A Note on

Mrs La Touche of Harristown

Derek OConnor December 19, 2011*

Mrs La Touche of Harristown

The book, The Letters of Noble Woman (Mrs. La Touche of Harristown.), Edited by Margaret Ferrier Young, George Allen and Sons, London, 1908, is a collection of letters from Maria La Touche (nee Price), 18241906, who lived at Harristown. An excellent scanned copy is available free at http://www.archive.org/details/lettersofnoblewo00ltouuoft This book is the source of the quotation rst used in the Mathematical Gazette [819,1924], and later used by Knuth1 , and Higham2 :
I do hate sums. There is no greater mistake than to call arithmetic an exact science. There are . . . hidden laws of Number which it requires a mind like mine to perceive. For instance, if you add a sum from the bottom up, and then again from the top down, the result is always different.

Here is the full quotation:

July 1878. I am nearly driven wild with the Dorcas accounts, and by Mrs. Wakeelds orders they are to be done now. I do hate sums. There is no greater mistake than to call arithmetic an exact science. There are Permutations and Aberrations discernible to minds entirely noble like mine; subtle variations which ordinary accountants fail to discover; hidden laws of Number which it requires a mind like mine to perceive. For instance, if you add a sum from the bottom up, and then again from the top down, the result is always different. Again if you multiply a number by another number before you have had your tea, and then again after, the product will be different. It is also remarkable that the Post-tea product is more likely to agree with other peoples calculations than the Pre-tea result. pages 49 and 50, Letters of a Noble Woman.
* Started: 3 Sept 2011. Web: 1 Donald E. Knuth, The Art

http://www.derekroconnor.net email : derekroconnor@eircom.net of Computer Programming, Vol. 2, Seminumerical Algorithms, 2nd Edition,

Addison-Wesley,1981, pg. 178. 2 Nicholas J. Higham, Accuracy and Stability of Numerical Algorithms, 2nd Edition, SIAM, 2002, pg. 79.

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A Note on Mrs La Touche of Harristown

John Ruskin and Mrs La Touche

Ruskin was the rst Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford, from 1869 to 1879. His lectures were so popular that they had to be given twice once for the students, and again for the public. Ruskin College, Oxford is named after him. While at Oxford, Ruskin became friendly with Lewis Carroll, another don, who photographed him. After Carroll parted with Alice Liddell, she and her sisters pursued a similar relationship with Ruskin, according to his autobiography, Praeterita. During this period Ruskin became enamoured of Rose la Touche, an intensely religious girl, whom he met through his patronage of Louisa, Marchioness of Waterford, a talented watercolourist. He was introduced to Rose in 1858, when she was only ten years old, proposed to her eight years later, and was nally rejected in 1872. She died in 1875. These events plunged Ruskin into despair and led to bouts of mental illness. He suffered from a number of breakdowns and delirious visions. Wikipedia. The picture below was painted from an original drawing by Ruskin.

Figure 1. R OSE L A T OUCHE (18491875), DAUGHTER OF M RS L A T OUCHE .

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A Note on Mrs La Touche of Harristown

The La Touche Family History

The following is taken from http://homepage.eircom.net/~latouche/History.htm Below you will nd a history of the La Touche Family prepared by the La Touche Legacy Committee in conjunction with the Greystones Town Commissioners

The Story of the La Touche Family in Ireland

Our story opens with David Digues La Touche des Rompieres, who was born in 1671 near Blois in the Loire Valley, and whose family had embraced the Protestant faith. Following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 some La Touche family members ed to Holland in search of religious freedom. David soon joined them, and his uncle obtained for him a commission in General Caillemottes Regiment, in the army of William of Orange. In 1690 David fought in the Battle of the Boyne, but, as General Caillemotte was killed at this battle, the Regiment was disbanded and David served in the Princess Ann of Denmarks army and in the Liverpool Regiment. He left the army in Galway, where he was billeted on a weaver who sent him to Dublin to buy worsteds. David decided to stay in Dublin, where with another Huguenot he set up as a manufacturer of cambric and rich silk poplins. His business also became a gathering-place for the Huguenots of Dublin, who, when they had to travel outside the capital, began to leave their money and valuables with David for safekeeping. Some of this money would be advanced as loans at a reasonable interest and so the La Touche Bank came into being. In 1716 David joined forces with Nathaniel Kane, and the Kane-La Touche banking and poplin business prospered. This was a time of urban expansion in Dublin, and David was astute enough to buy up plots of development land in the St. Stephens Green-Aungier St. area, the result being that he became extremely rich. He was also religious, humane and generous to the poor. In October 1745 he was taken ill at prayer in the Viceroys Chapel and died within the hour. David had married Marthe Judith Biard in 1699 in Dublin and there were four children of the marriage, two sons and two daughters. Marthe died in 1713, and a year later he married Wilhelmina, a Dutch lady. His two sons, David and James, were educated in Holland and later joined the business. On the death of the rst David, James inherited the poplin business and David became the proprietor of the La Touche Bank. Ale brothers agreed that Davids family would drop the name Digues, or Digges, but that it would be retained by the family of Jaines. David La Touche the Second married Marie Canasaille in 1725 and ve of their children survived, three sons and two daughters. Like his father, he speculated in land purchase, but outside the Capital, in Counties Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, Leitrim, Tipperary and Wicklow. It was David the Second who built Bellevue in Delgany, County Wicklow, between 1754-56, at a cost of 30,000. Davids three sons, David the Third, John La Touche and Peter La Touche eventually became partners in the La Touche Bank. Peter inherited Bellevue on the death of David the Second in 1785, and David the Third founded the Marlay La Touches, while John was the rst to live at Harristown, County Kildare.
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The Bellevue, Delgany Family

The estate at Ballydonagh comprised 300 acres, with ne views across the Glen of the Downs and towards the Irish Sea. David the Second built his favourite country retreat here between 1754-56, at a cost of 30,000, and called it Bellevue. Beautiful gardens were laid out with winding paths and extras built by David and his son, Peter, when he inherited in 1785. Among these was the Octagon, built in 1766, with a panther on springs, which could be made to jump out at unwary visitors. The house was most famous for its huge glasshouse, built between 1783 and 1793, in which many exotic plants were grown. In 1766 Peter married Rebecca Vicars and they lived in Merrion Square, but when Rebecca died in 1786 Peter moved to Bellevue. Two years later he married Rebeccas cousin, Elizabeth Vicars. Elizabeth was famous as a hostess as well as for her charitable works, both in Delgany and in Dublin. She opened an orphanage and school for female children in the grounds of Bellevue, and she supported the children until they were old enough to fend for themselves. She was also the Chief Guardian of the Female Orphan House on the North Circular Road, Dublin. It was she who persuaded the aged and inrm Dean Kirwan to preach at the annual Charity Sermon in St. PatricWs Church in 1801.Ibe unfortunate prelate feebly explained to the congregation that he was unable to preach, and promptly fainted. His listeners were so overcome that they donated over 1,100 for the orphans, a huge sum for the time. In 1790 Peter acquired the lands of Upper and Lower Rathdown. It is on these lands that much of modern Greystones is situated. He set about improving the houses and grounds at Bellevue and Luggala, sparing no expense to make these residences the ultimate in grandeur. Luggala was his hunting lodge and holiday home set deep in the Wicklow mountains. Peter allowed Luggala to be used by respectable strangers, wherein the spirit of Irish hospitality, beds, and attendants are provided. This tradition of hospitality at Luggala extends to this day under the present owner The Hon. Garech Browne who is also President of the La Touche Legacy Association. Peter was also known as a generous man. It was he who built the new Christ Church at Delgany in 1789, and who ordered the LaTouche monument in memory of his father, sculpted by John Hickey. He was active in many charitable activities in Dublin and Wicklow and was a founder member of the Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in Ireland. When he died in 1828, at the age of ninety-ve, he directed that he should be buried in the new churchyard in Delgany with as little expense as decency will allow. An interesting clause in his will directed that whoever should inherit Bellevue in the future would have to reside in Ireland for at least six months each year or forfeit the inheritance. Peter had no children by either of his marriages, so his nephew, Peter of Marley inherited, but he died two years later. In 1806 he had married Charlotte Maude and the marriage produced fourteen children, of whom only one daughter, Eliza, and three sons, Williarn Robert, Ashley and Octavius, married. His eldest son Peter David, now inherited Bellevue. During the famine years it was Peter David who sat on committees in the area endeavoring to alleviate distress. It was during Peter Davids time also, in 1854-56, that the railway came to Greystones, the station being built where the La Touche adjoined the Whitshed estate.

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A Note on Mrs La Touche of Harristown

With the building of Greystones, the La Touche estate became responsible for the laying out of roads, and they donated land and a sum of 1,500 towards the building of St. Patricks Church in Greystones. Peter David died in 1857, and his brother William Robert inherited Bellevue. He remained a director of the La Touche Bank until its closure in 1870. It was William who entertained the Archbishop, Dr. Richard Chenevix Trench at Bellevue when St. Patricks Church was consecrated in 1864. Because of various Land Acts between 1870 and 1909, the Bellevue Estate had begun to shrink considerably. In Greystones, many houses were being built on LaTouche land, so a new Presbyterian Church was required. William Robert gave a free site for the new church, and laid the foundation stone in 1887. In 1867 Williain Robert had married Ellen Henn, but, as there were no children, his brother, Octavius, inherited in 1892, when William Robert died, aged eighty-one. The new master of Bellevue, Octavius, was a widower with three daughters, Mary, Frances Cecilia and Charlotte, and one son, Peter. Charlotte was a keen and knowledgeable gardener and a great organiser of charitable events in the Delgany area. Her brother, Peter, inherited in 1897. He was a major in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers who was called upon to ght in the Boer War in 1900, and on his return home in 1902 was given a tumultuous welcome all the way from Greystones Station to Delgany. In the same year he married Sophia Elizabeth Tottenham, but died, intestate, two years later. Bellevue was now divided between his widow and his three sisters. Frances Cecilia and her husband, Dr. Archer, moved into Bellevue. Bellevue now fell on hard times, and in 1906 a sale of family treasures was conducted by Mr. James North, the Auctioneer. The family now tried taking in paying guests, and land was even sold to the Holy Faith Sisters to build a school. Dr. Archer was instrumental in helping to build a Golf Club in Delgany, he being elected its rst President. However, the Archers nally vacated Bellevue in 1913, and went to live in Malvern in Delgany village. The house fell into decay and was pulled down in the early l950s, and the lands were taken over by the Forestry Division of the Department of Lands.

The Harristown, Kildare Family

The historic lands of Harristown Demesne were in the hands of the Eustace family since the 16th century. The estate rose to prominence under Sir Maurice Eustace, who built the present house in 1662, became Lord Chancellor and obtained a charter from Charles the Second in 1681, constituting his estates a manor. When Sir Maurice died in 1704 the estate was inherited by his three daughters and divided into three parts Harristown, Mullacash and Carnalway. In 1768 David (The Second) La Touche bought Harristown, but it was Davids son, John, who was the rst La Touche to take up residence. John enclosed the present demesne and built a new road and bridge over the Liffey. In 1767 John tried to get elected to Parliament as Member for the City of Dublin, his opponent being the Marquis of Kildare, (later Duke of Leinster). John lost, and the merchants of Dublin were so disappointed that they presented him with a gold snuff-box. In spite of this set-back, John sat as a knight of the Shire and was one of the ve La Touches (the Five Just Men) who sat in the last House of Commons at the time of the Union. Of these ve Lecky declared: this family may claim, what is in truth the highest honour of which an Irish family can boast that during many successive Governments, and in a period
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A Note on Mrs La Touche of Harristown

of the more lavish corruption, it possessed great parliamentary inuence, and yet passed through political life untitled and unstained. John died in 1805 and his son, John, succeeded. He died in 1822 and his brother, Col. Robert La Touche, took over at Harristown. Robert had married Lady Emily Le Poer Trench, daughter of the Earl of Clancarty, and there were four children of this marriage. The twins, John (The Master) and William, were born in the house in Merrion Square in 1814. John, William, and their other brother Robert were keen huntsmen, John being Master of the Kildare Hounds 1841-45. However, due to Johns serious fall, and Roberts tragic death in a stand at the Curragh in 1845, brought an end to their hunting involvement. John, called The Master, succeeded in 1844 and lived at Harristown for the next sixtytwo years. His wife, Maria, only child of the Dowager Countess of Desart, County Kilkenny, was a very cultivated lady, with a particular interest in botany, drawing, languages and poetry. John Ruskin called her Lacerta. She was an avid letter-writer and wrote a number of tracts on religious and social themes. She also wrote two novels, The Clintons (1853), and Lady Willoughby (1855). She had a horror of blood-sports, and complained often about the neighbouring gentry, whose chief delight was in such country pursuits. During Johns lifetime the traditional family banking connection was broken. Following the Famine years, like most landed gentry in Ireland, the La Touche fortunes declined and they borrowed large sums from the Bank of Ireland. In 1870 the LaTouche Bank closed and was taken over by the Munster Bank. When the Bank closed, however, all their accounts were in credit and relations with the Bank of Ireland continued to be amicable. During the Famine John initiated drastic measures in his own household, allowing no white bread or pastry to be made, and only the simplest dishes to appear on his table. The deer-park at Harristown ceased at this time to have any deer in it; all were made into food for the starving people. He busied himself with his farm tenants, and supported Land Reform under Gladstone. The La Touches in Ireland had adopted the practices of the Established Church, but around 1857 John rst heard the preaching of Dr. Spurgeon in London and was gradually won over by his brand of evangelism. He set up Bible studying classes in Harristown. These became the nucleus of a Baptist Church group which used to meet in Rose Cottage, named after Johns younger daughter, Rose. He also became very active in Christian Relief work in London, raising money to rescue fallen women, and was instrumental in founding the London City Mission. In 1882 he built a Baptist Chapel and a ne Manse at Brannockstown, and was a regular benefactor of Baptist work throughout Ireland. John had an interest in education, as did all the La Touches, and he knocked down the remains of Portlester Castle to build a school at Brannockstown, which opened in 1885. This school prospered for twenty years, but under his son, Percy, the pupils were moved to the Carnalway National School. It was re-opened in 1928 under Catholic management and it is still in use. The love story of Rose La Touche (daughter of John and Maria) and John Ruskin has been well documented. John and Maria met Ruskin in London and invited him to visit Harristown. Rose was ten years old when she rst met Ruskin in 1858. Three years later Rose and Ruskin were in correspondence. Her parents were uncomfortable with Ruskins religious scepticism, and so Rose and he did not meet again until 1865, when 6

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he proposed marriage to the eighteen-year-old Rose, who required him to wait until she was twenty-one. Roses father was implacably opposed to the marriage for both religious (Ruskin was divorced) and age reasons (he was thirty years Roses senior), and Maria was worried about his reputed impotence and Roses ill health. Eventually, Rose went to London in Jan. 1875 for medical care and Ruskin attended her solicitously. He last saw her on February 14th. She died on May 25th and Ruskin didnt hear of it until the day of her funeral at St. Patricks Church, Carnalway, Co. Kildare on May 28th. 1875. Her parents resumed their friendship with him during the 1880s. When The Master died in 1904 in his 90th. year, his son, Percy, succeeded to the estate, and spent his time in those pursuits abhorred by his mother. He moved in the highest levels of society and was a favourite of Edward the Seventh. He married Lady Annette Scott, a sister of the Earl of Clonmel, but they had no children. After his death in 1921 his sister Emilys son succeeded, and the estate passed through two other owners before being sold to Major Michael Wentworth Beaumont.

The Marlay, Rathfarnham Family

The story of the Marlay La Touches centres on banking and religion. David (the third) La Touche worked in the La Touche Bank. He was born in 1729 and set up his country seat at Rathfarnham, County Dublin. He had married Elizabeth, daughter of George Marlay, Bishop of Dromore, in 1761, and so he named his estate Marlay. In the same year he entered the Irish Parliament to represent banking interests, and he did so for forty years. David became part of Dublins aristocratic circle, respected for his wealth and his lavish hospitality in Marlay. Marlay had its own private theatre, in which both Henry Flood and Henry Grattan played in Macbeth. David III helped the Government with a loan of 20,000 in the dark days of 1778, but when the Castle sought further credit later, it was not granted. He was to the fore in negotiations which led to the foundation of the Bank of Ireland in 1783, and was appointed its rst Governor, a post which he held for eight years. Davids politics during the 1770s and 1780s were very close to those of Speaker Foster. Both believed that the Irish Parliament was very useful for promoting economic development, but both were totally opposed to Catholic Emancipation. Of the ve La Touches sitting in Parliament in 1800, only David Ill supported the Union, but Grattan forgave him as he believed that his vote came from conviction and had not been bought. David was an investor in the Grand Canal Company, and in 1800 he was its Treasurer. He and his brothers were founding members of the Kildare Street Club in the 1780s; he was also a Wide Street Commissioner, and he was a treasurer of the Lock Penitentiary. In fact the La Touches supported with their time and money most of the large charitable and cultural organisations of the time. They were also Freemasons. David and Elizabeth had six sons and ve daughters. During his lifetime his sons were brought into the Bank, and when he died he was succeeded by John David, who in turn was succeeded by David Charles. When David Charles died unmarried in 1872, his brother, Charles John Digges La Touche now headed the Marlay La Touches. Charles had been at Oxford and knew Newman (later a Cardinal). In 1844 Charles caused consternation among the wider family by becoming a Roman Catholic and moving to Tours

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in France. Charless son, John David, worked in China in the Imperial Chinese Customs Service, and on his retirement, he returned to Ireland in 1925 and bought a ne residence at Kiltimon, Co. Wicklow. The estate at Marlay had long since been sold to Tedcastles, the coal merchants. The family was well connected with the Professional Church. Rev. John William La Touche was the second son of David IV of Marlay and his wife Lady Cecilia, daughter of the rst Earl of Milltown. Rev. John had three wives, not of course contemporaneously. He was appointed to succeed Dean Scott for many years the absentee rector of Clonemagh, Co. Offaly. Scott had accepted tithes of 500 a year as an absentee. The new Rector demanded 1,500 a year under the Tithe Commutation Act even though he also proposed to bean absentee. The mainly Roman Catholic population were outraged but offered 1,000 a year to La Touche. This event took place in 1829 an early tithe war tussle. The Rev. La Touche retained the Rectorship until 1848 and later became a prebendary of St. Patricks Cathedral in Dublin. Jim Brennan, Aileen Short, September 1996 Sources: Judith Flannery: The Story of Delgany. 1990. David Dickson, Editor: The Gorgeous Mask, Dublin 1700-1850. 1987. Michael McGinley: Money, Religion and the La Touche Family. 1993. Crawford Hartnell: An Episode in the Last Parliament of Ireland: The Five Just Men. 1910. Robert Dunlop: Plantation of Renown. 1982. Robert Dunlop: Waters Under the Bridge. 1988.

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Harristown Demesne Website

Harristown demesne was purchased by the La Touche family in 1768 and a spacious Georgian mansion was erected by Whitmore Davis in a dominant position overlooking the River Liffey. The old house of three stories was destroyed in 1891 and a smaller two storey house sits well in its place. The diocesan architect, James Franklin Fuller, oversaw the restoration of the house at the same time as he rebuilt the small Church of Ireland church at the entrance to the estate. The omission of the third storey allows for an unusual amount of light into the house through a cleverly constructed lantern light. Thus the move from the airy and bright downstairs rooms is complemented by a rush of light from the upstairs hallway. Another interesting feature is the tunnel that runs underground for some 80 metres from the stable yard into the basement. Carnalway church is adjacent to the front entrance of the estate and Fuller rebuilt it in the Hiberno Romanesque style similar to that of his masterpiece at Millicent. The church also has stain glass windows by Harry Clarke and Sir Ninian Comper. The La Touches were Huguenots expelled from France. They made their way to Ireland and moved into banking, weaving and politics. The partners of La Touche Bank were the original stockholders of the Bank of Ireland which opened for business in 1783. The second generation of the La Touches in Ireland included John who built Harristown and his descendants occupied the house until 1921. They were people of integrity and the history of the area endorses this. The last John La Touche of Harristown died in 1904 and it marked the end of a colourful era. He became a Baptist convert through the teachings of C.H.Spurgeon and built the church in Brannockstown as well as the National School. Probably the most interesting visitor to Harristown during his tenure was John Ruskin, celebrated Victorian writer and art critic, whose relationship with the family and in particular Rose brought both joy and sorrow to all concerned. The estate was bought in 1946 by Michael and Doreen Beaumont who set about restoring Harristown to its former glory. They completely renovated the house and installed furniture and pictures from their former home Wootton in Buckinghamshire the interior of which had been designed by Sir John Soane. Doreen Beaumont brought some of the Soanian inuence to bear on her new home and thus the colours she used are not those traditionally associated with an Irish Georgian house. Further there are other nishes and artefacts that reect a more eclectic approach to interior design. On the ground oor the ceilings stand 18 feet high and the front hall is a magnicent double room off which open the 3 main reception rooms the library, drawing room and dining room. However, the best kept secret of this house is the 16th Century Chinese Wallpaper in a sitting room leading off the drawing room which depicts birds in strong vibrant colours. Among the other curiosities is an upstairs room nished in oak panelling taken from a Tudor house in England and a set of French Empire pelmets.

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Visiting Hours
The house is open to the public and in the forthcoming year it is open on the following dates. January February May September 18th to 31st 1st to 12th, 22nd to 26th. 3rd to 26th. 6th to 29th. M Tu W F M Tu W F M Tu W F M Tu W F 10 am to 2 pm. 10 am to 2 pm. 10 am to 2 pm. 10 am to 2 pm.

Directions
The front gate of Harristown Estate is at Carnalway Cross on the R412 approximately half way between the villages of Two Mile House and Brannockstown. From Dublin take the N7 for Limerick and Cork. At junction 11, exit onto M9 toward Kilcullen, Carlow and Athy. Exit at the turn for Kilcullen. Turn left onto R448 and go into Kilcullen. Drive through the trafc lights, over the river and then take the rst right next to the dentists surgery. Travel approximately 4 km and you will arrive at Carnalway Cross which is a ve road intersection. The gates of the Estate are in front of you. Once you are inside the gates you enter a world of tranquillity as you drive through rolling parkland and up to the house. The journey is 53 km and should take you less than an hour.

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