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Robert Cullum (abt. 1545 - abt. 1612)

Capt. Robert Cullum
Born about in Englandmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[spouse(s) unknown]
Descendants descendants
Father of and
Died about at about age 67 in Ardagh, County Limerick, Irelandmap
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Profile last modified | Created 22 Jul 2023
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Biography

Captain Robert Cullum [aka Collum, Cullom, Collam, Collome, etc.] is estimated to have been born sometime around 1545. He is believed to have been a descendant of the Cullum family of Suffolk [1], although his precise relationship is yet to be determined.

Robert Cullom was one of the most prominent English settlers in Elizabethan Ireland who acquired castles and land from the estate of Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond, after the suppression of the Second Desmond Rebellion (1579-1583). The Barony of Connello, in County Limerick, was divided predominantly among the principal settlers; Francis Berkeley, Sir William Courtenay, Henry Oughtred, William Trenchard, Robert Cullom, Henry Billingsley, and Agar [2].

In 1588, Captain Robert Cullum was named among a group of land-holders in the Irish province of Munster, having previous property interests in the province, who were permitted to barter their previous holdings in exchange for grants in the new Munster Plantation. He claimed to have held land "on lease from the Knight of the Valley" from 1586, which he subsequently surrendered for a grant as an undertaker, thus claiming to be "the first Englishman that went thither to inhabit after the wars". As one of the first grantees he acquired 5,760 acres around the village of Ardagh, in County Limerick [3][4][5]. The Bishop George Webb apparently regarded a patent Robert held on land around Ardagh to be fraudulent. [6]

In 1588 and 1589, Robert was not mentioned among the list of undertakers who provided names of the tenants on their properties. The surveys were intended to monitor the leaseholders to ensure they were fulfilling the Plantation Act's obligation to import English tenants onto their land. It was said that the "old captains and soldiers" preferred Irish tenants because they were able to turn a quick profit by imposing significantly higher rents on the Irish, who were accustomed to being exploited by their previous Irish lords. [7]

Little is known of any wives Robert may have had, but several likely sons have been identified; a man named Ellis Cullum was named in documents from the Privy Council claiming to be Robert's eldest son and fraudulently disinherited heir [8], however no other evidence for his existence has been sighted. Robert's self-proclaimed heir, and the man who subsequently did inherit Robert's Irish estate, was William Cullum [9]. William appears to have been a soldier, who was severely wounded during the Nine Years War (1593-1603). William was later identified as an "Irish Papist", which has been suggested, indicates "in every case" that his father had married "a daughter of the local gentry" [10]. It may be that Robert had more than one wife. Perhaps an earlier wife and family in England might have complicated his later family affairs after his move to Ireland.

Robert Cullum, of Ballyegny, in Clonagh, acquired by deed, from Thomas Reaghe, on 1 Aug 1590, the castle, town and lands of Lisvoto (Lisamote/Lissamota), in Conolagh, and the town and lands, with all appurtenances, of Gortnefoyhie (Gortnefount), Ballihohill (Ballyhahill), Boddestone (Boddestawe), Ballyknockayne, and Lisvarra, all in the parish of Ballingarry, County Limerick. His son William later resided at Lisvoto, and another probable son, Philip Collum, lived at Ballynockane. Robert himself most probably lived at one of those two residences, however he was apparently an "assignee" of William Trenchard, who was an absentee land-lord and the owner of Ballyegnybeg Castle, and it has been suggested that Robert may have lived there. Ballyegny Beg Castle, was sometimes known as Cullum's Castle, although there is another Cullum's Castle at Ferrybridge (Court), on a hill near the west bank of the Maigue. It is said that Robert lived in Ballyegny Beg Castle until the time of his death, around 1612, when it passed into the hands of another undertaker named Francis Berkeley. Ballyegny Beg Castle became the property of William Trenchard, after the murder of its owner, Pierce de Wale of Ballyegny, who was tried for treason and executed in 1583 for his part in the Desmond Rebellion. The castle and lands appear to have been granted, in 1587, to William Trenchard, who was another of Queen Elizabeth’s most prominent undertakers in the Munster Plantation. In 1598, the castle was recorded as the late estate of Francis Trenchard. The other Cullum's Castle, at Court, was destroyed by Cromwell's army in 1645. The garrison was commanded by Thade Bourke. There is no known evidence of any association of Robert Cullum with this castle. [11][12][13][14][15]

On 8 Aug 1595, Queen Elizabeth I made a grant to Robert Collam and his heirs of a vast tract of land in County Limerick, believed to encompass over 12,000 acres in total, and comprising over two pages of dense text to fully describe. It appears to include the land he previously leased, such as that acquired from the Knight of the Valley, and contained numerous parcels of land in Mahoonagh (Castlemahon), Kilcolman East, Ballingarry, Newcastle, Ardagh and nearly every parish of Connelloe. In Ardagh he was given certain lands called Farrenmollage, with the site of a water-mill, containing 35 acres, formerly held by the Earl of Desmond. He received lands called Reragh, Rudderie, Miniters, and Spittle, lands in Kilscannell and Skahannaghe (Skehanagh), and one parcel of church toaghes in Calloghe, formerly held by Richard Lyston. The seignory was called Collum's Vale, and was granted to Robert and his heirs, to be held forever, at the rent of £72 / 3s English. He was further licensed to ship and carry away from all ports and havens of Ireland, into England and Wales, all the corn, grain, and victuals grown on the land, free of customs and duties. In addition his premises were exempt from all tolls and taxes. [16][17]

In return, Culme was contracted to erect dwelling-houses for 32 English families, including his own principal mansion; two houses for free-holders with 300 acres each; two for farmers with 400 acres; and 14 others for copyholders and basic tenures, with at least 100 acres. The remainder could be assigned at the pleasure of Culme and his heirs in lots of 50, 25, or 10 acres each. [18]

In October 1598, the tensions between dispossessed native Irish and the growing numbers of English settlers, which had been slowly escalating since the establishment of the Munster Plantation in the mid 1580s, erupted into open rebellion. A new front in the Nine Years War was opened in the south of Ireland, and a period of violence ensued. Robert Cullum's property is believed to have been overrun by rebels in 1598, but the arrival of Sir George Carew as the new Lord President of Munster in March 1600 began the process of restoring order in the province. In September 1601, Carew wrote to the Lord Deputy Mountjoy and the Privy Council, in regards to a proposal to supply additional troops to some of the more worthy military commanders in Ireland. He gave special mention to Captain Collome as "a good servitor", describing him as "an old captain in this realm", and he was one of the few undertakers rewarded with an additional company of soldiers to assist his efforts to regain control of his land and take up the fight. A Spanish intervention was defeated at Kinsale in October 1601, and by November 1602 the revolt in the south of Ireland had largely been suppressed. [19][20][21][22]

In 1606, Robert Cullum went to England seeking redress for land lost during the rebellion. His case was supported by the Lord President of Munster. [23]

Records from 1609 show Captain Robert Cullum had his pension of 4s per day renewed for a further 273 days, from 1 Oct 1608 to 30 Jun 1609 [24]. Records show that his pension was again renewed in 1610 [25]

On 23 Apr 1610, King James I wrote to Lord Deputy Chichester requesting that the pension of Robert Cullum, of 4s per day, should, with his permission, be transferred to his son William Cullum for life, in view of William Cullum's extraordinary services in Ireland during the reign of the late Queen, "but more particularly in a cruel fight against the rebels in Munster, wherein he received twelve grievous wounds in his body, one being in the head, besides the loss of his right hand". [26]

Letter dated 31 Aug 1610, from the Lords of Council to the Lord Deputy of Ireland:-

Direct them to accept surrender from William Cullum, son and heir of Captain Robert Cullum, of all the lands and tenements held in the counties of Cork and Kerry by his father, by letters patent from the late Queen Elizabeth, and to regrant the same at the rents reserved in those letters, with such additional liberties, fairs, and markets as are usual in such grants. [27]

An abstract of Inquisitions taken in 1611, concerning the state of the lands undertaken in Munster, in the counties of Limerick, Cork, Tipperary, Waterford, Kerry, and Derry, recorded Robert Cullum Esq., as the chief tenant of the seignory of Cullums Valley, in County Limerick. The property consisted of a 600 acre demesnes, 1,470 acres fee farms, and an assortment of other smaller leases of around 120 acres. The Inquisition found that he had breached the Articles of Plantation, as the majority of under-tenants dwelling on his land were native Irish. Probably as a consequence of this, he was also one of the few tenants unable to raise a muster of either horse or foot. [28]

Also in 1611, Robert Cullum apparently granted Bostocke (Woodstock) Castle to H. Billingsley, alderman of London, who then sold it to James Goulde. Property speculation had become a feature of the Munster Plantation, and was often used by undertakers as a means to obtain the funds they needed to invest in developing their seignories. [29][30]

Robert is believed to have died in 1612. [31]

On 18 Aug 1613, a letter was sent from the Privy Council to the Lord Deputy of Ireland, drawing his attention to a petition they had received from a man named Ellis Cullum, claiming to be the elder son, and true heir of Captain Robert Cullum, and accusing his younger brother, William, of falsely claiming to be the heir, and having his father's property improperly surrendered and re-granted to himself, thus depriving the petitioner of his legitimate inheritance [32]. It was suggested that the Lord Deputy should investigate the matter, however, it is evident that William Cullum retained control of his father's estate, so it is unclear how events proceeded on the matter [33]. This letter represents the solid proof that Captain Robert Cullum was dead by 1613.

Research Notes

Captain Robert Cullum appears to be distinct from a contemporary, Robert Culme (c.1541-1608), merchant tailor of London and Dublin. Robert Culme was a descendant of the Culme family of Devon, who share the same arms as the Cullum family of Suffolk, although a direct connection is yet to be established.

The lives of the above two men are however curiously complementary, and there are some marked coincidences from which it might even be possible to conceive of a narrative suggesting they could actually be the same person, however the will of the London merchant from 1608 is quite definitive.

Sources

  1. ↑ Milner-Gibson-Cullum, 1928, Genealogical Notes Relating to the Family of Cullum
  2. ↑ Westropp, “The Principal Ancient Castles of the County Limerick (Continued)”, 1907, p.155
  3. ↑ Canny, Making Ireland British, 1580-1650, 2001, p.143, n48
  4. ↑ MacCarthy-Morrogh, 1986, The Munster Plantation, pp.291-2
  5. ↑ O'Driscoll & Hodkinson, 2012, Who Was Who in Early Modern Limerick, p.35
  6. ↑ O'Driscoll & Hodkinson, 2012, Who Was Who in Early Modern Limerick, p.35
  7. ↑ Canny, Making Ireland British, 1580-1650, 2001, pp.144-146
  8. ↑ Acts of the Privy Council of England, Vol. 33, 1613-1614, 1921, pp.182-183
  9. ↑ Russell & Prendergast eds., CSPI 1603-1625, Vol. 3 (1608-1610), p.491
  10. ↑ MacCarthy-Morrogh, 1983, The Munster Plantation (PhD Thesis), p.271
  11. ↑ Morrin, 1861, CPSRCI, Vol.2 (1576-1602), p.356
  12. ↑ Begley, The Diocese of Limerick in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, 1927, Vol.2, p.201
  13. ↑ Westropp, “The Ancient Castles of the County of Limerick (Western Baronies)”, 1906, p.210
  14. ↑ McMahon, 1995, 'Headstone Inscriptions of Ardagh Cemetery', NMAJ, pp.24-26
  15. ↑ Ballyegnybeg Castle, Limerick Castles Database (OurIrishHeritage.org), 2022
  16. ↑ Morrin, 1861, CPSRCI, Vol.2 (1576-1602), pp.315-318
  17. ↑ McMahon, 1995, 'Headstone Inscriptions of Ardagh Cemetery', NMAJ, pp.24-26
  18. ↑ McMahon, 1995, 'Headstone Inscriptions of Ardagh Cemetery', NMAJ, pp.24-26
  19. ↑ MacCarthy-Morrogh, 1983, The Munster Plantation (PhD Thesis), pp.166-169
  20. ↑ MacCarthy-Morrogh, 1983, The Munster Plantation (PhD Thesis), p.316
  21. ↑ Brewer & Bullen eds., Carew MSS (1515-1623), 1873, Vol.4 (1601-1603), p.137
  22. ↑ Brewer & Bullen eds., Carew MSS (1515-1623), 1873, Vol.4 (1601-1603), p.145
  23. ↑ MacCarthy-Morrogh, 1983, The Munster Plantation (PhD Thesis), p.316
  24. ↑ Russell & Prendergast eds., CSPI 1603-1625, Vol. 3 (1608-1610), p.234
  25. ↑ Russell & Prendergast eds., CSPI 1603-1625, Vol. 3 (1608-1610), p.514
  26. ↑ Russell & Prendergast eds., CSPI 1603-1625, Vol. 3 (1608-1610), pp.430-431
  27. ↑ Russell & Prendergast eds., CSPI 1603-1625, Vol. 3 (1608-1610), pp.491-492
  28. ↑ Brewer & Bullen eds., Carew MSS (1515-1623), 1873, Vol.6 (Misc. Papers), p.254
  29. ↑ Westropp, “The Ancient Castles of the County of Limerick (Western Baronies)”, 1906, p.224
  30. ↑ MacCarthy-Morrogh, 1983, The Munster Plantation (PhD Thesis), pp.154-155
  31. ↑ MacCarthy-Morrogh, 1983, The Munster Plantation (PhD Thesis), pp.154-155
  32. ↑ Acts of the Privy Council of England, Vol. 33, 1613-1614, 1921, pp.182-183
  33. ↑ MacCarthy-Morrogh, 1983, The Munster Plantation (PhD Thesis), p.316
  • Morrin, James, ed., (CPSRCI) Calendar of the Patent and Close Rolls of Chancery in Ireland, Dublin, Printed by A. Thom & sons, for H.M. Stationery Office; Ireland, High Court of Chancery; Great Britain, Public Record Office, 1861, University of Florida, 2016, [Vol.1 (1514-1576)] [Vol.2 (1576-1602)] [Vol.3 (1625-1633)]




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