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CSO/RP/1823/518

Petition of Matthew Russell, Newry, County Down, rope and sail maker, to Richard Wellesley, 1st marquis Wellesley, Lord Lieutenant, Dublin Castle, concerning the delay in paying the fishing bounty to the poor fishermen of Newry and neighbouring ports, due to, 'a sufficient number of the Commissioners not attending so as to form a Board' to decide on the applications. Petition states that, as a result, the fishermen are unable to pay their debts to Russell for fitting out their vessels. Urges the board of fisheries to reach a decision, 7 March 1823. Also letter from anonymous writer styled 'Justice', to the commissioners of fisheries, complaining that the fishermen cannot pay their accounts, and warning that the conduct of the fisheries board will be infamous, 13 February 1823. Also letter from Henry Townsend, Irish fishery office, Dublin, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, stating that the complaints made in both papers, 'are too well founded' and emphasising the need to address the problem of the lack of attendance of certain commissioners, 27 March 1823.

13 Feb 1823-27 Mar 1823

1823

CSO/RP/1823/613

Letter from Henry Townsend, Irish Fishery Office, Dublin, secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, to William Gregory, Under Secretary, Dublin Castle, 10 April 1823, enclosing letter from Sir John Newport, Drossmore House, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, MP for Waterford city, to Townsend, acknowledging receipt of Townsend's letter concerning the difficulties of forwarding fisheries business from lack of regular attendance by the commissioners, and stating that he has tendered his resignation as a commissioner of Irish fisheries, 31 March 1823; also encloses letter from Charles Stewart Hawthorne, Belcamp House, County Dublin, to Townsend, acknowledging receipt of an identical letter from Townsend, and stating his inability to commit to regular attendance of the fisheries board, 31 March 1823.

31 Mar 1823-10 Apr 1823

1823

CSO/RP/1823/620

Letter from Henry Townsend, Irish Fishery Office, Dublin, secretary to secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, to William Gregory, Under Secretary, Dublin Castle, 10 April 1823, enclosing copy of a petition from the boat owners of Balbriggan, Rusk and Skerries, County Dublin, to the commissioners of fisheries, requesting government protection against attacks on their boats, nets, and catches, by inhabitants on the north west coast of Ireland, preventing them from carrying out their work. Petition originally signed by John Doyle, on behalf of the boat owners at Rush; Thomas Commerford, for boat owners at Balbriggan; and Michael Flanagan for boat owners at Skerries, 8 April 1823.

8 Apr 1823-10 Apr 1823

1823

CSO/RP/1823/659

Copy of letter from Alexander Nimmo, Dublin, civil engineer, to Chief Secretary's Office, Dublin Castle, 5 July 1823, reporting on the proposed pier near Greencastle, County Donegal, at the mouth of Lough Foyle, and submitting his opinion on the work required for its construction. Emphasises the benefits of such a pier, as, 'from the total want of shelter the valuable Fishery off this Coast can only be pursued by Trawls of such a light construction as to admit of being drawn up on the Land'. Advises that the location is, '…extremely well adapted for the formation of a Maratime [sic] Village'..', 20 January 1823; report accompanied by copy of Nimmo's itemised estimate of the expense of constructing the boat harbour at Greencastle. Also letter from Henry Townsend, secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, to Goulburn, concerning a meeting with Goulburn, concerning the 'expediency of erecting a Fishery Pier' at Greencastle, 20 January 1823.

5 Jul 1821-20 Jan 1823

1823

CSO/RP/1823/665

Petition of William Law and James McReilly, Newry custom house, County Down, owners of the sloop 'Prosperity' of Strangford, to Richard Wellesley, 1st marquis Wellesley, Lord Lieutenant, Dublin Castle, concerning a cut in their tonnage bounty by the commissioner of fisheries; requests assistance to obtain the full bounty under the fishery laws, April 1823. Also letter from Henry Townsend, Irish Fishery Office, Dublin, to William Gregory, Under Secretary, Dublin Castle, explaining the reasons why the full bounty was not paid to Law and McReilly, 24 April 1823.

Apr 1823-24 Apr 1823

1823

CSO/RP/1823/797

Letter from Henry Townsend, Irish Fishery Office, Dublin, secretary to the commissioners of Irish fisheries, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting 2 vacancies on the board of fisheries, following the resignations of Sir John Newport and Charles Stewart Hawthorne, 17 April 1823. With subsequent annotation on reverse, by Goulburn, at Irish Office, London, to William Gregory, Under Secretary, Dublin Castle, issuing an instruction on the matter, 21st April 1823.

17 Apr 1823

1823

CSO/RP/1823/914

Letter from Henry Townsend, Irish Fishery Office, Dublin, secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, to William Gregory, Under Secretary, Dublin Castle, 19 June 1823, enclosing a statement of account detailing the expenditure of funds allocated to the commissioners of fisheries for the year 1822 [not present], and requesting their allowance for 1823 for 'the Encouragement of the Coast Fisheries of Ireland'.

19 Jun 1823

1823

CSO/RP/1823/1134

Statement of account of the fund of 1822 vested in the commissioners of Irish fisheries under the 66th section of the act 59. Geo III. chapter 109, detailing how the funds were expended. Expenses include purchase of fishing tackle; repair of fishing boats at Dingle, County Kerry, damaged by storm; and machinery used in construction of piers at Duras [Durrus], County Cork, and Clifden, County Galway. Account signed by Henry Townsend, secretary to the commissioners of Irish fisheries, 14 May 1823.

14 May 1823

1823

CSO/RP/1823/1246

File of papers relating to application of Sir Samuel O'Malley, magistrate, for construction of new pier on Clare Island, County Mayo. Includes letter from Henry Townsend, Irish Fishery office, Dublin, secretary to the commissioners of fisheries, to William Gregory, Under Secretary, Dublin Castle, 7 August 1823, responding, as requested, to O'Malley's petition [the original petition is not present in the file], and enclosing a copy of a report by Alexander Nimmo, onboard the surveying cutter at Dunmore harbour, County Waterford, civil engineer to the board of Irish fisheries, concerning his inspection of Clare Island and stating his opinion on the proposed work, originally dated 30 July 1823; with subsequent pencil annotation on the reverse of Townsend's letter, by Gregory. File also includes copy of letter from Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, to the commissioners of fisheries, 3 September 1823, acknowledging receipt of above letter, and reporting the Lord Lieutenant's approval of the suggestions in Nimmo's report. File also includes letter from O'Malley, Kilboyne, Castlebar, County Mayo, to Gregory, enquiring on the progress of his application, referring to his own communications with Nimmo, and emphasising his desire that the work is carried out, 9 August 1823. Also includes copy of letter from Goulburn to O'Malley, informing him that the government has authorised the commissioners of fisheries to commence work on the pier at the old castle on Clare Island, 9 September 1823.

30 Jul 1823-15 Sep 1823

1823

CSO/RP/1823/1357

File of papers relating to dismissal of Richard Thorpe, local inspector of fisheries for Baltimore, County Cork. Includes letter from Henry Townsend, Irish Fishery Office, Dublin, secretary to the commissioners of fisheries, to William Gregory, Under Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting Thorpe's dismissal, 7 August 1823. Also includes petition of Thorpe, Glandore, County Cork, to Richard Wellesley, 1st marquis Wellesley, Lord Lieutenant, Dublin Castle, requesting government investigation of charges made against him, resulting in his dismissal by the commissioners of fisheries. States his belief that, 'there was a plot laid against him for his destruction in order to establish others', 24 August 1823; encloses a copy of letter from Thorpe to the board of fisheries, originally dated Glandore, 12 August 1823, refuting all charges, including that of having been intoxicated whilst on duty, and requesting a full investigation of his case [Thorpe has numbered this enclosure No.1]; he also encloses copies of affidavits and certificates of recommendation from local inhabitants, in support of his work as a fisheries inspector; and also a copy of a letter from James Redmond Barry, fishery office, Cork, inspector general of fisheries, to Townsend, stating his belief that Thorpe 'should not have been dismissed without a trial'. Barry expresses concern that his own reputation is at stake, 'for it is confidently said that I had combined on a plot for his distruction [sic; destruction]' [Thorpe has marked this enclosure No.2]. File also includes letter from Townsend, Irish Fishery Office, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, 4 September 1823, responding, as requested, to the content of Thorpe's petition, and enclosing copies of 9 documents, numbered 1-9, in defence of the commissioners' actions in dismissing Thorpe: these include correspondence between Thorpe and the board of fisheries respecting his suspension and dismissal, including a copy of a letter from Barry, Baltimore, to Townsend, reporting Thorpe's 'frequent' intoxication whilst on duty, leading Barry to suspend him, 'till the pleasure of the Board shall have been Known', originally dated 26 July 1823 and marked No.1; and also a copy of the resolutions of a meeting of the board of fisheries held on 7 August, dismissing Thorpe from his post on grounds of 'habits of Intemperance as are wholly inconsistent with his duty, and unbecoming the Character of a Public Officer', marked No.5. File also includes letter from Thorpe, Skibbereen, County Cork, to Sir Ulysses Burgh, MP for County Carlow, complaining of his dismissal and noting that, '…this Barry is a Roman Catholic who envies Protestants [.] I feel the effect as I been one [sic], 4 March 1824 [letter presumably forwarded by Burgh to the Irish government].

26 Jul 1823-22 Mar 1824

1824