Introduction

This genealogical aid consists of a compilation of data contained in the Tithe Applotment Books from circa 1830, a religious census which took place in the Catholic parish of Ballyferriter in the mid-1830's, as well as the names of occupants listed in Griffith's Valuation for the same area, about twenty years later. By viewing the three enumerations together, one can more easily make observations about possible family connections. As Griffith's Valuation took place at the end of the Famine, patterns of emigration can also be observed.

Tithe Applotment Books

The Tithe Applotment Books, or Tithe Books, are the result of a country-wide land survey that took place during the 1820's and 1830's for the purpose of collecting church dues. Since the (Protestant) Church of Ireland was the official church, it had the power of taxation over the population, most of whom, of course, were not its members.

Each parcel of property was appraised, and tithes were computed based on the size of the holding, the quality of the land, as well as the average market price of agricultural produce. These tithes were payable by the tenants, rather than the landowners.

Several Tithe Books have been lost, including that for Kilmalkedar parish, though the religious census of the same area does compensate greatly for its loss.

Census of 1834-1835

This census was undertaken by the British government in order to determine the respective numbers of Catholics and Protestants residing in the various parts of Ireland. It was based on the returns for the 1831 Census. In Ballyferriter, one of the few areas for which this census survives, the enumerator was Father John Casey. For each town, Father Casey listed the heads of household, as well as the number of persons in each household, males and females. The census took place between May 1834, when the commission authorizing it was formed, and February 3, 1835, when John O'Connell, M.P., presented copies of the returns at a meeting of the Anti-Tory Association.

Since virtually all of the census returns from the nineteenth century were destroyed in the Dublin Four Courts fire in 1922, this surviving enumeration is most valuable. This is especially true in the case of Kilmalkedar, as the Tithe Book for that parish is not included with those of the others, as it has apparently been lost.

The census was transcribed by Pádraig de Brún, who included his transcription in an article published in the Journal of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society in 1974. This transcription was the source for the information presented herein.

Griffith's Valuation

This enumeration, performed in the middle of the nineteenth century, was undertaken for purposes of local taxation. For each piece of property, the occupant's name was listed, along with the immediate lessor (i.e., landlord), a short description of the property, the acreage held, and the "Ratable Annual Valuation" of any land and buildings. If one person had more than one property in the area, he or she would be listed separately for each holding.

The figures for Dunquin parish were first published in 1851, while those for Dunurlin, Marhin, Kilmalkedar, and Kilquane were published in 1852. The principal landowner in Ballyferriter was Lord Ventry, though the Earl of Cork did own several islands.

About the compilation

For each of the five civil parishes, the townlands are listed in alphabetical order, generally as they appear in Griffith's Valuation. Where there are conflicts in placenames between the three surveys (i.e., North, South, Beg, More, Commons), the extra designation has been placed in italics and parentheses after the householder's name.

Within each townland, the householders are grouped together by surname. Any variant spellings of surnames are preserved, but these names are alphabetized with the standardized spelling of the surname (generally as spelled in Griffith's). All names starting with Mc, Mac or O' are alphabetized without the prefix.

For each surname, the householders listed in the Tithe Books appear on the left, those in the census in the center, and those in Griffith's Valuation on the right, with each list given in alphabetical order by first name. Many householders appear with additional first names in parentheses; these are generally assumed to identify the householder's father. Any question marks that appear in the census listings appear in the source transcription.

The census listings also include the total number of residents within each household, which is then broken down by gender. Any Protestant households identified in the religious census are denoted with the abbreviation PROT. Coast Guard personnel residing in Ballynagoule, Murreagh, Kilmalkedar parish are denoted with CG.

Only the names of householders have been transcribed from the Tithe Books and Griffith's Valuation. Additional information, particularly the names of lessors, may be added in the future.

In the census, two or more listings with the same first and last name can generally be assumed to denote different families. This cannot be assumed for either the Tithe Books or Griffith's Valuation; each of the person's holdings has its own listing, and three or four listings under the same name in the same area may often refer to the same person.

About the indices

Two indices have been included with the compilation. The first index lists all householders in order of surname and given name. The second sorts the residents first by surname, then by parish and townland. This index gives a clearer picture of the geographical distribution of a given name. In both indices, as in the main compilation, the names appear in three columns (Tithe Books, census, Griffith's Valuation), which denote the source from which the name was transcribed. Any names starting with Mc, Mac or O' are alphabetized without their prefixes.

Sources

W.J. Mansfield ([email protected])
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