Mayo Historical Documents & Artifacts
Please see & note three of the most celebrated antiquarian histories of Mayo may now be viewed in full text
Knox: Hubert Thomas. The History of the County of Mayo. Dublin: Hodges Fidges & Co, 1908
1880-1890 Land League and Boycotting in County Mayo
This is an important contemporary police archive and contains a wonderful collection of manuscripts including threatening notices, boycotting notices, and letters relating to boycotting. These letters and notices were often nailed to barn doors or sent by penny post to intimidate, terrorise or give a warning. The recipients were occasionally landlords, land agents and land grabbers. The archive also contains police reports on Land League meetings with lists of suspected “Land Leaguers”, Reward notices etc.
The Collection comprises:
A large poster calling for “No more letting of grasslands”. Printed reward notices, a selection of handwritten boycott notices, many dated on reverse, possibly by the police, dating from 1880 to 1881. RIC Constable reports to O’Neill Kelly (District Inspector), on the posting of boycott notices. Two reports relating to a gathering of 200 farmers bringing provisions to the wife of an imprisoned suspect held under the PPP Act. RIC reports detailing members of the Land League within each subdistrict. (Ballaghaderreen)
The Land League archive can be accessed here
The following records are available in Castlebar library Local Studies section and can be accessed on request.
Land Surveys
- The Strafford Inquisition of County Mayo - edited by William O'Sullivan, Irish Manuscripts Commission 1958. (An inquiry into the ownership of land in Co. Mayo in 1635 listing each landowner and the townland and barony in which they resided.
- Book of Survey and Distribution - being abstracts of various surveys and instruments of title, 1636-1703 vol. 2 Co. Mayo. Contains maps of the County from Petty's Atlas, 1683 and of Tyrawley Barony from the Down Survey, 1657. Prepared for publication with introductory notes by R.C. Simington. Irish Manuscripts Commission 1956
- The Transplantation to Connacht 1654-1658 by R.C. Simington, Irish Manuscripts Commission 1970 (names the person transplanted, from where they were moved and their place of settlement in Connaught)
- Ordnance Survey Field Name Books - compiled during the 1st Ordnance Survey of County Mayo in 1838, these books give a list of townlands in each parish, their names in Irish and their meaning. They also give a brief description of the physical features of each townland and the proprietor of the land is usually given.
Please note that the full text of James McParland's Statistical Survey of the County of Mayo from 1802 can be viewed via the link below.
McParlan, James. Statistical survey of the county of Mayo. Dublin: Graisberry & Campbell, 1802
Estate Rental Records
- James D.H. Browne: Claremorris & environs 1860.
- Lord Oranmore: Castlemagarrett, Ballindine & environs 1834.
- Earl of Lucan: Aglish, Kilmaclasser, Kilmeena, Aghagower, Oughaval, Kilgeever, Turlough & Breaffy. 1834-1839 & 1848-1873 (Microfilm, no maps included)
- National Building & Land Investment Co: Portroyal Estate 1891.
- Gray Estate: Castlebar, Balla, & Claremorris 1863.
- Ruttledge Estate Several districts throughout County Mayo 1861.
- Treston: Barnagreggaun, Knockaunakill & Harefield 1865.
- Rowan: Toomore 1890.
- Richard Cuffe Prendergast: Drumneen 1884.
- Fitzgerald: Turlough, Keelogues and environs 1904, 1906, 1908-1913.
(original manuscript ledgers, no maps included). - Earl of Arran: Addergoole, Ardagh, Ballysakeery, Crossmolina, Kilfian, Doonfeeney, Kilmoremoy, Moygawnagh, and Kilbelfad 1838 (no maps)
Online resources inlcude a survey of the estates of Garret Moore and the Scrapbooks and Index to Scrapbooks of Dr. M.F. Waldron (below).