Letter February 1841 from Timothy O’Donovan Esq., J.P. from 1818, to Dr. John O’Donovan, Discussed family Debt to Friendly Protestants who Held Land as ‘Nominees’ after Civil War of 1641, Lieutenant Colonel Richard O’Donovan, of the Enniskillen Dragoons, last Acknowledged Chief of the O’Donovans, Contested claim of the Revered Morgan O’Donovan to Chiefdom and His Opinion of Person entitled ‘A Struggling Farmer’, James Donovan, Coolderrha, Myross Parish, Skibbereen.

Slightly edited

Lt Col Richard O’Donovan

Born Ireland 1768; Major in 6th Dragoons 19 December 1799; Lieutenant-Colonel 2 May 1800; brevet Colonel 25 July 1810; subsequently Major-General 4 June 1813; Lieutenant-General 27 May 1825; died Ireland November 1829.

O’Donovan’s Cove,

February 1st, 1841

Sir,

Your letter of the 18th last should not have remained unanswered for so long but I was waiting to obtain some additional information on the query pertaining to the family of O’Donovan, The late General Richard O’Donovan, Lieutenant Colonel of the Enniskillen Dragoons, was undoubtedly the Chieftain of the Clann or Sept of O’Donovan. He died at the family seat of Bawnlahan Barony of Carbery, County of Cork about 11 or 12 years ago. He was married to a Welch lady her name was Powell by whom he had no issue, he left his estate to his wife and upon her death which happened soon after she bequeathed it to her brother a Major Powell a Welch man in whom possession it is at the moment and this ancient seat and property is now in the possession of a Welsh man.

The title of “O’Donovan” was after the general’s death affected by a Protestant Clergyman Morgan O’Donovan, but the claim was not recognised by the members of the O’Donovan family.

I am descended from a branch of the House of O’Donovan, who were obliged to fly the County Cork in the Civil wars of 1641 who took refuge in Co. Limerick, a considerable tract of land was protected in trust by the intervention of “Nominees’ who behaved in those olden days with great and fidelity honour to my ancestors.

This seat seat of O’Donovan’s Cove sits in the Parish of Kilcrohane ..in the part of the Barony of West Carbery and County of Cork. It is my property by inheritance my younger brother, Doctor Richard O’Donovan who has an independent estate resides at Norton Cottage, Skibbereen, we are both in the Commission of The Peace of Co. Cork.

There are several respectable family of the anem who do not affix the “‘O” to the name.

I believe we are the two of the Sept of O’Donovan here the largest landed property in respect of the west of the county.

The most ancient document were in the hands of the late James Donovan, Esq., M.D., Clonakilty, I do not know if they are in the possession of his sons, one of whom is a barrister in London the other is the Clerk of the Crown for Co. Cork, they are my first cousins.

Bawnlahan the family seat of the Chief O’Donovan is near Skibbereen and is a respectable old residence and domaine.

With respect of the information as to who is the senior or head of the O’Donovan family at present, I cannot inform you. who it is . It is of little import as a matter of courtesy it would be conceded to me by the great majority of of the representative of the Clan but I am not satisfied as to the strict right of my claim, and I would not assent to it.

I believe a person of the name of James Donovan, of Coolderrha. Parish of Myross, Barony of West Carbery, now reduced to the position of struggling farmer, a person of excellent character is the eldest representative of the House of O’Donovan.

I have given you all in my possession in response to the queries in your letter.

I shall be most happy to meet you here to discuss when the pedigree of our ancient family over a glass of good wine.

Yours etc

To:
John O’Donovan,
21, Great Charles Street, Dublin.

Lieutenant General Richard O’Donovan of the Enniskillen Dragoons (c1764-1829), Chieftain of the O’Donovans, Bawnlahan, West Cork.

Extract 1841 from letter to Dr. John O’Donovan from Timothy O’Donovan, Esq., J.P, O’Donovan’s Cove, Durrus re Chieftainship of family:

The late General Richard O’Donovan, Lieutenant Colonel of the Enniskillen Dragoons, was undoubtedly the Chieftain of the Clann or Sept of O’Donovan. He died at the family seat of Bawnlahan Barony of Carbery, County of Cork about 11 or 12 years ago. He was married to a Welch lady her name was Powell by whom he had no issue, he left his estate to his wife and upon her death which happened soon after she bequeathed it to her brother a Major Powell a Welch man in whom possession it is at the moment and this ancient seat and property is now in the possession of a Welsh man.

The title of “O’Donovan” was after the General’s death affected by a Protestant Clergyman, Morgan O’Donovan, but the claim was not recognised by the family.

Becher Estate:

http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie:8080/LandedEstates/jsp/estate-show.jsp?id=2436

Survey 15th March 1727, of O’Donovan Estates, Bawnlahan including townlands of Coolagow, Bawnlahan and Cuppogh, West Cork.

The ‘Caoin’ lamentation akin to Hebrew Cina in Cork and Kerry from Crofton Croker including for Sir Richard Cox in 1733 mentioning his relations O’Donovans of Bawnlahan, Townsends of White Court Skibbreen, Dunmanway and O’Donoghue, Aughadown, West Cork.

Some O’Donovan, Bawnlahan, West Cork, deeds, conveyances, settlements, leases mortgages including to Samuel Jervois, Brade, from 1619

Survey and Map by Robert J Wolfe December 1835, of Estate of Major Edward Powell (Estate of the Late Lieutenant Colonel Richard O’Donovan of the enniskillen Dragoons by his marriage with Miss Powell of Wales) at Drinagh, West Cork showing Major Tenants, Keelnacolly, Corrigfadda, Corrigagrinane, Kippagh, Knockmore, Corriglas Pike mentioned.

http://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Richard%20II%20O%27Donovan&item_id=737051

General Richard O’Donovan II, The O’Donovan of Clancahill, born 1764 or 1768, was the son of Jane Becher, daughter of John Becher, and Daniel V O’Donovan, The O’Donovan of Clancahill.

Gaining the rank of General in the service of the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, O’Donovan fought in the Napoleonic Wars, in the Flanders Campaign and in Spain. He became an intimate acquaintance of the English Prince Regent, and saved the life of the Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany during the retreat of the English Army from Holland.

O’Donovan held the Chiefship of Clancahill in 1778. He married a Welsh lady, Emma Anne Powell, daughter of Robert Powell, but they were without issue. Richard O’Donovan then overturned his father’s will and left his entire estates, including the Manor of Bawnlahan, to her family, to the immense displeasure of his own, it being the very last of the O’Donovan family’s by that time 600-year-old estates in Carbery still in existence. He died in 1829, but to this day is remembered with anger. The Chiefship of Clancahill then passed to the cadet line, descendants of Teige, younger brother of Donal III O’Donovan.

Technically the Manor of Bawnlahan was erected in the later 17th century by Donal IV, but it was a descendant of the earlier Manor of Rahine erected by Donal II, on lands conquered by his father Donal of the Skins from a rival sept, the O’Donovans of Sliocht Íomhair. Thus they had been in the possession of the greater family since the 13th century.

Notes
References
Burke, Bernard and Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, Burke’s Irish Family Records. London: Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 5th edition, 1976.
Burke, Bernard and Ashworth Peter Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. London: Harrison & Sons. 9th edition, 1899. pp. 341–2
Sir Richard Cox, 1st Baronet, Carberiae Notitia. 1686. extracts published in Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Volume XII, Second Series. 1906. pp. 142–9
O’Donovan, John (ed. & tr.), Annala Rioghachta Eireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, from the Earliest Period to 1616. 7 vols. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. 1848-51. 2nd edition, 1856. Volume VI, pp. 2459–60
O’Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees. Dublin: James Duffy and Co. 5th edition, 1892. p. 201