Hello Bill,
To add to the information kindly provided by Mary TV and Patricia:
The following link from the National Archives of Ireland will take you to a copy of the original 1834 Tithe Applotment Books page for Old Grange, Monasterevin Civil Parish, County Kildare. https://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/reels/tab//004625699/004625699_00233.pdf
There are two facing pages of the tithe entries for Old Grange. The left page records the name of the townland, Old Grange, and the names of the Occupiers (farmers) who owned or leased farmland there. Hopson Sheridan is the last name recorded in Old Grange, and shows that he farmed 1 Acre, 1 Rood, and 5 Perches of "Arable" land that was suitable for growing wheat and oats.
The value of his land holding was 2 Pounds and 15 Shillings.
The right-hand page shows he had 4 Roods of "Untitheable" property, which was actually a road.
The last four columns on the right-hand page show that Hopsin Sheridan's payment of tithes amounted to 1 Shilling and 3 Pence. The tithes went toward the upkeep of the established Church of Ireland.
Family members were not recorded in the tithe books, which means there would have been more people living in Old Grange in 1834, than indicated only by the names of the Occupiers.
For information about acres, roods, and perches measuring land ownership for tax purposes, go to the Lochista website link at: https://lochista.com/understanding-acres-perches/
For a comprehensive explanation of the Tithe Applotment Books, go to the National Archives of Ireland website link at: https://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp
To search the Tithe Applotment Books, go to: https://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/index.jsp
Old Grange is a northern suburb of Monasterevin. Moore Abbey is just south of Monasterevin. "Moon" Abbey/Moon High Cross, on the other hand, is almost 30 miles southeast of Monasterevin.
A Google Satellite Map coming up shows the location of Monasterevin, indicated by the red teardrop icon. To the north is Oldgrange, and to the south is "Moore" Abbey: https://tinyurl.com/2pajxmuj
If you go back to the copy of the Tithe Applotment Books for Old Grange, you'll see the first townland at the top of the left page is Moore Abbey. The Occupier is the Maquis of Drogheda. He actually owned Moore Abbey. He also owned the land encompassing Old Grange.
GRIFFITHS VALUATION
In her reply Patricia had mentioned an Irish property tax record called Griffiths Valuation, available to search at the Ask About Ireland website: https://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
The valuation took place in the 32 counties of Ireland from 1847 to 1864. The valuation for Old Grange, Civil Parish of Monasterevin, was completed by the year 1852. I wanted to see if Hopson Sheridan, or his wife Margaret, or perhaps one of their relatives was recorded in Griffiths Valuation, leasing property in Old Grange.
Margaret Sheridan is recorded twice on two pages of the valuation for "Oldgrange," and a John Sheridan is recorded once. He may be Margaret's son.
On the first page of the valuation for Oldgrange, Margaret is shown to be leasing 23 Acres, 3 Roods, and 20 Perches of land in common with eight other occupiers.
See the attachment to this reply labeled "Griffiths Valuation 1." Margaret's location on the page is indicate by the green arrow.
To the left of the occupiers' names is the number 9. The number 9 refers to the location in Oldgrange of the land Margaret and the others leased on a Griffiths Valuation Map. Margaret's portion of the land was taxed at 15 Shillings. Her total valuation was 15 Shillings.
Margaret and the other occupiers would not have been required to pay a tax on their plots of land, as only those occupiers leasing property over 5 Pounds, were required to pay a tax.
The second page of Griffiths Valuation shows that Margaret Sheridan is leasing a House, Office and Land. See the attachment labeled Griffiths Valuation 2.
John Sheridan is also leasing his own house and Office, but he and Margaret are leasing their land in common with another Occupier named John Coughlin. The land is 12 Acres, 1 Rood, and 15 Perches in size. They are recorded at map location 19. Margaret is map location 19, subdivision a, and John Sheridan at map location 19, subdivision b.
Griffiths Valuation shows that Margaret Sheridan and John Coughlin's portion of the land were each valued at 2 Pounds. John Sheridan's portion of the land was valued at 7 Pounds and 10 Shillings.
The total valuation for Margaret's property was 2 Pounds and 10 Shillings. On the other hand John Sheridan's lease of house, land, and office was valued at 8 Pounds and 10 shillings. He would have paid a percentage of this amount toward the tax.
An "Office" in Griffiths Valuation may refer to an outbuilding such as a barn, stable, blacksmith shop, etc.
I downloaded the Griffiths Valuation Map from the Ask About Ireland website. The map is attached to this reply. The double green arrow shows where Margaret and John Sheridan's leases were located at Map Reference 19 a and 19 b.
The blue arrow shows the location of the land Margaret had leased in common with the eight other occupiers. The black arrow shows the location of the Barrowline, which is a branch of the Grand Canal. At the lower right portion of the map you'll just make out the location of the Great Southern and Western Railway tracks.
For more information about Ireland's Grand Canal, see the Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canal_(Ireland)
Also see the Waterways Ireland website: https://www.waterwaysireland.org/our-waterways/grand-canal
For information about the Great Southern and Western Railway in Ireland, go to the lennan.eu website link: http://www.lennan.eu/pa104.htm
Getting back to Griffiths Valuation, I overlaid a modern Google Map with the Griffiths Valuation Map of Oldgrange, and determined that Margaret Sheridan's house was located somewhere along this un-named road, as shown in a Google Street View image from the year 2009: https://tinyurl.com/36m3k3cm
Also using an overlay of a Google Map with the Griffiths Valuation Map, the area along Hawthrone Drive in Old Grange (the R414 road), is the location, or approximate location of where John Sheridan's house was located: https://tinyurl.com/4f3nd6t7
I found a picture of the Sheridan Family Home in Monasterevin at Ancestry.com, submitted by Cliff Sheridan. See the attachment.
I next located Oldgrange on an Ordnance Survey Map from the 1829 to 1841 time period at the Tailte Eireann website. This map is not crowded with map reference numbers and letters like the Griffiths Valuation Map is. To access the map go to: https://arcg.is/yfy5K0
Once the image downloads, click OK on the green splash screen. You'll then see a modern map of Oldgrange and Monasterevin. In the upper right corner of the modern map is the "Basemap Gallery." Click on "MapGenie 6 Inch First Edition" to access the old map of Oldgrange and Monasterevin.
Drag the map upward to go south and you'll come to Monasterevin. The river flowing through the east of the town is the River Barrow. The Barrowline branch of the Grand Canal intersects with the River Barrow.
With this map you are looking at Old Grange and Monasterevin as the Sheridan family would have known it when they lived there.
Bill, I have a suggestion. Fill out a Meet and Greet form available at Ireland Reaching Out, to see if there is a local volunteer who will be available to meet you on the day or days you are in Old Grange and Monastervin.
Local volunteers are knowledgeable about the areas where they live and may provide you with information that you wouldn't normally come across if you're on your own. There is no charge for this service. You can access the Meet and Greet form at: https://irelandxo.com/meet-and-greet
Back at Ancesty.com I found the 1808 marriage of Hobson Sheridan and Margaret Davis recorded in the Indexes to Wills, Probate Administration, Marriage Bonds and Licences, 1591-1866.
The original source for the Marriage License Bonds for the Diocese of Kildare, comes from the Public Record Office of Ireland. The Marriage License Bond book is attached to this reply. The entry for Hobson and Margaret is indicated by the green arrow toward the bottom of the page.
With Kind Regards,
Dave Boylan
SOURCES
Replies from Mary TV dated Sunday, 19 October 2025
Replies from Patricia dated Sunday, 19 October 2025
National Archives of Ireland: Tithe Applotment Books
Lochista
Google Satellite Maps
Google Street Views
Ask About Ireland: Griffiths Valuation
Ask About Ireland: Griffiths Valuation Map
Wikipedia
Waterways Ireland
Ancestry.com: Cliff Sheridan's submission of the Sheridan Family Home in Monasterevin
Tailte Eireann: Ordnance Survey Map
Ireland Reaching Out: Meet and Greet
Ancestry.com: Marriage License Bonds for the Diocese of Kildare
