Abbeyville

Information taken from a variety of official documents

Research: Eileen Keane, Abbey Heritage

Abbeyville Townland

Abbeyville, Townland, Town, Homestead, Monastery

Abbeyville is situated in the civil parish of Ballynakill, in the electoral district of Abbeyville, in the barony of Leitrim and in the County of Galway.  It is located in the the north east end of the civil parish of Ballynakill and it is about one and a half miles north north east of Woodford.

O’Donovan’s field name books (1838) states that the standard name for the townland is Abbeyville and its Irish form is Baile na Mainistreach. The translation of the name is given as townland, town, homestead and monastery.  O’Donovan’s field name books states that there is a reference to Abbeyville in the following documents: Hyath. Clarke, Esq., Larkin’s County Map, and B.S. Sketch.

The Down Survey Map of Ireland 1641 (pre Cromwell) states that the owners of the townland of Abbeyville in 1640 was the Earl of Clanrickard.  The Down Survey of Ireland states that the Earl of Clanrickard was a protestant and that he continued to own the land in 1670.  According to the Down Survey of Ireland, the names assigned to the townland was Linn alias Connereogh.

TITHE APPLOTMENT BOOKS

The Tithe Applotment Books were compiled between 1823 and 1837 in order to determine the amount which occupiers of agricultural holdings over one acre should pay in tithes to the Church of Ireland. The land was measured in Irish acres or plantation acres at the time and this equated to 1.6198 English acres.

The Tithe Applotment for the townland of Abbeyville was undertaken in 1834. It states that the townland of Abbeyville was in the parish of Ballinakill and in the Diocese of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh.

There was 1 proprietor in the townland at this time, namely: James O’Hara Esq.

According to the Tithe Applotment Books, James O’Hara Esq held 54 acres 1 rood of land which was occupied by 8 tenants. The following is an account of the tenants’ landholdings, the value of their acres, the amount of composition of the tithe and how this was dispersed among the church hierarchy:

Anthony Finn held 10 acres of land that was valued at £1 5s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £12 10s. He paid 7s 6d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 11¼d and the Dean got 4s 8¼d which was a total of 5s 7½d.

Bryan Huband held 6 acres of land that was valued at £1 7s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £8 2s. He paid 4s 10¾d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 7½d and the Dean got 3s ½d which was a total of 3s 8d.

Thos (Thomas) Kelly held 13 acres of land that was valued at £1 50s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £16 5s. He paid 9s 8½d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 1s 2½d and the Dean got 6s ¾d which was a total of 7s 3¼d.

Thos (Thomas) Conry held 2 acres of land that was valued at £1 4s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £2 8s. He paid 1s 5½d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 2d and the Dean got 11¼d which was a total of 1s 1¼d.

Michl (Michael) Flynn held 5 acres of land that was valued at £1 5s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £6 5s. He paid 3s 9¼d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 5¾d and the Dean got 2s 4¼d which was a total of 2s 10d.

Thos (Thomas) Ryan held 3 acres 1 rood of land that was valued at £1 5s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £4 1s 3d. He paid 2s 5¼d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 3¾d and the Dean got 1s 6¼d which was a total of 1s 10d.

Owen Madden held 4 acres 2 roods of land that was valued at £1 4s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £5 8s. He paid 3s 3¼d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 5¼d and the Dean got 2s ¼d which was a total of 2s 5½d.

Michl (Michael) Burke held 10 acres 2 roods of land that was valued at £1 7s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £14 3s 6d. He paid 8s 6½d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 1s 1d and the Dean got 5s 3¾d which was a total of 6s 4¾d.

1851 Old Age Pension Census Search Forms

Michael Murrey(sic) Application number Q/21 6569

The applicant Michael Murrey with an address Abbeyville, Abbey P.O., Loughrea applied for the Old Age Pension on 19th October 1921.  According to Michael, his parents were Michael Murrey and Mary Downy.  He further stated that his address in 1851 was Abbeyville.  Extract from the census return reveals that Ballygowan was also an option to try.  The form states that they gleaned information from the Census Returns of 1851 and that his parents got married in 1846 but it also revealed that a son by the name of Michael was not found on that form.  The application form showed that his application fee of 2/- was refunded thus indicating that he was not successful in obtaining the Old Age Pension at this time.

Griffiths Valuation 1855

According to Griffith’s Valuation 1855, the townland of Abbeyville contained 95 acres and 4 perches of land therefore, it stated that Margaret E Pilkington leased 95 acres and 1 rood, to the following tennants: Thomas Conry, Michael Flynn, Peter Larkin and Patrick Moran. The overall rent paid was £64-5-0.

Thomas Coury(sic) paid a total annual valuation rate of £9-15-0 for house, office and land.  Michael Flynn paid a total annual valuation of £6-5-0 for land.  Peter Larkin paid a total annual valuation rate of £37-15-0 for houses, offices and land.  Patrick Moran paid a total annual valuation rate of £10-10-0 for house, offices and land.

Census 1901

There were seven inhabited houses at the time of the 1901 census with 37 inhabitants.  There were 18 males and 19 females and all were Roman Catholics.  The head of households were Thomas Finn, Mary Moran, Catherine Kelly, Michael Murray, Anthony Renehan, Thomas Maloney and John Hutchinson.  All occupants were born in County Galway.

The B1 census form showed that all of the houses in Abbeyville were built and listed as private dwellings.  Most of the house roofs were made of perishable material while most of the house walls were made of permanent material.  The B2 Form showed that there were a total of 15 farm buildings consisting of 3 stables, 2 cow houses, 6 piggeries, 2 fowl houses and 2 sheds.

Thomas Finn was 69 years old.  He was married to Jane Finn and she was 62 years old. He was a farmer who could write and he could speak Irish and English.  Jane could read and write and she spoke English.  Also living in the house was his son David.  He was 16 years old and he could read and write and he spoke English.  Mary Cooke who was a visitor, was 28 years old and she was a domestic servant.  She could read and write and she spoke English.  She was not married.  Thomas Finn’s house was a 2nd class house with 4 front windows and there were 5 rooms.  His farm consisted of 1 stable and 1 piggery.  Michael Downey was the landholder on whose holding the house was situated.

Mary Moran, a widow was 45 years old.   She lived with 3 sons and 2 daughters.  Michael was 24 years old, Patrick was 19 years old, James was 17 years old, Bridget was 13 years old and Mary Ann was 7 years old.  Mary could speak Irish and English.  She was listed as a farmer.  All of the children were listed as farm servants except for Mary Ann who was listed as a scholar.  All of the children could read and write and Michael and Patrick could speak Irish and English.  James, Bridget and Mary Ann could speak English.  Mary’s house was a 3rd class house with 3 front windows and there were 3 rooms.  Mary owned the land on which her house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house and 1 shed.

Catherine Kelly, a widow was 80 years old.  She could speak Irish and English.  She was listed on the census form as a farmer and she had 1 son, Patrick who was 50 years old.  He could read and he could speak English.  Catherine lived in a 3rd class house with 2 front windows and there were 3 rooms. Catherine owned the land on which her house was situated along with 1 piggery and 1 fowl house.

Michael Murray was 40 years old.  He was married to Bridget who was 38 years old.  He was a farmer.  Bridget’s occupation was not listed on the Census Form A.  They lived with 3 daughters and 2 sons.  Mary was 15 years old and her occupation was not recorded on the Census Form A.  Delia, Thomas and John Joe were listed as scholars.  Delia was 11 years old.  Margaret was 3 years old.  Thomas M was 13 years old.  John Joe was 9 years old.  All of the Murray family could read and write except for Margaret and they all spoke English.  The Murray family lived in a 3rd class house with 2 front windows and there were 2 rooms.  Michael owned the land on which his house was situated along with 1 stable and 1 piggery.

Anthony Renehan was 53 years old.  He was listed as a farmer and a tailor.  He could read and write and he could speak Irish and English.  He lived with his niece Mary Tuohey who was 19 years old.  She could read and write and she spoke English.  Mary’s occupation was not listed on the Census Form A.  Anthony Renehan’s house was listed as 2nd class with 3 front windows and there were 4 rooms.  Margaret Cavanagh, Dublin owned the land on which the house was situated along with 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 shed.

Thomas Maloney was 72 years old.  He worked as a labourer.  He could not read and he could speak Irish and English.  He was married to Bridget who was 72 years old.  They lived with 1 daughter Bridget who was 32 years old, 1 son George who was 30 years old and 1 grandson Thomas Larkin who was 11 years old.  Also listed in the household at the time of the census was a lodger named Martin McDonagh, a widower who was 90 years old.  He was a tinsmith and he spoke Irish and English.  Bridget was a domestic servant whilst George worked as a labourer.  Bridget and George could not read and they spoke Irish and English.  Thomas Maloney’s house was listed as 3rd class with 1 front window and there were 2 rooms.  There was no return of out offices listed on the B2 form. Patrick Lynch, Abbey owned the land on which the house was situated.

John Hutchinson was 50 years old.  He was married to Mary who was 40 years old and she is also listed as a labourer (sic).  She could read and write and she spoke English.  John is listed as a labiour (sic) and he could read and write and he spoke English.  They lived with 4 sons, 3 daughters and also listed in the household was John’s mother-in-law Bridget Martin, a widow who was 74 years old.  She was a nurse.  She could not read and she spoke Irish and English.  Thomas was 18 years old.  He worked as a post man and he could read and write.  Mary, Margaret, John, Bridget and Michael were listed as scholars and most of them could read and write. Mary was 15 years old.  Margaret was 14 years old.  John was 11 years old.  Bridget was 9 years old.  Michael was 6 years old and he could read only.  Patrick was 4 years old and he could not read.   Most of the family spoke English.  John’s house was listed as 3rd class with 1 front window and there were 2 rooms.  Patrick Lynch, Abbey, was the landholder on whose holding the property was situated along with 1 piggery.

Census 1911

There were five inhabited houses and one uninhabited house at the time of the 1911 census with 22 inhabitants. The N Census form  documented that there were 13 males and 9 females and all were Roman Catholics.  They were all born in County Galway.  The head of households were Michael Murray, Mary Moran, Michael Kelly, John Hutchinson and Michael Moloney.  The census date only states April for the collection of the census A forms.

The B1 Form showed that all of the houses in Abbeyville were built and listed as private dwellings.  The house walls were made of permanent material while the house roofs were made of permanent and perishable material.  The B2 Form showed that there were a total of 15 farm buildings consisting of 2 stables, 3 cow houses, 1 calf house, 3 piggeries, 2 fowl houses, 1 barn, 1 potato house and 2 sheds.

Michael Murray was 60 years old.  He was a farmer and he could write and he could speak English.  He was married to Bridget and she was 50 years old.  She could read and write and speak English.  At the time of the 1911 Census they were 29 years married and they had 7 children living. They lived with their daughter Margaret who was 14 years old and and their son Ambrose who was 10 years old.  Both children could read and write, spoke Irish and English and they were both scholars. The Murray’s house was listed as 2nd class with 6 front windows and there were 6 rooms.  Michael owned the land on which the house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn, 1 potato house and 1 shed.

Mary Moran, a widow was 67 years old.  There was no listing of her occupation.  At the time of the 1911 census she was 38 years married with 7 children born alive and 6 children still living.  She could read and write and she spoke Irish and English.  She lived with her 2 sons and 2 daughters all of whom could read and write and spoke Irish and English.  Michael was 36 years old.  He was a farmer.  Patrick was 34 years old and he worked as a labourer.  Bridget was 24 years old.  Mary Anne was 16 years old.  There was no record of the girls’ occupations.  Mary Moran’s house was listed as 2nd class with 3 front windows and there were 4 rooms.  Mary owned the land on which her house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 shed.

Michael Kelly was 35 years old.  He lived with his brother Patrick who was 19 years old.  Michael could not write.  They both worked as tailors and both were single.  Patrick could read and write.  Michael Cunnane was a boarder in the house and he was listed as a blacksmith.  He was 42 years old and he could read and write.  They all spoke English.  Michael’s house was listed as a 2nd class house with 2 front windows and there were 4 rooms in the house.  Mrs M Downey owned the land on which the house was situated.  There was no return of out offices on the B2 Census Form.

John Hutchinson was 71 years old.  He was married to Mary who was 66 years old and at the time of the 1911 census they were married for 32 years with 10 children born and 9 children living.  John worked as a labourer.  He spoke English and he could read and write.  Mary was a charwoman.  She spoke English and she could read and write.  They lived with 3 sons and 2 daughters and they were all single.  John was 20 years old.  He was a labourer.  He could read and write and he spoke English.  Bridget was 18 years old and her occupation is not listed on the Census A Form.  She could read and write and she spoke English.  Michael was 16 years old.  He was a scholar who could read and write and he spoke Irish and English.  Patrick Hutchinson was 14 years old.  He was a scholar who spoke Irish and English.  Bridget Martin, a widow, was John Hutchinson’s mother-in-law who also lived with them.  Her occupation is not listed on the census A form.  She could not read or write and she spoke English.  John Hutchinson’s house was listed as 3rd class with 1 front window and there were 2 rooms.  Patrick Lynch owned the land on which the house was situated along with 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 fowl house.

Mike Moloney was 50 years old.  He lived with his sister Bridget who was 45 years old.  Michael worked as a labourer.  Neither Michael nor Bridget could read or write and they both spoke English.  Bridget’s occupation is listed as sister of labourer.  They lived with Tom Larkin who was Michael’s nephew.  He was 22 years old.  He could read and write and he spoke Irish and English.  His occupation was listed as a labourer.  Michael Moloney’s house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 front windows and there were 2 rooms.  Patrick Lynch owned the land on which the house was situated.  There were no returns of out offices listed on the B2 Census Form.

 

 

This page was added on 11/03/2015.

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