marriage and other means of acquisition of land, the freehold of Crom was granted to Abraham Creighton in 1665. The Creightons were created Earls Erne in 1789, from 1842 calling themselves Earls of Erne. They held high public office, were members of Parliament and military men, served and died in the 20th century World Wars. Lieutenant Col. John, 3rd Earl of Erne, 1802-1885, was a keen agriculturist and set up an agricultural museum in Lisnaskea in 1839. By the end of 1850 his model farm complex at Crom was the best equipped in the country, with baths for the pigs. In 1884 it had the first silo in Ireland. He was interested in railways but most of all in yachts and yachting. The yacht club at Crom was the heart of all sailing activities for which Lough Erne was world famous. The large bulk of the Erne estates were sold by the 4th Earl between 1904 and 1909 under the Land Act of 1903. Part of the demesne was sold to the Department of the Environment in 1980; in 1987 the National Trust acquired the rest of the demesne in part as a gift, the castle being retained by Henry George, 6th Earl of Erne, Lord Lieutenant, JP, who resides there at the start of the 21st century. |
| Location | |
|---|---|
Name |
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland |
Address |
2 Titanic Boulevard |
Website |
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Access Control |
The Record Office is open to the general public on weekdays between 9.15 am and 4.45 pm, with late night opening until 8.45 pm on Thursday evenings. The Office is closed on the main public holidays and is closed annually for two weeks late November/early December. All readers are required to register their membership on their first visit to the office for which some form of identification will be asked. Registration and admission to the office is free of charge to the public, although certain commercial users (i.e. solicitors, journalists, television reporters and professional genealogists) are subject to a fee. Disabled access facilities, self-service microfilm and a chargeable copying service are provided. |
Role |
Government agency with responsibility for official and private records |
Phone |
0442890534800 |