duke of Buckingham and Normanby,) by whom Proprietors. he had, among other issue, Robert Grace the next proprietor of Tullaroan, and a younger son Sheffield Grace who died in 1684, leaving issue by his wife, Elizabeth dowager viscountess Dillon, an only child Catherine Grace. Robert Grace of Courtstown Castle was appointed May 18th 1687, in his fathers life time, governor and custos rotulorum of the King's county, where, in right of his wife, he was heir to the castle of Moyelly and a considerable estate, and in 16:9 he was returned to Parliament for the borough of Thomastown. He was lieutenant-colonel of his father's regiment of foot, in the service of King James; but the Courtstown estates were for the present secured to his family, by the articles of Limerick, in which he and his second son John were included. He died in 1691, having married Frances, only daughter and sole heir to colonel Richard Grace,* of Moyelly Castle in the King's county, (chamberlain for many years to King James the second, while Duke of York, and his governor of Athlone§ when lieutenant general Douglas failed in his siege and attempt to gain that important place in 1691,) by whom he had issue two sons, Oliver and John.

Baron Oliver Grace of Courtstown survived his father only nine days, dying unmarried in 1691. He held for a short period the rank of major in the army of King

Where ceased the dance, the tuneful harper done,

A minstrel sung the praise by Raymond won,
Illustrious Raymond, author of that race,

Which settling here, first took the name of Grace,
When to Ierne's shores the warrior came,
And crown'd his followers with immortal fame.

Bibliothoca M.S. Stowensis, Press. 2 No. 12, 13 and 14
Memoirs of K. James II edited by Clarke.

§ Vide survey of Athlone, in this volume.

Proprietors. James, when severe indisposition obliged him to retire to the south of France, after which he never saw his father, or even knew of his decease; having returned in exhausted health a very short time preceding that event, and consequently subsequent to the ratification of the treaty of Limerick. In this treaty his father and his younger brother, as we have already seen, were included, though his fatal absence from Ireland necessarily precluded him from participating in its benefits. These circumstances were known only to his immediate family, and the utmost secrecy was observed respecting them, as certain ruin was evidently involved in the disclosure. Their marked and efficient exertions for King James against the prevailing government, and their great possessions were no ordinary incentives to confiscation. On his death the manor of Tullaroan and his other estates, which, as he was ignorant of his father's death, he never even knew he had inherited, immediately passed to his next brother, John Grace then of Courtstown Castle. In his undisturbed possesion they remained till the year 1701, when a bill of discovery was maliciously filed against him by the dowager viscountess Dillon (the relict of his uncle Sheffield Grace,) upon his refusing to comply with her demand of £500. which she had endeavoured to extort from him by the threat of this base disclosure. This most infamous act consequently obliged him to set forth his title before the court of claims, where the treacherous informer had previously discovered the concealed circumstances of Oliver's survivorship. His estates were soon pronounced to have been forfeited by his elder brother Oliver, the presumed proprietor of them for nine days, who was found (under the general act of attainder against King James's adhe