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Sir Thomas Aiskew Larcom scrapbook

 Collection — Volume: 1
Call Number: MS D136

Overview

Scrapbook containing memoranda and papers connected with the report by Dr. William Neilson Hancock (1820-1888) on the supposed progressive decline of Irish prosperity in the 1860s. Larcom, as Under-Secretary for Ireland, sponsored Hancock's propaganda pamphlet in which statistics identified the problems. Includes letters from Dr. Hancock to Sir Thomas Larcom (1801-1879) on the progress of publication, often enclosing proofs for approval, and on difficulties in getting information; memos by Larcom on the Government's position; letters to Larcom and Hancock from informants, from well-wishers, and from critics; newspaper articles concerning the problem; and newspaper articles reviewing the Report. Most of the material was written from Ireland, but some items were written from England.

Dates

  • Creation: 1863 - 1864

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

No access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Spencer Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.

Extent

1 volume ; Volume measures no taller than 30 cm.

Language of Materials

English

Scope and Contents

131 pages in manuscript altogether. Includes clippings from Express, Nation, Post, Mail, Times, Irish Times, Saturday Review, Free N., Cork Examiner, The Agricultural Review, The Southern Reporter (Cork), Londonderry Standard, Northern Whig, Morning News, Telegraph, Irishman, Daily News, Waterford Mail, Evening Star, Spectator, Nation, Freemans Journal, Independence Belge, Daily Express, Mark Lane Express. Identification of writers from Boase, DNB, Landed Gentry, Burke.

The volume consists of a title page and 2 pages of introduction, with several letters and newspaper clippings. The bulk of the letters gathered in the volume are from Hancock to Larcom; Hancock was writing from 64 Upper Gardiner St, Dublin.

Letters are from Hancock to Larcom, January 27 and February 20 and February 21; from Charles Bianconi to Larcom, February 3 (from Longfield, Cashel), requesting that Larcom tell "HE" that his establishment mirrors the economic distress and enclosing a proposal that includes parochial commissions of rate-payers for public drainage; a copy of 5 works. There is a letter from Hancock to Larcom, February 23; from Sir Alfred Power to Larcom, February 24 regarding the Poor Law Commission and returning proofs with blanks filled up (no proofs included in the volume); from Thomas Leslie to Larcom, March 2 (written from the Union Club, London) requesting that Larcom criticise his article in the Saturday Review, as well as a letter dated from March 6 thanking Larcom for his commendation and discussing misery in Ireland as inevitable as the country becomes modern and American farm exports rise.

There are additional letters from Hancock to Larcom dated March 19 and 20; a letter from M. Gardner to Hancock, March 20 (written from Custom House, Dublin) refusing to provide information from the Custom House; letters from Hancock to Larcom, March 21; from Larcom to ?, March 25 (draft of history of agitation and of the Report); from Hancock to Larcom, March 20 (getting census figures from Farr); from William Farr to Larcom, March 31 (from the General Register Office, London), indicating he was glad Larcom was still interested in the science nurtured by him and annotated "Mr. Donnelly has written to Mr. Dundas' father"; and a letter from William Donnelly to Larcom, April 9 (from the Census Office, Dublin), providing statistics on the Irish-speaking population in 1851 and 1861.

Also in the volume are letters from after the report was released. Correspondents include William Ewart Gladstone to Lord Carlisle, the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland (10 April 1863, at Carlton House Terrace) asking permission to use Hancock's report in a speech; Edward Granville Eliot St. Germans to Larcom (20 April and 1 May 1863 at Dover Street, London) regarding the report and Gladstone's "mischievous statements on Irish distress," as well as social news; from the Earl of Clarendon (George William Frederick Villiers) to Larcom (21 April 1863 in Grosvenor Street, London) indicating that he welcomed assucrances that Irish prosperity was increasing; the Duke of Leinster (Charles William Fitzgerald) to Hancock (24 April 1863 from Kilkea Castle, Mageney in Ireland); William Pollard Urquhart to Hancock (24 April 1863 from Arthur's Club, London) thanking Hancock for both the report and the Dublin Statistical Journal; Jonathan Pim to Hancock (25 April in Greenbank, Mondstown, Ireland), disagreeing with Hancock's report; Susan Martineau to Hancock (26 April at the Knoll, Ambleside, England), indicating that her aunt (possibly Harriet Martineau) thinks that Ireland is in a serious condition; Joseph Fisher to Larcom (27 April and 7 May at Dublin and the Waterford Mail), accompanied by clippings of editorials from his newspaper and demanding that the Irish government withdraw the Report; Clive George to Hancock (13 May at Perrystone, Ross, Herefordshire, England), agreeing with the Report and indicating that he with his brother owns 50,000 acres in Ireland--they don't evict but emigration is high; John Arthur Wynne to Larcom (18 and 28 May, 1864 at Haslewood), providing political gossip and indicating that he disbelieves potato production could have quadrupled as stated in Hancock's Report; William Anderson of Dunfanaghy, Ireland to Hancock (May 16, 1863 at Myraph Glebe, Dunfanaghy), indicating that Irish Protestants would rather emigrate than lower their standard of living and this differentiates them from Catholic Irish; Professor Moffatt at Queen's College, Galway to Hancock (May 19, 1863) telling Hancock he'll make sure the Report is advertised in local papers; and Patrick Maxwell Cullinan to Hancock (May 24, 1863 in Ennis, Ireland) stating that reading Hancock's Report made him realize he must make a further rent abatement for his tenants in Clare, who did not need it or rent delay before the year prior.

Physical Location

MS D136

Immediate Source of Acquisition

O'Hegarty uncatalogued manuscripts

Title
Guide to the Sir Thomas Aiskew Larcom Scrapbook Collection
Subtitle
Sir Thomas Aiskew Larcom scrapbook
Author
Finding aid prepared by alh, July 24, 1973; revised by eear, 2013. Finding aid encoded by skt, 2005.
Date
2005
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Finding aid written in English.
Finding aid permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/10407/5699658737
Preferred citation
Sir Thomas Aiskew Larcom scrapbook, MS D136, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository

Contact:
1450 Poplar Lane
Lawrence KS 66045-7616 United States
785-864-4334