Abbey Leix House c. 1950s
James G. Ryan
The extensive De Vesci papers[i] in the National Library of Ireland are a valuable resource for local history in Laois and surrounding counties. An interesting item in this collection is a list of people who purchased Indian meal from the De Vesci Estate in July 1801. The background is that Irish food prices had risen dramatically due to poor harvests in 1799 to 1801 [ii]. The reduced production was aggravated by demand for food for the British Army, which was then at war with France. This resulted in mob protests in several places. To relieve the resulting distress, export of foodstuffs was banned, and duties on imported meal and flour were waived. Corn or Maize meal (also known as Indian meal or Yellow meal) was imported in large quantities from America, and was used as a substitute for wheat flour. The strategy was effective and Indian meal became widely available. It would appear that the De Vesci estate became a local distributor of this foodstuff.
A calendar of the De Vesci papers held in the National Library of Ireland, published by the Irish Manscript Commission, is available to consult in Laois Local Studies and Abbeyleix Library. The descriptive list for the collection can also be viewed on the NLI website on this LINK
This list of 213 purchasers of meal is from a De Vesci account book[i]. It shows the amount of Indian meal purchased per person, and the amount paid. A stone of meal cost 2 shillings, and most purchases were from 1 to 3 stone. Although addresses are generally not given, the people listed are likely to have been residents of the Civil Parish of Abbeyleix. The population of this parish at the time was around 4,100 people or about 710 families. Based on other research in these papers, many are workers on the estate. Almost half of the purchasers are women, including 16 widows.
Rarer family names within the list include Haycock, Batterer, Oxbergh, Keravan, Vousdill and Larresy. Among the locally common names are Fitzpatrick, Bergin, Delany, Dooly, Phelan, Lalor (or Lawlor), Tierney and Tynan. Some common abbreviations of first names are used, such as Jno. = John; Jas. = James; Edwd. = Edward; Thos. = Thomas; Patt = Patrick; Wm. = William; Richd. = Richard. Bartle is a short name for Bartholomew.
Purchaser Names
Batterer?, Wm.
Bergin, Jas.
Bergin, Widow
Bonham, Edwd.
Bonham, Roger
Bourke, Honor
Bourke, Margt.
Bowe, Bridget
Brennan, Mary
Brennan, Mary
Brett, Judy
Brophy, Jno.
Brophy, Mary
Brophy, Tim
Bruton, Mary
Bruton, John
Bruton, Mary
Bruton, Sam
Buggy or Bugg, Widow
Butler? Betty
Byrne, Judy
Byrne, Wm.
Byrne, Bartle Islan
Campion, Ann
Campion, Tom
Carroll, Patt
Carroll, Darby
Carroll, Honor
Carroll, Jno.
Carroll, Mary
Carroll, Patt
Carroll, Tom
Carter, Mary
Carter, Mrs. Rathmoil
Carter, Wm.
Case, Thos.
Case, Tom
Casey, Michl.
Clear, Bridget
Conner, Ansty
Connor, Widow (Conner in 1)
Costigan, Alice
Costigan, Patt
Cotton, William
Cunden?, Bridget
Dalton, Patt
Daly, Peggy
Daly, Betty
Daly, Charles
Delany, Catherine
Delany, Kitty
Delany, Callis?
Delany, Jno.
Delany, Kitty
Delany, Nelly
Delany, Sylvester
Dempsey, Nancy
Dempsey, Philip
Denair, Judy
Denair, Honor
Donnevan, Tom
Donnovan, Mr.
Dooley, Henry
Dooley, Laurence
Dowling Jno.
Dowling, Margt.
Dowling, Mary
Dowling, Michl.
Duan, Denis
Duan, Tom
Dunn, Nelly
Dunne, Betty
Dunne, Jno.
Dunne, Sarah
Dunne, Wm.
Dunphy, Tom
Dunphy, Michl.
Durney, Michl.
Fauhey, Betty
Fauhey, Eliza
Fitzgerrald, Jane
Fitzpatrick, Margt.
Fitzpatrick, Biddy
Fitzpatrick, Darby
Fitzpatrick, Dennis
Fitzpatrick, Mary
Flinn, Mrs.
Flood, Mary
Foster, Anne
Foyle, Thady
Gorman, Judith
Gough, Wm.
Grant, Betty
Harlford or Hartford, Kitty
Harlford, ” , Edwd.
Hartford, Jno.
Haycock, Mrs.
Higgins, Tom
Hiland, Ned
Hiland, Patt ”
Hodgin, Ann
Holehan, Thos.
Holland, Biddy
Hosey, Charles
Hughes, Mary
Hughes, Ned
Hughes, Thomas
Johnson, Jas.
Johnson, Rose
Kavanagh, Peg
Keenan, Widow
Kelly, Kyran for Mr. Dobbs
Kelly, Ned
Kelly, Ned Foster
Kelly, Widow
Kenna, Patt
Kennedy Danl.
Kennedy, Jno.
Kennedy, Dan
Kennedy, Mary
Kenny, Jno.
Kervan, Jno.
Kilbride, Widow
Kilfoyle, Bridget
King, Alec
Lalor, George
Lalor, Hugh
Lalor, Mary
Lalor, Rachel
Lalor, Richd.
Lalor, Thady
Larresy, Catherine
Larresy, Mary
Larresy, Nancy
Loughman, Mr.
Lowry, Widow
Maddin, Wm.
Maher, Darby
Maher, Nancy
Mangan, Mrs.
McDonald, Widow
McEvoy, Martha
McEvoy, Kitty
McEvoy, Wm.
McGinnis, Catherine
McGinnis, Mary
McKee, Widow
Mooney, Jas.
Mooney, Catherine
Moore, Ned
Moran, Henry
Moran, Widow
Muldowny, Despard
Muldowny, Widow
Mulhall, Catherine
Mulhall, Honor
Mulhall, Kitty
Murphy, Winny
Neill, Ann
Neill, Jas.
Neill, Margt.
Neill, Peggy
Oxbergh, Henry
Parkinson, Jno.
Perkinson, Jane
Perkinson, Widow
Phelan, Biddy
Phelan, Danl.
Phelan, Jno.
Phelan, Kitty
Phelan, Larry
Phelan, Mary
Phelan, Paddy
Phelan, Patt
Phelan, Polly
Phelan, Widow
Pursill, Catherine
Quigly, Andrew
Quigly, Winny
Quinn, Nelly
Reilly, John
Remington, Wm.
Roberts, Arthur
Salmon, Widow
Sans, Judy
Sheeran, Margt.
Sheeran, Ned
Sheeran, Jno.
Stern ?, Mrs.
Story? Mrs
Sutliff, Mary
Sutliff, Mrs.
Sutliff, Widow
Thompson, Nelly
Tierney, Patt
Tierney, Wm.
Toban, James
Toban, Laurence or Larry
Tynan, ??
Tynan, Betty
Tynan, Judy
Tynan, Mary
Tynan, Wm.
Vance, Sam
Vance, Wm.
Vousdill? Mary
Wall, Widow
Walsh, Biddy
Walsh, Bridget
Walsh, Laurence
Watt, David
Wild, Mr. Thos.
Wilkinson, Judy
[i] Slim folio workmen’s time and account book 1800-09. National Library of Ireland Ms 34,421
[i] DeVesci Papers: Papers relating to the family and landed estates of the Viscounts de Vesci. Collection List No. 89 National Library of Ireland.
[ii] Kennedy, Liam; Solar, Peter M. The famine that wasn’t? 1799-1801 in Ireland. QUCEH Working Paper Series, No. 2019-06. www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/204506/1/167819266X.pdf
