Arabella Jeffereyes facts for kids

Arabella Jeffereyes (born around 1734 – died around 1810) was an important Irish landowner. She was also known for her strong ideas about changing society.

Early Life and Family

Arabella Jeffereyes was born Arabella Fitzgibbon around 1734. Her parents were John and Elinor Fitzgibbon. She was the oldest of seven children, with two sisters and four brothers. Her youngest brother, John FitzGibbon, became a very important judge and politician in Ireland. He was known as the Earl of Clare and the Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

Arabella was likely born in Sidbury, England. Later, her family moved to Limerick, Ireland. On June 5, 1762, she married James St John Jeffereyes. He was a wealthy landowner who owned a lot of land, including Blarney Castle. Arabella and James had five children together: one son and four daughters.

Life as a Landowner

After her husband passed away in 1780, Arabella became a very important person in the city of Cork. She was involved in both society and politics. She sometimes changed her political views. For example, she supported a group called the Rightboys in the late 1780s. She even let them meet on her land.

Arabella wrote letters to both Catholic and Protestant religious leaders. She asked them to treat people fairly. Her brother, John FitzGibbon, often disagreed with her actions.

Because she treated her tenants kindly, people called her "Lady" Jeffereyes. She tried to set fair payments for the Church of Ireland on her lands. She also organized peaceful marches to churches. She even tried to drain a lake near Blarney Castle, but this did not work out.

Many people thought Arabella was a bit unusual. It is said that she let widows live on her land without paying rent. They could stay until their oldest son was old enough to take care of the family. However, she was not kind to criminals. Once, in 1784, she was robbed in London. A diamond pin was stolen from her. She spoke in court against the robber, who was found guilty.

Supporting the Arts and Later Years

Arabella Jeffereyes saw herself as someone who helped artists. She gave money to an English actress named Mrs. Frances Abington. She also supported an artist named James Dowling Herbert. When he thought about stopping painting to become an actor, she helped him find a job at a theater company in London.

Even though her husband left her a lot of money, Arabella sometimes had money problems. In 1790, she was almost forced out of a house she was renting. Her brother helped her so that the family would not be embarrassed. Later that year, she tried to get a high-ranking army job for her son-in-law, Stephen Freemantle. However, King George III said no.

Her son, George Charles, married Anne, the daughter of David La Touche. Arabella also arranged for her daughter Emily to marry Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Glengall. She spent a lot of money to make this marriage happen.

In the 1790s, Arabella and her brother FitzGibbon had a big disagreement about land. Arabella's son sold some land to FitzGibbon, but later regretted it. Arabella sided with her son against her brother. When FitzGibbon died in 1802, he did not leave her anything in his will. He said she was not honest.

Arabella faced more money problems. In 1807, she asked the government in Dublin Castle for money. She claimed she had saved her brother, Clare, from an angry crowd in 1795. She said she was dressed as a kitchen maid at the time. This story was a bit exaggerated, but it was partly true. However, her request for money was ignored.

Final Years

In 1810, Arabella started a legal case against her son and another man. She accused them of trying to harm her reputation. The case was settled outside of court. In her last years, it is thought that she might have become very old and confused. The exact date of her death is not known.

Arabella Jeffereyes is mentioned in a famous song called The groves of Blarney by Richard Alfred Milliken. The song praises her, saying she is like a great leader. Some people think the song shows her as someone who challenged the usual ways of society.