The Irish Bomfords

Wolfe, Aunt of Lord Killwarden

The Wolfe, Aunt of Lord Killwarden, who is said in The Coffeys of Newcastle to have married William North of Kilbride, has not yet been positively identified.

Lord Killwarden was Arthur Wolfe, youngest of 9 sons of John Wolfe.  Arthur was killed in an uprising in 1803.  See http://books.google.com/books?id=lxYEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP21&dq=Kilwarden+wolf#PPA409,M1 for a brief resume.

The Wolfe family is tolerably well known and recorded in The Wolfes of Forenaghts, Blackhall, Baronrath, Co Kildare, Tipperary, Cape of Good Hope etc, also the Old Wolfes of Co Kildare and the Wolfes of Dublin by Lieut-Colonel R T Wolfe, second edition, printed by W Matthews, 111 High Street, Guilford, preface dated 24 May 1893.

There is no mention in The Wolfes of Forenaghts of any William North.

However, if we accept that William North did marry an Aunt Wolfe of Lord Killwarden as stated in The Coffeys of Newcastle, then the options are the daughters of Richard Wolfe, Arthur's paternal grandfather, or possibly one of the wives of the sons of Richard Wolfe.  The family of Richard Wolfe, d 2 Dec 1732, from The Wolfes of Forenaghts, is:

1 John Wolfe, b 7 Apr 1700, d 30 Jul 1760, m 10 Jun 1725 Mary Philpot d 1763, and had issue, 9 sons and 3 daughters, including Arthur Wolfe, Lord Killwarden

2 Mary Wolfe, b 6 Apr 1701, d 177-,  m William Sherlock, and devoted her life to the care of her children after her husband's death

3 Alice Wolfe, b 9 Aug 1702, d 9 Jul 1764, m Fleetwood Cahill, who d early in life, leaving her with two daughters

4 Elizabeth Wolfe b 24 Aug 1703, d unmarried on 17 Mar 1790, became blind from cataracts early in life and 'lived in darkness to above 50 years'

5 Thomas Wolfe, b 12 Jun 1705, d 25 Mar 1787, m 1733 Margaret Lombard d 20 Jan 1781, had several children and obtained land at Blackhall

6 Anne Wolfe, b 3 Oct 1706, m Rev Thomas Bullen who d c1739 and she d without issue after a life of looking after her relations (the Dublin Journal of 15 May 1742 records: 'Whereas by a decree of his Majesty’s court of Exchequer in Ireland bearing the date 22nd . . . 1742 Margaret Bullen, Heiress in law and Ann Bullen, widow and executrix of Thomas Bullen clerk, deceased'. Margaret is presumably Anne's daughter (Pat Bullen email 25 Apr 2017))

7 Lydia Wolfe b 4 Jan 1708, d 17 Jan 1738 without issue, m Thomas White

8 Theobald Wolfe, b 10 Mar 1710, d 22 Feb 1784, m(1) 1733 Elizabeth Charlton who d not long after 1737 without issue; m(2) 1745 Elizabeth Dobbs d 1771, and had issue. An eminent barrister

9 Catharine Wolfe b 12 Mar 1711, d 3 Apr 1730

10 Richard Wolfe, b 13 Oct 1712, d Apr 1779 m Alicia Standish d 1754 on the birth of her son William

11 William Wolfe, b 13 Mar 1713 or 1714, d 1742 unmarried.  A successful businessman

12 Jane  Wolfe, b Jul 1715, d 19 Aug 1715

What information there is on William North's marriage to the Aunt Wolfe suggests that it was in 1729, and that his third son Joseph was born in 1734.  On the other hand, the first son Roger's gravestone at Dunboden says that Roger died in 1804 at age 64 which suggests that he was born about 1740, so the dates of the marriage and of the births of the sons are uncertain.  There is also a suggestion that the Aunt Wolfe was born in 1709.  There is a gap in the births in 1709, but not wide enough (even given the rate at which the other children were being born) for another daughter to have been born in that year. (Dates from Sheila Perino email 24 Nov 2007, based on records held by the Mormans).

Bearing mind those dates, the only likely looking candidate among the Aunts is Alice Wolfe, whose husband died 'early in life'.  The Wolfes of Forenaghts records that she and her daughters lived from a bequest left her in her father's will.  An extract of his will is included in The Wolfes of Forenaghts.  He died in 1732, and left annuities to both Alice and, from when they became of age, her two daughters, Rose Cahill and Lydia Cahill.  Alice is referred to in the will as 'Alice Wolfe, otherwise Cahill', and the special provision for her and her daughters is a slight suggestion that she was at that stage a widow.  The extract of Richard's will reads:

To be buried as near his deceased wife as possible. Bequeaths to daughter Elizabeth £500, and
to daughter Lydia  £500 ; to son Theobald £800 ; son Richard, all the estate and interest for lives and
years of which he was seized and possessed in his several farms of Elasty, Baronrath, and part of
Bishopscourt, in the Co. of Killdare, household furniture, linen and woollen, utensils for husbandry
and stock, and all the stock which was on the farm at his decease, subject to the payment of the
yearly rents received on the said farms, and subject to the payment of £100 a year to his grandchildren,
Lydia Cahill and Rose Cahill at the respective ages of 21 years; and if either die, then
£200 to the survivor, but Richard Wolfe not to pay interest until they come of age ; to pay £20 to
his daughter Alice Wolfe, als Cahill, during her life; to his son William £800, aud, if dying before,
to sons John, Thomas, Toby, and Richard Wolfe equally, and, if Richard die, his property to go to
his executors, share and share alike ; John Wolfe to be the guardian of the persons and fortunes of
said sons and daughters - Richard, William, Elizabeth, Anne, and Lydia - until they become 21
years of age ; granddaughter Lydia Wolfe, daughter to son John, £100; son Thomas £5 for mourning,
having provided for him sufficiently in his lifetime; sons John, Toby, Richard, and Ann and
Lydia Wolfe £5 apiece for mourning, and to son William £5 for mourniug ; daughters Mary Sherlock,
Alice Cahill, Elizabeth Wolfe, and Anne Wolfe, £5 each for mourning ; sons John and Thomas
Wolfe all household plate, to be equally divided between them, and the rest of his goods to his sons
John and Thomas, whom he appoints his executors. Witnesses, Geo. Grimes, Ed. Sherlock

William North is recorded in the North history as having 'daughters' in addition to his sons, but their names are not known.  If he married the widow Alice Wolfe then these unnamed daughters may be Alice Wolfe's two daughters by her first marriage, Rose Cahill and Lydia Cahill.  The Wolfes of Forenaghts records (at page 84) that Lydia Cahill, 'daughter of Alice Wolfe otherwise Cahill', m John Brownrigg, and they had issue Theobald Brownrigg, Henry Brownrigg and Richard Brownrigg.  Rose Cahill married and died without issue.

At this stage this is all speculation, and awaits definite evidence.  If you have any definite evidence, please Contact Us.