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In 1837 a Parliamentary Commission took evidence on the operation of Manor Courts.  It heard evidence from John Jagoe.  He was from Bantry a Fish Merchant, had sat on a Fisheries Commission had engaged in correspondence with Dublin Castle on fisheries and non-denominatinal education.  His only son John became a barrister. He was admitted to Grey’s Inns London in 1835 aged 34.

In his evidence he said that there were Manor Courts in Bantry  and Leamcon (Schull).  They were generally held in public houses wiht a jury drawn from a low class.  The seneshal was drawn from  a drunken class and paid £50-£80 per annum.  His evidence suggested that the jury demanded cash or whiskey from the successful party.  This was referred to as a ‘cob’.  The jury did not retire but openly debated the verdict and onlookers could hear and influence.  The more respectable class of…

One of your favourite recent Roaringwater Journal Facebook photos – Ballydehob’s 12 Arch Bridge

We’re taking a blogging break for a couple of weeks. Since we won’t be posting during that time, here are a couple of your favourite posts from times past, to keep you going! 

You loved the traditional shops that are still to be found here and there in West Cork. Our Shopping for Memories post features Miss Evans’ shop in Bantry.

Castles fascinate us all and you liked the post about the tower houses, When is a Castle… and the one about fortified houses, Trading up in Tudor Times. From the second one, here is Coppinger’s Court.

Michael Davitt struck a chord with many readers. We are still looking for heroes, and this was a man worthy of the name.

Finally, to celebrate the Chief O’Neill Festival, just on last weekend on Bantry, here is our…

Minutes of Balineen, Co. Cork, Agricultural Society 1845-7, ordered that pamphlet on turnips be translated into Irish for some of the Protestant famers, turnips, flax growing plight of labourers, attendance by name and townland 1847 contrasted with 1946 location of families.

From 1946 JCHAS.

The author was somewhat surprised at the use of Irish among some of the ‘settler’ famers. In some of the adjoining Church of Ireland parochial records there is phonetic rendering of the Lord’s Prayer in Irish.

The Society attracted farmers from other parts of West Cork. For example Jeremiah Crowley from Ballyourane in Caheragh a very substantial tenant of Lord Bandon.

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/bantry-west-cork-agricultural-show-taisdaeantas-cuireadgineachta-bheantrai-1947-names-and-addresses-of-competitors-curriculum-of-vocational-educational-committee-day-and-evening-kingdom-show-b/

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2014/10/29/history-of-drinagh-co-op-west-cork-poem-1924-eulogy-to-fonder-father-john-crowley-photo-mr-a-j-f-oreilly-tony-reilly-bcl-general-manager-bord-bainne-at-opening-of-drinagh-new-piggery-1962/

Sir Thomas Upington (1845-1898), Lisleigh House, Mallow, Co, Cork to Secretary to Lord O’Hagan, Lord Chancellor, Lawyer, Attorney General and premier of Cape Colony , South Africa, 1884.

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Rosscarbery,+Co.+Cork/@51.5776695,-9.038,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x4844534d26ee84cb:0xa00c7a99731a390

1450 AD Report of the Commissioner of Public Records in Bermingham Tower (Dublin Castle) ‘The Holegans were and are Loyal Subjects of the County and City of Cork since the Conquest of Hibernia and Ecclesiastical Seal of Father Maurice O’Helaghan of Ross, Co. Cork 1551.

The records were most likely destroyed in 1922.

Courtesy JCHAS, 1892.

Carrigbuie, from George Bennett’s History of Bandon 1869
About five miles south-west of Bantry is the pretty little village of Carrigbuie. It is agreeably situated at the head of Dunmanus Bay–one of the great inlets from the Atlantic–and in a district where copper barytes, flags, and slate of superior quality, are to be found in abundance. The copper-mines in this locality are favorably known. The “south band,” which runs along the coast from Mizen-head to Roaring-water, has already produced copper-ore worth a hundred thousand pounds. The Bandon barytes mine has rewarded the energy and perserance of a Liverpool company with a yield of several thousands of tons. Flag quarries, which overhang the sea, produce flags of a fine buff co lour, and are represented as capable of being worked to great advantage; and the slate veins of Sea-lodge and Rossmore, already traced to a length of two miles, are found…

From University College Galway, database.

The Bandon estate recovered Durrus lands on the expiration of the Evanson’s lease c1850.  The estate extended from Crottees to Brahalish and included the village which the estate rebuilt c1850.
In the Bandon Estate papers there is a lease from Bernard to Charles and Nathaniel Evanson and Jeremy Cough(l)an (probably of Carrigmanus/Crookhaven their cousin) of lands at Gerhameen, Coller, Rathmore and Rosavanny for 31 years from the 30th October 1727.
The estate donated the site of the present Catholic church c1899.
In the late 19th century Lord Bandon used Durrus Court as a summer residence. The family maintained gamekeepers in areas such as Coomkeen, the Burke family.

The rental registers of the estate covering the Durrus lands from 1850 were rescued some years ago and are currently in the Cork Archives Institute but are awaiting restoration.

FAMILY: BERNARD (EARL OF BANDON)

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Durrus,+Co.+Cork/@51.6711046,-9.2985247,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x48459fe7ccd270df:0x231e3744ac95441a

General Charles Vallancey Survey Report  1778

He was sent to Ireland to assist in a military survey, remained and became an authority on Irish antiquities.  
He fathered 44 children by three wives. He learnt Irish and became fluent in it.  Some of his theories are now regarded with a degree of scepticism.   He wrote a report on the West Cork area which should also hold true for Durrus at the period: ‘There was only one road between Cork and Bantry; you may now proceed by eight carriage roads beside several horse tracks branching off from these great roads, from Bantry the country is mountainous and from the high road has the appearance of being barren and very thinly populated; yet the valleys abound with, corn and potatoes and the mountains are covered with black cattle. In 1760, twenty years ago it was so thinly inhabited, an army of…