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

B609/

and others are marked ‘MS’, perhaps intended to distinguish those relating to the business from those of a more personal nature. On examination, however, the contents of volumes of each type appear very similar, with personal letters occurring in ‘General’ books, and the greater part of ‘MS’ books consisting of business letters. The correspondents are also largely the same. In some cases, the distinction appears to have been made retrospectively. It has been decided, therefore, to arrange the volumes in chronological order based on the earliest date occurring. This means there is some overlap in time periods covered by the volumes. Whether they are marked ‘General’ or ‘MS’ is indicated in the description. Many of the letterbooks are damp press letterbooks, the pages of which are very thin and fragile. Some have been water damaged and are difficult to read. Very careful handling is required in using them. The other letterbooks and subsequent files consist of carbon copies, which are also fragile. The earliest letterbooks have been described in some detail, owing to the personal and estate letters present, and as there are no other similar records for these years. Later letterbooks and letter files are more fully indexed, and cover many of the same topics addressed in AGS correspondence (B609/1/A). The letterbooks are followed by files of letters, most of which are marked ‘General’. Most of these files (numbers 28 to 73) do not contain letters to AGS or to the Department of Agriculture. Each file is indexed by addressee, with each letter numbered. Each index covers one year but the numbered letters often cover two or three years and originally all such letters were filed together. These have been broken down into files covering one year here, as the combined files are too large for foldering, and in any case there is a new index for each year. Files 74 to 86 differ from the above in containing letters received as well as outgoing letters. As they seem to continue on from the above files, this probably reflects a re-organisation of filing to place incoming and outgoing letters on the same file. The files are in A-Z order. They contain some correspondence with AGS & Co (See B609/1/A), and with government departments. See also B609/1/C and /D (Letters Received). B609/1/B/1 McCall & Co Letterbook, February 1826 to April 1829. Record of outgoing letters from JHB’s predecessor company, McCall & Co, to customers and others. The book contains summaries of short letters, and copies of longer letters. The addressee is noted, but not the signatory. Many of the letters are to AGS, regarding purchase, preparation, and transport of barley. AGS was McCall & Co’s largest customer, although the company was not formally a Guinness commission house until about 1836. A letter of 1 May 1826 informs AGS that the company will have to stop malting work by the middle of the month, owing to the lack of suitable barley from local supplies at this late stage of the season, and the presumed unwillingness of AGS ‘to look to speculation for a further supply’. A letter of 26 June reports of the ‘distressing prospects’ for crops in the neighbourhood, owing to drought and heat (see also entries for 28 October and 11 and 15 November). A letter of 5 July presents AGS with an abstract of account for the past season. A letter of 11 November 1826 to James McCall & Co, Dublin, reports on the wheat market in the Ballinacurra district. A letter of 27 February 1827 to AGS concerns the loading and accurate weighing of shipments of