Loughrea Poor Law Union, Board of Guardian ROUGH Minutes, 1846-48

Includes:

• ‘The M.O. reports the death of Michael Fury, on the 23^rd inst., of general debility and old age, aged 64 years’ (28 Nov 1848, p5).
• ‘Resolved that one ton of Indian meal be purchased, and that the Clerk do write to Limerick and Galway to ascertain the price thereof per ton’ (28 Nov 1846, p7).
• ‘Resolved:  That Pat Fahy being employed by the Board to bring Indian meal from Galway and having gone there twice for that purpose, but being obstructed from doing so by the mobs that he be now paid £0.04 for compensation for his trouble and loss of time’ (28 Nov 1846, p7).
• ‘The M.O. reports the following deaths during the week viz: James Day, aged 73 yrs, of general debility and old age; John Marty, aged 3 months of marasmus; Margaret Kelly, 35 yrs, of chronic diarrhoea and fever; and Mary Martin, aged 8 years of Fever’ (12 Dec 1846, p5).
• ‘...Catherine Mahony has unmercifully beaten an infant child and refused to take care of same, and stated to the Matron that if she was completed to do so, she would have him dead before the end of a week’ (12 Dec 1846, p7).
• The MO reports the deaths of the following, ‘Honor Fahy, James Moore, Andrew [Farrigan], and Bridget Kenny of old age and infirmity.  Catherine Mooney, aged 4 months, of marascus, John Wall of disease in the heart and Catherine Grealy of fever’ (p519 Dec 1846).
• The MO reports the deaths of the following: Margaret Coffey, Fever, Mary Mahon of general debility, Michael Kelly of old age, Matthias Fallon of chronic diarrhoea and old age, and Catherine Cahalan of old age (26 Dec 1846, p5).
• The MO reports the deaths of the following: Bridget Whelan aged 5 yrs, Thomas Keely, aged 9, Thomas Fahy, aged 1½ yrs, Ellen Fahy, aged 3 months and Mary Coin aged 4 months died of marasmus. Mary Murray, aged 70 yrs, Catherine Craughwell aged 60, and Bridget Connell aged 55 years of age of old age etc., Thomas Crawford aged 50, of effusion in the chest, and Bridget Gough aged 70 of chronic diarrhoea (2 Jan 1847, p5)
• Inmates Ellen Henry got a pass for an hour to go to Loughrea (2 Jan 1847, p5).
• The MO reports the deaths of the following: Mary Grealy aged 1½ yrs and Anne Loughane aged 2½ yrs of marasmus. Pat Hardiman aged 50 years of [homotria], debility etc., Ulick Loughnane (Ballynakill ED) aged 70 yrs of effusion in the chest; Thomas Vesey aged 72 yrs of Chronic diarrhoea and old age; Winifred Cunane aged 65 yrs of general debility and old age; Pat Connor aged 60 of chronic diarrhoea ad old age (2 Jan 1847, p5)
• -PLC letter ‘suggesting the propriety of enlarging the Workhouse, so as to afford more extensive accommodation and pointing out to the BG the manner in which same may be carried into effect (16 Jan 1847, p6).
• -‘Resolved: That the following persons be summoned before the Magistrates at Petty Sessions on Thursday next the 21^st inst., viz Sally Lynch, Sally Coy and Mary Ford for assaulting Catherine no one and rioting in workhouse ( 16 Jan 1847, p7, see also 23 Jan 1847, p1).
• -Thomas Burke, inmate, stole a loaf of bread from the Dining Hall (23 Jan 1847, p5).
• -Inmate, Martin Winter, robbed while asleep by John Fallon (23Jan 1847, p5).
• -‘The MO reports that in consequence of the increasing number of sick and the crowded state of the Hospital and having sent as many of the Fever patients to the Fever hospital as it could accommodate he was obliged to send a number of the sick to one of the upper dormitories (30 Jan 1847, p9).
• -‘Out of the number of sick in the Workhouse about fifty of them are accommodated in the Hospital or Infirmary, and the remaining number in the upper dormitories ( 27 Mar 1847, p7)
• -Lord Dunsandle was elected Chairman of the Board for the ensuing year (3 Apr 1847, p7).
• -Letter relating to the ‘Burial ground being so convenient to workhouse and calling the attention of the Guardians to the 20^th Section of the Act 10^th Vic. Cap. 31 on the subject of the purchase of land to be used for that purpose. (No order made on it)’ (23 Oct 1847, p6).
• -‘Resolved: That we adopt Mr Griffith’s Valuation as the basis for the collection of the Poor Rate in this Union as being more uniform than any revision we have been able to obtain, and that the High Constabulary of each Barony be called upon to furnish to our Clerk the sworn applotments apportioning to each tenement in each townland its proportion of such valuation’ (11 Nov 1847, p7).
• Alexander Granger, aged 33 years, registered as Protestant changed to RC (13 Nov 1847, p5).
• John Lawless, inmate, absconded, leaving his wife and five children in the workhouse.  Pat Holland also absconded (4 Dec 1847, p65).
• Lawrence Monahan, inmate, absconded (1 Jan 1848).
• ‘Circular No. 634 N47 stating it to be the duty of the several Board of Guardians to give relief to the destitute either in or out of the House, whether they belong to the Union or not’ (p118).
• Joseph Glynn and Andrew Hanlon absconded.  Mary Kelly refused to work, Bridget Gannon assaulting Honor Mitchell (p125).
• ‘The Guardians state for the information of the Commissioners that since the appointment of Relieving Officers they have felt obliged in some instance to grant temporary admission to fractions of families into the workhouse, such as wives and children deserted and exposed by husbands and parents...’
  ’A great amount of destitution presents itself in the persons of those deserted wives and children almost impossible to reject from its forlorn aspect at the same time involving an abuse if admitted.  The Guardians wish to know the course recommended under such painful circumstances’ (8 Jan 1848, p129).
• Body of John Burke was ‘found in the wood of Marble hill demesnes, on 28^th ultimo and died of starvation’ (p146 & p149).
• Denis Naughton died of want ‘of proper and sufficient nourishment after sickness’ (p156).
• Thomas Fahy, died of exhaustion, from Kilchreest (p168)
• Catherine Daly, Raceoucrse, deceased (p187).
• Larry Hynes died of ‘destitution and want’ (p196).
• ‘Ordered: That the Clerk advertise for tenders from competent persons, to undertaken the duty of House tailor and House shoemaker at (blank) per week to instruct a class of boys in their respective trades and cut out and make up the clothing required for the House....’ (p517).
• Inmates Mary Forde and Bridget Burke reprimanded for visiting the Hospital (pp220-1).
• ‘Ordered: That in consequence of the places now used as a cemetery being within the Workhouse grounds and the pits into which the deceased paupers are deposited being now made within a few yards of the Workhouse itself.  The Clerk be directed to advertise for a  piece of ground to be conveyed by lease to the Commissioners, to be appropriated to a cemetery, and at the same time to write to Mr D’Arcy, the Agent to Lord Clanricarde, to [know] if he would let a field for that purpose, as if the practice is continued of interring the paupers almost within the grounds of the House must have the certain effect of disseminating the poison of contagion and its most deadly shape throughout the entire establishment’ (pp221-2).
• Pat Aughegan and Catherine Molloy died of want and destitution p232).