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File of letters sent to Henry Trench between 1877 and 1879.

The file contains letters sent by family, friends, business contacts and acquaintances. Examples of letters include a 1877 letter from D.A M'Cready regarding five leases that require Henry's signature; three letters dated 1878 from E Williams, Main Street, Parsonstown regarding Japanese trays and a letter from K.L Kirkpatrick thanking Henry for sending him a pedigree and a letter from J.A Davis, Kilcoleman parsonage, Parsonstown regarding forwarding an application to the Lord Bishop and Rural Dean .

The majority of the letters sent in 1879 were concerned with issues such as Shannon Drainage and leasing property. Examples of such letters include a letter from G Weston, 32 Essex Street, Strand, London, regarding clay work; a letter containing a copy of 'Hydraulic tables, coefficients, and formulae for finding the discharge of water from orifices, notches, weirs, pipes and rivers' by John Neville and a draft lease property in Banagher sent to George Arthur Waller for sixty one years.

Annual report, rental and accounts for year ending June 1875, containing a positive report on the financial condition of the estate, with £9000 profit remitted to Lord Digby as in other years. Expenditure included the purchase of the glebe lands of Geashill from the Commission of Church Temporalities in Ireland for the sum of £3200. The glebe lands were subsequently let to Mr. Chissell.

Drainage works continued with the completion of a drain between Meelaghans and Cloncon to which the Earl of Charleville had paid £50. Other works included extensive reclamation works at Cappyroe and new reclamation works at Cappancur near the town of Tullamore. Expenditure on construction included £700 for a new and substantial farmhouse for Mr E. J. Odlum at Cappancur; two new houses at Killurin; a back yard for Mr Riddell at Annagharvey; raising and re-roofing of Mr Tarleton's house at Killeigh; and improvements to J. Forester's house in Ballinagar.

Notes the bad state of timber at Clonad and discusses new plan to recover the plantation there. Overall the condition of the estate is reported to satisfactory and having 'absolute immunity from disturbance or apparent discontent', with only one man in all the tenantry owing one half-year's rent, all others paid punctually.

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to administration of Geashill estate. Matters referred to include tree planting on the estate; insurance/workmen's compensation funds; Irish general election results; taxation of woodlands; and the Geashill Cauldron.

Includes letter from Digby to Goodbody: 'The result of the elections in the Free State do not, I am afraid, seem to be very good, though I imagine that De Valera will think twice before he puts his policy fully into operation, as with a tariff wall between England and a country outside the Empire it would hit Ireland very hard if it came to Ireland really trying to sever themselves from the British Empire. I am quite sure, however, that this is not the intention of the majority of people in Ireland, and they must realise that it is not to their good but very much the reverse.' (22 February 1932)

Includes copy letter from Goodbody to Digby:'...I enclose you some correspondence which has appeared in some of the Irish papers in this matter. As you will see, it comes from the Republican side, and of course misrepresents facts and history, and cannot avoid being insulting at the same time. As you will remember, I offered this Cauldron on loan from yourself to the Irish Museum, then had a box made for it, and before it was packed it was raided. Since then though I have heard rumours about it, I have not heard anything definite about it.' (11 April 1932)

Includes newspaper cuttings containing letters from Sean McGuinness, Kinnity, Offaly and Liam Gogan, Assistant Keeper of Antiquities, National Museum concerning the theft of the cauldron by Offaly IRA and its archaeological significance.

File of correspondence between Banagher Parish Council, Offaly County Board of Health and Department of Local Government and Public Health, in relation to the installation of a sewerage scheme at Banagher and the provision of wartime employment.
Includes Ms list of 23rd January 1941 of persons prepared to connect with the water mains. With copy of Sanitary Sub-Officers Report.
Includes also ms resolution of Banagher parish Council stating that the sanitation in Banagher requires immediate attention.

Memo from the Secretary of Offaly County Council to Eamonn G. Moore stating that the housing scheme has been held up pending the installation of the sewerage scheme.

Copy letter from Secretary of Banagher Parish Council regarding the distribution of wheat to those considered deserving.

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of Glenamoy Estate, Ballina, Co. Mayo under James Boland Esq. Matters referred to include the securing of salmon and gun licences for Lord Digby; letter from the Department of Lands and Fisheries requesting the total amount of Salmon and sea-trout captured by anglers on waters owned or leased by Lord Digby; payment of fishery rates; invoices from Geo N Walshes, Motor Engineer; AGM notice for the Salmon Fisheries Protection Association; the retirement of James Boland in November 1946 and arrangements for the re-letting of Bunowa Lodge.

Includes letter to Lord Digby: "Many thanks for the Ration Card, also Petrol Coupons, and I shall try to have the equivalent for them for you when you come again. It is impossible to say what the possibilities of second-hand cars here will be until we see what happens to the Petrol Ration. So far there has been no announcement and the October, November and December Coupons have already been issued. I will bear in mind what you say, and also have the question of your membership of the Irish Automobile Association... I was very interested and amazed to read your story about the whale, and so was Kenneth, and I think you were extremely lucky to live to tell the tale, and that the boat was not turned over. I agree that it is a great fishing story, and that even though it is literally true it will be extremely difficult to get anyone to believe it especially on your side of the water, but it will certainly make history in the Glennamoy Area. By the way although your Annual Account is made out in draft and is just about to be sent off for binding I anticipate some delay as I find that all such jobs as binding and printing etc seem to take much longer than usual at present, but you will understand that the matter is in hand, and if there is delay that nothing has gone wrong. I failed to get the County Council here to increase their offer of £40 per statute acre for the Housing site at Geashill, and as they said they did not propose to disturb the grazing letting, which expires on the 1st March next, I could not cut any ice on that point". (29 September 1947)

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1893, showing a slight decrease in gross rent received and an increase in abandoned arrears due to the eviction of three tenants: Michael Malone, Danganbeg; John Dunne, Ballinagar; and Michael Coughlan, Cappancur. Digby notes that he was able to re-let Malone and Dunne's holdings but that it was 'impossible' to re-let Coughlan's farm. Also notes that Lord Digby granted a 15% rent reduction to non-judicial tenants as a result of continued depressed prices and great injury caused by an excessively wet harvest.

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill estate. Matters referred to include the death of Lewis Goodbody;the trade in timber; sale of game-keeper Donaldson's house in Ballina, Geashill; rent arrears; enquiries relating to extent of lands at Glenamoy, Digby's Mayo estate; sale of timber at Derrygunnigan; the Geashill Cauldron; proposed fisheries bill; replanting of the River Wood at Clonad; visit by Digby to Ireland; and the death of former game-keeper, David Donaldson.

Includes copy letter from Ken Kennedy to Digby concerning death of Lewis Goodbody:'...He and Mrs Goodbody returned to Dublin on Tuesday night last, and Lewis came down to Clara on Wednesday evening, where Mrs Goodbody joined him on Friday. Lewis attended his Office in Moate on Thursday, and did a full days work here on Friday, and his usual half day on Saturday. He told me on Friday for the first time, that for a short time, I rather think only after he got to Canterbury he had felt chest pain, and had several attacks of it...He had a bad night Saturday night, but felt well enough on Sunday, although he stayed in the house resting himself. Between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon of Sunday, he was sitting in the drawing room with Mrs Goodbody, and the latter asked him if he would like to come round the garden with her. He said that he thought not as he was comfortable where he was. Mrs Goodbody went out to the garden, and was a very short time away, and when she came back she found him sitting dead in his chair, just in the position she left him...I would like to thank you most sincerely for your sympathy to me. Lewis was like a father to me, and I have lost a good partner and a good friend. (10 January 1933)

Includes letter from Caroline G. Digby, Wimborne to Lord Digby:'I think it is best to write & tell you what I heard from my old cook today about the big bath or cauldron that was stolen from Geashill Castle 12 years ago - the night before Edith and [?] went over to see about the removal of our things to England. She writes: "I met a man on Saturday. He asked me 'do you ever hear from Mrs. Digby?' I said yes - Well he said will you write Mrs Digby & tell her I am the man has the cauldron - I raided here for it myself and three others. I am willing he said to give it up should Mrs. Digby write me. I told him I would write. His name is D. Kelly, Killeary, Geashill. He said his father was an old tenant of Lord Digby's. That's all he said. I was surprised & I was glad to hear it was coming to its own home again... There was a good many men of the name Kelly round Geashill. We cannot remember Killeary - the district was divided into so many townlands. My old cook may have spelt it wrong. She is still well known in Geashill & still lives there. You may think it well that Mr. Kennedy should go over & see her or have her see to his office & find out more....You may remember that my daughter Edith did go to the Museum in Dublin when she was over there some time ago. It seems a pity not to recover the cauldron as it was of great historic interest. Reggie used to show it to everyone who came to see us with great pride! It was awfully heavy and unwieldy...My cook's name is Mrs. Browne' (3 August 1933)

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1876, containing 'an entirely satisfactory' financial report with an absence of any outstanding arrears. Notes however that expenditure was high as the glebe lands of Killeigh were purchased from the Church Temporalities Commission for £950, and major drainage and reclamation works were completed at Cappyroe, Cappancur, Roskeen, Geashill glebe lands, Clonmore, and Killarles.

Forestry works included a new plantation at Aghanrush, and the clearance of twenty acres of the River Wood at Clonad of all decaying birch and timber, the construction of new drainage works therein and the replantation of the wood. Digby reports the same plan is in place for the wood at Derrygolan. Construction works included a new cattle shed for Mr Tottenham at Springfield; new offices for Mr Delamere in the Meelaghans; new stores for T. Fegan in Geashill Village due to increased trade; new forge in Killeigh and new offices for J. Buckley in Geashill Village and for Mary Hones in Cappancur, along with descriptions of other repairs and alterations.

Overall he reports the condition of the estate as 'prosperous' but warns of mischievous attempts 'to inspire the Irish tenantry with distrust of their landlords. '