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CSO/RP/1824/1155

Letter from Henry Townsend, Irish fishery office, Dublin, secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, to William Gregory, Under Secretary, Dublin Castle, acknowledging application but declining advance of financial aid towards creation of a new harbour at Portrush, County Antrim, as sought by the Society of the New Plantation in Ulster. Explains their rejection is due to failure by the society to offer a monetary contribution to the proposed project, to the apparent general use to which the harbour might be put and because of the overall cost of the work, which would exceed the ordinary grant allowable by the board under the act, 1 July 1824. Returns letter from J Beresford [recorded by CSO clerk as W Beresford], Coleraine, County Londonderry, to Lieutenant Colonel Meyrick Shawe, private secretary to Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquis Wellesley, Lord Lieutenant, Dublin Castle, 15 June 1824, enclosing memorial from the Society of the Governor and Assistants of London of the New Plantation in Ulster, to Wellesley, seeking grant for development of harbour at Portrush from the commissioners of fisheries. Refers to utility of such a facility for the immediate district and its value to the salmon fishery of the River Bann and the off coast whale fishery; also mentions report of Alexander Nimmo, civil engineer overseeing public works in northern district, making recommendation for harbour, signed by R Slade, with embosses paper seal on base of document, 9 April 1824.

9 Apr 1824-1 Jul 1824

1824

CSO/RP/1824/1294

Letter from Henry Townsend, Irish fishery office, Dublin, secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, to William Gregory, Under Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting on application from inhabitants of barony of Banagh, County Donegal, for funds towards erection of a new pier at Cavan in the bay of Inver. Observes the commissioners cannot provide an adequate evaluation of the proposed works due to lack of plan or estimate and their failure to offer any financial contribution in respect of the cost. Returns letter from Captain Thomas Homes, Ardara, County Donegal, enclosing memorial to Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquis Wellesley, Lord Lieutenant, Dublin Castle, requesting grant of £200 for construction of a pier in Inver bay. Refers to difficulties experienced by local fishermen due to heavy sea and wind movement and remarks ‘many lives have been lost from the want of an Asylum for vessels and Boats, in distress in that Bay and the adjoining Coast’. Document written at Inver, and signed by Alexander Montgomery Jr and 5 other men. [Contains list of names not given in this description]

20 Jul 1824-16 Sep 1824

1824

CSO/RP/1824/1316

Letter from Henry Townsend, Irish fishery office, Dublin, secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, responding to query over accuracy of a chart of Strangford Lough, County Down. Encloses copy letter from Alexander Nimmo, Dublin, civil engineer overseeing public works in the northern district, reporting on chart of inlet which is now in the hands of [SJ] Neele of London. Emphases having carried out necessary modifications to the map, he has ‘no doubt whatever as to its accuracy’.

6 Sep 1824-16 Sep 1824

1824

CSO/RP/1824/1343

Letter from Henry Townsend, Irish fishery office, Dublin, secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, responding to complaint by Benjamin Meredith, road contractor, city of Cork, County Cork, over failure to issue payment for public works on fishing piers in counties Cork and Kerry. Considers each of the issues raised by Meredith and concludes the outstanding balance claimed by him of £368 was retained by the fishery board ‘until the works were reported by their Engineers as completed’. Returns memorial from Meredith, Dyke Parade, Cork, to Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquis Wellesley, Lord Lieutenant, Dublin Castle, protesting at difficulties experienced with contract with the commissioners of Irish Fisheries especially failure by them to remit regular payments, increasing costs, and ‘refusal’ of balance due to him on completion of work ‘on frivolous and vexatious grounds’. Seeks redress and investigation of circumstances and provides abstract account of labour and cost of piers at each location.

10 Sep 1824-23 Sep 1824

1824

CSO/RP/1824/1528

Copy letter from [?Sir Charles William Flint, secretary], Irish Office, Westminster, London, to Henry Townsend, secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, indicating heads of a bill to amend the fishery acts have been placed before the Board of Trade, London. Observes the board consider it as ‘inexpedient to make any alteration of the Fishery Acts as regarding Ireland for any period beyond 1825’ as in that year existing laws expire for both Ireland and Scotland; adds that members of the board have objections to clauses 4 to 19, and to clause 26, May 1823; also draft outline of response and list of clauses with observations written against each. Also copy letter from Townsend to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, enclosing draft of amendment to the fishery acts [59th George III, c. 109, and 1st George IV, c. 82] containing 36 section headings marked in red ink followed by a short explanation of each clause, 28 November 1823. Also letter from Townsend to William H Gregory, Under Secretary of Ireland, Dublin Castle, voicing objection to clause in existing fishery laws that permits large vessels to claim a bounty for herring catch. Alleges that vessels of this sort are ‘for three fourths of the year employed in general commercial pursuits’ and consequently make a limited contribution to the trade, 5 February 1824.

May 1823-5 Feb 1824

1824

CSO/RP/1824/1621

Letter from Henry Townsend, Irish fishery office, Dublin, secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, seeking authority for formal working arrangement between the Irish fishery establishment and the preventative water guard service. Claims that cooperation from the water guard would facilitate enforcement of board regulations and be ‘of considerable importance to the welfare of the fisheries of Ireland’.

7 Oct 1824

1824

CSO/RP/1824/1666

Letter from William Ogilvie, [of Ardglass Castle], Ryland's hotel, Sackville [O'Connell] Street, Dublin, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, requesting that Henry Townsend, secretary to the commissioners of Irish fisheries, make communication with the inspector of fisheries [H Pentland] at harbour of Ardglass, County Down, to ascertain data on herring catch. Indicates a return is sought of all vessels engaged in the trade, whether local or those coming from nearby cross channel ports, together with the average value of herring fish to the port for the past 4 seasons.

11 Jan 1825

1825

CSO/RP/1824/1785

Letter from Henry Townsend, Irish fishery office, Dublin, secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, proposing the water guard be vested with responsibilities for supervision and enforcement of regulations at fishing piers and harbours within their respective jurisdictions. Refers in particular to complaints over removal of materials and property to supply ballast for boats and other abuses of the harbour facilities, 7 October 1824. Also letter from James Dombrain, Coast Guard Office, Custom House, Dublin, comptroller general of the water guards in Ireland, to Goulburn, indicating that the assistance sought by the commissioners of Irish fisheries would be forthcoming ‘provided it did not interfere with their other duties’, 20 October 1824. Also copy reply from Goulburn [part amended in pencil] to Dombrain conveying the Lord Lieutenant’s sanction on proposals and to advise that instructions be issued to the officers of the preventative water guard for the purposes intended. Advises a record be kept of damage to port facilities or infringement of regulations.

7 Oct 1824-20 Oct 1824

1824

CSO/RP/1824/1877

Letter from Henry Townsend, Irish fishery office, Dublin, secretary to commissioners of Irish fisheries, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary of Ireland, reporting on initial steps in investigation of complaint coming from Charles O’Malley, agent to Lord Spencer [George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer], and a number of fishermen living on the Isle of Ennisturk [Inishturk] over erection of a new pier on the island. Indicates that information on the matter will be sought from James Donnell, civil engineer, and also Alexander Nimmo, civil engineer and supervisor of public works in western district, and that a report will follow a meeting of the board, 9 December 1824. Also additional letter from Townsend to Goulburn, stating a request has been made that John Killaly, a civil engineer not previously employed by the commissioners of Irish fisheries, inspect the pier and report back; states Killaly’s findings will be communicated to the Lord Lieutenant in due course, 16 December 1824. Also letter from Nimmo, Westport, County Mayo, to Goulburn, remarking that the pier in question requires some further work but feels the complaint has emanated from an ‘ill disposed’ source. Observing that the ‘whole matter has been got up by some persons in the main to serve some sinister purpose’, perhaps someone who has in the past been dismissed from employment, 20 December 1824.

9 Dec 1824-20 Dec 1824

1824

CSO/RP/1825/19

Letter from Henry Townsend, secretary, Irish Fishery Office, Dublin, to William H Gregory, Under Secretary of Ireland, Dublin Castle, making reference to separate applications from the fishermen of Dungarvan, County Waterford, and from John Doyle boat owner of Rush, County Dublin, requesting the commissioners of customs allow an extension of clearance for tonnage bounty. Requests the Lord Lieutenant [Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquis Wellesley] issue instructions to the board of customs ‘authorizing the outward Clearance of fishing vessels in the different Districts of Ireland’ for a further period, 17 June 1824. Enclosing copy memorial from the boat owners of Dungarvan to the commissioners of Irish fisheries seeking an extension of customs clearance, signed by Lawrence Nugent and signed and marked by 27 other fishermen, 12 June 1824. Also enclosing copy memorial from Doyle to the Irish fisheries commissioners appealing for an extension of the time to enter his vessel for bounty until the middle of June, as has been the practice of previous seasons. States he has had his boat fitted out for fishing on the west coast of Scotland and has a crew ready to proceed to sea, 15 June 1824. Also enclosing letter from Townsend to Gregory, stressing the necessity for recognition ‘local peculiarities’ in the Irish fishing industry and for offering an extension of the time allowed for outward clearance, 17 April 1824; encloses copy letter from Charles John Allen MacLean, Customs House, Dublin, secretary to board of customs, to Townsend, refusing to sanction an extension of the clearance, as such would be in contravention of the provisions of the relevant act [59th George III, chap.109], 15 April 1824. Also enclosing letter from Townsend to Gregory, discussing the impasse with the commissioners of customs and seeking intervention of the Lord Lieutenant, 6 May 1824.

15 Apr 1824-17 Jun 1824

1824