| Description | In addition to genealogical information, this collection includes:
Family and personal correspondence to members of the Shirley family, including Mrs Evelyn John Shirley; Mrs Evelyn Philip Shirley; Mrs S. Evelyn Shirley and Mrs Evelyn Charles Shirley, 1863-1939.
24 diaries of Mrs S.E. Shirley, relating to daily life in Warwickshire, London and Ireland, 1894-1918.
This collection also contains several tenant petitions. For example:
D/3531/P/Box 1 includes a promissory note from Widow Donaghoe, Clonsedy giving two pounds towards her son's passage to America through W.G. Smith from George Morant, Shirley Office, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, 18 April 1846.
D/3531/P/Box 2 includes a petition for assisted passage from Catherine McEvoy, Drumgosath to Evelyn J. Shirley, Lough Fea Castle, Farney, County Monaghan which notes that she was 'a helpless and distressed Widow, having two small children to support, without any means under Heaven, was served with an Ejectment, gave up peaceable and quit possession without taking any defence or putting my worthy Landlord to any cost humbly hope your Honor [sic] will graciously vouchsafe to allow me and my poor little orphans some assistance until we be sent to America and I with my little ones will ever pray for your prosperity [?prosperity]', no date; tenant petition from Margaret Reilly, a widow with one child asking for assisted passage to E.J. Shirley, Shirley estate, Farney, County Monaghan, 26 October 1849; petition from Catherine Walch, late of Cloghvalley Lower to Evelyn John Shirley, Loughfea Castle, County Monaghan, 'Now my Good and Respected Landlord all I ask from you is to give to me, (a poor destitute Female who never Married), a House and Garden at whatever rent you may think proper - I am now advanced in Years without Father or Mother, Sister or Brother to do any thing for me...for nearly 30 years I was the principal means of paying the Rent as my Parents were both very old', 20 December 1854. |
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