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Annual Report 1920

Annual report addressed to the 11th Baron Digby following the death of his predecessor. Goodbody reports that £7000 has been remitted and briefs the new Lord Digby on the state of Ireland during the War of Independence: 'Ireland continues in a disturbed and unsatisfactory condition. This neighbourhood has not escaped the general destruction of Constabulary barracks, the only three barracks on your estate having been maliciously and wantonly burnt and wrecked, those of Clonmore being wholly destroyed and of Geashill & Killeigh partially so. The police authorities having vacated them prior to their destruction have since surrendered same, with a consequent loss of future rental. Claims for compensation have been lodged for substantial amounts and are still pending.'

Goodbody, Lewis

Annual Report 1873

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1873, containing positive reports on the financial condition of the estate with only 'trifling arrears' of £32 and a general increase in overall rental income. Expenditure consisted of main drainage of lands at Roskeen, Queen's County; the reclamation of the bog at Killurin; thorough drainage at Bawnmore; construction of two new cottages in Geashill Village and a substantial range of offices for Mr Warren of Gorteen. Also comments on the scarcity of labour on the estate due to emigration to America, and that the 'Russian Village' (portable labourers' housing) has been moved to Cappyroe from Ballyknockan.

Regrets to say that relations with the tenantry are not entirely satisfactory. Tenants without a written contract were asked to sign one but the parish priest, using 'the extraordinary and mischievous power which an Irish priest possesses over an ignorant Roman Catholic tenantry', informed tenants that by signing they will exclude themselves from any benefit under the Land Act.

Describes the eviction of Mr. O'Flanagan, a large tenant on the estate, who had tried to establish 'tenant-right' through the courts but 'failed signally, as at the last moment before the claim came before the Chairman of the Quarter Sessions, Mr. O'Flanagan signed a paper admitting that he had no claim whatever to tenant-right in his holding.'

Annual Report 1882

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1882. Remarking on the 'extraordinary events in Ireland of the last 12 months', Digby reports that consequently there is a large amount of arrears, including abandoned arrears which are mainly the rents of Ballydownan and Roskeen farms which are in Lord Digby's hands having been surrendered.

Land improvements have ceased due to the suspension of rent and the generally disorganised state of the country, a new dwelling house for William Payne, Killeenmore being the chief expenditure. Thirty acres of young plantations in Derrygunnigan and Newtown woods and the maintenance of other young plantations accounted for expenditure in forestry.

Warns that the country is in a 'frightful crisis' and reports on the tactics of the Land League with their 'No Rent' manifesto (Autumn 1881), which was eagerly adopted and led to a complete suspension of the payment of rent. After an abatement was refused, tenantry on the Geashill Estate held a meeting in Killeigh in January 1882 at which a resolution was passed not to pay rent unless abatements were conceded. Proceedings were issued against nine of the principal agitators, their properties seized and put up for public auction in Tullamore. Digby reports that in seven cases, the tenants allowed him to be the purchaser, and in the other two cases, the tenants bought in their farms for the full amount of rent claimed and costs. Evictions followed, five of which required the aid of 'a large force of military and police and bailiffs supplied by the Property Defence Association.'

Annual Report 1889

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 2016, showing a reduction in the rental , mainly as a result of decisions in the land courts. Outstanding arrears had slightly decreased but there was an increase in abandoned arrears, the result of two years rent of the farm in Ballymooney from which it was necessary to evict B. R. Odlum. No major expenditure and the usual amount of £11, 000 was remitted. Describes Ireland as showing a marked improvement both materially and morally, and the tenant farmer 'has relinquished agitation and devoted themselves to more legitimate pursuits.'

Annual Report 1874

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1874, containing a positive report on the financial condition of the estate with an increase in the overall rental income. Expenditure consisted of further land improvements including drainage works in Roskeen, Killarles, Cappyroe and Clonmore. A drain was sunk at Meelaghans and Cloncon which serves as a boundary between the Geashill and Charleville Estates and report notes that Lord Charleville has undertaken to pay half the cost of the drain. Construction of a new farmhouse for Mr Riddell of Annagharvey cost £514.19.6.

Report also discusses the introduction of concrete works as a construction method due to the difficulty in sourcing masons, many of which have emigrated. Also notes that the forester has had to be replaced as Mr McIntosh had emigrated to California. New plantations were established at Cappyroe and the Meelaghans.

Despite the eviction of Mr. Connolly of Clunagh who was in occupation of a farm in Clonad, overall agitation on the estate dissipated after the death of the former parish priest, and Digby describes his successor as 'a bright exception amongst Irish priests.'

Letterbook 1913-1914

Copies of approximately 1000 outgoing letters, averaging at 1 per page. Some letters illegible due to fading.
Includes letter to E. des. H. Browne, Charleville Estate Office, Tullamore re Sherlock Estate: ' Replying to yours of the 20th inst. It is begging the question to suggest that these tenants understood or were satisfied with the last receipts you gave, or with any of the receipts. The original rent in the time of Sherlock's predecessor was £2.1.10. I have a whole bundle of receipts in evidence of this. It was customary by the Landlord as shown by receipts to give a substantial abatement off this rent and eventually some years before Mr. Sherlock became owner and according to my instructions after a valuation was made by the agent, the rent was fixed at the figure of rent paid. The original tenant was John Fitzgerald Snr and his brother Bernard resided on the lands with him. John allowed Bernard the use of half the lands on paying half the rent., and eventually Bernard's name found its way into the rental, and ever since Mr. Sherlock acquired the estate, half of the rent was paid by Bernard. John died and was succeeded by his widow Mrs Bridget Fitzgerald on whose death John Fitzgerald Jr became the tenant, and John Jr and Bernard appear to be now tenants in common of these lands. I give you these particulars as Mr. Sherlock in court did not seem to be conversant with the facts. It is admitted that the yearly rent of £1.14.0 has been regularly paid every year. These illiterate men paid very little attention to receipts which they can hardly be blamed for not understanding: they were content so long as they paid their year's rent and heard no more about it. But now that the question has been raised they will naturally decline to pay the next gale of rent except in exchange for a proper receipt up to date.' (28 January 1914)

Annual Report 1922

Annual report submitted by Lewis Goodbody, agent, to Lord Digby, in which he presents a detailed set of accounts and remits £5481 in rental income for Digby's properties in King's County and Rosekeen in Queen's County. Also references the burning of Geashill Castle on 16 August 1922 and that a claim for £15,000 has been lodged against the County and the Provisional Government.

Goodbody, Lewis

Folder relating to lands at Bunsallagh

Receipts and documents relating to the lands at Bunsallagh, including:

1) receipt issued for rent paid to the Earl of Charleville (1854-1855) and signed by agent, Francis Berry.
2) schedule of lands relating to the proposed railway line through land occupied by Ann Kelly, 1886
3) return for the townlands of Bunsallagh to the Commissioner for Valuation, 1910

Annual Report 1893

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.

Annual Report 1894

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1894, showing an unchanged rental situation form the previous year. Digby refers to the defeat of the Home Rule Bill and his satisfaction that 'the extraordinary proposal of the Government to reinstate evicted tenants has failed to excite enthusiasm'.

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