The Crest of the Family of Tighe
The crest as engraved upon this
Straight Set of Twelve George II Irish Sterling Silver Hanoverian Three Tine Dessert Forks,
by Michael Homer hallmarked Dublin circa 1752 – 53,
is that of the family of Tighe.
It may be blazoned as follows:
Crest: A wolf's head erased proper collared argent charged thereon with a cross crosslet sable
Given the date of manufacture of these dessert forks they were probably in the possession of a
gentleman of the family of Tighe, of Mitchelstown in the County of Westmeath.
The two most likely candidates for ownership of these forks would have been Robert Tighe
(born 1682 died 1766) or his eldest son, Stearne Tighe (died 7th January 1762). Robert Tighe
(the younger) was the eldest son of Robert Tighe, of the Haymarket, Dublin and of Kilpatrick in the
County of Westmeath and his wife, a Miss Stearne.
Robert married Mary Clements (died 1780), the daughter of Robert Clements, of Rathkenny in
the County of Cavan in 1715 and sister of the Right Honourable Nathaniel Clements, the father of Robert
Clements, who was created the 1st Earl of Leitrim in 1795; whilst their eldest son,
Stearne married Arabella Osborne, the daughter of Sir John Osborne, the 7th Baronet of
Ballintaylor in the County of Tipperary circa 1760.
The Tighes held estates and lands in the Counties of Westmeath and Carlow. Robert (the
younger) also acquired the estates of Mitchelstown, Castle Town Delvin, Scurlogstown
and other and in the County of Westmeath from his kinsman,
The Right Honourable Richard Tighe.
Here it should be noted that the Tighes were of English extraction having emigrated to
Ireland during the reign of King Charles II. They originally sprang from the Hundred
of Teigh (from whence they derive their surname) in the County of Rutland in
England's East Midlands where they were said to be well established from an early period.
Heraldry Courtesy of John Tunesi, United Kingdom
|
