Small Sources 43. This list of 124 tenants is from a rent book of the Lidwell estate in Co. Tipperary for the period 1829-30. The document is in the National Library of Ireland (NLI Mss. 9480) and is titled “Brown, of Clonboy, Papers: Rentals of Cormackstown and Clonmore, Co. Tipperary, the estate of Robert Lidwell, 1826-33′. The Lidwells had estates in several parts of Tipperary from 1736 and these are detailed in the Landed Estates Database. One branch held properties in the townlands of Clonmore (Civil Parish of Inch – approx 1200 acres) and Cormackstown (Civil Parish of Holycross – approx 600 acres), barony of Eliogarty.
This account book seems to contain only a rough record of rent receipts made by the agent and the writing is indecipherable in places (see example at end of blog). To understand the detail it is useful to know that it was common practice for land to be rented to a group of tenants (partners) headed by one nominal tenants. The partners would then distribute the land among themselves by their own arrangement. The Clonmore account book usefully lists the partnerships in place in this property. (Note, however, that there is no similar list for the Cormackstown property). The Clonmore list shows that there were 18 main tenants, and that 9 of these were partnerships (four of these being partnerships among brothers). An extract is shown below. From a family history viewpoint, only the nominal tenant will usually appear in the rental record. However, some may appear as rent payers. For example, in the list of 124 tenants below, some of the payments are indicated as being from partners of main tenants, e.g. John Brennan partner of Patk. Malone. The partnership to which they belong is indicated as ‘per’. The rental does not indicate whether the tenants were in the Cormackstown or Clonmore property, but the location of some can be worked out from this information. A full description of rentals and the useful family information they can provide is in our blog “Rentals as a resource for Irish family history” which is available here.
A brief account of the great divide in lifestyles between landlords and their tenants is in our blog entitled ‘Eye-witnesses to our ancestors‘ which summarises the accounts of travellers to Ireland in the period covered by this document.
The notes in brackets in the list below provide some additional information. Some tenants made multiple small payments of rent, but they are listed only once below. Name abbreviations are listed as found and include Michl. = Michael; Wm. = William; Dnl = Daniel; Edwd. = Edward; Edmd. = Edmund; etc. ‘Do.’ is an abbreveiation 
of ditto = the same, i.e. the same as the line above. Many of the family names are those associated with Tipperary including Ryan, Fogarty, Maher (or Meagher, Mara etc), whereas others are less common including Creagh, Caustigan (or Costigan) If you are interested in information on specific families, some may be included in our e-book title ‘Sources for Irish Family History 2021 which lists 6,500 books and articles on over 2,500 Irish families. The sources listed contain a wealth of information on the history and genealogy of the listed families. The full details of the book are described in one of our blogs.
Further information on Tipperary tenants is available in other blogs in this series including: Woulfe-Mansfield Estate 1783; Prittie Estate 1826; Trant Estate Dovea 1837; and Thurles tenants 1816. Ancestor Network will offer 1 free hour of research by a professional researcher to conduct further research on these individuals or others in these estate papers. Click here and quote ‘Tipp SS42’ in the subject line. Note also that a ‘Guide to Tracing your Tipperary Ancestors’ has been published by Flyleaf Press, a part of Ancestor Network.
The tenants are listed below within the two areas in which the estate is divided. As noted, much of the document is difficult to decipher and this is offered on a ‘best effort’ basis.
Clonmore Main tenants – some of the tenants below may have been in these partnerships.
Mrs. Mara (possibly Maurice Mara)
Joseph Fitzpatrick, Joe
Wm. Fitzpatrick
Dnl. Fitzpatrick
Martin Fogarty & Brothers
Laughlin Gavin & Brothers
Michl. Martin & Partners
James Joyce & Partners
James Delahunte & Brothers (usually spelled Delahunty)
Pat Maher & Partners
John Comerford
Widow Bergin & Partners
Do. do.. Meadow (probably indicating that Widow Bergin rented meadow in addition)
Matt & John Ryan
James Maher Crops ?
Patk Malone & Partners
Laurence Fitzpatrick
Thos. Caustigan & Partners (usually spelled Costigan)
List of tenants from whom payments were received.
Edwd. Tobin (‘Edmd’ or ‘Ned’ in some entries)
John Condon
James Ryan, Shannon?
James Ryan D…
James Gorman
Laurence Toohy (spelled Tuohy in some entries)
Widow Ryan, Hile
Edmund Gorman (‘Ned’ in some entries)
Dens. Ryan, Oldcastle
John Ryan… …. of J Ryan
Thos. Maher (‘Tom’ in some entries)
John Donovan
Thos. Culla … R. Barney ?
Philip Hayes W..D..
…W. Keating
Michl. Magrath
Widow Term…?
James Dempsey
John Ryan agent per Mrs Ryan (Mrs. is possibly Maurice)
Laurence Tuohy …J Ryan
Dempsey… Hennessy
James Ryan, Oldstown
Patk. Ryan Hile (‘Paddy’ in some entries)
Michael Creagh
Widow Ryan, Crow.. Rd?
Martin Morony
Dens. Maher
Barney Ryan
John Tobin
Patk. Gorman
Laurence Tobin
Danl. Hayes
John Martin
Laurence Tuohy
M Wilson?
Capt. Armstrong
John Ryan … J Ryan
John Tobin… J Ryan
Widow Ryan Red..
James Ryan Dunl.. ?
Nicholas Cantwell
James Listin per D & ….
Widow Fer…. Term… .?
Dens. Maher
James Fogarty
John Leahy ?
John Davery ?
Thos. Maher
Martin Myers
Reily Smith
Thos. Ryan
Patk Ryan Hile
Patk. Maher
Patk. Harohil ? (This name, usually spelled Harahill, is common in the area)
Patk. Brien
Larry Fitzpatrick (Probably the person listed as Laurence below)
John Landrigan ( a common local name)
James Maher
John Brennan
Michl. Martin
Dens. Quinlan
Patk. Malone (‘Pat’ or ‘Patt’ in some entries)
James Martin
John Brennan partner of Patk. Malone
Frank Landrigan
Laurence Fitzpatrick
Joe Mason & John Delaney
Mrs? Mara per … Fletcher (Mrs. is possibly Maurice)
Wm. Mara per John
John Comerford
John Everard
John Delahunt
James Sullivan
Patk. Grant per John Ryan…
Patk. Maher per Patk Harrohil? (This name, usually spelled Harahill, is common in the area)
Do. do. per Patk. Brien (example of a partnership payment – Patk. Brien paid his contribution to the partnership of Pat Maher)
Do. do. Michl. Brien (ditto – Michael Brien payment to partnership of Pat Maher)
Patk. Maher per John Maher
Widow Kenna
John Br…ton
Do. do. per John Br……
Thos. Darmody
Michl. Martin per D..? Quinlan
Laurence Boohan ? per Pat Maher (example of partnership payment: Laurence Boohan paid rent as partner of Pat Maher)
Michl. Martin per Michl. M….?
James Ryan per Michl. Joyce
Mrs. Mara (Mrs. is possibly Maurice)
James Martin
Thos. Caustigan (This name is usually spelled Costigan)
Do. per Mrs Gorman (Mrs. is possibly Maurice)
Widow Kenna per Ned ?
James Delahunt
Patk. Maher per Ml. Brien (example of partnership payment: Ml. Brien paid rent as a partner of Pat Maher)
Do. per Tom Maher
Michl. Martin per James ?
Do. per Quinlan
Do. per Michl. Martin ….?
Matt Bryan?
Do. per John
Michl Carroll pike
Do. per Widow
Frank Mara
John Prendergast per Con…?
James Joyce per Wm. Fitzpatrick?
Do. per Michl. Joyce
Widow Bergin ..Rass….
Widow Bergin
Do. per Pat C….
?..Fletcher
Patk. Fitzpatrick Joe?
Martin Fogarty per Nugent
Do. per Robt.
Laughlin Gavin per Nugent
Patk. Gavin do. do.
Matt Ryan
Ml. Fletcher
Dnl. Glackin ?
Edmd Comerford
Thos. Caustigan (usually spelled Costigan)
Do. per Wm. G…s ?
Edwd. Maher …?
John Laundrigan (This name, usually spelled Landrigan, is not uncommon in the area)
Michl. Martin …?
Do. per James Martin
Do. per Danl. Quinlan
James Delahunty per John
Michl. Martin per …?
Patk. Maher
Do. per Pat Brien
James Delahunty per Patt Harrohill (This name, usually spelled Harahill, is common in the area)
Laurence Fitzpatrick
James Maher per D. Murphy
Danl. Murphy
Joseph Mason
Matt Ryan per John
Frank Laundrigan (This name, usually spelled Landrigan, is not uncommon in the area)
Patt Everard per M. Lahey
Widow Bergin
Danl. Glacken
Mr? Fletcher
James Delahunte per James Maher (usually spelled Delahunty)
Do. per Charles P…
Tracing your Tipperary Ancestors by local historian Noreen Higgins-McHugh.
Published by Flyleaf Press and available here.
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
- 70+ blogs containing original family history material extracted from Irish manuscripts
