1817) married Mary, daughter of Thomas Bennett of Ballylaughan, Esq. Issue of William: 1, Henry, married Arabella, daughter of the Rev. George Sackville Cotter, of Castlemartyr, county Cork. 2, Mark. 3, John, and several others. Henry Rudkin, of the Wells branch, married his first cousin Mary, daughter of Sir Edward Pickering, Bart., Issue: Gilbert Pickering, (died at Pau, France, in 1830) married Anne, daughter of James Garrett, Esq., of Janeville. Issue: Jane, married Thomas Tench Vigors, Esq., of Erindale. Maria, married -Jones, Esq. RYAN, or O'RYAN.-Keating traces the descent of this family from Milesius, king of Spain, and Heremon, king of Ireland, A.M. 2738, through nineteen kings of Ireland, and princes, to Cathaoir More (Charles the Great) who was monarch of the island, A.D. 122. Thence he conducts us to Nathi, "from whom," he says, "the O'Ryans descended, a sept most free and hospitable." At the period of the English invasion of the twelfth century the O'Ryans were lords of the district of Idrone, in the county of Carlow, as is related by Regan, and received by Leland, Harris, and other modern historians. Having, however, resisted the invaders by force of arms, and being unsuccessful, they were dispossessed (according to the right of conquest, justly), of their territory; which was subsequently disposed of as is related in the preceding parts of this work. The O'Ryans continued afterwards to reside in the county in a subordinate station, and soon acquired some property, as may be seen p. 152, and elsewhere. Like most of the old Irish and Romanists, they seem to have engaged freely in the almost perpetual rebellions of which this unfortunate country was formerly the scene. The name of O'Ryan frequently occurs in the "general pardons" granted by James I. We cannot say what part they took in the rebellion of 1641. Since that period, the members of the family of the author, having become Protesants, have been undeviatingly loyal. sister of In 1700, Anthony Ryan, Esq., was allowed, by the court of claims, an estate for lives of Haroldstown, barony of Rathvilly, containing 250 acres. See p. 243. This is the best proof of his loyalty to king William's government. Two members of the family were killed at the Boyne, fighting under the banners of William. David Ryan, Esq., of Haroldstown, married daughter of- Pole, Esq., of the city of Dublin, by whom he had an infant, who died young. He married, secondly, Nicholas Roche, Esq., of Coolmanagh. Issue: John, David, and Sarah. Mrs. Ryan survived her husband, and was afterwards married to the Rev. Richard Brough, curate of the parish of Rathvilly; who was of the family of the late Captain Brough of the Carlow militia and lieut.-colonel Brough, now of the royal artillery. John settled at Broghill's-town, about the year 1760. He possessed an estate of lives, renewable for ever, of the lands of Tom bay, (barony of Rathvilly,) and others, in all 800 acres, subject to a rent of 2s. 6d. per acre; which estate, with the common improvidence of those days, he sold to a person named Pilsworth for £1500! somewhat less than two years' purchase. Pilsworth, however, did not long enjoy his bargain; for, having neglected to renew the lives, the property reverted to the Howard family, who possess the fee. The name of this John Ryan frequently occurs in the registry book of the union of Rathvilly, (as does that of his brother David,) as may be seen in the appendix. He married, firstly, Mary, daughter of Mulligan, Esq., of Rathvilly. Issue: 1, David. 2, Robert. The losses of the said David, (born 1752, died 14 Dec. 1802) of Baron-hill, by the rebels of 1798, amounted to 2387. 2s. 3d. as appears by the published list of claims. He married, firstly, Mary, daughter of Pilsworth, Esq., of Graney, by whom he had one son, who died young; married, secondly, on 4th March, 1787, Anne, (died 22nd Jan. 1814), daughter of Nathaniel Evans, Esq., of Ballywilliamroe, and granddaughter of Edward Eustace, Esq., of Castlemore. Issue: John Christmas, born 25th Dec. 1789, died on the 16th Oct. 1807; a lieutenant in the 8th West India regt.-Richard, a lieutenant in the Carlow militia, married Anne, daughter of the Rev. Charles Seymour, Rector of Kilronan, county of Roscommon, by whom he had six children. He died on 29th January, 1830.-John, above named, married, secondly, Anne, daughter of Beaumont Astle, Esq., of Beaumont in this county. Issue: 1, Beaumont. 2, Elinor. Said Beaumont (died 1810) of Broghill's-town, married, by special license, on 22nd January, 1802, Mary, daughter of James Shepard, Esq., of Paulville, in this county. Issue: John, (the author of this work), and four others. David, son of the first named David, settled at Leighlin-bridge. He was more prudent than his brother in regard to his property. He married Susanna, daughter of James Poe, of Harley Park, in the county of Tipperary, Esq. Issue: James, who died young. David, settled at Castlecomer, county of Kilkenny. He married Anne, relict of Younge, Esq., by whom he has nine children. Mr. Brewer, alluding to Dunleckny, states in his "Beauties of Ireland" as follows: "The late proprietor, Beauchamp Bagenal, Esq., M.P., bequeathed this demesne to Ryan, Esq., the present (1826) owner of the estate, who, as we are informed, is the lineal male representative of the chief of the O'Ryans, toparchs of Idrone (in which Dunleckny is situated) at the period of the Anglo-Norman invasion." There is much incorrectness in this. The truth is, that Mr. Bagenal presented the house and demeɛne of Dunleckny to his step-son, Bagenal Ryan, Esq., who speedily alienated or relinquished it and settled in England. The owner of the estate in 1826, and for many years previously, was Philip Newton, Esq. With regard to the lineal descent of Mr. B. Ryan from the O'Ryan, we cannot say more, than that we believe Mr. Ryan was of a county of Kildare family; certainly he and his father were strangers in the county of Carlow. It is further indubitable, that in 1826, when Mr. Brewer was conferring the existing honour, the existence of Mr. Ryan had terminated, and he was quiet in his grave.-Indeed, we regret to say, that we have discovered many inaccuracies in Mr. Brewer's book; the inevitable result, probably, of the speedy production of an extensive work. Nor can we say, we admire the political tone of the production, which is not merely ultra Irish but ultra "liberal." It is not by flattering the passions, or espousing the cause of the Romish agitators, that the country will be benefited, or the integrity of the empire preserved. SHEPARD. The ancestor of this family came to Ireland in a military capacity; probably in the redoubtable army of Oliver Cromwell. In the inrolment of certificates (in the Chief Remembrancer's office) of landed property, granted to soldiers, &c. in the reign of Charles II., we find the names "Captain_Thomas Shepard, William Shepard, John Shepard, and Robert Shepard." These Christian names have been all in use with the county of Carlow family. James Shepard, Esq., of Tankardstown, otherwise Paulville, in this county, (died September, 1767), married Susanna, daughter of James Garrett, Esq., of Janeville. Issue: 1, Mary, (baptized 1 June, 1730), grand-mother of Jas. Frazer, Esq., Captain in the 26th regiment of foot. 2, John, settled in the county of Wicklow, where his descendants now reside, at Oatlands and Sheep-hill. 3, James, of Paulville, (died January 31st, 1800, aged 61), married Elizabeth, daughter of Ignatius Wickham, Esq., of Black-bull, in the county of Wicklow. She died 5th April, 1793, aged 45 years. The house and furniture of Mr. Shepard were consumed by the rebels in 1798; for which he laid a claim before the parliamentary commissioners for the sum of 2317. 13s. 10d. This gentleman, at his decease, was possessed of property to the amount of at least 10,0007. sterling. The issue of his marriage was as follows: 1, Susan, married to Edw. Sherwood, Esq. 2, Sarah. 3, James, (baptized 5 Sept. 1775, died May, 1803). 4, Wickham, (bap. 1775), of Paulville, a solicitor. He married Mary, daughter of Robert Greene, Esq., of York-street, in the city of Dublin, and niece to Captain John Greene, of Millbrook, county Kildare. He died, without issue, on the 5th Nov., 1829. His relict has since married Richard Creighton, Esq., son of Surgeon Creighton, of the city of Dublin. 5, Mary, married to Beaumont Ryan, Esq. 6, John, (bap. 19 Feb. 1779, died in 1829.) 7, Thomas, (bap. 18 Feb. 1780, died -), married- daughter of Dejoncourt, of the city of Dublin, Esq. Issue: Elizabeth. 8, Elizabeth, died young. 9, Elizabeth, (bap. 8 September, 1782, died). 10, William, (bap. 3 September, 1783), married Catherine, daughter of Major Adams of Annalee, county of Cavan, by whom he has several children. 11, Robert, (bap. 15 December, 1784.) 12, Henry, (bap. 16 December, 1786), a lieutenant H.P. of the 12th foot. Names of the Shepard family frequently occur as churchwardens, &c., in the registry-book of Tullow parish. STEUART. The first member of this family who settled in the county was styled, we understand, the Honourable Colonel John Steuart. The title of honourable was then applied to all persons of civil or military rank. He purchased land at Leighlin-bridge. His son was William, who married -, daughter of Sir Richard Butler, Bart., by whom he had issue John, (died 1819), daughter of John Whelan, Esq. Issue, 1, William Richard, married daughter of -Duckett, Esq. 2, a daughter married Rev. William Hickey of Wexford. VIGORS.-Doctor Vigors, bishop of Leighlin and Ferns, is ancestor of this family. who married WATSON. This family has been long settled in the county. WHELAN.-The family of Whelan is of old standing in our county. There are other respectable families resident in the county, but having lately settled in it, they do not class under the denomination stated at the head of this chapter. Of the late settlers, are the families of Bruen, Duckett, Faulkner, Newton, &c. &c. All the families mentioned in this chapter are Protestant, with the single exception of the family of Blackney. The Earls of Courtown, Aldborough Kenmare, and Bessborough, Lords Frankfort, Beresford, Downes and Cloncurry, the Hon. Hugh Howard, &c. possesses property in the county, but are non-resident. From APPENDIX. No. I. Referring to page 15. Ślieumargie, or Slieumarigue, constituted a part of the county of Carlow in 1553, as is proved by an inquisition of that year, held to substantiate the king's title to the lands of Killeshin, &c. situated in the lordship of Slieumargie and county of Carlow. This district continued part of the county till the statute 3rd and 4th of Mary, chap. 2, incorporated the Queen's county. The following scale of distances in the county will be useful. We should observe, that in the preceding work we have invariably employed the Irish measure, which is most familiar. It can be easily converted into English. The following table is in Irish miles. Leighlin-bridge Washingtongreen Rathvilly Carlow Tullow N.T. Barry Clonegal Carlow, | 7|91| 132 | 6 8 ..... Rathvilly...... Leighlin-bridge... 8 4 154 154 14 19 9| 10 | 16| 10 5 74 Washington-green Borris... Newtownbarry.. Clonegal .. "This confident author (Spenser) attempts to prove that the surnames of Kavanagh, &c. were first brought out of Britain into Ireland. But that they are of an English extraction is so far from |