Tore House,
County Westmeath

Documenting our Heritage

Richard Pilkington, born in 1635, was a descendant of the Pilkington family of Rivington in Lancashire, England. He was the first member of the family to migrate to Ireland, where he established an estate at Tore, county Westmeath.

The Pilkington's of Lancashire had been Lords of the Manor of Rivington from 1327 until 1611, when they sold the Rivington estate to relatives, Robert Lever and Thomas Breres. The Pilkingtons were staunch Royalists and large land owners. After the execution of Charles I and formation of the Commonwealth of England in 1649 they, along with other royalists, were forced to pay or 'compound' for the continued ownership of their estates. This was a process where Royalists who had fought against the English Parliament had their estates confiscated and were forced to pay a fine and pledge not to take up arms against Parliament again. The size of the fine they had to pay depended on the worth of the estate and how great their support for the Royalist cause had been. It was during this period that Richard left England and arrived in Ireland to acquire extensive property in Offaly and Westmeath. He settled at Tore, Westmeath. (After the restoration of Charles II, land which had been confiscated in England was returned to its previous owners in much the same way that it was in Ireland).

Richard Pilkington died at Tore in 1711. He left two sons and eight daughters, his eldest son had predeceased him and so the younger son, Abraham, inherited the Tore estate. Abraham died in 1712, only one year after his father, leaving one son and four daughters. His son, Henry, inherited the Tore estate. Henry married twice, and died in 1777 leaving three sons, his eldest son, another, Abraham, inherited the Tore estate. This Abraham died in 1799 and was succeeded by his son, another, Henry. Henry died in 1810 and was succeeded by his eldest son, also called Henry.  This Henry died on the 23rd December 1865 and was succeeded by his son Henry Mulock Pilkington. Henry Mulock married Wilhelmina (Mina) Charity McDonnell on the 12 May 1855. He died on the 23rd May 1899.

The 1901 census records Tore House as occupied by Mina C Pilkington, age 69, her daughters: Emily Pilkington, age 40 and Katherine Kittson, age 33 and her granddaughters: Moira Pilkington, age 3 and Charity Kittson, age 7. The Pilkingtons had a house staff of three: Annie White, age 25, nurse; Rosanna Roache, age 23, parlour maid and Mary Rogers, age 30, cook.

Mina died in 1902 and the estate was inherited by her son, Colonel Henry Lionel Pilkington of the 21st Hussars. The Colonel was invested as a Companion, Order of the Bath. He occupied the house for only a few years before moving to London and letting the estate to Mr H. J. McKenna. The house was eventually acquired by Mr McKenna through the Land Commission. Tore House met the end of its days in 1922: During the Civil War it was set on fire and burnt to the ground by the IRA.

Today little more than the facade and few walls of Tore House remain.

If anybody knows more, please do get in touch.

This article is the copyright of Tarquin Blake, Abandoned Ireland, and may not be reproduced in any form without permission.