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CSO/RP/1825/1981

Letter from Edward Guinness, attorney, 2 Granby Row, Dublin, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, Irish Office, London, proposing that constables of the police establishment be employed in the serving of law processes, writs and executions, in the place of sheriffs or bailiffs. Alleges that corruption and misconduct are all too evident in the present administration of civil law. Traces the evil to the poor example given by the upper classes, who frequently gave their countenance to the use of violence against those attempting to recover debt through law proceedings. Reserves particular criticism for those who fill the office of under sheriffs, for he observes such men ‘almost universally lend themselves for gain to prevent the execution of Writs and Executions’.

27 Apr 1825-5 May 1825

1825

CSO/RP/1825/1982

Letter from David Gumley, magistrate for counties Cavan and Fermanagh, Belturbet, County Cavan, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, Irish Office, London, drawing attention to the inconvenience arising from the imposition of archaic or ill defined customs charges in the local market towns. Observes these levies remain a public grievance and are much in need of reform or replacement by a new act of Parliament.

11 May 1825-18 May 1825

1825

CSO/RP/1825/1983

Letter from Sir James Galbraith, crown solicitor for the north west circuit, Urney Park, County Tyrone, to the Chief Secretary’s Office, [Dublin Castle], offering an explanation over the cost of criminal prosecutions on his circuit. Observes a quite considerable expense was laid out due to an application to the King’s Bench by the Attorney General [William Conyngham Plunket] and the Solicitor General [Henry Joy] for information against [William] Gabbett, provost of Enniskillen in County Fermanagh. Notes at the assizes of Enniskillen as many as 100 witnesses were present for examination with ‘not less that 60 Prisoners to be Identified’. Also letter from Galbraith, Petersburg Hotel, [Dover Street, London], to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, [Irish Office, London], requesting a personal interview on the subject of prosecutions against those accused of handling base or counterfeit coin.

3 Apr 1825-21 Jun 1825

1825

CSO/RP/1825/1984

Letter from [Francis William] Greene and Richard Hornidge, [committee for the mail coach road from Dublin to Waterford], Baltinglass, County Wicklow, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, Irish Office, London, expressing a wish to learn if the question of establishing a regular system of maintenance of mail coach roads is likely to be brought to the attention of Parliament in the present session. Refers to a previous memorial on the matter from the grand jury of County Wicklow, transmitted to the house by James Grattan, MP for County Wicklow, in favour of placing the care of such roads in the hands of the post office. Should it transpire the bill cannot be attended to by Parliament, they must resort to a turnpike act, a matter which they would in all circumstances ‘wish to avoid’.

11 Jun 1825-18 Jun 1825

1825

CSO/RP/1825/1985

Letter from Charles Vereker, 2nd viscount Gort, [Merrion Square], Dublin, to the Chief Secretary’s Office, [Dublin Castle], enclosing a letter from Patrick Kelly, [inspector of fisheries], the Square, Limerick, County Limerick, expressing a willingness to appear before the Salmon Fishery Committee [London] to give evidence on his work in the protection of fishing stock on the lower part of the River Shannon. Alleges Mr Rice [possibly Thomas Spring Rice, MP for Limerick city] has an interest in excluding him from making a submission before the committee since Rice’s father and connections hold a number of fishing slab weirs along the Shannon. Claims he can prove such weirs are illegally placed and in operation are ‘destructive…to all the Fisheries on the Shannon’. [See also description CSO/RP/1825/117].

29 Apr 1825-21 May 1825

1825

CSO/RP/1825/1986

Letter from Nicholas Giles, Youghal, County Cork, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, Irish Office, London, offering a defence of his conduct as lay impropriator of the parish of Doneraile in County Cork, following a negative report given by Reverend O’Brien, parish priest of Doneraile, County Cork. He refutes a number of charges made by O’Brien as respects taking proceedings against Mr Barry [who leased the tithes from him], enforcement of arrears, and resolutely denies that his ‘demands for tithes were exorbitant’. Encloses a copy of the proceedings of a general meeting of the parishioners of Doneraile [1822], with detail of the prices set for various items of agricultural produce. Acknowledged as ‘fair and reasonable’ by Hayes St Ledger, 3rd Viscount Doneraile beneath and signed by 13 other individuals. [See also description CSO/RP/1822/2067].

1822

1825/13049

CSO/RP/1825/1987

Letter from Reverend William Hughes, [Church of Ireland clergyman], Wexford, County Wexford, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, Irish Office, London, seeking to promote his application for appointment to the post of dean of Raphoe [Church of Ireland], County Donegal, rendered vacant by the death of Richard Allott. Encloses copy letter to Lieutenant Colonel Meyrick Shawe, private secretary to Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquis Wellesley, Lord Lieutenant, Dublin Castle, offering to exchange his holding in the parish of Creagh, County Cork, valued at near £700 per year, his living in County Wexford, valued at £473 per annum, and his interest in a living in County Limerick, valued at between two and three hundred pounds per annum, for the deanery of Raphoe. In the event of his request not meeting the wishes of the Lord Lieutenant, he is prepared to sacrifice the living of Creagh for the position of treasurer of Christchurch, Dublin. [Contains list of names not given in this description.]

12 Feb 1825-22 Feb 1825

1825

CSO/RP/1825/1988

Letter from John Hurly Jr, clerk of the crown and peace for County Kerry, Tralee, County Kerry, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, Irish Office, London, raising concern over a proposed bill that will place responsibility for the payment of the salary of the county officers [such as the clerk of the crown] with the grand jury. Warns of the danger of vesting the grand jury with such a monopoly of power, without reference to the circuit judges, exposing the county officers to the ‘caprice’ of that body.

14 Mar 1825-23 Mar 1825

1825

CSO/RP/1825/1989

Letter from Thomas Huggard, [former master of freemasons lodge number 66], Tralee, County Kerry, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, Irish Office, London, seeking advice on whether the members of the lodge are at liberty under the law to assemble for public meetings following the passage of the Unlawful Societies Act [6th of George IV, chapter 4]. Encloses petition from the members of the ‘Fraternity of Free & accepted masons’ of Tralee to the knights, citizens and burgesses assembled in Parliament, requesting that their association in Ireland be made exempt from the recent act of Parliament ‘respecting secret societies in Ireland’. Emphasises the high calibre of the membership of the freemasons, their inherent loyalty, and stresses their prohibition to discussion of matters connected with religion or politics.

10 Jun 1825-28 Jun 1825

1825

CSO/RP/1825/1990

Letter from Thomas Hand, 2 Luke Street, Dublin, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, Irish Office, London, reciting details of a controversy surrounding the christening of a child of Francis Dunne, watchmaker of Fishamble Street, over which the Roman Catholic curate of the parish of St John’s in Dublin claimed a right to administer the sacrament. Recalls a confrontation between the curate and Mrs Dunne [a member of the established church] over the christening; she remarked her husband [a Roman Catholic] had taken ‘a voluntary oath…that he would have the Children (if any) brought up in the protestant faith’. Also reference in closing [by Hand] to a childhood episode with a priest named ‘Kearns’, whom, he alleges, ‘horsewhipp’d’ him because he could not recite a prayer when requested. Concludes the cleric ‘was afterwards a rebel leader in the County Wexford [1798], and Hanged in Tullow [County Carlow]’.

9 Apr 1825

1825