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Re: [Bann Valley] Mercers' Company: Rent roll for 1714
----- Original Message -----
From: "Al Luce" <alfred_luce@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bannvalley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2011 7:09 AM
Subject: RE: [Bann Valley] Mercers' Company: Rent roll for 1714
I have purchased a copy of MIC225/2, the roll with the 1714 reference. The
following is my summary from my review of the film in 2001.
I spent today going over the "Acts of Irish Court" item on the film. (See
attachment for previously distributed list of film contents.) The biggest
disappointment was the 1714 Rent Roll. It was a list of the agents who had
leased entire townlands and the rents due from them to the whole Mercer's
Estate agent. None of the individual tenants (farmers) were listed.
The entire handwritten record is of the London based actions of the Mercers
as they dealt with their Irish Estate. It seems quite apparent to me that
they wanted to deal with their Irish Estate by delegating as much of the
work and responsibility as possible to one lessee for the entire estate.
There was some description of the estate conditions on several occasions.
The descriptions were pessimistic and were to support an appeal for leniency
from the Worshipful Company of Mercers for the current estate lessee. The
first lease mentioned was for 41 years and was granted 1 Nov 1714, probably
the reason for the above-mentioned rent roll. By 1731, the lessee was citing
the 'great desertion of protestant inhabitants began 6 or 7 years ago ...
great numbers transport themselves to plantations in America without paying
rents.' Note: The 41 year lease was to the Estate lessee, any and all
subleases were limited to that end date leaving the tenant with the
requirement to renegotiate the lease with a new Estate lessee at unknown and
probably less favorable terms. By 1735, the estate is described as mostly
untenanted and the inhabitants also transport themselves to the West Indies.
By 1748, the holder of the lease chose to surrender it as a bad business
arrangement. The Estate Lease was then advertised and was won by an
Alexander Stewart, Esq., of Newtown, Co. Down, starting in 1755 for a term
of 3 lives and 61 years.
There are only a few entries between 1755 and 1800.
Starting in 1800, there is some interest in the plight of the poor Irish
labourers as shown by the appeals for monetary support and Mercers
contributions to schools and a dispensary. The Estate condition in 1814 is
described as poor. The advanced age of the leaseholders (from 1755) leads to
uncertainty in the conditions after their deaths, so the tenants make almost
no effort at lasting improvements. The records do show that the estate rents
are being paid regularly to the Mercers, but at the same rate as the
original 1714 lease.
-Al Luce
From: akilpatrick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Bann Valley] Mercers' Company: Rent roll for 1714
Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 10:26:52 -0300
To: BannValley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi, everyone:
PRONI ref. MIC/225 is a microfilm copy of a limited range of estate
records surviving for the Mercers' Company holdings in and around Kirea.
Apparently, the microfilm includes a rent roll for the Kilrea estate for
1714. My question is, have any of our readers seen or studied this
information?
Cheers,
Alison
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