Henry Ponsonby (soldier) facts for kids
Henry Ponsonby (1620 – 1681) was an English soldier. He served in Oliver Cromwell's army during a time of war in Ireland. After the fighting, he became a very important landowner in County Kerry, Ireland.
He was given large areas of land that used to belong to other families, like the Stack family. The Stack's Mountains are even named after them. Henry Ponsonby's family became very powerful in Kerry for the next 200 years.
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Henry Ponsonby's Early Life
Henry Ponsonby was born in 1620 in Haile Hall, near Whitehaven, Cumbria, England. His parents were Dorothy Sands and Henry Ponsonby.
In August 1649, Henry joined Oliver Cromwell's army. This army invaded Ireland through Dublin. His older brother, John Ponsonby, was already a major in Ireland.
Cromwell's War in Ireland
Cromwell's army wanted to defeat two groups in Ireland. These were the Catholic Confederacy and the English Royalists. The Royalists had already lost a war in Great Britain. By 1653, Cromwell's army had won.
After the war, a new law was made. It was called the Act of Settlement. This law changed who owned land in Ireland. A survey called the Down Survey was done to help with this.
How Land Was Given Away
Many Irish landowners lost their land. This was often a punishment for fighting against Cromwell. It also helped pay the British soldiers, who had not been paid for a long time.
The Stack family in Kerry were Catholic and had supported the losing side. Because of this, all their land was taken away. This land included many areas around Kilflynn and Crotta. Crotta was even known as 'Stackstown' before.
Becoming a Landowner in Kerry
After the war, Henry Ponsonby received a special pardon from King Charles II. This pardon forgave him for his actions during the war.
By 1666, Henry Ponsonby officially owned the lands around Kilflynn. These lands used to belong to the Stack family. He also gained land from another Catholic family, the FitzMaurices. In total, Henry Ponsonby owned at least 2,000 acres of land.
Building Crotta House
Henry Ponsonby chose the area of Crotta as his main home. In 1669, he built Crotta House there. It was built in a style popular during the time of Queen Elizabeth I.
Henry married Rose Weldon from County Kildare. Her family had a long history of serving the English kings. Henry and Rose had many children, seven sons and eleven daughters. Ten of their children grew up.
Henry Ponsonby used his land for farming and planting trees. He died at Crotta in 1681, when he was 61 years old. His son, Thomas, inherited all his property.
Later Challenges and Influence
After Henry Ponsonby died, his name was put on public lists in England and Ireland. This was part of a process called attainder, which meant his property could be taken away.
Despite this, his family kept their land. Some people tried to claim that Henry Ponsonby had not paid rent on land he used. After some court cases, the Ponsonby family won. They became very influential in Irish politics.
Some local stories in Ireland remember Henry Ponsonby as a landlord who was not very kind.
Images for kids
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A detail from Taylor and Skinner's map, showing the Ponsonby name associated with Crotta/Crotto
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Part of a Down Survey map (1656-58) showing a number of townlands inherited by Ponsonby. Crotta, Ponsonby's home, is to the left of 'Kiltomy Parish'
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Crotta house in 1902. Extensions were added after the original build.
