In evidence to a parliamentary commission of inquiry in 1844, the parish priest of Parteen and Meelick, Rev. Maurice Fitzgibbon, refers to the practice in that parish of 'small farmers of ten or twelve acres of land, held in common' which he considers a 'very bad system...the foundation of disputes'.
Would anyone have any knowledge of sources of information on this type of farm holding in pre-famine Clare or elsewhere in Ireland?
Some of the entries in the Tithe Applotment Books for Killeely civil parish covering most of Meelick refer to 'partners'
pre-famine farms held in common by 'partners'
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matthewmacnamara
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treatycity
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Re: pre-famine farms held in common by 'partners'
I happen to be one of the lucky people whose maternal/paternal ancestors appear in the County Clare Tithe Applotment Books.
I have always been intrigued by the annotation "And Partners or And Co" appearing after the main tenants name on some of the tithe documents. My understanding from "Irish Genealogy Toolkit" is that Partners & Co means the land was held by a number of tenants in common.
My maternal ancestor is Thomas Crotty from Fodry and his tithe document show 4 sub-tenants on his land. See attached 1825/6 document for Fodry, Loophead, Co Clare (Parish of Kilballyowen). Overall there are 6/7 main tenants in Fodry but a minimum of 15 unknown sub-tenants also appear as Partners & Co.
I agree with Matthew that knowing who these sub-tenants were in 1825/6 would add to our knowledge of pre-famine Co Clare families and might explain why some families identified in Griffiths Valuation do not appear in the tithe documents.
Do any lists exist for these sub-tenants?
The Kilballyowen tithes appear to have been paid? to Rev Irwin Whitly, any Information on him?
Has anyone done any research on this subject?
Patrick
I have always been intrigued by the annotation "And Partners or And Co" appearing after the main tenants name on some of the tithe documents. My understanding from "Irish Genealogy Toolkit" is that Partners & Co means the land was held by a number of tenants in common.
My maternal ancestor is Thomas Crotty from Fodry and his tithe document show 4 sub-tenants on his land. See attached 1825/6 document for Fodry, Loophead, Co Clare (Parish of Kilballyowen). Overall there are 6/7 main tenants in Fodry but a minimum of 15 unknown sub-tenants also appear as Partners & Co.
I agree with Matthew that knowing who these sub-tenants were in 1825/6 would add to our knowledge of pre-famine Co Clare families and might explain why some families identified in Griffiths Valuation do not appear in the tithe documents.
Do any lists exist for these sub-tenants?
The Kilballyowen tithes appear to have been paid? to Rev Irwin Whitly, any Information on him?
Has anyone done any research on this subject?
Patrick
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matthewmacnamara
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Re: pre-famine farms held in common by 'partners'
This is what Father Fitzgibbon of Meelick/Parteen said in evidence to a Commission of Enquiry in 1844.
They are small farmers of ten or twelve acres of land, and hold in common, what they call 'partners', which is
a very bad system. They very often do not agree, and it lays the foundation for disputes; they encroach upon each
other. They are only imaginary boundaries and the cattle pass from one to the other.
I am presuming for the moment that this was an example of the Rundale system
where a holding was made up of discontinuous parcels of land, intermingled with
similar discontinuous holdings.
As I understand it, the Rundale system was found in west Ireland before the Famine, and indeed after.
They are small farmers of ten or twelve acres of land, and hold in common, what they call 'partners', which is
a very bad system. They very often do not agree, and it lays the foundation for disputes; they encroach upon each
other. They are only imaginary boundaries and the cattle pass from one to the other.
I am presuming for the moment that this was an example of the Rundale system
where a holding was made up of discontinuous parcels of land, intermingled with
similar discontinuous holdings.
As I understand it, the Rundale system was found in west Ireland before the Famine, and indeed after.
Rev. Irwine Whitty
Rev. Irwine Whitty was Rector of the Kilrush union of parishes (which included Kilballyowen) from 1777 until his death in 1842.