Pawnbroking i

hen "Pashie" Browne's, the last of a long line of pawnbrokers'shops, closed its doors about a decade wago, another link with Limerick's poverty-stricken past was severed. In the first half of the present cen- tury, pawnbrokers' signs could be seen hanging outside their shops in nearly MacL all the poorer parts of the city. At least ten of these will be remembered by many readers: Pashie Browne's, "Dot" was sold to a third party, who then of Limerick. Clifford's and O'Dowd's, all in Broad became the owner of the goods. The Rev. Thomas Enright, CC., St. Street, O'Brien's, (later Carmello's), in Since goods on which the debts Mary's, stated in a public letter that not High Street, Parker's in Parnell Street, were not discharged or redeemed less than 25 families were living in one Jackson's in Denmark Street, Kear- could be sold after 12 months, a wide house in his parish, where misery and ney's in Mary Street, Guerin's in Bridge variety of articles were always on show destitution prevailed to a woeful ex- Street and Johnston's in Nicholas in the pawnbroker's window: watches, tent. In the same year (1834), a visitor Street. There were probably some clocks, boots and shoes, articles of to the city, H.D. Inglis, stated "that other pawnshops not mentioned in this jewellery, including wedding rings, nowhere did I meet with more destitu- list. tradesmen't tools, war medals, etc. In tion. I entered forty abodes of poverty Many amusing stories are told about the dim recesses of the shop and on and to the last hour of my existence I "Uncle", as the pawnbrokers were the broad shelves various articles of never will forget the scenes of utter jocosely called. For instance, a survivor clothing and bedclothes all told their and hopeless wretchedness that of the battle of the Dardanelles, living own tale of money borrowed and never presented themselves". + 7 in Watergate, got, to quote his own repaid. Goods in pawn were said to be Three years afterwards (1 837)there words, "a lousy nine shillings, and four in hock, hocked or in pledge. were eleven licensed pawnbrokers in the city: pence and a piece of property for the Pawnbroking, or the business of ad- vancing loans to customers who have loss of a IQ$'. He was referring to the A. Joynt, Sr. Harry's Mall. pension collected every Tuesday. His pledged household goods or personal J. Joynt, Wellesley Bridge. pension kept him in porter for 2 or 3 effects as security for loans, is as a M. Kelly, Nicholas Street. days, then on Friday the wooden leg trade, one of the oldest known to T. & J. Myles, Nelson Street. would go into pawn, while he adjour- mankind and existed in China 2000 to H. Russell, Boherbuoy. Mgt. St. Laurence, Bridge Street. ned to a nearby pub, where he in- 3000 years ago. Pawnbrokers have always been used by the poor, and it is A. Trousdell, George's Quay. variably told how he lost his leg and his R. Stewart, Sir Harry's Mall. a well known fact that during the Mid- religion for John Bull. He never atten- R. Slattery, Cornwallis Street. ded Mass, as the leg was always on dle Ages the impecunious aristocracy J. Burton, George's Quay. deposit over the weekend. often pawned their jewellery and plate E. Parker, Edward Street. It is easy to imagine the consterna- as collateral for loans. The origin of the three balls is tion amongst the population in the Ab- There was also a pawnshop in each bey, Watergate and Palmerstown in obscure. The earliest pawnshop signs 3 of the following places: Rathkeale and January 1860 when William Delaney's were bowls, which, for some un- Newcastle West. In addition to the pawn office in Broad Street, with all its known reason, were painted blue. At legitimate brokers there were many un- stock and records, went up in flames. the beginning of the 18th century, licensed moneylenders who charged The demands made on the unfortunate these bowls were, again for some un- rates even higher than the Delaney by his clients must have been known reason, changed to balls. It is pawnbrokers, and often used both humurous and pathetic. However, interesting to learn that many of the strongarm methods for the return of it is pleasant to note that he survived signs, in England at least, were of pure their money. this calamity, as we find him trading gold, an indication perhaps of the Matthew Barrington, the eldest son again in John Street in 1887. opulence of the trade. of Sir Joseph Barrington, Bart., the But the story of pawnbroking in Maurice Lenihan's History tells us founder of Barrington's Hospital, had Limerick, like everywhere else, is a sad that there was only one pawnbroker in been seeking ways and means to story, with the unlettered and improvi- Limerick in 1800, but an early procure more funds for the administra- dent poor forced, through adverse cir- reference to a transaction in the city tion of the hospital, where deserving cumstances, to pawn their paltry from the manuscript of Dr. Thomas admission cases were being turned belongings for momentary gain. One Arthur, dated 1641, runs as follows. away due to the lack of funds. He has heard of women pawning their . and for the said gearran taken in recommended to the governors of the blankets and their shawls, during the pawne for the respett of homadge hospital that the establishment of a cold winter months, and of children's which the said Kennedy fayled to pay charitable pawn office would be a boots being pawned by distraught as he was bound I payed 01-13-6. means of augmenting their funds as wives so that drunken husbands could If the number of pawnbrokers well as ending the abuses which were further allay their alcoholic cravings. operating in a locality can be taken as long practised in the trade of And when there was nothing left in the an indication of poverty, then the pawnbroking in Limerick. The following kitty to redeem the articles, the in- ninetenth century must have been a table for the year 1839, clearly il- evitable happened; the pawn ticket very trying- time for the working classes lustrates these abuses:

Page 16 * One shilling lent and received in the week by a Pawnbroker, pays the same as if for a month, viz.:- per Week. per Month. per Year. 11 one Shilling pays per Week fd. interest f S. d. and Id. for Duplicate is .. . 0 0 If

One Pound lent in shillings pays 10d. interest, and ls.8d. for Duplicates, is ... 0 2 6

One Hundred Pounds lent in shillings pays f4.3s.4d. interest, & f8 6s 8d. Duplicates, is ... 12 10 0

Thus, one hundred pounds, lent in To relieve the temporary wants of 460,895 pledges, for which it lent shillings and received weekly, would at the poor, by advancing money to £78,595-9-0) but only getting back compound interest, in 1 year, amount them upon pledges at a lower rate £77,005-8-7 - a loss of E 7,590-1- to the staggering sum of £45,690-7~- than is charged by the 74. Otd. pawnbrokers; thus guarding them The Monte de Piete issued its own The building of this charitable pawn from greater exactions, and that money tokens, several of which can be office, called the Monte de Piete the profits, after paying interest seen in the City Museum. (House of Mercy), was commenced in of the capital employed and the In 1847 the building was converted the grounds of Barrington's Hospital, expenses of the establishment, for use as a constabulary barracks and facing Mary Street, in 1838. Here a shall be devoted to the use of the was used as such until its demolition in word of explanation regarding this very class of persons from whom 1892. However, other pawnbrokers Monte de Piete might be of interest. these profits are derived. continued to flourish as we find no Monte de Piete is simply the French In case of deserving objects, to fewer than eighteen operating in 1877. name for charitable pawnshopsd which restore the article, such as imple- Mary Pitt, William Street Bow. in turn were based on the Montes ments of trade pawned in the Thomas Robinson, Nelson Street. Pietatis formed by the Franciscans in hour of real need without interest Mary Benn, George's Quay. Italy in 1462. The original idea of the or charge. J.J. Brown, John Street. Franciscans was to grant interest-free S. Dowling, Little Catherine Street. loans, secured by pledges to the poor, The Monte de Piete opened for J. Gallagher, 1 and 2 Mary Street. money to operate this scheme being business in 1841 at a time when D. Joynt, Brunswick Street. obtained from gifts and bequests from Lenihan's History mentions that the J.P. Kearney, Wickham Street. the wealthy. But in time this noble idea number of pawnbrokers in the city was J.P. Kearney, Mary Street. became iiupczcticable and in many in- twenty. James Kearney, Nicholas Street stances Monte de Pietes became in- It would seem that the management W. Nolan, 3 and 4 Cornmarket Row. distinguishable from pawnshops. were too honest in their dealings, M. Ryan, 3 Broad Street. The principal objects of the Monte because in 1845 the pawnshop ceased M. Ryan, 16 Mungret Street. de Piete were: operating, having in fpur years received John Ryan, Bridge Street and Den- mark Street. The last named was defendant in the famous breach of promise case, tried in Cork in 1883 and immortalised by the Bard of Thomond in his satirical poem The Siege of the Golden Balls. The poem has one hundred and ninety-four line verses, much too long to be included in this article.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dublin University Review 1839. Triennal Directory 1 840-4 1-42. Bassett's Directory 1877-78. Limerick Chronicle. A Journey Through Ireland, H.D. IN- glis 1835. Arthur Manuscript 1 64 1. The Lays and Legends of Thomond, Michael Hogan. History of Limerick, Maurice Lenihan. A drawing of the Monte de Piete pawnshop. Encyclopaedia Brit a nnica

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