The Eccles Family of Ecclesville
The Eccles Family of Ecclesville and their Connection to the Seskinore Estate
The Eccles family of Ecclesville, near Fintona, County Tyrone, formed one of the principal landed families of the district from the seventeenth century onwards. Over successive generations the family became closely associated with Ecclesville House, extensive estates in Counties Tyrone and Fermanagh, and a network of interconnected landed families throughout Ireland.
Through marriage, inheritance, and legal settlement, the Eccles family became directly connected with the later history of the Seskinore estate and the McClintock family. These connections ultimately linked the Eccles, Browne of Aughentaine, Browne-Lecky, Delmege, and Joynson-Wreford families into a single interrelated succession history.
Origins of the Eccles Family
The Eccles family are traditionally said to descend from the ancient family of Eccles in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The Irish branch was established during the seventeenth century when Gilbert Eccles settled in Ireland and acquired extensive estates in Counties Tyrone and Fermanagh.
From this period onward the family became prominent landowners, serving as High Sheriffs, magistrates, and local administrators.
The family seat at Ecclesville, near Fintona, developed into one of the notable landed estates of west Tyrone.
Ecclesville and the Tyrone Estate
By the eighteenth century the Eccles family had consolidated substantial estates centred upon:
- Ecclesville
- Fintona
- Shannock
- lands in County Fermanagh
- extensive townlands within Donacavey parish
The family became closely connected with other prominent Ulster families through marriage, including:
- Lowry
- Dickson
- Blake
- Browne of Aughentaine
- de Montmorency
- McClintock
- Delmege
- Browne-Lecky
Over successive generations the Eccles family occupied important positions within County Tyrone society and local government.
The Ecclesville Line
Among the principal figures in the family succession were:
- Charles Eccles of Fintona
- Daniel Eccles of Ecclesville
- John Dickson Eccles
- Charles Eccles, High Sheriff of Tyrone
- John Stewart (or Stuart) Eccles of Ecclesville
Under these generations the estate expanded and Ecclesville became firmly established as one of the principal houses of the district.
Connection to the Browne Family of Aughentaine
A major dynastic connection occurred through the marriage of:
John Stewart (or Stuart) Eccles
of Ecclesville
to
Frances Caroline Browne
daughter of Thomas Richardson Browne of Aughentaine Castle.
This marriage united two important Tyrone landed families and connected Ecclesville with the wider Browne, Knox, and de Montmorency family networks.
Through the Browne connection, the Eccles family became linked to:
- Castle Morres, County Kilkenny
- the Knox-Gore family
- the Browne-Lecky family
- the Delmege family
- later succession to Ecclesville
Amy Henrietta Frances Eccles and Seskinore
The most important connection between Ecclesville and Seskinore came through:
Amy Henrietta Frances Eccles (1874–1942)
eldest daughter of John Stewart Eccles.
In 1893 she married:
Colonel John Knox McClintock
of Seskinore.
This marriage united:
- the Ecclesville estate
- the Seskinore estate
- two of the principal landed families of west Tyrone
Although the estates remained legally distinct, the marriage permanently linked their histories.
Under the terms of the Eccles entail, Amy became life tenant of Ecclesville, though not absolute owner in fee simple.
The Eccles Entail and Later Succession
The will of John Stewart Eccles imposed a strict entail upon the Ecclesville estate.
Because Amy Eccles and John Knox McClintock had no surviving son, the estate was legally destined to pass through the male line descending from Amy’s sisters.
This ultimately resulted in the succession of:
Colonel Anthony Charles Stuart Delmege
son of Rose Isabella de Montmorency Eccles.
The Delmege succession represents the final working out of the Eccles entail.
The Browne-Lecky Connection
Another important branch descended through:
Annie Henrietta Eccles
who married:
Connolly William Browne-Lecky
of the Aughentaine and Derry family.
Their son:
Raymond Saville Connolly de Montmorency Lecky Browne-Lecky
became the final private owner associated with Ecclesville House during the twentieth century.
Ecclesville and the Land Acts
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Ecclesville estate underwent major change under the Irish Land Acts.
Most of the estate was sold to occupying tenants, leaving only the demesne and reduced core lands under family ownership.
This marked the gradual end of Ecclesville as a traditional landed estate.
Final Connection to the Joynson-Wreford Family
Through the marriage of:
Amelia (“Leila”) Isobel McClintock
daughter of Amy Eccles and John Knox McClintock,
to:
Captain Wilfred (“Tony”) Heyman Joynson-Wreford,
the later Seskinore line passed into the Joynson-Wreford family.
Their daughter:
Penelope (“Xenia”)Joynson-Wreford
represented the continuation of the final direct line associated with Seskinore.
Historical Significance
The Eccles family of Ecclesville are significant for:
- establishing one of the principal landed estates in west Tyrone
- extensive connections with other leading Irish landed families
- their role in local administration and county life
- the legal history of the Eccles entail
- their connection to the McClintock family of Seskinore
- the later Browne-Lecky and Delmege successions
- the transition from hereditary estate ownership to modern property structures
The history of Ecclesville illustrates the broader story of the Irish landed class from the Restoration period through to the twentieth century.