Households in Blessington Parish in middle of 19th century

Full title: Parish of Blessington

Creator / Author: Richard Griffith

Item Type / Page count: Book Chapter / eDoc / 11p

When Published: 1853

Publisher / Place of Publication: Alexander Thom and Sons for Her Majesty’s Stationary Office / 87 & 88 Abbey Street, Dublin.

Parent Publication [book]: County of Wicklow: valuation of the several tenements comprising that portion of the Union of Naas situate in the county above named / Richard Griffith, General Valuation Office / 27pp

About: The property tax system of 1850’s Ireland, otherwise known as Griffiths Valuation. It was the first major attempt at valuing property. This section lists householders in the Parish of Blessington in West Wicklow, part of the area covered by the Poor Law Union of Naas in Co. Kildare.

ID number(s): None

Contents: Ballydonnell North — Ballydonnell South – Ballylow – Ballynabrocky — Ballynascullogue Lower — Ballynascullogue Upper – Ballynatona — Ballysmuttan Lower — Ballysmuttan Upper — Ballyward – Blackrock – Blessington — Town of Blessington (Main Street) — Town of Blessington (Kilbride Road) — Blessington Demesne – Butterhill – Crosscoolharbour – Deerpark – Dillonsdown – Edmondstown – Haylands – Hempstown – Holyvalley — Knockieran Lower — Knockieran Upper — Lugnagun Great — Lugnagun Little – Newpaddocks – Oldcourt – Oldpaddocks – Rathnabo – Santryhill – Threecastles.

Extra #1: Read the entries for Griffiths Valuation Blessington Parish (pdf file).

Extra #2: Search Griffiths Valuation and link to contemporary maps at AskAboutIreland.ie

Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide

Tithes Payable by Blessington Folk from 1833

Full title: Townlands in Blessington (Wicklow)

Creator / Author: Genealogical Society of Utah in partnership with The National Archives of Ireland

Item Type: Website / Publicly Accessible

Homepage URL: http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp

When Viewed: Contents described are those showing when viewed in February 2014.

Publisher / Place of Publication: National Archives of Ireland / Bishop Street, Dublin 8.

About: Tithe Applotment Books were compiled between 1823 and 1837 in an attempt to determine how much the holders of agricultural land over 1 acre should pay in taxes or tithes to the established Church of Ireland. These books list the name of the head of each relevant household outside of urban areas. A Tithe Applotment book was compiled for each Church of Ireland parish. Some of the transcribed names of people and places are not 100% accurate, but the original entries may be viewed for clarification.

Contents: Ballydonnell – Ballylow – Ballynabrocky – Ballynatona – Ballynasculloge – Ballyward – Blackrock – Blessington — Blessington Demesne – Burgage – Burgage More – Burgage Moyle – Burgage Moyle Glashina – Burgage Moyle Russellstown – Butterhill – Crosscoolharbour – Deerpark – Dillonsdown – Edmondstown – Glashina — Haylands – Hempstown – Holyvalley – Lower Ballynasculloge — Lower Ballysmuttan — Lower Knockieran – Lugnagun — Merry Land – Oldcourt – Paddocks – Russborough – Russellstown – Santryhill — Threecastles and Goldenhill – Threecastles — Upper Ballynasculloge — Upper Ballysmuttan — Upper Knockieran.

Extra #1: Browse the Tithe Applotment Book(s) for Blessington Parish

Hat-Tip: To the Genealogical Society of Utah and The National Archives of Ireland who have arranged for the digitisation of these records and their free accessibility online.

The Book of Blessington

© The Publisher

Full title: The Blessington Estate, 1667-1908

Creator / Author: Kathy Trant

Item Type / Page count: Book / 239p

When Published: 2004

Publisher / Place of Publication: Anvil Books / 45 Palmerston Road, Dublin 6.

About: The definitive history of the Blessington area from the mid-17th century to the beginning of the twentieth. It combines the story of the Boyle and Hill families of nobility with the eternal tension of the landlord and tenant relationship.  The author has researched the subject extensively and the highest levels of scholarship are evident. However, the book is very accessible and a recommended read for local historians.

ID number(s): 1901737519 / 9781901737516

Chapters: Foreword — The Struggle for Land — The Boyle Dynasty — The Downshire Connection — The Rebellion of 1798 — Bad Debts and Good Neighbours — Land Tenure and Agents — The Tenants — Rents and Arrears — The Landlord’s Role — The Famine Years — The Social Round — The Final Chapter — Epilogue — Appendix: List of tenants on the Blessington Estate, 1850 — Acknowledgements — Abbreviations — Notes and Sources — Notes on Illustrations — Bibliography.

Extra #1: includes 98 illustrations and images.

Extra #2: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication

Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

Extra #4: Read a review of this book online via JSTOR. [Personal registration / conditions apply]. Alternatively, your local public library may provide free online access to this review.

Extra #5: For information, a review of this book was also published in the Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Volume 19 (3), 2004-5 pp568-570.

Evidence of North West Wicklow’s Oldest Inhabitants

© JRSAI

Full title: Stone and Bronze Age Antiquities of the Barony of Lower Talbotstown, County Wicklow; with a description of the excavation of Haylands Mote, near Blessington

Creator / Author: L. Price and P. T. Walshe

Item Type / Page count: Journal Article / 22p

Journal Information: Journal of The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Seventh Series, Volume 3, Number 1, pp. 46-67

When Published: June 1933

Publisher / Place of Publication: R.S.A.I / Merrion Square, Dublin

About: In 1932, the authors excavated an ancient mound at Haylands, near Blessington and discovered a Bronze Age burial. This prompted them to investigate similar burials that were recorded for the locality and to carry out a review of all Stone Age and Bronze Age monuments and objects to be found in the wider barony of Lower Talbotstown.

ID number(s): 0035-9106

Extra #1: includes map, plans, photographs and illustrations

Extra #2: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

.Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

Extra #4: Read this article online via JSTOR. [Personal registration / conditions apply]. Alternatively, your local public library may provide free online access to this article.

A First Valleymount Compendium

© The Publisher

Full title: Valleymount – Facets of our Local History. Part One

Creator / Author: Fr. Richard Cantwell (editor) & contributors.

Item Type / Page count: Magazine (Complete issue) / 65p

When Published: Christmas 1990

Publisher / Place of Publication: Parish of Valleymount / Valleymount, Co. Wicklow.

About: Available for the princely sum of 50p, this is the first of four miscellanies which gathers together local history material that was first published separately in various issues of the Valleymount Parish News.  It covers areas such as Lacken, Baltyboys, Poulaphuca and Valleymount and contains a roughly 50/50 mix of church history and secular history. It is a photocopied rather than printed publication and the price and quality of reproduction reflects this.

ID number(s): None

Contents: Cover drawing: The Church — Introduction / Fr. Richard Cantwell  — Church Windows [Our four stained glass windows from the Harry Clarke studios / Fr. Richard Cantwell  – Place Names [Names of townships etc in our Parish of Valleymount] — Death of Fr. Jones [Parish Priest killed in accident] — Recipes: 19^th Century [taken from old Valleymount Register 1844-59] — Building Agreement 1862 – Blackditches Church / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Blackditches: its history and its pastors / T. M. O’Reilly — Parish Priests of Valleymount (formerly Baltyboys or Blackditches) — Guide: to Tourists and Sportsmen visiting Blessington and its Environs / T. M. O’Reilly – Advertisements of an earlier age — Tithe Applotment List 1834 / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Stations across the King’s River 1834 / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Tombstones in Baltyboys Cemetery / Brian J. Cantwell — Ballyknockan Brass and Reed Band / Kay Byrne — Lease of former Presbytery, Valleymount / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Fr. Francis O’Loughlin — Ballyknockan Granite Quarries / Mary McEvoy and Annie McEvoy – Plane crash Blackhill, 1941 / Peter Garry [?] – Lacken Church / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Baptismal Font in Lacken Church / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Baptismal Font in Valleymount Church – Lease of Lacken Church / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Parish Visitation: Blackditches and Lacken 1840 / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Lacken / Mrs. White – Presentation to Mrs Easie Gallagher / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Dedication of Lacken Church to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 1882 – The Hollywood Stone / Aiden O’Sullivan – Quaker burial ground in Baltyboys / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Rude stone monument at Lacken / Fr. Richard Cantwell – The excavation of a relig at Ballyknockan – Two ringforts submerged at Ballyknockan – Poulaphuca reservoir / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Murder at Butterhill – Presentation to Fr. Heffernan – Fr. Finney’s affairs – Items from ‘Leinster Leader’.

Extra #1: Contains illustrations and reproduction photographs throughout the text.

Extra #2: Link to the full text of this magazine via this page at blessington.jimdo.com.

**UPDATE** September 2022: This ebook does not appear to be currently available to read online.

Census of Blessington

Full title: Townlands / Streets in Blessington (Wicklow)

Creator / Author: National Archives of Ireland

Item Type: Website / Publicly Accessible

Homepage  URL: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/

When Viewed: Contents correct as of December 2012.

Publisher / Place of Publication: National Archives of Ireland / Bishop Street, Dublin 8.

About: The Census returns for the Blessington District Electoral Division arranged alphabetically by townland. The 1901 census was taken on 31st March 1901. The 1911 census was taken on 2nd April 1911.

Contents: Ballydonnell — Ballylow — Ballynabrocky — Ballynasculloge — Ballynatona — Ballysmutton / Ballysmuttan — Ballyward — Blackrock — Blessington — Blessington Demesne — Blessington Town — Butterhill — Crosscoolharbour — Deerpark — Dillonsdown — Edmondstown — Haylands — Hempstown — Knockieran — Lugnagun — Oldcourt — Oldpaddocks — Rathnabo — Santryhill — Threecastles.

Extra #1: Browse the 1901 Census for Blessington DED

Extra #2: Browse the 1911 Census for Blessingon DED