Final Attempts to Save Ecclesville (1961–1962)

Government Refusal, Letting, and the Uncertain Future of a Historic House

Introduction

Ecclesville

Following the death of Raymond Saville Conolly de Montmorency Lecky Browne-Lecky on 11 November 1961, the future of Ecclesville House, County Tyrone, entered a brief but critical period of uncertainty.

In his will, Raymond directed that his mansion house and lands at Ecclesville should be offered to the Government of Northern Ireland, or to such public body as it might nominate, in the hope that the property would be used for public benefit — most likely as a nursing home or similar institution.

What followed instead was a series of unsuccessful attempts to secure such a future.

Offer to the Government

Raymond’s intention was clear: Ecclesville was to pass out of private ownership and into public use.

However, acceptance of the property was not automatic. The Government was required to agree to certain conditions, including financial provisions relating to death duties and the treatment of the estate.

As a result, the transfer was delayed, and uncertainty remained as to whether the Government would formally accept the house at all.

“Gift Offer by Government Gets Refused” (1962)

Belfast Telegraph, 23 February 1962

One of the clearest contemporary accounts of the situation appeared in the press in early 1962.

A report published in the Belfast Telegraph on 23 February 1962 described how the Ministry of Health and Local Government had approached Tyrone Welfare Committee to consider using Ecclesville as an old people’s home.

The proposal was declined.

The Committee, already moving towards modern purpose-built facilities, did not wish to assume responsibility for the upkeep and conversion of a large and ageing country house.

A Ministry spokesman acknowledged the uncertainty:

“We will have to see if anyone else is interested.”

The article also made clear that the Government had not yet formally accepted the property, as the conditions attached to the bequest had not been resolved.

Following the refusal by Tyrone Welfare Committee, responsibility for the future of Ecclesville reverted to the Government and estate representatives, who began exploring alternative options for the property.

Changing Attitudes to Country Houses

The refusal must be understood in the wider context of the period.

By the early 1960s:

large country houses were increasingly seen as impractical
maintenance and repair costs were high
modern institutions preferred newly built facilities
earlier conversions of country houses were no longer favoured

As one official noted at the time, welfare authorities now preferred to “start from scratch” rather than adapt older buildings.

Ecclesville, despite its size and history, was therefore no longer considered a viable candidate for institutional use.

Offered “To Let” (1962)

With no public body willing to take responsibility for the house, the Government moved to offer Ecclesville on the private market.

A formal notice advertised the property:

Mansion House, Fintona — To Let (Unfurnished)

On long or short lease, with approximately 3½ acres.

Accommodation included:

Spacious living room
Library
Eight bedrooms
Usual offices
Servants’ quarters (four bedrooms)
Store rooms, outhouses, and garage accommodation

The lessee was to be responsible for rates and maintenance.

The scale of the house, once a symbol of status and continuity, was now presented as a practical liability — something to be managed, maintained, and paid for.

A Temporary Solution

Following the letting of the property, Ecclesville was subsequently used for a number of years as a private nursing home, partially fulfilling Raymond’s original hope that the house might continue in institutional or community use.

However, this arrangement was temporary and did not provide a long-term solution for the preservation of the house.

A House Without a Future

By the end of 1962, it had become clear that:

the Government would not assume long-term responsibility
no public body was willing to adapt the house
private leasing could only delay the inevitable

Ecclesville had entered the final phase of its existence as a standing country house.

Significance

The events of 1961–1962 represent a turning point in the history of Ecclesville.

They illustrate:

the collapse of the traditional estate system
the difficulty of repurposing large historic houses
the shift towards modern institutional planning
and the limits of even well-intentioned philanthropic bequests

Raymond Browne-Lecky’s attempt to secure a public future for Ecclesville ultimately failed — not through lack of vision, but because the world into which the house passed had fundamentally changed.

Legacy of the Attempt

Although unsuccessful, these efforts form an important part of the story of Ecclesville.

They show that:

the house was not immediately abandoned
genuine attempts were made to preserve its use
and its final fate was not inevitable, but the result of practical decisions

The failure to secure a permanent future for Ecclesville in 1962 marked the beginning of the house’s irreversible decline.

Although occupation continued for a time, the conditions necessary for the long-term survival of a large country house no longer existed.

What followed over the next sixteen years was not renewal, but gradual disappearance.