John Pitt Kennedy Papers

Repository: National Library of Ireland

Identity Statement

TitleJohn Pitt Kennedy Papers
Archive ReferenceIE DuNL MS/ 49,529
Web Link to this Entryhttps://iar.ie/archive/john-pitt-kennedy-papers
Creation Dates1800-1964
Extent Medium139 folders, 1394 items

Context

Creator(s): Kennedy, John Pitt, 1796-1879

  • Administrative History ↴

    Lieutenant-Colonel John Pitt Kennedy was a Donegal-born military engineer and agricultural reformer. Educated in Foyle College, Derry and later the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, he became a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in 1815 and thereafter worked extensively in Celaphonia, Greece (now known as the Ionian Islands) between 1822 and 1831. After this, Kennedy returned to Ireland and served as Inspector General for Irish National Education Department from 1837 until 1839. He also served as secretary to the Devon Commission and on the Famine Relief Committee, wrote extensively on agricultural reform and improving conditions for farmers and was heavily involved in the Agricultural School at Loughash, Co. Tyrone. In 1849, he returned to military service and engineering, this time in India. He died in 1879 and was buried in London.
  • Archival History ↴

    Unknown
  • Immediate Source Acquisition ↴

    Unknown

Content & Structure

  • Scope & Content: Kennedy, John Pitt, 1796-1879 ↴

    This collection contains John Pitt Kennedy’s correspondence with his extended family, letters concerning the agricultural school at Loughash, his work on railways and roads in India and extensive correspondence with the Napier family, including Sir Charles Napier under whom he served during his time in Cephalonia and India. Also included are his reports on agriculture in Ireland and the railways and roads of India. The collection also includes a multitude of documents concerning the history of the Kennedy family. These were collected by Major Francis M.E. Kennedy (1869-?) as research for his book, ‘A family of Kennedy of Clogher and Londonderry’, (also included in the collection) and Geoffrey Winthrope Young, the grandson of John Pitt Kennedy’s brother Evory. Included are extensive family trees, genealogical notes and the research correspondence of Francis Kennedy. Also included are Kennedy family ephemera, including photographs and portraits, newspaper cuttings, memorial material and miscellaneous items from Cephalonia and India. The collection also comprises the correspondence of Dr. Evory Kennedy, brother of John Pitt Kennedy, alongside some estate correspondence with the Style family (John Pitt Kennedy’s wife was Anna Maria Style).

  • Appraisal Destruction ↴

    Permanent Retention
  • Arrangement ↴

    The collection is arranged as follows: I. Correspondence of John Pitt Kennedy, 1811-1875 II. Correspondence of the Kennedy family and others, 1800-1957 III. Books and reports, 1864-1976 IV. Kennedy genealogical and biographical material, circa 1853-1952 V. Ephemera and visual material, 1817-1903 VI. Newspaper cuttings and miscellanea, 1842-1964

Conditions of Access & Use

Access Conditions Access with a valid National Library of Ireland Readers Ticket.
Conditions Governing ReproductionReproduction rights owned by National Library of Ireland.
Creation Dates1800-1964
Extent Medium139 folders, 1394 items
Material Language ScriptEnglish
Finding Aids An item level catalogue is available online. Archive Web Link →

Allied Materials

There are no Allied Materials

Descriptive Control Area

Archivist NoteFiona Hughes
Rules/ConventionsNLI guidelines based on ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description. 2nd ed. Ottawa: International Council on Archives, 2000, and Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
Date of Descriptions41944