Very Rev. Charles Thomas Ovenden: Owner of Earlscliffe, 1922–1924
In the uneasy years following Irish independence, Earlscliffe briefly belonged to a figure whose life spanned both the Church of Ireland’s long Victorian influence and the social upheavals of early twentieth-century Ireland. In October 1922, the Very Rev. Charles Thomas Ovenden, then Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, formally purchased Earlscliffe from Rachel Mary Mahaffy, signalling a new chapter in the house’s story.
Family history
An Irish Anglican Life in a Changing Ireland
Charles Thomas Ovenden was born at Carleton House, in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh on September 11th 1846 into a Protestant professional family. He was the eldest of the two sons of Dr. William Chambers Ovenden, M.D. and his wife, Isabella Parkinson. The other son, William Henry, became a doctor and moved to New Zealand. Dr. William and Isabella also had a daughter called Mary.
Charles Thomas Ovenden was educated at Portora Royal School, in Enniskillen, followed by Mannheim, in Germany, and finally at Trinity College, Dublin.
He was ordained in 1870 and over the next four decades he rose steadily through the ranks of the Church of Ireland.
He was first appointed curate of St. Anne's Church, Belfast. Two years later, he became Rector of Dunluce, Co. Antrim, and remained there until 1879, when he was appointed Succentor of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and Warden of the Cathedral Grammar School.
After various posts as Rector of Ballywillan, Co. Antrim, Chaplain to the Lord Lieutenant and Precentor of Clogher, Dean of Clogher, Enniskillen, and Rural Dean, Ovenden succeeded the then Provost of Trinity College as Dean of St. Patrick's in 1911. 9
His ecclesiastical career placed him at the heart of institutional religion in Ireland at a time when its social role was shifting. The Church of Ireland had been disestablished in 1869, yet it continued to play an important role in public life, education and charity throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Ovenden’s long ministry — across parish, cathedral and national forums — reflects that transitional era when religious identity remained publicly significant even as political and constitutional realities changed around it.
Speaking Up During Wartime
During the First World War, Ovenden, then Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, did not remain silent about the conflict. Like many church leaders of the period, he felt a duty to address the moral issues raised by the war, particularly the campaign of German submarine attacks on civilian and merchant shipping in the Atlantic. These U-boat attacks had caused widespread outrage across Britain and Ireland because they threatened not only naval vessels but also ordinary passenger and supply ships.
At a meeting of the Church of Ireland Synod in Dublin, Ovenden spoke passionately about the issue. According to a report in the Telegraph, he declared that when he heard of the submarine sinking of Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz—the German naval strategist whose policies had shaped the U-boat campaign—he prayed with all his heart that their “knavish tricks” would be confounded. The phrase, drawn from the wording of the British national anthem, conveyed his belief that the tactics being used were deceitful and morally wrong.
The remark is striking because it shows that Ovenden, a senior clergyman in Ireland at a time of political tension and uncertainty, was willing to speak publicly and forcefully about the conduct of the war. 12
A man of many talents
Charles Thomas was a true Renaissance man, boasting an impressive array of talents. Not only was he a respected clergyman, but he also dabbled in the realms of literature, music, and art, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire.
Author
As an author, he penned and meticulously edited numerous religious books, with one of his notable works being the esteemed first edition of the Cathedral Anthem Book of Words.
Hymns
His hymns, such as "I will give thanks" and "For the rain cometh down," must have stirred the hearts of worshippers, and his processional anthem, "The Son of God goes forth to war," became a soul-stirring melody that probably resonated within the hearts of many. 9
Artist
His creativity was not confined to the written word alone; Ovenden was also a prolific artist. The walls of the Royal Hibernian Academy proudly displayed his art, and the Dublin Amateur Sketching Club hosted his annual exhibitions of oil paintings. 2
His self-portrait currently hangs in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. 3
This blending of spiritual vocation and cultural creativity was characteristic of many senior Anglican figures of the era, who often saw intellectual and artistic engagement as part of their public ministry.
Gallery of Some of Ovenden’s Artwork
(Click or tap for larger view)
1907
1911
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1922
Date unknown.
1895
Family Threads and Connections
Ovenden was married on Feb. 7, 1871, in St. Stephen's Church, Dublin, to Isabella Mary, eldest daughter of John Robinson, of Wilton Place, Dublin. 2 They had two daughters; Isabella Gertrude Amy and Florence Irene Harriet.
Florence Irene Harriet Wynne-Finch
Florence Irene Harriet was the youngest daughter of C. T. Ovenden and was born on the 11th July 1886.
During the first world war, Florence was a V.A.D. (Voluntary Aid Detachment) for Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) and was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. 11
During the war period, she married Lieutenant Horace Tristram Kennedy, of the Royal Scots Fusiliers on Nov 29 1916. They went on to have a son, Horace Tristram, named after his father, who was born in Eton, Buckinghamshire in England on 29th May 1917.
It was unlikely that the father saw his son, as the Lieutenant was killed on active service just over a week later at Ypres in France on the 6th June 1917. 2 7 8
Florence married Captain Arthur Wynne-Finch on the 3rd June 1926. 5 She subsequently moved to North Riding, Yorkshire where Arthur Wynne-Finch held the office of Justice of the Peace. 6
She died on the 11th Dec 1978 at Beech House, Carlton, Cleveland, Middleborough, Yorkshire.10
Isabella (Ella) Gertrude Amy Webb
Isabella Gertrude Amy was the eldest daughter of C. T. Ovenden. She was born 16th Oct 1877 and was educated at Alexandra School, Dublin, Queen’s College, London, and at Göttingen in Germany.
She would later live in Earlscliffe.
Read the full story of her life - 1927 to 1930 - Dr. Ella Webb.
A family dispute across two continents
Charles Thomas Ovenden became closely involved in the upbringing of his niece, also called Isabella Gertrude Ovenden, after the marriage of his brother, Dr William Henry Ovenden, broke down in New Zealand.
His niece, who used the name Gertrude, was placed in the care of Charles and his sister Mary in Ireland, but the arrangement later became the centre of a bitter dispute over access, guardianship and the child’s future. In 1891, the case reached the Supreme Court in Christchurch, where the competing claims of her parents and relatives were examined in considerable detail.
The surviving newspaper reports reveal a striking Victorian custody case in which Gertrude’s own wishes were barely recorded, despite the repeated journeys and family upheaval she had already experienced. Instead, her mother’s character, marriage and past conduct became the focus of a highly public legal battle.
Move to Earlscliffe in the Early Free State Era
On October 25th 1922, at the age of 78, the Very Rev Charles Thomas Ovenden, now Dean of St. Patrick's, purchased Earlscliffe from Rachel Mahaffy. It was to be his summer residence. 1 He moved in not long after with his wife, Isabella Mary. 2
The early 1920s were turbulent in Irish public life. The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty had led to the establishment of the Irish Free State, partition, and ongoing civil conflict. Religious identities, long intertwined with political allegiances, were under close social scrutiny. Within this context, Ovenden’s purchase of Earlscliffe — a substantial seaside residence — can be seen as marking a moment of continuity for some Protestant clergy even as the society around them was changing rapidly.
Earlscliffe appears to have been intended primarily as a summer retreat for Ovenden and his wife. Records suggest that while the property was held in both his and his daughter, Florence’s names, it was principally occupied by the dean and his wife during this period. 1
Sudden death
This chapter of the Ovenden's life was brief. On 8th July 1924, Ovenden unexpectedly died of heart failure at Earlscliffe at the age of 78, followed by his wife Isabella Mary just four weeks later on August 7th with the same condition — marking a poignant close to their time at the house. 4 2
Florence, whose was named on the Earlscliffe deeds, continued to live in England. Although she had been married in Dublin in 1916, her child was born in England, so it is assumed that is where she lived, even after her parents died in 1924.
In the meantime, in late 1924 (or early 1925) she rented out Earlscliffe to Robert Rooney. Learn more about Robert Rooney's life and time in Earlscliffe here:
She would later rent the property to her sister, Ella, before finally selling Earlscliffe in 1930.
Next chapter: Robert Rooney
Earlscliffe timeline
- 1845–1864: Cornelius Egan
- 1864–1878: Captain William Bunbury McClintock
- 1878–1896: The Knox family
- 1896–1901: John Randal Plunkett
- 1901–1922: Sir John Pentland Mahaffy
- 1922–1924: Very Rev. Charles Thomas Ovenden
- 1924–1927: Robert Rooney
- 1927–1930: Dr Ella Webb
- 1930–1945: Sir John Lumsden
- 1945–1949: William Martin Murphy
- 1949–1950: Lily Margaret Graham Gough
- 1950–1952: Olive & "Kit" Stanley-Clarke
- 1952–1961: Peggy & Bobby Woods
- 1961–1969: Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Knowles
- 1969–today: Robinson & Foley family
References & Further Reading
- Based on title deeds and other legal documents that are currently in the possession of Karen Foley. The size of the lands were stated in the deeds as five acres, one rood and thirty five perches! ↩
- Taken from "Clogher clergy and parishes [microform] : being an account of the clergy of the Church of Ireland in the Diocese of Clogher, from the earliest period, with historical notices of the several parishes, churches, etc."" Seen on the web 14th Mar 2026 https://www.archive.org/stream/MN5034ucmf_0/MN5034ucmf_0_djvu.txt ↩
- See https://irishartindex.wordpress.com/o/ as seen 2nd November 2021 ↩
- Irish Times, August 11, 1924, page 8 ↩
- As mentioned in thePeerage.com, a genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe. https://www.thepeerage.com/p5765.htm ↩
- See the entry in https://www.thepeerage.com/p5764.htm#i57636 ↩
- "Funerals", Irish Times August 28 1946, page 5 ↩
- "The History of The Royal Scots Fusiliers (1678 —1918)" by John Buchan, as seen on the web https://uchebana5.ru/cont/3995188.html on the 24th Sept 2015 ↩
- Obituary, Irish Times July 10th 1924. ↩
- See https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/64949843/person/270194762959/facts ↩
- Taken from the UK, World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920 ↩
- "Their Knavish Tricks" Daily Telegraph, Friday April 16th 1915 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03253/Telegraph1915_1604_3253569a.pdf ↩
Page last updated: 4 Aug 2026