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Portrait of Elizabeth Mansfield (née Woulfe)

Family tradition states that this portrait was painted by the Kilkenny artist, John Comerford (1770-1832). Comerford initially painted full-sized portraits but later specialized in miniatures, for which he was renowned. These early full-sized portraits by him are rare. The painting originally hung in the hall at Morristown Lattin, Co Kildare.

The subject of the portrait is (‘Bess’) Elizabeth Woulfe, of Monadiha, Rathgormack Co Waterford. Her hair is strikingly decorated with pearls and flowers. She also wears a piece of jewellery attached to a ribbon and a rose in the centre. She is wearing a blue silk dress trimmed with lace around the neck.

Her father Walter Woulfe succeeded to the family estates through his mother, Mary Power, after the death of his uncles Nicholas and Thomas Power. The Woulfe estates were in Carrick-On-Suir, Co Tipperary, and Rathgormack, Co Waterford. Elizabeth married John Mansfield in 1785. By this time, he had moved the family base from Ballinamultina to Yeomanstown, Co Kildare. John died in 1817 and the estates passed to his younger son Walter Henry Mansfield.

The Mansfield family of Morristown Lattin date from the time of Henry II when Sir Rodolphus Mansfield settled in Ireland from Nottinghamshire. He was granted estates in counties Armagh, Derry, Waterford, Cork, and Limerick. He made his home at Killongford and Ballinamultina, Co Waterford. The estates of his descendant, Walter Mansfield, were confiscated due to his participation in the 1641 Rebellion. After the Restoration he recovered only part of the estate, the lands at Ballinamultina. In order to build up their estates once again the Mansfields (who remained Catholic) married into prominent families such as the Woulfes, Eustaces, and Lattins. Elizabeth’s husband John Mansfield’s great grandfather Richard married Dorothea Hore of Shandon House, Dungarvan. Richard held a commission in Col. Bagnall’s regiment of infantry in the army of James II and was present at the Battle of the Boyne.

Elizabeth Mansfield (nee Woulfe)