Terence Macdonald (1810 – 1874), Tithe Farmer, Jigginstown, Naas, Co

Terence MacDonald (1810 – 1874), Tithe Farmer, Jigginstown, Naas, Co. Kildare

A Study of Person and Place

James Robinson M. Phil

In Nineteenth Century Ireland, landholders were obliged to pay tithes to the maintenance of the Established church – the Church of Ireland. An organised campaign of resistance to the Tithe payment extended from 1831 – 1838 which became known as the “Tithe War”. This paper deals with Terence MacDonald, Tithe Farmer, of Jigginstown, Naas, Co. Kildare.

The majority Roman Catholic section of the population resented this tax. An organised campaign of resistance to the Tithe payment resulted in large scale refusals to pay the tithe tax. The Composition Act of 1823 specified that this tax, which hitherto had been payable in kind, such as livestock, should now be paid in money. Consequently it was necessary to carry out a valuation of the entire country, civil parish by civil parish, to determine how much each land holder should pay. This survey was carried out over the ensuing 15 years, up to the abolition of the tithe in 1838. The results were recorded in the Tithe Applotment books. Non-payment of the Tithe resulted in the Irish Constabulary, founded in 1822, attempting to enforce government seizure orders at fairs and marts, which often resulted in violent resistance.

The first clash of the Tithe War occurred at Graignamanagh, Co. Kilkenny on March 3 1831. A force of 120 yeomenry tried to enforce seizure orders on cattle belonging to a Roman Catholic priest. Shortly after this at Bunclody (Newtownbarry) Co. Wexford, the tenantry resisted cattle seizures by firing on the police who killed 12 and wounded 20 in the resultant melee. On December 14 1831 at Carrigshock, Co. Kilkenny, 12 constables were killed and more were wounded in an ambush. Burglaries, burnings, cattle maimings, arsons, riots and attacks on property ensued against seizure orders enforcements. In 1831, 402 homicides were attributed to the campaign. Violence against Protestant churchmen and Tithe proctors became an integral feature of the Tithe War. An atmosphere of intimidation prevailed to enforce sanction against proponents of the tithe. In 1831 also, Dr. James W Doyle (1786 – 1834), Roman Catholic Bishop of the diocese of Kildare at Leighlin, who used the acronym ‘JKL’ wrote a powerful pastoral letter opposing the Tithe. It was read at all masses throughout the diocese. In it he railed against the tax and his expression ‘May their hatred of Tithes be as lasting as their love of justice’ became a campaign slogan. Bishop Doyle also spoke out against the Whiteboy-like paramilitary secret societies that used violence. He was the intellectual moral force who opposed the tithe payments in the campaign which was most prevalent in Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary. The Tithe survey of the townland or denomination of Jigginstown, in the parish of Naas (in the barony of North Naas), Co. Kildare, was carried out in 1829. It lists landholder No. 33 as Terence McDonald, whose holding totaled 82 Acres- 2 Roods – 7 Perches and on which a Tithe of £5 - 3 - 2 per annum was due.

The following report gives an indication of the civil opposition and agrarian unrest in County Kildare and adjacent areas for the year 1832 – 3.

At a tithe meeting in Monasterevan, the parishes of Monasterevan, Kildangan, Nurney and Lacca, forming the union of Monasterevan met on 5 Feb at the school house in Monasterevan to petition the legislature to remove the present causes of complaint under the odious and unjust Tithe System in Ireland. (Leinster Express Sat 11 Feb, 1832)

Imperial Parliament; House of Commons Mr. Grattan presented a petition for several parishes in the counties of Wicklow and Carlow, praying for the abolition of Tithes. (Leinster Express, Sat 25 Feb, 1832)

Also in the same issue A party of armed Whitefeet killed Jeremiah Farrell, tenant of Kavanagh of Borris, at Garnagully, about 4 miles from Castlecomer (Co. Kilkenny)…… blowing out his brains……on his knees in the presence of his family they held up a candle and said to the inmate ‘Look at us and try if you know us and prosecute us if you dare’. The deceased had taken land from which a person named Walsh had been evicted for non-payment of rent.

Imperial Parliament, House of Lords Lord King presented petitions for parishes in Wicklow and Diocese of Leighlin praying for an abolition of tithes. He said he agreed with many sentiments contained there-in and expressed his conviction that it was impossible to maintain the present tithe system by coercion. Lord Cloncurry supported the petition. (Leinster Express, 3 March, 1832)

A requisition notice for a meeting at the Curragh, Co. Kildare on 6 March 1832 was signed by a typical cross section of people who took part in the agitation:- E. Ruthven, J.P. , landowner, liberal Protestant politician and later M.P. for Kildare; Fr. Doyle P.P. Naas who was later prosecuted for anti-Tithe speeches; J.P. Hickey, shopkeeper, Naas; B. O’Callaghan; P O’Callaghan; S Farrelly; P Farrell; M Synnott – all shopkeepers in Naas; Fr. Lawler, PP Baltinglass; J Fitzgerald and C Flood, miller, Naas.

Imperial Parliament, House of Commons Mr. M O’Ferrell presented a petition for Queens Co. praying for an alternative to the Tithe Laws. A similar petition was presented by Sir Henry Parnell. (Leinster Express, 7 April, 1832)

Monasterevan Petty Sessions 150 of the parishioners were summoned by the churchwarden for non-payment of church cess (tithe). The case was dismissed. (Leinster Express, 21 April, 1832)

State of the Country Whitefeet took arms from Mr. Green, Kilkea, Mr. Le Clarias and several farmers assembled and they paraded (about 300) in Moone to the great terror of peaceful inhabitants. The country is completely in the power of the rabble. No man dare mention an opinion contrary to the midnight rulers under pain of certain death. The magistrates and gentry have lost all confidence in the government.

(Leinster Express, 12 May 1832)

At Athgoe, Mr. Grayden of Newcastle served notice that if he paid the tithes no man would be allowed to cut his harvest or work for him in any other manner. This he disregarded and in consequence every employee left his work – they numbered about 100. The cows were left unmilked. At a meeting Mr. Grayden expressed his deep regret at having opposed the wishes of the people and promised that in future he would not pay tithe. The men then returned to work. Others, including Mr. Read of Newcastle and Mr. Ebbs of Rathcoole, did likewise. (Leinster Express, 14 July 1832)

Murder of a Protestant Clergyman Rev. George Houston, Rector of the Glebe House, Feighcullen near Rathangan was murdered. It was in his parish that a police camp was set up to protect parish tithe keepers and who consequently enabled Mr. Houston to get his income. He was an inoffensive old man, nearly 80 years of age and guilty of no severity or offence save that of collecting his tithe, his only support. Mr. Pomeroy, Capt. Flinter, Major Tandy and Mr. Townend of the police have arrived. Several have been taken up. (Leinster Express, 3 Nov 1832)

Rev. Mr. Spray of Kinneagh, Co. Kildare had impounded pigs in the yard of his house for tithes which were due ………… he was followed by a mob, who threatened to burn down his house if he didn’t release the pigs. This he promptly did. Although he knew some of the crowd who had ashplants and pitchforks he refused to give evidence against them. Later he moved to Baltinglass. (Leinster Express, 30 Nov 1831)

The accounts for the counties of Kilkenny, Kildare, Carlow, Westmeath, Longford continue to pourtray (sic) increesed (sic) symptoms of the deplorable system to which society is reduced in every quarter. (Leinster Express, 2 February 1833)

On Saturday last at midday three armed men went into the house of Mr. John Simpson, land steward of Moone-abbey, Moone. They took one gun. Then they went to the home of the game keeper William Davis, but his firearms were fortunately sent away. The county of Kildare is in as disturbed a state as any of the neighbouring counties. (Leinster Express, 9 Feb 1833)

On Saturday night or Sunday morning, a party of armed men attacked the house of Thomas Cross, respectable farmer, living at Ballyna near Prosperous. They demanded his arms….. and he refused……….they fired into his house. Cross returned fire and shot a young man named Philip Gerathy who was carried by his party to his father’s home near Milerstown, Robertstown and thrown on a dunghill. He was still alive when found at daylight by his mother. He died 1 ½ hours later. He was traced by his blood by a police party from Prosperous. An inquest found that Mr. Cross shot Philip Gerathy defending his property. Cross had one man in his house named Alcock who refused to assist his master. (Leinster Express, 6 April 1833)

We are pained to find that County Kildare is this winter likely to be subject to its dreadful reign. (Leinster Express, 2 Nov 1833)

Also in this issue

On 24 (Thurs) a large party of armed men attacked the dwelling of a man named Litchfield at Usk (between Ballitore and Kilcullen). He tried to escape through the back window but became stuck. His attackers pulled him out breaking his jawbone and legs. They carded him and dragged him in a most savage manner around the house. The unfortunate man still lingers but no hopes of his recovery are entertained. Nobody was caught. Carding was a vicious lacerating of the back perpetrated by agrarian secret societies in which a tool for combing wool was used.

The 1901 national Census of population for Usk details James Litchfield, aged 59, R.C., his wife Kate, aged 41 and their ten children. This family is probably descendants of the above unfortunate man living at Usk in 1832.

This level of terror in Kildare and adjacent areas is gauged only from the reported incidents and are truly shocking. It begs the question what the other counties, like Kilkenny and Tipperary, which were prominent in the Tithe War, were like. It is of interest to note that the withdrawal of labor on the holding of Mr. Grayden of Newcastle, on July 14 1832, was replicated some 48 years later. Capt. Charles Boycott was subjected to the same response during the Land War in 1880 and in fact gave the name ‘Boycott’ to the English language to describe this phenomenon.

In 1832 in Co. Kildare almost one half of the Tithe was unpaid. Another method of opposition to Tithe Payment was the publication of land bills and popular ballads and notices. The following in Kildare is a biting attack on the protestant clergy in mock biblical style:

Now that the shepherds that were not of Ireland eat the fat and are clothed with wool of the sheep of another fold and that they are strangers amongst the people and the people were strangers to them – neither did they worship together nor any manner of them same only strive for the tenths. They gathered in the tenths (Tithes) in abundance and did eat and drink and make merry for their ease was exceedingly great (1832).

A list of tithe defaulters for Naas parish dated May 1 1833 lists Terence McDonald of Jigginstown who owed 1 ½ years arrears which totalled £6-4-3. Did this tenant refuse to pay because of conviction or fear? Poverty or inability to pay was not the reason. A list of Tithe defaulters, dated 3 March 1835, contains fifteen tenants who “I am sure are competent to pay the cost”. It included Terence McDonnell (sic). This was signed by Rev. Spencer William Walsh and Walter Mansfield, Tithe Commissioner for the Parish of Naas.

In 1835 at Rathcormack, Co. Cork, armed Constabulary, reinforced by the Regular British Army, reportedly killed 17 and wounded 30 in the course of enforcing a tithe order of the value of 40 shillings. The U.K. government became alarmed by the massacre and suspended the Tithe Collection. In 1839 Parliament introduced the Tithe Commutation Act which reduced the amount payable by one quarter and made the remainder payable with the rent by

the tenantry to the landlords, who in turn passed the payment onto the authorities. This parliamentary relief ended the violent aspect of the Tithe War. Full relief from the Tithe Tax was not achieved until the Church Act of 1869, which disestablished the Church of Ireland.

The Jigginstown lands were part of the Fitzwilliam Estate which was established by Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, who was Lord Deputy of Ireland under the reign of Charles I (1600 – 1649). Part of Terence McDonald’s holding contained Jigginstown Castle which was constructed by Wentworth about 1636/7. This mansion was commissioned as a country house for the King, should he ever visit Ireland. Wentworth estimated construction costs of the castle at £6000 but in reality he spent £22,000 on the project. Thomas Wentworth was beheaded on charges of high treason on May 12 1641 and this residence, although partially in use, was allowed to become a ruin. In this state it survives to this day. A list of registered voters for 1837 included Terence McDonald of Jigginstown with a land value of £50. His land lessor was given as Mr. William Pollen. McDonald was eligible to vote in Maynooth. Pollen was probably the main tenant of the Fitzwilliam Estate and Terence McDonald sublet from him. For a Catholic to vote in Ireland at this time was rare – one in 20 could vote whereas 1 in 5 persons in England had the franchise.

The Griffith Valuation (1848 – 1864) was a countrywide assessment of landholders. In 1853, it showed Terence McDonnell (sic) of Jigginstown holding 93 Acres – 2 Roods – 35 Perches. The immediate lessor to this tenant was Andrew Montgomery. It was not uncommon for the family name of McDonald to be written as McDonnell as in this reference. Similar variations of the name appear in the Roman Catholic church parish registers. It is of interest to note that the Griffith survey also recorded land leased from the Grand Canal Company. The Grand Canal flows through this holding and the banks of the canal, owned by the Canal Company, were leased to this tenant. In this case 7 Acres – 2 Roods – 1 Perch was assessed with a total annual valuation of ratable property of £3 – 10 – 0 on the land adjacent to the canal banks.

The first mention of the McDonald tenancy of Jigginstown in the FitzWilliam estate records occurs in 1842. Previous to that, as outlined, the McDonald occupancy was sublet from a lessor. The townland of Jigginstown and part of Ploopluck records Terence McDonald as the chief Tenant in 1842. A map of the holding shows each of the fields which comprise the tenancy. Field numbers 101 to 112 comprise this holding and the total acreage was 82 Acres – 2 Roods – 27 Perches (Irish measurement) or 133 Acres – 3 roods – 24 Perches (English measurement). The 1842 illustrated estate survey also recorded the following as Jigginstown tenants of the Fitzwilliam Estate: Thomas Tracey Jnr; Owen Lawler; Wm. Brophy; Widow Doyle; Widow Hogan; Laurence Connor; Thomas Headon; Mick Tracey; Pat Byrne; Thomas Tracey Snr; Thomas Hayden; Widow Moran; Edward Hopkins and Widow Byrne.

The Fitzwilliam Estate surveys also contain a map of Jigginstown (Giganstown) for 1728 by Thomas Moland. On a scale of 40 perches to 1 inch this map clearly shows Jigginstown House behind the castle ruins and buildings. As in 1842 the survey details each tenancy- numbered field. For example, fields 1, 2 and 3 are classified as:- Demesne of the Great House; Orchard gardens yards and castle; walled paddock; arable meadow and pasture respectively. This area totalled 263 Acres – 1 Rood - 20 Perches. Another part of Jigginstown, numbered 6, 7 and 8 is classified as arable pasture, low land and low land and boggy pasture. This section totals 234 Acres – 3 Roods – O Perches. Tenants’ names are not

included in this survey. I believe the McDonald family were tenants, albeit sub-tenants, of this estate at this time.

St. Davids’ Church of Ireland churchyard, Naas, contains a headstone with the following inscription:

Here lieth the body of Terence MacDonald Of Jigginstown who departed this life On the 31 of December 1817 in the 68 year Of his age Also his brother Alexander Who died on the 23 of July 1820 Aged 52 years Also Terence MacDonald Jnr. Who Died 5th November 1874 Aged 64 years Also John McDonald who died 14th December 1875 Aged 62 years May they Rest in Peace Amen.

The first person interred here, Terence MacDonald, was born in 1749 and lived at Jigginstown. As Jigginstown House was probably built at the same time as Jigginstown Castle (Building), circa 1636, this Mc(Mac)Donald family probably resided at this residence since that time. The subject of this paper, Terence MacDonald (Jnr.) is also recorded on the headstone. He died on November 5 1874 aged 64 years. He married Mary Burnett and they had the following family: William McDonnell (sic) (born 1835); Harriett McDonnell (sic) (1835); Terence McDonald (born 1838); Charles McDonald (born 1841) who succeeded his father at Jigginstown; Michael McDonald born (1845) and Mathew McDonald (born 1848). A curious observation on this headstone inscription; it does not refer to any female members of the family!

The Fitzwilliam estate survey of 1876/7 contains an entry for each tenant who argues for a reduction in his rent due to supposed improvements which were claimed to have been carried out. In his submission Terence McDonald holds, he claims, 126 Acres (Irish). The return shows only 117 Acres – 2 Roods – 37 Perches at a yearly rent of £232 – 0 – 0, held at will by succession or possession in 1857. The agent notes:

I rather think he (McDonald) includes in his contents the wall field now in Brownlow’s hands, formerly held under Montgomery until 1858. He got an addition of almost 30 acres to the old holding. He claims an interest in the buildings (Castle ruins) and for the improvements viz for restoring the inside of the old ho, the walls of which were good. Let by Mr. Thomas, the architects who put in new floors, stairs, windows of the best red deal at the expense of £300 to his father. The present tenant in 1835 took off the old roof of Dunlavin Slate and newly roofed and slated at an expense of £70. Built 5 years ago a cow and fowl house also a slated little boiling house value about £3 – 10 – 0. Also about 15 perches of wall on roadside of gate. In 1825 were roofed with timber and thatch the stables which are still in pretty good condition. In 1835 built a barn – cost £30 – 0 – 0 in good order still. Improvements required by tenant. A range of stables and cattle sheds which with repairs of the other buildings would require, he states, £500. Has 4 full sized + 2 small iron gates value about £8 – 0 - 0. Note: The farm boundaries are very imperfect in places; the premises slovenly in the extreme owing, he states, to the uncertainty of his lease. In value the house and offices at 400£ in there present state. The houses at Turnpike are very bad with roofs tumbling in – should be removed except such as could be used for cattle. N.B. Part of the farm has been given to Brownlow. Tenant claims for walls on the premises £30 – 0 – 0. Boiling house £10 and for fireplace in parlour £10 – 0 – 0. Total £50. 6

For leveling 50p of old ditch 3/= £7 – 10 – 0. 5 perches new ditch 3 – 15 - 0. Repairing 100P of old fence quicks planting do1/6 £7 – 10 – 0 £16 – 5 – 0. 5 perches new ditch 3 – 15 - 0. Repairing 100P of old fence quicks planting do 1/6 £7-10-0 £16-5-0.

Tenant gives his rent £256 and old value £19-0-0 Total £66-5∙0. A survey of the estate for 1823 lists the executors of John Montgomery as the tenant and holding 490 Acres 3 Roods 33 Perches. The next due is £393-13-0 and notes arrears due in 1823/4 - £322 – 18 – 5. This account was written by Wm. Haigh who is described as Receiver of the estates of Rt. Hon William Fitzwilliam.

John Montgomery is mentioned in the 1876/7 survey as the chief lessor, who probably sublet to Terence McDonald.

Earlier Fitzwilliam Jigginstown estate surveys list Wm. Hume as the tenant in 1735. Hume died in May 1752 and George Hume died in April 1755. The lease expired in 1756. The new tenancy was taken up by William Rose. The rental survey for William Rose’s tenancy stated:

In lease to him for his life and 21 years from Lady Day 1756. Covenant that the said Rose, his execs should spend £500 (English) in erecting a bleach yard, working mills on said premises and in filling up the ruins into workshops for weavers in order to establish a linen manufactory on or before 1st October 1757 or forfeit £1000 on 1st Nov following. Covenant to carry on such manufactory for the term in the most extensive manner.

Observation On an action being brought for non-payment of rent Rose filed a bill and obtained an injunction, since which a compromise has taken place and Lord Fitzwilliam has secured to him in releasing his intent in the premises an annuity of £50 for life and in case he lives to see the arrears and costs discharged by the ¯rent an additional £100 per annum is received to Mr. David Rose for that time for his life. The farm is set to Mr. John Montgomery, Mr. John Gale and Samuel Gale and Mr. Martin Dunphy from Lady Day, 1785.

This lease was recorded by Wm. Wainwright Receiver of estates, for the Fitzwilliam estate. He contracted Wm. Rose to convert the Jigginstown Castle ruins to a bleach factory. This didn’t happen and Rose took an injunction against Lord Fitzwilliam which released him from the contract. Interestingly, Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford is credited with promoting the Linen industry in Ireland to the detriment of the Woollen trade. It is ironic to note that his descendant should attempt to promote the same policy with the Jigginstown Castle ruins. The lease states Messers John and Samuel Gale had 309 Acres – ‘Part of the messuage and lands at Jigginstown’ – the rent here £214 – 2 – 0 per annum. For 1785/6 the Jigginstown lease is taken by Wm Rose and the following were inserted for parts of Jigginstown: Martin Dunphy; John and Samuel Gale and John Montgomery.

For 1854 the lease of this section of the estate details Jno Donoghue renting part of Jigginstown and Ploopluck and owing £199 – payable on Lady Day. Another part of this townland was leased to the executors of Jno Montgomery at a rent of £433 – 3 – 4. Through all these leases the McDonald family was, I believe, sub tenants of Jigginstown House.

Adjacent to the McDonald headstone in St. David’s Church of Ireland cemetery, Naas, is a headstone bearing the inscription:

Erected by JOHN GALE of Naas In memory of his brother WILLIAM GALE who departed this life October 22nd 1831 Aged 37 years Here lieth the Body of the Above-named JOHN GALE who died March 25th 1840 Aged 17 years

This family is probable kinsmen of John and Samuel Gale who leased Jigginstown. This section of the graveyard contains burials of other old Catholic families i.e. Dooling (Dowling), MacDonald, Dunphy, Brennan. This suggests that these families were interred here from before the Reformation.

An interesting feature, adjacent to Jigginstown Home is ‘Castle Rag’ – a small tower house which predates the castle by about 250 years.

Other references to Jigginstown (Sigginstown) found include:

The nobility of Naas in 1618 were: The provost of Naas, Ash; jurors for barony of Naas: - Eustace of Mullacash, Sherlock, Kenna, Latten, Kelly and Walter Archbold, all of Naas; barony of Connell – Eustace of Jigginstown.

A Census of Ireland circa 1659 lists for Jigginstown 83 inhabitants comprising 12 English and 71 Irish. Tituladoes (persons of distinction or title) named are Philip Carpenter and John Brown – ‘Gents’. The principal Irish names include Donnell (7).

27 Oct 1690. Two strangers buried which were taken out of John Lawlor’s house by the Reparees and coupled like dogs and drowned then in the mill pond at Jigginstown, the said strangers were English men.

1834. Describing the (race) meeting held at the Back lane in Naas in that year the writer says:-

The course has been considerably improved since last year. It is situated about half a mile outside the town at the back of the ruins of Jigginstown Castle, a little off the Newbridge Road. Tis about a mile and a quarter in circumference and from a central elevation of the ground even the pedestrian could see a race all round. There were, however, a couple of ill considered stands erected on which we did not choose to risk our precious carcasses and there was one continuous line of tents stretched from east to west of the course in which many a rustic couple figured away, in reels, jigs and hornpipes, to the well known airs of ‘Shiver the Quilt’, ‘Father John Walsh’ and ‘My Ducks in the House….. to the astonishment and delight of the circumbulatory natives’.

Interestingly, this Naas race meeting preceded the races at nearby Punchestown, which is Ireland’s premium National Hunt festival.

1887. Naas Gaelic Athletic Association football team – John Dillons played their first game under this name at Jigginstown on June 27 1887 against Clane. The Naas colours were French grey and crimson with dark green caps. The McDonald family has always been ardent supporters of G.A.A. games.

The heartbreak of emigration is well described in the following poem, written by JulieAnne McDonald (born 13-5-1879), a grand-daughter of Terence McDonald, the subject of this article.

Fare Well

Oh Jigginstown farewell, farewell. My heart is breaking, My love for you I cannot tell, in common spaking. Oh did ~I start my thought to tell, Jim Grehan to do it. Farewell the beeches on the lawn farewell the roses on the lawn That gave sweet perfume in the dawn, to our noses And when I speak of perfume sweet their’s one of course is Next in my thoughts the fox hounds eat, old boiled up horses Jigginstown you got the first of that aroma Which makes my heart at times near burst, for dear old home a Farewell the iron garden seat Beneath the roses Where I my own boy oft did greet in various poses. And the old yew trees’ memories of Harrietts garden And Juliannes stocks which zepher breezs don’t seem to harden. And then the parlour Oh my heart, Oh all the fellows How hard for them it is to part but I’m not jealous. Oh Pat Marums comic songs Joe’s baritone, For Cochlans dance my spirit longs with many a moan For Jims soft tenor rarely heard and Martins “den” Or high C note so like a bird I sigh for them Farewell McCalls infectious laugh and Tom Whites yarns Both dear old friends with such chaff as would filled barns. Farewell the dear piano’s notes in ranting jig, And Juliannes lambs the bosses goats AND HARRIETTES PIG. Oh may God guide to dear Harriettes sow and may she be, the mama of twelve little pigs as nice as she. And then the ruins my hearts delight to you farewell, I’ve spent such happy times I might but cannot tell The coped wall I often cursed I love you now Oft has my corset nearly burst, to reach you brow And then the terrace where we spent much days of ease, While giddy rabbits came and went amongst the trees. All, all the bricks in Jigginstown farewell The grass so green the stubbles brown farewell Old castlerag the ancient mill farewell The fields up to Rathasker hill farewell The sticks, the stones, the birds, the air, The clouded morn the Monday fare Big Jack’s strong bark the wild birds call Farewell for Oh I love you all And when at eve the sun goes down my prayers will rise for Jigginstown And for the friends who love me well for one and all farewell farewell

JulieAnne emigrated to USA with her brother Charles (born July 22 1890). She married a man from what was Yugoslavia, named Dacovich, and they lived in Mobile, Alabama. She never returned to her beloved Jigginstown in Kildare.

The writer is a great-great grandson of the subject of the paper, Terence McDonald, whose descendants continue to reside at Jigginstown House and own the property to this day.

Post-script

A curious feature of Jigginstown House is the number of blocked-up windows in the dwelling. The back and sides of the house contain few windows and the front features two large ground floor level blocked-up windows. These have been painted black with white ‘sashes’ to seem like real windows from the distant public road. King William III (born in 1650) and who reigned from 1689 – 1702 was, like most monarchs, short of money. Also, his difficulties were compounded by the fact that the coin of the realm was being devalued by ‘clipping’. This involved the illegal removal of metal shavings from the circumference of the coin of the realm. As a result, and in order to fund wars in Ireland and the Continent, the King introduced an act for making good the Deficiencies of several Funds and for enlarging the Captial Stock of the Bank of England and for raising the Publick Credit. The window tax was part of this act. It was actually a tax scaled according to the number of windows in a house. In 1696, the occupier of every inhabited dwelling house was charged a flat rate of 2s per year (£11 sterling in today’s money). In addition, those with ten to twenty windows paid 4s per year. The tax increased six times between 1747 and 1825 before protests led to its abolition after 150 years in 1851. It was a deeply unpopular tax and many fine houses were defaced with bricked-up windows as a method of avoidance of window tax payment. It was a tax on the amount of daylight allowed into a house, hence the term ‘daylight robbery’ which was used to describe it. Jigginstown House then may well predate 1696, due to the extensive number of blocked-up windows in this edifice.

My thanks to Ann McDonald for her assistance in this research.

My gratitude goes also to my daughter June, for her not inconsiderable patience and wordsmith skills.

Sources

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Survey Map: Fitzwilliam Giganstown (Jigginstown) Estate by Thomas Moland, 1728

Jigginstown Castle, Naas. Engraving by Greig from a drawing by G. Petrie (1820).