Presented at the CONUL Conference, July 2015, Athlone, Ireland by Marie Boran, NUI Galway. Abstract "In this paper I propose to examine the Dunboyne collection of sale notices relating to the Encumbered (later Landed) Estates Court, principally relating to county Clare. The 29 bound volumes, now housed in the Special Collections of the Hardiman Library, originate from the Butler family, Lords Dunboyne, who had a house at Knappogue, county Clare, in the nineteenth century. It is likely that they were compiled by Theobald Fitzwalter Butler, 14th Baron Dunboyne, between 1850-1880. The Encumbered Estates Court was established after the Famine to address the sale of estates which were bankrupt, primarily due to that catastrophe but also to generations of mortgaging, borrowing and provision for extended family through jointures and pensions. It became known as the Landed Estates Court in 1858 and continued to operate until the mid 1880s when its functions were absorbed into the Land Judges' Court. The sale notices are similar to a prospectus prepared by auctioneers today for the sale of property. They contain descriptions of the estate, usually highlighting its advantages. Frequently there are maps and occasionally drawings of the big house if it formed part of the sale. Many notices also included lists of lands by townland, with the names of the occupying tenants and details of their leases. Depending on the size of the estate the sale notices can run from two or three to over fifty pages. As well as outlining the content of the collection I also intend to comment on its unique qualities, its value to researchers at NUI, Galway and outreach and linkage possibilities that it affords. " Biography Marie Boran was educated at University College Galway and the University of Wales. She has worked as the Special Collections Librarian at the Hardiman Library, NUI, Galway since 1998. Marie was part of the team engaged on the research underpinning the Irish Landed Estates database, 2005-2011.

1. Evidence for “Nineteenth
Century NAMA”: the Dunboyne
sale notices collection,
James Hardiman Library NUI, Galway
Marie Boran
Special Collections Librarian,
James Hardiman Library

2. Encumbered/Landed Estates Court, 1849-1885
(or “19th Century NAMA”)
• The Encumbered Estates Court was established after the
Famine to address the sale of estates which were
bankrupt, primarily due to that catastrophe but also due to
generations of mortgaging, borrowing, conspicious
consumption as well as provision for extended family
through jointures and pensions.
• It became known as the Landed Estates Court in 1858 and
continued to operate until the mid 1880s when its
functions were absorbed into the Land Judges' Court.

3. Encumbered/Landed Estates Court
Sale Notices: forerunner of daft.ie
• Whose estate is for
sale?
• Who is petitioning for
it to be sold?
• Where is it located?
• Extent of estate
• When & where is the
sale?

4. Dunboyne Collection
• The notices were assembled
as a collection by Theobald
Butler, 14th Baron Dunboyne,
who died at Knappogue
Castle, county Clare, in 1881.
• His collection of newspaper
cuttings relating to county
Clare, (spanning 1824-28 &
1842-79) was acquired by the
National Library

5. How are they useful?

6. Social History Data
Lease dated 5th October, 1831, from Thomas G. Fitzgibbon to John
Skehan, from 25th March, 1821, for the term of 31 years and the life of
Patrick Skehan, junior, now in Australia, at a rent of 18s. late currency,
per acre, subsequently reduced by consent to 14s 3 ½ d. British, per
acre. By said lease the lessee covenants to pay the tithe composition
on the premises, and to deliver four rails of turf yearly to the lessor;
and it also contains a clause against subletting or assigning;

7. Research data for economic & family
historians

8. Why are they a unique collection?
• Fine examples of 19th
century printing,
topographical drawing and
binding
• Representative of the
collecting policy of a C19th
Irish gentleman’s library
• Frequent annotations e.g
final sale price & name of
purchaser

9. Linkage to research
• Collection contains 29 printed Volumes with comprehensive
coverage of Clare estate sales in the 3rd quarter of 19th century
• Volumes indexed, under the estate name. on Irish Landed
Estates database, www.landedestates.ie
• Opportunity for collaboration with colleagues at Clare Local
Studies Library in Ennis
• Current Electronic Access: Sale notices for these estates would be
included in the National Archives’ much larger database of sale
notices (now on www.findmypast.ie) but the “user-friendliness”
of the latter not on a scale with this printed collection from a
researcher’s perspective

10. Find out more….
• E-mail: marie.boran@nuigalway.ie
• See www.landedestates.ie
• Bibliography of Sources on Landed
Estates handout
• Thank you!