IRELAND
IRISH NORMAN HISTORY
After conquering England the Normans invaded Ireland. The Norman forces were made up of volunteers from the area of the Severn and Welsh borders. These soldiers were seasoned fighters due to the constant battles with the Welsh and the children of the nobles had no allegiance to England Wales or France. It must be assumed that the family came across with this army as the Ledewich's name dies out in Shropshire and reappears in Ireland. The initial invasion took place in 1170 a date before Roger de Ledwyche was mentioned in Shropshire indicating that either the family was part of a later influx or the name was in use before Roger and a different branch of the family went to Ireland.
Irish annals show that early after the invasion the Ledwich's were located in Meath and Westmeath in an area held by Hugh de Lacy and the Butlers. A treaty under Henry II comprising of the regions of Leinster and Meath had given the lands to the new Norman lords. The lands of Donal O’farrel of Conmaicne an Irish chief were given to De Lacy in 1172. In spite of local resistance De Lacy rapidly developed his territory, carving it up into manors, establishing sub tenants, building castles and founding abbeys. This gave the framework for a feudal system in Ireland. The Ledwiths were probably given land under this arrangement.
Sir Adam de Cusak I was either killed or died around 1247-8 having married the daughter of Roger de Ledwych, her dowry was the land of Slevene and was given by her brother Adam. The Gormanstown Register states- By a charter of 1230 Adam de Ledwych granted all the land held by his father and himself in the honour of Duleek, in the valley of the Any, to Sir Adam de Cusack and Lucy his wife, in exchange for the land of Slevene originally granted to him. This newly aquired land came to be known as Rogerstown Ledwych.
Sir Adam and Lucy definately had an eldest son son known as Sir Adam de Cusack II, lord of Killeen. This Sir Adam executes a charter of 15th April 1280 (attested by Sir Adam de Petit, Sir Richard de Pheypo, Sir Stephen Dardis, Sir Nicholas de Netervile and three other knights. and is the granter who coveys to his son Nicholas de Cusack for his homage and services ,’two carucates of land with appurtenanaces in the vill which is called Ledwychstown in the tenement of Duleek.
In 1288-9 Nicholas had a dispute with Alicia, wife of Adam de Cusack (widow of Adam senior) over Rogerstown Ledwych. Nicholas died before 1335.
The names of Nicholas and Alice must have fairly common at the time for they crop up again later (see Nechols Ledewich Berkshire)
In the Irish annals it is written This time immediately after the Norman invasion was a period of peace and prosperity for the region. In the reign of Edward the first the family were generous to the then newly founded monastery of Tristernagh in Westmeath. In 1263
Adam de Ledwyche increased the catchment with the churches of Lekynn (Probably Lacken), Lynn and Stagfarnham. Roger Ledwich gave the grant of Slewin in the same year.
The places mentioned in Meath and Longford were border towns along the Meath Connact devide. A revolt in Connacht by Aodh O’Connor defeated Walter de Burgo in 1270. Two years later O’Connor gained control of large portions of Meath. This did not seem to have any effect on the fortunes of the Ledwith’s although they must have been involved in some way.
The Normans only removed the ruling classes and never fully subdued the Gaelic people. There was a number of local uprisings in Ireland which meant that there was campaigns against tribes/clans in order to reduce the raids against the local manors and farming communities.
The Irish annals state that in 1328 Lord Thomas Butler led a powerful army into Westmeath in order to subdue the uprising in that county. On the day before the feast of St Lawrence they met the MacGeoghegans at a place called Ardnorvich. There came a bloody battle which was fatal to Butler and some of his principle officers among them were John de Ledwich, Roger de Ledwich and Thomas de Ledwich.
This may have been an attempt to win back the land lost by de Burgo.
In 1332 Nicholas, son and heir of Adam died without male heirs and his estates were partitioned between his four daughters.
The black death 1349/50 in Ireland started a trend for the great barons to drift away back to England and France. This meant that those subtenants that remained were left to their own devices in defending themselves which meant that they were unlikely to have much respect for their absent lords. This period was one of great unrest for the province.
Again the Irish annals report In 1389 James Ledwich was appointed guardian of the peace for the county of Westmeath. He was the son of Matthew Ledwich and had many estates in the county of Carlow.
During these periods of conflict the role of the church was one of politic interest and racial antipathy. The role of gaurdian of the peace was an overseeing postion over the local Irish chiefs in an effort to prevent uprisings. The majority of church officials were English. This segregation was impossible for the ordinary people and the mingling of the races could not be prevented. The degenerate English as they came to be known included the Butlers and other leading families were too well aware of the benefits they derived from their intimate contacts with the Irish to give them up. The Irish rulers at this time copied the Anglo Normans by adopting crests and coats of arms, using seals and issuing charters. The main weakness of this system was one of an absence of "Direct Hereditary" and a "Succession by primogeniture" was used instead. This meant that the death of the head of the family was a time of change and interest as the family got together to select a new head from within their ranks. These changes were worth reporting and explains why documented events of the time centre around such deaths.
During this period the language in prediminance was Gaelic.
Ledwith in Gaelic is spelt thus LèAòús etc Vòe LèAòúƒ
The annals report that In 1406 Christopher Ledwich died and his son William aged 30 seized in fee the Castle of Ballinalack and a fishery on the river Inny.
It is about this time that the families became more integrated into the Irish way of life. Up until this time due to Norman influences the Ledwiths in Ireland probably spoke French as a main language. Around 1400 English/Irish started to become the primary language.
The history of Westmeath states that in 1461 the MacGeoghegans plundered the county as far as the river Inny committing great depredations on the barony of Delvin and on the Ledwich's.
In 1479 the following was recorded in the register of the diocese of Dublin.
In dei nomine Amen. Johem ledwych de Kenlyse ppt suas qtumac in non coparendo coram nobis ad instanciam Jacobi Wellis mcat contract exc’am in hiis sc’pt & dec’vim execucoem.
Lat’ vj die Maii Ao Mcccclxxviij.
This translates to " In the name of God. Amen. In these writings we excommunicate John Ledwych, of Kells, on account of his contumacy (disobedience) incured in not appearing before us, at the instance of James Wellis merchant and we have decreed execution.
Published the 6th day of May, in the year of our lord 1478".
The is a gap here of 160 years which is surprising considering the uprisings which took place during this period in history. This would indicate that that the Ledwith were no longer resident in Meath and the Irish annals used have been concentrated on Meath and Westmeath. This does not seem to be the case as they report:
Peter Ledwich of Lacken died in 1629, his son Richard was then forty years of age and seems identical with a Richard Ledwich styled of Clondaliver in the same county who was recorded to have died the following year aged 80 years leaving Thomas his son and heir. This discrepancy of 40 brings into doubt the accuracy of it being the same person.
In 1640 Maurice son and heir to Richard Ledwich had livery of certain estates of his father at Baskin Westmeath.
The census of 1660 - 1661 for Ireland shows the townland of Ledwidstow in Westmeath county having 13 people resident.