The Downes Brothers - Wren Boys from County Clare

Daniel Downes's Ejectment

From the Chief Secretary's Office Registered Papers:¹

I

15 April 1831

To his Excellency, the Marquis of Anglesey, Lord Lieutenant & Governor of Ireland etc. etc.

The Humble petition of Daniel Downs, James Shallue, Darby Shallue, Patrick McMahon, John Leaden, Toby Sullivan and Timothy O'Brien

Sheweth

That petitioners held part of the Lands of Clohaumonore and Kilcorcoran in the Barony of Ibrickane and County of Clare from Thomas Morony Esq in the year 1818 as Tenants from year to year.

That in the year 1825 one of the petitioners namely James Shallue at the request of 86 Tenants went to the Earl of Egremont who is the head landlord with a copy of the true rent Roll when Mr Morony wanted to increase the one fourth of the rent on them and received a favourable answer from his Lordship.

That petitioners and their co-tenants were from his Lordship's conversation to him Encouraged to persuade themselves that as long as they paid their rents punctually they would not be disturbed.

That in the following year 1829 when said Lands were so improved Mr Morony insisted on petitioners paying an increased rent of one fourth which was resisted by the Tenants inasmuch as the Lands were not rendered more valuable by the improvement of the prices of produce but by the labour and Expenditure of the Tenants thereon.

That therefore Mr Morony distrained and sold the Tenants Cattle for the said one fourth average — which he sought to impose upon them although they rendered him the rent they agreed for and had been usually paying.

That Mr Morony served persons with notice to quit in the year 1829 and brought his Ejectments upon these Notices at the last July Sessions in Milltown and obtained Decrees for the possession of the Lands against the petitioners.

That petitioners then took Defence against these Ejectments to the Assizes of Ennis believing that his Lordship had put Mr Morony under a promise not to dispossess them as long as they paid their rent which petitioners had paid up to one Gale and were willing to pay that same any day as would be required of them.

That at the Assizes Mr. Morony swore he had a Lease from his Lordship dated April 1827 and also swore there were no such terms imposed on him which Lease he did not produce in Court, but made Oath to that purpose.

That petitioners beg leave to inform your Excellency that they were decreed and turned off said Lands on the 29th September last to the number of 50 persons left Houseless and Homeless.

That petitioners beg leave to state to your Excellency that those lands are now let to Strangers at an advanced rent and said strangers have houses and Lands besides it, by reason of the Improvements made on said Lands by your petitioners which advanced rent petitioners were willing to pay or any other rent that his Lordship's Agent Mr. Crowe or any other Gentleman would say that the Land could be made to produce sooner than be deprived of the Holding whereon they and their Ancestors have resided for 133 years as the Shallues and Downses had who are now turned out for no other reason except their going to his Lordship formerly with a true rent Roll for such it certainly was.

That petitioners sent several times to Mr Crowe hoping he would redress them as his Lordship promised but his answer was to them at all times that he had nothing to do for them.

That petitioners are emboldened from your Excellency's worthy character and well known benevolence to lay their present state of Distress before you hoping that your Excellency will take their case into consideration and advise them what to do as they and their numerous families are reduced to the greatest misery from unmerited oppression and tyranny.

And your petitioners will for ever pray.

II

[On back] Refer to Major Warburton and request he will cause enquiry. 21 April.

III

Milltown House, 18th May 1831

My dear Sir,

I have seen the memorial forwarded by you, which was presented to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant by certain persons who were lately my Tenants, complaining of unjust treatment and severity on my part, as their Landlord towards them.

The detail would be too tedious to refute each part of that memorial, very many particulars of which are wholly untrue, while such parts as claim any veracity are highly exaggerated — the facts are these.

Upon the expiration of a long lease, by which I held the Lands alluded to under the Earl of Egremont, the subscribers to that memorial conspired to supplant me underhand, as his Lordship's tenant, and went privately to offer to his Lordship in person, a much higher rent that that at which I held them, but his Lordship, kindly considering an old tenant, offered me a Renewal of my Lease at an increased rent, which offer I accepted, and the Lease was executed, and all the tenants on those Lands retook their holdings at such increase, except the subscribers to the memorial, who peremptorily declined it, although repeatedly offered to them, displaying at the same time so much hostility and disrespect to myself as a Landlord, and a Gentleman, that I was compelled in my own defence and upon the best advice, to sever the tie which had so long subsisted between us.

Your long residence in this county has I presume made you sufficiently acquainted with my conduct and character, to acquit me of the charges made against me by those very ungrateful persons, and you also will know the rank and character of Mr Crowe his Lordship's respected agent, with whose concurrence I took the proceedings attested to. Should his Excellency wish to require a more lengthened detail, I shall be ready to obey him, and have the Honour to be my dear Sir,

Your Obedient humble servant
Thos. Morony.

IV

Ennis May 20th 1831

To the Right Honorable Mr Stanley

Sir

I have the honor herewith to return the enclosed Memorial together with Mr Morony's statement. Mr Morony is a respectable gentleman — I am sure the Tenants forwarded a MisStatement of the circumstances.

I have the honour to be
Sir
Your most obedient servant
[Joseph?] Warburton

Extracts from Ejectment Books (Co Clare)
January 1829 to October 1830 and January 1831 to July 1832²

From The Illustrated London News, Saturday 22 December 1849 (Vol 15 page 406):

The last sketch shows the Scalpeen of Tim Downs at Dunmore [Doonmore], in the parish of Killard, where himself and his ancestors resided on this spot for over a century, with renewal of their lease in 1845. He neither owed rent arrears or taxes up to the present moment, and yet he was pitched out on the roadside, and saw ten other houses, with his own, levelled at one fell swoop on the spot, the ruins of some of which are seen in this Sketch. None of them were mud cabins, but all capital stone-built houses.

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Notes:

1. Chief Secretary's Office Registered Papers (CSORP) 1831 No 1394. (NAI ref 3/604/(1822)).
2. Ejectment Books Co. Clare NAI refs 1D/40/19 and 1D/40/20

The Downes Brothers - Wren Boys from County Clare

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