Deeds & Legal Documents

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Legal documents appear in estate papers in various forms. Many are property transactions such as leases, mortgages and transfers of ownership. Also found are more personal items such as marraige settlements and wills, and items relating to court cases, and commercial and business arrangements. They may record interesting details about a person, farm, locality or estate and we often see earlier examples surviving the centuries due to the fact that many were vital records documenting property ownership and other legal rights and responsibilities. Many deeds were sturdily constructed using parchment (animal skins).

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15 This is a detailed and lengthy Marraige Settlement between two prominent landowning families. The marraige is to be between Francis Bernard Esquire, son of James Bernard, Earl of Bandon, and Lady Harriet Boyle, daughter of the Earl of Shannon. In the event of Francis dying before his wife, the settlement states that she would receive an annuity payment of £2,400 per annum. The settlement is written on 8 combined skins of parchment. (13 February 1784) (Bandon Estate Papers)

16 Grant by King Charles II to Henry Wade of 509 acres in County Meath. The deed was found amongst the papers of the Earl Bandon Estate, who may have had land dealings in the area. This deed is visually impressive with some intricate calligraphic features and a drawing of Charles II in the top left hand corner. (1669) (Bandon Estate Papers)

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24 Appointment of Doherty and Jones as land agents to the Warren estate. Their duties will include the collection of rent, distraining (seizing) of goods in lieu of rent and legal actions to recover rent. (10 April 1899) (Bandon Estate Papers)

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54 Lease of 2 dwelling houses, North Main Street, Cork City, for 200 years. Penrose estate to John Hurley. Parchment. (13 July 1844) (Penrose Estate Papers)

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56 Declaration of the names of all those appointed as Justices of the Peace for County Cork (1881) (Newenham Estate Papers)

265 Charter of land by Queen Anne (Latin) (1702-1714) (Newenham Estate Papers)

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306 Lease of lands in Sunday's Well, Cork, by the Earl of Cork to Mathew Kelleher, Woollen Draper for 99 years. Kelleher agrees to spend £1000 in improvements to the land. A small map/plan of the land is included. (2 August 1805) (Exham Flynn & Son, Solicitors Papers)

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309 Lease of lands of Gregane, county Cork, by the Earl of Cork to Reverend George Quaid for 31 years. (February 1891) (Exham Flynn & Son, Solicitors Papers)

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312 Lease of lands, Barryscourt, Midleton, county Cork, by William Coppinger to John Ahern for 21 years. (20 January 1847) (Exham Flynn & Son, Solicitors Papers)

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313 Lease of Barryscourt, Midleton, by Lord Barrymore to William Coppinger for 199 years. (1 November 1801) (Exham Flynn & Son, Solicitors Papers)

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318 Last Will and Testament of Major General William Barry (6 November 1883) (Preston Estate Deeds)

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319 Lease between Riggs Faulkiner and George Patten. The lease is for 300 years on the lands of Dunscombe's Marsh in the south east of the city. Dunscombes Marsh covered part what is now the Oliver Plunkett Street/ South Mall area of the City, outside the City Walls. This area was developed from the 18th century. (4 August 1762) (Preston Estate Deeds)

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321 Lease of Pike's Marsh, Cork City, by Joseph Pike, Merchant, to Ebenezar Pike, Merchant for 999 years. (18 May 1726) (Preston Estate Deeds)

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322 Lease of part of Pike's Marsh, Cork City, by Samuel Pike to Thomas Bousfield, for the yearly for 999 years at rent of £50. (6 February 1744) (Preston Estate Deeds)

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324 Lease of lands in Crosshaven, county Cork, by Peter May and Robert and Anna Maunsell Eyre to Walter James Cummins. With map/plan of property showing frontage on a boat house. (3 January 1888) (Preston Estate Papers)

330 Lease of property on Meeting House Lane, Cork city, by Elizabeth Pike, Widow to Joshua Beale, Merchant. Property includes, '...the little stable and dunghole backward of the Chairehouse and the little yard thereunto adjoining also the underground cellar belonging to Joshua Beale's present Dwelling house situate Meeting House Lane in the City of Cork.' The lease is for 1 year and a rent of 'One Pepper Corn only at the feast of Easter'. (3 September 1733) (Penrose Estate Papers)

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331 Lease by Cooper Penrose Esq. Woodhill, Cork, to Ebenezar Deaves, Merchant, of a lot of land in the North Suburbs of the City of Cork in the Parish of St. Ann's Shandon. (24 December 1800) (Penrose Estate Papers)

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332 Deed of Co-partnership between George Randall, Richard Newanham, Jonas Devonsher, John Dennis, Richard Pike, and Joseph Gray of the City of Cork for carrying on the trade of sugarmaking and sugarboiling in the area known as Red Abbey in the South suburbs of Cork. (4 May 1754) (Penrose Estate Papers)

333 Copy of a legal case between Cooper Penrose and the Corporation of Cork, regarding the ownership of the property in the Kyrls Quay area of the city. Contains a transcript of a 1729 deed between the Mayor, Sherriffs and Commonality of the City of Cork, and John Dennis, Merchant and mentions the resolution by Cork Corporation Council in 1730 that a new Bridewell be built on lands exchanged from the Penrose Estate. Property in the City was often part of a landed estate. The ancient Corporation of Cork had extensive powers to own, occupy or transfer property. The site of the new Bridewell mentioned here is still in use as a Garda (Police) Station to this day. (1729, 1812-1813) (Penrose Estate Papers)

334 Lease by Jonas Devonsher, Merchant to John Dennis, Merchant of '...a dwelling house messuage and tenement late in the tenure or occupation if George Harrison Jonner Deceased, in the Parish of Christ Church in the North East Quarter of the Citty of Corke...bounding with the Walls of the Said Citty, and lands formerly belonging to Domnick Terry and Clement Skiddies, and others...'. This lease relates to the North Main Street/ Grattan street area, close to the City walls. It is notable that the lands were formerly held by the Terry's and the Skiddy's, names associated with ancient Cork from about the 14th or 15th centuries. The site of 'Skiddy's Castle', for example, is near the North end of North Main Street in Cork City. In 1719, a few years after this lease, the Red House Walk (now the Mardyke) was constructed to the West of the City walls. (9 November 1716) (Penrose Estate Papers)

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335 Lease by Cooper Penrose, City of Corke, Esquire, to Thomas Cochran of the said City, Cabinetmaker of a dwelling house yard and kitchen on Hamans (Hammonds) Marsh in the Parish of St. Peter and North West Quarter of the City of Cork. For 3 lives renewable for ever at yearly rent of £24. (1 May 1779)(Penrose Estate Papers)

337 Agreement made in the Kings Court between John Newenham of Maryborough in the South Liberties of the City of Cork, Esq and Cooper Penrose, Merchant and others concerning property in the Parish of Christ Church 'in the North East Quarter of the City if Corke and a Timber Yard bounded on the East with the Walls of the said City situate in the County of the City of Corke'. (3 weeks from day of the Holy Trinity, 1774) (Penrose Estate Papers)

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338 Lease by Emanual Pigott, Chetwynd, to Robert Travers, City of Cork, of 13 acres of land in Ballinloughy, South Liberties if the City of Cork bounded in part by by the lands of Ballintemple at yearly rent of £19 and 10 Shillings. Travers will maintain the several houses, hedges, ditches, fences, trees and all other improvements. (26 September 1757) (Penrose Estate Papers)

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339 Lease by Cooper Penrose, Woodhill, to Edward Sherrell, Summer Hill of stores, concerns, tenements and premises in Pembroke Lane, Cork City near the Coal Quay in the PArish of the Holy Trinity, and New Bridewell Lane, for 800 years at a yearly rent of £8. (14 October 1843) (Penrose Estate Papers)