A series of official and unofficial enquiries in the first decades of the 19th century presented a picture of widespread and severe deprivation. It has been claimed that the conditions in Ireland were the worst in Europe, although this is disputed. There is evidence of higher nutritional standards and well-being , but poorer housing and […]
Category: 19th Century
Poor Law & the Famine
The famine affected all parts of the country, but the south and west were particularly badly affected. The majority of the population depended on the potato. When the potato blight first appeared, public works were established to provide employment and addition of food supplies were imported. Relief committees were established under the central temporary relief […]
Poor Law Post-Famine
After the famine, outdoor relief was abolished or reduced to minimum levels. The Poor Law Commissioners and guardians attempted to revert to their pre-famine role. The medical profession sort of limit the expansion of Commission’s role in medical matters. The Medical Charities Act 1851 established dispensaries funded by the Poor Law rate and administered by […]
Local Government to 1922
The current system of local government dates largely from a number of key pieces of legislation of United Kingdom Parliament in the 19th century. The original local government bodies were formed for specific purposes and functions. At the end of the 19th century, the Local Government Ireland Act brought together the existing local government bodies […]
Board of Works
During the 18th century, the Irish Parliament passed a number of Acts relating to land drainage. They required the initiative of promoters. The works carried out were largely limited to the construction of canals. The Board of Inland Navigation continued to exist after the Union of 1800. By 1831, the Board of Works evolved into […]
Constitutional Issues to 1870
Succession to Crown In 1688 and again in 1714, the rules of succession to the Crown were altered so that a Roman Catholic monarch could not succeed to the throne. Catholics were accordingly incapable of inheriting, possessing or enjoying the Crown and government of the realm. The Act of Settlement 1701 provided that the throne […]
Home Rule
Home Rule Movement The Home Government Association was formed in 1870 by a small group of prominent figures. They sought to establish a federal system for the United Kingdom with an Irish Parliament dealing with Irish affairs. This was an attempt to challenge the misgovernment of Ireland. Isaac Butt had sat in Parliament from 1852 […]
Agricultural Land Purchase
Encumbered Estates Act A 1849 Act established the Encumbered Estates Court. It authorised sale of lands of mortgaged and insolvent estates so that the purchaser obtained clear title. In 1858 the jurisdiction was transferred to the Landed Estates Court and ultimately to the Chancery division of the High Court. The court facilitated the sale of […]
Courts
Position on Union Upon the commencement of the Union in 1801, the superior (higher) courts in Ireland comprised the Chancery Court, the Prerogative Court which dealt with testamentary matters, the Admiralty Court and three Common Law Courts, the King’s Bench, the Common Pleas and Exchequer. There was an appeal from the Chancery and Common Law […]
Employment
Statute of Labourers In earlier times, much labour was forced labour, dependent on the powers of Lords or other persons with influence in the community. The first Statute of Labourers was passed on the 23rd year of the reign of Edward III. This was done in consequence of the Black Death which reduced the number […]
English Local Structures
Counties At the start of the 18th century, the only local authority entities that existed in England and Wales were the county governed by justices of the peace in Quarter Sessions, the borough with its Town Council and the Parish with its Vestry. The institution of the County had originally been largely representative. The earl, […]
English Local Government
Sanitation No sanitary services legislation existed in 1800. Systems of sewers and drains were rare. Houses might have a cesspool below the kitchen floor or some form of onsite septic tank. Even large country houses commonly had no water closet at all. At common law, a nuisance which was injurious to health was indictable. A […]
Property Law Reform I
Settlements Settlements were a dominant feature of 19th century property holding by persons of substantial means and in particular, landed aristocratic families. Significant land holdings were commonly settled on trust for the current holder for life for and on his death for his children. The objective was not to divide land but to keep it […]
Property Law Reform II +
Succession The Inheritance Act 1833 changed and codified heirship. It removed anomalous ancient common law rules tracing entitlement from the last purchaser instead of last person seized. Lineal ancestors, as well as descendants, were admitted as heirs. Heirs of the half-blood were admitted. At the start of the 19th century, when a man died, with […]
Finance & Revenue
Financial Departments At the beginning of the 19th century there existed a number of historical and anomalous financial departments. The Exchequer was of ancient origin. The Revenue Board controlled a number of departments and had existed for several hundred years. Three auditing offices were created at the end of the 18th century. The Treasury, the […]
Irish Boards & Offices
Economic Departments The Directors of Inland Navigation originated in the mid-18th century and were reconstituted in 1799. £500,000 was provided for the promotion of canals. The Lord-Lieutenant appointed five directors. Canals constructed at public expense, were vested in the directors. They considered requests for grants for canals. They supervised works that were grant aided. The […]
The Franchise
Pre-1832 Franchise Prior to the Reform Act of 1832, counties sent knights of the shire to Parliament. Many boroughs had ceased to return members. Numerous new boroughs had been created in the Tudor era to return members at the direction of the Crown. With the exception of two new boroughs created by Charles I, no […]
English Governmental Reform
Central Government The 19th century saw an increase in the powers of the central government which was generally exercised through departments of government. However, the early 19th century was marked by traditional philosophy of laissez-faire, which held that most social work and regulation was best left to the free market. Central government supervised local authorities […]
Government Departments
Lord Lieutenant / Viceroy The head of the Irish executive during the Union with United Kingdom was the Lord Lieutenant and governor general of Ireland. He was appointed by the sovereign and was responsible for the peace and security of the kingdom. The holder of the post, also commonly referred to as the Viceroy was […]