Lismore Castle Papers LISMORE CASTLE PAPERS DESCRIPTIVE LIST WATERFORD COUNTY ARCHIVES IE/WCA/PP/LISM 1 Lismore Castle Papers Repository Repository Name: Waterford County Archives Identity Statement Reference Code: IE WCA PP LISM Titles: Lismore Castle Estate Papers Dates: [1750]-31 December 1969 Level of Description: Fonds Extent: 208 boxes Creator Creators: Lismore Estate, Irish Estates of the Dukes of Devonshire Administrative History: Lismore Castle was the seat of the Dukes of Devonshire in Ireland. William, the 4th Duke of Devonshire (1720-1764) married Lady Charlotte Boyle (1731-1754), heiress of the 3rd Earl of Burlington and through this marriage the Irish estate mainly situated in counties Waterford and Cork became part of the estates of the Dukes of Devonshire. The Irish estates were administered from Lismore Castle, Lismore, County Waterford by agents living and working from Lismore Castle and responsible for all the Irish estates of the Dukes of Devonshire with a sub-agent located in Bandon to administer the lands and properties located in the areas surrounding Bandon in county Cork. The seat of the Dukes of Devonshire is Chatsworth in Derbyshire, England. The Dukes visited Lismore on occasion, in particular, to hunt and fish but were not permanent residents of Lismore Castle. Instead, the estate was administered by agents who were closely supervised by the Dukes of Devonshire through a series of detailed and, in some cases, daily, correspondence. During the period covered by these papers there were a number of holders of the title of Duke of Devonshire who held the Lismore estates. William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire (1748-1811) who married Lady Georgiana Spencer; William Spencer Cavendish, the 6th Duke (1790-1858), 2 Lismore Castle Papers known as the “Bachelor Duke”, who extensively remodeled Lismore Castle. The estate was then inherited by the 7th Duke, William Cavendish (1808-1891) who married Lady Blanche Howard, granddaughter of the Duchess Georgiana. Spencer Compton Cavendish 8th Duke (1833-1908) who married Louise von Alten. Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke (1868-1938) who married Lady Evelyn Fitzmaurice and Edward Cavendish 10th Duke (1895-1950) who married Lady Mary Cecil. For more information on the Dukes of Devonshire please see www.chatsworth.org.uk The agents for the duration of these papers were Colonel William Currey (1817-1839); Francis Edward Currey (1839-1885), assisted by his son Chetwode H. Currey when he fell ill or was away from Lismore; Robert H. Power (1885-1895); James Penrose (1895-1921) and Edward Beecher (1921-1936). During the 1930s Charles Cavendish, son of Victor , 9th Duke was resident at Lismore Castle and was managing the estate on behalf of his father and brother until his death in 1944. The sub- agents in Bandon were Alexander Swanston (c.1825-1852) and John R. Berwick (1852-c.1892). The agents in Ireland corresponded with, and submitted accounts for scrutiny and approval to, Francis Alfred Currey, agent in London and from 1916 to Alan McPherson, auditor. The agents were responsible for the administration of the estate but the decisions on the running of the estate were made by the Dukes of Devonshire using the detailed information provided by the agents. The Lismore estate became the Lismore Estates Company c. 1927 and members of the Cavendish family sat as members of the Board of the company. The company was administered with the assistance of Anthony Carroll, solicitor, Fermoy, co. Cork. Meetings were held to discuss the administration of the estate at Lismore Castle and in London. Archival History: This collection was held at Lismore Castle until 1983 when it was box listed by Anthony Malcolmson, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. The earlier part of the collection was 3 Lismore Castle Papers transferred to the National Library of Ireland and these papers were transferred to Waterford County Library’s store in Lismore. The papers stored in the County Library in Lismore were transferred to Waterford County Archives in Dungarvan, co. Waterford on its establishment in October 1998. In 2004 as part of a project to list the papers there was a meeting between Waterford County Archives and the National Library of Ireland to create a clearer method of dividing the parts of the collections held. A further visit was made to Lismore Castle to sort and collect papers that had not been removed in the 1980s and these were divided according to the method determined between WCA and NLI. Waterford County Archives holds the following: All Rental Books, Account Books and Legal Deeds from 1870 onwards Correspondence from 1885 (the end of FE Currey’s agency) Fishery records from any cases commenced after 1870 (any cases commenced prior to 1870 to be held in their entirety by the National Library) All Railway records All Tenant Application Books All Financial Vouchers Some records prior to the 1885 cut-off point were found inside the rental books or mixed among the financial vouchers and ledgers following the completion of the Descriptive List by the National Library of Ireland and, therefore, while prior to the 1885 date have been listed here. 12 letters (1797-1833) relating to Cooper Penrose, Woodhill, Cork have been transferred, with the consent of the depositor, to Cork City and County Archives where the Cooper Penrose Estate collection is held www.corkarchives.ie 2 receipts (21st March 1956) for Charles and Mrs. Gertrude Tisdall, Townley Hall, Drogheda, co. Louth have been transferred, with the consent of the depositor, to Louth Local Authority Archives www.louthcoco.ie Acquisition: Deposit of private collection 4 Lismore Castle Papers Content and Structure Scope and Content: This collection contains the administrative records of the Lismore estate. It includes records on the upkeep and running of Lismore Castle and Gardens, the Castle Farm, Woods, Mountains, Lismore Sawmills and the Blackwater Fishery. The collection includes records of the tenants on the estate, payment and non-payment of rents, fixing of fair rents, requests for repairs and improvements and the purchase by tenants of their farms under the Landed Estates Acts. The Tenant Application Books (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/169-201) record applications made by tenants for improvements on their farms and for assistance, such as assistance to emigrate. These records provide a source for the detailed history of many of the families and farms of counties Cork and Waterford and in many cases provide the only written evidence of the daily lives of these tenants. The Lismore Estate was also involved in a number of infrastructural improvements, including: the development of the Lismore Canal (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/437-476); the Lismore Water Supply Scheme (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/489), and the Lismore Gas and Coke Company (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/628-635). In particular, the Estate was a major investor in the development of the Railways. The Estate invested in the Lismore, Dungarvan and Waterford Railway (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/752-802) and the Fermoy and Lismore Railway (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/803-817) and the collection includes extensive correspondence on the introduction and management of the railways. The collection contains a number of maps of the railways and proposed routes. The collection includes records on the operation of the Blackwater Fishery by the Estate (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/636-694). There are extensive records of legal cases (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/695-726) regarding the Blackwater Fishery, the conservation of salmon on the river and the operation of drift net and rod fishing on the river. There are maps and records of salmon and grilse numbers in the river 5 Lismore Castle Papers (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/727-751) which would be of use to those studying the Blackwater and the conservation of fish stocks today. The collection also contains some records of the political situation in Ireland and the land question. There are records in relation to the provision of information from the estate for use by Lord Hartington in the House of Lords (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/841) and information supplied to William Gladstone on the Irish question (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/843). There are records in relation to the War of Independence, in particular, the burning of Lismore Courthouse (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/850) and Aghern Police Barracks (IE/WCA/LISM/842). From the will of the Earl of Cork in 1642 which set up the Lismore Endowed School (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/1786) and Youghal Endowed School (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/1793) to the twentieth century the Dukes of Devonshire and the Lismore Estate were supporters of schools and education. Many schools benefitted from the support of the estate and the collection includes records for a number of schools in counties Cork and Waterford. The collection also includes the interesting case to bring to an end the endowment of the Lismore and Youghal Endowed Schools by the will of the Earl of Cork (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/1805-1812). There are also charitable contributions to a number of other causes, such as, the Cabra School for the Deaf and the Protestant Orphanage. As the Dukes of Devonshire were also the Lay Improprietor of the tithes of many parishes and lands, the collection includes a great deal of correspondence and legal records of tithe rent charges and their collection (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/1143-1594). The estate also provided land for a number of church buildings and there are records of these lands and their transfer into Church hands (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/145-168). The financial records of the estate provide an interesting insight into the running of a large landed 6 Lismore Castle Papers estate in Ireland. There are records of the wages paid to staff (IE/WCA/PP/LISM/851/41), the payments to suppliers and the payments to tenants.