Corporation Books of the New Ross, Co Wexford

7/21/2019 Corporation Books of the New Ross, Co Wexford

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CAPTURING the QUOTIDIAN: NEW ROSS CORPORATION BOOKS, 1685–1900Author(s): Linda DoranSource: History Ireland, Vol. 19, No. 5 (September/October 2011), pp. 22-25Published by: Wordwell Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41231693Accessed: 01-04-2015 10:50 UTC

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^^^^^- f ¿i Теу r,i;vaшшИ

HHffH

PHHppiMHHMVM

^ш







minutebooks

of

municipal

corporations,

while

not

quite

reflecting

he iews f he

humbler

citizen,

apture

he affairshattrouble

thosewith heir andson the

evers f

power

nd

n

eye

n the oncerns

f heir

ratepayers.

he

minute ooks f he

own

commissionersfNewRoss, o.Wexford,surviverom 685.

They apture ividly

the unease

of the late seventeenth

century

the earsf he

uling

rotestant

minority

bout

the attitudes and

affiliations

f heCatholic

majority.

ater

political

hanges y

themid-nineteenth

century

are reflected

in

the

commissioners'

upport

or he

Tenant

Right

ssociation.

t s s ocal

history

hat

corporation

ooks

are of most

value,

however.

Quartering

of

troops

Before

he

cavalry

arracks as built

n

1700on the ite f tMichael'smedieval

church,

number

f

ntries

ention he

quartering

f

dragoons.

n 1688 their

colonel

omplained

bout

heir

odgings

and

consequently

the

citadel,

a

fortification

n the

uay,

as

epaired

nd

a room urnished

or he fficers

n

guard.

The

followingear,

rdnance

tored

n

the

blockhouse,

a

seventeenth-century

fortification

n the

opposite

nd of the

quay

to

the

citadel,

was

moved to

Duncannon

ort,

uggesting

n

easing

f

tension

locally.

The burden

of the

quartering

f

troops

s illustrated

y

a

1689direction hat

public

nd

private

stableswere

o be

put

n

good

order or

thehorses f he

military.

hosewithout

stables

aid

towards

heir ire.

n

April

1691,

followingroposals

o withdraw

troops, ommissionersetitioned he

government,

oting

he

daily

ncroach

of

rapparees'

nd

requesting

rms nd

ammunition

for2

companies

f

foot

and

one of

dragoons'.

very

itman

between

he

ges

of ixteen nd

60 was

required

o take

art

n thewatch. ince

the Irish'werenot

permitted

o leave

their houses

at

night, they paid

a

Protestanto watch

n

their

lace.

This

provision

as

repeated

n

1779,

when

'for he

afety

nd

protection

f he

own

in these times of

peril

and

danger'

(during

the American

War of

Independence)

watchof

ten armed

men

patrolled

ightly.

hen t become

the

turn of a Roman

Catholic,

he

provided

Protestant

n

his tead.

In 1691 Edmund

Sutton,

the

ferryman,eing

Irish,

employed

n

Englishman,pprovedy

the

overeign

of

Ross,

who would

report

n

suspect

passengers.

rish

papists

iving

n the

Folly

House,

arlier

ccupied

y

Oliver

Cromwell nd

located close to the

Market

ate,

ne of hemain ntries

o

Ross,

ere victednd he ailiff

nsured

that

nly

rotestants

ccupied

he

house

because

f

the

danger

rom

raparees

r

torys'.

n 1696,whenbutcher icholas

Hackett

pplied

o be a

freeman,

e

was

admittedree

n

recognition

fhis ervice

as a soldier

in

Denyduring e eige'.

Right:

he minutes of

New Ross Comon

[sic]

Council' held on 6

March

1687,

and

(below)

the names

(and

coats of

arms)

of that

year's

mayor

or

sovereign)

and

other officials.

New

Ross

Town

Council)

Above: One

of the earliest

maps

of New Ross

drawn in 1649 to facilitate

planned

attack

by

CatholicConfederates from Rosbercon

on the

opposite

bank of the

River

Barrow.

Tottenham

state

Office)

Seventeenth-century

ecurity

oncerns

While

day-to-day

ffairs ominate the

material,

he earlier books nevertheless

expose

an undercurrent

f tension and a concern

forthe

security

f the

town,

the

strategic

importance

of which

was shown

during

the

seventeenth-century

onfederate

Wars

when Ross was held

by

Oliver

Cromwell,

who

destroyed

the

bridge

to

prevent

recapture.

In

fact,

one of the

earliest

"j?¿¿*s£¿Jl

existing maps

of Ross

is a little

¿J^^^m^^pši sketchdrawn in 1649 to facilitate

OJs^^ËSh^^

planned

attack from Rosbercon

on

^h^S^^^^^i

the

opposite

bank ofthe River

^3^gz=£

^iC^-zI'f^^^y^^.

Barrow.

espite

ts

limsy

ature

t s

:ür5=~-

-^

•

-

^"^ã^^5^

verv

nformative,

ncluding

he main

tÙ'^^ÌIi kír^tX'

ôiT^^^?

streets,

he outline fthe

townwall

*^£^Г# _f

čjuyaru^cr f

^^cr^^-

witn ts

owers,

nd St

Mary's

*

•*-

Sfa.Um^l-£^c£Z4'

_f

JjíJÜX^

medieval church

rising

bove the

¿

*=-

fixcL*

j¿z:w

fcSSJ^^

VteTH~-*uiZ3

Skyline,

oubtless

providing

a

point

"^*

-

^ï?.

of reference orthe attackers.

Civic officials

and fire

engines

The officesof the

town were the

monopoly

f

particular

amilies,

most

notablyheTottenhams.n 1688 t was

ordered

that

'any

of

the

burgesses,

merchants

r masters

of

companies

meeting

he

mayor

n the street re to

attend im ohis house r

restinglace,

except

ome

xtraordinary

ccasion

may

arise'. he

fine or

ailing

o

do thiswas

hefty

ive

hillings.

n 1707 twas

greed

thatfor

he futurehe

sovereign

as to

carry

therod fhis

uthority

t all

times

whenhe walks he streets

y

which

he

may

e

known

y trangers

ndothers

y

way

ofthe distinction'.

n 1777 Charles

History

IRELAND

September/October

011

23







SOURCES

Map

of New

Rosse.

1700.

(Tottenham

Estate

Office)

Tottenham,

hen

reasurer,

rganised

he

town's

first ire

ngine,

rought

rom

London

nd

costing

57.13s.lld.

hefire

station

was on

the Old

Customhouse

Quay,

with

bellman

mployed

n a

salary

of

three

pounds.

In

1860

subscriptions

or

new

ngine

ere aken

from

nsurance

ompanies

n

the

town,

landlords

nd

Charles

ottenham R n

1864

ne

complete

ith

adders,

uckets

and

hose uction

ipes

was rdered

rom

Shaw

nd Mason

of

London t a

costof

£130.

wentyounds

was

promised

rom

Norwichnsurance nd £10 from he

Imperial

nsurance

o.,

but

the

Royal

Exchange

although

ne of the

oldest

offices

oing

usiness

n

Ross

nd

doing

large

usiness

efusedo

give

nything'.

On a more

optimistic

ote,

whileCol.

Tottenhamwas

travelling

n

Italy

a

'liberar

ubscription

as

expected

rom

him.

Working

onditions

and

perks

The

Corporation

ooks

ive

sense f

he

working

ife and

conditions f

town

council

mployees.

any osts

ame

with

'perks':

lothes,

n

particular

ats and

coats,

feature

egularly.

n

1749 the

sergeant

f

he

mace,

ohn ook,

as

paid

twenty

hillings

n

considerationf

not

having

new

oat nd

hat.

The

bellman,

Luke

Johnson,

as

paid

ten

hillings

or

the

ame

eason. n

1857,

ollowing

heir

dismissal,

hree

watchmen

ere

rdered

to

give

p

their

oats nd

hats.

heduties

of watchman,heperilsssociated ith

the

post

nd

the

fact hat

veryone

new

everyone

lse re

utlinedn

detail nthis

1856

ccount:

'That he

watchmen

e directed

o be

on

their eatat

eight

'clock

every

evening

nd

that

hey

ake

p

all the

prostitutes

hat re n

the

treetsrom

that

ntil ive 'clock n

the

morning

r

at

any

other

ime

hat he aw

allows,

and

likewise

hat

they

take

up

any

person

misbehaving

r

using

ndecent

language

r

behaviournthe

treet

uch

as

George

Allen

does

also that

young

boy

. .

Danny

Byrne

who is in

the

habit f

nnoying

emales

n

the

treets

and ll oit[er]ers andthatheyhall

not llow he

rowd f

dlers hat

re

n

thehabit f

oitering

bout

he

Tholsel

at

night

nd

n

case

hey

hallnot

bey

and

put

his

nto

xecutionhese

rders

they

shall be

dismissed nd

other

watchmen

ppointed.'

In

December

856

hree

airs

f

handcuffs

of

different

izes

were

ordered or

the

watchmen.he

next

ntry

hows

why

his

was

necessary,

s well

as

illustrating

he

simmering

urf ar

between

members f

the

watch

nd the

constabulary

ver

he

dispensingf aw ndorder:

'On the

vening

f

Decemberhe

25th

inst .

. .

P.W. Thomas

Cooney

watchman,

called

upon

Sergeant

Buchanan to

take

into

custody

disorderly

risoner

hat

was

smashing

the

door,

edstead

nd wall

f he

ock

up

in the

Tholsel,

nd

he

positively

refused o do so.

The

watchman lso

called t two

o'clock

tatinggain

he

prisoner

was

unmanageable

nd

he

required

ssistanceut

he still

efused.'

By1864 hewatchman'sole narrestnd

detention

as

called nto

question.

egal

opinion

was

ought,

n

particular

egarding

the

iability

f

he

ommissioners.

Regulation

of business

There

s a

consistentoncernwith

the

control

nd

facilitation

f business. n

1699,

for

nstance,

he book

records

he

The

town's corn

market

erected in

Robert

Street n

1818

in an

attempt

to

control and

regulate

trading.

Jimmy

itzGibbon,

Cavanagh

Collection)







Above: The

Tholsel was rebuilt n

the

late

eighteenth

century.

The

plaque

above the

door

(right)

notes

that the first tone

was laid on the

anniversary

f the

glorious

Battle

of the

Boyne'. (BillDoran)

The Tholsel

The Tholsel

building

was a

community

resource

and

the use of rooms

illustrates he

political

and social

climate. While such

events as scientific nd

literary

lectures

by

the YMCA and

the

letting

f the

large

room to

a

dancing

teacher

predominated,

there

were also more

political'

leases.

In

uly

1860 a

Tenant

Right

Reading

Room

(with

painted sign)

was

set aside. Also

in 1

860 a motion

was

put

and carried

'that this

Corporation

adopt

the

national

petition

. .

for he

legislative

ndependence

of Ireland'.

In

1862

the small room

was let to the

Electric

elegraph

Company;

relations

ppear

to

have deteriorated

rapidly,

however,

as in 1864 the council

agreed

that

the

key

of the water closet was not

to be

given

to

the clerkof the

telegraph

office

nd

that

they

should

repair

the

damage

done to the

roof.

n 1

864

the

commissioners'

attention

was drawn

to 'some

exhibiting pugilists having

the lower room

taken for

exhibiting

heir rt and the

practice

to the

public

for

payment

on this

night'.

The

display

was not

permitted

as we consider the

encouragement

of

pugilism disgraceful

n

any public body'.

'Articles,

rdinances

nd

by

laws made

and

established

yyeguilds

nd

fraternity

of

..

broguemakers,

addlers,

myths,

nailors,kinners,raziors,

orters,

arriers,

leather

ressers,anners,

allow

handlers

&

soapboilers' glaziers

are

also

mentioned. he ordinance eals

with

variety

f

matters,

ncluding

he

uality

f

material,

egulation

f

apprenticeships,

relationships

o

foreign

radesmen,

nd

exercise

f civil nd militia uties.

Non-

payment

f

dues,

where istressannot e

argued,

esultedn forfeitureollowed

y

prison.

Popish'

merchantsere dmitted

to he

reedomf he own

ollowing

heir

swearing

f

he ath f

llegiance

ut

hey

didnothave vote.

Fairs

werevital to

the

economy

f

towns uch sRoss. n

1783 clerk f he

market as

appointed,

t a

salary

f£10

per

nnum,

o ee

hat

roper eights

nd

measureswere used and 'to

prevent

butchers nd bakers

rom

ommitting

frauds

n

their

espective

ccupations'.

n

1688

t

wasorderedhat akehouses ere

'to

be

made hott nd

ready ydaylightand notby night'. n 1747 therewere

complaints

hat

utternd salmon

were

traded t the

gates

nd

the

roads

eading

to the

own,

tothe

great

etriment

f he

inhabitantsnd

merchants'.nan

attempt

to

control nd

regulate rading,

corn

market

as

erected

n

Robert treet

n

1818.

t was not an

outstanding

uccess.

In

1828 tradesmen ere

compelled

o

weigh

nd sell their orn t the market

house.

n

1832

tanding

arkets,

eemed

an

obstructiono

passengers

nthe

treet',

were o be

removedo

the

ornmarket.

The river

The

mportance

ftheRiver arrow o

the own sunderlined

y

henumberf

referenceso the ontrol

f rade n the

river,

heconduct

nd

appointment

f

waterbailiffs nd the duties

of the

ferryman.

he

ferry

as

particularly

important

rom the middle

of the

seventeenth

entury

o the end of the

eighteenth

entury,

hen he ownwas

without

bridge.

n

1730 the

ferry

operated

fromix 'clock

n

ye

forenoon

till en 'clock t

night

rom

wenty

ifth

day

of March o Michaelmasnd from

Michaelmaso

wenty

ifth

ay

fMarch

from even f he lock

n

the

morning

to nine at

night'.

here re a series

f

orders

ewarding

hosewho aved

eople

from

rowning.

n

1810 a

premium

f

40

shillings

as

paid

o

any erson

ho

shall

ave

nyperson

ho

may

all nto

the

river

f

Ross'.

n

1815 a resolution

listed

number

f

persons

ewardedor

saving eople,ncluding

child,

hofell

fromhe

bridge.

The

lucky

survival

of these

corporationecordsives saglimpsef

the concerns f

a small

rish own n

great

detail

over

more than two

centuries.

uring

his

ime,

olitically,

the ownmoved rom

eing

bastion f

loyalism,

ith he

laque

n

theTholsel

noting

hat he irsttone

f

he

uilding

was laid on the

anniversary

f the

'glorious

Battle of

the

Boyne',

to

supporting

he movement or Irish

independence.

t is

in

the

minutia,

however,

hat he truevalue

ies

the

description

f

the

condition

f the

streets,

he ntroductionf ervicesuch

as

gaslight

nd

piped

water,

he

purchase

of

fire

ngines

nd the

etting p

offire

stations,

urely

n

mportant

ervice

n

a

townwith

o

many

ouses

acked

nto

narrowanes nd treets.crosshe

years

we can see that

riorities

emained

he

same: from the

seventeenth-century

guild

rdinancesothe

meeting

alled

n

February

864to ook ntomeasures

o

free

he

bridge

rom

olls,

here s a

predominant

oncernwith trade nd

commerce. i

LindaDoran s editor

f

heNewRoss ection

of

the rishHistoric owns

Atlas eries

nd

lecturesn medieval

history

n

University

College

ublin.

Further

eading:

T. Dunne

(ed.),

New

Ross,

Rossponte,

os

Mhic Treoin:

n

anthology

elebrating

800

years

Wexford, 009).

J. FitzGibbon,

A time nd a

place-

New

Ross 1890 to 1910

(New Ross,2007).

P.D.

Vigors,

Extracts

rom he

Books of

the

Old

Corporation

of

Ross,

Co.

Wexford',

ournal

f

the

Royal ociety

of

Antiquariesf

reland

5th ser.) (2)

Guly

1892),

171-6;

2

(3) (October

1892),

287-90;

4

(2) (June 894),

176-9.

The uthorwould

ike o thank

ohn

Moran

of

New Ross town council and David

Minogue,

own

lerk,

or

heirssistance.

History

RELAND

eptember/October

011

25





Documents

Corporation Books of the New Ross, Co Wexford