Original incoming and copy outgoing letters relating to management of the Charleville estate. Matters referred to includes: details of sale of holdings in Tyrellspass to John Clarke; sale of land in Tullamore town park [Spollinstown] to P & H Egan.

Original incoming and copy outgoing letters relating to management of the Charleville estate. Matters referred to includes: drafting of lease of house on Charleville Road for the Presbyterian Church of Tullamore; endorsement on lease to the Tullamore Laundry Company for the Tullamore Creamery Company; conditions of sale of lands on the Tottenham Estate in the townland of Rochford Demesne to Colonel Bury; draft conveyance of 4 labourers cottages in the townland of Ballard to be sold at the rate of £35 per acre.

Original incoming and copy outgoing letters relating to management of the Charleville estate. Matters referred to includes: new lease issued to Annie Moran for houses in Kilbride Street, Tullamore; transfer of lease to Trustees Convent of Sisters of Mercy; new lease issued to Annie Kelly; sale of the Tullamore Electric Light and Power Co Ltd premises.

Original incoming and copy outgoing letters relating to management of the Charleville estate. Matters referred to includes: letter to Rev G Cooney on the arrangements that the new factory on the gaol premises will not require either the front or side walls to be demolished; the conveyance of premises in Tullamore by Salts Ireland Ltd for use as a factory; subscriptions from various individuals and businesses in Tullamore towards the new factory; draft agreement between Esther Molloy, Rev Gerald Cooney, Rev Eric Rennison, John Williams, Francis J Egan, Henry F Brenan, Joseph Kearney, Joseph Clarke, Michael English, Michael Walsh, John Horgan, Thomas J Lawless for the transfer of lands in Spollinstown [Spollanstown] for the purpose of erecting a factory within Tullamore; attempt to trace the title to premises in Church Street, Tullamore (former King's County Infirmary) by solicitors for Offaly County Council.

Includes copy of letter to Colonel Howard Bury about the Salts Ltd factory in Tullamore, "As you have probably heard a new company is being formed in Ireland for the purpose of promoting a spinning factory in this town, and it will be a most important industry, and will give a very considerable amount of employment. There was great difficulty in getting the factory here because there were at least a dozen other towns in the Saorstat who were trying to get it established. As a result, however, of the efforts of various people Tullamore has succeeded. When the English gentlemen who are interested in the promotion of this factory originally interviewed some representative people here in this town they stipulated that they would not consider Tullamore unless they could get the land which they required at a price not exceeding £60 per acre. They pointed out that they could get land for this figure in other parts of the country, and indeed in some places they could get it for nothing. This shows the anxiety there was to get this factory. It was necessary to give an undertaking required, but eventually when negotiations were entered into between the local committee, of which I am Honorary Secretary, with the owners of certain of the lands to be acquired, it was found that considerably larger sums per acre would have to be paid for at least some of the land which was wanted. There are some other claims also which have to be met... (6 July 1937).

Estate papers comprising of estate accounts, tenancy agreements, farms accounts, land titles and correspondence.

Photocopy of letter from Mary Perkinson to John Monaghan, informing him of the family's impending eviction from their holding and pleading for assistance to emigrate to America. Describes Croghan and the impact of famine and emigration on the area: 'Most of your old neighbours are either dead or emigrated, most of the land was to growing grass, and strange to say the people are flying away in thousands yet. Nothing will keep them at home. Love of country or of kindred will not prevent them. Off they go and when will it end God only knows. Bad landlords is the cause.'

Letter from E A Merrey, agent at the Downshire Estate office, Blessington, Wicklow, to Mr Patterson regarding the latter's possible purchase of holdings on the Downshire Estate near Edenderry. Reply from Patterson overleaf states that he hopes that Lord Downshire will accept £100 for the holding (6 May 1922).
Also includes a printed notice of Merrey's attendance at the Downshire Office, Edenderry for the collection of rents (1 May 1924).

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence concerning aspects of estate management undertaken by A. & L. Goodbody, solicitors on behalf of Lord Digby, such as correspondence with the Irish Land Commission involving the valuation; inspection and sale of the estate; legitimacy of land ownership; rental arrears; payment receipts; the transfer of Geashill National School; employee salaries; and estate repairs.

Includes letter from Goodbody to Digby: ‘…The Michael Dunne the Inspector means lives with his sister on a 15 acre farm P.L.V. £6 and had 4 cattle. Perhaps you can identify him. The reason who these allottees are asked to raise representation is because the personal representative has to agree to consolidate the plots they are getting with the land they already have. We can ask the Commissioners to waive the consolidation, but cannot anticipate whether they will or not. This may delay matters…’ (1 December 1927)

Handwritten letter from James Chissell to Lord Digby: ‘Received from Messrs A. & L. Goodbody the sum of two hundred pounds, that being the amount of compensation given to me by Lord Digby in consideration of the land taken from me by the Estates Commissioners, for purpose of relieving congestion on the Geashill Estate.’ (23 August 1927)

Letter from Goodbody to Digby: ‘…Then in regard to Reggie’s letter, which I return to you. He knows his own mind very well and as he made you the offer I should advise you to abide by it. I wrote him recently about the National Roman Catholic School at Geashill. It was originally built by your family and vested in the Educational Commissioners at the nominal rent of 1/- and now our mutual acquaintance the Reverend Father Phelan has asked me to vest it free of charge in the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church.’ (15 July 1927)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include forestry; stamp duty; tenancy arrears; damages occurred to iron gates on Lord Digby's property during the thinning of surrounding forests; sporting rights for Lord Digby's property in Glenamoy, Mayo; list of tree seads for planting on Digby estate; repairs to Lord Digby's Ford Thames truck; proposal from Bord na Mona to to purchase Digby's land in Mayo; application on behalf of Lord Digby for a salmon licence.

Includes copy letter from A T Lucas, Director of National Museum of Ireland to Digby, "You will, I feel sure, be interested to learn that the Geashill cauldron has just been placed on exhibition after a cleaning process which, I hope, has brought it to something like the pristine brilliances which you described to me. It has also been labelled in accordance with the wording you suggested. I take this opportunity of placing on record our very sincere thanks for the extraordinary lengths to which you have gone to help the Museum through the very strange vicissitudes which beset this cauldron over so many years and our deep gratitude for the final generous gesture which secured it for the nation". (5 March 1955)

Includes letter from Digby to Kennedy, "I would be inclined to resist the selling of the [Village] Green at Geashill and say that for sentimental reasons, I wish to retain it. If you thought it advisable to day, which is true, that I am proud of the fact that I am the 11th Baron Digby of Geashill and that for the dame reason I have tried to retain the castle ruins, both old and new". (14 April 1955)