The Down Survey, which mapped Rathgormack in 1685, is probably the earliest surviving map and record that details the area. It also gives the names of the owners of the land at that time.
The most prominent in those days, after the time of the Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland, were the Powers’. The name, from Norman origins was Le Poer, but the Irish hibernicised it to De Paor. According to the "Book of Survey and Distribution – 1636 – 1703" members of the Power family owned much of the area.
The outcome of the nine-year, bloody war, which saw Oliver Cromwell destroy forever the old Irish land system, was the "re-distribution" of Irish-owned lands to people who had supported the winning side financially and militarily. Many of the original residents were dispossessed and "Adventurers" took over the land.
The first step in carrying out the illegal confiscation was to map the country of Ireland in a way which had not been attempted before. In a grotesque way if it weren’t for the slaughter and destruction brought down by Cromwell and his English Parliamentarians we might not have this snapshot of the way Rathgormack and Clonea was at that time.
By the 1650s most people who were to be transplanted to Connaught, had been removed there.
From a subsequent Census taken in 1659 those that were transplanted were the Chieftains and their families. The other Clansmen, tenant farmers, and labourers remained in their native Parishes available to serve the new Owners.
During 1654 a Civil Survey was conducted to establish how much land was available. The counties were examined and described in detail, Barony by Barony, and much of this written survey remains to this day. It lists each townland, it’s acreage, it’s ownership as it was around that time, and much useful supporting data.
The information was obtained by deposition (the sworn statements of local people in each area assembled and formed into Juries for this purpose).
In the Rathgormack area much of the land at this time was in Catholic ownership. Lord John Power, Nicholas Power, Pierce Power and Jeffry Power controlled much of the land and were Irish Papists. Other names occurring at this time were William Power (Protestant) John Alyeward (Catholic), John Butler (Catholic) Patricke Sherlock (Catholic), Richard Power (Catholic) and James Everard.
The regime that broke the change of ownership to the area only lasted for about a quarter of a century but only small parcels of land ever reverted to the original owners and some moved back only to live as tenants.
The Griffith's Valuation
The next substantial Survey to be conducted was in the 1850s when the Griffith’s Valuation took place to establish who was living in particular areas and how much could they be taxed to fund the workhouses in the aftermath and the poverty of the Potato Famine. The results of this work can be viewed at the Waterford County Library. There are other rsources that are available on-line. There was a census conducted in 1821 and some references are made to Rathgormack. Extracts can be viewed at County Waterford Surname Registry.
A few observations need to be made at this point.
Some entries may be duplicates of the same person who was renting two or more parcels in one or more townlands. Therefore it may be difficult in some instances, where two houses are being rented, to establish the actual townland that the individual was occupying at the time of the survey.
Secondly, there are instances where the same name appears in same townland. This is not uncommon, even today, where two or more people of the same extended family could use the family Christian name.
Thirdly, some surnames are spelt differently today to the time at which the survey was conducted. There could be an added "r" as in Carberry in some instances or a missing "s", as in Hahessy and Hahesy. Droghan is now spelt Drohan, Cullinan, depending on the fashion can gain an "e" at the end. Flynn appears in the 1850s as either "Flinn" or "Flynn", and there are many other instances where confusion crept into the collection of the survey. People at that point in time may not have had any written education and the phonetic spelling may have been used.
There seems to be a definite attempt to not use the letter "O" in surnames as in "O’Connell" or "O’Brien". It is difficult to say whether this was on the part of the collectors or the local population.
There are many surnames on the list that no longer exist in the area or have lost prominance. However, for the most part the names that appear in certain townlands are either still there or they haven’t moved a great distance. Some christian names that were popular at the time have also vanished. Darby was a common name in the 1850's which is now absent.
The following links are a list of the people of the Rathgormack and surrounding areas leasing houses and land in March, 1850, as complied by the Griffith Valuation of that year. Follow the appropriate link to the surname beginning with the corresponding Letter:
These Pages have been written and maintained by Keith Kennedy.
Disclaimer: This website is of my own undertaking and does not represent any of the beliefs or ideas of any one from Rathgormack. If I offend anyone in these pages it is purely by accident and not by intent.
