I
have no doubt that the recipient of this letter, George Gresson (1802-76), understood
it at first glance because he could predict the text; I can’t predict and so struggle in places.
Gresson
was a successful Dublin-based solicitor, land agent, and land owner in the
Irish counties of Cavan and Tyrone. The obvious measure of his success remains
in the shape of Glencairn House which he had built in 1860 with architectural
plans provided by the architect Benjamin Woodward (1815-1861). Woodward began
his career on Upper Merrion Street in Dublin but is now better known for Gothic-style
buildings in Oxford: the Museum of Natural History and the Oxford Union. As for
Glencairn House, it has for decades now been the official residence of the
British Ambassador to Ireland. So quite a house built less than a decade after
the end of the Great Famine.
I read that Gresson
was responsible for evictions during the Famine, the long dates of which are
usually given as 1845-52 with 1847 reckoned the worst year. A Google extract gives me “George Gresson, a magistrate and agent to
numerous estates in King's County [Offaly], evicted over fifty
families during the Famine years, in some cases physically…” but I cannot complete the quotation from open access sources; I have provied a link below.
The
writer of this letter, Daniel Egan, belonged to a line of tenant farmer Egans
living in and around Shinrone in County Offaly, now a small village but more
populous in the past – in 1850 it was a post town as indicated by the postmark
on this letter. Egan datelines his letter from Coolblow just outside Shinrone
though the modern spelling is Coldblow which may well be true of the
place. Egan is asking Gresson to acknowledge that he had given him permission to
cut some turfs and that therefore Egan is not guilty of the theft for which he
has now been convicted. It’s as simple as that though I cannot provide information
about the outcome.
Transcription
Addressed:
To Mr George gresson esq no 30 upper merrin street Dublin
Datelined:
Coolblow May 29 1850
Endorsed
Late for 30th [that is, too late for the post that day], postmarked
SHINRONE MY 31 1850, Dublin arrival mark JU 1 1850. Docketing note: 29th
May 1850 Danl. Egan
Sir I hope that you will cawl to mind the Day
that we were sowing the Barley that I asked the the plase [?] of two plane[?]
of turf and you told me that you would not grudge me to getil [archaic, getting]
it I then went to cut it and Mearea [ AI says: The spelling "Mearea"
is an occasional, archaic variant of the traditional Irish surname Meara (or
O'Meara). It is deeply rooted in County Tipperary (Shinrone is near the border
with Tipperary - TP) originating from the medieval Gaelic clan Ó Meadhra]
summond me and fiend me for it and the Court refered the case to you now I hope
that your honor will free me as I must go to gaol too pay it
I
remain Sir your verry humble Servent Dan Egan
References
https://dspace.mic.ul.ie/items/841c5752-01dc-4e57-9467-6b6155c34cd8
Wikipedia:
Great Famine (Ireland)
Wikipedia:
Benjamin Woodward
Wikipedia:
Glencairn House
Wikipedia:
Shinrone
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