Alexander O’Driscoll Landlord, Magistrate, Skibbereen, In trouble Again before the Lord Chancellor, He Had 40 Men Dig the Potatoes Of a Defaulting Tenant, while there cattle from a neighbouring farm strayed and were seized by his Drivers, Another Incident of Whipping a Boy on the Hunt. Maintains a Local Vendetta Against Him. Charges Concocted by a certain class of Individuals named ‘The Arbitration Committee of the Repeal Association’ consisting of A Dealer of Tapes and Small Cottons, A Village Schoolmaster, A Ci-Devant Village Saddler, A former Maker of Felt Hats and A Bankrupt Corn Dealer.
The the time there was another local Alexander O’Driscoll prominent in Skibbereen and another alos a Magistrate in Passage outside Cork. It is sometime difficult to see who is who.
The was a whole infrastructure of enforcement of tithes, cess, rents. The tithe proctors, drivers, bailiffs. Every village had a pound. Often a Landlord’s driver at midnight would seize cattle of defaulters and place then in the pound for auction. Not only cattle but eggs were restrained as in the Bandon Estate Records.
In extreme cases as in the tithe agitation of the 1830s the police and military were called in. The Rev. Kenny of Kilmeen had a gun boat called to Clonakilty to enforce tithe collection at Kilmeen.
O’Donovan Rossa in his recollection said it was common for farmers corn to be distrained while in the corn mill or store. This happened to his family.
Our Alexander is probably the one who had the tithes of Durrus and Bantry rented and was seeking military assistance to enforce collection.
CSO/RP/1833/3107. Letter from Alexander O’Driscoll, Skibbereen, [County Cork], to John Roberts, Chief Magistrate, Bantry, [County Cork], requesting police protection to recover lay tithes he has on lease in the parishes of Kilmacomogue [Kilmocomoge] and Kilcrohane, [County Cork].
1826. Donor to Durrus Churches
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Captain Alexander O’Driscoll, 1827, Clover Hill, Superseded 1810-30, Restored 1843. Norton Cottage, Skibbereen (two of same name at time), Ancestor Alexander married daughter of McFineen Dubh O’Sullivan, son of Tim ‘The Gauger’, sister Mrs Freke of Baltimore Castle. 1820 signed Memorial for new road Glengariff to Castletownbere. Married to the daughter of Thomas Attridge, Ballydehob. Correspondence with Chief Secretary appealing dismissal of 1820. 1822 subscriber as Clover Hill, Church Building Fund Durrus, he held tithes in Kilcrohane with Rector and Rev. Alleyn Evanson. Present at enquiry Skibbereen 1823 into enquiry into fatal affray at Castlehaven caused by Rev. Morritt’s tithe extraction. Grand Jury Presentments attending 12 from 1838-1840 at Norton Cottage. Probably engaged with his crew in marine salvage of Clio out of Crookhaven 1825. 1826 City election voted O’Callaghan conservative. Voted 1835 election as out of town Freeman address Shepperton. Public support for him on dismissal 1835 by fellow Magistrates Lord Bantry, Simon White, John Puxley, Samuel Townsend Senior, Samuel Townsend Junior, Hugh Lawton, Thomas Somerville, Rev. Alleyn Evanson, Richard Townsend Senior. Enquiry attended in Bandon 1841 into suspension arising from conduct with Stipendiary Magistrate J. Gore Jones and Sub-Inspector Andrew Creagh attended Earl of Bandon, Lord Viscount Bernard, on. H. White Hedges, Macroom Castle, Henry Bernard, Castle Barnard, Abraham Morris Dunkettle, Captain Henry Wallis, Drishane Castle, Lieutenant Colonel St. John Clerke, Overton House, William Cooke Wallis Junior, Castlecook, Mathias Hendley, Mountrivers, Henry Leader, Mount Leader, George Browne, Coolcower, St. Ledger Aldworth, Newmarket, Charles Evanson, Carlemont, Cork, Sir Thomas Deane, Thomas Hungerford, The Island, Nicholas Dunscomb, Mount Desert, Richard Henry Hedges Becher, Hollybrook, Skibbereen, John Isaac Heard, Kinsale, John Wheeler, Junior, James Gillman, Retreat, MD, Clonakilty, Thomas Herrick, Coolkerry, Captain R.A. Rogers, Petersfield, Michael Gallway, Gurtnagreena, John Nason, G. Nagle, Ballinamona Castle, Samuel Wallis Goold Adams, Jamesbrook, Jeremiah E. McCarthy, Rathduane, William F. Austen, Greenshela, Thomas R. Sarsfield, Ducloyne, Arthur Pery Aylmer, Castlefreke, Thomas Cuthbert Kearney, Garretstown, Joseph Haynes, Maryland House, Charles Connell, Cloverhill, John Barter, Cooldaniel, Francis G. Woodley, Leeds, Lawrence Corban, Maryville, E. Millett, MD, Cove. 1841 supported Conservative Longfield Longueville, Mallow even though Catholic hosted meeting attending John Ross, Rossford, Thomas Morris, Mahonagh, Thomas Wood, Dereeny, Listed 1838, dead….. with address Mount Music/Bunaulin, Caheragh when daughter Kate married Herbert Baldwin Esq., 1845. 1835 Subscriber at Gortnascrena, Skibbereen, Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837. Suspended for a period as J.P. reinstated after altered by a sitting of over 70 Magistrates in Bandon from both political sides. 1828 Bandon Quarter Sessions. His lands managed by Bird. Member Provisional Committee projected Bandon to Bantry Railway 1845, address Norton Cottage. Believed to have been committed to a debtors prison in Cork by his wine merchant where he died. Norton Cottage was lived in once by Dr. O’Donovan, J.P., and bought 1925 by Jasper Woulfe, Solicitor, Crown Prosecutor and TD,
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West Cork History 
Alexander sounds like a charmer. Interesting Re tithe collecting!
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