Removal of Irish Paupers to Ireland

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Sduddy
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Removal of Irish Paupers to Ireland

Post by Sduddy » Sun Feb 21, 2021 11:13 am

On the topic of Agricultural Labourers in Clare in the 19th Century: http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... f=1&t=7077, I quoted from Dominic Haugh’s article, “The Agri labourer in Irish Society”, in The Other Clare Vol. 32 (2008): Dominic Haugh says, “In the first four months of 1847 over 144,000 Irish people landed in Liverpool with the difficulties for the British authorities in dealing with a situation being intensified by their relative poverty. Indeed the Poor Law Authorities in Britain were determined to remove the Irish applicants for poor law relief before the necessary residency was completed. In areas like Edinburgh Irish paupers were repatriated as quickly as possible only for the Irish Poor Law Authorities to return them, sometimes on the same boat”.

By 1861, the treatment of some of these paupers was objected to in England, and the law was duly reformed:
Clare Journal, Mon 5 Aug 1861:
Irish Born Poor. The removal of the Irish poor bill, which passed its second reading last night in the lords, on the motion of Lord St Germans, and goes to-night into committee, provides for the removal of Irish poor to the place of their birth or previous residence, instead of, as at present, merely to the port at which they have hitherto been removed and shot [*], like rubbish, on Irish quays, has been a scandal which we are glad to see this measure is introduced to remedy, Lord St. Germans, stated that this was a favourable moment for the change proposed, for whereas in 1850, some 77,000 persons landed in Liverpool apparently paupers, there were last year only 21 such persons. We believe it has not been without some trouble, and not without some compromise, that Liverpool, and other large towns, have been brought to acquiesce in the provisions of this measure. The general sense that it is an improvement of the present law, as far as it goes, induced the withdrawal of opposition to it in the Commons on the part of every English and Irish member. As a practical, though not a perfect amendment, we hope the like fortune will continue to attend it in the Lords, who have just passed that other very valuable measure the irremovable poor bill. Globe of Wednesday.
*“shot” here means abandoned - not shot with a gun.

It seems that some paupers wished to be sent back to Ireland:
Clare Journal, Mon 18 Feb 1867:
Removal of Paupers to Ireland – A Novel Application. Mr Parry, settlement officer at the Parish Workhouse, Brownlow Hill, attended the court with about twenty paupers, whom the Select Vestry wished to be sent back to the parishes in Ireland to which they belonged. The ages of the poor people ranged from 15 to 77, and all were asked the usual question, did they wish to go back to Ireland. Most of them replied that they did, and the orders for their removal were signed, while others did not wish to go, and gave various reasons for their not wanting to return to their native country. One of the paupers, named Michael Cummins, a little sprightly old man, aged 65 years, was stated to have resided in Dublin for twenty years, and to have left that city in March last for the purpose of trying to earn a livelihood as an itinerant ballad singer. After expressing his willingness to go back to Ireland, he said (addressing the magistrates): I am a vocalist and I did not mind myself. Before I go, to keep up my heart, will you allow me to sing you one verse of ‘Erin is my home’? (loud laughter). The magistrates declined to hear the verse, and the poor old man left the court crestfallen at the idea that his vocal powers were not appreciated. A quiet-looking woman, who said she belonged to the parish of St Mary’s, Limerick, said she did not like to go back to Ireland, because she was not clothed so respectably as she would like to be [some more examples of applications here]. When all the applications had been heard, Mr Clint said that the authorities at the workhouse appeared to be making a clearance of their establishment. Mr Parry said that the workhouse was overrun with Irish paupers. The parties then left the court.

It seems that returned paupers were not sent to their native parish; they were sent to whichever workhouse served that parish:
Clare Journal, Thur 8 Aug 1867:
Ennis Union. Chargeability of Paupers. The Chairman [M Kerin] read the form of a warrant for the removal of John Kelly, 28 Years of age, from the hospital of St Mathew, in the county of Middlesex, in England, to Ennis, in pursuance of an order the magistrates of the Tower division of the said county.
Mr Faircloth – It appears that Kelly has been in England 18 years.
The Chairman (to the clerk) – Well, I suppose this is for you.
The Master – It is my affair, as he will be sent over to Limerick by steamer and forwarded to Ennis. I will have to take charge of him.
The Chairman – It is very unfair to send him back here, after spending 18 years in England.
Mr Faircloth – It is a frightful thing.
Sheila

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