Newtown South

Information taken from a variety of official documents

Research: Noreen Shiel, Abbey Heritage

Newtown South Townland

Newtown South, An Baile Nua Theas, New Townland/Town/Homestead

Newtown South is a small townland in the civil parish of Ballinakill, in the electoral district of Ballynagar, the barony of Leitrim and the County of Galway. It is situated in the north end of the parish of Ballynakill about 3 miles South of Woodford. This townland is all under cultivation and does not contain any matter worthy of remark.

According to O’Donovan’s Field Name Books (1838) the standard name of the townland is Newtown South.  O’Donovan also states that there is a reference to Newtown South in the following documents: B S Sketch and Hyath. Clarke, Esq and that it was listed as Newtown in Larkin’s County Map.

Newtown South is referred to as Lishludderane in the the Down Survey Map. The Down Survey Map 1641 (pre Cromwell) states that the owner was Bourke, John McLonack (Catholic). The Down Survey Map 1670 (post Cromwell) further states that the owner was Ayleward, Peter (Protestant). There were 41 unprofitable plantation acres and 110 profitable plantation acres. There was 110 forfeited plantation acres.

Old Age Pension Census Search forms 1851

There was no old age pension census search form listed for Newtown South.

Newtown South Tithe Applotment 1834

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 Newtown South was undertaken in 1834. It states that the townland of Newtown South was in the parish of Ballinakill and in the Diocese of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh.

There was one proprietor in the townland at this time, namely J H Aylward Esq. According to the Tithe Applotment Books he held 42 acres 2 roods and 0 perches of land which was occupied by 3 named 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:

George Banfield held 21 acres of land that was valued at 16 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £16 16s 0d. He paid 10s 0½d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 1s 3¼d and the Vicar received 6s 3d which was a total of 7s 6¾d.

Widow Casey held 2 roods of land that was valued at 16 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of 8s 0d. She paid 2½d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 0¼d and the Vicar received 1½d which was a total of 1¾d.

John Cavanagh held 21 acres of land that was valued at 16 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £16 16s 0d. He paid 10s 0½d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 1s 3¼d and the Vicar received 6s 3d which was a total of 7s 6¾d.

Griffith’s Valuation

According to Griffith’s Valuation (1855) the area of the townland of Newtown South was 70 acres, 1 rood and 12 perches. The valuation of the land was £42 10s 0d and the valuation of the buildings was £0 15s 0d giving a total valuation of £43 5s 0d. Jn Aylward (in Chancercy) was the immediate leaser of all the property in the townland. The occupiers were John Kavanagh and Mary Banfield. John Kavanagh paid a total of £24 15s 0d for a herd’s house and land. Mary Banfield paid a total of £18 10s 0d for a house, offices and land.

Census 1901

There was one inhabited building in Newtown South at the time of the 1901 census with 5 inhabitants, all male and all were Roman Catholics. Only one of the residents was born in Co Galway. The head of the household was James H Kerriss. According to the B1 Form the house was built as a police barracks and had both walls and roof built of permanent materials. The B2 Form reveals that there was just one outhouse, namely a turf shed.

James H Kerriss was listed as a 45 year shop assistant and he was not married. He lived with H K who was 38 years old; P C who was 27 years old; C O’B who was 25 years old and 23 year old S K. All the residents except the head of the household were listed as schoolboys and were not married. J H K was born in Co Tipperary; H K was born in Co Galway; P C was born in Co Mayo: C O’B was born in Co Cork and S K was born in Co Wexford. P C and C O’B could speak Irish and English. All of the residents could read and write. The barracks had 6 front windows and 7 rooms and was classed as a first class house. Mrs H Lewis owned the land on which the barracks was built and there was just one outhouse, a turf house.

Census 1911

There were two inhabited houses in Newtown South at the time of the 1911 census with 13 inhabitants. There were 8 males and 5 females and all were Roman Catholics. The heads of the households were Jeremiah H Donelan and John Connare. According to the B1 Form one of the houses was built as a private dwelling and the other was built as an RIC police barracks. Both houses had walls and roofs built of a permanent material. The B2 Form reveals that there were 5 outhouses consisting of 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 turf house, 1 shed and 1 listed under other outhouse.

John Connare was a 50 year old labourer whose birthplace was listed as Indian. He was married to his Co Galway born wife Johanna for 21 years. They had 4 children living with them on the night the census was taken: Mary Anne was 15 years old; Lizzie was 11 years old; Kathleen was 8 years old and Margaret Mary was 10 months old. Mary Anne, Lizzie and Kathleen were scholars and could read and write. John could also read and write. John’s house had 1 front window and 1 room and was classed as a third class house. Mrs H Lewis owned the land on which the house was built and there were 2 outhouses, a piggery and a fowl house.

Jeremiah H Donelan was listed as a 43 year shop assistant and he was married. He was listed as an RIC Sergeant. He lived in the barracks with the following RIC Constables: O M who was 24 years old; CJ K who was 22 years old; J J L who was 22 years old; P W who was 22 years old; J S who was 23 years old and 20 year old J D. All the residents, except for the head of the household and J J L who was a shop assistant, were listed as farmer’s sons. None of the constables were married. Jeremiah H Donelan was born in Co Cork; M O was born in Co Clare; C J K was born in Co Longford; J J L was born in Co Mayo; J S and P W were born in Co Roscommon and J D was born in Co Kerry. All of the residents could read and write. The barracks had 6 front windows and 4 rooms and was classed as a second class house. Mrs H Lewis owned the land on which the barracks was built and there were 3 outhouses, a turf house, a shed and one described as an ‘other’ out-office.

 

 

This page was added on 05/03/2016.

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