"Clydeside Red" wrote: >[...] The Grove, established abt 1720, built >and owned by John Church Esquire residence of Oatlands, Parish of Tamlaght >Finlagan, and the only gentlemen's seat in this parsh. > [...] >What is a "gentleman's seat"? A house (with surrounding land) fit for a gentleman to live in. Mr Bennet's house in Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" would probably be the absolute minimum, in my opinion - usually one would might be thinking of somewhere like Netherfield, the house rented by Mr Bingley.