prosperous way of living at this time. Then Mr Burton, a bank manager in Baltinglass, bought the whole concern. He turned it into a corn mill, and sold a lot of the interior of the factory to make money. After some years all was sold and only a very small portion of the factory is to be seen now, near Stratford-on Slaney Bridge, over the Slaney river.
Specimens of silk manufactured in Stratford-on-Slaney Factory over 100 years ago. (See four silk samples)

Red-Wells situated about three miles from the town of Baltinglass. Is marked by a "mass Stone" where the people from miles around Baltinglass used to attend mass when they were being watched by spies followed by yeomen and Priest-hunters. When the priest was saying mass he would have to place a band of spies on the watch out. The Priests were continually hunted by yeomanry especially around Baltinglass. The captain on one of the corps was a man named captain Saunders. As far as is known mass was never said in any house because it was too dangerous on account of all the spies, yeomen and Priest-hunters. There was a family from around Stratford who were always spying on the Priests. On one occasion they were spying around Baltinglass two men and two women The two men were shot by

My mother went to school in Stratford to Miss Tyrrell. The pupils had to be in school at nine o'clock. They had not to go by "Summer - time," nor they had no Irish to learn.
The pupils were taught Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, and Letter-writing, and in sixth class they were taught Algebra. The name of their Reader was, "The Girls' reading book." They used write on a slate with a cutter, and they learned every subject off by heart. They had

twenty-three years ago there was a "tie" to see who would mow the most meadow in the day, and whoever did, got a couple of drinks in Stratford. Tom Mackey won, and got his drinks.
Another man noted for meadow-cutting was Tom Deegan. He cut six acres of meadow in one day.

The ruins of Belan House stand halfway between Kilkea Castle and Moone Abbey. According to Dr. Joyce the name is derived from two Irish words - "Bioth" meaning " life " , or " existence " and lann " a house "; hence " Biothlann " denoting a house of reflection or hospitality.
Here in the fifth century St. Patrick founded a church and blessed a Well; the latter still exists, and a disused unenclosed churchyard is situated at the back of the stables. This corner of the county is rich in Patrician landmarks, as Narraghmore was founded by St. Patrick; so was Glassealy with its St. Patrick's Well and Footmarks; and Knockpatrick also boasts of a church site founded by the Saint, and close to it his Well, also a granite boulder in the burial-ground bearing the impression of his two feet and the end of his staff.According to Thomas Milton's " Views in Ireland, " published in 1821 Belan House was built in the year 1743 under the directions of Castell, the architect, and Bindon, a painter; but this statement is very misleading as, if the tradition is true that King William III was entertained here by Edward Stratford, the

carding and spining wool and also for weaving flannel. This was worked by a man named Mr Pat Hoare. There was not as many employed in this factory as there were in the factory at Stratford.
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Tubar Na CorrigTubar na Corrig is a well which rises in Mr Jones' land that joins Davidstown and flows down to the church gate. This well was blessed by monks that had a monastery down at Mr Jones' Crickawn.

In former times Calico was woven in Baltinglass. The house next door to McCanns of Mill Street, and on the right hand side of it, is one of the houses where the work used to be carried on. The calico was bleached behind the house where in present days the golf course borders the railway line -that is to say -on that part of the golf course immediately behind the railway station. The part of the golf course is still known locally as "The Bleach". There used to be another bleaching green in what is nowadays Dan Keogh's field: Also, at the other end of the town that portion of the Main Street extending from the court house to the chapel is known today as "Wavers Square".Calico, made in Baltinglass, was printed in the village of Stratford on Slaney. The factory where the printing was done was owned by people called Pim.Calico used to be woven, long ago,

English. There names are are Mr Bob Stratford Fortland, Mt. Nugent, Co Cavan and Mrs Adams Fortland, Mt. Nugent, Co. Cavan.
The houses were more numerous locally in former times than they are now, and they are all in ruins. The people did emigrate from here to America and Australia, the townland is not mentioned in any saying or song.
The land is hilly and good bog in some place it is good land. There are no trees growing in what is known as the wood now but it was covered with trees long ago.

to London to settle their grievance. While in London he got a vacancy. Brady, with Tate, versified the Psalms about that time. Later he was in charge of Stratford-on-Avon. He was Chaplain to William and Mary and later to Queen Anne. In 1692 he wrote some poems which were set to music. He preached and wrote several sermons on sacred music.
He was buried at Richmond, Surrey. N.B.
An old name for "Cill Mín" was given me lately. It was found incidentally in an old manuscript at U.C.C. - Referring to Cill Mín or the same place the old name of which was Gleann a' Mhuileann.

The Black Fever
About 73 years ago a black plague or fever visited this district. It first broke out in a family named Uictory's who lived in Cornacrievy Finea. Two of them died and when they died they turned black. At first the people did not seem to mind about it. It was only when some others got it the people became afraid.At the shore of the Lake Sheelin in the middle of the bog there was a family named Sherdans. They all got the fever and the father and mother died. No one would go to the funeral and two men carried it on their backs across the bog until they reached the road where they put it on a cart and brought it to Castletown graveyard and buried it. The priest wouldn't go to the funeral. Along with those people named Gilchrists died in Finea, also a boy named Galligan and another man named Stratford.

About 1885 there was a silk factory at Stratford Bridge near the edge of the river Slaney, and there was more than 50 girls employed there, weaving silk thread. This factory was owned by a man named Morley, from Scotland. This silk used to be sent away to Scotland and other countries.There was also a corn mill quite near the silk factory, for grinding corn and making oat meal. This corn mill was owned by a man named mr Owen Dempsey.Knockamunion:-
About the same time there was also a factory in Knocamunion. This factory was used for

Some years ago there were two men, one from Stratford and the other from Eadestown, and they set out for Wicklow across Lugnaquilla.
When they went to Seskin, they went in to the public-house and they remained there until evening. They were told not to cross the hill as it was going to snow.
It began to snow, and when they were half-way up the hill, it was blowing so hard they took shelter. The two were suffocated.
The man from Eadestown had a son who used to go to a neighbour's house at night, and stay until about half-past eleven. When he went home that night there was no one there - he was

In olden times, there were clever women, called "quacks", and the people used go to these women for remedies for their ailments.
Children's Fever. Mrs Featherstonehaugh who used live in Stratford, used pluck an herb, called Carrabawnbeg, and used rub the palms of the child's hand and the soles of her feet, three times with it, to cure her.
Chin-cough. They used put the child out under a young ass that was never ridden, and then give bread to the ass and make the child eat what the ass crumbled.
Catch a cat and make the child cough down the cat's throat. The cat would die and the child would get well.

This factory was owned by a Mr. Orr, over 100 years ago, who spent a great deal of money fitting it out as such, and also on making a canal to bring the water to the wheel. It was the best wheel in Ireland, but one, then. The factory was fitted out perfectly for the manufacture of cotton. It had about 300 windows. 200 persons were employed in it. Stratford-on-Slaney was a prosperous town then one mile long. The houses had number plates on the doors. A big market of all kinds of farm produce was held two days a week, and every day there was ready sale for farm produce.The employees had to go one road to the town and back by the other road. There is a little of the old road to be seen at the side of the graveyard wall at the Church.This factory failed because of the difficulty in making the patterns appear on the wrong side of the material. Then Mr Morley bought the whole concern and made a silk factory of it. The town and country around were in a

Local Landlords.The name of the landlords who were in possession of this district long ago were the Eyres. They came here after the Cromwellian war in 1653. Samuel Eyre of Eyrecourt was the son of Col. John Eyre. Stratford Eyre was Govenor of Galway. It was after him that Eyre Square in Galway got it's name. The Eyres were cruel landlords. After the famine here in Ireland they evicted the tenants who were unable to pay their rent. Once when they were evicting a family there was a dead man in the house. The Eyres removed the corpse to the dung-heap together with the contents of the house. Sometime afterwards this landlord died. The hearse came to remove the corpse to the graveyard. When the corpse was placed in the hearse the horses would not pull it. After a while a large white worm came up from the ground where the horses were standing and crept into the grass. Then the horses drew the hearse from the spot. There is a holy well at the back of the village which is called St. Patrick's well. Eyre of Eyreville closed this well so that the people could not get any water out of it. Next day one of the rooms in his house was flooded with water. He had to go back and open the well again. No sooner had he the well opened than the water disappeared out of the room. Nobody ever attempted to close the well since.Michael Doorhy, Graveshill, Kiltormer, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.

This was told me by my father Mark Stratford, residing at Kilgolagh, Finea, Streete, Co. Westmeath. Aged 46 years.
The weeds growing on our farm at home are:
Prosé - This has a yellow flower. It grows in potatoes and oats. When it gets into land it is impossible to remove it.
Thistle is found in good land. If not kept cut it destroys pasture. When freshly cut, cattle eat it.
Faraban is a local name given to the root of the buttercup. It is a very bad surface weed.
Lamb's quarter grows very quickly and has innumerable seeds on it.
Yarrow is remarkable for the numerous divisions of its leaf. It has a very strong root.
Cow-foot has a broad leaf like that of rhubarb. It smothers all crops.
Ground Ivy twines itself round the stalks of