Three incomplete volumes recording details of residents admitted to the Parsonstown (Birr) Workhouse, the first of which dating from the opening of the workhouse in April 1842.

Provides details of names of inmates, previous residence, date when admitted or born in workhouse, whether male/female, age, marital status, employment, religion, disability type, and date when discharged or died in workhouse. Volumes from 1842-1843 and 1849-1850 contain index of names.

Rental of the ‘Inner estate’ [Parsonstown and the immediately outlying townlands], with a half-yearly rental of £4,500.

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.

Minute books, accounts book, reports, burial board minute book, and ancillary material relating to the administration of Parsonstown Town Commissioners.

Birr (Parsonstown) Rural District Council No. 1 -
9 Minute books -
BRDC10/1/1: April 1899 - July 1900
BRDC10/1/2: August 1900 - June 1903
BRDC10/1/3: June 1903 - December 1905
BRDC10/1/4: January 1906 - December 1908
BRDC10/1/5: January 1909 - December 1910
BRDC10/1/6: January 1911 - March 1914
BRDC10/1/7: July 1914 - July 1915
BRDC10/1/8: August 1915 - May 1920
BRDC10/1/9: June 1920 - September 1923

4 Financial Minute Books -
BRDC10/2/1: September 1907 - February 1910
BRDC10/2/2: July 1910 - January 1912
BRDC10/2/3: February 1913 - April 1913 and November 1914 - April 1915 (1 volume).
BRDC10/2/4: April 1914 - October 1914 and July 1918 (1 volume).

1 Register -
BRDC10/3: July 1908 - March 1918, Register of cow keepers, dairy men or purveyors of milk within this district.

1 Declaration -
BRDC10/4: June 1914 - May 1923, Councillors declaration of acceptance of office.

1 General Rental -
BRDC10/5/1: 1915 - 1919, Labourers' cottages general rental.

1 Ledger -
BRDC10/5/2: October 1915 - March 1925, Labourers' cottage repair ledger.

Birr (Parsonstown) Rural District Council No. 2 -
5 Minute Books -
BRDC10/6/1: January 1905 - November 1905
BRDC10/6/2: January 1906 - December 1910
BRDC10/6/3: January 1911 - June 1913
BRDC10/6/4: July 1913 - July 1915
BRDC10/6/5: September 1915 - March 1920

4 Financial Minutes -
BRDC10/7/1: April 1899 - July 1900
BRDC10/7/2: August 1900 - January 1905
BRDC10/7/3: April 1905 - July 1911
BRDC10/7/4: October 1926 - September 1928

1 Declaration -
BRDC10/8: June 1914, Councillors declaration of acceptance of office.

1 Register -
BRDC10/9: 1880 - 1971, Register of mortgages, (also Offaly Board of Health and Offaly County Council).

Printed Griffith’s Valuation of the Union of Parsonstown.

Volumes of rough minutes taken from meetings of the Board of Guardians of Parsonstown Union. Contains listings of rates collected across electoral divisions; invoice accounts from the Parsonstown Workhouse and Outdoor Relief; notes on orders and actions in response to reports and correspondence received by the Board of Guardians.

Copies of outgoing letters from John V. Brown, clerk of Parsonstown Union to various recipients, particularly the Poor Law Commissioners, detailing reliefs and works. Also includes copy outgoing correspondence relating to assisted emigration schemes for inmates of the Parsonstown workhouse during the course of the Great Famine.

The minutes contain the proceedings of the meetings of the Board of Guardians of Parsonstown Union, containing reports from the clerk of the union, the master of the workhouse, the sanitary officers and others. Also recorded are members present, details of correspondence, proposals and resolution passed.