Labourers in Shanagolden, Co. Limerick 1808.

Small Sources 3:  This is a source we found in the course of our family history research. It is a list of 86 labourers working on the Spring-Rice Estate, Mount Trenchard, Limerick (Shanagolden area) on 5 dates from April to July 1808.  The Spring-Rice family held the title Lord Monteagle,  and their Limerick estate was in the barony of Shanid where they held land in the parishes of Kilmoylan, Robertstown and Shanagolden and also in the parishes of Clonagh, Connelloe Lower and Caherconlish and Carrigparson, barony of Clanwilliam.   With such a large estate,  they would have employed many staff, some permanently and others on a seasonal basis.  The list is reported here in the form of lists of workers employed on different dates.  The only specific tasks mentioned are at the end of the list and concern cutting and ‘drawing’  (i.e. hauling) turf,  which was the main household fuel used at the time.     Labourers are among the most difficult people to trace as they will typically not be listed as landholders.   The original account book is in the National Library of Ireland,  Ms. 605.    The image of the record above  was created by Ancestor Network and is reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Ireland.

Mark Gieran
James Si…. ?
Jno. Bradish
Griffin
Jno. Barrett
James Gregg.
Rchd. Shaughnessy
James Purtell
Peggy Browne
Michael Flanagan’s son
Mary Flanagan
Biddy Barrett
James Clancy
Jno. O’Brien
Jno. Welsh
Jno. Joyce
Jno. Sheehy
Michl. Trehy
James Ward
?? Barrett’s son
Jno. Scanlan
Richd. Flanagan
Patk. Enright

Mulvihill
Jno. Flanagan
Jno. Sullivan
Thos. Ward and Pat Fl..ney
Michael Moloney
Jno. Joyce
Old (?) Bradish
Simon O’Brien
Michl. Scanlan
Catherine Nolan
Richd. Shaughnessy
Jno. Gregg
Wright
Connor Shaughnessy son
Daniel Moor
Biddy Barrett
Welsh & ?? levelling ditches
Timothy Carthy
Michl. Shaughnessy
Jno. McMahon Roger ?
Wm. Tr….? Cutting and Drawing turf
Widow Madigan’s son
Griffin for Striping ground
Jno. Barrett for watching turf
Darby Dooly

Other articles in our series on Irish Family Sources:

• Petty Sessions– the records of local courts
• 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?
• Catholic Church Records 
• Travellers’ accounts of Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries
• Census returns in Gaelic or Irish language
• 50+ blogs with names extracted  from manuscript source.   A handy map index to these is available here.
  

  ---