Magistrates and others attending famine relief meeting Dunmanway, Cork Examiner 28th August 1846

This is a snapshot of those wielding influence in West Cork in the famine period.

Those listed are described as  noblemen and gentlemen.  Not strictly accurate even here. One benefit of independence is there are no  more meetings of noblemen and gentlemen.

Of those 72 listed, around 37 are landlords or their land agent, Payne in Bantry for the White Estate, Swanston in Bandon for the Devonshire estate.some with enormous holding, some like Bantry businessman John O’Connell comparatively small holdings.

Influence of Large Landowners.

As landowners, Irish Conservative MPs, like their English counterparts, were prominent in local government. They were well represented as magistrates on the Grand Juries, which played a key role both in local government and in the administration of justice at the local level. These positions also enhanced their influence in their localities. More senior appointments, like that of High Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenants and Lord Lieutenants of counties, had a higher status and were usually reserved for larger landowners. Lord Lieutenants, in particular, had considerable say in the distribution of local patronage, particularly in the appointment of magistrates.  To secure appointment as Lord Lieutenant was a clear sign of government favour, a fact that may account for the relatively low number of Conservative MPs appointed to this position during the years covered by this book. Throughout this period, Irish landowners retained a strong presence in Irish local government, the real decline in their influence coming only after the electoral reforms of 1884-85.

Ian D’Alton in his seminal work remarks that Cork Landlords were not particularly well off.  50% of the Estate were less then 400 acres, 80% less than 1,000.  Very few would fall into the category of ‘A great landowner’ having a rental of £10,000.  Furthermore as became evident with the advent of the Landed Estates Court many estates were heavily encumbered.

From the early 19th century falling rents and arrears of rent payments by middlemen further strained the finances of the estate.  On some estates management and legal expenses were reckoned at 30% of gross rental.

A certain amount of fractiousness was observed in 1822 ‘the magistrates in the south can scarcely ever be prevailed upon to act together from their entertaining so many petty jealousies and animosities towards each other’

Then succeeding decades would not be kind to Landlords.  The encumbered estates court, landed estates court in effect enabling lands heaving mortgaged to the dry cleaned and clear title given to the purchaser.   The Land Wars of the 1880s destroyed any landlords and tenant relationships that may have existed…..,

Click here:

Magistrates and others attending Famine Relief Meeting. Dunmanway. 1846

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JU6q0soyFv6Q9f9_qVcCuPI6SZWWABJvWxeqCUC5hgc/edit?pli=1

Schools Co. Cork in Receipt of Grants fro Books or Teachers Salary

From British Parliamentary Papers, Digitalised by the University of Southampton:

https://www.dippam.ac.uk/eppi/documents/11607/pages/271461

Erection of Schools Grants:

1841 Co. Cork Schools:

The chilling information here is that many of the pupils were to die in the famine.

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The County Gaol features having at some stage a pupil:

n 1881 the Valparaiso Herald made its bow to the public. It was edited by P. O’Sullivan, was full of news and met with favor apparently, but after three years it passed out of existence.