Marquess of Sligo Estate

The townlands of Teevnish where the Burkes lived were owned by the Marquess of Sligo.  The Library of Ireland has the records for the family in a set called The Westport Papers  which includes records from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries.

Lineage  

Howe Peter Browne 1820

1. Colonel John Browne (1631-1712)
2. Peter Browne (circa 1670-1724)
3. John Browne, 1st Earl of Altamont (1709-1776
4. Peter Browne, 2nd Earl of Altamont (1731-1780)
5. John Denis Browne, 1st Marquess of Sligo (1756–1809) 
6. Howe Peter Browne, 2nd Marquess of Sligo (1788–1845) m Lady Hester Catherine de Burgh, eldest daughter of John Thomas de Burgh, 13th Earl of Clanricarde. (Inherited the de Burgh estates as there was no son)  Emancipator of Slaves
7. George John Browne, 3rd Marquess of Sligo (1820–1896) 
8. John Thomas Browne, 4th Marquess of Sligo (1824–1903)
9. Henry Ulick Browne, 5th Marquess of Sligo (1831–1913)
10. George Ulick Browne, 6th Marquess of Sligo (1856–1935)
11. Ulick John Browne, 7th Marquess of Sligo (1898–1941)
12. Arthur Howe Browne, 8th Marquess of Sligo (1867–1951)
13. Terence Morris Browne, 9th Marquess of Sligo (1873–1952)
14. Denis Edward Browne, 10th Marquess of Sligo (1908–1991)^[8]
15. Jeremy Ulick Browne Altamont 11th Marquess (obit Independent.ie)(1939–2014) (Westport house to his five daughters - Title to his cousin who lives in Australia)
16. Sebastian Ulick Browne, 12th Marquess of Sligo (b. 1964) Sebastian Brown 

Family titles include Baron Mont Eagle (1760), Viscount Westport (1768),  Lord Altamont(1771), Marquess de Sligo (1800), Baron Monteagle - UK(1806) 

The Marquess that is of concern in "our" story of Teevnish is George John Browne, the 3rd Marquess.  He inherited the title in 1845 on the death of his father Howe Peter Browne. 

His father had been known as a good landlord, fair to his tenants, and to begin with so was his son.  However, records uncover a different story.  

Records show that from at least as early as 1803 through 1840+ the villagers of Teevnish had never defaulted on their rent.  In 1779 rents were collected for Tivinish Lyons part 12:9:0 and Tivinish Burkes part 12:9:0

MS 40,923.1 - Library of Ireland Collections (1)

The Lyons and Burkes parts of Teevnish eventually became East Teevnish and West Teevnish, but I don't know for sure which was which as in later years there are Burkes in both townlands an no Lyons are found.  

The rent for West Teevnish exploded in 1843.  Howe was still alive but well advanced in years so it seems likely that George had probably assumed responsibility for the estate.  Looking at the rents and viewing subsequent records it seems likely that the purpose was to get rid of the Villagers as the East Teevnish rents actually went down rather than up.

Rents for          West Teevnish Villagers  - East Teevnish combined tenants  - Total Rents

1834-8                           27.13. 10                       (2) 28.30.8                             18700-   19020        
1840-2                           31.1.4                            (2) 34.0.8                               18400 to 19602
1843                              50.0.0                             (2) 33.4.8                               18163
  
Unfortunately the rent lists for Teevnish over the years do not name everyone who was on  on the land. But they do provide a lot of information. And other records in the papers fill in more of the story, enough to help uncover the parents of Judy Burke who married John Walsh.

More

Landed Estates - Brown Family

Landed Estates - Brown Estate  (includes a source list that goes beyond the Westport Papers.

The Brownes of Westport   Dúchas.ie

Westport House and it's Inhabitants

Burke