Dossier 12 - Digby - Geashill Estate 1952-1953

440pp

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include rates of electricity charges; purchase of new machinery for Clonad sawmills from Hendron Brothers, Dublin; wages order and provisions for public and Church holidays for employees at Clonad sawmills; installation of electric engine; offers for sale of 4 woods from Cascade Sawing Mills, Kilkenny and Irish Forest Products; attempts to secure a copy of Irish grant of probate of the late Baron Digby to confirm that Lord Digby is now the owner in fee simple of the deceased's Irish estates; renewal of General Felling Licence.

Includes letter from Kennedy to Digby, "with regard to the Geashill Cauldron I have been on the alert about this the moment I heard it had turned up in connection with the Exhibition of Antiquities held in Tullamore in collection with An Tostal... Suffice it to say at the moment a Father Hurley one of the Jesuit Fathers of St Stanislaus College Rahan near here, a very keen antiquarian apparently succeeded in getting the two or three men at Killelery who had custody of it to lend it to the Exhibition. These men had kept it carefully and prevented it from being sold to the Jews for the value of the metal and they have agreed to allow it to be put into the strong room in the county buildings here where it now is pending negotiations with them by Dr Raferty of the Museum to have it transferred to the Museum. I have seen Father Hurley on two occasions about it all and had long interviews with him and I understand that Doctor Raftery was down in Tullamore and saw the Cauldron but I did not know that he was down at the time and did not see him... You will recollect that in 1932 you wrote to Dr Mahr the then curator that you presented it to the Museum on the condition that as soon as it was exhibited a label should be affixed to it stating that the Cauldron had been presented by you, setting out your exact title and that you did not object to his taking over the Cauldron from the people who kept it instead of from you. Father Hurley is extremely anxious that the Cauldron should be got to the Museum and I understand that Dr Raftery is also, and I have every reason to hope and believe that by careful negotiation, in which I do not think you or I should appear, it will ultimately be got there and when it is got there we can then deal with the question of the inscription to be out upon it". (23 April 1953)

Includes letter from The District Engineer, Electricty Supply Board to Digby estate: "...if you could make an appointment for your Representative to call to our Office so that we could inspect the premises at Clonad and arrange for Tenders for the lighting of the Sawmill and Forester's House, as requitted in our letter to which we have referred. Meantime, Lord Digby for the purpose of deciding the type of electric Motor or electric saw which he wishes to install requires particulars of the charges per unit both for light and power". (27 October 1953)