A large amount of correspondence is often found in estate papers. The correspondence may concern the running of the estate for example, the collecting or setting of rents and the purchase of materials and labour. Occasionally more general national or local external matters are discussed. Correspondence may be or from to a landlord, a land agent, a tenant, or another person or organisation connected to the estate.
 143 Copy of a letter from John Purcell,
Egmont Estate Land Agent, to Lord Egmont,
Landlord. Purcell answers Egmont's request for an
'account of the state of this country, and the
sentiments of the people'. 'I am sorry to
observe, that the ready Disposition of the lower
orders of the people to give opposition to the
Laws, and the spirit of insurrection they
manifest in every occasion are sufficient to
alarm the landed interest of this kingdom...'.
There are appeals for the repeal of the Penal
Laws. The Parliament repealed those laws and has
granted them the elective franchise. 'An Act for
establishing a Militia of fifteen or sixteen
thousand Men has lately been passed, was opposed
by the lower orders of People...such the
opposition in the North of Ireland that the mobs
have attacked the Gentlemens Houses for the
purpose of taking away what fire Arms they could
get. In the county Kerry, lately, the military
were compelled to fire on the mob; numbers were
killed and wounded before they dispersed- I am of
the opinion the success of our arms against
France will tend to allay the Ferments of this
Kingdom." In this county only officers have
been appointed to militias and the "loss of
publick credit has been severely felt throughout
this kingdom, the trade of Cork at a stand."
(3 July 1793) (Ryan-Purcell Estate Papers) |
 70 Letter from William Coppinger,
Landlord, Midleton, County Cork, to Rt. Revd.
Denis McCarthy. Coppinger refers to Roman
Catholics and 'Newenham's scheme'; Government's
alarm at the progress of the Thrashers in the
disturbed counties'; invasion from Spain and the
return of General Crawford's expedition and the
light battalion of the German Legion on its way
to Bantry. (29 December 1806) (Newenham Estate
Papers) |
 67 Letter from William O' Brien,
Clonakilty, to the right Rev. Dr. Mc Carthy,
Bishop. 'My Dr Lord I received the Circular
letter which your lordship had the goodness to
send me, and shall not fail to contribute my poor
mite of exertion in furtherance of its object. It
is highly essential to the cause of truth and
justice that the real state of the population of
this country be faithfully ascertained...' . He
states that the clergy should have impressed
"...on their minds that, as they are
answerable to God for the souls of all, they, as
good and faithful shepherds should know all their
sheep- and the good shepard calleth his own sheep
by name." (24 May 1807) (Newenham Estate
Papers) |
 328 Letter to 'Dear James', James
Grove-White, Landlord, from Nicholas Green Evans,
stating that tenants in Ballinree are taking turf
to pay their rent and that '... there are more
houses on the denomination of Ballinree than on
the remainder of the Estate, for several poor
people take a house and garden, for the sole
purpose of cutting Turf as for the use of the
premises, which they afterwards sell to pay their
rents...' (27 April 1821) (Grove White Letters) |
 99 Letter from John St. Leger to William
Hill, agent of Lord Doneraile. St Leger seems to
be a nephew or other kinsman of Doneraile's. 'I
am much obliged for your communication of the
13th instant, yesterday received which had
greatly raised my hopes - and in reply beg to
state for Lord Doneraile's information, {who I
always thought, with his Lordships usual
Kindness, would do something for my poor dear
Father's Widow and Children}.... '. Requests
money to support the family. Expenses include
educational costs, '... Louisa has returned...it
was and is our most anxious desire to keep her at
school for a year or two longer, her education
having been neglected from residing in the
Country...My Brother James is a Mate (on board
the Calliope)... and is now in China I believe,
as he was to sail on the 1st July from
Valparadiso...My second brother William is a Sub
Inspector of Constabulary, stationed in
Mullingar...and was about to get Married, but for
my poor Father's death... I have now answered all
the queries, which I trust will prove
satisfactory to Lord Doneraile, and by which his
Lordship will perceive my Mother and Sisters are
thrown on me, who can with difficulty support the
character and appearance of a gentleman..."
(12 Feburary 1841) (Doneraile Estate Papers) |
|
 131 Letter from James Dennehy, estate
employee, Churchtown, to John Purcell, Landlord,
Dublin. 'Sheedy was at Liscarroll fair on
yesterday with the [Milch] Cows and sold none of
them, fairs are in general very slack... the
Clock at Burton has stopped it wants cleaning
very much... the Farmers Kitchen Gardens in this
neighbourhood are plundered nocturnally, not a
head of cabbage leaving there...' (1 December
1846) (Ryan-Purcell Estate Papers) |
 133 Letter from Arthur O'Keeffe,
Steward, Burton House, Churchtown, to John
Purcell, Landlord. 'Denis McAuliffe tells me you
promised him a bag of wheat.- will we keep a bag
of it for the use of the house ?... It may be
well to remark that potatos are very scarce, and
what little people hold they are keeping for
seed. they are extremely dear...I am of the
opinion that it would be wrong to use the potatos
they being so very scarce & dear. We have not
a grain of oats for the horse...' (22 December
1846) (Ryan-Purcell Estate Papers) |
 162 Letter from William Connors, to
'Dear Michael' describing famine and disease
conditions in the locality, '...our constant
attention is in Burying the dead, and attending
funerals every day, as fever and Dysentry are
raging through the Country like wild fire...how
happy are those tenants who devise under Mr.
Purcell...'. (29 April 1847) (Ryan-Purcell Estate
Papers) |
| 151 Letter from Patrick Dempsey,
Riverbrin, St. Pauls, U.S.A., to 'My Dear John'
(John Purcell). 'I hasten to write to you first
hoping to find you enjoying good health...you
will be glad to hear my anxiety about my wife's
state of health is now ended T. God... I am
beginning to think I am becoming an ancient
member of society having two young daughters and
a young son to look out for. There is one
satisfaction if the Lord spares them, they will
have a better opportunity here of advancing
themselves than ever they could in the old
Country... This Winter will be bad on the poor
people as everything is so unusually dear, the
potatoes are now a Dollar a bushell that could be
got this time twelve months for twenty five
cents... but all our great business men here in
St. Pauls made their money in Shop business and
as trade is yearly increasing there is every hope
of people succeeding by perseverance and
correctness... Since I last wrote to you I have
got appointed as Collector for the Globe
Newspaper... I see by the Telegraph reports in
the papers here that the English Government is
now determined to stamp out the League [Land
League] business and are taking active measures
to surpress it. It would be better for the people
who are not satisfied with what Government is
anxious to do for them to quit the old Country
and come here where there is no contention and
every chance of them bettering their condition...
May the Lord protect you from all harm that is my
constant prayers for you...' (26 October 1881)
(Ryan-Purcell Estate Papers) The full letter is also available in PDF format to
download. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required. |
 169 Letter from [Canon] P. Sheehan,
Doneraile, to 'Dear Mr. Purcell'. 'Your tenantry
at Graigue and Clostogue have again approached me
with the request that I should represent their
hardships to you with the view of claiming a
reduction in the rent due next week...their case
is a hard one, especially since the operation of
the New Act which now brings up the Rates to
about 30 per cent or more...there is no doubt
their holdings are very wretched and themselves
very poor...I am convinced that there is but one
satisfactory solution of this ever-vexed question
- a solution that is rapidly approaching: and I
should be very glad if landlord and tenant could
meet, and settle the question of purchase on
equitable terms...best regards to Mrs Purcell
& Family, Always sincerely my Dear Mr
Purcell...' (12 April 1900) (Ryan-Purcell Estate
Papers) |
 047 Letter from Walter Thornhill &
Son, representatives of the Colthurst Estate, to
Messrs. Surman and Quekett, London,
representatives of Colhurst Estate creditors.
Thornhill informs them that tenants on the
Ballyvourney estate are holding out for better
terms. The delay of the sale of this portion of
the estate represents a sum of approximately
£9,000. This sum was to be used to pay many of
the creditors to the estate. As a result of this
failure to sell the creditor is asked to make a
settlement. Also there is concern that "the
bonus" will not be payable as a result. The
"bonus" was a 12% bonus given to the
landlord on top of the purchase price of an
estate if he sold the estate in its entirety
under the 1903 Land Act. (4 March 1909)
(Colthurst Estate Papers) |
