Cork City Council General Committee and General Purposes Committee Minute Books
TitleCork City Council General Committee and General Purposes Committee Minute Books
ReferenceCP/CO/GC/M
Date
1867-1889
Production date 1867 - 1889
Scope and ContentThe first two volumes contain minutes of meetings of all committees of Cork Corporation, 1867-78. The third volume contains minutes of the General Purposes Committee, 1879-89, which took responsibility for all matters previously dealt with by a number of separate committees. As this is the only volume of General Purposes minutes present, and the only other volume containing minutes of several committees in this period, it has been placed in the same series as General Committee minutes. After the reestablishment of the Council in 1929 [see ‘Administrative History’], ‘General Purposes’ were considered by a General Purposes Committee of the Whole Council [CP/CO/GP/M].
The General Committee minutes record meetings of regular committees such as Markets and Tolls, Cemetery, Law and Finance, Improvement, Waterworks, Gas Lighting, Standing and Sanitary, and Park Committees (minutes for most of which were subsequently kept in distinct series of their own). Also recorded are minutes of other committees such as the Hide Crane, Baths, Industrial Schools, and Analyst Committees, and other special, ad hoc, and joint committees. Resolutions, reports, and matters raised by these committees would have been considered at meetings of the full Council of Cork Corporation. In many cases, Council decisions have been noted in these minutes (eg, ‘Approved’, ‘Rejected’). Minutes are generally signed by the chairman. From 1872, a note by the town clerk attests that all committee minutes since the last Council meeting were confirmed at latest meeting, noting any exceptions.
The General Purposes Committee’s functions were to consider ‘all matters and accounts connected with the maintenance and supervision of the Public Lighting, Park, Mardyke, Marina, Hackney Carriages, and Livery of Corporation Servants’. The General Purposes Committee minute book only contains minutes for this committee from 1879 to 1882. Confirmation of minutes by the Council, and exceptions or notes, are recorded after each set of minutes. The remainder of the volume contains distinct minutes for the Clothing Committee and the Hackney Carriage Committee.
The General Committee minutes cover the full range of the Corporation’s committee work in the period 1867-78, and begin several years earlier than any other series of committee minutes (e.g.,Law and Finance Committee Minutes begin December 1878). They cover a period for which no minutes of full Council meetings have survived, making them the principal primary record documenting this phase in Cork Corporation’s history. The General Purposes Committee minutes, and other minutes for the period 1878-1900, similarly help fill the gap in the record arising out of the loss of Council minute books for much of the 18th and all of the 19th centuries in the Courthouse fire of 1890 and the City Hall fire of 1920.
The Law and Finance Committee considered many issues prior to their discussion by the full Council, including special reports. The Markets and Tolls Committee oversaw all aspects of the management of the city’s many markets and tolls, from allocation and superintendance of stalls to disciplinary matters. A separate Hide Crane Committee met less frequently to oversee the Hide Crane Market, which specialised in cattle hides and had a weighbridge. The Waterworks Committee reported annually on the city’s water supply and considered matters arising throughout the year. Early meetings of the Cemetery Committee discussed the opening and early operation of the new cemetery on Botanic Road (now St Finbarr’s cemetery), and the closure of other cemeteries and church vaults. The Standing and Sanitary Committee heard many applications and complaints from citizens regarding sewers, drinking troughs, and other local repairs, improvements, and building alterations. The Park and Dyke (or Mardyke) Committees over time became one committee, overseeing amenities such as the Central Park (near the Marina) and walks and baths on Western Road. The Gingle and Hackney Car Committees licenced and supervised the operations of different classes of hired conveyances plying for trade in the city. The Gas Lighting Committee worked with the Gas Company to ensure the provision and maintenance of public lighting.
Many of the committees met infrequently or were only in existence for a short time, being created for a certain purpose, or being subsumed into one of the larger regular committees. For instance, after a few meetings of a committee on the Industrial Schools Act, all matters relating to such schools, notably applications for funds, were considered by the Law and Finance Committee. Committees sometimes met jointly, or held joint meetings with other bodies, eg, Cork Harbour Board. From 1873 on, the minutes mainly document meetings of the larger committees, fewer smaller or special committees being created. As noted, the work of several of the committees was taken over by the General Purposes Committee on its creation in December 1879.
The General Committee minutes record meetings of regular committees such as Markets and Tolls, Cemetery, Law and Finance, Improvement, Waterworks, Gas Lighting, Standing and Sanitary, and Park Committees (minutes for most of which were subsequently kept in distinct series of their own). Also recorded are minutes of other committees such as the Hide Crane, Baths, Industrial Schools, and Analyst Committees, and other special, ad hoc, and joint committees. Resolutions, reports, and matters raised by these committees would have been considered at meetings of the full Council of Cork Corporation. In many cases, Council decisions have been noted in these minutes (eg, ‘Approved’, ‘Rejected’). Minutes are generally signed by the chairman. From 1872, a note by the town clerk attests that all committee minutes since the last Council meeting were confirmed at latest meeting, noting any exceptions.
The General Purposes Committee’s functions were to consider ‘all matters and accounts connected with the maintenance and supervision of the Public Lighting, Park, Mardyke, Marina, Hackney Carriages, and Livery of Corporation Servants’. The General Purposes Committee minute book only contains minutes for this committee from 1879 to 1882. Confirmation of minutes by the Council, and exceptions or notes, are recorded after each set of minutes. The remainder of the volume contains distinct minutes for the Clothing Committee and the Hackney Carriage Committee.
The General Committee minutes cover the full range of the Corporation’s committee work in the period 1867-78, and begin several years earlier than any other series of committee minutes (e.g.,Law and Finance Committee Minutes begin December 1878). They cover a period for which no minutes of full Council meetings have survived, making them the principal primary record documenting this phase in Cork Corporation’s history. The General Purposes Committee minutes, and other minutes for the period 1878-1900, similarly help fill the gap in the record arising out of the loss of Council minute books for much of the 18th and all of the 19th centuries in the Courthouse fire of 1890 and the City Hall fire of 1920.
The Law and Finance Committee considered many issues prior to their discussion by the full Council, including special reports. The Markets and Tolls Committee oversaw all aspects of the management of the city’s many markets and tolls, from allocation and superintendance of stalls to disciplinary matters. A separate Hide Crane Committee met less frequently to oversee the Hide Crane Market, which specialised in cattle hides and had a weighbridge. The Waterworks Committee reported annually on the city’s water supply and considered matters arising throughout the year. Early meetings of the Cemetery Committee discussed the opening and early operation of the new cemetery on Botanic Road (now St Finbarr’s cemetery), and the closure of other cemeteries and church vaults. The Standing and Sanitary Committee heard many applications and complaints from citizens regarding sewers, drinking troughs, and other local repairs, improvements, and building alterations. The Park and Dyke (or Mardyke) Committees over time became one committee, overseeing amenities such as the Central Park (near the Marina) and walks and baths on Western Road. The Gingle and Hackney Car Committees licenced and supervised the operations of different classes of hired conveyances plying for trade in the city. The Gas Lighting Committee worked with the Gas Company to ensure the provision and maintenance of public lighting.
Many of the committees met infrequently or were only in existence for a short time, being created for a certain purpose, or being subsumed into one of the larger regular committees. For instance, after a few meetings of a committee on the Industrial Schools Act, all matters relating to such schools, notably applications for funds, were considered by the Law and Finance Committee. Committees sometimes met jointly, or held joint meetings with other bodies, eg, Cork Harbour Board. From 1873 on, the minutes mainly document meetings of the larger committees, fewer smaller or special committees being created. As noted, the work of several of the committees was taken over by the General Purposes Committee on its creation in December 1879.
Extent3 volumes
LanguageEnglish
Persons keywordCork City Council, Cork Corporation
AccessOpen by appointment tothose holding a current readers ticket
RightsSubject to Rules Governing Reproduction of Records
Levelseries
RepositoryCork City and County Archives