Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Selected: CO. LAOIS, ABBEY LEIX

Name: WYATT, JAMES #
Building: CO. LAOIS, ABBEY LEIX
Date: 1772-1778
Nature: New house, for 2nd Baron Knapton (cr. Viscount de Vesci, 1776). FS laid 1773.
Refs: Drawings in NLI. AD 3130, 3125, 3130, 3129, 3132, 3157, 3168, 3184, and/or LBR 72884, Metropolitan Museum, New York, Wyatt Album, no. 43, and at Abbey Leix (see A.P.W. Malcomson, The De Vesci Papers (Irish Manuscripts Commission, 2006), 164,165; John Cornforth, 'Abbey Leix, Co. Leix, Ireland', Country Life 190, 26 Sep 1991, 90-92(illus.);  John Martin Robinson, James Wyatt (1746-1813) architect to George III (New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 2012), 108-9(illus.).

Name: DE VESCI, EMMA, VISCOUNTESS
Building: CO. LAOIS, ABBEY LEIX
Date: 1850ca;1873ca-1884ca
Nature: Designs for terrace and garden.
Refs: Drawings in De Vesci Papers, NLI AD 3586 (see A.P.W. Malcomson, The De Vesci Papers (Irish Manuscripts Commission, 2006), 168-9).

Name: WYATT, THOMAS HENRY #
Building: CO. LAOIS, ABBEY LEIX
Date: 1860ca-1875ca
Nature: Works at same, including balustrade round roof, refacing of exterior walls in Portland cement, enrichment of window architraves, forecourt on entrance front, formal terraced flower garden. For Thomas, 3rd Viscount de Vesci. (Lady de Vesci was a sister of Sidney Herbert, MP.) Contractor: Cockburn. Clerk of Works: Pratt.
Refs: Letters from THW to 3rd Viscount de Vesci, in NLI, MS, 39,038/1-3, and sketches of house? in NLI AD 3586 (see A.P.W. Malcomson, The De Vesci Papers (Irish Manuscripts Commission, 2006), 79-80,165; DB 1, 1 Aug 1859, 103 (architect wrongly named Digby Wyatt); Building Trades Directory (1868), 144; John Cornforth, 'Abbey Leix, Co. Leix, Ireland', Country Life 190, 26 Sep 1991, 90(illus.),91(illus.),93

Name: INCE, JAMES HOWARD #
Building: CO. LAOIS, ABBEY LEIX
Date: 1890ca;1892
Nature: Unexecuted plans for new porch, entrance fron, entrance hall and principal stair, c. 1890, and executed design for chimneypiece and inglenook in study, 1892. For 4th Viscount de Vesci.
Refs: 6 signed undated drawings, c. 1890, and 1 photocopy of drawing dated 1892 in De Vesci Papers, NLI AD 3586 (see A.P.W. Malcomson, The De Vesci Papers (Irish Manuscripts Commission, 2006), 165)

Name: JEKYLL, HERBERT (SIR) #
Building: CO. LAOIS, ABBEY LEIX
Date: 1893
Nature: Plans for terrace.
Refs: Drawings in De Vesci Papers, NLI AD 3586 (see A.P.W. Malcomson, The De Vesci Papers (Irish Manuscripts Commission, 2006), 169)

Name: HEANEY, DENIS
Building: CO. LAOIS, ABBEY LEIX
Date: 1929
Nature: Improvements.
Refs: IB 71, 20 Jul 1929, 664

Name: BLOW, DETMAR JELLINGS #
Building: CO. LAOIS, ABBEY LEIX
Date: ?
Nature: Proposed orangery. For 5th? Viscount de Vesci.
Refs: Set of 3 plans sold by Mealy's, Castlecomer, 3 & 4 Dec 1997 (Lot 459) (see catalogue, p.77; see also A.P.W. Malcomson, The De Vesci Papers (Irish Manuscripts Commission, 2006), 165)

Name: TUER, HOWARD #
Building: CO. LAOIS, ABBEY LEIX
Date: ?
Nature: Proposed new porch and entrance hall; proposed alterations to staircase.
Refs: 4 signed, undated drawings formerly in the De Vesci collection, sold by Mealy's, Castlecomer, 3 & 4 Dec 1997 (Lot 458)

Name: LOUCH, JOHN HOWARD
Building: CO. LAOIS, ABBEY LEIX
Date: ?
Nature: Works at same, for Lord de Vesci.
Refs: 'Statement of the Louch family from their transplanting to Ireland in 17--' by Fitzgibbon Louch, Jun 1894 (copy in IAA)