My direct ancestor, William Martin lived on a farm in Ballykeel, Kilkeel, Down, N Ireland in 1850.
Can anyone recommend a book or information about the life of a tenant farmer of a large estate in Northern Ireland about 1850?
Answers
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That's a great question! Have you checked out the Family Search Wiki under 'Ireland Land' https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Ireland_Land_and_Property.
If you scroll down the page there's a few sections that look promising: 'Estate Records' which refers to John Grenham's book (his work is always good!) called Tracing your Irish Ancestors: The Complete Guide and a reference to a book at the Family History Library Estate Records of the Irish Famine. Since the Family History Library is closed you can check if it is in the World Catalog and can be sent to your local library.
Then there's another section below that called 'Books' so check out that list, too. There may be more records than the information you are seeking, but it's worth checking out.
Let me know if any of the books work for you and if you still need help.
Good luck!
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Ireland has some fascinating land records found through Google: https://www.mournepark.co.uk/.
They often give quite a bit of history of the owners and even the renters--http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2013/05/mourne-park.htmlters.
Some even was on the BBC news about a recent fire, but it gives great history: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-22580069. This is a book about that estate
Doomsday Book of Kilmorey Estate - www.bagenalscastle.com › Kilmorey Report 20.03.20.pdf. That looks interesting. I found these all by Googling "Kilmorney estate County Down". I am sure you can find many more in the same way.
Enjoy!
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thanks. the bibliography in the Kilmorey estate Doomsday book has dome great references. I have written to the Mourne Newry museum for more first hand info on the Kilmorey estate papers.
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What a lovely find Henry. Life for tenants on estates was very, very localized and it is helpful if you can find Estate papers. While you are waiting for a response you could check out the eCatalogue on the Public Records of Northern Ireland (PRONI) website https://apps.proni.gov.uk/eCatNI_IE/SearchPage.aspx The catalogue can have very detailed information about the holdings. I see several items related to this estate that go back to the early 1800s.
You might wish to read up on Francis Needham, 2nd Earl of Kilmorey as some records will be in his surname. There is a beautiful love story connected with him too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Needham,_1st_Earl_of_Kilmorey
The Griffith's Valuation for Kilmorey Estate was not conducted until 1863 which would explain why the Estate was in the hands of Trustees, as the 2nd Earl was deceased. You might be able to get a copy of his Lat Will and Testament.
There were a set of "Memoirs" written at the time of the Griffiths that are very detailed and localized. They were published by the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen's University, Belfast. 40 vols in all if I remember correctly and are still in print. They were intended as a supplement to the Valuation but were discontinued as being too time-comsuming and costly. https://www.ancestryireland.com/latest-news/ordnance-survey-memoirs-now-available/
This is the fascinating part of ancestral research. In Ireland, its all about the land, and if you track the land you will have a great insight to what life was like on a daily basis for your ancestor.
Have fun!
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thanks. Pili called this the doomsday book http://www.bagenalscastle.com/documents/Kilmorey%20Report%2020.03.20.pdf.
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You could try doing a Google search for these
Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland: 1833, 1835, 1839-40 v.10: 1833, 1835, 1839-40
These are well worth reading and a fascinating insight into the area and MAY well mention the farming of the s estate.
As an aside Mourne Park was a scout camp and I spent a few summer holidays there. Beautiful place. There is a river that bisects the estate and the scouts used the area to the west of the river
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I ordered the 3 survey memoirs , vol 3,7,17 for County Down. THanks.
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That will keep you reading for a day or two! They are amazingly full of very local info. Enjoy. I so admire your desire to learn more about our Irish heritage.
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