Day 7: Wednesday 21 May 2014 (Part 1)

The town [of Timoleague] consists principally of one long irregular street, with another diverging from it parallel with the old abbey which [street] was built by Colonel Travers, and contains many comfortable slated cottages, principally inhabited by weavers; it comprises 120 houses, of which the greater part are modern and well built, and has a neat court-house, where petty sessions for the district are held every Monday, and an occasional manor court belonging to Lord Carbery. This is a constabulary police station. A market for pigs is held every Thursday; and fairs for cattle on March 28th, July 5th, Aug. 21st, and Dec. 7th.

Although the chief occupation of the inhabitants is in agricultural pursuits, many are yet engaged in weaving coarse sheeting, and about 50 looms are employed in the town in weaving cotton cords. At Spital-Hill is a flour-mill, belonging to Messrs. Swete and Co., where 6000 barrels of wheat are annually ground, principally for supplying the neighbouring towns. The surrounding country would be remarkably beautiful, but for the want of plantations, which defect, it is hoped, will in a few years be effectually remedied through the exertions of Colonel Travers, of Timoleague House, who has already planted 50 acres of land on his demesne, close to the town.
— A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837

Another important family in the district were the Travers, who were granted lands between Abbeymahon and Timoleague in the 1580’s. The first Travers [in Ireland, John, d. 4/30/1614, buried St Finabar’s, Cork] married Martha [Sarah], sister of the poet, Edmund Spenser (“The Fairie Queen”, arrived Ireland c. 1580), and their descendants still own the Castle Gardens in Timoleague.
— blurb from the Courtmacsherry Hotel

GoogleMaps streetview of the Church

Rev. Jonas Travers    (died) 26 March 1919
Katharine Travers     16 June 1884
Alice Travers     28(?) April 1896
Maud Travers     5 December 1901
Robert A(ugustus). Travers     2 February 1904 (b. 29 Sept 1828)
Robert Travers     2 April 1935 (b. 19 May 1855, son of Robt A.)
Nina Johnson Travers     9 December 1911
Laura Travers     25 June 1906
Spenser Eaton Travers     16 October 1931 (b. 9 Sept 1868, son of Robt A.)
Lydia M(aria). P(oole). (Beamish) Travers     1 June 1965 (b. 17 Jan 1873, wife of Spenser Eaton)
Vera Frances Lydia Travers     26 March 1908, aged 7

In mosaic, wrapping around the interior of the church: “To the glory of God and in memory of ROBERT AUGUSTUS TRAVERS died 1904 and of his wife died 1896. To the glory of God and in memory of SPENSER ROBERT VALENTINE TRAVERS Lieutenant 7th Royal Munster Fusiliers. Killed in Gallipoli on the 8th of August 1915 aged 22 years.” [photo]

In mosaic on the base of the Angel Font “In memory of Alice Maud Travers”

Our branch of the Travers family — since about 1100 AD of Tulketh/Nateby in Lancashire — arrived County Cork c. 1580 in the person of John Travers (d. 1613). He accompanied Lord Deputy of Ireland Arthur Grey to Ireland on behalf of Queen Elizabeth. He later served Lord Lieutenant Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. He and his descendants lived at Ballynamona House (estate) to about 1800-1820, when our line — probably beginning with Captain Nicholas Colthurst Travers (1787-1871) — returned to England. Many Travers’ were once and remain in the region, most notably at Timoleague. Ballynamona has been in the Tobin family for at least the last 100 years, if I understood the current owner right.

Streetview: The farm at Ballynamona, on GoogleMaps.

Update/Afterword

Thanks to distant cousin Paul Strickland I found this portrait of Nicholas Colthurst Travers, who is mentioned above.

It was painted by Robert Lucius West in Dublin in February 1818 and is of the Captain in the uniform of the 95th Rifles. It is now in the Royal Green Jackets Museum in Winchester, England.