Dudley Persse facts for kids
Dudley Persse (born 1625, died 1699) was an important person in Ireland during the 1600s. He was an Anglo-Irish landlord, meaning he owned a lot of land, and also an Anglican priest.
Dudley's grandfather, Robert Persse, came from Northumberland in England and settled in Ireland in the late 1500s. Robert was buried in Bodenstown, County Kildare. Dudley's father, Henry, was one of Robert's three sons. Henry and his wife, Elizabeth, had two children: Sybil and Dudley. Henry passed away before 1673.
Dudley Persse studied at Trinity College, Dublin, which is a famous university. After his studies, he became a priest in the Anglican Church. He held important positions, serving as the Dean of Kilmacduagh and also as the Archdeacon of Tuam.
Dudley bought a large property called Spring Garden in County Galway. He lived there for a while. Later, he bought another estate called Cregarosta, located between Loughrea and Gort in the same county. He built a house on this new land and named it Roxborough. He chose this name to honor Northumberland, where his family originally came from. Roxborough became the main home for the Persse family for 245 years. Sadly, it was destroyed by fire in 1922 during the Irish Civil War.
Dudley Persse married Sarah Crofton, whose father was John Crofton from Lisnadurn, County Roscommon. Dudley and Sarah had several children:
- Henry, who became the High Sheriff of County Galway in 1701.
- William, who also became the High Sheriff of County Galway in 1711.
- Catherine, who married Major Hugh Galbraith.
- Alice, who married Captain William Colles.
- Another daughter, who married a Mr. Nethercott.
- Another daughter, who married Mr. Ormsby.
- Another daughter, who married Mr. Hickman.
- Sarah, who married John Blakeney.
The Persse Family Legacy
Dudley Persse started a family line that became very influential in Galway and the wider Connacht region of Ireland. Many members of the Persse family were important figures up until the early 1900s. Some notable family members include:
- William Persse (around 1728–1802), who was an Irish volunteer.
- Henry Stratford Persse (died 1833), a writer.
- Sarah Persse (active around 1899), who was involved in the suffragist movement, working for women's right to vote.
- Augusta, Lady Gregory (1852–1932), a famous Irish nationalist, landlord, author, and playwright. She helped found the Abbey Theatre.
- Hugh Lane (1875–1915), a well-known Irish art dealer, collector, and director of an art gallery.
