
It is likely that the women on the list below were encouraged by the estate to become involved in spinning. Although residences for the women are not specified, it is logical that they lived in the immediate vicinity of the estate. There was no practical reason why the farm management would seek flax spinners further than was necessary. As further validation of this, almost all of the surnames on this list appear locally in the Griffith Valuation returns (1850) and in the Tithe Applotment Survey. For example, 15 of the 83 family names appear in townlands neighbouring Bessborough house e.g. Belline & Rogerstown; 6 in Tobernabrone; 6 in Banagher and 6 in Fiddown.
The list is below. As the writing is unclear (see Fig 1) some names are uncertain and are indicated.
Dolly Alton
Joany Bourke
Kitty Bourke
Nelly Bourke
Peg Broderick
Sally Bullen /Buller?
Lally Butler
Molly Butler
Kitty Byrne
Mary Byrne

Mary Carroll
Kitty Christian
Peggy Cleary
Mary Cotton
Nelly Cravagan
Nelly Cudahy
Nelly Dalton

Kitty Dee
Kate ? Delany
Bridget Donnell
Mary Donnell
Biddy Doyle
Widow Dwan
Mary Dwyer
Nancy Etherson
Nancy Feely ? Freeney
Biddy Finn
Widow Finny ? Finnup ?
Cally (Catty?) Fitzgerald
Liz? Fl…tity
Betty Fulton ?
Cally Furniss
Peggy Griffin
Lucy Hartity
Ally Howly
Judy Towly/Howly
Mary Joy
Peggy Kehoe
Mary Kelly
Mary Kiely ?
Kitty Lane
Nelly Lavin ?
Kitty Lewis
Betty Lewis
Molly Lewis
Mary McClennon
Nelly Madden
Peggy Maher
Widow Monahan
Nancy Morris
Peggy Mul?
Nancy Murphy
Biddy Oates
Mary Oates
Ellen Owen
Kitty? Power
Lally Power
Nelly Quin
Kitty Quinlan
Mary Quinlan
Kitty Riordan
Ally Ryan
Anstie ? Ryan
Mary Ryan
Molly Ryan
Peggy Ryan
Ally Scully
Nelly Scully ?
Anstie Shanahan
Nelly Shanahan
Mary Slatery
Mary Sled…
Molly Spencer
Biddy Sullivan
Mary Thilly?
Lucy Thornton
Nancy Tri…
Cathy Trump
Biddy Walsh
Honour Walsh
Mary Walsh
The less common names on the list include:
• Oates: also written Oats or Othes: several families in the civil parish of Fiddown
• McClenon: Possibly McClenaghan (found in Co. Derry). A John Mac Lennan Jnr is listed in townland of Belline (Parish of Fiddown) in the Tithe Applotment books.
• Christian: Occurs in the Catholic Parish register of Fiddown in 1814.
• Etherson: A marriage of a James Etherson appears in Templeorum RC records in 1846.
The list also shows some of the short names commonly used for women at the time. These include the now rare Ally, Lally, Dolly, Anstie, in addition to the better-known Kitty, Nelly, Sally etc. The short-form names and their probable derivations are in the table below.
The lists also include 5 men paid for weaving , or for dressing flax.
- Bryan Cravigan
- Nicholas Dalton
- John Corjakes (listed in Griffith’s in Fiddown Parish as Corjaques);
- John Laundrigan (possibly a variant of Lonergan)
- John McClenon
- Patrick Merry (paid for ‘dressing of flax’ – with receipt and signature)
Further articles in our series on Irish Family History sources include:
- Petty Sessions– the records of local courts
- Catholic Church records
- Grand Jury Presentments – records of local councils on payments for public works and staff
- Rentals – management of tenants by estates and the records created
- Middle names – the use (or non-use) of second or middle names in Irish records
- How comprehensive are Irish Civil Records?
- Census returns in Gaelic or Irish language