Introduction to the Kilmorey Papers
Date published:
Details
The Kilmorey archive consists of around 4,400 documents and around 220 volumes, 1552 to 1993, deriving from the Needham, or Nedham, family of Shavington, alias Shenton, Shropshire, and Mourne Park, Kilkeel, Co. Down, Viscounts Kilmorey (from 1625) and Earls of Kilmorey (from 1822).
Although the largest single deposit of papers - particularly family correspondence – was received in 1993, over a long preceding period components of the archive had been deposited in PRONI by various members and agents of the Kilmorey family, under the reference numbers D1268 and D2965 (part) as well as D2638.
These have now all been merged under D2638. This leaves only two other components of the archive, which 'strayed' into the possession of depositors other than the Kilmorey family and, their agents, and bear reference D3514 and T1513 respectively. Additional papers are in the possession of Kilmorey Settled Estates Ltd., the company which administers the remaining interests of the estate.
These include some 500 leases, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a series of rentals of the Newry area.