Abandoned families - Roper - Contents

Roper, Viscount Baltinglass

[Complete Peerage] says Roper, Viscount Baltinglass, is thought to belong to the same family as Roper, of Heanor, Derbyshire, but the evidence is weak.

Burial of Anne, Lady Baltinglass, 10 Jan 1640 (at the time regarded as end of 1639).
From [St. John's par records].

Sir Thomas Roper, 1st Viscount Baltinglass (see here).
Knighted at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, 16 Sept 1603.
He mar Anne Harrington [born est c.1588, descendant of Edward I].
His Dublin residence was "Roper's Rest", Dublin.
He was created Viscount Baltinglass 1627. The title was held in a previous creation by Eustace.
[Loeber, 1981] says that in 1634, before his death, he erected the spectacular Roper tomb in St. John's church, Dublin.
He died at "Roper's Rest", 18 Feb 1638 (at the time regarded as end of 1637).
He was bur on 20 Feb 1638 at St. John's church, Dublin. Can't find burial in [St. John's par records].
Will pr 1638.

Anne died 7 Jan 1640 (at the time regarded as end of 1639).
She was bur on 10 Jan 1640 at St. John's church, Dublin [St. John's par records], apparently NOT 9 Jan.
Her will pr 1640.
1st Viscount and Anne had issue:

1. Ruth Roper,
   born est c.1607,
   would be after grandmother.
   She mar Lent 1625 to Sir Edward Denny [bapt 1605] and had issue.
   They mar at "Roper's Rest", Dublin.

The wills of 1st Viscount Baltinglass and his widow, listed on p.20 of [Vicars' index of wills 1536-1810].
These wills were all burnt in 1922.
I am not sure what "IV. 218" refers to. It may be a reference to Betham's Abstracts.

Extract from the "Denny Family Diary" written by Sir Edward Denny (who mar Ruth Roper).
From p.369 of [Denny, 1908].

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"Roper's Rest", Dublin

"Roper's Rest", or "Roper's Rest House", W of Clanbrassil St, Dublin.
Dublin residence of Roper, Viscount Baltinglass.
Ruth Roper married there in 1625.
Thomas Roper, 1st Viscount Baltinglass, died there in 1638.

"Roper's Rest" shown S of Dublin city in [Down Survey, 1655 to 1658].
From TCD.
See also map printed in [Ball, vol.2, 1903].

Deane Swift, a relation of Jonathan Swift, lived at Roper's Rest around 1706.
This is from p.214 of The Correspondence of Jonathan Swift, vol.VI (1914).
Deane Swift's son Deane Swift was born at Roper's Rest in 1706. See entry in [TCD Alumni].

Roper's Rest on 1797 map of Dublin.
See larger.

"Roper's Rest" on 1798 map.

Roper's Rest is gone on 1829 to 1842 map.
Note "Site of Donore Castle". Donore Castle may have been a separate building just NW of Roper's Rest.
Note Greenville House.

Site of Roper's Rest on 1887 to 1913 map.
Page 369 of [Denny, 1908] said part of "Roper's Rest House" was then still standing.
Think nothing survives today. See modern map and street view.
Note Greenville House.

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Tomb of 1st Viscount Baltinglass, St. John's church, Dublin

The tomb of Thomas Roper, 1st Viscount Baltinglass (died 1638), St. John's church, Fishamble St, Dublin.
The church has been demolished.
The tomb is gone.

17th century drawing of the lost tomb of 1st Viscount Baltinglass, St. John's church, Dublin.
From "Monumenta Eblanae".
Reproduced in [Loeber, 1981].

St. John's church on a Model of Dublin around 1500.
Beside Christ Church Cathedral.
See full size.

St. John's church, Fishamble St, Dublin.
Photo in 1884, shortly before its demolition.
From here.

Site of St. John's church (marked by red cross). Its graveyard ("G. Yd") is beside it.
From 1887 to 1913 map. (St. John's church already demolished by this time.)
Today both church and graveyard are gone.

All that survives of St. John's church and graveyard are these six battered and vandalised gravestones beside the Civic Offices.
Christ Church in background.
See full size and other shot. Photos 2012.
See modern street view.

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References

• BALTINGLASS in [Complete Peerage], 2nd edn, vol.1, p.397.

• "Sculptured Memorials to the Dead in Early Seventeenth-Century Ireland" by R. Loeber, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. Section C, Vol. 81C (1981), pp. 267-293.

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Sources yet to be consulted

• ROPER in [NLI] GO
  • GO MS 37. Irish Arms at College of Heralds p. 25, 130 or 138
  • GO MS 125. Heraldic Sketches p. 91, 153
  • GO MS 223-54. Betham Will Abstracts 2/200, 4/121, 27/219 - Lodge 1/209
  • Roper of Hertfordshire - GO MS 184. Lords Entries Vol. II, p.159

• Not sure whether Eustace or Roper:
  • BALTINGLASS in [NLI] GO MS 223-54 - Betham Will Abstracts - Lodge 6/146, 10/22
  • Lord BALTINGLASS in [NLI] GO MS 183 - Lords Entries Vol. 1, p. 173

• 1st Viscount tomb:
  • See original drawing on p.33 of "Monumenta Eblanae", 17th century, Ms 15 in [NLI].
  • Thomas Dineley, "Observations in a voyage through the Kingdom of Ireland in the year 1681", Ms 392 in [NLI]. Inscription of 1st Viscount tomb is on p.44.
  • Funeral Entries, 17 vols, mainly 17th century, Mss. 64-79 in [NLI]. See 1st Viscount in vol. V, 218. Also Vol. 6, 7. Also entry for Anne Harrington in Vol. 8.