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Annual Report 1880

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1880, wherein Digby contrasts the Geashill estate favourably with other estates in the country during this 'almost unprecedented agricultural disaster of the past season'. Reports that although the usual remittance is reduced by £1500 due to increased arrears, there was an overall net increase in rental income at £17,307.1.8.

Reports that there is an increase in the number of unskilled labour available and therefore more drainage works and land improvement projects were carried out with the result that there was hardly a person on the estate in want of work compared with other parts of Ireland where there was great distress and beginnings of famine. Notes that many of the projects are being executed under the Board of Works. To offset any failure of the potato crop on the estate, Digby reports that he has imported 50 tonnes of champion seed potatoes from Scotland and distributed among the tenantry.

Construction works included a pair of double cottages at Killeigh; a further addition to Thomas Cobbe's farmhouse at Annagharvey; a labourer's cottage for Mr Delamere at the Meelaghans; and the repair of the roof and offices at Ballymooney House. Forestry works included clearing and replanting of Scrubb Wood and new plantations at Gorteen and Derryadd.

Notes that the past year will long be remembered by every landlord and tenant 'as one of the most disastrous ever experienced', with bad weather, failure of root crops, and 'a potato crop more diseased than any since the famine years.' Warns that the Land League have seized upon the bad harvest as a means to increase agitation amongst tenants and have organised meetings the length and breadth of Ireland, and hopes that forthcoming legislation by the government will solve the Irish Land Question.

Annual Report 1881

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1881. Reports that the financial condition of the estate had disimproved, outstanding arrears remaining due and abandoned arrears considerably increased. Profit remitted was £8500, a decrease on previous years, although there was a net increase in the overall rental income. Also reports that the Roskeen lease was surrendered by the reps of Mr. Bailey, and that the farm at Ballydownan was surrendered by Mr Adams and now in Lord Digby's hands and set for grazing with newly purchased cattle.

In terms of land improvement, Digby reports on the completion of a number of Board of Works projects including the draining and squaring of the moors under Scrubb Wood, the deepening of the boundary stream at Cappancur and the sinking of a large main drain in Balinvally bog. Construction works included new offices for Mr Arthur of Killurin and Patrick Nugent of Ballycollin; new cottages completed at Killeigh; new cottage commenced in Geashill Village and assistance give to William Mathews to erect substantial new dwelling house in Killurin. Also reports on the thinning and replanting of Derrygunnigan Wood.

Warns that agrarian agitation is increasing encouraged by the Land League. Blames the Government for slow response to agitation. Reports on a 'monster meeting' held in Tullamore by the Land League prior to the winter collection of rents (1880) where the Geashill tenantry requested en masse Griffith's Valuation as a fair rent which was subsequently refused by Lord Digby, but who abated the rent by 10% on the half year's rent payable. Identifies William Adams as the leader of the agitation and describes the court proceedings taken against him individually. With the result of being faced with bankruptcy, Adams paid his rent and then surrendered farm at Ballydownan, with the result that all other agitation on the estate ceased and rents were collected within three weeks. Also refers to 'boycotting' occurring throughout the estate but that no acts of violence or outrages took place. A further attempt at withholding rent in May 1881 was similarly short-lived.

Annual Report 1882

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1882. Remarking on the 'extraordinary events in Ireland of the last 12 months', Digby reports that consequently there is a large amount of arrears, including abandoned arrears which are mainly the rents of Ballydownan and Roskeen farms which are in Lord Digby's hands having been surrendered.

Land improvements have ceased due to the suspension of rent and the generally disorganised state of the country, a new dwelling house for William Payne, Killeenmore being the chief expenditure. Thirty acres of young plantations in Derrygunnigan and Newtown woods and the maintenance of other young plantations accounted for expenditure in forestry.

Warns that the country is in a 'frightful crisis' and reports on the tactics of the Land League with their 'No Rent' manifesto (Autumn 1881), which was eagerly adopted and led to a complete suspension of the payment of rent. After an abatement was refused, tenantry on the Geashill Estate held a meeting in Killeigh in January 1882 at which a resolution was passed not to pay rent unless abatements were conceded. Proceedings were issued against nine of the principal agitators, their properties seized and put up for public auction in Tullamore. Digby reports that in seven cases, the tenants allowed him to be the purchaser, and in the other two cases, the tenants bought in their farms for the full amount of rent claimed and costs. Evictions followed, five of which required the aid of 'a large force of military and police and bailiffs supplied by the Property Defence Association.'

Cottage Improvements 1860

Volume containing watercolour paintings of labourers' cottages as they were in 1860 and after improvements in 1861. Each image is captioned with names of occupying tenants and the location of the houses.

Labourers (Ireland) Acts Minute Book

Minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Guardians acting as the Rural Sanitary Authority, under the Labourers (Ireland) Acts, mainly recording decisions taken in respect of collecting rents from labourers' cottages; the sinking of wells; and the erection of new cottages. Includes copy correspondence from the Local Government Board, as well as details of tenders and contracts awarded for new cottages or repairs/improvements to existing cottages.

P. Boland - Proceeding with housing scheme

Typewritten letter from Patrick Boland, T. D., Ballycumber, to the Secretary of Banagher Parish Council stating that it has been learned from the County Manager that he intends to proceed with the Banagher Housing Scheme immediately.

Repairs

  • IE OCL P131/4/3/7
  • File
  • 21 August 1905-16 August 1907
  • Part of Loughton Papers

The majority of the documents in this file concern the 1906-1907 improvements made to Borrisnafarney church. Examples of such records include a letter from Reverand John D Morrow, Rathenny Cottage, Cloughjordan, to Benjamin Bloomfield Trench regarding painting the church a new baptismal font, a new church window and new pews; specifications for alterations to be carried out in the existing church. Also included in the file is a letter from Benjamin Bloomfield Trench, 41 Onslow square, London regarding his hesitations over church improvements, he believes the congregation should have a say and therefore wants to hold a secret ballot. This is followed by a letter from The Rt Rev. Mervyn Archdall, Clarisford, Killaloe, Co. Carlow which states that according to religious law such a ballot would be illegal and therefore would not be honored. The file also covers topics such as sourcing and dedicating stain glass, raising financial funds and design plans.
The file also deal with other repairs the church required. Examples include an estimate from for supplying and fixing new boiler and case Musgrave & company ltd., Belfast, Northern Ireland .A letter from H. Sibthrope & son limited, 33 Molesworth Street, Dublin regarding repairs to the church sent to the Reverand G.A Earle, The Rectory, Dunkerrin, Roscrea.

Trench, Benjamin Bloomfield

Report of the Engineering Inspector on housing

Cover letter enclosing inspection reports by Louis E. H. Deane, Engineering Inspector, on 23 houses unfit for human habitation in the Tullamore Union district, as per the Labourer (Ireland) Acts Scheme No. III. The reports record the name of the electoral division, the townland, the name of the occupier, and a detailed description of the reason the house is unfit for human habitation.

Title Page

The border of the title page contains illustrations of the prize cottages at Killeigh and a map of the drainage plan at Ballyknockan. Also includes representations of the two gold medals awarded to Lord Digby by the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland, the Challenge Cup awarded for best housing and the Challenge Cup awarded for best drainage.

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