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The establishment of poor–law unions in Ireland, 1838–43

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

Gerard O’Brien
Gerard O’Brien*
Affiliation:
Peterhouse, Cambridge
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Extract

The historiography of poor-law administration in Ireland ever since Nicholls’s ‘official’ history in the mid-nineteenth century has suffered from a certain selectivity on the part of commentators. As a source of first-hand information Nicholls’s book is of little value. The relatively well-researched account of pre-poor-law relief mechanisms which forms the early part of the book is followed by a disappointing series of extracts from published annual reports, almost devoid of personal comment or reminiscence. The explanation for this lies (if anywhere) in the date of the book’s publication (1856) and the fact that Nicholls had left Ireland under a cloud in 1842. The brief ‘life’ of Nicholls published as an introduction to a later edition of his English poor law is far more revealing.

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Articles
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 23 , Issue 90 , 1982 , pp. 97 - 120
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1982

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References

1 SirNicholls, George, A history of the Irish poor law (London, 1856).Google Scholar

2 See the preface by Willink, H. G. to vol. i of Nicholls, , A history of the English poor law (London, 1898 ed).).Google Scholar

3 Black, R. D. C., Economic thought and the Irish question, 1817-70 (Cambridge, 1960), pp 86–133 Google Scholar; Conway, T. G., ‘The extension of the poor law to Ireland’ (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Loyola University, 1969)Google Scholar, and ‘The approach to an Irish poor law, 1828–33’ in Éire-Ireland, vi, no. 1 (spring, 1971), pp 65-81.

4 McDowell, R. B., Public opinion and government policy in Ireland, 1801-46 (London, 1952), pp 187-96Google Scholar; The Irish administration, 1801–1914 (London, 1964), pp 175–86.

5 Edwards, R. D. and Williams, T. D. (eds), The great famine (Dublin, 1956), pp 30–55.Google Scholar

6 McGrath, B. M., ‘The introduction of the poor law to Ireland’ (unpublished M.A. thesis, University College, Dublin, 1965).Google Scholar

7 Feingold, W. L., ‘The Irish boards of poor law guardians, 1872-86: a revolution in local government’ (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Chicago University, 1974)Google Scholar and ‘The tenants’ movement to capture the Irish poor-law boards, 1877–86’ in Albion, vii, no 3 (1975), pp 216-31.

8 See Edwards, & Williams, , Great famine, passim; Woodham-Smith, C., The great hunger (London, 1962), passimGoogle Scholar. The pre-Famine poor law is examined in O’Brien, Gerard, ‘The administration of the poor law in Ireland, 1838-53’ (unpublished M.A. thesis, University College, Cork, 1980).Google Scholar

9 Miller, H., ‘The administration of the poor laws in Ireland till 30 November 1921, and in Northern Ireland till present date’ (unpublished M.Com.Sc. thesis, Queen’s University, Belfast, 1942 Google Scholar); Farrell, Michael, The poor law and the workhouse in Belfast, 1838-1948 (Belfast, 1978)Google Scholar. I was unable to consult Burke, Helen’s unpublished Ph.D. thesis, ‘The poor law in Ireland in the 19th century with particular reference to the social services provided by the South Dublin union’ (University College, Dublin, 1976).Google Scholar

10 Fifth annual report of the poor law commissioners for England and Wales (London, 1839), pp 40–41. The English assistant-commissioners were Edward Gulson, W. H. T. Hawley, Richard Earle and William J. Voules.

11 Ibid., pp 41–2.

12 Ibid., p. 42.

13 Ibid., p. 41.

14 Ibid., p. 49.

15 Ibid., p. 48.

16 Report from the select committee of the house of lords on the laws relating to the relief of the destitute poor … in Ireland, p. 5, H.C. 1846 (694), xxiv, 1.

17 Dublin Evening Post, 18 Sept. 1838.

18 Ibid., 18 Sept., 6 Nov. 1838.

19 Ibid., 6 Oct. 1838.

20 Fifth ann. rep. 1839, p. 53.

21 1 & 2 Vict., c. 56, s. 34.

22 Belfast Commercial Chronicle, quoted in Dublin Evening Post, 25 Sept. 1838.

23 Ibid.

24 Northern Whig, quoted in Dublin Evening Post, 20 Sept. 1838.

25 Limerick Chronicle, quoted in Dublin Evening Post, 20 Sept. 1838.

26 Fifth ann. rep. 1839, p. 53.

27 Constitution, 18 Sept. 1838.

28 Southern Reporter, quoted in Dublin Evening Post, 13 Sept. 1838.

29 Londonderry Journal, 23, 25 Oct. 1838.

30 Mercantile Advertiser, quoted in Dublin Evening Post, 16 Oct., 27 Nov. 1838.

31 Constitution, 6 Nov. 1838 (Skibbereen), 13 Nov. (Kinsale), 22 Nov. (Fermoy), 8 Dec, (Carrigaline).

32 Dublin Evening Post, 22 Jan. 1839.

33 Morning Register, quoted in Dublin Evening Post, 22 Jan., 12 Mar., 30 Apr. 1839.

34 Dublin Evening Post, 2 May 1839.

35 Morning Chronicle, quoted in Dublin Evening Post, 8 Dec. 1838.

36 Dublin Evening Post, 27 Nov., 18 Dec. 1838.

37 Ibid., 31 July, 5 June 1838.

38 Nicholls, Irish poor law, p. 181.

39 Quoted in ibid., p. 193.

40 O’Brien, ‘Administration of poor law’, pp 91-2.

41 Papers of the poor law commissioners (hereinafter P.L.C. papers) (P.R.O.I., 1 A/50/27, vol. 1, p. 115).

42 Ibid., P.L.C. board minute, May, 3 June 1839 (1A/50/20, vol. 1); Burke to Lucan, 26 Oct. 1839 (1A/50/27, vol. 1, p. 36).

43 Sixth ann. rep. 1840, pp 331–2, 335–6.

44 Burke to Nicholls, 3 Mar. 1840 (P.L.C. papers, 1 A/50/27, vol. 1, pp 135–6).

45 Tuam Herald, 11 Jan. 1840.

46 Dean Lyons to Morpeth, 23 June 1840 (S.P.O.I., Chief Secretary’s Office, 2nd division registered papers 1840, 0/17484).

47 Burke to Rev. Kirwan (parish priest at Oughterard), 2 Nov. 1839 (P.L.C. papers, 1 A/50/27, vol. 1, pp 43–4).

48 Sixth ann. rep. 1840, p. 39.

49 Dublin Evening Post, 16 June 1838, 24 Jan. 1839; Sixth ann. rep. 1840, p. 308.

50 Fifth ann. rep. 1839, p. 42.

51 Ibid., p. 45.

52 Sixth ann. rep. 1840, p. 276.

53 Ibid., p. 307.

54 Ibid., pp 338–41, 376–80.

55 Fifth ann. rep. 1839, pp 63, 43.

56 Castlebar union 1839 (P.L.C. papers, 1 A/50/27, vol. 1, pp 87, 91–2).

57 Ibid., p. 121.

58 Fifth ann. rep. 1839, p. 44.

59 Sixth ann. rep. 1840, p. 340.

60 Galway, 25 June 1840 (P.L.C. papers, 1 A/50/27, vol. 1, pp 201, 174).

61 Commissioners to Burke, 11 June 1839 (P.L.C. papers, 1 A/50/20, vol. 1).

62 Burke to Joseph Falkiner (high constable of barony of Lower Ormond), 5 June 1839; Burke to commissioners, 13 June 1839 (P.L.C. papers, 1A/50/27, vol. 1, pp 2, 12).

63 Entry c. 1839 (ibid., pp 38–40).

64 Entry c. 1839 (ibid., p. 75).

65 Entry c. 1839 (ibid., p. 60).

66 Galway, 25 June 1840 (P.L.C. papers, 1 A/50/27, vol. 1, pp 201, 174).

67 Castlebar union, 3 Jan. 1840 (ibid., pp 23, 6, 89).

68 Ballinrobe union, 1839–40 (ibid., pp 64, 196).

69 Burke to commissioners, 10 Apr. 1843 (P.L.C. papers, 1 A/50/27, vol. 2). It should be noted that the commissioners’ regulations made no provision for voided elections; to do so would have been to suggest that the existing procedures were in some way inadequate. Nor were any statistics compiled of such failures. Voided elections were simply held again, apparently with success in all such cases on the second attempt. No example has been found of a third election in any union in the same year.

70 S.P.O.I., Chief Secretary’s Office, 2nd division registered papers, 1839, 73/6996.

71 Fifth ann. rep. 1839, p. 55.

72 Tipperary Constitution, quoted in Constitution (Cork), 30 Apr. 1839.

73 Constitution, 20, 23, 25 Mar., 6 May 1841.

74 Ibid., 25 Mar. 1841.

75 Ibid., 6 May 1841.

76 Londonderry Journal, 24 Sept., 15 Oct. 1839; Burke to Isidore Burke (local crown solicitor for Co. Mayo), 29 May 1840 (P.L.C. papers, 1A/50/27, vol. 1, pp 165, 321–2).

77 Fifth ann. rep. 1839, p. 55.

78 Constitution, 30 Apr. 1839.

79 S.P.O.I., Chief Secretary’s Office, 2nd division registered papers, 1840, 1/7866.

80 Constitution, 9 Apr. 1839.

81 Ibid., 11, 18,21 Apr. 1840.

82 Dublin Evening Post, 27 Apr., 13 June 1839.

83 lbid., 28 Feb. 1839.

84 Constitution, 26 Feb. 1839.

85 The correspondence of Daniel O’Connell, ed. O’Connell, Maurice R. (8 vols, Dublin, 1971-80), vi, 230.Google Scholar

86 Dublin Evening Post, 25 June 1839.

87 Ibid.

88 Sixth ann. rep. 1840, p. 42; Dublin Evening Post, 29 June 1839.

89 Constitution, 27 Apr., 14 May 1839.

90 Dublin Evening Post, 4 Apr. 1839.

91 Leinster Reformer, quoted in Dublin Evening Post, 27 Aug. 1840.

92 Fifth ann. rep. 1839, pp 55–6.

93 Commissioners to Burke, 24 Apr. 1840 (P.L.C. papers, 1A/50/20, vol. 2).

94 Entry c. 1840 (ibid., 1 A/50/27, vol. 1, p. 201).

95 Burke to O’Neill, 15 Aug. 1840 (ibid., p. 214).

96 Burke to D’Arcy, 14 Aug. 1842 (ibid., vol. 2).

97 Burke to commissioners, 16 Aug. 1842 (ibid.).

98 Burke to E. L. Hunt, 15 Feb. 1843 (ibid.).

99 Nicholls, Irish poor law, p. 208.

100 A return of the number of magistrates, elected and ex-officio, on each board of guardians … in Ireland, H.C. 1843 (347), xlvi, 583.

101 Report of the commission for inquiry into the execution of the contracts for certain union workhouses in Ireland, p. 85, H.C. 1844 (352), xxx, 587.

102 Fifth ann. rep. 1839, p. 95.

103 Entry c. 1840 (P.L.C. papers, 1 A/50/27, vol. 1, pp 264-6).

104 Freeman’s Journal, 28 Mar. 1842.

105 Farrell, Poor law … in Belfast, p. 27.

106 Constitution, 21 Sept., 1839.

107 Cork Examiner, 16 Mar. 1842.

108 Freeman’s Journal, 18 Feb. 1842.

109 Ibid., 29Mar. 1842.

110 Dublin Evening Post, 29 Sept. 1840.

111 Ibid., 20 Feb. 1841.

112 Ibid., 9 May 1840.

113 Entry c. 1839 (P.L.C. papers, 1 A/50/27, vol. 1, p. 49).

114 Ibid., p. 55.

115 Dublin Evening Post, 12 Mar. 1840.

116 Constitution, 14 May 1839.

117 Cork Examiner, 1 Apr. 1842.

118 Eighth ann. rep. 1842, p. 387. In 1842 Cork was divided into 13 electoral divisions and 12 wards.

119 Seventh ann. rep. 1841, p. 214.

120 Eighth ann. rep. 1842, p. 389.

121 Sixth ann. rep. 1840, p. 333.

122 Ibid., p. 334.

123 Londonderry Journal, 9 Apr. 1844.

124 Report from the select committee of the house of lords …, p. 357, H.C. 1846 (694), xxiv, 1.

125 Constitution, 17 Sept. 1839.

126 Burke to commissioners, 1, 22 Apr. 1843 (P.L.C. papers, 1A/50/27, vol. 2); Dublin Evening Post, 27 Mar. 1841.

127 Entry c. 1840 (P.L.C. papers, 1A/50/27, vol. 1, pp 264–6).

128 1 & 2 Vict., c. 56, s. 81.

129 Burke to commissioners, 16 Jan. 1843 (P.L.C. papers, 1A/50/27, vol. 2).

130 Burke to commissioners, 6 Feb. 1843 (ibid.).

131 Burke to commissioners, 11 Feb. 1843 (ibid.).

132 Ibid.

133 Tipperary Constitution, 14 Feb. 1843.

134 Burke to commissioners, 18 Feb. 1843 (P.L.C. papers, 1 A/50/27, vol. 2).

135 6 & 7 Vict., c. 92, ss 1 and 2.

136 O’Brien, ‘Administration of poor law’, chap. 2, passim.

137 It would be remiss of me to conclude without expressing my gratitude to Professor Joseph Lee for his comments and advice on an earlier draft of this paper.