By Paul Greaney
Between 1720 and 1925, many local loan associations operated throughout Ireland, offering small loans to the ‘industrious poor’, for purposes such as buying grain, farm animals, or machinery. A scheme on the Kirwan estate at Castlehacket operated from the 1830s to the 1850s, which resulted in an excellent set of surviving records. A return of the state of the scheme in December 1853 is particularly interesting. It offers an insight into local conditions before and during the Famine, and records several inhabitants of the townlands of Bunatober, Cahermorris, Cluidrevagh, and Biggera, who died or emigrated during this period, as well as recording the progress of each person who took out a loan.
In Cahermorris, for example, we find Martin McHugh, a farmer in good circumstances, who took out a loan in November 1839, and died in the summer of 1844. Winifred Forde, a small landholder, went to America in 1847. John Fitzpatrick, a poor landholder, went to America in 1847. John Cohen, a stonecutter, went to reside in Galway in 1847.
In Bunatober, Michael Templeton took out a loan in May 1839. He left Bunatober in 1850 and was thereafter in Glenrevagh supported by his daughter. Francis Noone, a labourer, died in October 1842. Pat Flaherty, a farmer in good circumstances, died in May 1841. Michael Crisham, a small poor landholder, died in the winter of 1847. William Gilmore, a small poor landholder, died in summer 1848. Pat Raftery, a farmer in good circumstances, died in summer 1848. Pat Drinane, a labourer, went to America in 1847. James Nevin, a farmer of good circumstances in 1839, died in June 1848, leaving his family in middling circumstances. James Noone, a landholder of poor circumstances, went to America with his family in the year 1844. William Noone, a poor landholder, went to America with his family in 1848. Thomas Cunningham, a poor landholder, left his holding in 1848 and died in Tuam Workhouse, following which his family left the country. James Fitzpatrick left his holding in Bunatober in 1848 and was described in 1853 as a farmer of good circumstances in Cahermorris.
In Cluidrevagh, Pat Lydon died of destitution in the summer of 1847 and his family left the country. Peggy Lydon, a poor landholder, left her holding in 1850 and was subsequently ‘a pauper about Galway’. Michael Gibbons, a small farmer of middling circumstances, ‘himself and family went to America in 1849’. Mary Gibbons, a poor landholder of poor circumstances, left her holding in 1850 and died a pauper near Castlehacket. John Dowd, a small farmer of middling circumstances, took his family to America in 1848.
In the ‘neighbourhood of Biggery’, Catherine Greally, a poor landholder, went to America in the summer of 1846. Thomas Turner, a poor labourer, left his holding in 1845 and went to reside in Galway town, with the loan officer unable to say his circumstances there. Pat Fallon, a farmer of good circumstances, went to America in July 1853. Michael Wynne, a poor landholder, left his holding in 1847 and by 1853 was residing in the adjoining townland of Carheens, a farmer in good circumstances. Owen Mangan, a blacksmith and farmer of good circumstances, went to America in 1846.
The full listings for each of the four townlands is given below. The full collection for Castlehacket and other estates is available at Ancestry.com.
Bunatober
| Name | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Martin McHugh | Nov 1839-May 1840 | Yes – a farmer in good circumstances. Died in the Summer of 1844 |
| Michl Crisham | March 1841 | Yes. A small poor Landholder. Died in the Winter of 1847 there |
| Murty Nohelly | May 1841 | A poor labourer. Died in 1841 |
| Winifred Forde | May 1846 | A small Land holder. She went to America in 1847. |
| John Flanagan | May 1846-May 1848 | A farmer in good circumstances and is still in the Townland. A farmer of good circumstances. |
| James Ruane | May 1846-March 1847, May 1848 | A farmer in good circumstances and is still in the Townland. A farmer of good circumstances. |
| John Fitzpatrick | March 1847 | He was a poor Landholder there then. He went to America in 1847. |
| James Fitzpatric | March 1847 | He was then a poor landholder but in good circumstances there now |
| Bridget Hanly | March 1847 | She was then a poor Landholder. She has left it and is now a Pauper in the Townland of Balrobuckbeg |
| John Lenehan | March 1847-March 1848 | He was then a poor landholder and is still on the Townland a poor Landholder of small circumstances |
| John Cohen | March 1847 | He was then a stone cutter. He went to reside to Galway in 1847 |
| Willm Burke | March 1848 | Then a strong farmer, but died there in June 1853 |
Cahermorris
| Name | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| John Burke | March 1848-May 1848 | He was then a farmer in good circumstances and is there still in good circumstances |
| Michl Templeton | May 1839 | In good circumstances in 1839. Left Bunatober in 1850. Now in Glenrevagh supported by his daughter. |
| Francis Noone | March 1840 | A labourer. Died in Oct 1842 there. |
| Pat Flaherty | May 1840 | A farmer in good circumstances. Died in May 1841. |
| Willm Gilmore | May 1841 | A small Landholder. Poor. Died in the Summer of 1848 there. |
| Pat Raftery | May 1841-March 1847 | A farmer in good circumstances. Died there in 1848. |
| Michl Cunningham | March 1847 | In good circumstances in 1847 and now on the same Townland. |
| Martin Spelman | March 1847-March 1848, May 1848 | A poor Landholder in 1848 but now in good circumstances there. |
| Pat Drinane | March 1847 | A labourer, went to America in 1847 |
| Willm Hannon | March 1848 | Then a labourer and there a labourer still |
| John Burke Augta | March 1848 | A Landholder in good circumstances in 1848 and so there still |
| Martin Burke | March 1848 | A labourer in 1848. Now a Landholder in Bunatober in good circumstances |
| Wm Morris | March 1848-May 1848 | A small farmer of good circumstances in 1848, and is still there in good circumstances |
| James Nevin | Nov 1839-March 1848 | A farmer of good circumstances. Died in June 1848, his family are on the Townland in midling circumstances |
| Willm Cunningham | March 1840-Jany 1847-March 1848 | A farmer of good circumstances and still on the Townland a farmer of good circumstances |
| James Noone | Jany 1842 | Then a poor landholder of poor circumstances. He went to America with his family in the year 1844 |
| Willm Noone | March 1847 | Then a poor Landholder of poor circumstances. He went to America with his family in 1848 |
| Michl Cunningham | March 1847-March 1848 | Then a farmer in good circumstances and now on the Townland a farmer of good Circumstances. |
Cluidrevagh
| Name | Date | Status |
| Thos Cunningham | March 1847 | Then a poor Landholder. He left in in 1848 and Died in Tuam Workhouse in 1848 and his family left the country |
| James Fitzpatrick | March 1848 | Then a poor Landholder. He left it in 1848 and now in Cahermorris, a farmer of good circumstances |
| Pat Lydon | March 1846 | He was then a poor landholder. He died of destitution in the Summer of 1847 and his family left the country |
| John Burke | March 1846-March 1847 | He was then a small farmer and now there a farmer of pretty good circumstances |
| John Hessian | March 1846 | He was then a poor landholder and is still there a poor landholder |
| Peggy Lydon | March 1846 | She was then a poor landholder. She left it in 1850 and now a pauper about Galway |
| Darby Greally | March 1846-May 1846, March 1848 | He was then a poor landholder and is there yet a poor landholder of poor circumstances |
| Thos Burke | March 1846 | Then a small farmer and there still a small farmer of midling circumstances |
| Michl Gibbons | May 1846 | Then a small farmer of midling circumstances. Himself and family went to America in 1849 |
| Mary Gibbons | May 1846 | Then a poor landholder of poor circumstances. Left it in 1850 and died a pauper near Castlehacket |
| Martin Quinn | May 1846 | He was then a poor landholder and there as yet a poor landholder of poor circumstances |
| John Dowd | March 1847 | Then a small farmer of midling circumstances. He took his family to America in 1848 |
Neighbourhood of Biggery [Biggera]
| Name | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pat Dowd | March 1847, March 1848 | Then a small landholder of poor circumstances. Still there a small landholder of poor circumstances |
| James Costello | March 1847 | He was then a small farmer of pretty good circumstances and still there a small farmer of good circumstances |
| Francis Dowd | March 1848 | He was then a small farmer of good circumstances and still there a small farmer of good circumstances |
| Catherine Greally | May 1846 | She was then a poor landholder of poor circumstances. And went to America in the summer of 1846 |
| Thos Turner | May 1846-Novr 1846 | He was there in 1845 a poor labourer and left it in 1845. Went to reside to Galway Town. Cannot say circumstances there. |
| Pat Fallon | Nov 1846 | He was then a farmer of good circumstances. And went to America in July 1853 |
| Michl Wynne | Nov 1846 | Then a poor landholder. And left it in 1847. Now residing in the adjoining townland of Carheens, a farmer in good circumstances |
| Owen Mangan | March 1847 | He was there in 1846 a blacksmith and a farmer of good circumstances then. He went to America in the year 1846 |
