offalyhistoryblog

The Tithe Wars 

In the period 1831 to 1836 a campaign of agitation occurred against the imposition of tithes or taxes on landholders to pay for the imposed established state church, the Church of Ireland. The tithes were imposed on all regardless of religious belief but particularly affected the mostly Roman Catholic peasantry. 

‘Regular clashes causing fatalities continued over the next two years, causing the authorities to reinforce selected army barracks fearing an escalation. Taking stock of the continuing resistance, in 1831 the authorities recorded 242 homicides, 1,179 robberies, 401 burglaries, 568 burnings, 280 cases of cattle-maiming, 161 assaults, 203 riots and 723 attacks on property directly attributed to seizure order enforcement.’¹

‘The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Dr James Doyle to Thomas Spring Rice became the rallying cry for the movement:

‘There are many noble traits in the Irish character, mixed with failings which have always raised obstacles to their own well-being; but an innate love of justice, and an indomitable hatred of oppression, is like a gem upon the front of our nation which no darkness can obscure. To this fine quality I trace their hatred of tithes; may it be as lasting as their love of justice!’²

Murder in Tomfarney

‘Egged on by an increasingly confident Catholic Church, the peasantry began to forcibly resist the payment of tithes through a combination of mass meetings, boycotts and outright violence. In Wexford these disturbances were especially pronounced, with the most notable incident occurring in Bunclody, where 14 people were shot dead and many more injured (by the yeomanry). This massacre in June of 1831 inflamed tensions and soon much of rural Wexford was in open insurrection. The peasantry quickly set about organising secret militias, known locally as Whiteboys, to take on the authorities. Through intimidation and force of arms the Whiteboys aimed to redress perceived local injustices, especially evictions. Bree was not to escape these disturbances and on the 22 November 1832 the parish was to witness a night of violence and murder. The origins of this dispute lay in an eviction carried out in Tomfarney townland, which saw the Redmond family thrown off their farm for missed rent payments. The landlord then replaced them with a new tenant named Edmund Maddock. This caused great resentment locally and the Redmonds in particular were incensed. The Maddock family became the focal point of this anger, and they soon started receiving threatening letters, while an attempt was also made to burn down their new home. Such was the level of intimidation that the authorities decided to send two policemen to protect their house. However, this did not deter the local Whiteboys and on the night of 22 November they attacked the Maddock farm once more. A party of 50-60 men, some of whom were armed, encircled the property and set the house ablaze. Inside the building pandemonium broke out as the Maddock family awoke to find their home filling with smoke. The two policemen who had been stationed inside opened the front door to be met by a volley of gun fire. One of them, Joseph White from Glynn, fell dead instantly, while the second man dashed for freedom. As the Maddock family tried to escape the burning building a second volley of shots rang out killing Mrs Mary Maddock and her daughter Margaret. Edmund Maddock was also severely wounded, while one of his sons took two (musket) balls to the chest. In the ensuing confusion the remainder of the Maddocks managed to escape, with the youngest son concealing himself in some bushes…..’³

Michael English 

In 1834, Michael English was a landholder and farmer in the townland of Tomfarney. That same year he was subject to tithes in the amount of £23 0s 18d on total landholdings of 134 acres. The Maddock family were still farming six properties up the road from the English’s (according to the 1901 Census).⁴

Michael English and his family were most likely to have been well aware of the happenings in the Tomfarney area, and to the dreadful murders that happened close by in 1831. 

That fateful year of 1831, Michael English snr had a son, also Michael. It is likely Michael jnr inherited his father’s landholding and farmed all his life at Tomfarney. He married a wealthy local farmers daughter, Ellen Kelly (b 1834 d 29 Dec 1897, age 63) and they had three children that we know of. The eldest Patrick English (born c 1864 d 21 Jan 1921), Thomas (b 12 May 1866 d 17 Feb 1926 at Tullamore, age 60), and Alice (b 28 Feb 1872 m Stephen Wafer farmer from Gorey 28 Nov 1893 d 16 Dec 1918, age 46).

Thomas English moves to Tullamore

Thomas English was the second son of Michael English jnr who bequeathed the family farm to his eldest son Patrick English. Thomas left the family farm at Tomfarney and moved first to Dublin where he trained as a professional confectioner and baker. Around 1891 he moved to Tullamore.

Fig 1. English’s nutritious Tullamore bread. Courtesy the Offaly Independent 12 Oct 1940.

Thomas established his Tullamore merchant business on the corner of William Street and Colmcille Street. It was a fine two-story building and later a third floor with dormer style windows were added at roof level. He ran a fully equipped bakery, grocery shop, restaurant, and hotel. He was a civic minded person and was elected a member of the local Urban District Council. He became involved in politics and was chairman of the Tullamore branch of Cuman na nGaedheal. 

On 22 September 1891 he married Mary Loughran of Kilmeesan County Meath. Thomas and Mary English had seven children. Three sadly died in infancy. John Joseph or Jack (b 21 May 1893 d 8 Nov 1947), Francis Patrick (b 22 Mar 1895 d 8 Jan 1896, age 10months) Thomas (b 10 July 1896 d 28 April 1897, age 9 months), Michael (b 27 Dec 1898 d 5 Oct 1945), Mary Josephine (b 21 Oct 1902 d Feb 1902. Age 4 months), Anne or Frances (b 9 May 1904 m 14 Oct 1935 Columb Kelly, Merchant Ballivor, Navan. Bridesmaid Margaret Slyne), Ellen Mary (b 19 Jan 1908 m 20 Nov 1933 Patrick Joseph Tehan, Kilbeggan and later hardware merchant, Trimgate Street, Navan).

Fig 2. Thomas English Baker, his merchant business seen here on the right-hand side on the corner of William Street and Colmcille Street from circa 1895.

Thomas English and his wife Mary ran a fabulous enterprise on Tullamore’s William Street until he suddenly passed away during a Tullamore UDC meeting 17 February 1926. For over thirty-five years Thomas English was an honest and straightforward colleague of many, an esteemed employer and servant to the town of Tullamore. His fellow townsman, confectioner and friend J A Lumley had this to say of his colleague. ‘For over thirty years we were intimately connected in one way or another with affairs of business and with affairs concerning the town…..He was a man whose word could be relied on.’⁵

His widow Mary and her family took over the English’s business and ran it successfully through WW II. It was the first firm to deliver bread to customers in a motorised van.

Their eldest son Jack English M.R.C.V.S., P.C., qualified as a veterinary surgeon and practiced first in Harbour Street, then moved to live in Tinnycross, opening from 9am to 7pm daily from the English’s premises on William Street. Thereafter he moved to Church Street. Like his father before him, Jack was also civic minded. He was a District Justice, was an elected member of the Tullamore UDC, and was secretary of the Tullamore Light Consumers Association. On 27 Feb 1927 he married Elizabeth Gavin of Robinstown, Mullingar (b 7 Jan 1894    d 13 Sept 1976, age 82). 

After Thomas passed away in 1926, the family employed a manager for the grocery establishment. His name was Dan Fox (married Rose Daly, Charleville Parade in 1932). In the 1950’s Jackie Finlay worked for Thomas English & Co.

As merchants the English’s provided much needed employment and gave of themselves to the upliftment of the town and its townsfolk. The family grave in Tullamore’s St Joseph’s cemetery Clonminch is a monument to the achievements of Thomas English and family. A family whose forebears fought the Tithe Wars, who persevered though think and thin, and who made a significant positive impact on the town of Tullamore. 

………..ends

Footnote: Jack and Betty English had five sons and four daughters: Thomas (USA), John, Marie, Elizabeth or Betty (Dublin), Father Laurence (USA). Michael (Tullamore) married Nuala ‘Nuggie’ Brady (Kilcormac), Patrick (Tullamore), Margaret, Philomena Berry. 

Fig 3. The English’s were the first to deliver bread to customers in a motorised van. The van is shown in this photograph taken in the early 1940’s. Courtesy of OHAS.

Fig 4. An English’s bill head from 1931. Courtesy OHAS.

Notes

1 ‘Tithe War’ (2023). Wikipedia. Available at:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tithe_War (Accessed: 30 May 2023)

2 Ibid.

3 ‘Bree Heritage: Murder in Tomfarney, Wexford’ (2014). Available at: https://breeheritage.com/2014/02/18/murder-in-tomfarney-wexford/

(Accessed: 30 May 2023)

4 ‘Census of Ireland’ 1901/1911 and Census fragments and substitutes, 1821-51 Census of Ireland’, The National Archives of Ireland [Online]’ Available at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/ (Accessed on: 29 May 2023)

5 ‘Offaly Independent’. (1926), 27 February.

Supported by the Department of Culture Communications and Sport as part of the Commemorations Series for 2025.