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Counterpart of lease between Captain Caulfield French and Margaret French of Castlebernard of the first part, and the Guardians of the Poor of Parsonstown Union of the other part concerning a plot of land adjoining the village of Kinnitty in the townland of The Walk, Parish of Kinnitty, in the barony of Ballybritt and King’s County containing three roods statue measure, on which plot the lessees intend erecting a residence for the Medical Officer of the Kinnitty Dispensary District. It is proposed that the premises will be held by the lesees and their successors for the term of 60 years from the 1 November 1896 for the yearly rent of 18 shillings and nine pence by equal half yearly payments. Includes small map of the plot of land, drawn by James Kennedy, Parsonstown. Scale, 1 inch to a statute chain.

Minute books, accounts ledgers, reports, workhouse registers, and ancillary material relating to the creation, administration, and eventual dissolution of Parsonstown Union from its establishment in May 1839 to its dissolution in 1925. The union’s Board of Guardians were responsible for overseeing several functions of local government; primarily the care of the poor, including the setting up, financing and running of the workhouse, the creation of dispensary districts, assisted migration and outdoor relief.

The main set of records are the minute books of the Boards of Guardians, comprising 97 volumes. Other material is financial in nature, such as the financial minute books and repayment of relief account book. Three registers of the Parsonstown (Birr) workhouse survive; 1842-1843, 1849-1850 and loose pages from a 1912 registers. As the Board of Guardians also oversaw the dispensary districts in the union, there is a ledger relating to their activities, as well as a copy of the lease for the Kinnitty dispensary residences.

Parsonstown Union’s area of operation covered 234 square miles from two counties: from Offaly (King’s County) – Banagher, Drumcullen, Eglish, Ferbane, Frankfort, Kilcoleman, Kinnety, Lemanagan, Letter, Lusmagh, Seirkyrans, Parsonstown, Shannon Bridge, Shannon Harbour and Tissarin. From County Tipperary – Aglishcloghane, Ballingarry, Dorha, Lockeen, Lorha and Uskeane.