page_title: Baronscourt
hierarchical_section_title: Baronscourt
caption_attribution_description: English: Identifier: seriesofpictures04morr (find matches) Title: A series of picturesque views of seats of the noblemen and gentlemen of Great Britain and Ireland. With descriptive and historical letterpress Year: 1840 (1840s) Authors: Morris, F. O. (Francis Orpen), 1810-1893 Subjects: Historic buildings Historic buildings Publisher: London (etc.) W. Mackenzie Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: ery considerably to thefamily property, and was great-grandfather of Sir George Gordon, fourth Earl of Aberdeen, who entering the public service earlyin this century, was engaged as His Majestys Plenipotentiary during the wars whichterminated with the battle of Waterloo. He occupied different great ofl&amp;ces of stateunder the Duke of Wellington and Sir Eobert Peel, and finally became Her MajestysPrime Minister in 1852. Being at the same time Knight of the Garter and Knightof the Thistle, he was the only individual so decorated since the reign of QueenAnne. He died in 1860, after a possession of fifty-nine years. He was followed byhis eldest son. Sir Charles John Jambs Gordon, fifth Eail, whose eldest son. Sir George Gordon, sixth Earl, after a singular and romantic career of his ownchoice, was accidentally drowned at sea, January 27th., 1870, when he was succeededby his only surviving brother. Sir John Campbell Hamilton Gordon, D.L. for the County of Aberdeen, bornAugust 3rd., 1847. Text Appearing After Image: BARONS COUET, COUNTY TYKONE, IRELAND. DUKE OF ABEECOEN. Baeons Couet^ the seat of the Duke of Abercorn in Ireland, is a very extensivedomain, the grounds belonging to the park and woods extending to between fiveand six thousand acres, surrounded by an estate of about eighty thousand acresin the counties of Tyrone and Donegal. The house was originally built from designs by Sir William Chambers, in 1742,but has been much enlarged by succeeding proprietors. It contains several very finerooms, the principal of which are,—the Gallery, or Drawing-room, one hundred feetby twenty-two; the Dining-room, fifty feet by twenty-eight, and twenty-two feethigh; the Hall, thirty-eight feet by twenty-eight, and twenty-two feet high; theBilliard Room, a circular apartment, thirty feet in diameter and thirty feet high; andthe Staircase, thirty feet by twenty-eight, and thirty feet high. From the house, extending to one of the lakes, are terraced gardens of greatbeauty, in the Italian style, with stone Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.
context_page_description: Baronscourt, Barons-Court or Baronscourt Castle is a Georgian country house and estate located 4.5 km southwest of Newtownstewart in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and is the seat of the Duke of Abercorn. It is a Grade A-listed building.
  The Baronscourt is the great house in Ireland of the earls and later marquesses and dukes of Abercorn. It was called Baronscourt because in the Irish Peerage the Abercorns are the Barons Hamilton of Strabane. The house is surrounded by the Baronscourt estate. The first house on this site was built by the architect William Chambers in 1742. However it was rebuilt and modified at many occasions. Notably it was rebuilt between 1779 and 1781 by James Hamilton, the 8th Earl of Abercorn. The house is a neo-classical mansion surrounded by ornate Italian-style gardens, and woodland. The estate also features an 18-hole golf course which celebrated its centenary in 2014.
  The traditional burial place of the Dukes of Abercorn and their families is the graveyard at Baronscourt Parish Church.
  Baronscourt was originally designed by George Steuart in 1778, and it was built 1779–1782.
context_section_description: Baronscourt, Barons-Court or Baronscourt Castle is a Georgian country house and estate located 4.5 km southwest of Newtownstewart in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and is the seat of the Duke of Abercorn. It is a Grade A-listed building.
  The Baronscourt is the great house in Ireland of the earls and later marquesses and dukes of Abercorn. It was called Baronscourt because in the Irish Peerage the Abercorns are the Barons Hamilton of Strabane. The house is surrounded by the Baronscourt estate. The first house on this site was built by the architect William Chambers in 1742. However it was rebuilt and modified at many occasions. Notably it was rebuilt between 1779 and 1781 by James Hamilton, the 8th Earl of Abercorn.  The house is a neo-classical mansion surrounded by ornate Italian-style gardens, and woodland. The estate also features an 18-hole golf course which celebrated its centenary in 2014.
  The traditional burial place of the Dukes of Abercorn and their families is the graveyard at Baronscourt Parish Church.
  Baronscourt was originally designed by George Steuart in 1778, and it was built 1779–1782.
  The house is seven bays wide and three stories high with a loggia of coupled Tuscan columns and a rotunda at the centre of the plan. The pediment contains the coat of arms of the Duke of Abercorn's family. The house was soon remodelled in 1791 by John Soane. Robert Woodgate was responsible to oversee the works.
  James Hamilton's agent described the alterations as:
  "He just reverses the house, what was the backside is to be the entrance, and the front part of the rere. The drawing room, parlour and as far back in the hall as the pillars, is to be thrown into one gallery."
  Soane also designed a glasshouse in 1789.
  Soon after the works were completed, they were destroyed by a 1796 fire which damaged everything except the wings.
  Robert Woodgate was brought back to oversee the reconstruction of the house 1797–1798.
  In 1835-1843 Richard and William Vitruvius Morrison were brought in to undertake further modifications to the house including the library.
  In the early part of the 20th century A.T. Bolton made copies of Soane's original drawings.
  In the late 20th century David Hicks remodelled the library.
  An agent's house was designed and built by James Martin in 1741–1745.
  David Sheehan, stonecutter, made 3-4 chimney pieces for the 8th Earl in 1745. Was this for a house which no longer exists?
  James Bloomfield undertook landscape improvements in 1746. 
  James Miller built stables in 1749.
  James Dick and Alexander Stewart were employed as stonecutters on the new house 1778–1781.
  Mr. Hawkshaw was the foreman on the new house.
  James Lee worked as a plasterer in 1794.
  Peter Frederick Robinson built Rock Cottage in 1832 and Newtownstuart Gate in 1835.
  Joseph Bell designed and built new stables in the baronial style for the 2nd Duke in 1889.
caption: Baronscourt in 1879, from The County Seats of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Great Britain and Ireland, by Francis Orpen Morris.[1]
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