In a predominantly agricultural community, land is the main resource and access to land is the basis of power. Ownership of land, both in Kerry and Ireland in general, has been a major cause of conflict, both on the battlefield and in the courtroom. We have our own version of it in John B.Keane’s The Field.
Identification of Kerry ancestors, can in a lot of cases be proven from land records, whether the Tithe Applotments, Griffith’s Valuation or indeed in the Estate papers of Landlords. These were records kept by landlords in renting and managing their properties. If your Kerry ancestor was renting land, as most were, you could be lucky in finding a record of him (usually ‘him’, hardly ever ‘her’), in the papers in repositories such as the National Archives, National Library or Kerry County Library Local History & Archives. Very few of these records are digitised, so it requires a visit to the archive in question. Not all Landlord’s papers have survived of course.
The major collections of Kerry estate papers are listed on p. 87-90 of Finding Your Ancestors in Kerry.
One new and invaluable source has been digitised and is now available online. So whether you are in Toronto or Timbuctoo, you can just log on to view the Rent Ledgers of the Kenmare Estate Papers.
In the 1870’s the lands held in County Kerry by the Browne family, Earls of Kenmare amounted to over 91,000 acres. Their estate also included a further 22,000 acres in County Cork and over 4,000 acres in County Limerick. In total, the Kenmare Estate covered at that time over 117,000 acres. The rent ledgers that are available here relate to the Kerry portion of the estate.
Here is a sample of the rental record of Morto Hurley of Fossa for ‘Land, Office & House’ of 28acres 3roods 10perchs with a valuation of £24.5s.0d. dated 11th December 1877. The rents were paid twice a year, they fell due on what were known as the ‘gale days’ – May and November.
These digitised records are invaluable. Without leaving the comfort of our own homes, we can search and find for instance records such as Morto Hurleys. Digitisation also means that these original records can be kept in pristine condition for future generations. Conservation and preservation of valuable records of Kerry history would dictate the least amount of handling of the originals.
I will be giving a lecture myself on Finding Your Kerry Ancestors in Muckross House (Garden Restaurant) on Friday evening 15th April.
I have also found two other sources useful for Kerry research: (1) for the time between the 1826Tithe Applotment and Griffith’s valuation in the 1850s:. Population Returns of the Parish of Keelimila, Barony of Iveragh, County Kerry as Enumerated in the Month of December 1834, and IreGenWeb Project“County Kerry” online records of the Parish of Keelimila, Barony of Iveragh, County Kerry as Enumerated in the Month of December 1834,“A Census of Prior and Killemlagh, 1834,” ed. Padraig de Brun, Journal of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society, no. 8, 1975), p. 126; and IreGenWeb Project“County Kerry” online records. (2) The revisions to Griffith’s Valuation, showing the changes made after the original Griffiths’ Valuation, all the way up to the 1970s. For example, the name of Maurice Murphy shown in the townland of Bolus in Griffiths Evaluation was crossed out and replaced by Jeremiah Murphy in 1880, a strong indication that they were father and son. Subsequent records showed Jeremiah’s transfer of the holding to a son, and from that son to a brother when the first son emigrated. These records can be purchased from the Valuation Office. Though difficult to interpret, they may be able to confirm relationships only guessed at, or suggest relationships previously unknown, and are worth studying.
Julie, thank you for your comments and helpful suggestions. Yes you can click on Kerry Links & Resources and this will take you to the online list of names in the Parish of Prior and Killemlagh. Also for anyone really interested in following up an ancestor’s land, the revised and cancelled Valuation Books are not digitised. The Cancelled Books and the Current Land Books for the Republic of Ireland are available to personal callers at the Valuation Office, Irish Life Centre, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1. There is a charge to view them.
Kay, since I do not live in Ireland, I could not go to the Valuation Office to view the records. But I was able to obtain scanned copies, for a fee, which the Office mailed to me. Complete information about ordering is available at http://www.valoff.ie/en/Archives_Genealogy_Public_Office/. Both certified and uncertified scanned copies for genealogical purposes are available, of course with a difference in price
Julie, thank you. Again very valuable information for anyone living outside Ireland who may want to acquire Valuation records.
Hello Julie, I believe you and I share some ancestry. I’m an O’Grady and my family are from Ballinskelligs, Kerry, Ireland. My maternal grandmother was a Keating from Valentia, Kerry, Ireland and I learned you have already had online conversations with my cousin, John O’Grady of London, England. I shared my 23andme DNA results and discovered you and I share the same DNA. Would love to connect!
All the best,
Patrick
Hi, Muckross Research Library now has the original Curtin Testimonial Record of Subscribers- Lady Kenmare’s testimonial fund on aid of the daughters of John O’Connell Curtin of Castle Farm House, Molahiffe, Firies, who was killed in his home by Moonlighters on 13.11.1885. His daughters fought like tigresses against the Moonlighters but could not prevent tragedy. Some very notable donors are included in the record. Article in 2016 Kerry Magazine refers.
Nicholas, I am glad that you reminded about the Curtin Scrapbook and its return to Muckross Research Library. I had read Gay McCarron’s article in the 2016 Kerry Magazine (Kerry Archaeological & History Society) and found it fascinating. Something else that I had never heard about! I would love to get the list of the 740 donors and publish. I mean to do a short summary of the article in my blog in the coming weeks.
[…] Caball. “Kerry Land & Estate Records.” My Kerry Ancestors, 12 Feb 2016. Shared by Kimmitt Genealogical […]
Kay
Just found you! I am Gay McCarron who wrote the piece on the Curtin Sisters and the scrapbook that came back from Canada! the list of subscribers to the testimonial Fund is indeed worthy of research and no doubt when Mucross Library have completed the conservation process on the scrapbook the list will be accessible.I would love to find out how come the Skinners Society London mad a major donation!
Kay
You may recall that back in October 2016 the topic was discussed of the testimonial fund collected for the two Curtin sisters arising out of the botched Moonlighter raid and murder of their father at Castlefarm, Firies. At that time Nicholas advised that the scrapbook that came back from Canada containing details of the contributors to the fund was in the Muckross house Library. and I also commented that I hoped to find out more about the reasoning behind the donation of £20 by the Worshipful Society of Skinners, London.
I understand the digitisation of the Scrapbook is in hands at the Library so, hopefully, you will be able to get access to the list shortly. If not, I have a rather poor quality set of photocopie which I could make available to you.
As regards the Society of Skinners, their very substantial archive has been deposited in the London Metropolitan Museum but are physically located in the London Guildhall. However, the nature of the research necessary to get to the actual decision making records of the late 1885 /6 is daunting and might require personal attendance at the Guildhall! I rather fear that I am not up to such a search! Perhaps some budding researcher might take up the challenge!!
I hope to send you under separate cover a copy of a note made by one of the girls involved, Lizzie Curtin, where she tells of how ancestral lands ended up back with the head landlords, Trinity College, of which you recently wrote.