Lawrence Harman King-Harman facts for kids

Lawrence Harman King-Harman (born in 1816 as "Lawrence Harman King") was an important landowner in Ireland. He was the younger son of Robert King, 1st Viscount Lorton, who owned a large estate called Rockingham in County Roscommon. His mother was Lady Frances Harman, who owned another big estate called Newcastle in Ballymahon, County Longford.

Early Life and Inheritance

Lawrence was born into a very important family. His older brother, Robert King, was set to inherit their father's title and the Rockingham estate. But Lawrence had his own special inheritance.

In 1838, when Lawrence was just 22 years old, he inherited the Newcastle estate from his grandmother. This was the biggest piece of land in County Longford! To honor his mother's family, he changed his last name to King-Harman.

A Fair Landlord

Lawrence King-Harman was known as a "resident landlord." This means he actually lived on his estate and managed it himself. This was different from his grandmother, who lived somewhere else and didn't spend much time at Newcastle. Because Lawrence lived there, he had much better relationships with the people who rented land from him, known as his tenants.

He was married to Mary Cecilia Johnstone, who was from Stirling.

Public Life and Legacy

Lawrence King-Harman was also interested in politics. He tried to become a Member of Parliament for County Longford twice. He ran as a member of the Irish Conservative Party, but he didn't win either time.

When Lawrence King-Harman passed away in 1875, his sons took over his responsibilities. These were Colonel Edward Robert King-Harman, Colonel Wentworth Henry King-Harman, and Sir Charles King-Harman.

To remember him, a special clock tower was built in the village of Keenagh in 1878. It's called the King-Harman Memorial Clock Tower.