Showing 316 results

Original bundle of letters and papers concerning the 4th Earl’s patents for a machine which he had invented for removing leaves and other matter from turbines, 1901-4; together with notes on his experiments with electro-plating, 1908. [Not in chronological order.]

Papers about Birr Church of Ireland church and parish, including historical compilations of the rev. Dr Samuel Hemphill, Rector of Birr, covering the period 1612-1903. The compilations consist of a small quarto notebook containing MS. Copies of 1642 depositions concerning the neighbourhood of Birr; another containing a history of Birr Church of Ireland church (taken from vestry books, parish registers, etc), 1760-1903); and two succession lists of Birr incumbents, 1612-1912. The sub-section also includes a series of printed annual reports on the parish and on the diocese of Killaloe and Kilfenora, 1900-10.

Letters, tradesmen’s accounts, inventories of plate, specifications, tender and other papers of the 4th and 5th Earls, all concerning the contents of Birr Castle or improvements and alterations to Birr Castle and demesne and
to houses and cottages owned by the estate – the installation of motors and turbines, plumbing, lighting, heating, redecorating, ‘hacking off’ plaster-work, etc. [Not in chronological order. For other inventories of plate, etc, see H/8 and T/83.]

Original bundle of applications/ recommendations for the post of head gardener at Birr (Andrew Hume being the successful applicant).

Letters and papers of the 4th Earl about Parsonstown/Birr: the Castle – his youthful recollections of it, extensions to it 1867-72 [see also M/25], a magazine portrait of his way of life there, 1898, and magazine obituaries of him, 1908; an incident which took place on the road between Banagher and Parsonstown and in which the 4th Earl and his party were stopped and temporarily put in gaol by a drunken R.I.C. man, 1868; the Parsonstown Barracks, 1869, 1899 and N.D.; the Parsonstown Town Commission and Commissioners, 1870 and 1885; admissions to the demesne of privileged locals, 1876-1910; and one of the bridges in the Birr Castle demesne, and the Rivers Brosna and Camcor, 1880 and 1896. The correspondents include Gladstone, W.E. Forster and Lords Strathnairn and Roberts. The sub-section also includes a small account book recording local subscriptions to the Parsonstown Defence Association, the Property Defence Association, the legal fund of the Irish Land Committee, and the Field and Rossmore Testimonials, c.1882.

Correspondence and other papers of the 4th and 5th Earls of Rosse on subjects other than astronomy, including estate and other King’s County affairs, the 4th Earl’s contributions to public life as a representative peer, Chancellor of T.C.D., etc, etc.

‘S’ - principally Stokes Bros. & Pirn of Dublin (the Rosse accountants [see Q/269-70]), E. & G. Stapleton, solicitors, of Dublin (who write about the Barrett estate [see V/7]), etc, etc.

Two boxes of letters from ‘D’ -principally Darley, Orpen & McGillycuddy/Synnot, solicitors, Dublin, who write mainly in their capacity as solicitors to the Rosse estate, but who also acted for other employers of Garvey as well.

‘K’ and ‘L’ - a very miscellaneous lot, but including Colonels Kingscote and Lodwick (two more of Garvey’s employers -[see Section V/21-2]).