Vue de Belvidere

Artist(s) : Charles-Étienne Coquebert de Montbret (Draughtsman)

Pen and ink sketch of Belvedere House, seen from the shore of Lough Ennell, made on the 24th of May 1791. The mansion is partly hidden by undulating ground and trees. There are sheep grazing on the hill, and further trees to the right, around the artficial ruin, or folly, known as the Jealous Wall, constructed in 1760.

Inscribed in Image

Caption outside of boundaries of image – Vue de Belvidere

Image Details

Genre	Landscape
Technique	Pen and ink drawings
Subject(s)	Architecture, Nature
Geographical Location	Belvedere House - Named locality Mullingar - Town or city Westmeath - County Leinster - Province
Keywords(s)	Estates, Hills, Houses, Lakes & ponds, Livestock, Mansions, Ruins, Sheep, Trees
Colour	Monochrome
Published / created	1791

Bibliographical Details

Travel Account	Carnets de voyage
Contributor(s)	Charles-Étienne Coquebert de Montbret — Role: Draughtsman Charles-Étienne Coquebert de Montbret — Role: Author of travel text
Print or manuscript	Manuscript
Location of image in copy	f. 15r
Source copy	Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des Manuscrits NAF 20098-20100
Permalink	https://ttce.universityofgalway.ie/irelandillustrated/?id=ii_image_1379708431&object_type=image&ttce_function=5
Rights	Reproduced from microfilm, by permission of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

Related text from travel account

Le 24 [mai 1791] au matin, promené à pied au Lac Aignane [ou] Ainnin (c’est ainsi qu’on le prononce dans le pays). Ancienne capitale, Killbarey. Ruines d’un session house. C’est tout. Ce lac est à peu près à 2 miles de la ville et reçoit les eaux de la petite rivière qui traverse Mullingar. Il a 3 à 4 miles de long, un de large. La partie qui avoisine ce bout-ci de la vallée se termine à un vaste marais à tourbe, mais la partie opposée a un fonds de gravier, à ce qu’on m’a dit, et on y trouve des truites, des anguilles, brochets, etc. Sur le bord oriental de ce lac est la belle terre nommée Belvidere, au Lord qui en porte le nom. Elle est bien boisée et fait un joli effet du bord opposé d’où je l’ai vue. Sur ce bord occidental est Killpatrick, nom, je crois, de la terre de M. Lyons. J’ai traversé la tourbière et suis [f. 11r] revenu à Mullingar par l’ouest.
[…]
Le soir, j’ai quitté Mullingar et, reprenant la route que j’avais suivie le matin, j’ai visité, à 3 milles de là, Belvidere, demeure du comte de ce nom. Voyez la description ci-après. Après Belvidere, on trouve Carrik à Mme Darcy, puis Stonyford.
[f. 14r] La colline d’Athlone et celles des environs sont de cailloux roulés. Lough Ribh ou Roe. De la colline de Corsine sur la terre de M. Rochfort on a une superbe vue du lac Rie, le plus grand du Shannon. Serait-ce l’origine de son nom, Roi? Cet endroit est couvert de pierres à chaux grises dont quelques unes contiennent de gros silex. On sort par une porte où il y a d’un côté les armes d’Angleterre avec ER, et de l’autre celles de la ville?
[...]
M. Rochfort, Lord Belvedere, le plus grand propriétaire du comté de Roscommon. L’un des hommes les plus riches et les plus mal aisés de l'Irlande est Lord Dillon dont nous avons un frère au service de France. On prétend qu’il a dans ce comté et celui de Mayo 200,000 acres de terre dont 150 mille cultivables. Sa terre principale est une justice nommée Castlemore. Il m’a dit lui-meme qu’il y avait en Irlande 10,000 personnes de son nom. [NAF 20098, ff. 10v-15r]
[Spelling and punctuation updated, abbreviations expanded]

Translation:
On the morning of the 24th I went for a walk by Lough Aignane [Lough Ennell] or Ainnin (that is the local pronunciation). Former capital Killbarey. Ruins of a ‘session house’. This lake is about 2 miles from the town and is fed by the water from the little river that flows through Mullingar. It is 3 to 4 miles long, and a mile wide. The part which is towards the near end of the valley finishes up in a vast turf bog, but the opposite end has, I am told, a gravel bottom, and trout, eels, pike etc. are to be found there. On the eastern shore of the lake is the fine demesne known as Belvidere [Belvedere], belonging to the lord of the same name. It is well wooded and makes a pretty effect from the opposite shore, from which I viewed it. On this western side is Kilpatrick, which I believe is the name of Mr Lyon’s property. I crossed the bog and [f. 11r] came back to Mullingar from the west.
[…]
In the evening I left Mullingar and again followed the road I had taken in the morning. Three miles further on I visited Belvidere, the residence of the earl of the same name. See the description below. After Belvidere one comes to Carrick, the property of Mrs Darcy, then Stonyford.
[…]
[f. 14r] The hill of Athlone and all those in in the neighbourhood are composed of round gravel. Lough Ribh or Roe [Ree]. From Corsine Hill on Mr Rochfort’s [Lord Belvedere’s] land there is suberb view of Lough Rie, the Shannon’s largest lake. Is that the origin of its name of ‘king’ [rí]? This place is covered with grey limestone rocks some of which contain large flints. You leave by a gateway where, to one side, there are the arms of England with ER and on the other those of the town.
[…]
[f. 14v] Mr Rochfort, Lord Belvedere, the biggest landowner in Co. Roscommon. One of the richest and yet least comfortable men in Ireland is Lord Dillon, whose brother we have in the service of France. It is claimed that in this county and in Mayo, he owns 200,000 acres of land of which 150,000 are arable. His principal property is a manor called Castlemore. He told me himself that there are 10,000 people in Ireland with the same name as himself.