A Calendar of the Minutes & Records of Dungarvan Town Commissioners & Urban District Council WILLIAM FRAHER 1991. Ecprvan Ur5a.n District Council 1991. @ Dz-gz,rvan Museum Society Archive 1991. CWIGAR DEWZXEPK.NA?jTGATION . OF BRI3E & BLACKWTER ........... 246 . DUNGAISVA;; ELECTIONS 1902-1918 .................................. 251 . TENDERS 1895-1912 .............................................. 251- MISCELLAIXOUS PAPE3 A ......................................... 253 . MISCELLATZOUS PAPE3 E ......................................... 204 . APPENDIES LIST OF TCWN CLERKS 1855-1991 .................................. 273 . OLD LETEASHEADS............................................... 275 . REPOqT OF COUNEIL FZZTINGS ..................................... 276 . ARMS & SEAL OF DUNSRVAN ....................................... 277 . HISTORY & SALE OF ZWN HALL .................................... 279 . Introduction None of the early Corporation records survive among the present documents, all of which date from after 1855 when the Town Commissioners were established.Some of these earlier records may be included amongst the Lismore and Chatsworth papers. When the Old Narket House in Lower Main Street was sold by the Duke of Devonshire in 1861 other records may have been destroyed as the first floor of this building housed the Corporation rooms. A note in the Minutes dated April 1885 records that Edmond Keohan and and other Commissioners were to 'examine and class the papers in the office, to take proper steps for their preservationf.It is not clear whether these papers included any pre 1855 documents. There are several references throughout the minutes to the Letter Books, unfortunately these have not survived which is a great pity as they included letters from notable personalities and political figures. It is thought that other records were destroyed in the 1950s during an over enthusiastic clean out of the Town Hall in Friary Street. However some documents may have escaped destruction over the years and are now in private hands. In 1990 Dungarvan Museum came into possession of a large box of papers which appear to have been from among the papers of John Hunt of Bayview House, Ballinacourty,Dungarvan.Hunt had been solicitor to the Council from about 1870 to 1920. These papers are listed separately in this Calendar. In spite of the loss of the earlier records there is much of interest in what remains for those interested in the history of Dungarvan from 1855. Items covered in the documents and minutes include various railway projects, the new Gas Works in 1857,the building of the new Town Hal1,Bridge Street, the Cunnigar Bridge,Dui?garvan Tramway 1885,Moresby shipwreck,construction of new streets and houses,shipping records etc. The entries from the minute books included in this calendar are a selection of the more interesting items.Due to pressure of space I have not included a detailed listing of the Port Books but just the date of each and the type of information they contain.The earliest of them dates to I9l2,it is regretable that books before this date are not among the Town Hall records nor do they appear to be held in any of the National repositories.Charles Smith in his History of Co.Waterford 1746 refers to the Custom House Books dating from 1724 to 1744. The number at the start of each entry refers to the original page entry in the minute books. The minutes after l925 have not been copied. I have included some extracts from the Sanitary Minutes,these are worth further study as they provide insights into health and housing conditions in Dungarvan from 1874. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Mr.Gabrie1 Foley and his staff on the Fas scheme at King John's Castle for typing the manuscript. To Mr.Jack English for help in preparing the final copies. Dungarvan Museum Society and Dungarvan Urban District Council. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CORF'OFi!lTICN,TOWN COMMISSIONERS etc. OF DUNGARVAN According to an Act of Parliament held at Wexford under Edward IV in 1463 a Corporation was then in existence called:-'The Portreeve & Commons of the Town of Dungarvanl.The document stated -'As the Seigniory of Dungarvan was the most great and antient honor belonging to the King in Ireland,which through war etc.,was for the most part destroyed...it was ordained that the Portreeve and Commonalty may have and enjoy all manner of free grants, liberties,privileges and customs as the tenants and inhabitants of the honorable Manor of Clare in England enjoyed,with a further power to take customs of all kinds of merchandise bought and sold within the franchises as the Mayor and Comons of Bristol did,the profits to go to the reparation of the walls and towers under the survey of the Earl of Desmond'.1 In 1511 Jernlyn Tuke was Portreeve of Dungman.An interesting document dating from 1537 titled-'Presentment of the Tenants and Burgesses of the Manor of Dungarvan ? has the following list of Jurors :- Moses Taylor,Matthew Hore,William Nugent,Edward Hore Senr.,William Hore, Thorns Hore,John Nagle,Jacob Nugent,John PitzWilliam,John Collan,Patrick Gere,John Russel1,Teigh OIMolgan,Edward Hore junr. ,Edward Davies(Ihvis), Walter Power.It is interesting to note the numerous members of the Hore family (whose principal seat was Shandon ~ouse)and the single native Irish name. An Inquisition of March 7th 1566 by Michael PitzWilliam,General Surveyor of Ireland noted that the Borough had several lands and houses to the value of 3 4 £203 per an. In 1582 James Hore was Provost and James Nagle was Portreeve. 6 In 1591 Patrick Goegh5 was Attorney for Seisin and by August 1602 he was Portreeve. This is probably the 'Patriche Goughl who is commemorated on a stone dated 1615 which is now incorporated into a house at No.24 Church Street. 7 James the I granted a charter to Dungaman on January 4th 1609/1610. This charter refers to the Act of 1463.1t states that there should be a corporate body within the borough consisting of a Sovereign,Brethren and &ee Burgesses. The Brethren to be twelve,the Sovereign to be one and they should be elected from the Free Burgesses,the rest of the Burgesses to be elected from'the more honest and best deserving of the inhabitants' by the Sovereign and Brethren when they think fit:Named The Sovereign & Brethren & &ee Burgesses of the Borough of Dungarvan'. The Sovereign and Brethren were given power to elect a Sovereign from among themselves anually.The Sovereign,Brethren and Free Burgesses could adopt by letters patent and under their sea1,a person to be Recorder and appoint a Town Clerk-'to hold his office during good behaviour and two Serjeants at Mace and a water bailiff', The charter also granted the power to hold a Court of DIOyer Hundred twice a year for making Bye Laws.The Sovereign,and Recorder to be Justices of the Peace in the borough and of Co.Waterford.A Court of Record was to be held every Monday.The Sovereign was to be Escheator,Assay Master,Clerk of the Market and Coroner of the B0rough.A Court Leet was to be held twice a year. 'They should have in the said Court the assize of bread and all the other victuals coming to be sold'. The Sovereign was to obtain all fines etc. from the Court Leet for the repair of the walls. Two weekly markets could be held on Wednesday and Saturday and two fairs,one to be held on the Feast of St.Barnabos and the following two days,and the other on the feast of St.Simon and St.Jude and the following two days.They could also hold Courts of Pied Poudre.The Corporation were also to build a gaol. They were given the office of Admiral with control over the coast from Rynemenard near Ardmore to Stradbally,and could hold a Court of Admiralty and keep the profits from same.The charter also granted the use of the customs of murage, cranage,keyage,anchorage and lastage of all merchandises imported and exported to and from the port.Also the great and petty customs,payment of l/- in the pound for all merchandise imported or exported. The grant concludes by creating a Corporation of the Staple with the same power as that in Dublin. & The following burgesses are mentioned in a Transplanter's certificate of 1653- Patrick Ruesel1,James How Fitzthomas,Thomas Gough,John Coppingerfthe younger', and Michel Hore. The charter was renewed by Richard Cromwell in April 1659 at the request of 9 Richard Harris.A further charter was granted by James I1 in April 15 1689. The Corporation was to consist of Sovereign and 22 burgesses,a Recorder and Town Clerk,the latter to be appointed by the Chief Governor of Ireland. There were also to be three serjeants and a water bailiff.Charles Smith says that'these privileges were not long enjoyed,for upon the coming in of King William,the Charters of King Jmes being granted after his abdication,became uselessl.Smith also refers to the value of the borough lands mentioned in the 10 Inquisition of 1566 'which are now(1746)set at five times as much'. The Reports from the Commissioners on Municipal Corporations of Ireland 1833 pointed out that this ~harter(l689)~rovedthe existence of a Corporation in Dungarvan up until c.1689. However,it seems the Corporation had ceased to exist even before this date.Sir Richard Cox writing in the 1680s noted that'the town 11 is a decayed corporation which still sends Burgesses to Parliament'. The Commissioners report of 1833 has the following statement:- 'we examined one gentlem,of very great age,a native of this town,who stated that he had never known or conversed with any person who recollected the existence of a Corporation,or any Corporate officer in the townf.