County Wicklow Labourers Cottages Ledgers 1891 - 1925
The volumes detail the purchasing of land and the building of cottages for agricultural labourers in County Wicklow in the late 19th and early 20th century and the early tenants of these cottages. The records contain information on the original owner of the lands purchased for the purpose of building the labourers cottages, the amount of compensation paid, the location of the lands and their size. They also record the names of the various contractors who worked on the construction of the cottages, and usually the first and sometimes subsequent tenants to reside in them.
The Labourers Acts
The Labourers Acts 1883 to 1936, were a series of legislation specifically designed to improve the living conditions of agricultural labourers and were described as “the quiet revolution” in social housing in Ireland. Local authorities, initially the Boards of Guardians, who oversaw the workhouse system, and after 1898, the Rural District Councils, were charged with compulsorily purchasing sites, building cottages and housing tenants. Prosperous Catholic farmers and merchants became more numerous on Boards of Guardians at this time, which were initially dominated by the landed gentry.
Rural District Councils
Rural District Councils were established by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. They were responsible for housing, rural sanitation, and roads and public works. The provision of labourers' dwellings was one of their core functions. These councils were abolished under the Local Government Act 1925 and their functions were transferred to the County Councils and to the Boards of Health and Public Assistance.
Earlier records
Wicklow County Archives have digitised the minutes of the Rathdrum and Shillelagh Boards of Guardians which contain information on the early Labourers Cottages schemes in the county. This current project digitising the Labourers Cottages ledgers offers a continuation of source material for researchers interested in the development of social housing in Ireland, and indeed in Wicklow, before and after independence.
How to search
The volumes were organised into East and West County Wicklow and then sub-divided by townland. The AI transcription software Transkribus has been applied the PDFs rendering the handwriting searchable using the search tool at the top of the page, or the keyboard commands "ctrl and f".