The Great Famine

By 1845 the population of Ireland had Although there had will, but to the prevailing been famines in Ireland ideologies of the time. risen to around 8.5 million people. This previously, the Great Famine Principal amongst these was due to a number of reasons including (1845–50) had a severe and was the doctrine of laissez- economic prosperity in response to new lasting impact due to the faire, which meant that failure of the potato crop in the government did not overseas markets, sub-division of land, over- successive years. intervene in the internal reliance on the potato as a foodstuff and market or in the export of a fall in mortality due to better systems of The response to the agricultural produce. famine by the British healthcare. Government has been Over a million people died in viewed as inadequate by Ireland either of starvation historians. The reasons for or due to the illnesses the government’s response associated with hunger are complex, and were not because of the famine and only due to lack of political around 1,800,000 people emigrated.

Trevor Hill, Newry, 1829 Print by T.M. Baynes. Newry and Mourne Museum Collection

Newry was a commercial and industrial centre on the eve of the famine, with an educated class ranging from lawyers, clergy, merchants and business people with an interest in politics and welfare.

Bessbrook Mill, c. 1880s Regulations for Trevor Corry Charity, 1823 Newry and Mourne Museum Collection Newry and Mourne Museum Collection

John Grubb Richardson’s linen-spinning enterprise was In the early 19th century private charities established at Bessbrook, near Newry in 1845. Like most were often the only source of help in times other Irish Quakers, the Richardson family were involved of hardship. The Corry Charity arose from a in famine relief. By January 1847, there was ‘lamentable bequest left by Sir Trevor Corry of Newry. destitution’ in Forkhill’, and Newry Workhouse was ‘closed for the admission of paupers’.

Ag freastal ar an Dún agus Ard Mhacha Theas Serving Down and South Armagh Outbreak of potato blight

For over half the population of Ireland the Potato blight, a fungal Armagh in October 1845. infection, was first The Downpatrick Recorder potato was the main or only source of food. noticed in Ireland in early reported blight in early By the 1840s, sub-division of land was September 1845. It had November of the same year. widespread among the poorest people and travelled from continental Europe to Ireland, and the By December 1845 county some farms became so small that potatoes damp, sunless summer of Armagh had lost one fifth of were the only crop that could be grown in that year quickly spread the the crop and county Down sufficient quantities to feed a family. disease. It rotted the potato one quarter. The following crop making approximately year blight destroyed a third unfit for human around three-quarters of consumption. the Irish potato crop. In 1847 not enough potato Potato blight was recorded seed had survived to plant, by a member of the and yield was meagre. Newtownhamilton Relief Failures occurred again in Committee in south 1848 and 1849.

Map of Lower Ballyholland, Newry, 1813 Newry and Mourne Museum Collection

Extract from a Kilmorey estate map showing the plots held by ‘cottiers’ in the townland of Ballyholland in 1813. Cottiers were often paid in land rather than cash for labouring on tenant farmers’ land, and used these small plots to grow potatoes.

James Harshaw (1797–1867) Photograph courtesy of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

James Harshaw of Donaghmore, Newry, kept a diary from the 1830s to the 1860s in which he recorded the appearance of potato blight in the locality. The diaries are held in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

Kilkeel Workhouse, pictured in the 1970s Courtesy of Myrtle Irvine

Due to the severe distress caused by the total failure of the potato crop, Kilkeel Board of Guardians decided in October 1846 to provide a meal in the workhouse to families from Kilkeel, Mourne Park, Greencastle, Ballykeel and Mullartown.

Ag freastal ar an Dún agus Ard Mhacha Theas Serving Down and South Armagh Famine Relief

The Irish Poor Law of 1838 had set up Criticisms were levelled at By 1847 soup kitchens the public work schemes had been opened in mechanisms for helping poor people including as people were often Downpatrick, Saul, Killough, the establishment of workhouses, with 130 weakened by starvation or Seaforde, Saintfield and built in Ireland. However, poor relief legislation disease and unable to work. Ballee in county Down. Forkhill Relief Committee In 1847 Newry Relief was not designed to cope with a prolonged complained in January 1847 Committee was feeding famine. A Relief Commission was formed in that only one tenth of the over 1,100 people from their November 1845 to oversee relief efforts which district’s 1,220 labourers soup kitchens. had been employed in included public work schemes and outdoor public works. relief such as soup kitchens.

John Waring Maxwell (1788–1869) Dr. Michael Blake (1775–1860) Down County Museum Newry and Mourne Museum Collection John Waring Maxwell of Finnebrogue, Downpatrick The Catholic Bishop of contributed to the Ballee Dromore, Dr. Blake helped Relief Fund. A farmer with famine relief in Newry and landlord, he was in the harsh winter of chairman of Down 1846/1847. A newspaper Protestant Association account of 5 December and Conservative MP for 1846 reported that Downpatrick. The Ballee ‘… every morning the Relief Fund, established benevolent prelate supplies in January 1847, provided a great number of destitute relief for about 600 children with breakfast – individuals before it closed their sole support…’. in August 1847.

Famine relief ticket Courtesy of Libraries Northern Ireland

In an effort to alleviate the poverty and distress of local families in Donaghmore, near Newry, a local relief committee was formed in December 1846. This relief ticket was issued to Betty Carr of Ardkeragh and her four children, who are listed as destitute.

In Crossgar, county Down, The Downpatrick Recorder dated 30 January 1847 drew attention to the consequence of ‘patchy’ relief schemes:

‘There are about 240 persons in this village in an utterly destitute state... A benevolent gentleman in the neighbourhood made an effort to establish a soup kitchen there, but in vain. He wrote to the proprietor of the town, and also to the several owners of property adjacent, and just two had the common civility to reply... The gentleman... finding his efforts unavailing, returned the money to the donors... ’

Ag freastal ar an Dún agus Ard Mhacha Theas Serving Down and South Armagh Emigration

The famine gave rise to a significant Some emigrants had ‘Hannah’ which sailed from better experiences than Warrenpoint to Quebec, increase in emigration. Emigrants from others. Newspaper Canada. Approximately south Ulster and north Leinster left accounts describe the good 170 people were on board, Warrenpoint for St John’s, New Brunswick accommodation on board most of whom were from ships owned by Francis Forkhill in south Armagh. in Canada, New York, or Liverpool. Known Carvill. A letter written on After hitting an iceberg in as ‘coffin ships’, emigrant ships were often behalf of the passengers the Gulf of St. Lawrence overcrowded, inadequately provided on board his ship, the on 29 April 1849, the ship ‘Brothers’, which arrived in sank with the loss of forty- with food or clean water and became New York on 31 May 1849, nine lives. Contemporary synonymous with sickness and disease. thanked Captain Sullivan for accounts attach blame Many emigrants died on the voyage. their safe passage. to Captain Shaw who abandoned the passengers Particularly appalling and made his way to the was the experience of life-boat. emigrants on board the

Extracts from the Plan showing Warrenpoint docks, 1840s Newry and Mourne Museum Collection Kilmorey Estate rentals Warrenpoint was the deep water port for Townland: Newry. During the famine emigrants bought their Lisdrumliska tickets in Newry and Date: travelled to Warrenpoint. May 1849 Thom’s Directory recorded that a total of 1,947 Tenant: emigrated to the United Isaac C. Cowan States and Canada from Newry in 1847: many more ‘Grazing of this lot let for travelled to Liverpool and £9.10.0 for the season. The from there onwards to tenant, after disposing of North America or Australia. his crop, abandoned his wife and four children and fled to America. It was Poster advertising the sailing of the ‘Lady Caroline’ from Warrenpoint to supposed another tenant New Brunswick, Canada, 1847 would have offered for the Newry and Mourne Museum Collection farm and paid the arrears, Local merchants such as £48 having been given by Francis Carvill, based in Cowan for it, but owing to Newry, acted as emigration the depressed state of the agents for those able to escape the effects of the times, no one would do so. famine. The ‘Lady Caroline’ Rent and arrears lost.’ arrived at St. John, New Brunswick on Friday 23rd July 1847 with 103 Townland: passengers. A letter written Lisdrumgullion to the Emigration Office Date: at St. John noted that ‘… neither sickness or death May 1850 occurred on board this Tenant: vessel during the voyage…’. Samuel Glenny ‘Arrear due by Samuel Glenny lost £3.1.8. who in October 1848 went to reside in Liverpool and since became a bankrupt.’

Townland: Ballynacraig Date: November 1851 Tenant: Arthur Atkinson ‘Arrear lost due by former tenant who has emigrated to Australia’.

Ag freastal ar an Dún agus Ard Mhacha Theas Serving Down and South Armagh Aftermath

The famine left Ireland changed unrecognisably, socially and economically, The famine was a key event in John Mitchel’s career with the population never again reaching and his political views were pre-famine levels. No part of Ireland was radicalised by worsening unscathed. conditions suffered by people during the winter of 1847–8. His publications In Ulster, the famine years In Forkill Civil Parish, south argue that the famine was coincided with the decline Armagh, the population, not primarily a natural of the domestic linen in 1841, was 7,805 and, by disaster but a deliberate industry and a downturn 1851, this had declined attempt to exterminate the in the linen trade, leaving to 5,743. Irish peasantry to ensure many families vulnerable. that Ireland would be easier Census figures for 1851 The famine and potato John Mitchel (1815–1875) to govern. His writings have Courtesy of the Public Record Office reveal that the population blight began to show signs of Northern Ireland had a deep resonance with of Ulster dropped by of waning in 1850–51, Irish Nationalism. 340,000 or 15.7%. but by then death and emigration had irrevocably Locally, the population of changed the social structure the area administered by of Irish society and the Lack of government the Downpatrick Poor Law agricultural landscape. leadership in dealing with Union declined by about Mass evictions had seen the effects of the famine 14,000 between 1841 families forced from their lead some to call for a repeal and 1851. Most of this holdings: ‘cottier’ and of the Act of Union with population loss was due to landless labourer classes Britain. A local landlord, emigration. were decimated and estates Captain Thomas Seaver burdened by debt were sold. of Heath Hall, Killeavy, The famine left a legacy of south Armagh, presided at continuous emigration and a Repeal meeting held in accelerated the decline of Newry in March 1848. He the Irish language. was also Chairman of the Jonesborough and Killeavy Relief Committee, and Thomas Seaver (1789–1848) died of typhoid fever after Courtesy of Armagh visiting Newry Workhouse. County Museum

Encumbered Estates Rental, 1850 Newry and Mourne Museum Collection

In the years following the famine, large landed estates were often burdened with debt and were sold by the Encumbered Estates Commissions. Title page for the sale of the Ross Estate, Rostrevor, county Down.

Ag freastal ar an Dún agus Ard Mhacha Theas Serving Down and South Armagh