Grand Jury Presentments (1807-1900)



from 'Irish Grand Jury Presentments' by Dr. James Ryan

(used with the author's permission - see full article at The In-Depth Genealogist

Grand Juries were the forerunners of the modern County Councils. They were a panel of major landowners in each county formed to make decisions on legal and other matters. They were originally responsible only for the justice system, but this was gradually expanded to commissioning of local public works, i.e. building of roads and bridges, and maintenance of public buildings (infirmaries, courthouses, jails etc). It funded these works by means of a county tax on land, known as a cess or ‘rates’. Catholics could not legally serve on grand juries until 1793, and even after this date the jury lists were still predominantly protestant. They met in spring and summer, just after the regular Assizes (local court) sessions. In these sessions, they would hear ‘presentments’, i.e. proposals for grants for the construction or maintenance of roads and bridges etc.

The family history relevance is that the proposals include the names of proposed contractors. On occasion, they may also specify the work to be done by reference to the property of individuals. For example, ‘to build a bridge over the river Lingane at Maurice Shea’s house’ or ‘to repair .. the mail coach road.. between Timothy Duggan’s ditch and Thomas Butler’s gate, all in the townland of Ballydrihid’ (Both from Limerick GJP 1831)

The records state the names of the lead contractors, and a short specification of the work. Some examples from the Limerick Grand Jury of 1831 are;

KINGSTON, Earl; MONTGOMERY, Thomas; O'CALLAGHAN, Daniel; DONOHOE, John: to build a bridge of one arch over the river Barabee, on the road from Hospital to Clogheen, between the townlands of Skeheenarinky & Barabee

LISMORE, Lord; TAYLOR, Edwin; GRUBB, Samuel; MURPHY, Martin: to build a bridge between Michael KENNELLY'S house and his land at Kilballyboy - road from Clogheen to Dungarvan

So, who were these people? The lead persons are local ‘gentlemen’ who may also have been Grand Jurors. The others are likely to be tradesmen with specialist skills in bridge-building.

 

Spring 1807 

Spring 1808  

Spring 1810   Summer 1810  
       
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 Spring 1873  Summer 1873  Spring 1874  Summer 1874
       
 Schedule 1875  Spring 1875  Summer 1875   Spring 1876 
       
 Summer 1876 1876, Summer (18,862 Kb)  Spring 1877  Summer 1877  Spring 1878
       
 Summer 1878    Spring 1879  Summer 1879  Spring 1880
       
 Summer 1880  Spring 1881  Summer 1881  Spring 1882
       
 Summer 1882  Spring 1883  Summer 1883  Spring 1884
       
 Summer 1884  Spring 1885 1885, Spring (52,547 Kb)  Summer 1885  Spring 1886
       
 Summer 1886   Spring 1887  Summer 1887  Spring 1888
       
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 Summer 1896  Spring 1897   Assizes 1899 (a)  Assizes 1899 (b)
       
Assizes 1900       

Last update:21/01/2021

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