1822, James Delacour, County Treasurer, Spring Assizes, Grand Jury Presentments, £26,491 including Roads, Jail, Bridewell, County Infirmary, Lunatic Asylum, Maintenance of Reformed Priests, Malicious Burnings, Destroying Vermin
A large part of Cork Grand Jury records were lost in the Courthouse fire in 1892. Many surviving records were destroyed by Cork County Council when they moved to the County hall in the late 1960s
1830, Cotters, Inchileegahg, ‘Diarmaid told me that, years ago, he had asked Da who was the last of our ancestors to have been an Irish speaker, Diarmaid is not totally certain of who Da said, but thinks that he said that Sylvester was the last and that his family were very ashamed of this old-fashioned practice.’
Dr. Edward Wetenhall Lord Bishop of Cork and Ross, BA, Cambridge,, FRS, (1636-1713), 1679. Member Dublin Philosophical Society. Wrote of his cruel suffering at the hands of Irish Papists 1688-1690. One of seven Church of Ireland Bishops to stay in Ireland 1688-1690. Pamphlet controversy with William Penn. In 1710 he drew up a memorial to James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, the Lord Lieutenant, urging the need of providing ‘books of religion’ in the Irish language, in accordance with the ideas of John Richardson, D.D. (1664–1747), a clergyman in his diocese
The are some records for Cork Customs and Excise at ports gung back to the 13th century. These records show a reliance on the old dependables tobacco and alcohol.
Extract from letter ‘Very Bad Mutton and Beef, you Can’t Conceive of the Wretchedness of it’, of Godwin Swift (Customs Man), 16th May 1757 from Crookhaven, West Cork, Ireland.
Dean Swift ‘A Patriot is One Who enables 2 Blades of Grass Grow where 1 Grew Before’. Sir Richard Griffith Road Engineer, Fits the Bill. 1824 Progress Report, Skibbereen/Bantry, Skibbereen/Crookhaven, Castletownbere/Glengariff, Kenmare/Bantry.
Griffith’s ‘Wellesley Roads’ included Skibbereen to Crookhaven, 46 km. built between 1826 and 1829 and costing £13,466,
Continued here and elsewhere in Griffith’s reports is progress following the completion of the roads, new houses in Castletownbere, three story stone houses and larger fishing vessels. On the Mizen peninsula before the road no wheeled vehicles, there alos the only place in Ireland outside of Ulster he had poor Protestants labouring on the roads.
Griffiths Cork projects known as the ‘Wellesley Roads’ included Skibbereen to Crookhaven, 46 km. built between 1826 and 1829 and costing £13,466, Bantry to Skibbereen, Crookhaven to Bantry and the road to north Cork to Banteer. His works are characterised by a high degree of engineering excellence. It was said that in building bridges he insisted on going to bed rock for foundations, the Grand Jury contractors would be happy with building on gravel resulting in so many were washed away in floods. His schemes highlights the deficiencies of the Grand Jury system and might be looked at like the recently completed motorway schemes in Ireland. The effects were dramatic, on the Mizen Peninsula they first wheeled carts made their appearance. Alexander Nimmo (1783-1832), the Scots Engineer who was also involved said the North Cork Road opened up the entire area to commerce with a beneficial result.
His colleague Alexander Nimmo a Scots Engineer reported on the opening of the road over the Boggeragh Mountain. The the whole area of North West Cork and East Kerry was accessible to the Cork market with general prosperity following. Nimmo was scathing on Captain O’Sullivan, a Landlord and road contractor on the road works around Glengarriff. He paid his workers who were his tenants in vouchers redeemable against rent.
The common perception is that the tithes were owned by the Church of Ireland clergy. They certainly owned some but many were owned by lay impropriators non clerical. Here among those are the Duke of Devonshire, the Earl of Shannon who are descendants of Richard Boyle the Great Earl of Cork. He acquired many of the parochial tithes of Cork in the early 17the century. Lord Riversdale is of the extended Hull family of Leamcon, Schull associates of Boyle. Often the Clergy mortgaged or leased the tithes sometimes to wealthy Catholic businessmen.
CSO/RP/1832/4660. Letter from A O’Driscoll, Shepperton, [County Cork], to Maj William Miller, [Inspector General], forwarding threatening and anti tithe notices [extant] posted in Drimoleague [Dromdaleague] and reporting on outrages in his area and recommending the strengthening of the military in the area
1832, Drimoleague, Anti Tithe Notice Posted ‘Dear Nebour Pay No Tythe Money Go According to Pereshners if Not Make Your Will or You be Beheaded Quartered and Gelded’
Judging by the Chief Secretary papers the country was on the verge of insurrection in 1832 because of the tithes. The first district to be rid of tithes was Durrus/KIlcrohane. Among those who masterminded the campaign was Timothy O’Donovan, a wealthy Catholic Landlord sn Magistrate of O’Donovan’s Cove. O’Driscoll was part owner of the Durrus tithes with Durrus Landlord Nathaniel Evanson and the Rev. Alcock. On one day their heavies tithe proctor, drivers) collected the entire arrears. The Parish Priest Father Quin had refused to pay tithes adn the tithe proctor was about to seize his furniture including his bed but were restrained by Fr. Quin’s Protestant neighbours.
Captain Alexander O’Driscoll, 1827, Clover Hill, Superseded 1810-30, Restored 1843. Norton Cottage, Skibbereen (two of the 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. Bridge at Bawnlahan 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,
1822. From Diary of Richard O’Donovan, of Bawnlahan, (Bán Chlocháin), Skibbereen, Co. Cork, Ireland, said the Whiteboys had been caught in a pitched battle with police and troops on January 25th nine had been found guilty of Insurrection Act and hanged. This was prompted by an Excise raid on a Poteen Making Operation which developed into a running battle with the Whiteboys. Some Local Customs Personnel.
Attempt to build new bridge at Bealkenmar (Béal Cinn Mara). Covenant in leases to fertilize with 4 boat of sea sand, he builds his own Sand Boat. Mr Hull calls with News of Failure of Roche’s and Leslies Bank in Cork. Bawnlahan Fair, Ascension Thursday. Flax grown on Estate. Various varieties of early Potato. Tree Planting , Landed by Boat from Cork.
Manor Court Decree” taken by Richard Connell against Edward Butler, both of Kealfada, County Cork, demonstrating that the legal costs far outstrip the amount of the original debt; decree originally signed by John Sweetnam, seneschal [of Aghadown and Schull Manors], 4 October 1823.
Francis Jobson’s Map of West Cork, 1589 including Cape Clear (Iniskyran), Baltimore, O’Driscolls, Rosbrin, Crookhaven, Bantry, Muintervara land of Rymers (O’Daly’s Bardic School), O’Sullivan Bere, Priest’s Leap.
West Cork History 