Board of Guardian Minute Books
TitleBoard of Guardian Minute Books
ReferenceBG/116/A
Date
1839-1917 (Gaps)
Scope and ContentA record of meetings and decisions made by the board of guardians in administering the workhouse and poor relief generally. At meetings, administrative, financial, rates, and medical books were examined, officers’ reports and committee findings heard, correspondence read and considered, and applications for admission decided on. Matters arising with regard to the workhouse, staff, provisions, bills, rate collection, the Poor Law Commissioners/Local Government Board, and other issues, were also discussed. The minutes also include weekly statistics of admissions, discharges, and deaths in the workhouse, and of outdoor relief. Gaps are indicated where they occur.
Includes the following:
15 July 1839 Special meeting held to ascertain the majority view as to the eligibility of Mallow or Buttevant for the union workhouse. A PLC letter read states ‘on the whole whilst admitting the importance of Mallow, the commissioners are satisfied of the superior eligibility of Buttevant’. Motion carried in favour of Mallow by 16 votes to 15.
6 Aug 1847 Letter from Secretary of the Board of National Education noting that its inspector has reported that the workhouse school has been closed since 1 Oct 1846 ‘owing to the crowded state of the house and prevalence of fever and other diseases’
14 Feb 1848 Report by Mr Spratt, Guardian, regarding employment of paupers. He notes that many leave the workhouse soon after being put to work ‘proving that such persons entered the house not because they were really destitute but because they were idle and unwilling to work’.
11 Jul 1863 Master’s report stating that he attended Kanturk quarter sessions with five women, mothers of illegitimate children in the workhouse, and that decrees were obtained against four of the putative fathers.
15 Jun 1888 Extract read from the punishment book regarding ‘disorderly’ and ‘annoying’ conduct, including playing football, by several inmates.
14 Dec 1888 Notice of motion that the board consider the applications for grants for clothing from three inmates who wish ‘to avail of the free emigration to the Argentine Republic’.
28 Dec 1888 Notice of motion by Patrick O’Brien, that the selection of tenants for labourers cottages be referred to dispensary committees, and that they ‘give preference to those persons whose houses are worst and whose families are largest, especially if young, thus avoiding the danger of doing injustice to those unfortunate and miserable persons who have no friends to support their claims at the board’.
26 May 1917 Resolution from the Mourneabbey branch of Sinn Fein read, amended, and passed, protesting against the action of ‘the mock peace preservers known as policemen who were the sole cause of provoking an attack on an unarmed and peaceful people in the town of Mallow on Tuesday 22nd May 1917 and that we demand a full public inquiry into the conduct of the police on the occasion’.
8 Jun 1917 LGB letter regarding the shortage of sugar. It is stated in reply ‘the guardians had no contractor for sugar in 1915 as the inmates were in the Millstreet Union then’ [owing to military occupation of Mallow workhouse. See 31 August: ‘the proportionate number of inmates as between Mallow and Millstreet was practically two thirds Mallow and one third Millstreet’].
Missing volumes/dates: A/2 (11 Feb 1843-11 Oct 1844); A/4 (28 Feb 1846-22 Apr 1847); A/17 (6 May 1855-15 Nov 1855); A/20-30 (8 Nov 1856-15 May 1862); A/34 (6 Nov 1863-12 May 1864); A/37 (6 May 1865-16 Nov 1865); A/39-40 (5 May 1866-9 May 1867); A/42-56 (2 May 1868-10 Feb 1876); A/58-62 (19 Aug 1876-22 May 1879); A/65-69 (5 Jun 1880-23 Aug 1883); A/72-76 (13 Sep 1884-12 May 1887); A/78 (19 Nov 1887-14 Jun 1888); A/80-89 (5 Jan 1889-17 May 1894); A/91 (24 Nov 1894-13 Jun 1895); A/97-98 (12 Feb 1898-22 Feb 1900); A/100 (9 Mar 1901-20 Mar 1902); A/102 (18 Apr 1903-1 Jun 1904); A/106 (20 Jul 1907-10 Sep 1908); A/108 (2 Oct 1909-8 Dec 1910); A110-19 (30 Jun 1911-27 Apr 1917); A121-35 (9 Nov 1917-Apr 1924).
Includes the following:
15 July 1839 Special meeting held to ascertain the majority view as to the eligibility of Mallow or Buttevant for the union workhouse. A PLC letter read states ‘on the whole whilst admitting the importance of Mallow, the commissioners are satisfied of the superior eligibility of Buttevant’. Motion carried in favour of Mallow by 16 votes to 15.
6 Aug 1847 Letter from Secretary of the Board of National Education noting that its inspector has reported that the workhouse school has been closed since 1 Oct 1846 ‘owing to the crowded state of the house and prevalence of fever and other diseases’
14 Feb 1848 Report by Mr Spratt, Guardian, regarding employment of paupers. He notes that many leave the workhouse soon after being put to work ‘proving that such persons entered the house not because they were really destitute but because they were idle and unwilling to work’.
11 Jul 1863 Master’s report stating that he attended Kanturk quarter sessions with five women, mothers of illegitimate children in the workhouse, and that decrees were obtained against four of the putative fathers.
15 Jun 1888 Extract read from the punishment book regarding ‘disorderly’ and ‘annoying’ conduct, including playing football, by several inmates.
14 Dec 1888 Notice of motion that the board consider the applications for grants for clothing from three inmates who wish ‘to avail of the free emigration to the Argentine Republic’.
28 Dec 1888 Notice of motion by Patrick O’Brien, that the selection of tenants for labourers cottages be referred to dispensary committees, and that they ‘give preference to those persons whose houses are worst and whose families are largest, especially if young, thus avoiding the danger of doing injustice to those unfortunate and miserable persons who have no friends to support their claims at the board’.
26 May 1917 Resolution from the Mourneabbey branch of Sinn Fein read, amended, and passed, protesting against the action of ‘the mock peace preservers known as policemen who were the sole cause of provoking an attack on an unarmed and peaceful people in the town of Mallow on Tuesday 22nd May 1917 and that we demand a full public inquiry into the conduct of the police on the occasion’.
8 Jun 1917 LGB letter regarding the shortage of sugar. It is stated in reply ‘the guardians had no contractor for sugar in 1915 as the inmates were in the Millstreet Union then’ [owing to military occupation of Mallow workhouse. See 31 August: ‘the proportionate number of inmates as between Mallow and Millstreet was practically two thirds Mallow and one third Millstreet’].
Missing volumes/dates: A/2 (11 Feb 1843-11 Oct 1844); A/4 (28 Feb 1846-22 Apr 1847); A/17 (6 May 1855-15 Nov 1855); A/20-30 (8 Nov 1856-15 May 1862); A/34 (6 Nov 1863-12 May 1864); A/37 (6 May 1865-16 Nov 1865); A/39-40 (5 May 1866-9 May 1867); A/42-56 (2 May 1868-10 Feb 1876); A/58-62 (19 Aug 1876-22 May 1879); A/65-69 (5 Jun 1880-23 Aug 1883); A/72-76 (13 Sep 1884-12 May 1887); A/78 (19 Nov 1887-14 Jun 1888); A/80-89 (5 Jan 1889-17 May 1894); A/91 (24 Nov 1894-13 Jun 1895); A/97-98 (12 Feb 1898-22 Feb 1900); A/100 (9 Mar 1901-20 Mar 1902); A/102 (18 Apr 1903-1 Jun 1904); A/106 (20 Jul 1907-10 Sep 1908); A/108 (2 Oct 1909-8 Dec 1910); A110-19 (30 Jun 1911-27 Apr 1917); A121-35 (9 Nov 1917-Apr 1924).
Extent44 vols.
Persons keywordMallow Board of Guardians
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.
Levelseries
RepositoryCork City and County Archives