Kanturk workhouse Board of Guardians (BG98)

Kanturk Board of Guardians

IE CCCA/BG/98

on the Guardians at the suit of Major Aldworth in connection with Newmarket Dispensary. It is asked ‘whether Major Aldworth is landlor d of the premises or is acting on beh alf of the army of occupation’. [Aldworth is landlord but the building was also occupied by the military] 19 Oct 1921 Resolution regarding the payment and superannuation of officials ‘disemployed owing to the occupatio n of the workhouse by the English Military’. Consideration is adjourned ‘pending the formation of scheme of amalgamation, as it is our opinion that this very large workhouse should be utilised under the scheme’. 11 Jan 1922 Order, ‘as it is contemplated t hat it is the intention of the military to vacate the workhouse premises in short time, the Guardians unanimously appointed the late master as caretaker of the stock and premises until such time as they are taken over by the successors to the Board of Guar dians’. 25 Jan 1922 Letter from Inspector of Local Government ordering ‘that the premises occupied by the enemy forces shall, on evacuation by them, remain closed and shall not be opened presently in any circumstances. The workhouse as such shall be aboli shed at this date’. Arrangements in respect of superannuation of officials, and (in a subsequent letter) inmates, and boarding out of children, are also referred to. The meeting agreed gratuities and superannuation for officials, subject to ministerial consent. 8 Feb 1922 Notification received from the Battalion Adjutant, 4 th Battalion, Cork No 4 Brigade, IRA, that ‘the workhouse is taken over by our troops and will be used by them as a barrack until further orders’. 17 May 1922 Letter from the Master, Mallow Workhouse, stating that he cannot provide an inventory of clothing received with inmates transferred from Kanturk workhouse on 5 July 1921. He states ‘I admitted 27 men, 36 women and 11 children, some of them wearing their own clothes’. [See also 14 Jun and 26 Jul, regarding claims for ‘additional duties’ by Mallow officials ]

31 May 1922 Minutes headed ‘Workhouse closed’. Out door relief in the preceding week was provided to 104 cases, totalling 251 persons.

9 August 1922 Clerk reports that on 29 July he was served notice from Battalion Adjutant, Headquarters, 4 th Batta lion, Kanturk, ‘as per orders from Brigade Headquarters you are requested to get all Union property removed at once from the Union’. Books and records were removed to the Temperance Hall, where all board and RDC meetings will be held until further notice. 23 Aug 1922 Engineer’s report of his visit on 11 August to the workhouse premises, ‘which were destroyed by fire on the previous evening’. He notes ‘looting took place extensively’. 6 Sep 1922 Letter from the Patriotic Assurance Co Ltd stating ‘we regret to inform you that we are unable to admit liability under the policy having regard to the circumstances under which the fire took place’.

Cork City and County Archives 2011

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