by Helen Farrell, SOL Committee
A few hundred yards away from St. Finian’s is the site of the medieval manorial court. Incredibly, a few years’ worth of court records remain. It’s fascinating to see surnames repeated of the jurors that still survive in the area, including Bogle (Buggle) and Shadwyck’s (Chadwick’s), although we can’t be certain that they are the same families.
“1315: Commission for Warin Oweyn and Walter Fox, to elect eighty men in Newcastle, Lucan and Esker, to maintain nightly watch there with six other men-at-arms, with mailed horses, against the King’s enemies of the mountains in Tassagard”. [Source]
The above description of watchmen was during Edward II’s reign, who was on the throne from 1307-1327. Tassagard is in Saggart Rathcoole and Newcastle historical. “..the King’s enemies of the mountains..” refer to the Irish outside of the royal demesne settlements, with the Royal Manor based at this site in Esker, Lucan. Register and read a full article on the Manorial Court records for the 16th century online for free here: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25513505
Amazingly, although this house looks like a simple Georgian farmhouse, parts of the structure predate the Georgian period and are probably late medieval. It is now under the ownership of the Chinese Gospel Church who have a base and centre of worship here.
You can read more about Esker House / Esker Manor here
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