Viscount Avonmore (William Charles Yelverton): A Primary Landlord in Ballintober Civil Parish, County Mayo Ireland in the 19th Century
Viscount Avonmore (a.k.a. William Charles Yelverton) is documented as residing in Belleisie, County Tipperary in the compilation: Return of Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards. He had property in County Tipperary as well as 2697 acres in County Mayo. (Local Govt Board, 1876, p. 307).
When the Griffith's Valuation was conducted for Ballintober Civil Parish in 1857, Viscount Avonmore was the primary Landlord in the Townlands of Balloor West, Cappacharnaun, Develeash East and West, Drumneen, Killavally East and West and Moat. (Griffith, 1847-1864; 2003, Ballintober). Landlord Sir Robert Lynch Blosse Bart was more predominant in this Civil Parish than Viscount Avonmore, but Lord Viscount Avonmore's holdings included well-known mills in Ballinrobe and Killawalla. These mills were big suppliers of bran and flour. (Quinn, 1996, Vol III, Chapter 1, pg2). Killavally East is documented as having a corn mill in the Griffith's Valuation; I am not sure if this is the Killawalla Townland referred to above.
Lord Viscount Avonmore (William Charles Yelverton) was declared insolvent and fell under the Landed Estates Court when he was unable to meet his debts in 1872. He attempted to obtain a divorce; his objective being to marry a lady of wealth who would have covered his accumulating legal fees and other debts, but his attempt failed and as a result his Mayo seat at Hazel Rock, Killawalla East and West, Kilowoolaun (location of a great modern corn mill), Moat, Ballure West, Cappahorraun, Drumneen, Develish East and West were all put up for sale. (Quinn, 1996, Volume IV, Chapter 11, p. 359). In other words his Mayo (as well as his Tipperary estates) were put up for sale.
The Bingham and Yelverton lines are intertwined at several different points; one example being John Bingham, the First Baron Clanmorris, who married Anne Maria Yelverton, the only daughter of the first Viscount Avonmore. (Burke, 1914, p. 439). Major William Charles Yelverton, the subject of this page was the 4th Viscount Avonmore. He was the son of Barry John Yelverton (the 3rd Viscount Avonmore). William Charles Yelverton was born on September 27, 1824 and died on April 1, 1883. (Burke, 1914, p. 152). William Charles Yelverton was a major in the Royal Artillery and a Knight, but his married life was anything but Knightly - more like a Victorian soap opera. He attempted to file for divorce from Marie Theresa Longworth whom he married in 1857 on the grounds that their marriage wasn't valid (around 1861). After a long scandalous trial the judge ruled that his marriage had been valid; as a result of the findings of this trial, he was prosecuted for behavior unbecoming of an officer and released from the military. This ruling apparently was later reversed but the results of his being unable to remarry a women of wealth, resulted in the sale of his property in both County Tipperary and County Mayo.