Showing 22 results

‘P’, ‘Q’, ‘R’ and ‘T’ - including letters from the Hon. Geoffrey L. Parsons, in Basingstoke, relating to the affairs of Birr Castle Demesne, during the period in which he acted on behalf of the sixth earl in his minority (1918-1924). Also includes letters from members of the Pigott family [see V/24], Mrs Manning Robertson, the 5th and 6th Earls of Rosse, J.H. Tyler (the Womersley agent [see H/117]), etc, etc.

Letters to the Viscountess de Vesci, mother of the sixth earl, to her brother-in-law, the Hon. Geoffrey L. Parsons, and to the agent for the Rosse estates, Toler R. Garvey Junior, (the only person permanently on the spot at Birr during the minority of the sixth earl), concerning the Civil War as it affected Birr Castle and other places; and also including a letter from the Countess of Bandon about the destruction of Castle Bernard, Co. Cork, and the kidnapping of her husband, Lord Bandon, 1921. The principal topic however, is the Free State government’s responsibility to the Rosse family for loss and damage incurred as a result of the Free State army’s occupation of Birr Castle from 1922 to 1924, which the shrewd and resourceful Garvey construes as extending to the cost of Lord and Lady de Vesci’s London house, No. 1 Hyde Park Street. Included in the bundle is a copy of a letter from Garvey to the Irish Land Commission arguing that compulsory acquisition of any more of the home farm at Birr would serve as a major disincentive to the sixth earl’s taking up residence and therefore giving widespread employment there on his coming-of-age, 1926.

Includes quotation for removal of six vans of furniture from Birr Castle to London by John Dooly, & Sons, Birr (April 1923)

Includes list of goods taken over by the National Army 28th September 1923, Property of the Trustees of the Earl of Rosse. Value of £235.16.0

Includes draft claim against Free State Government seeking rent and remedy £3000 and rent of Hyde Park (£600).

Includes letter from Office of Public Works settling claim for £3502.2.11 (7 August 1925)

Includes letter from Captain J.F. Hollins, Quartermaster No 2 Brigade, Athlon to Toler Garvey: ‘I wish to inform you that the Troops presently in occupation of the castle will evacuate same as from the 28th inst. In accordance with our regulations it will be necessary for a representative of the Owner, a representative from the Board of Works and of the Military Authorities to examine the premises after evacuation and compile a report as to its condition in comparison to that in which it was taken over by the Military (12 August 1924)

Includes a list by A. Panton Watkinson, painter and decorator, Stephens Green, Dublin, of wear and tear and damage in Birr Castle due to the military occupation. (July 1923)

Includes list of articles missing from Birr Castle May 1927.

Also includes letter from the Committee involved in arranging a plaque to be erected at the archway to the front of Birr Castle in memory of the three young men executed by Free State Troops in 1923. Appends text of the address given by Margaret Hogan, local historian, on the events of 1923. (2003)

One page of accounts showing income and expenditure of Banagher Refugee accounts.
One page of accounts (postage) relating to Banagher Refugee Committee (April 1916).
Receipt from Belgian Refugee Committee (Ireland) (21.11.1918).

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of Glenamoy Estate, Ballina, Co. Mayo under James Boland Esq. Matters referred to include the securing of salmon and gun licences for Lord Digby; letter from the Department of Lands and Fisheries requesting the total amount of Salmon and sea-trout captured by anglers on waters owned or leased by Lord Digby; payment of fishery rates; invoices from Geo N Walshes, Motor Engineer; AGM notice for the Salmon Fisheries Protection Association; the retirement of James Boland in November 1946 and arrangements for the re-letting of Bunowa Lodge.

Includes letter to Lord Digby: "Many thanks for the Ration Card, also Petrol Coupons, and I shall try to have the equivalent for them for you when you come again. It is impossible to say what the possibilities of second-hand cars here will be until we see what happens to the Petrol Ration. So far there has been no announcement and the October, November and December Coupons have already been issued. I will bear in mind what you say, and also have the question of your membership of the Irish Automobile Association... I was very interested and amazed to read your story about the whale, and so was Kenneth, and I think you were extremely lucky to live to tell the tale, and that the boat was not turned over. I agree that it is a great fishing story, and that even though it is literally true it will be extremely difficult to get anyone to believe it especially on your side of the water, but it will certainly make history in the Glennamoy Area. By the way although your Annual Account is made out in draft and is just about to be sent off for binding I anticipate some delay as I find that all such jobs as binding and printing etc seem to take much longer than usual at present, but you will understand that the matter is in hand, and if there is delay that nothing has gone wrong. I failed to get the County Council here to increase their offer of £40 per statute acre for the Housing site at Geashill, and as they said they did not propose to disturb the grazing letting, which expires on the 1st March next, I could not cut any ice on that point". (29 September 1947)

Contains lists of Irish Guards noting their name, regiment number, rank and where interned, including a separate listing of those from Birr; letters from Selfridge's & Co., Oxford St, London to Lois, Countess of Rosse, in relation to the contents of nine parcel types assembled for sending to the Irish Guards Prisoners of War; correspondence from Mary Britton, Rosfaraghan, Ferbane and Col. Douglas Proby, in relation to subscriptions collected in her village on behalf of Private B. Anderson (Reg No 3220), who is interned in Limburg; and correspondence between Major de Vesci, Regimental Adjutant, Irish Guards to Lady Rosse, mainly in relation to the movement of Irish Guards prisoners between POW camps in Germany so that parcels can be sent to them. Also includes ephemeral material such as newspaper cuttings relating to the Irish Guards, a packet of jam jar covers, and a copy of an illuminated address presented to Queen Mary from the Women of Ireland in July 1911, and distributed by Lady Aberdeen, the head of war relief in Ireland.

Letters to and from Theodora Trench between 1918 and 1922.
The majority of the letters were sent by Sheelah Trench.The letters cover a wide variety of topics.

One reoccurring theme throughout the letters are Sheelah's concerns over the 'Sinn Feiners' actions in Ireland. A letter dated Easter Sunday 1920 elaborates further, 'We hear that the Moneygall Police Barrack has been burnt down, besides Dunkevin, Ballacymackey and many other. That, and destroying Income Tax and other Government Offices, seems to have been the Sinn Feiners game for Easter Monday'.

Sheelah also includes letters and newspaper clippings that she believes may be of interest to Theodora. One such letter dated 24 February 1920 from Mr Hill, P.O.W Staff, Famagusta Cyprus to Benjamin Bloomfield Trench describes his experience working at a Prisoner of War camp in Cyprus and working alongside Irish soldiers.

‘W’ and ‘’Y’ - principally Edward Walsh (town clerk of Birr, who writes about all manner of local government matters), Harold J. Wiley & Co., insurance brokers of Dublin (who write about Birr Castle insurance), Mrs F. White Spunner of Milltown Park, Shinrone, King’s County (whose estate Garvey managed [although, apart from these letters, no other record of this agency survives in the archive at Birr Castle]).

Includes minor letters from Captain P. Wall, Castle Barracks, Birr (1922-1923).

Ms letter to Banagher Local Pensions Allotment Board from P. J. Molloy regarding the grant paid to his mother. Letter states that both his parents are ill and unable to survive on the present grant of 9s 2d. With annotation from Major Rogers endorsing the application.

Two requisition forms of Banagher district of King's County Relief Committee relating to monthly (September and November 1917) advance from Treasurer of County Local Pension Committee.
With ms. letter of 30th October relating to alterations in the requisition form.

Forms detailing the names of committee members of Banagher Parish Council with draft and blank copies.