How did my Irish ancestors survive the Potato Blight and Famine years
1845-1852 ?
During the Blight and Famine period, my Irish ancestors resided in the Townland
of Aughrim, in the parish of Murher , County Kerry. I believe my GGGF was
probably a Richard Stack born in Ballincluhir, Parish Lixnaw in 1821. There is a
high probability his wife was a Hanora Riordan of Kilbaha, Parish Listowel born in
1816. The Irish genealogical site (http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/) baptismal
records indicate that they had three male children, Patrick b:1844, Michael
b:1853 and Richard Stack b:1856, my GGF. All of the Stack children were born in
Aughrim. Hanora Riodan had a brother, Patrick, who was also born in Aughrim in
1822. The Griffith’s valuation ( http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/)
shows that a Richard Stack occupied plot no 26 and a Patrick Riordan occupied
plot no 29 in Aughrim in 1851. Plots 26 and 29 are adjacent indicating that
Richard Stack probably married the proverbial girl next door. The plot 29 Patrick
Riordan could be either Hanora’s Father or her brother.
Richard and Hanora had a nine year gap between their first and second born
children which coincides with the Blight and Famine years (B&F) which begs the
question of how did they survive and did any of their children perish? It was
apparent that Richard and Hanora were relatively poor land leased farmers as
the Griffith’s valuation indicates that their rented plot consisted of a House and
only two acres of ground 1, see Table 1. The valuation ( the annual rental value)
was one pound 5 shillings (20 shillings per pound) for the land and 5 shillings for
the house. Furthermore, the 1901 Irish Census indicates that their son Richard
b:1856 (my GGF) occupies a one room house at 6 Ahalana, Newtownsandes
parish Murher (Moyvane) with eight other family members. The census describes
the building as constructed of walls of mud or wood and roof of wood or thatch.
The building had one front window.
One would suppose that if Richard and Hanoria suffered malnutrition during the
B&F years it likely would have affected their fertility. Alternatively they may have
had children that did not survive the B&F years. The recently made available
book. . .
Teampall Ban Aspects of the Famine in north Kerry, 1845-1852
by John D Pierse (Ref 1)
. . .indicates that 55% of the B&F related deaths were to children under the age of
15. The author lists other pertinent statistics on the deaths in Northern Kerry.
The southern barony of Clanmaurice was hardest hit with a decrease in
population from 1841 to 1851 of almost 36%. In the northern barony of
Iraghticonnor, the decrease in population was only 5.4% but Parish Murhur was
one of the hardest hit with a population decrease of 26%, some 868 people ,and
a loss of 153 houses 2. Consulting the Griffiths valuation, I counted some 321
plots in Parish Murher in 1851, near the end of the B&F period. Assuming that
there was one house per plot I would estimate that approximately 25% to 30 %
of the houses in Murhur Parish were destroyed. Evictions were made to expel
tenants that were not paying the rent but were more likely the result of
converting the land from crops to more profitable sheep or cattle grazing which
required less manpower. England could then get corn cheaper from the
Caribbean and Russia versus Ireland and reduce the price for their appetite for
beef . The land owners would evict the tenants and destroy the houses to
discourage the tenants from staying on 3. Ref (2) states that the hardest hit
counties affected by the B&F were Kerry and Mayo.
Some of the population decrease was due to emigration 4, and strangely enough
Listowel parish had almost a 53% increase in population over the same time
period indicating a migration from rural North Kerry to the counties where there
were workhouses. There must have also been some children born that survived
the B&F years which makes the B&F related mortality difficult to determine.
Many emigrants also died in transit either on the “Coffin Ships” or once they
arrived at their destinations of primarily the USA, Canada and Australia. Ref (3)
states that it was common for the mortality rate on the “Coffin” Ships to be 30% 5.
The Ref (1) author estimates that some 2000 to 3000 destitute people went to
the Listowel Work 6 House to get food and died. The Listowel parish workhouse is
adjacent to Murher. Murher residents could also have gone to workhouses in
the parishes of Galey and Kilnaughtin and Glin (after 1850). The nameless dead
were buried in mass graves without coffins , one of which is Teampall Ban near
Listowel. There were probably no records kept of the dead.
Unfortunately the Teampall Ban book did not break down the B&F deaths any
finer than by Parish , and in particular no clue for my ancestors in the Townland
of Aughrim.
In the Appendix to Ref (1) Teampall Ban. . . . , the author states that
“The majority of us living in north Kerry today are descended from people who
survived the Famine in the area. The subscription lists (persons who donated to
charity for the destitute B&F victims) printed here are the best available indicator
of what was done locally to help those most affected by the calamity.”
For Parish Murher, I compiled the following subscriber Stack forenames from Ref
( 1) that contributed typically between 10 shillings and one pound in 1846.
Murher: Pat (Possibly Richard’s brother), Edmond, James (2),
Maurice, Edw, John
Table 1 lists all of the Stack occupants of Murher in 1851 along with the acreage
they rented and the total annual valuation of their rented plots and houses. The
Stack “subscribers “ appear to be of some means which probably helped to
enable my ancestor, Richard Stack of minimal means, to survive the B&F period.
A donation of one pound is no small sum back then as the annual rental fee for
Richard’s house, plot 26, was 5 shillings. Ref (1) cites the daily wage for an Irish
peasant during the B&F period as eight pence a day! (There were 12 pence per
shilling)
Other large subscribers were Trinity College, 50 pounds, and a Rev Richard
FitzGerald, 5 pounds, who was the rent collector ( lessor) for Aughrim according
to the Griffith’s valuation. He collected the rent for St John T Blacker Esq (a
prominent landowner in the Listowel Poor Law Union (Ref (1) )and lived on plot
9. There is also a Church Education Society (CES) school house on plot No 9 at
the Aughrim site which is listed as a tax exclusion and Rev R Fitzgerald was
probably in charge of the CES school operation as well as rent collector. The CES
is a body that promoted the Anglican church in the primary schools of Ireland
after 1839.
Another Murher family name that had significant subscribers for B&F relief were
the Mulvihills. My GGM’s mother’s maiden name was Mulvihill and my GF
(Richard Stack b:1881) when he immigrated to the USA in 1907 listed his
destination to be that of his cousin, Dan Mulvihill in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Several Connors in Murher were cited as subscribers in Ref (1). The Griffith’s
valuation correlates well with the same Connor forenames and several were
renters of substantial land. Richard’s aunt, Margaret Connor, occupied a house
on Richard’s plot 26 and his mother was Catherine Connor, Margaret’s twin
sister.
In Knockanure Parish, the following Stacks were listed as subscribers for the B&F
relief:
Knockanure: Patt, Garrett, Tho, William, Phillip
In Listowel Parish the following Stacks were listed as subscribers:
Listowel: Robert, James, Edward
The largest subscriber was the Rt Hon Earl of Listowel, 300 pounds!
There were numerous other Stack subscribers from the Barony of Clanmaurice
Ballybunnion: Eyre Massey Stack
Ballylongford: Garrett, Phillip, James (2), Maurice (2), Mrs, Patt
Killury & Rattoo: Robert
Kilshinane & Kilfeighny: Robert (Irramore), Maurice (2), John (2), Garett, Ja, Wm,
Tho, Widow, Rob, Mic, Bob
Kiltomy: Maurice
Table 1 Griffith’s Valuation list of Stacks in Parish Murher in 1851.
http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/kerry/murher.htm
Surname Forename
Townland
Parish County Acres
Ref:
Stack
Stack
Stack
Stack
Stack
Edmond *
Johanna
Bridget
Edmond *
Maurice *
Gortdromasillahy
Gortdromasillahy
Moyvane North
Moyvane South
Moyvane South
Stack
Stack
Stack
Stack
Stack
Stack
Stack
Edmond *
James *
John
*
Michael
Michael
Patrick * 2
Richard 1
Kilbaha Middle
Bauragoogeen
Leitrim Middle
Moyvane South
Murher
Drommurher
Aughrim
Murher
Murher
Murher
Murher
Murher
Murher
Murher
Murher
Murher
Murher
Murher
Murher
Kerry
Kerry
Kerry
Kerry
Kerry
Kerry
Kerry
Kerry
Kerry
Kerry
Kerry
Kerry
Value
191
#51
0 (house)
0 (house)
( Shared with Maurice)
170
# 48 95s
0 (house)
-0 (house)
5s
37
# 10 14s
0 (house) -30
#6
5s
41
#24
10 s
2
#1
10 s
1 My GGGF Richard Stack b:1821 on my mother’s side
2 Possibly Richard Stack’s brother b 1826
* Murher Stack Subscribers who made charitable contributions during the Potato Blight
and Famine period in 1846 per Reference 1.
All of the townlands listed above are within five miles of Aughrim.
There were several Stacks cited for their service in the Ref (1) book which I will
briefly summarize :
Workhouse orphaned girls (in preference to males) were encouraged to emigrate
to Australia with free passage: Margaret Stack of Kiltomey in 1849 (pg 57) and a
Mary Stack in 1850 (pg 58)
Mother Mary Augustine Stack, last of the founding nuns of Listowel Convent (pg
77)
Folklore story relating the B&F suffering by Pat Stack of Murher told by Nurse
Stack of Newtownsandes (pg 84). My probable GGGF, Richard Stack of
Ballincluhir b:1816, had a brother named Patrick Stack b:1826. Both Richard and
a Patrick Stack are shown residing in Parish Murher in 1851 in Griffith’s valuation.
My GF emigrated from Newtownsandes in 1907.
A Pat Stack is listed as a storekeeper in Listowel in 1849 (pg 110). Storekeepers
distributed cooked food as outdoor relief (non workhouse) 7.
A Thomas stack is also listed as a storekeeper at Ballybunion in 1849.
Rob Stack is listed as an elected member of the Board of Guardians of the
Listowel (Poor Law Union ) (pg 97). The Board of Guardians collected rates
(money/food) to run the workhouse and distribute food to the destitute.
John Stack, Esq is listed as a principal land holder in the Listowel (Poor Law) Union
(pg 166). He does not appear to be a direct lessor in Murher Parish according to
the Griffith’s valuation data. He could be an absentee land owner, either English
or Anglo Irish.
The Ref (1) author states that Sir Charles Edward Trevelyan, the Assistant
Secretary to the Treasury of Britain initially (in a letter) made an appeal to the
Empires wealthy for pity and charitable assistance for the poor of Western Ireland
in 1847. However, the thesis of another book I read on the B&F, Ref (2),
indicates that Trevelyan was the chief architect of the British policy (or lack there
of) for the B&F period going as far as accusing the British of genocide. The Ref
(2) author quotes a John Mitchell as having said. . . .
“God sent the blight but the English created the Famine”.
Conclusion: I could not determine exactly how my ancestors survived the B&F
period. Did they receive charity from other Stacks, Mulvihills or Connors or was
the man of God, Rev R Fitzgerald the lessor of Aughrim, that helped them? They
could also have spent some time in a workhouse. I once read in a book about the
Universe how very improbable it is that any one of us walks the earth today,
considering history’s long list of wars, pestilence, drought and disease. Having
acquainted myself with the B&F period of Irish history, I have a much better
appreciation of how fortunate I am to have had Irish ancestors that were so
resilient to adversity.
James Richard (Stack) Beard July 2015
Notes:
1) From Ref (2) chapter 2, the author states that “a farmer and his wife could
get sufficient potatoes to live from . . . . .two acres.” Ireland had 135, 000
plots of one acre or less in 1845 out of almost one million plots.
Subdivision of the lots was blamed as part of Ireland’s population / food
shortage problem. For example, lots were subdivided by farmers to
provide a dowry for a daughter. My ancestor, Richard Stack b: 1821 lived
on his two acre plot with a second house occupied by a Margaret Connor.
His baptismal record shows his mother to be a Catherine Connor and one of
his sponsors (God Parent) was a Margaret Connor. The Irish Co. Kerry
Baptismal records show a Margaret and Catherine Connor as twins born to
John Connor and Catherine Doody of Tralee in 1793. Richard probably had
to provide food for his wife, his first son Patrickb:1844 and probably for his
Aunt, Margaret Connor, from his two acre plot.
2) From Ref 2 Chapter 1 there were 8,175,124 Irish in the 1841 census. From
1841 to 1851 the official census lists 985,000, deaths. The author noted
that some respected historians placed the death toll at more like 1.9
million. From the list of events in Ref 2, the population decrease from 1841
to 1851 due to deaths and emigration was quoted as 1,643,000 which is
about a 20% reduction in population.
3) 20,000 Irish were evicted in 1850, Ref 2 list of events.
4) The Ref (2) list of events states that 210,000 Irish emigrated in 1850 and
250,000 in 1852.
5) “It was said that sharks could be seen following the ships, because so many
bodies were thrown overboard”, Ref (3) .
6) There were 81 workhouses throughout Ireland, Ref (2) In 1849 there were
250,000 souls in the workhouses, Ref (2) list of events. Listowel workhouse
numbers peak at 5000 in 1850, Ref (1) list of events.
7) There were 3 million Irish receiving soup in 1847, Ref ( 2) list of events
References:
1) Teampall Ban Aspects of the Famine in north Kerry 1845-1852, John D
Pierse, 2014, Listowel Tidy Towns Committee
2) The Famine Plot,England’s Role in Ireland’s Greatest Tragedy, Tim Pat
Coogan, 2012, by Palgrave Macmillan
3) En.m.wikipedia.org
Eviction
Note the lad on the right center has no shoes.
My GGF Richard Stack b:1856 of Aughrim, Parish Moyvane(Murher) and his wife
Margaret McCarthy
My GF Richard Stack b: 1881 of Ahalana, Newtownsandes,Parish Moyvane
Returning to Ireland in 1959 aboard the USS America
(Pop had a much more comfortable ride than his immigration passage aboard the
Umbria in 1907)
Irish Cottage on Lissadell estate circa 1911