Fee-farm deed 1612 by Giles Maskelyne to Henry Balwin of Lisnegat, Lios na gCat (Cat’s Ring Fort?), Bandon.

Fee-farm deed 1612 by Giles Maskelyne to Benry Balwin of Lios na gCat (Cats Ring Fort?), Bandon.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X-6nDebQ869y-j0ZUko5A3nBD8WFAFPukKb_O79N7yU/edit#

Giles Maskelyne estate granted by Sir Richard Grenville (15 June 1542 – 10 September 1591), also spelt Greynvile, Greeneville, and Greenfield, was an English privateer and explorer. Grenville was lord of the manors of Stowe, Cornwall and Bideford, Devon. He subsequently participated in the plantations of Ireland, the English colonisation of the Americas and the repulse of the Spanish Armada.

Grenville also served as Member of Parliament for Cornwall, High Sheriff for County Cork and Sheriff of Cornwall. In 1591, Grenville died at the battle of Flores fighting against an overwhelmingly larger Spanish fleet near the Azores. He and his crew on board the galleon Revenge fought against the 53-strong Spanish fleet to allow the other English ships to escape. Grenville was the grandfather of Sir Bevil Grenville, a prominent military officer during the English Civil War.

Development of Irish estate[edit]

Following a period of supporting Sir Walter Raleigh’s venture in America (see below) he returned to Munster to arrange the estate granted him under the plantation of the province. Following the suppression of the Second Desmond Rebellion in 1583, he had purchased some 24,000 acres (97 km²) in Kinalmeaky and brought settlers over. His renewed efforts beginning in 1588 yielded little success, and Grenville returned to England late in 1590.

It is interesting that in the Lisnegat deed of 1612 is included 10 acres of mill lands. Assuming that there was no mill before the plantations that chimes with the experience in the early 17th century Ulster. There settlers soon began to reclaim land, build roads and bridges and develop mills.

In 1700 the Co.Down had as many roads under charge as the Cork Grand Jury despite being a fraction of the size.

Some of the Maskelyne land such as those at Lisnagat were acquired pre 1612 from a planted and privateer Sir Richard Grenville (1542-1591).

Lisnegat: