52 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE
Joczs, 26* & Jam^m, 1832.
THE RIGHT HON.
E.
G.
S.
STANLEY, IN THE CHAIR.
The Rev.
if.
iffljni^off, B.r>.
26 January 1832.
The Reverend #iww i£z??zita,
D, D.,
called in ; and Examined.
652.
YOU are Rector of the Union of Knocktopher ?—I
am.
653.
What parishes does that comprise?—Knocktopher,
Aghaviller, Kilmagany, Donemagger, and Derrynahinch.
654.
What is the total extent of that union ?—I
think it is about nine miles in one direction, and six in the other.
655.
Is the whole of that union, or any part of it, under the Tithe Composition Ad;?—Two
parishes are under the composition, Donemagger and Derrynahinch.
656.
How long have you been rector of that union ?—Thirty-one
years next April.
657.
During that time have you been generally resident?—Yes.
658.
What has been of late years the ordinary value of the benefice?—About
1,700 /.
since the cessation of the war; before that it was 2,000 /.
659.
Are you at present in the receipt of that income?—No,
I am not, nor have I been for some time.
660.
What portion of that income have you received for the last three years?—
—-The last two years I have received very little, but before that I received it regu-larly, except the usual arrears that always occur.
661.
Have you ever made any attempts to bring the remaining parish under composition ?—I
did, all of them.
662.
To what do you attribute the failure of those attempts?—The
objections of some of the parishioners, persons who would perhaps suffer by it.
663.
Do those objections principally proceed from the large graziers ?—
I fancy so.
664.
Can you specify the average amount which you have been in the habit of receiving, in the shape of tithes, from the three parishes which are not com-pounded ?—I
could not exactly state, not having the books with me, but I can state what I offered to compound for, 300/.
for Kilmagany, 250/.
for Knocktopher, 300/.
for Aghaviller, and the other two are settled under the composition.
665.
Was that offer of composition upon your part below or above your average receipts under the tithe system ?—Below.
666.
Can you state how much below ?—I
could not exactly state.
667.
What is the amount of the other two parishes under composition ?—Done-
magger is set for 200/.;
the other for 325/.
6t>8.
In the parishes which are not compounded, was any offer made by your parishioners as to the amount for which they would be willing to compound ?—Yes,
there was one offer made by the parish of Aghaviller; they "offered 50/.
for 315/.
669.
When was that offer made?—On
the 14th of last November, at a vestry held for that purpose.
670.
Had there been any previous vestries held for that parish ?-—There
was another during my absence, but that was the first that I attended.
671.
When was the first attempt which you made to bring this parish under composition ?—In
1824 I brought Donemagger in under the Act, and I proposed that in the other parishes; but in 1825 I proposed it again.
^
672.
From what period do you date the present resistance to the payment of tithes?—From
the time the hurlers commenced in the county of Kilkenny.
673.
Had you, during your incumbency, known any similar instances of resist-ance ?—Not
one in my parish.
674.
When was the first meeting of hurlers in your neighbourhood ?—They
came to me on the 27th of December 1830, two days after Christmas; they came the Monday after Christmas-day.
675.
Did you upon that occasion seethe party yourself ?—No
; because I saw so large a crowd coming up to the house, that I sent down my steward to say, that if they would stay without, and send a deputation up, I would see them.
They said, they would do so; but subsequent to that, when the deputation were comincr in through the gate, there was a friar called to the mob to come on, «• Now boys is your time," he said, and they gave a shout and all rushed in at the <?ate
and sur-roun,ded my house in a very few minutes.
*
®
676.
