House of Industry and Lunatic Asylum Ledger

Repository: Cork City and County Archives

Identity Statement

TitleHouse of Industry and Lunatic Asylum Ledger
Archive ReferenceIE CCCA/U500
Web Link to this Entryhttps://iar.ie/archive/house-industry-lunic-asylum-ledger
Creation Dates1828-1831
Extent Medium225pp

Context

Creator(s): House of Industry, Mendicity and Lunatic Asylum

  • Administrative History ↴

    The House of Industry was instituted by Act of Parliament and erected in 1776-1777, 'for the reception of vagrants and strolling prostitutes and of poor aged men and women'. Supported by Grand Jury presentments and charitable subscriptions. Under the control of a Board of Governors including Church of Ireland Bishops, local MPs, the Mayor, Sheriffs, Justices of the Peace, those elected by the Corporation, and others. The House of Industry was based on the Infirmary Road, near the South Infirmary. A school was attached to the House of Industry for the education of children paupers. John Cotter was Treasurer in 1831. The House of Industry was designated as the temporary poor law union workhouse catering for Cork City and its hinterland in 1840, with the withdrawal of the former House of Industry Governors. A new purpose built poor law workhouse, located at Douglas Road, Cork, with an attached infirmary, opened in late 1841/early 1842. The Mendicity establishment at Barrack Street provided food for paupers. The Lunatic Asylum, established in about 1791, under the same Governors as the House of Industry, and built in close proximity to the House of Industry, covered both City and County, and remained outside the district asylum system until 1845. The Committee of the Lunatic Asylum included the High Sheriff of County Cork, the Mayor of Cork and others. It had begun life as an extension of the House of Industry and was administered by it although subject to inspection by the lunacy inspectorate. A new district asylum for Cork opened in 1852.

  • Archival History ↴

    Offical Transfer

  • Immediate Source Acquisition ↴

    Official Transfer

Content & Structure

  • Scope & Content: House of Industry, Mendicity and Lunatic Asylum ↴

    ‘Ledger No. 1 House of Industry and Lunatic Asylum’. Contains financial accounts, detailed for each year, including Treasurer John Cotter, Simeon Hardy Sub Treasurer, Potatoes, Meal, Milk, Sundry Creditors, various suppliers, Establishment, Donations (With Names), Steward Robert Pearse, County Presentments (including, in April 1829, over £1323 for Lunatic Asylum, over £646 for House of Industry, p.21-22), City Presentments (including, in April 1829, over £886 for Lunatic Asylum, over £500 for House of Industry, p21-22), Manufacture (such as spinning, tucking and weaving, dying), Repairs and Buildings, Hospital, Beggars Cart, Straw, Offal, Articles of House Use, Edward Ireton victualler. Total amounts in 1828 spent on food, clothing etc. in the House, Mendicity, and the Lunatic Asylum, and total amounts recieved for each institution from presentments, subscriptions, donations etc (p54-55).

  • Appraisal Destruction ↴

    Permanent Retention

  • Arrangement ↴

    1 item – no arrangement applicable

Conditions of Access & Use

Access Conditions Open by appointment to those holding a current readers ticket
Conditions Governing ReproductionSubject to rules governing reproduction of records of CCCA
Creation Dates1828-1831
Extent Medium225pp
Material Language ScriptEnglish
Finding Aids Item level description Archive Web Link →

Allied Materials

Related MaterialCCCA: CP Cork City Council BG/69 Cork Board of Guardians U229 O’Flynn Exham Solicitors Elsewhere: National Library of Ireland MS 16,532; MS 14,352
Publication NoteConlon, M.V., The Relief of the Poor in Cork, JCHAS, Vol. 40, No 151 (1935)

Descriptive Control Area

Archivist NoteBrian McGee
Rules/ConventionsISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description. 2nd ed. Ottowa: International Council on Archives, 2000.
Date of Descriptions40909