Bective House, Smithfield
The first Earl built his Dublin townhouse adjacent to the main cattle market in Smithfield. He was one of the countrys main cattle dealers. When the Earl died, his son, the second Earl moved from Smithfield to Rutland Square (now Parnell Square). He had no interest in the business, he named this new town house Headford House after his County Meath estate.
Headford House, Rutland Square (now Parnell Square)
The Earl of Bective was the proprietor of houses on the square including 15, 16 and 17 Rutland Square East. Number 15 or Headford House the school, number 16 is listed as the Lardner Burkes family residence. Rutland Square is now known as Parnell Square. The Earls residence in this square was on the site of the more frequently known Findlaters Church, the Abbey Presbyterian Church (adjacent to the Hugh Lane Gallery, Charlemont House). A Dublin merchant by the of Alexander Findlater donated the funds to build this church.
The Headford Estate, Kells, County Meath
Headfort in Meath was the Earls principal residence in Ireland. The Headfort estate and house in County Meath is currently divided between Headford Golf Club, and most of the main house is the primary boarding school Headfort. The house, designed by Scottish architect Robert Adam is one of the most important regency buildings remaining in Ireland. For many years the house and land was encompassed by 12 foot stone walls around the estates 1,200 acres.
With the information currently available and in advance of further research, we can only presume that as the landlord to Dr. Lardner Burkes home and school he gave his school the name Bective House College with the permission from the Earl. This form of patronage was quite common between landlord and tenants such as Lardner Burkes school.
The connection with the family of the Earl of Bective is very much with us to this very day. The crest of Bective Rangers, a Fleur-de-Lis between two Boars heads facing upwards is taken directly from the centre of the Earl Of Bectives family Coat of Arms. The Earl Of Bective title is a subsidiary title of the Marquis of Headfort with the familys name Taylour.
The clubs founding fathers, when electing to adopt this crest during the 1870’s, clearly did so in recognition of the school and its past pupils who established the club (the club was originally called Bective F.C. or Bective College). This well regarded school is recorded as having over 200 pupils on its rolls with many of its alumni prominent in the professions, academia and the Anglican Church. Dr. Lardner Burke placed religion highly in his school curriculum & he was regarded as a pious man. This is illustrated with a quotation from him regarding his assertion as to having an institution where he could refer with confidence to being effected under God, for the upper classes of society in this country.
In 1869 Dr. Lardner Burke sold the college to Rev. Dr. William Woods (from Hillsborough, Co. Down) a teacher at the school. For reasons yet unknown Lardner Burke at the tender age of 65 moved his family to London where he later took a position as headmaster at Clapton College, Hackney until his death in 1885. Rev. Woods as second headmaster owned the college until ill health forced him to retire as headmaster. Rev. Woods returned to Hillsborough where he died, in February 1886. The last Headmaster was George Hamilton King, MA TCD. The location and size of the school declined from the 1880s with its final home in Clontarf after a period at 39 North Great Georges Street.
The final location, date and reasons for the colleges closure are yet to be determined.