Kilglass House

This substantial and well-proportioned former Church of Ireland rectory retains its early form and character despite some alteration and the recent loss of some fabric to the window openings. The three-bay two-storey form is typical of Church of Ireland rectory buildings (particularly those built by the Board of First Fruits), and many middle class gentleman’s residences, dating from the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century. It also retains much of itself early fabric including interesting Wyatt style windows to the ground floor openings with fluted columns flanking the central window openings, Tuscan columns flanking the doorway, and an early timber panelled door with fielded panels. The leaded fanlight to the front face of the porch adds further decorative interest. The form of the projecting central porch is unusual, suggesting that it may have been a later addition perhaps using earlier fabric (doorcase; fanlight to front elevation). This building is of social interest to the local area on account of its original intended function as a Church of Ireland rectory associated with St. Anne’s Church of Ireland church (13401922), which lies adjacent to the northeast. Recessed from the road and approached by a long curving driveway, this former rectory adds historic interest to its pleasant rural location and is an integral element of the built heritage of the local area. Lewis (1837) records that the associated church (13401922) a ‘plain building with a square tower, was erected in 1814, for which the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan of £368. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £350 and a loan of £450 from the same Board’. The cost of its construction was £923 (Irish Parliamentary Returns 1837). It is not clear if the rectory was built in 1814 or if it was in already in existence by this date, with the church being a later addition (possibly replacing the earlier, now ruinous, church at nearby Foxhall Glebe (13315009) to the southeast). However there are references to a Revd. Sir Henry Bate (later Bate-Dudley) living at Kilglass Rectory in County Longford from 1807 until 1812. He was granted this rectory after representation by the Duke of Bedford, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, after Bate-Dudley failed to receive a church commission in his native England. Bate-Dudley was a figure of some importance and was made a baronet in 1813. He also was also an eminent magistrate and an author of some repute. Kilglass rectory was the home of a Revd. Robert Jessop in 1824 (Pigot’s Directory) and in 1837 (Lewis). Revd. Jessop was rector of Kilglass from 1813 until 1841 (Newspaper). It was later the residence of a Rev. Ambrose George Townshend in 1894 (Slater’s Directory).