3.4 Inhabitants after 1840: Valuation Records

Inhabitants detailed in Griffith's Valuation of 1855
Griffith's Valuation^[37] lists the following families, as having leased land from the landlord Francis Keane.

The difference between Griffith's counting only 13 houses (see Table 5) - (Houses are indicated by bold letter excluding Board of Ordnance) and the census returns of 1851^[39] showing that 15 houses were counted on the island is confusing and indeed the census totals for Clare show that there were 36577 families and 31412 houses. This indicates that Griffith's Valuation did not list inferior types of houses such as mud cabins which would have been discounted for rating purposes and houses where a portion had been given up by a son to his parents and no rent is paid were also excluded and it is possible that a number of these types of houses were on the island. All the numbers above from (1) Patrick Brennan to (15) Board of Ordnance run generally from north to south and number 13 of nearly 3 acres was a type of commonage jointly owned by Felix Brennan, John Crotty and John Faul and located south of the corcas next to the Battery. However on the map showing the divisions of the land number 9 is actually located between 6 and 7 and number 14 is located between 12 and 13.

Griffith’s Valuation Land Divisions

Griffith's^[40] Valuation for the parishes of Kilballyowen and Moyarta in the West Clare Barony of Moyarta lists an increase in the majority of these names, despite the famine, from the TAB's years (1823 to 1837) as the table below shows although the number of Hanrahans and McMahons declined. The figures in columns one to three have been extracted from files downloaded from www.clarelibrary.ie and those in four are taken from www.ireland.com/ancestor.

It is not possible to draw any definitive conclusions from the first two columns as these areas were devastated during the famine and the three former towns of Kilballyowen, Ross and Tullig were totally eliminated due to loss of population. However we could speculate that the salvage money received by these families, relatives of those that went to Scattery Island, may have helped to defray the worst effects of the famine in these areas as it did on the island. The total population of the island, including soldiers, increased by forty from 99 in 1851 to 139 in 1861^[41] so we can assume that at the time of Griffith's Valuation in 1855 the population would have been close to one hundred and twenty.

Valuation Office Records for 1856 until 1896
The Cancelled Valuation Lists^[42] detail the changes in the land leasing arrangements since Griffith's Valuation and provides evidence of further subdivision and allocations of fishing rights. Dates are estimates only as changes were not always notified in a timely fashion. The nine acres occupied by John Mahony above has changed to Martin Mahony and again changed to Patrick Carthy by 1862. Salmon fishing rights were allocated by the main inhabitants, now immediate lessors, as follows:

By 1875 Patrick Brennan provided a house on his 31 acres for a Michael Crotty, this being the portion of the summerhouse later occupied by the Melicans. Patrick Carthy nine acres are now largely owned by Thomas Moran with Patrick only retaining a house and less than half and acre.(Division or extension of “Chicken's house”) There is no known direct connection between Thomas Moran and Patrick Carthy. By 1886 Michael Crotty from 1875 above has now been replaced by John Melican, Michael Scanlan has been replaced by his son Sinon Scanlan, John Melican by his son Michael Melican, Michael Hanrahan has been replaced by his son in law Patrick Moran (Pegum's house) and John Faul by his son in law Patrick Scanlan. By 1892 Jeremiah Hehir was replaced by his wife Mary Hehir, Michael Griffin has been replaced by his wife Hannah (Nora). By 1896 Patrick Faul's seven acres as listed in Griffith's has passed to Synon Griffin and then from Synon to his son in law John Moran (Ogden's House) At last the Morans appear to be making progress as they are now leasing land. The Costelloes are not mentioned and by 1889 the landlord was now Marcus Keane as reflected in deed number 58/48/1608 from 1878. By 1917 John Crotty's six acres appear to have passed first to Timothy Hanrahan and then to Thomas Hanrahan.