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Actions	Ballinasloe Poor Law Union: Minute Book of Board of Guardians Remove from selection Add to selection TitleBallinasloe Poor Law Union: Minute Book of Board of Guardians RepositoryGalway County Council Archives Services ReferenceG00/05/06 Date16 February 1848 to 6 December 1848 Scope and Content Volumes recording details of attendance and proceedings of weekly meetings relating to the maintenance, administration and financing of the workhouse, distribution of out-door relief, and the care of workhouse inmates relating to their accommodation and employment, and to medical, pastoral, educational, and dietary needs. Minutes [after 1845 ] include details on the number of persons accommodated in the workhouse, and the number receiving outdoor relief ; confirmation that various reports, financial and other records, such as the Workhouse Register, Provision Check Accounts, Out-door Relief Lists, Medical Officers’ books and reports of the Visiting Committee, the workhouse Master and other Officers’ were produced, examined and approved together with details of required action relating to the information provided therein, and details of all monies received or paid, and all orders and cheques given, such as those required for the supply of food and clothing; details of rates collected, arrears, and declared irrecoverably in each electoral division ; also includes details of orders and letters received from or written to the Poor Law Commissioners and others, and details of subsequent resolutions passed and instructions issued authorising required action; details of the master’s report and resolutions adopted to address any issues raised therein ; and from 1854 provision is included for minutes of the proceedings of the Board under the Medical Charities Acts and Nuisances Removal and Disease Prevention Acts, and subsequently under Public Health Acts ; from 1874 the proceedings of the Board as the Sanitary Authority are recorded ; and from 1893 the proceedings of the Board of Guardians acting as the Rural Sanitary Authority under the Labourers (Ireland) Acts are included. The minutes are generally dated, and signed by the Clerk of the Union, the Chairman and two other Guardians. Many of the earlier volumes include an index to main resolutions passed and subjects discussed. Includes - 'Notice of Motion : That the present over crowded state of the Hosue is injurious to the health of the inmate that taking into consideration the alarming fatality which has accured during the last week [41 deaths] and which the Medical Officer of the Board attributes to the deletrious influence of a tainted atmosphere This Board is of opinion that with due regard to the lives of the paupers no furhter admissions should be sanctioned until increased accommodation be procured. That many efforts to obtain other buildings for this purpose having been already made without success the Board feel it incumbent upon them to apply to the Commissoiners for permissoin to extend the Outdoor Relief for a limited period to such ablebodied paupers as have heretofore fairly undergone the test of the Work House and thus enlarge the means of providing accommodatoin for those who have not. Signed George Mahon MD' (p29-30). - 'Resolved that the plan for a Board Room submitted by Mr Wilkinson is perfectly inapplicable affording even more contracted accommodate for a Board numbering 72 Guardians who at present suffer very seriously from the contracted space and deficient ventilation of the present Board Room that the Guardians beg to suggest to Mr Wilkinson something in the [ ] of the annexed sketch which would afford a much more capacious Board Room and by allowing the ceiling to rise t the Roof will give abundant ventilation' (p129). - 'The state of the House and infirmary is such as to reflect credit upon the new Master and Matron both of whom appear to take much pains and to have introduced considerable industrial improvement among the paupers….Signed Clancarty (The Earl of Clancarty, Chairman of Board)' (p205). - 'Resolved that Lord Clancarty having kindly consented to accommodate the Board with the requisite site for the New Board Room etc contemplated in the resolution of 29th March and 5th April late the attention of the Commissioners be again respectfully requested to the subject, as the present Board Room is quite inadequate to the purposes and dangerous to the health of the persons called on to discharge the duty of Guardians, particular in present hot season and with so mcuh disease amongst the Poor' (p208). - 'Referring to the letter signed J Derry, Bishop of Clonfert, charging the Board of Guardians with neglect of duty and improper motives of conduct towards the poor upon which an eqnuiry was held, the Board request they many be favoured with a copy of the minutes of the evidence taken at the enquiry etc of Captain Labalmondier's Report thereupon referred to in the Commissoiners letter of 17th of June addressed to the Guardians upon the charges made against them' (p209). - 'The Report of the Medical Officer on the introduction of Rye bread and vegatable soup was read as follows "I cannot report from experience what the effect of changing the present dietary and substituting rye bread and vegatable soup would be upon the inmates of the workhouse, from the extensive use made of the rye bread and vegatable soup in Dungarvan workhouse and the very favourable report by the Medical attendant I ss no obligation that [] should be made in the Ballinasloe Union Workhouse. Rye is at present in quantity, therefore time should not be lost provided the diet is found less expensive"' (p246). - 'Letter from the Commisioners No 57,116 dated 18th October 1848 transmitting the list of names of orphan girls selected for emigration and stating the the vessel is to sail from Plymouth on the 30th October 1848' (p366)' [travelled to Dublin by canal and train] - Report from Lord Clancarty (Chairman of the Board) 'The House appears in as satisfactory state as considering the previous filthy habits of the paupers now crowding into it, could be the Master is getting the system of Stone breaking into som eorder, and as they are supplied finely broken from the paupers work we shall by degrees have the yeards and walks neatly and well coered and levelled. The Fever Hospital is in a particularly creditable state, both as to order and cleanliness and I am much pleased to find that the grounds about it have been tastefully laid out and applied both to use and to ornament. In the girls yard a small garden is in course of preparation in which to form the childrens tast and to give them sueful amusements….'(p375). - 'Resolved that under the pressure of destitution which must very shortly visit the poor of the Union it is a matter of the greatest possible importance that every aid in the way of reproductive employment should be provided for the able-bodied. That the proposed drainage of the Suck, which with its tributaries incluidng the Shevin either intersects or abats on so large a portion of the Union would if carried out afford employment of the most valuable description for this purpose. That the delay on the part of the Board of Works in publishing the report on this drainage appears to us most unreasonable particularly as full two months since an assurance was given by them to our Chairman, the Earl of Clancarty, that it should be immeidately published. That our Chairman be requested to press on the Commissioners of the Board of Works the great importance of not having further delay in this matter and pressing on them the immediate publication of the report in order the the preliminary proceedings may be gone through before the season for such work comes on' (p429). Extent438pp LanguageEnglish SubjectEmigration Conditions governing accessAvailable by appointment. Unrestricted access. The material in this collection is available to all bona fide researchers by appointment only, and subject to the conditions of access governing the consultation of archival material at Galway County Council Archives. Conditions governing reproductionNo material may be reproduced from this collection without the written permission of the archivist, and reproductions are subject to the conditions of access. Levelfile Hierarchy browser G00/05 Ballinasloe Poor Law Union, 1842 – 1931 1842 - 1931fonds contains 36 parts G00/05/06 Ballinasloe Poor Law Union: Minute Book of Board of Guardians 16 February 1848 to 6 December 1848file

TitleBallinasloe Poor Law Union: Minute Book of Board of Guardians

RepositoryGalway County Council Archives Services

ReferenceG00/05/06

Date16 February 1848 to 6 December 1848

Scope and Content

Volumes recording details of attendance and proceedings of weekly meetings relating to the maintenance, administration and financing of the workhouse, distribution of out-door relief, and the care of workhouse inmates relating to their accommodation and employment, and to medical, pastoral, educational, and dietary needs. Minutes [after 1845 ] include details on the number of persons accommodated in the workhouse, and the number receiving outdoor relief ; confirmation that various reports, financial and other records, such as the Workhouse Register, Provision Check Accounts, Out-door Relief Lists, Medical Officers’ books and reports of the Visiting Committee, the workhouse Master and other Officers’ were produced, examined and approved together with details of required action relating to the information provided therein, and details of all monies received or paid, and all orders and cheques given, such as those required for the supply of food and clothing; details of rates collected, arrears, and declared irrecoverably in each electoral division ; also includes details of orders and letters received from or written to the Poor Law Commissioners and others, and details of subsequent resolutions passed and instructions issued authorising required action; details of the master’s report and resolutions adopted to address any issues raised therein ; and from 1854 provision is included for minutes of the proceedings of the Board under the Medical Charities Acts and Nuisances Removal and Disease Prevention Acts, and subsequently under Public Health Acts ; from 1874 the proceedings of the Board as the Sanitary Authority are recorded ; and from 1893 the proceedings of the Board of Guardians acting as the Rural Sanitary Authority under the Labourers (Ireland) Acts are included.

The minutes are generally dated, and signed by the Clerk of the Union, the Chairman and two other Guardians. Many of the earlier volumes include an index to main resolutions passed and subjects discussed.

Includes

- 'Notice of Motion : That the present over crowded state of the Hosue is injurious to the health of the inmate that taking into consideration the alarming fatality which has accured during the last week [41 deaths] and which the Medical Officer of the Board attributes to the deletrious influence of a tainted atmosphere This Board is of opinion that with due regard to the lives of the paupers no furhter admissions should be sanctioned until increased accommodation be procured. That many efforts to obtain other buildings for this purpose having been already made without success the Board feel it incumbent upon them to apply to the Commissoiners for permissoin to extend the Outdoor Relief for a limited period to such ablebodied paupers as have heretofore fairly undergone the test of the Work House and thus enlarge the means of providing accommodatoin for those who have not. Signed George Mahon MD' (p29-30).

- 'Resolved that the plan for a Board Room submitted by Mr Wilkinson is perfectly inapplicable affording even more contracted accommodate for a Board numbering 72 Guardians who at present suffer very seriously from the contracted space and deficient ventilation of the present Board Room that the Guardians beg to suggest to Mr Wilkinson something in the [ ] of the annexed sketch which would afford a much more capacious Board Room and by allowing the ceiling to rise t the Roof will give abundant ventilation' (p129).

- 'The state of the House and infirmary is such as to reflect credit upon the new Master and Matron both of whom appear to take much pains and to have introduced considerable industrial improvement among the paupers….Signed Clancarty (The Earl of Clancarty, Chairman of Board)' (p205).

- 'Resolved that Lord Clancarty having kindly consented to accommodate the Board with the requisite site for the New Board Room etc contemplated in the resolution of 29th March and 5th April late the attention of the Commissioners be again respectfully requested to the subject, as the present Board Room is quite inadequate to the purposes and dangerous to the health of the persons called on to discharge the duty of Guardians, particular in present hot season and with so mcuh disease amongst the Poor' (p208).

- 'Referring to the letter signed J Derry, Bishop of Clonfert, charging the Board of Guardians with neglect of duty and improper motives of conduct towards the poor upon which an eqnuiry was held, the Board request they many be favoured with a copy of the minutes of the evidence taken at the enquiry etc of Captain Labalmondier's Report thereupon referred to in the Commissoiners letter of 17th of June addressed to the Guardians upon the charges made against them' (p209).

- 'The Report of the Medical Officer on the introduction of Rye bread and vegatable soup was read as follows "I cannot report from experience what the effect of changing the present dietary and substituting rye bread and vegatable soup would be upon the inmates of the workhouse, from the extensive use made of the rye bread and vegatable soup in Dungarvan workhouse and the very favourable report by the Medical attendant I ss no obligation that [] should be made in the Ballinasloe Union Workhouse. Rye is at present in quantity, therefore time should not be lost provided the diet is found less expensive"' (p246).

- 'Letter from the Commisioners No 57,116 dated 18th October 1848 transmitting the list of names of orphan girls selected for emigration and stating the the vessel is to sail from Plymouth on the 30th October 1848' (p366)' [travelled to Dublin by canal and train]

- Report from Lord Clancarty (Chairman of the Board) 'The House appears in as satisfactory state as considering the previous filthy habits of the paupers now crowding into it, could be the Master is getting the system of Stone breaking into som eorder, and as they are supplied finely broken from the paupers work we shall by degrees have the yeards and walks neatly and well coered and levelled.

The Fever Hospital is in a particularly creditable state, both as to order and cleanliness and I am much pleased to find that the grounds about it have been tastefully laid out and applied both to use and to ornament. In the girls yard a small garden is in course of preparation in which to form the childrens tast and to give them sueful amusements….'(p375).

- 'Resolved that under the pressure of destitution which must very shortly visit the poor of the Union it is a matter of the greatest possible importance that every aid in the way of reproductive employment should be provided for the able-bodied.

That the proposed drainage of the Suck, which with its tributaries incluidng the Shevin either intersects or abats on so large a portion of the Union would if carried out afford employment of the most valuable description for this purpose.

That the delay on the part of the Board of Works in publishing the report on this drainage appears to us most unreasonable particularly as full two months since an assurance was given by them to our Chairman, the Earl of Clancarty, that it should be immeidately published.

That our Chairman be requested to press on the Commissioners of the Board of Works the great importance of not having further delay in this matter and pressing on them the immediate publication of the report in order the the preliminary proceedings may be gone through before the season for such work comes on' (p429).

Extent438pp

LanguageEnglish

SubjectEmigration

Conditions governing accessAvailable by appointment. Unrestricted access. The material in this collection is available to all bona fide researchers by appointment only, and subject to the conditions of access governing the consultation of archival material at Galway County Council Archives.

Conditions governing reproductionNo material may be reproduced from this collection without the written permission of the archivist, and reproductions are subject to the conditions of access.

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