Richard Dowden Papers
TitleRichard Dowden Papers
ReferenceIE 627/U140
Date
(1808) 1816-1860
Production date 1808 - 1860
Scope and ContentPersonal papers of Richard Dowden.
Notebooks and journals relating to his activities, positions, and interests, including; education, religion, education, science, literature, language, philosophy, geology, evolution, biology, Cork Corporation/Borough of Cork, botany, politics. (Section A)
Small number of essays, loose notes or lectures by Richard Dowden, such as religious constitutions of America, the death penalty and punishment, land ownership, botanical matters, biology, zoology, taxonomy of mammals, cash land trade, evils of (political) patronage, horse racing. Probably related to papers given to the Cork Literary and Scientific Society. (Section B)
Extracts, in newscutting and scrapbook form, from Dowden's publication 'Botany in the Bohereens or Walks after Wild Flowers', in the Weekly Agricultural Review, Irish Country Gentleman's newspaper etc. (c1847-c1858). (Section C)
Personal financial accounts and receipts (?1820s-1840s) including fragment of account book of Richard Dowden as Mayor of Cork in 1845 (U140/D/2). (Section D)
Various extracts from poetry, songs, and literature; topics include: the burial of Sir John Moore, female philosophers, friendship, Thomas Hincks, religion, poem 'The Rose of Gurranabraher', science. (Section E)
2 items of family material including note re. marriage of Susan/Susanna, only child of Richard Dowden, to Francis William Allman, at Presbyterian Meeting House, by Rev. William Whitelegge, 23 Oct 1856, and a Coat of Arms of Richard Dowden Richard, with his motto, 'Fide et Fervore'. (Section F)
Personal memorabilia, including a note from Edmond Keane, noted actor, 1829; an Arms Licence from 1837, and a series of tickets and calling cards from the 1840s - 50s, as well as a music score. (Section G)
2 drawings, including a printed sketch portrait of Richard Alfred Milliken, drawn by H. Millington (b1767 - d1815), from a sketch by J. Corbett, engraved by H. Meyer. Possibly from book about him by his sister Anne, in 1823. (Milliken was author of 'The Groves of Blarney' poem, about the estate of Lady Jeffereys of Blarney Castle); and a sketch of emblem or flag design of a water wheel. (Section H)
File of 12 newsclippings on miscellaneous topics including a biography of Frederick Douglass. (Section I)
The bulk of the Dowden collection comprises a large amount of printed ephemera and documents with manuscript inscriptions, both loose (Section J) and inserted into scrapbooks (Section K), kept or collected by Dowden relating to various organisations, interests, causes, and institutions, including circular letters, handbills, newscuttings, posters, reports, programmes, and prospectuses, relating to societies, politics and local government, educational issues, religious movements, charities, commercial entities, medical institutions, theatre and concerts; and also including some publications and exhibition catalogues. Organisations and causes include, for example; Temperance, Borough of Cork/Cork Corporation, Repeal of Act of Union campaign, Christian Brothers schools, Liberal Party, reform, the Presbyterian Congregation at Princes Street, the Blind Asylum, railways, and the North Infirmary hospital. The scrapbooks (Section K) contain an estimated 1600 pages with from 1 to 12 items on each page.
Outgoing correspondence includes 3 copy letter books (c350pp) containing mainly letters sent in Dowden’s capacity as member or official of any of the organisations with which he served or to which he subscribed. (L/001)
Incoming correspondence to Dowden survives from over 143 individuals, including family members, friends, fellow campaigners, political associates, politicians, nobility and gentry, scholars and academics, and acquaintances. The correspondence is extensive, but only 1 or 2 items exist for each person in many cases. Correspondents include Thomas Osborne Davis, Daniel O’Connell MP, Father Theobald Mathew, sculptor John Hogan, artist Daniel Maclise, John Francis Maguire MP, William Wilde (father of writer Oscar Wilde), antiquarian John Windele, surgeon John Woodroffe, journalist Joseph O’Leary, Andrew O’Dwyer MP, Spring Rice (Lord Monteagle), William Maginn, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Morpeth, Sir Robert Peel and Charles Trevelyan, Lord and Lady Bandon and other Irish Peers (L/002 – L/144).
MS. volume containing a report by William Cunningham of weather observations for each month from Jan 1845 to Dec 1848 (during the Great Famine), including mean temperature, rain in inches, wind, etc. Also, tables of figures giving mean temperatures, rain and prevailing winds, for each year from 1845 to 1848, plus an abstract of register of rain 1825 - 1844 and totals for each year, averages over 20 years, etc.
The Richard Dowden collection is of major interest to the study of 19th century Ireland, particularly government, politics, religion, social history, charitable activities and organisations, education, scholarship, science, literature and the arts, theatre, and women’s history. The collection documents the world of a liberal pro-Repeal Protestant of the merchant class in an era of huge political, social, economic, as well as intellectual and scientific, development.
Notebooks and journals relating to his activities, positions, and interests, including; education, religion, education, science, literature, language, philosophy, geology, evolution, biology, Cork Corporation/Borough of Cork, botany, politics. (Section A)
Small number of essays, loose notes or lectures by Richard Dowden, such as religious constitutions of America, the death penalty and punishment, land ownership, botanical matters, biology, zoology, taxonomy of mammals, cash land trade, evils of (political) patronage, horse racing. Probably related to papers given to the Cork Literary and Scientific Society. (Section B)
Extracts, in newscutting and scrapbook form, from Dowden's publication 'Botany in the Bohereens or Walks after Wild Flowers', in the Weekly Agricultural Review, Irish Country Gentleman's newspaper etc. (c1847-c1858). (Section C)
Personal financial accounts and receipts (?1820s-1840s) including fragment of account book of Richard Dowden as Mayor of Cork in 1845 (U140/D/2). (Section D)
Various extracts from poetry, songs, and literature; topics include: the burial of Sir John Moore, female philosophers, friendship, Thomas Hincks, religion, poem 'The Rose of Gurranabraher', science. (Section E)
2 items of family material including note re. marriage of Susan/Susanna, only child of Richard Dowden, to Francis William Allman, at Presbyterian Meeting House, by Rev. William Whitelegge, 23 Oct 1856, and a Coat of Arms of Richard Dowden Richard, with his motto, 'Fide et Fervore'. (Section F)
Personal memorabilia, including a note from Edmond Keane, noted actor, 1829; an Arms Licence from 1837, and a series of tickets and calling cards from the 1840s - 50s, as well as a music score. (Section G)
2 drawings, including a printed sketch portrait of Richard Alfred Milliken, drawn by H. Millington (b1767 - d1815), from a sketch by J. Corbett, engraved by H. Meyer. Possibly from book about him by his sister Anne, in 1823. (Milliken was author of 'The Groves of Blarney' poem, about the estate of Lady Jeffereys of Blarney Castle); and a sketch of emblem or flag design of a water wheel. (Section H)
File of 12 newsclippings on miscellaneous topics including a biography of Frederick Douglass. (Section I)
The bulk of the Dowden collection comprises a large amount of printed ephemera and documents with manuscript inscriptions, both loose (Section J) and inserted into scrapbooks (Section K), kept or collected by Dowden relating to various organisations, interests, causes, and institutions, including circular letters, handbills, newscuttings, posters, reports, programmes, and prospectuses, relating to societies, politics and local government, educational issues, religious movements, charities, commercial entities, medical institutions, theatre and concerts; and also including some publications and exhibition catalogues. Organisations and causes include, for example; Temperance, Borough of Cork/Cork Corporation, Repeal of Act of Union campaign, Christian Brothers schools, Liberal Party, reform, the Presbyterian Congregation at Princes Street, the Blind Asylum, railways, and the North Infirmary hospital. The scrapbooks (Section K) contain an estimated 1600 pages with from 1 to 12 items on each page.
Outgoing correspondence includes 3 copy letter books (c350pp) containing mainly letters sent in Dowden’s capacity as member or official of any of the organisations with which he served or to which he subscribed. (L/001)
Incoming correspondence to Dowden survives from over 143 individuals, including family members, friends, fellow campaigners, political associates, politicians, nobility and gentry, scholars and academics, and acquaintances. The correspondence is extensive, but only 1 or 2 items exist for each person in many cases. Correspondents include Thomas Osborne Davis, Daniel O’Connell MP, Father Theobald Mathew, sculptor John Hogan, artist Daniel Maclise, John Francis Maguire MP, William Wilde (father of writer Oscar Wilde), antiquarian John Windele, surgeon John Woodroffe, journalist Joseph O’Leary, Andrew O’Dwyer MP, Spring Rice (Lord Monteagle), William Maginn, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Morpeth, Sir Robert Peel and Charles Trevelyan, Lord and Lady Bandon and other Irish Peers (L/002 – L/144).
MS. volume containing a report by William Cunningham of weather observations for each month from Jan 1845 to Dec 1848 (during the Great Famine), including mean temperature, rain in inches, wind, etc. Also, tables of figures giving mean temperatures, rain and prevailing winds, for each year from 1845 to 1848, plus an abstract of register of rain 1825 - 1844 and totals for each year, averages over 20 years, etc.
The Richard Dowden collection is of major interest to the study of 19th century Ireland, particularly government, politics, religion, social history, charitable activities and organisations, education, scholarship, science, literature and the arts, theatre, and women’s history. The collection documents the world of a liberal pro-Repeal Protestant of the merchant class in an era of huge political, social, economic, as well as intellectual and scientific, development.
Extent11 boxes, 1 large scrapbook, 21 oversized items, mainly posters. (c2,000 individual items)
LanguageEnglish
Persons keywordDowden, Richard (b1794 - d1861), Cork Corporation
SubjectEducation, , Politics, 19th century, Local Government, Clubs and Societies, Charities, Art, Theatre, Music, Religion, Temperance, Ephemera (19th century), Political Reform (1800s), Catholic Emancipation, Repeal of Act of Union Campaign (1840s), Social reform (1800s), Social History (1800s), Personal and family papers
AccessHard copies: Accessible to Readers by appointment. Access restrictions apply to some collections. Digital object/copy: see Download Media and/or Digital Reference
RightsLicensing information available on request by email to archivist@corkcity.ie Copyright Cork City and County Archives, Cork City Council, unless otherwise indicated. All Rights Reserved.
Levelfonds
RepositoryCork City and County Archives
Digital reference
Object categoryPersonal and family papers
Download media
Hierarchy browser