William Crofton, The Mathemitician

Coat of Arms

Crofton-Atkins 2004

Roscommon Genealogy Society

Demise of the big house

Francis Crofton

The Crofton Estate in the townland of Ballymurray in Co. Roscommon was first granted to John Crofton during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.  He was the first Occupier, having been appointed auditor general in 1584.  In addition to this estate he also obtained expensive grants of lands elsewhere in the country as well as in Letirim and Sligo.  It was not unitl 1661 that a Crofton obtained a title, however, when Edward became a Baronet to Mote for services rendered to Charles 11, during the Cromwell rebellion.

Etching signed by R.H. Crofton 1848

Crofton House

The Crofton Family were decended from John Crofton who was Queen Elizabeth's Escheator General of Ireland from 1576-1597.  He arrived in Ireland in 1565 with the Earl of Essex, and acquired land in Roscommon, Leitrim, and Sligo. The Crofton's are decended from William Crofton of Lisdorne, Co. Roscommon, the great grandson of John Crofton.  Mote Park House, the home of the Crofton family in Roscommon was built on the site of a castle built in 1627.  The house was owned by Sir Edward Crofton, the nephew of John Crofton (1778-1816) and the architect Richard Morrison designed the extension for him which more than doubled its size adding six bays and an extra storey.  Mote Park was destroyed by fire in 1865 and was rebuilt with several modifications.  It was completely destroyed in the 1960's, and only the ruins remain today.  The library holds a collection of materials relating to the  Crofton family in Roscomon.

Sheep Grazing Mote Park House 1910

Daily Life at Crofton House

Augusta Crofton was a renowned photographer and honored with an O.B.E in 1920.  At present the National Library of Ireland are restoring over 3,000 negatives of her Photo's taken between 1880-1920. Many of these such as the one below, deal with daily life on the Crofton estate.  She captured many events which otherwise would have been lost.