County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

What was County Fermanagh like when our Barrett ancestors lived there before making the enormous decision to emigrate to the other side of the world in 1841?

In the early part of the eighteenth century the landlords let their estates, often in large portions to what became known as ‘terney begs’ or middlemen. These middlemen in turn let out their portions in smaller pieces to individual farmers, collecting considerable profits in the process.

The actual farmers then may be divided into two classes; yeomen, the better-off  (mostly Protestant) farmer with leased land of at least fifteen acres. Then there was the cottier, originally a man who helped to look after the landlord’s estate. He worked for five pence per day while looking after his own little holding of an acre or so. On this patch he had his one-roomed cabin and here he grew his potatoes, the staple food of his family. Usually he was given the grazing of a cow on a commons and this helped him to pay his rent. The majority of farms were so small, the cottier merely subsisted. In 1841, 40% of these farmers held under five acres and a further 45% held from five to fifteen acres. The cottier class increased and multiplied when prosperity came and some had leases for their holdings, but their homes were basically hovels.

The Ulster Custom existed in Fermanagh and was accepted by most of the landlords. Under the custom a tenant, leaving a farm, could sell his interest in it to the incoming tenant. One effect of this custom was that a considerable amount of Protestant land fell to Catholics, particularly after 1815. Because of a number of bad harvests many of the Protestant yeomen emigrated from Fermanagh and their places were filled by Catholics.

Our Barrett family were most likely cottiers, poor farmers paying exhorbitant rents to plantation landlords. Perhaps as conditions improved they were able to outbid the plantation settlers for leaseholdings. By the late 1700s we know they were living in the parish of Drumkeeran on the border of County Tyrone.

Livingstone made an interesting observation about the non-sobriety of those living in County Fermanagh[1].

“Any study of the county will reveal, at once, that Fermanagh was drink-sodden. Liquor was a necessary feature on every occasion. At baptism ceremonies “a poor cottier would sooner venture the ruin of his poor family before he would see his child christened without a good store of dram”[2]. Most of the liquor was home-made and illegal ‘poitin’ stills were often raided.

Despite their trials the Irish peasantry never lost their will to live. In their darkest hour they remained a vivacious people, fond of music and song. Their homes were mere huts but their clothes, though ragged, were bright and colourful.”

Their food seems to have been more varied in the early part of the eighteenth century. Gradually the potato-meal-milk diet became the diet of the masses. The people commonly ate fish, freely available from the lochs but meat was eaten only by the wealthy.”

On Christmas Eve every door was left open as an invitation to the Holy Family. At the New Year the old water was thrown out and a new supply was brought in. Cattle were each given a handful of oats. On the eve of May Day mayflowers were strewn at the doors of houses to keep away bad luck.  On that day cattle were milked on the grass to prevent the butter being stolen by witches. There were fairs and festivals with dancing, music and wrestling.”[3]

Lewis’ describes Drumkeeran in 1849, just a few years after our ancestors emigrated:

“The peasantry of Fermanagh are a fine race of people, much superior to other north counties.  Tall, well formed and robust.  People do not rise until late, and cows are milked at noon.  Cottiers in the mountains live in poor and wretched huts, with wattled door and straw mat inside.  Many herdsmen live in cabins like this, yet give their daughters a marriage portion of £20 and a feather bed.  The lower classes do not like or trust physicians, and although they do not want to spend money on medicine, they will spend huge sums on a wake before a burial.

English is spoken throughout the county and children are educated at parochial and national schools.”[4]

Drumkeeran Parish

It is situated in the most northern part of the county of Fermanagh, The content of the whole parish is 23,756 acres; about 15,434 acres are cultivated, 5,214 are waste and 3,108 are bog.

In 1831 Drumkeeran had a population of 4872 catholics (with three catholic churches) and 3542 Church of Ireland, with 107 other religions.  It had a protestant school, a parochial school and three national schools.[5]  In the 1820s Gushedy townland had its own school.[6]

Habits of the People

The generality of the cottages of the poor are of a miserable description, evincing neither comfort nor cleanliness.  Unless in the bogs, few are built of sods, stone being the general material. They are mostly of one-storey, divided generally into two rooms.  After being roofed, a layer of sods or screws is laid on and then the thatch. The usual diet of the poor is potatoes and meal with salt. Those only who are able to keep a cow use milk also; the better class of the poor use bacon occasionally. They are very badly clothed, particularly the children who in many parts of the parish during the summer are almost more than half naked.

Five is about the average number of each family. Early marriages are very frequent, particularly among the Roman Catholics. St Patrick’s is the only patron day observed among the poor and that chiefly among the Roman Catholics, among whom it is kept rather religiously than otherwise. They have no particular amusements unless on Sundays and other holy days, when many pass their time in fishing, hunting or in wandering in small parties over the country.  Dancing and cock-fighting are favourite amusements.  The latter, however, is not carried on to the same extent as before, when the cottier would travel some miles to witness the results of a match upon which he would probably stake his hard-earned pittance.[7]

Fairs and Markets

At one time, about fifty years since, this parish was incorporated with Magheraculmoney, by which name it was known. One fair held at Kesh may be said to belong to the parish. It is held six times during the year. The fair ground is on the Drumkeeran side of and adjacent to the Kesh river.  It is resorted to by the country people for the sale or purchase of a small description of cattle and pigs.  As in the cases of all other fairs, it is frequented by travelling merchants dealing in soft goods, and by pedlars. A few of the common articles of husbandry and necessary household utensils are also sold at it.  Except by a few, the fairs may be said to be attended principally for business.

Agriculture

The usual size of the holdings varies from three to twenty-five acres, with the average being about 10 acres. The leases of the present period are generally for 21 years or three lives. It is a common practice to divide farms after taking out the leases.

The quality of the parish may be said to be composed of a middling quality of land at the best. The rents are usually paid in money, and by the produce of the farm occasionally only. Most farmers are respectable yeoman farming for subsistence only.

The soil, generally speaking, is of a sandy nature and by no means profitable. The usual manures are lime and mud, also cowhouse manure, which are the cheapest and most easily procured.  Lime-kilns abound throughout the parish, belonging to the farmers, who are allowed by their landlord free right to quarry.

The usual implements of husbandry in use are of the most ordinary description. The common wheel car is adopted where the roads will admit of it. Horses and asses are the only beasts applied to the purposes of draught or carriage.

The usual rotation of crop is potatoes, oats and flax, the average crop of potatoes to an acre is about 20 barrels.  The bogs are not grazed, being used wholly as fuel by the tenants who are not allowed to sell it without their landlord’s saction.

Many of the poor vary their diet by the addition of fish (bream and perch), which during the summer are taken with nets and hooks on the lough shore in abundance. Those which are not required for immediate consumption are salted and dried.”[8]

In 1841 at the time of the departure of the Barrett family, Fermanagh had a population of 156,461.  During the next ten years the population would decrease by 40,000, as a result of famine and emigration.

 References:

[1] Fermanagh is ancient Irish “Feor Magh Eanagh” or “The Country of the Lakes”

[2] Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1849

[3] Peadar Linvingstone, “The Fermanagh” Story, St Michael’s College, Enniskillen, 1969

[4] Lewis Topographical Dictionary Ireland 1849

[5] ibid

[6] Landscapes in South Ulster, SAG

[7] Ordnance Survey Memoirs, Parish Fermanagh, Vol 14, 1834  p66

[8] ibid p68