Francis Harrison Biddulph of Vicarstown [1774-1827]

Francis Harrison Biddulph was the only surviving son of Francis Biddulph and Eliza Harrison of Vicarstown. He married Mary Marsh, the daughter of Francis Marsh, barrister-at-law, in Stradbally, Laois, in 1797. They had fourteen children, thirteen of whom survived to adulthood.

His daughter Elizabeth, born in 1799, is buried in Deansgrange Cemetery, County Dublin. She died in 1893. Although her gravestone states that she is his eldest daughter, he had another daughter, Anne, who was born in the previous year, 1798. She married Simon Biddulph, son of Sir Theophilus Biddulph, 5^th Bt.  Her husband died young.

Death: Died Friday se'nnight, at the house of his aunts, the Misses Biddulph, where he was visit for his health, Captain Simon Biddulph, of the 25th regiment, the 30th year of his age. [Hampshire Chronicle, Mon. 05 May 1823, p.4]

A third daughter, christened Mary after her mother, was born and died an infant in 1801. Another daughter, born in 1803, was christened again Mary. Frances Biddulph, born abt 1804 or later, married Mathew Meredith of Lillart, Clonaslee, Queen’s County in 1847 in St Peter’s Church.

The first son of Francis and Mary was christened Francis Marsh Wellesley Biddulph. Born in 1802, he married Lucy Bickerstaffe in 1845.

Their second son, Nicholas Marsh Biddulph, was born on the 20^th December 1805.  He married Elizabeth Maria Steele, both of the parish of Donnybrook, at Gretna Green, in 1824.

Their daughter, Margaret Anne Biddulph, was born at Elm Villa, Irishtown, on October 1826.

William Francis Biddulph, born in 1809, died young.

Harriet Biddulph, born on the 8^th of November 1810, is believed to have gone to America and married there, as did Jane Biddulph, born the 8^th of May 1812.

Sarah, born the 11^th of December 1814, went to Australia.

Charlotte was born on the 9^th of December 1815, and her sister Patience in 1817.

Caroline was born on the 16^th May 1819. She died in Kingstown [Dun Laoghaire], County Dublin on the 28^th of May 1874.

Deaths. Biddulph - May 28, at 84 Upper George's-street, Kingstown, Miss Caroline Biddulph, daughter of the late Francis Harrison Marsh Biddulph, Esq.

Francis Harrison Biddulph was the Registrar of the Court of Exchequer from 1805 until his death in 1827. There appears to have been an inquiry into his raising his charges without applying for permission.

Mr. Francis Harrison Biddulph was appointed to this situation in the year 1805. His duties are stated to be, “to attend the sitting to the Court of Exchequer; to take down notes of the decrees, rules and orders,  in Equity causes by the said Court, which he does in a rough book kept by him for that purpose; to see that such rules, orders and decrees as are made and pronounced, are properly posted from such rough book, in the rule books and books of hearings, which books are kept as records of the office; (these rules and decrees he compares;) to receive and file notices, and list of Equity motions; to peruse and examine all drafts of decrees, to see that they contain the proper recitals; to amend such drafts, conformable to the notes of hearings, and to the decrees pronounced by the Court previous to such decrees, being signed and settled by the Chief Remembrancer; and to inrol all final decrees.”

His emoluments arise from fees, and a salary of 100l. paid by the Chief Remembrancer. On the amount of the fees, Mr. Biddulph has not enabled us to speak with any certainty; he states that he has kept no regular account of them; but he estimates, rather vaguely, the amount of his net annual emoluments at from 900l. to 1,000l. per annum, after deducting from his receipts 160l. a year for disbursements. [EPPI 1818 Vol. 10, 140. Fourth Report of Commissioners of Duties, Salaries and Emoluments, in Courts of Justice].

According to Burke’s  he had a protracted dispute from 1811 to 1824 in regard to the Rathrobin and Fortal estates with Sir Robert Waller on the death of his cousin Margaret, Mrs Bernard.  Having died childless, Margaret Biddulph, wife of Thomas Bernard, left the moiety of her estates to her cousin Elizabeth, Lady Waller.

He eventually succeeded by compromise to the Rathrobin portion, while Fortal went to his cousin Nicholas Biddulph, of Congor.

After the death of Francis in 1827 the family ceased to have any connection with Vicarstown. Francis and his father are buried in Curaclone graveyard. In his will he requested a simple headstone with their names and dates upon it. This does not appear to have survived. His widow Mary died in August 1861, at no. 3 Kingstown Parade, Kingstown, County Dublin and is buried with two of her daughters in Carrickbrennan graveyard.

Mary, Caroline, and their mother Mary Biddulph widow of Francis Biddulph of King's County, late Registrar of the Court of Equity.... buried at Carrickbrennan [Monkstown], County Dublin. [The Irish Genealogist].