The Crown Estate of Castlemaine was situated in the Parish of Kiltallagh, on the river Maine, a short distance from Castlemaine Harbour. The estate was known as the Constables Acres. It consisted in 1839 of nine acres, a fishing weir and a village of ‘thirty one thatched cabbins of the poorest description’ and one small slate house. In 1839, three of the houses were occupied by publicans, two by tradesmen and the rest by labourers. The village was in a ‘reduced state’ and no rent had been paid by the tenants since 1835. By the 31 March 1841, all but three of the properties had been recovered and put under the management of the Commissioners of Woods. Despite the erection of a quay, schoolhouse and some dwellings, the tenant’s lot did not improve, due to the lack of employment and scarcity of food. At this point the Commissioners decided to include Castlemaine in its State aided emigration scheme,
There were at least three separate departures from the estate but despite an intensive search for the second and largest party, this list has never been found.
The first party of emigrants left in the autumn of 1848, only the names of heads of families are recorded and twelve persons emigrated at a cost of £72. 3s.11d.
A further scheme was proposed in June 1849 and as far as can be discovered, in the absence of the official list, at least thirteen families of sixty three individuals left, at a cost of £279. 7s.1d. This party then joined those who were being ‘emigrated’ from Kingwilliamstown (now Ballydesmond) and they sailed on the Columbus from Liverpool for New York on 7 September 1849 ‘at the same charge as those who left from Kingwilliamstown.
The food supplied to each adult was:
The third party of eight left Cork on 20 September 1851 on the same day as nineteen emigrants from Kingwilliamstown, at a cost of £42. 3s. 2d. In the absence of the records of the sixty three people, we have only twenty two names.
The total cost of the entire emigration project for Castlemaine was £393. 4s. 2d.
Reference: ‘State-Aided Emigration Schemes from Crown Estates in Ireland’ c. 1850. Author: Elish Ellis. Source: Analecta Hibernica, No.22 (1960), pp.328, 331-394. Author(s): Eilish Ellis. Published by: The Irish Manuscripts Commission Ltd.
Dear Kay,
As a native of Castlemaine (Ballygamboon Upper, Kiltallagh) but living in Meath for many years, I’m very interested in this Emigration extract. My ancestors the Dalys, were Godfrey Tenants and we can trace our ancestry back to about 1775.
I remember as a young lad, accompanying a name sake, Moss Daly (pronounced Dawley) to a site about a mile east of Castlemaine village. I think that the Day family owned the farm at the time and maybe still own it. Moss had a metal detector ( one could use it freely in the 1960s) and he told me that there was once a settlement on that spot. We found nothing and I have never given it a thought since.
I love browsing your website – Kerry never leaves the system!
Maurice, when I came across it I thought it was very interesting. Do you think that the area you were ‘researching’ a mile east of Castlemaine, might be the site of this settlement? I probably didn’t get over the fact that it was a forced emigration but I am sure they consented as they had no other option. I will email you the full chapter from the Irish Manuscripts Commission, which is mostly about the emigrants from Kingwilliamstown (Ballydesmond) but it sets the background to the entire business. Kay C
Kay,
Thanks very much for the Irish Manuscripts Commission which I read with great interest. It’s a pity some details are missing – maybe they will be located !!
As regards the site east of the present village of Castlemaine, I can’t really say but it well might be. However, it’s more likely that a settlement existed where the present village is as I can remember some of the ruins of the old castle – Castle Magne – where the “new” bridge – built 50 years ago is located.
But back to where we were “researching” , the ruins of the original Kiltallagh Church are nearby . The present Kiltallagh Catholic Church was built in 1897. There is also a Protestant Church nearly which is still functioning. Castlemaine was settled by people who came from England after the Plantation of Munster. Dick Spring’s ancestors came to Castlemaine in 1588 – their tomb is in the Protestant cemetery and the Springs are still farming in the area.
Maurice, it is great to get this information – as you are letting other Kerry descendants from the Castlemaine area know something of their heritage here. I did a blog on Gerald Spring (1830 – 1888) who is mentioned in the Dictionary of Australian VIP’s, last year. He is one of the Spring family that you mention. https://mykerryancestors.com/kelliher-spring-raymond/
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My Sullivan family ancestors are also is from the Ballygamboon Castlemaine area. My GGGrandparents, and some of their children are buried at St. Carthage. At this point, I am not sure if some of the relatives were forced to immigrate yet or not. I know some of the relative s left Ireland mid To late 1800’s. Can I find those manuscripts online? I would love to read them. Thank You Judy Sullivan-Hoffman.
Judy, I will email you the entire chapter on State Aided Emigration, separately. It deals with two areas in Kerry – well Kingwilliamstown as it was called then (now Ballydesmond) is on the Cork Kerry border and of course Castlemaine. There is a wealth of details, the name of the ships that took them to America, the food they were allowed on board etc. Yes there is one Sullivan lady on it. I am very interested also in your Hoffman background. I have completed quite a bit of research on the Hoffmans.
vincerainsford@gmail.com
3-28-2019
Kay,
I came across your forum discussion with a Maurice Daly (last message Jan. 1, 2015) where he mentioned that he was ” a native of Castlemaine (Ballygamboon Upper, Kiltallagh) but living in Meath for many years, I’m very interested in this Emigration extract. My ancestors the Dalys, were Godfrey Tenants and we can trace our ancestry back to about 1775…”. I am in the U.S. but my GGGGrandfather was William Denis Daly (or Gulielmum), who was married to Ellen O’Flynn (history of marriage unknown), and came from Castlemaine before immigrating to the U.S. at Boston about 1852. I saw their parish listed as Keel. And it seems he was apparently a tenant of Godfrey also.
Would you know where I share a connection with the relatives of Maurice Daly; is there documentation of my ancestors in Castlemaine; are there documents that would be available to view or get? I may have found his father, Aeneas Daly, but it is mostly guesswork without verification, and I cannot yet make a definite connection of my ancestors before William Denis Daly.
Can you provide any help in my quest?
Kerry Retzel
Kerry, I would not know if you are a relative of Maurice Daly without seeing your Daly research. I will reply to you separately by email and send you a Query Form for the details.
Greetings Kay,
I found your article very informative and interesting. There were several references to Ballygamboon in the replies and so I thought I would pose a question about a situation that I have come across in my own family research. 3x great grandfather, Edward Fitzgerald was baptized 17 Jun 1846 in County Kerry, Castlemaine Parish. His is one of a total of 12 records I have found listing Aughbue as the address. His Parents were Mary Harrington and Edmund Fitzgerald.
After searching on John Grenham’s web site with no luck, I consulted a lady at the National Library of Ireland and she could not find a townland by that name in Kerry. Upon visiting the Tralee library the genealogist there felt pretty certain that Aughbue must have been referring to a group of houses near the Ahboy Bridge which is in Ballygamboon Lower.
Do you know of any local records that could be researched to verify that these records actually were for people who lived in Ballygamboon? I am in Ireland right now and took a drive to Ballygamboon today. We found a bridge but the description of the Ahboy that I read said it has two arches, so I don’t think I was on the correct one. Our GPS would not display it on the map, so we gave up.
Ancestry DNA shows I have a match to Thomas Walsh and his daughter Joan, both born in Ballydesmond. I sure would like to figure out the connection.
Best regards, Debby
Debby, I am not familiar with the bridges you mention but it should be possible to find the actual land that Edmund Fitzgetald (Snr) occupied at the time of Edward’s birth. The address of Ahboy is just a localised name used by the Church. It is not a townland. I will send you a Query form separately as I would need more specific information.
Debby,
My name is Dick Fitzgerald and Edward is my great grandfather. I am trying to find out information about where Edmund & Mary lived and where Edmund might be buried. Also trying to trace back to his father James Fitzgerald (married to Mary Collins). We are going to Ireland in July of this year and would appreciate any information you might have
Thanks
Dick
Good Morning Kay,
My name is Dick Fitzgerald and Edward Fitzgerald (mentioned by Debby Massie) was my great-grandfather. I trying to locate information about where his father, Edmund or Edmond Fitzgerald (1825-1855 we think) lived and was buried. We understand he lived around Ballygamboon. His wife, Mary Harrington came to America with Edward, but we do not know what happened to Edmund. The only parish information we have found is “Castlemaine”. Do you know the “real” parishes that might fall under that general name ?
We are trying to trace back as far as we can. Edmund’s father was James Fitzgerald (1801-1878 we think) who was married to Mary Collins (1801-1867 we think)
Dick you left it a bit late in the day! It takes time to get accurate details.I am on holiday in France myself without access to my files. I will contact you when I get back at the weekend. Kay