School: Stonetown, Louth (roll number 16431)

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1. Rural Economics of Other Generations 1855-1890 (continued)

   

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   cared nothing. In Louth, each of the candidates made it a practice to employ a man in every district to organise a mob to support him, and to imtimidate the other side.

   Ardee was the centre, and when each election came on James Mathews would go up, and receive his commission from the candidate, to carry out his wishes. One such candidate was called McClintock. He (James) told my father he was able to buy a cow as a result of his transactions at one such election, and he had intended to have enough to buy a horse after the next. Unfortunately the next did not take place because one candidate retired ("the cowardly bugur" as James said) and allowed the other in unopposed. This would be around 1855-65.

   Another great source of income to the tenants was the earnings of their sons and daughters in America. For years, those earnings went towards paying the rent.

   
   A certain number also made their way to Cumberland in England where they worked for some years. The earnings of these workers, in the case of labourers, were considerably better than they could amass at home, and in the case of farmers' sons were a much-needed addition to the family income. Incidentally the popularity in this district at that time of such songs as:-"The Lass of Richmond Hill" and "Ten Thousand Miles Away" shows a certain connection between the English and Irish countrysides, which the emigration just mentioned would account for.

   The growing of barley for the breweries and distillers, and the growing of oats for sale to various town purchasers

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Pat Murphy

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Stonetown Lower, Co. Louth