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

B609/

B609/1/D/1 Letters received, 1900-10. A letter of 23 November 1900 from E Smithwick & Sons, Kilkenny, to John H Bennett, is in regard to the RDS Barley Competition, and contains enclosures. A letter of 6 June 1903 from the Analytical Laboratory, Tudor St, London, reports on soil samples sent by JHB. A letter of 21 May 1904 from Alan McMullan, AGS, to Bennett, concerns analyses of the Experimental Plots. 14 Items B609/1/D/2 Letters received, 1910-20. In a letter of 3 October 1920, John W. Stewart, Farmer and Flax Mill Owner, Boghill, Coleraine, Co, Derry, withdraws his offer for seed flax from JHB. Dated 6 February 1917 and attached to a DATI Compulsory Tillage form is a return of land of which JHB is the rated occupier, and its cropping (what is grown on each property) in 1916-17. Among 1916 items is a return of yield of pure cereals obtained at JHB’s farm, Ballinacurra. c27 Items B609/1/D/3 Letters received, 1920-30. This file contains a small number of personal letters of John H Bennett, including one dated 4 February 1929 from Exham Solicitors regarding probate costs, and one of 23 January 1928 concerning a legacy given to his late wife. There is also a small grouping of letters regarding the formation of a private limited company, and a new lease of Ballinacurra Malting House from Colonel Longfield (1927-28). A letter of 9 February 1925 is from Bennett to the Secretary of Midleton Agricultural Show Society, regarding the Show’s accounts. There are many DATI letters present, such as those of February 1925 regarding seed barley. A report of 10 March 1924 concerns measures to arrest further use of an inferior variety of Spratt-Archer barley issued in 1921 and 1922 for seed. A DATI letter of 21 April 1921 forwards department documents, 1917-18, as being of possible interest to Mr Bennett. A small folder placed at the back of the file groups letters from Deasy & Co, Clonakilty, 1921-30. DATI letters have been placed at the front of the file. B609/1/D/4 Letters received, 1930-40. In a letter of 4 November 1937, WJ Ferguson, a pupil at Midleton College, accepts the position offered to him by Mrs Bennett, to start in January. A letter of 30 January from the Institute of Brewing, London, refers to the death of Mr JH Bennett. Among January 1937 letters are several regarding a Mr Corry, a local farmer and Fianna Fail TD. Present is a Statement of Farm Account to 1 May 1936, noting stock, wages, goods, crops, livestock, and other items. Also present is a small bundle of letters, the latest dated 25 November 1935, regarding the death of Michael Collins, a JHB employee. From 1935 on, letters are generally addressed to Miss D. Trevor McNeill, Bennett’s step-daughter, and more outgoing letters are present. A letter of 28 November 1935 from Miss McNeill to GB Taylor, Ballinacurra Lodge, informs him of JHB’s termination of their business connection with him. A letter of 2 May 1935 from McNeill to Alex Cranfield concerns arrangements for skippering Mr Bennett’s yacht, ‘Myth’, for the latter’s summer outing, as he is too poorly to take charge himself. A personal letter dated 11 August 1933 is from ‘Geoff’ [GV Philcox, family friend and one-time prospective business partner], 9 Riviera