A Collection of Legal Documents, Including Deeds, Assignments, opinions and Correspondence Relating to Thomas Smith of Leamore Park Wicklow and Lands of Ballynockenbeg,in the Barony of Newcastle, Co.Wicklow Circa 1854-72 & some in the Family in 1913.

Circa 16 items. They tell a story & give a glimpse of partof the life of a Wicklow tenant farmer in 19th century Ireland. Beginning in 1854 with an action by The Revd.Robert Smith of Bollington in Cheshire England & Richard Fielding Morrison,Lieutenant in Her Majesty's 19th Regiment of Foot seeking Stg£4000 from Thomas Smith. They win their case and the judgement is awarded in their favour. A bond is entered into & is signed by both thePlaintiffs and Thomas Smith.The Bond is for Stg 2000. It seems that Thomas Smith is the son in law of Morrison as he has married his daughter. An extract of marriage settlement oulines conditions around the repayment of the £2000 as per the bond agreement in the event that T.Smith dies or his wife preceds him in death & other eventualities. A mss. legal opinion regarding Thomas Smith suggests he "is an Extensive Gentleman Farmer having other farms leases that proposed to be mortgaged and is perfectly solvent." Mss.Articles of Agreement between James & William Nolan with Smith in April 1856 relate to a lease on over 100 acres of other lands in Ballyknockenbeg seem to bear out the legal opinion comment about Smith. Nonethelss there is another court judgement against him with Morrison as the plaintiff on his own this time for £1200 in May 1856. A folio size mss. vellum deed dated 24th September 1872 between Thos.& Robt.Smith is signed and sealed for a sum of £600. There are two draft items dated 1872 one an Assignment & the other a Mortgage between Thos.Smith & Charles Kelly a farmer. A letter from Revenue in February, 1878 claiming duty on the farm leased by Thomas Smith after his death.His son replies explaining that the farm was rented from Earl Fitzwilliam for the life of the deceased.Shortly after his father died the farm was surrendered to Earl Fitzwilliam with two small outlying holdings, and all three were then let to his brother John Smith on a yearly tenancy & his brrther does not hold them as successor to his father but under a substantive letting made to him by the Earl. He contends in reply to Revenue that his brother is not liable for the payment of succession or other duty under the will of his father in respect of those farms. The final document dated 5th March, 1913 is signed by the Commissioner of Valuation & stamped by the Valuation office in Dublin. It lists names of occupiers, immediate Lessors, describes tenements their respective acreage, lands, buildings, & amount of rents for the year 1899 for the Townland of Part of Park in the rural districtof Shillelagh, Ballingate, Co.Wicklow. Among the names are some named Smith. While fragments of tenant farmer's of life is clearly evident in these original 19th century documents they reveal much more and the nature of such lives can be extrapolated from them. They are very useful primary sources for the study of local history. …