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| The Leslie Family 1905 [all photographs by Mark Leslie- see citation at end] |
It is unlikely that the Allen's ever met their landlord, Charles Powell Leslie. His vast estates throughout Ireland were handled by agents who collected the rents and took care of the details regarding the lands and their tenants. The Leslie family lived on their country estate in County Monaghan in Northern Ireland. Like most wealthy families of the time, they also likely kept a Dublin residence for the social season there (Christmas to St. Patrick's Day) and then a London residence for the summer ball season- to introduce their daughters to society. When on their Irish country estate, they would have spent leisure time shooting, fox hunting, and entertaining at dinners and balls. Their home was a showcase, filled with symbols of wealth and works of art. [1]
The lives of the Leslies were a world apart from those of their tenants. Children were educated at home by governesses and tutors and then boys were sent on to Eton or Harrow before college. A grand tour in Europe would have been considered a part of their education for most.
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The indoor staff at Castle Leslie 1890 |
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| Norman and Shane Leslie with their father 1897 |
Charles Powell Leslie II (1769-1831) would have spent a great deal of time in Dublin, as his father was a member of Irish Parliament representing their home estate in County Monaghan. He was educated at Oxford and became a colonel for the Monaghan Militia, which succeeded in putting down the 1798 Irish Rebellion. According to Irish Leader Daniel O'Connell, he was "one of the most uncompromising enemies of his Catholic country men." [2]Moving to London to sit in Parliament there, Leslie voted against proposals for Catholic Relief in 1811 and Catholic Emancipation and lost his seat in Parliament on that issue in 1826.
His son, Charles Powell Leslie III (1821-1871) was ten years old at the death of his father. He came of age during the famine years and was much more supportive of his tenants than his father had been. He promoted free education for local farmers to study scientific farming methods. [3] During the famine years, this generation of Leslie's was known to suspend payment of rents for struggling tenants and there is no record of them ever evicting tenants during these hard years while Ireland suffered from widespread mass evictions. Leslie also organized relief work to try and provide income for families during the famine years, and his mother set up soup kitchens to provide for the starving. [4]
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| Lady Leslie with local school children in Glaslough 1890 |
His heir, Sir John Leslie, built Castle Leslie in Monaghan in 1870 on a 1000 acre estate. His wife, Lady Leonie Jerome Leslie, was the sister of Jennie Jerome Randolph Churchill, who was the mother of Winston Churchill.
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| Lady Leonie Leslie (on far right) with her mother and sisters (Jennie Churchill standing with Winston on her left) |
The eldest son and heir, Norman Leslie, was tragically killed in WWI. His brother, Shane Leslie, inherited the estate. Interestingly, he converted to Catholicism (and as a result was disbarred; but remained the heir.) He also married an American, Marjorie Ida, a native of Vermont (who was actually raised in American Samoa, where her father was a diplomat!)
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| Marjorie wife of Shane Leslie at Castle Leslie |
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| Lady Leonie Leslie with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret |
Castle Leslie in County Monaghan is still in the possession of the Leslie family, and is open to paying guests. The chapel there gained notoriety recently when it served as the wedding place of Paul McCartney.[5] An extensive history and virtual tour is available on the Castle Leslie website:
*All photographs on this page were submitted by Mark Leslie to "Edwardian Country House Life" on "Travelers 411." More of his photo collection on the Leslie's can be seen on that site.
https://www.travelers411.com/forums/album.php?albumid=721