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Interpret Valuation Revision Book Entry

Wexford

Hello, Can someone interpret the meaninings of the notations on the attached Revison book entry for my ancestor John Whelan? I believe it says VACANT over his name and then in the next column I believe it says RUINS. Should I assume that John has died,(his name is crossed out) and that his house and property are in ruins and thus are vacant?What does that tell me about his wife? Can I make the asumption that the wife is also deceased? Is that too much of a stretch?Thank you for any help you can give me. :-)

hkftbl@aol.com

3 replies

It tells you that John Whelan had left the property around 1885 (Griffiths clerks were often out by a year or so). The vacant tells you no other tenant had replaced him c 1885. On a later inspection in 1888 the property was in ruins.  There’s nothing that allows you to assume that either John or his wife were dead.  He might just have moved to another property. (Sometimes when someone dies the revision records change to “reps of” and that is a clue that he had died. But not in this case).

Have you searched for death certificates around that period to see if there is a death that fits your timescales? If you find either John or his wife’s death certificate, it should record whether the other was still alive at that date.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

I find multiple death records of a John Whelan around that time but since he has left Duncormick,and I don't know where he went, I have no idea which death record is the correct one. Why do you think he would have left a home that he had been in for 60 years?  At that time (1885) was Duncormick impoverished? At war?  I don't know enough about Wexford history to understand if a town issue made him leave, or a personal issue did. Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

hkftbl@aol.com

A common reason for moving was because of old age. Was John living alone do you know? If so, he might have gone to live with one of his children, or failing that he may have gone to the workhouse. You could check the workhouse admission records, if they still exist. They should tell you whether he was discharged or whether he died in the workhouse:

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Wexford/

There were no major civil disorder reasons for moving at that period. I’d say he moved for personal reasons.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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