The families who lived at Ash Hill

The first recorded ownership of Ash Hill was in 1667 when Chidley Coote acquired the property from Catherine Bligh. It is probable that he had a son who was also Chidley Coote. In 1726, Lieutenant General Eyre Coote (son of Chidley Coote--a clergyman and owner of Castle Coote) was born at Ash Hill which was known as Castle Coote at that time. General Coote went on to become one of the greatest military tacticians of the eighteenth century with numerous victories to his credit, including winning India from the French in the Seven Years' War and defeating Hyder Ali despite being outnumbered by almost twenty to one. This same victorious pattern was to be repeated in battles throughout the war.

Eyre Evans aged 18 in 1791

Coote's nephew, Sir Eyre Coote, who was born at Ash Hill in the late eighteenth century, became the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica between 1806 and 1808. It has been said that Coote, while living in Jamaica, had a relationship with a slave girl. Although unconfirmed, it is thought that Colin Powell, hero of the Gulf War, may be a descendent of this relationship. Sometime prior to 1799, Ash Hill passed on to Eyre Evans. We are still attempting to ascertain if Eyre Evans was a descendent of Eyre Coote. We believe this could well be the case in light of both parties sharing the same first name as well as ownership of Ash Hill. At about the time of the Famine, ownership of the estate passed out of the Evans family and, in 1858, part of the estate was acquired by Thomas Weldon. In 1860, another part of the estate was acquired by Captain Henry Frederick Evans. In 1880, Evans' widow sold her interest in the estate to John Henry Weldon, a son of Thomas Weldon.

The Evans familey was a large familey with many branches that emegrated to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England, Cannada and U.S.A. One of the branch that emegrated to New Zealand was a prolific writer and much or possibly all of his writings were donated to the Alexander Turnbull libary in Wellington, New Zealand.

Corry Skilbech is a decandant of one of the Evans'es who emegrated to New Zealend and she is the author of "Jottings of a Gentelman" a book that is the story of one branch of the Evans family of Ash Hill Towers.

For anybody who wishes to purchase this book, it is listed alphabetically under books and 'Corry Skilbeck' on the link for purchase of the book that you will get to if you click on the photo of the book. It is a most interesting read. It's ISBN is 9780977551835 (pbk.).

The estate passed out of the Weldon family to P.M. Lindsay in 1911. Captain Lindsay sold Ash Hill to Mrs. Denny Johnson in 1946.

George Evans and Stanley Evans in 1912 or 1913

The house has been visited by many of the descendents of the aforementioned from literally all parts of the world. Such visits include one by Eileen (Weldon) Foster in 1908 who wrote numerous letters to her American fiance during her stay at Ash Hill. In 1912, the house was visited by Evans descendents from New Zealand. Walter and Anna Weldon visited in 1932, writing home that "the interior had been despoiled by three sets of troops during the Irish Rebellion. Beautiful Italian marble fireplaces chipped and cracked. Ancestral paintings used for target practice....the lovely books of the library strewn underfoot." Any information from people whose antecedents lived at Ash Hill would be most appreciated and gratefully received. Please feel free to e-mail Simon Johnson.

After Denise Johnson bought the property in 1946 she ran it as a successful stud, and she was a successful point-to-point rider with over 50 wins to her name. In 1956 she married Stado Johnson. After many falls she was told to "take up a safer sport then point-to point riding" by her doctor, she took up 3-day eventing and represented Ireland at an international level.