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Robert2ndViscountJocelyn,1stEarlofRoden(1721?–1797)ThestoryoftheFirstEarl,ownerofHydeHall,andsomeofhisfamilyThisarticle is the fifth inmyseriesof ‘follow-ups’ tomyearlierarticleofNovember2018entitled‘HydeHall/GreatHydeHall’, inwhichIhavebeenwritingabouttheresidentsandownersofHydeHall,especiallytheJocelynfamily.

Robert’sfather,the1stViscountJocelynRobert Jocelynwas the only son of Robert the 1st Viscount Jocelyn (whowas the subject of anearlierarticledatedDecember2018)andhisfirstwifeCharlotte(Anderson).Allexistingrecordsshowthathewassupposedlybornintheyear1731andbaptised31JulyofthatyearandIhaveusedthatdatemyselfinmyearlierarticleonthe1stViscount.However,thereisnoextant original document, all current records being transcripts. Bearing in mind that Robert’sparents definitely married in 1720, and taking into account his subsequent education andParliamentaryhistory,especiallythedatesofismatriculationatOxfordUniversityandwhenhefirstbecameanMP, itwouldappear thathewas reallyborn in theyear1721andthedatewas laterwrongly transcribed. It is even possible that this was deliberate. The exactmarriage date of hisparentsisunknown.Wasthisanattempttolegitimiseanotherwiseuntimelybirth?Robert was educated at Harrow before attending Exeter College, Oxford University, where hematriculatedon17October1740.RobertsubsequentlywentontostudylawatLincoln’sInnforashortwhile.In1743,RobertreturnedtoIreland,wherehewastospendmostofhis life.HeisknowntohavebeeninSawbridgeworthforthefuneralofhisfatherinDecember1756andthepresentationofabustofhisfathertoGreatSt.Mary’s(probablyabout1786),butthereisnoevidencethatheeverstayedatHydeHall,evenafterheinheritedtheHydeHallestatefromhiscousinin1785.

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BustofRobert’sfatherinGreatSt.Mary’schurchIn1743RobertenteredIrishpoliticsandbecametheMPforOldLeighlin,CountyCarlowintheIrishHouseofCommons,apositionhewastoholduntil1756.RobertbecametheAuditorGeneraloftheIrishExchequerin1750.Apositionwhichhehelduntilhisdeath.On11December1752,RobertmarriedAnneHamilton,whowasthedaughterofJamesHamilton,1stEarlClanbrassill.Theyhad12childrentogether,fivesonsandsevendaughters.On3December1756,uponthedeathofhisfather,Robertbecame2ndViscountJocelynandon1December 1771 he was created 1st Earl of Roden of High Roding, County Tipperary (yes, HighRodingisinEssex,butnotnecessarilyforpeeragepurposes)inthepeerageofIreland.On 24 April 1778, Robert became the 5th Baronet of Hyde Hall upon the death of his cousinConyers Jocelyn. However, he did not inherit Hyde Hall itself until the subsequent death of hiscousinWinnefredJocelynin1785.Atthispointinhistory,fromthetimeofthe1stViscounttothe2ndEarl,theJocelynfamilybecamemajor landowners in Ireland, a situationwhich continueduntil very recently. Robert himself hadBrockleyParkHousebuilt at Stradball, County Laois (nowanursinghome) and, additionally, thefamilyowned further lands, especially at Castlewellen, CountyDownandDundalk, County Louthand,aswewillseelater,weretoinheritBryansfordHouse.

BrockleyParkHouse

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The family actually owned the freehold of the town of Dundalk. This included ground rents,manorialrights,commonlandandthefreeholdofthehighways.Thisfreeholdwasfinallysoldatauctionbythe10thEarlin2006toanundisclosedbuyer.On21June1797,RobertdiedinIrelandatYorkStreet,Dublin.HewasburiedatthechurchofSt.Peter,alsoinDublin,andwassucceededasEarlofRodenbyhiseldestson,alsocalledRobert.

ChurchofSt.Peter,Dublininthe19thcenturyRobert’swidowAnne survivedhimanddiedon 16April 1802 (some records say 1803) andwasburied in the family vault at Dundalk. In 1798 she inherited Bryansford House, Tollymore Park,County Down from her brother James, who had died without issue. This large house wassubsequently inherited, upon her death, along with the title Earl Clanbrassill, by her eldest sonRobert,the2ndEarlofRoden.Itwasbuiltin1730,wassoldtotheMinistryofAgriculturein1941andwasdemolishedin1952.Theformerestateisnowparkland.

BryansfordHousepriortodemolition

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ThesonsofRobertandAnneAlthoughnothingtodowithSawbridgeworth,itisofinteresttohaveaquicklookatthelivesofthesonsofRobertandAnneHamilton.Thesonsoflandedgentryinthe18thcenturyusuallyfollowedoneofthreeprofessions:theywouldpurchaseacommissionintheArmy,aseat inParliamentortheywouldgointotheclergy.Thisfamilywerenoexception.Robert,theeldestsonwascommissionedintotheArmyandhisnotorious life istobecoveredinthenextarticleintheseries.James,thesecondsondiedyoung.George(b.1763)andJohn(b.1769)bothwentintopolitics.GeorgewasMPforDundalkfrom1783until1798beforehandingtheseatovertoJohn,whowasMPforDundalkfrom1798to1800.Later,JohnbecameMPforLouthuntil1809.atwhichtimehepassedtheseatontohisnephew(keepingitinthefamily).Percy,thethirdsurvivingson,joinedtheclergyandhadaveryinterestingandscandalouslife.Percywas homosexual at a timewhen this was illegal and ‘buggery’ was both a criminal offence andagainstalltheteachingsoftheChurch.

PercyJocelyn(1764–1843)After graduating from Trinity College, Dublin, Percy became Rector of Tamlaght, eventuallybecomingBishopofClogher.In 1811, Percy’s brother John’s coachman, James Byrne, accused Percy of ‘taking indecentfamiliarities’withhim(buggery).PercythensuedJamesforcriminallibel,whichresultedinJamesbeing sentenced to twoyears’ imprisonmentandpublic floggings. This, it later transpired,wasagrossmiscarriageof justice; JamesByrnehadbeen telling the truth.On19 July 1822, PercywascaughtintheactofbuggerywithaGrenadierGuardsmaninthebackroomoftheWhiteLionpublichouseneartheHaymarketinLondon.Hewasarrestedandbailwassetat£1,000.ThiswaspaidbyhiselderbrotherRobert,butPercyimmediatelyabscondedtoFrance.Hiscasenevercametotrial.Percy was defrocked in his absence by the Church for ‘Sodomitical’ practices, but the resultingscandalspawnedmanycartoonsandribaldrhymes(withapologiesforthelanguage).

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TheDeviltoprovetheChurchwasafarceWentouttocatchabugger.Hebaitedhishookwithasoldier’sarseAndpulleduptheBishopofClogher.

AcartoonofthetimeItusedtobethoughtthatPercyendedhisdayslivingunderanassumednameinEdinburgh.Muchlater though, theJocelyn familyvaultatKilcoo,Bryansford,CountyDownwasopened,andtherewasonemorecoffin insidethanthenumberofgravemarkers.Furthermore,theextracoffinwasunnamed.It is likely,therefore,thatPercycontinuedtolivewithhisfamilythere,butkeptaverylowprofile.REFERENCESBarker,G(1892).Jocelyn,Robert(1688?–1756).Smith,Elder&Co.London.www.cracroftspeerage.co.ukwww.familysearch.orgGreatSt.Mary’sChurch.www.sawbridgeworthchurch.comHertfordshireCountyCouncil,GreatHydeHall.www.hertfordshire.gov.ukHistoricEngland.GreatHydeHall.www.historicengland.org.ukPage,W(ed)(1912),AHistoryoftheCountyofHertford,Volume3pp332-347.VictoriaCountyHistory.www.thepeerage.compp.22692-11Wikipedia.FltLtDouglasCoeBScRAFVR(T)Ret’d.January2019.