School: Mostrim (B.) (roll number 2083)

On this page

1. The Famine in Edgeworthstown

   

   Share Share Post

   As told by "Biddy" Macken Pound St Edgeworthstown who died ten years ago at the age of 101 years former servant to Maria Edgeworth.
   1913
   I was a "made girl" the years of the "Black Praties" and I helping in the parlour of the Big House - and glad I was able to be there during those awful times.
   There were far more people around then than now. More cows were kept and more of the land tilled then now. The first year was not too bad but less potatoes were sown the second on account of the scarcity of seed. The land was wet and the harvest came bad and at Christmas when the farmers went to put "rushes" of the top of the pits they found the whole pit a rotten heap. At this time much wheat was grown but most of them sold it as the price was very good.
   "I was often sitting under the tree at the "gate" (this tree stood where the present "Porter store" stands) when I have finished my work and I saw hundreds of poor starved people toddling feebly down the street and going "up" the Dublin road." Maria Edgeworth the great writer was then old and feeble but her heart went out to the poor and afflicted in the locality - all of whom were tenants on the Edgeworth estate.

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Richard Hyland

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford

   Informant

   Mrs Matthew

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   100

   Address

   Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford