Bennett's of Ballinacurra Descriptive List (Ref. B609)

B609/

boat with four lives, including that of Bill Mahoney: ‘Alas poor Bill to die so young as plucky and cool a hand as ever trod a yacht’s deck’. At a meeting with Messrs La Touche and Grene, AGS, on 7 December, it was decided to limit experiments to seven centres and four varieties, with Cork dropping out ‘as results considered decisively in favour of Archer’. B609/9/A/26 Diary, 1906. On 3 February Bennett saw over the Beamish and Crawford Maltings [new Lee Maltings] and was impressed: ‘very complete system of conveyors & c all driven by motors’. On a visit to England in April, Bennett visited his children Gwen and Jack, both at school there. Sale of the Corbally estate to tenants was completed on 30 May. The entry for 16 September records that Bennet has ‘almost decided’ to build a new house at Charleston. B609/9/A/27 Diary, 1907. At an RDC meeting on 27 February regarding labourers’ cottages, Bennett offered a field of his, if the Council would build four cottages on it. On 21 June his uncle Edward Bennett, Professor of Surgery, TCD, died. On 3 October he records the dismissal of two employees who flatly refused to move to Ballinacurra Malthouse, noting ‘much annoyed but determined to take the strong hand if any labour trouble’. On 19 December his sister Janie remarried, to Rev Percy Elton Prince, curate of Heston near Hounslow [see also B609/9/B/4]. B609/9/A/28 Diary, 1908. On 1 January Bennett was busy at accounts ‘which shewed just about ends met through a year of record business. Charges a/c very much increased’. In July Jack finished at Shrewsbury School. He began working at the maltings in Bagnalstown in September. On 4 October Bennett expresses himself ‘very depressed’ about prospects for the season owing to bad weather. B609/9/A/29 Diary, 1909. On 19 January an employee fell into a malt bin and smothered. ‘Thank God I never had a fatal accident before and hope I never shall again’. Midleton golf links opened in February and Bennett played often during the year. On 11 March he joined the regatta committee of the Royal Cork Yacht Club. In late June it was feared his daughter Gwen had tuberculosis, Bennett lamenting ‘alas, alas my dear darling daughter I fear she must leave us – found her bright and cheerful’. She recovered. On 7 August AGS informed Bennett of their refusal to assist him to build a new house. ‘Perhaps it was too ambitious’ he notes. On 6 November he attended diocesan offices, where Mr Tichborn was nominated to the parish of Midleton, vacated on Canon Flewett’s appointment to Mallow.

B609/9/A/30 Diary, 1910. On 18 March, Bennett attended the Grand National at Aintree. On 19 and 20 April he attended the Women’s National Health Congress and a Roads Congress at Leinster House. On 22 April he first

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