Clifden Poor Law Union, Minute Book (1849-1850)

Includes:

• Details of the diet recommended by the Medical Officer (p19 & p79).
• PLC letter No 53133…’stating in reference to the number of persons who can be accommodated in the Bunowen Workhouse building, that Mr Bourke P.L. Inspector considers them capable of accommodating about 600 persons’ (p47).
• ‘The Master requires 500 yards of calico for immediate use, as all the materials in the house are in the possession of the Sheriff, and many of the women are unclothed in consequence, and unemployed, and a number of the men have not shirts’ (p185).
• ‘Letter from John Mullin, Assistant Master, expressing his regret at having in a moment of excitement been led into a breach of discipline by striking Mary Gilmore, a pauper, with a stick she having attempted to obtain more rations than she was entitled to - appealing to his former good conduct and praying that he might be re-instated in his office’ (p207).
• ‘The Master would call the attention of the Board to the daily increasing number in the house with the view of checking the issue of admission tickets to the Workhouse and at the same time to mention that the accommodation for Females and Children is quite insufficient.  He has been obliged to appropriate one of the Male wards exclusively for Females and to remove the beds and bedding from another of the Male wards which is at present particularly unoccupied, as the bedding, blankets etc which are in the store are in the hands of the Sherriff and cannot be applied to any immediate use’ (p215).
• ‘That Inishbofin Island being so distant and inaccessible except in fine weather it would be most dangerous that the Clifden Relieving Officer should take charge of it.  We therefore continue of opinion that a person should be appointed for that Division but at a small salary not exceeding £20 a year, and that Tenders be received on the 26^th instant (p220, see also p271)’.
• Transcript of a letter from Anthony Kearns, Relieving Officer, Clifden to the Chairman of the Board stating “Knowing your humanity and the moral responsibility which rests upon me as Relieving Officer of the district, I feel it my duty to state to you as Chairman of the Board, that if I am kept another week out of supplies I fear very much that some people in my district will die of want, while others will be driven to crime’ (p237).
• ‘The Master of the Workhouse having complained that Mr Redmond Joyce accompanied by certain strangers did on the evening of Friday at a late hour enter the kitchen of the W.house and make use of language to the female paupers there present likely to lead to a breach of discipline and which did end in an assault upon Mr Joyce and those persons with him, and that Mr Joyce subsequently went up with the said persons to the female dormitories while the women were in bed, all which is totally destructive of discipline, and Mr Joyce on the other hand having charged the Master amongst other things, at coming at if  not encouraging the insults offered to him by certain paupers while in the discharge of his duties as a member of the Visiting Committee.  Resolved that the Board enquire into all the circumstances of the case on Tuesday next…’(p278).
• Report from the Medical Officer advising that ‘disease is much on the increase in your workhouse and ancillaries.  Fever, Dysentery and Bowel complaint have become very prevalent.  The Infirmary and Fever Hospital are over crowded with patients, and I was yesterday obliged to refuse admission to many sick paupers for want of room.  It will be therefore necessary that further Hospital accommodation be provided without delay, numbers of paupers come into the workhouse suffering from disease and the majority of them are much reduced by previous want and starvation.  The severe cold and want of sufficient clothes increase the evil’ (p279).
• PLC letter advising they had received communication from ‘Rev Mr O’Malley in which he acknowledged that he was the author of the letter bearing date the 15^th January which appeared in the Tablet Newspaper but stated that he did not intend to convey an insinuation that the object of the Guardians in administering relief to the Poor was to Proselytize the applicants for relief’ (p367)
• ‘Mr Griffith, Inspector, reported that he had received from the PLC £150 to be applied exclusively in aid of the rates for the relief of the destitute poor, also that he had received £500 for the purpose of providing clothing & bedding and additional workhouse accommodation’ (p368).
• ‘Ordered that Mr Colles, solicitor, be directed to take proceedings by Civil Bill against Mr Edward Coneys.
  Ordered that Mr Colles be directed to take proceedings by Civil Bill against Mr J D’arcy at Sessions where he resides for £24.60 amount due by him as occupier….’ (p368).