Monaghan, Ireland - History through Census
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Cootehill Poor Law Union Smith, McPhillips, Greenan |
.................................................................. Census History Part 2. Actual Census documents, 1839. Click to view additional information showing family names in an area surrounding the Smyth traditional homeland. |
CENSUS HISTORY PART 1:
Our Smith, McPhillips and Greenan ancestors all hailed from County Monaghan, Ireland. “Irish” John Smith was born in Aghabog Civil Parish. Although our ancestor, Michael McPhillips, was born in County Fermanagh, he lived in Aghabog Parish next to other McPhillips living in the area. The Greenan families were found living in either Ematris or Kilmore Parish. Cootehill Poor Law Union covered Ematris, part of Aghabog, part of Kilmore Parish, and a large portion of County Cavan.
Irish census records prior to 1901 were destroyed. Therefore, genealogists use other records to trace ancestors in Ireland. One record source used by genealogists are those found in Poor Law Union records.
Poor Law Union
The Poor Law Act of 1838 introduced another administrative division -
the Poor Law Union. Initially there were 130 and eventually 163 poor law
unions. Between 1838 and 1852, 163 workhouses were built throughout the
country, each located centrally within a Poor Law Union. The workhouses
were normally situated in a large market town, and the Poor Law Union
comprised the town and its market area, with the result that the Unions
in many cases ignored the existing boundaries of parish and county. The
workhouse in the town provided relief for the unemployed and destitute,
generally under very harsh conditions. Records were kept of the inmates
and these can sometimes provide useful research material, where they
have survived.
Cootehill Poor Law Union
Cootehill Poor Law Union was created August 10, 1839, and covered 164 square miles. The Board of Guardians determined how the Poor Law would be run. This Poor Law Union had 18 Guardians who represented the 12 electoral divisions which comprised this Union. The list below shows the number of Guardians selected from each electoral division:
Co. Cavan:
Ashfield (2), Cootehill (2), Drumgoon (1), Drung (1), Knockbride (2),
Larah (1), Rakenny (1), Tullyvin.
Co. Monaghan: Aghabog (2), Cormeen (2), Dawson Grove (2), Drum
(1).
The Board also included 6 ex officio Guardians, making a total of 24.
In 1831 the census shows 63,472 people living in this area. Dawson Grove, which included Ematris County, showed 7,511 souls living within its boundary.
Cootehill’s workhouse was completed in 1842. The workhouse sat on a six acre site located one mile east of Cootehill, and was built to house 800 inmates. The cost of the building was £7,360 plus £808 for fixtures and fittings On September 15, 1842, this new facility opened its doors to admit paupers. The first inmate was admitted on December 2, 1842.
The Workhouse
The following map shows the layout of the Cootehill Poor House in Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland. Smith family lore says our great-great grandmother, Catharine (Greenan) Smyth, moved to Brooklyn leaving her children in Ireland. Later Uncle Terry Greenan brought the young Smyth kids, including “Irish” John, to America. Did any of our ancestors or cousins spend time in the poor house? Where were Catharine’s young children staying while she was away in America?
The Cootehill workhouse was based on a standard design, with a front block housing porter's and receiving rooms on the ground floor and a board-room on the first floor. A central block housed dormitories, school rooms, day rooms, kitchen and washhouse.
The burial ground was located next to the infirmary and contains a large number of Irish who died during the famine years. Cootehill had a high death rate among its residents due to the living conditions.
A central spine containing the chapel and dining-hall linked to the rearmost block which housed the workhouse infirmary. A separate fever 40-bed hospital was erected about 1846 and was located west of the workhouse. A burial ground lay to the east of the site.
The following picture shows the Cootehill Workhouse Kitchen.
The following picture shows an inside view of the Cootehill Workhouse infirmary.
In 1895, Cootehill was visited by a "commission" from the British Medical Journal investigating conditions in Irish workhouse infirmaries. They reported conditions there as dirty and unsanitary and recommended closure. It was generally assumed the poor were poor because they were lazy. Therefore, poor houses were not designed to be places with limited amenities.
The following picture shows another view of the infirmary.
The following picture was taken at the Cootehill Poor House in 1898 which shows some of its “lunatic inmates”.
The former Cootehill workhouse buildings have since been demolished.
I found the following comments contained in the minutes from Cootehill Poor Law Union meetings (1839 - 1841):
"Most of the landlords in the Union are large proprietors and indulgent to their tenants, the rents are moderate and considerably below what the land could be let for“.
"Almost all Dartrey is under lease; new leases are constantly granted“.
"The term of leases is generally for one life, or twenty-one years“.
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Census History Part 2. Actual Census documents, 1839. Click to view additional information showing family names in an area surrounding the Smyth traditional homeland.