James Street and The Cork Examiner, 1850 - 1860

As previously discussed, the street was an active, if poor, one, in the period from the establishment of the Cork Examiner to the beginning of the Great Famine, and on until the mid-point of the 19th century. In today's post we will have a look at the newpaper evidence for the activity going on there in the next decade: 1850 to 1860.

1850s...

August 1853: Encumbered Estate of the Landers sold

James Street plays but a minor role in this 1853 excerpt from The Cork Examiner, but it is a nonetheless interesting insight into the real and tangible effect of the 1849 Encumbered Estates Act (the first of Ireland's Land Acts). This act allowed for the sale of estates in Ireland which were mortgaged...in an effort to ease unrest among the Irish population in relation to absentee landlords and high rent in the wake of the Great Famine. In this instance, the large estate, centred at Grange near Douglas, of the Lander family, was to be auctioned. This estate also included premises elsewhere, including a lot at James Street. It is unclear which James Street premises this advert refers to, at this juncture.

October 1853: Disposal of property including a piece at James Street

Perhaps as a result of the same Land Act and the rising rent and land price that it created in some areas, another absentee landlord with interests at James Street and the surrounding areas, looked to sell on in October 1853.

31st October 1853: Catherine Thomas throws out night soil on to James Street, up in court

 In one of my personal favourite records of James Street, a Catherine Thomas, living at the corner of James Street (so no. 1 or no. 12), was up in front of the judge for throwing out 'night soil' on to the street at the hour of 9am. Presumably the throwing out of the offending substance was not the issue, but rather the time, and the fact that 'the men' (presumably Corporation workers) had to clean the street twice since 9am. Such laws seem to have been similar to those from other parts of the British empire at the time. More info on this in an Australian context can be found here.

31st January 1855: Horgan packs up the cornmeal business

 Having been declared insolvent some ten years previous (see previous blog post), it appears that Daniel Horgan gave the corn-brokering business one more shot at nearby Great George's Street (now Washington Street), but by January 1855, he was ready to pack it in for good, selling his premises as a going concern. He is already listing himself now as a coach-maker, so has found another calling in life, a calling which we will see further on in this decade gets a boost from those in high places.

19th February 1855: The melancholy demise of Mr Kelly, of James Street

 A tragic incident of a former resident of James Street, a Mr James Kelly. It appears that he was 'let go' from Mr John Steele and Sons Vulcan Iron Works on Great George's Street (now Washington Street) sometime during this year, and died as a result of the hypothermia/exhaustion experienced by him while walking back from Limerick in the snow. He was within ten miles of his former home. It appears that Mr Steele's works were associated with a type of foundry movement well-known across Britain and the United States, having originated with the Industrial Revolution: Wiki. Located originally on Lapps Quay, it appears that Mr Kelly worked at a subsidiary at Washington Street.

25th April 1855: Sullivan vs Sweeny - a theft at a James Street boarding house

 A sad case all around really here: a young  woman by the name of Catherine Sullivan, from Baltimore in West Cork, was residing in a lodging house at James Street in April 1855 (of which there were many at the time), while waiting on a passage to Liverpool and on to the US with two children to whom she was related. While there, she alledged, and was upheld, that the money in her possession for the passage to America was stolen from her by Sweeny, the owner of the lodging house. We can only hope that she made her way to the US, as the number of Catherine Sullivans going through Castle Garden immigration centre in the US is so large, and without a ship name or date of departure, we can only speculate on their records.

19th April 1858: Jeremiah Madden praised for carpentry work for the Corporation

30th April 1858: Madden wastes no time in advertising his new specialisation!

 The above two notices in the Cork Examiner show a change in fortune for the enterprising Daniel Horgan of 2 James Street. After leaving the corn-brokering industry, likely due to draconian laws and lack of demand, he is now being touted by the Corporation as the go-to coach-maker in Cork City. He appears to capitalise on this endorsement by taking out his own advertisement some eleven days later, to boldly declare his intention to commercially manufacture such carts from his premises at James Street (near the new Court-house!).

4th August 1858 - Mrs Nash's estate gives bequest to local policeman for maintaining sanitary conditions

An act of benevolence on behalf of the late Mrs. Nash, presumably a widow from the street (not recorded in the street directory of the time), to the policeman Morrissy in gratitude of his attention paid to the sanitary conditions of the street (I can't help feeling this is connected back to poor Catherine Thomas and her ilk, for throwing out their night-soil!).

25th July 1859: Complaints of the state of the pathways around James Street

From the 1850s, it appears the conditions of the poorer areas of Cork City were more regularly spoken of on record and discussed at committee level in the Corporation, subsequently being published in the Cork Examiner. This instance refers to the allegation made by Mr Daly, the member of Corporation for St Peters parish, with a cutting remark inferring that should the area be wealthier, they would be allowed much speedier attention (he is clearly right, as the works needed at South Mall were promised for the next Monday). Alas, the situation has not much changed!
Another interesting point about this excerpt is the reference to Goggin's Hill Stones....this refers to the stones quarried from the Goggin's Hill area of Ballinhassig, and brought in to be used in the city. Brickworks and quarries were numerous in Ballinhassig and neighbouring Ballygarvan since the 18th century until the mid 20th century, with the stone and brick used worldwide (particularly that from Ballinphellic).