General question on Griffith's Eval

[DeirdreMc]

Hello all --having looked at various records from GE for Magheross and I am unsure as to what criteria is being used for listing the indivduals mentioned --

Were these names strictly of persons who owned land or who simply lived in the district ?

The females mentioned --I am trying to figure out if they were widows who owned property after the death of a husband/father or possibly young women who lived in a household.
Young men in their teens --would they be included?
Thank you for your assistance 
Deirdre

[RJ_Paton]

As far as I'm aware the valuation was of landowners only in order to calculate tax

From County Clare website

It was a survey of land occupation to determine the amount of tax a landowner or occupier should pay towards the support of the Poor Law System.

This Full Name Index to the valuation gives Surname, Forename, Town or Townland, Parish and Poor Law Union of individuals named in the published valuation. A person owning or leasing property in more than one townland will appear separately for each townland. The type of property held (i.e. house, garden, office or acreage of land), its valuation and map reference numbers are not included and the printed valuation will have to be consulted for this information.

[JAP]

Deirdre,

As the quote which Falkyrn posted indicates, the Griffith's Valuation listed only persons who leased land from landowners together with the name of the actual landowner from whom it was leased.  Usually only the principal leaseholder is listed - it is anything but a listing of all persons.

Another good explanation can be found at the site of the Public Records Office of Northern Island.
http://www.proni.gov.uk/records/valuatn.htm

Griffith's Valuation (VAL/2B)

The Primary Valuation of Ireland, 1848-1864, gives a complete list of occupiers of land, tenements and houses.  Better known as Griffith's Valuation, it is arranged by counties and within counties by Poor Law Union Divisions and within Unions by barony and then by parish and townland.  For each townland the following information is recorded:

occupier of the land or houses

name of the person from whom the property was leased

description of the property

acreage of the farm

valuation of the land and buildings

The Griffith's Valuation is a useful, if flawed, substitute for the 1851/1861 census returns, in that it only gives the name of the leaseholder, and does not list the other family members.

And remember that there is duplication - some leaseholders leased several buildings and/or parcels of land in one location, or in more than one location.

Regards,

JAP

[Christopher]

The females mentioned --I am trying to figure out if they were widows who owned property after the death of a husband/father or possibly young women who lived in a household.

Deirdre

Hello Deirdre,

Some of the women may have been widows, some spinsters and others women whose husbands may have been spalpeens and thus working elsewhere.

Christopher

[JAP]

I see that Christopher has exhumed this thread from 2005 - and that the OP hasn't been online since October 2006



PS: Spalpeen (from MSN Encarta)
1. rascal: a mischievous and cunning person
 
2. poor farm laborer: an impoverished farm laborer
 

[Christopher]

Sorry, I omitted to mention young men in their teens. It's unlikely that a guy in his teens would have owned or leased property. Internet teen millionaires didn't arrive on the scene until the late twentieth century. The properties of deceased people might be shown on the Valuation by Rep. for whoever.

Christopher