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Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include sale of timber; fishery rates; repairs to tenants' premises; tree seeds required for the estate; acquisition of cottage site by agreement under Labourers Acts; litigation between Lord Digby and Andrew Brazil over cattle wandering in Digby's plantation at Clonad and destroying 1500 young trees.

Includes letter to Kennedy from Digby on the death of King George IV, " Alas the sad news of yesterday has made it impossible for me to come over next week as I shall be on duty twice every 24 hours at the lying-in-state. We don't yet know when the funeral will be, but it will probably be Friday 15th..." (7 February 1952).

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include Matters referred to include repairs to tenants’ houses; employer’s liability insurance premiums; cleaning of sewage at Geashill Garda Barrack; repairs to boiler at Clonad Saw Mills; a visit by Lord Digby to Ashford Castle and Birr Castle; the possibility of three phase electricity to Clonad in the future; queries on the rights of Lord Digby to buy land in Ireland at the same rate of stamp duty as an Irish citizen under the Irish Nationality & Citizens Act 1935-1937; and the death of George Muir on 22 September 1950.

Includes letter from Offaly County Council to Goodbody Solicitors regarding the felling of trees on Digby estate to "give clear passage on public roads for buses and in other cases to prevents damage to road by overhanging trees". (24 November 1948).

Includes letter from the Department of Industry & Commerce in relation to an inspection carried out at Clonad Sawmills under the Holiday (Employee) Act 1929, where irregularity was observed in annual leave and that “workers not allowed 7 consecutive whole holiday within their employment years” (18 July 1950). This was responded to by the Estate Agents on 1 August 1950 confirming that this statutory would be observed at the sawmills.

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include complications in the of sale of Scrubb Wood to A. E. Morean of Borrisokane due to the death duty on timber owed by Digby; applications for licenses from the Forestry Department to fell trees during wartime; emergency powers (control of timber) order 1941; trespass and poaching; offer of sale of Derrygunnigan wood to the Forestry Division, Department of Lands; wartime food supplies; and rental arrears.

Includes letter from Digby to Kennedy: ' I am absolutely at a loss to make out how you make out that duty was not paid on the Irish property and the woods. I am sure it was; the valuation included the woods as far as I can remember. When I have sold the woods before no question of this has arisen & I don't want this raised now. In fact if there is any quotation of it, the whole matter of the sale in this manner should be held up and the sale carried out similar to the Derrygunnigan sale or not at all. This raises such a big question that I should prefer to have no sale rather than a letter should go anywhere near the authorities on this subject. What action have you taken? You don't say whether you have raised the matter through the London solicitors or tried to do it direct. Please do nothing of this kind in future without writing to me on the subject.' (27 October 1940)

Includes letter from Kenneth Robins, stonemason, Portarlington to Kennedy: 'Looking at the ruins of the Digby Estate in Geashill the other day. I would like to know if their representatives would sell the pieces of cut stone in and around the site? I would buy and take away any stone suitable to my trade.' (2 February 1942)

Includes letter from G. Muir, forester on Digby Estate to Mr Douglas (Of A & L Goodbody): 'I am sending you this note as Mr K may be at Court top let you know that we have had the devil's own fire on Derryadd. It has been a night & day job since 11 last night until 11 today and now we have got to put out the fire in Derrynasligue Ditch or bank, and a half of a long road to carry water. Damn bogs anyway, they may be the glory of Eire but any way a curse to me.' (7 May 1942)

Includes letter from Kennedy to Digby:'We are all keeping well but as you say housekeeping is becoming increasingly difficult. We are really fortunate living in the country and cannot very well starve as I have been able to produce an acre of potatoes, and we have plenty of our own milk and eggs, and I have also produced 35 barrells of oats off two statute acres not to mention a very adequate supply of good turf (not off the two acres!). Unfortunate people especially of the poorer class in Dublin and other cities must be in a bad way. (19 September 1942)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill estate. Matters referred to include the death of Lewis Goodbody;the trade in timber; sale of game-keeper Donaldson's house in Ballina, Geashill; rent arrears; enquiries relating to extent of lands at Glenamoy, Digby's Mayo estate; sale of timber at Derrygunnigan; the Geashill Cauldron; proposed fisheries bill; replanting of the River Wood at Clonad; visit by Digby to Ireland; and the death of former game-keeper, David Donaldson.

Includes copy letter from Ken Kennedy to Digby concerning death of Lewis Goodbody:'...He and Mrs Goodbody returned to Dublin on Tuesday night last, and Lewis came down to Clara on Wednesday evening, where Mrs Goodbody joined him on Friday. Lewis attended his Office in Moate on Thursday, and did a full days work here on Friday, and his usual half day on Saturday. He told me on Friday for the first time, that for a short time, I rather think only after he got to Canterbury he had felt chest pain, and had several attacks of it...He had a bad night Saturday night, but felt well enough on Sunday, although he stayed in the house resting himself. Between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon of Sunday, he was sitting in the drawing room with Mrs Goodbody, and the latter asked him if he would like to come round the garden with her. He said that he thought not as he was comfortable where he was. Mrs Goodbody went out to the garden, and was a very short time away, and when she came back she found him sitting dead in his chair, just in the position she left him...I would like to thank you most sincerely for your sympathy to me. Lewis was like a father to me, and I have lost a good partner and a good friend. (10 January 1933)

Includes letter from Caroline G. Digby, Wimborne to Lord Digby:'I think it is best to write & tell you what I heard from my old cook today about the big bath or cauldron that was stolen from Geashill Castle 12 years ago - the night before Edith and [?] went over to see about the removal of our things to England. She writes: "I met a man on Saturday. He asked me 'do you ever hear from Mrs. Digby?' I said yes - Well he said will you write Mrs Digby & tell her I am the man has the cauldron - I raided here for it myself and three others. I am willing he said to give it up should Mrs. Digby write me. I told him I would write. His name is D. Kelly, Killeary, Geashill. He said his father was an old tenant of Lord Digby's. That's all he said. I was surprised & I was glad to hear it was coming to its own home again... There was a good many men of the name Kelly round Geashill. We cannot remember Killeary - the district was divided into so many townlands. My old cook may have spelt it wrong. She is still well known in Geashill & still lives there. You may think it well that Mr. Kennedy should go over & see her or have her see to his office & find out more....You may remember that my daughter Edith did go to the Museum in Dublin when she was over there some time ago. It seems a pity not to recover the cauldron as it was of great historic interest. Reggie used to show it to everyone who came to see us with great pride! It was awfully heavy and unwieldy...My cook's name is Mrs. Browne' (3 August 1933)

Original incoming and copy outgoing letters relating to Lewis Goodbody's management of the Digby estate. Matters referred to include: the death of estate bailiff, Nesbitt and arrangements to look after his widow; illegal tree felling on the estate; proposed purchase of the wood, village, castle site and two bogs in Geashill by Hon. Brinsley Plunkett in order to obtain shooting rights; arrangements for a summer visit of the Digbys to Ireland; illegal game-shooting on the estate; sale of timber from Derrygunnigan Wood; and income tax.

Includes copy letter from Goodbody to Digby: 'Following my letter yesterday I now learn that the above [Honorable B. Plunkett] has supplied himself already with a number of pheasant boxes in anticipation, which is all to the good. I think it will be just as well to disappoint him on this occasion, for to my mind, he has rather overreached himself...All being well next Winter, it might be that you could spare the time to come over here, and shoot over your property, including the Geashill side. I think you would pick up quite a nice lot of woodcock, and it would show Plunkett that he is not yet the owner of Geashill, and that if he wants his sporting amenities, and you are inclined to deal with him for that part of the property, then he must pay a proper price for it, otherwise he must do without it. In present circumstances, I would not advise you to sell him the woods and bogs unless he takes the Castle site as well, and all at a proper price, which would be worth your while to consider. He seems to be suffering somewhat from swelled head.' (5 March 1930)

Includes letter from Maggie Evans, tenant to Goodbody: 'I quite forgot to tell you when you were down looking at the house and porch that rain comes in in several places in the kitchen and also in the room. And the thatch is very bad at the end of the house and there is a crack in the wall from top to the bottom of wall. It is also cracked very much inside too and I afraid of it falling out, and in few places the bottom of the walls are falling too so hoping you will be as kind as to get them repaired for me when getting the house done. (18 July 1931)

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1891, showing a further decrease in overall rental income and arrears remaining unchanged. Expenditure on forestry only with some acres at Clonad, cleared, drained and replanted. Digby reports that the overall condition of the estate is 'most satisfactory' and that 'the traces of agitation which recently distracted the country have, owing to Mr. Balfour's fearless administration, improved agricultural conditions and the split in the Nationalist camp, almost entirely disappeared.'

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1887, showing a small decrease in rent, a moderate increase in arrears which Digby blames on a 'grave agricultural depression'. Abandoned arrears are high with much of this land consisting of boycotted farms and lands now 'on hand' following surrender. Principal amounts of expenditure is for forestry at Scrubb Wood and Derryadd, which he points out led to a large amount of employment in the reach of small tenants and labourers on the estate who must otherwise have suffered from enforced idleness. Describes a 'half-hearted' agitation against the payment of any more rent than the National League authorities advised. Also notes that meetings were held before the winter collection of rents and a proposal to inaugurate the League's 'Plan of Campaign' was not successful.

Annual report, rental and accounts for year ending June 1885, showing a gross reduction in rents by £95.16.0 and with arrears same as in 1884. Describes the year as 'singularly uneventful' and notes that the only work undertaken was a large area of ground replanted in Scrubb Wood, River Wood and Clonad.

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.'

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.