Dublin poor law union board of guardians minute books. Findmypast has added the dublin workhouse admission and discharge registers, 18401919 to its database, placing online for the first time what appears to be some 1. The workhouses in the north and south dublin unions were among the busiest in the country. During the famine, the union workhouse for the portumna region was loughrea. In 1703 an act of irish parliament was written to provide a house of industry, which would give employment to the poor in dublin. Ten facts about irish workhouses ireland reaching out. David became fascinated with the mystery of henry ogle while he was a researcher at the irish workhouse centre but it has been a long road to the book launch last night. Donegal workhouses registers and minute books findmypast. To solve the mystery has required countless hours of searching old newspapers and maps, tramps through muddy fields and even a trip to new york.
Victorian workhousespoorhouses this list is for fiction involving workhouses or poorhouses. Galway heritage, irish history, portumna workhouse. It could be used to facilitate a discussion on the workhouses. The poor law act divided the island of ireland into unions, each union would be governed by a board of guardians and each union would have a workhouse from which to administer relief to the poor and destitute of that union. The last post looked particularly at the workhouse s role during the famine immigration in the later 1840s. Posted on may 24, 2015 by trevor mcclaughlin under atlas of the great irish famine, earl greys irish female orphans, enniskillen and south dublin workhouse in 1848, female orphan photographs, great irish famine, irish famine orphans in australia, irish female emigration, irish female orphans, irish workhouses, irish australian studies, the. Click each union and it will open to a list of workhouses. Patrick and the catholic church topping the list, closely followed by potatoes, the famine, and the longstanding conflict with great britain. The workhouses of the north and south dublin unions were among the busiest in ireland, not simply because they were in the capital but because they often took. Sixteen schoolgirls complained the master of tralee union in 1844 of most improper conduct and boys were abused by a wardsman in dublin in 1863. Galway heritage, irish history, portumna workhouse south. The irish poor law act of 1838, heavily influenced by an english act of 1834, divided the country initially into one hundred and thirty poor law unions each with a workhouse at its centre. Some children were abused and even lost without trace. Find the books you want all in one place and at prices youll love.
A stunning, readable, approach to a devastating topic. The following announcement was written by findmypast. The donegal workhouse registers and minute books span from 1840 to 1922 and comprise records from 8 poor law unions across donegal. George nicholls, charged by the crown with the task of founding the irish workhouse system, concluded after his first visit to ireland, a visit of only six weeks in which he visited only 3 counties that the. A book that any irish reader would benefit from and a fantastic place to start for a person with little or no knowledge of the politics and social structure of ireland in the years prior to and encompassing the great irish famine. Feb 14, 2011 the workhouses of ireland book for a full list of workhouses of ireland see book by john oconnor, the workhouses of ireland the fate of irelands poor contains a full list of all workhouses and date built, cost of building etc. The dublin workhouses were among the largest in ireland and took in people from all over the country.
Irish workhouses suffering and survival culture trekking. It was designed to a standard plan by george wilkinson for 800 inmates and was amongst the first workhouses set up under the irish poor law act. The unions are ballyshannon, donegal, dunfanaghy, glentis, inishowen, letterkenny, milford, and stranorlar. Jul 22, 2016 the workhouse was the most feared institution in 19th century dublin. The registers cover three workhouses dublin north, dublin south and rathdown and they give details for each person admitted. Browse through the minute books of the four dublin poor law union boards of guardians to find out how they oversaw the workhouses in their care. Archives holding poor law records in the uk and ireland information on the location of records for a particular institution are given at the end the individual web pages for location. History england and wales workhouses were public institutions which housed. In 1873 there were only 206,482 admissions to irish workhouses. Leading family history website, findmypast, has today added over 400,000 donegal records to their growing collection of irish workhouse records.
Irish workhouses came under immense pressure during the great famine of 184550 as the system struggled to cope with the demand for space. Conditions within the workhouse worsened during the period as diseases such as typhus fever and dysentery struck many inmates and many workhouse burial grounds overflowed. As an introduction to irish workhouses, the following historical tidbit appears in the newsletter. The workhouses of ireland book for a full list of workhouses of ireland see book by john oconnor, the workhouses of ireland the fate of irelands poor contains a full list of all workhouses and date built, cost of building etc. Each union was to have a workhouse and the workhouses were to be financed by a tax on land. Decades after their mass closure by the new irish free state, communities are pulling together to save their local workhouse. Spam or selfpromotional the list is spam or selfpromotional. The irish workhouse centre portumna 2020 all you need. Each union was administered by a board of poor law guardians, some of whom were elected and some appointed from the local magistracy.
The proposal by the british government in the early 1830s to introduce a system of workhouses into ireland, in keeping with the system in britain, provided one of the few opportunity for irish nationalists and irish unionists to agree upon something. Feb 14, 2011 on the left hand side of this page is a full list of irish poor law unions. Remembering the 4,000 irish famine orphans shipped to australia after brutal conditions in the workhouses, life on board was a significant improvement thu. The workhouse in ireland 18th century postunion 1838 act workhouses famine emigration medical care independence bibliography although workhouses had existed in ireland before the system created by the irish poor law act of 1838, their use was on a much smaller scale than was the case in england and wales. The workhouse was an institution which operated in ireland for a period of some 80 years, from the early 1840s to the early 1920s. A house of industry for the employment and maintenance of the poor was a 17thcentury english concept. Once they entered the workhouse, people had to wear a uniform and were given a very basic diet. The workhouses of ireland book irish hunger committee. Dec 06, 20 throughout the great irish hunger the workhouses played a cruel yet pivitol role. These registers can be very useful, albeit sobering, records to consult. First introduced to ireland in 1703, it was also known here as the poorhouse or poor house. The workhouses solved the latter problem, while also helping ensure that those who could work had even more motivation to do so. Everyone predicted it would not work and it did not work. Most of the workhouses in ireland were erected in response to the irish poor law act of 1838, but there were a number of workhouses in ireland before that.
Famine graveyard and workhouse sacred sites of ireland. They were run ostensibly to house fallen women, an estimated 30,000 of whom were confined in these institutions in ireland. Grim bastilles of despair is a short study on the poor law union workhouses in ireland. Records revealing the plight of workhouse inmates in ireland have been made available online. After the 1834 poor law amendment act had been passed, the poor law guardians had to provide accommodation for paupers. Jun 11, 2018 the five and a third millions supplied only 40,837 inmates to the workhouses at the beginning of the year 1873. The ablebodied were expected to work and could be imprisoned for refusing to do so. The earliest known use of the term workhouse is from 1631, in an account by the mayor of abingdon reporting that wee haue erected wthn our borough a workehouse to sett poore people to. Though it was to be avoided at all costs, harsh times drove many of the citys poor through its doors. The original records are held by the donegal county council and have been digitised through a partnership with findmypast. Workhouses were places where the very poor, known as paupers, could go to live. The cubic footage of space available per person was half.
The magdalene laundries in ireland, also known as magdalene asylums, were institutions usually run by roman catholic orders, which operated from the 18th to the late 20th centuries. Although clearly of irish ancestry, thomas kearns grew up as a staffordian and his contact with the workhouse was one of thousands amongst the poor, both staffordian and irish, who spent time there during the 19 th century. It was published in 1995 by anvil books in dublin, assisted by irish books and media from minneapolis. In the early 1840s, the population of ireland was almost 9 million 3 million of whom were destitute, primarily due to evictions by absentee anglo irish landlords. The workhouse has been described as the most feared and hated institution ever established in ireland.
The folio explores how, despite strong irish resistance, the british authorities established the act for the effectual relief of the destitute poor in ireland, which was to become one of the most despised acts ever to come into effect in ireland. Irish famine orphans of colonial bathurst and beyond. Before the famine years, the number of people entering the workhouses was low. Elizabeth was our tour guide and she couldnt have done a better job. During the famine years countless thousands died within the workhouse. Doctors, lawyers, teachers also died in famine workhouses.
The workhouse was the most feared institution in 19th century dublin. Antrim ballycastle ballymena ballymoney belfast larne. In scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses. Antrim, ballycastle, ballymena, ballymoney, belfast, larne, lisburn armagh. New and exclusive donegal workhouse records available to. The registers are for the north and south dublin union and rathdown union workhouse, and date from 1840 to 1919. Far worse than dickensian horrors of victorian society were the workhouses established by the english government in 1838 for the poor in ireland who often chose to perish outside their walls, rather than enter another kind of death inside. The name, age, occupation if any, religion, their state of health and sometimes a specific address were frequently recorded.
They can cite many facts and myths about ireland, with st. The bastilles for the poor were designed for the truly destitute. Digitized and published online for the first time in partnership with the donegal county council, donegal workhouses registers and minute books consists of both transcripts and. By 1845, 123 workhouses had been built, formed into a series of districts or poor law unions, each poor law union containing at least one workhouse. Ancient east, ireland carrickmacross workhouse, one of the few remaining irish workhouses is open for tours at 11. In this follow up to call the midwife, jennifer worth. Inappropriate the list including its title or description facilitates illegal activity, or contains hate speech or ad hominem attacks on a fellow goodreads member or author. Although workhouses had existed in ireland before the system created by the irish poor law act of 1838, their use was on a much smaller scale than was the case in england and wales.
I say what appears to be as there has been no official announcement to mark the arrival or provide details of this collection. The final years of the irish workhouse and its dissolution. Excellent book for anyone with an interest in this area. The story begins in famine ravaged ireland, explores the cruelty of the workhouse and crosses the atlantic into the american civil war. Historical records the national archives of ireland. Carrickmacross workhouse was one of workhouses built throughout ireland between 1841 and 1843 to house the poor, hence the irish name of teach na mbocht the poorhouse. Over 33 million americans claim to have an irish heritage or ancestry, but very few know of the irish workhouses. The cost of poor relief was met by the payment of rates by owners of land and property in that district. The harsh reality of life in the workhouse is addressed by richardsons bleak findings that in 1866 556 people were sharing 332 beds. It is an old and oft repeated statement that history is written by the winners. This is a photograph of the sleeping quarters in a workhouse. This is an aspect of irish society with which too few are acquainted. With sections on workhouse kitchens and cooks, diets for children, the elderly and the sick, life in scottish and irish institutions, and christmas day in the workhouse.
Posted on october 1, 2014 by trevor mcclaughlin under earl greys irish female orphans, enniskillen and south dublin workhouse in 1848, great irish famine, irish famine orphans in australia, irish female emigration, irish female orphans, irish workhouses, irish australian studies, orphan family reconstitutions. Remembering the 4,000 irish famine orphans shipped to. The irish workhouse centre, st brigids road, portumna, ireland tour this was our first visit to the workhouse and it was so very informative and educational and shocking all mixed in one. This collection of almost 900,000 records, made up from board of guardians minute books, cover meetings held by the board of guardians of four dublin workhouses from 1839 to 1922. The children could write diary entries from the point of view of someone living in the workhouse. The workhouse system of poor relief was imposed on the irish people in spite of the opposition of catholic and protestant, landlord and labourer. Sep 11, 2012 the inaugural newsletter of the irish workhouse centre is full of great information, including an article on the female orphan scheme which sent orphaned girls from the workhouse to australia. Historically many types of special social care had been provided in the capital, the dublin foundlings hospital for example, took in children from all over ireland until 1834. The irish poor law unions were created following the 1838 irish poor law act and you can read all about the workhouse in ireland on peter higginbottoms brilliant website dedicated to the history of the workhouse where you can learn so much more and you can do the checks i recommend. In 1993, a mass grave containing 155 corpses was uncovered in the convent grounds of one. Irish workhouse records hit the web who do you think you. If anyone wants more information about workhouses, they can get the book from a library or on the internet. Victorian workhouse was an eyeopener for me, because in all my years of reading, ive never read a book that was totally about the workhouses in england during the queen victoria period.
The famine workhouses were a last resort for many starving families. It played a large role in the town during the period of the great famine. George wilkinson was appointed as architect to the irish poor law commissioners, to design and supervise the building of the workhouses. I checked the entry he had found in the register books. The main food they were given was called stirabout, which was similar to a weak oatmeal porridge. We have been getting some questions from the website.
Jul 22, 2016 digitalized records reveal that even highly trained professionals were forced into workhouses by the misery of the irish famine over to 2. In 1703 an act of the irish parliament provided for the setting up of a house of industry in dublin for the employment and maintaining the poor thereof oconnor. Incorrect book the list contains an incorrect book please specify the title of the book. Ireland poorhouses, poor law, etc genealogy familysearch. Workhouses category the irish archives genealogy links. It may also be used to consolidate knowledge on the topic in a more accessible way. Workhouses of ireland by john o connor irish hunger. The admission and discharge registers for three of the four dublin workhouses have just appeared on. The walls were always whitewashed and the floor raised on both sides, this is where the straw was laid for beds. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The workhouse in ireland postunion 1838 act workhouses famine emigration medical matters independence bibliography although workhouses had existed in ireland before the system created by the irish poor law act of 1838, their use was on a much.
Mention was made of them in many books, but no hard details. To view these, use the workhouse locations section of the side menubar, or use the search box at the top of this page. Schools, cottage homes and isolation hospitals built by poor law unions are also most welcome. The workhouse was the most dreaded and feared institution in ireland. How workhouses contributed to the misfortune of the famine. The dublin workhouse admission and discharge registers dating from 1840 and running up to 1919 are held in the national archives and have been digitised and indexed and can be accessed on findmypast.