Biography of Beauchamp Bagenal (1735-1802)
Extracted
from a pamphlet: "A Brief Glimpse at the History of an Anglo-Irish Family
- The Bagenals"
by Reynolds Fieldcrest, 1990, and sold at Dunleckney, Muine Bheag (Bagenalstown),
Eire
Beauchamp Bagenal (1735-1802)
Born: 1735
Father: Walter Bagenal.
Mother: Eleanor Beauchamp.
Brothers: Robert, died in infancy.
Sisters: Eleanor, Catherine, and Charlotte (who died in infancy). He had two half-sisters by his father's 1st marriage (to Eleanor Barnwell), Mabel and Mary.
Religion: Protestant.
Married: Maria, widow of Mr. Stannard Ryan. (She had one son who became a clergyman in the Church of Ireland).
Children: Walter, born in 1762 married a widow, - Elizabeth Chambers. He became M.P. for Carlow in the Imperial Parliaments of 1802, 1806 and 1807. He went for election again in 1812 but was unsuccessful. Walter died on the 18th June 1814, at the age of 52 years. He was buried at Staplestown Church, where there is a monument which reads:
"Erected by his disconsolate widow and daughter to perpetuate the memory of a husband and parent, honoured and respected". His wife died in 1816. They had only one child, (Maria) who was born in 1778. She married - as his 1st wife - Sir Ulysses de Burgh, 2nd Lord Dowries of Bert House Athy, in June of 1815. She died 20th August 1842, having two children - Anne and Charlotte.
Emelia - married Edward Carroll, of Ballynure, Co. Wexford, - no issue.
Catherine- married Alexander Bisset of Lissendrum, England by whom she had issue. Her father's will declares that she got married - "without acquainting me".
Sarah. She was Beauchamp's favourite daughter upon whom he settled a generous proportion of his property, including Dunleckney Manor. She was born in 1770, the same year as her future husband, - Col Philip Newton of Benekerry, Co. Carlow. They married in 1785. Five boys and three girls were born to this marriage. (Philip), who, by Royal Licence, 6th March 1832, assumed the name and arms of Bagenal, and with it a considerable proportion of his mother's estate. (Beauchamp Bartholomew) Rathwade, (John) Bagenalstown House, (Henry) Mt. Leinster and (Walter) who was responsible for the building of Dunleckney as it is seen today.
The three girls were (Catherine) d 1800, aged 14 years. (Elenor) d 1814 aged 11 years. (Sarah-Ann) d. 1828 aged 16 years. These young girls are buried within the walled enclosure at Dunleckney cemetery where also lies Beauchamp Bagenal. Sarah, was a natural daughter of Beauchamp, she died on the 17th of January 1832 aged 61 years and is buried with her husband who d. Oct. 17th 1833 aged 64 years, in the Protestant Church at Dunleckney.
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" Beauchamp Bagenal is best known to history as a duellist. For this he was known not only throughout Ireland, but England and Europe as well.
Two other reputations he also gained, - that of a hard drinker, and the devil of a womaniser. A writer in the Milesan Magazine of June 1812 gives us this description:
"Beauchamp Bagenal of the Co. Carlow was a man whose intellect was clear, whose education was perfected by the best masters and company, and whose fortune allowed him the full range of fancy that an Irishman will take at the expense of cash as well as of prudence"
"Bagenal was the true born Irish gentleman. He was particularly gifted as to countenance and figure and was esteemed as men of fortune often are, but in his case with much truth the handsomest man in Ireland. He fought all before him and spent all he could muster and he never wanted a ready word, or like King Charles II 'never said a silly thing and never did a wise one.'"
Sir Jonah Barrington in his sketches gives us this account of Bagenal on a European tour, taken probably in his youth:
"- During his tour he had performed a variety of feats which were emblazoned in Ireland, and endeared him to his countrymen. He had fought a prince, - jilted a princess, - intoxicated the Doge of Venice - carried off a Duchess from Madrid, - scaled the walls of a convent in Italy - narrowly escaped the inquisition at Lisbon - concluded his exploits by a duel in Paris; and returned to Ireland with a sovereign contempt for all continental men and manners, and an inveterate antipathy to all despotic Kings and arbitrary governments."
Whenever a duel occurred in this locality with Beauchamp, it was usually held at Killenane Cemetery on the main Kilkenny to Carlow road situated approx. 1½ miles to the Carlow side of the Royal Oak Village (outskirts of Bagenalstown/Muine Bheag). This was his favourite place, as he could support himself against the headstones here when taking aim at his opponent. (He was lame of one leg, the result of a duelling wound).
It was probably in that cemetery that one of his more notable and amusing (sic) duels occurred. Beauchamp Harvey Bagenal (one of the executed leaders of the 1798 rebellion) and Beauchamp Bagenal met on "the field of honour". Again Barrington tells us what occurred:
"---Harvey's reputed Kinsman provoked my friend to fight with him, in order to have the satisfaction of ascertaining, 'whether or not the lad had metal.'"
Barrington continues:
"Mr. Bagenal stood Harvey' s fire, and immediately cried out to him. 'You damned young villain! you had like to have killed your godfather - yes, you dog, or your own father, for anything I know to the contrary. I only wanted to try if you were brave. Go to Dunleckney and order breakfast. I shall be home directly.'"
Harvey Bagenal`s grandmother and Beauchamp' s mother were sisters, - Martha and Eleanor, daughters of John Beauchamp of Ballyloughan Castle, Co. Carlow. It is probable that Beauchamp was godfather to Harvey.
Another famous duel in which he was involved was that with the Chief Secretary Colonel Blacquiere in 1773. It was fought at the "thorn trees" in the Phoenix Park. Fortunately neither man was hurt, although Blacquiere had a narrow escape, the ball coming close enough to take away some of his hair and the fur of his hat.
Even into his 60's Beauchamp was still blazing merrily away. There is an account by O'Neill Daunt of a duel fought by him with an irate neighbour whose pigs had inadvertently strayed into one of his flowerbeds. They were promptly returned, minus their tails and ears!
In the duel which followed Beauchamp requested two favours from his opponent. First that as be was old and feeble, being then in his sixtieth year, he be permitted to fight sitting in his armchair, and secondly, that the duel take place in the afternoon.
"Time was that I would have risen before daybreak to fight at sunrise, but we cannot do these things at 60. Well, heaven's will be done".
The outcome of the duel was that the neighbour was badly wounded and Bagenal's chair was shattered but he escaped unhurt.
On the political front Bagenal was also active. In 1761 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the county. He succeeded in 1768 and from then until his retirement from public life in July of 1783 he continued to represent Carlow (with interruptions). He was a member of Henry Grattan's Party, and a Nationalist who always voted in favour of Catholic Relief Bills. He also moved the Bill which granted £50,000 to Grattan in recognition of his work leading to the Legislative Independence of the Irish Parliament.
An account of this speech is given on pages 157 to 159 of "Vicissitudes of an Anglo-Irish Family 1530-1800" by Phillip Bagenal OBE, BA (Oxon) (b. 1850 - d. 1927).
To celebrate that independence, Bagenal held a review of Irish Volunteers at Dunleckney. The tree under which he took the review still stands (1990). Following on this, there were celebrations which went on to the following morning, where an observer of the scene - Sir Jonah Barrington remarked:
"---the park was like a field of battle, strewed over with prostrate bodies---".
The portrait which I have drawn of Beauchamp Bagenal shows him to have been of a somewhat individualistic, independent, quarrelsome, proud and perhaps eccentric nature. It is extremely difficult not to do so; all the available sources of information tend to lead one to that conclusion. Yet he was no more than a man of his time, they were others of his mould, probably far worse and with less concern and compassion for their country- and fellow man than exhibited by Beauchamp. These following words of his might contain a clue as to the man's outlook and behaviour in life:
"In truth my young friends, it behaves a youth entering the world to make a character for himself. Respect with only be accorded to character. A young man must show his proofs. I am not a quarrelsome person - I never was - I hate your mere duellist; but experience of the world tells me that there are knotty points of which the only solution is the saw-handle. Rest upon your pistols my boys. Occasions will arise in which the use of them is absolutely indispensable to character. A man, I repeat, must show his proofs - in this world, courage will never be taken upon trust. I protest to heaven, my dear young friends, that I advise you exactly as I should advise my own son".
But even though Bagenal's private nature seems to have been more or less overlooked in favour of his more public face, we do get at least one brief glimpse of the private man, it is to be seen in this touching composition which he wrote and is copied onto the tombstone of his 14 year old niece, Catherine, buried at Dunleckney Cemetery (beside whom, at his own request, he too now lies.
"Nevertheless it may not be an unprofitable lesson to say something of her disposition which was a ready, cheerful, unremitted wish to be of use, and she industriously contrived to be so oftener than anybody could expect, particularly to her grandfather who through great gratitude and justice here declares that he believes she was the best child he ever knew, except her mother. They united in making life even desirable to him though labouring under great infirmity. The loss of such a one will be felt as long as we have feeling, but the recollection of every action and expression of her's from the time she began to have sense to her last hour gives us confidence to trust that she is happy".
In his obvious grief for this young girl, to whom he was very much attached, the public mask of Beauchamp Bagenal slipped. It revealed the beating heart of a soft and loving nature, and eyes from which tears could still fall. To those who have a fixed idea of him, as he is publicly portrayed, perhaps this one rare and intimate glimpse will suffice for a rethink.
On the 1st of May 1802, at the age of 67 years, he died.
I leave the final words of this text to Sir Jonah Barrington who in his "Recollections" wrote the following lines, which in my view are a fitting epitaph upon which to end:
"Amongst the people he was beloved, amongst the gentry he was popular, amongst the aristocracy he was dreaded." "
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Click the following link to view the history of a the earliest recorded and most prominent Bagnall family in Ireland: