Farming at Fortstewart in the C19
Drawing of Fortstewart House, Ramelton
Drawing of Fortstewart House, Ramelton from the cover of the book “Old Days, Old Ways: farming at Fortstewart in the C19”
Donegal County LibraryDrawing of Fortstewart House, Ramelton
Drawing of Fortstewart House, Ramelton from the cover of the book “Old Days, Old Ways: farming at Fortstewart in the C19”
Donegal County LibraryStrongholds of the propertied class, country houses were symbols of landed power, homes of a class whose right to rule was based on land ownership. Fortstewart house and estate was a focal point in Ramelton during this era; its owner, Sir James Stewart had an annual income of £4,000 in 1834, according to the Ordnance Survey Memoirs. In 1987, a set of 1855-1879 "Workmen's Account Books" for Fortstewart estate were discovered. A perusal of these records gave a fascinating insight into the workings of one estate nearly one hundred and fifty years ago. With the consolidation of smallholdings in the aftermath of the huge post-famine emigration, farm holdings had increased, resulting in higher yields from crops. In Fortstewart the seasons of the year saw different kinds of agricultural activity, which had an effect on the expenditure of wages and the numbers of labourers employed.
The coming of spring saw longer days and milder temperatures. Traditionally, potatoes were planted beginning March 17th, using horse-drawn ploughs, and oats sown at the end of the month. Turnips were sown during April and May.In the summer months, crops were weeded by hand, and by July and August, haymaking was under way. Autumn saw more backbreaking work when the spring-planted crops were harvested. Flax was pulled, steeped and spread out to dry. Reaping hooks were used in the harvesting of barley, oats and wheat, and the sheaves were tied by hand using corn bands; the binders were mostly women, this explains the extra females on the books at Fortstewart during these months.
The cold dark days of winter made outside work difficult, so threshing was carried on indoors. In Ulster, this meant using a flail, or whip-like implement to separate the grain-heads from the stalks.
Cattle and horses had also to be attended to during the year. Workers were employed in the general upkeep of the estate's gardens. Farm implements like scythes, reaping hooks, rakes and harrows were made and repaired. Thatching, cutting and drawing wood, and killing rabbits are recorded as tasks in Fortstewart's account books. A man's wages averaged one shilling a day, women were paid half this amount. Surprisingly, the wage levels for Fortstewart in 1879 were exactly the same as for the 1850s.
Gallery
Labourers employed at Fortstewart 1856 and 1878
Printed list of labourers employed by the owners of Fortstewart Estate, Ramelton in the first week of October 1856 and the same date in 1878
Ramelton Community Heritage projectLabourers employed at Fortstewart 1856 and 1878 - Ramelton Community Heritage project
Upload to this page
Add your photos, text, videos, etc. to this page.
Map Search
Related Libraries
Donegal Cultural ServicesContact this library »
Content
History & Heritage
- History of Ireland
- Architecture
- Big Houses of Ireland
- Built Heritage 1700 - Today
- Folklore of Ireland
- Heritage Towns
- Ahascragh and Castle Gar
- Athenry
- Ballinasloe Town and Parish 1585-1855
- Kilconnel
- Loughrea
- Loughrea in 1847
- Notes on the Foundation of the Diocese of Tuam
- Old Dunmore
- St Mary's Cathedral, Tuam
- St. John's Parish, Kilkenny City
- The Claddagh
- The Heritage Towns of Donegal
- Ardara
- Ballyshannon
- Raphoe
- Ramelton
- Ramelton in the C18 and C19
- Georgian architecture of Ramelton
- The Old Meetinghouse
- Francis Makemie 1657-1708
- Sir William Stewart of Fort Stewart
- Farming at Fortstewart in the C19
- Ramelton's Linen Industry
- Fears of a smallpox epidemic 1905
- Ramelton Fever Hospital C'tee meeting 1901
- Ramelton Fever Hospital C'tee meeting 1905
- Moville
- The Ordnance Survey Maps 1833-1846
- The Co Donegal Historical Society
- The Co Donegal Draft Development Plan 2005
- Sources and Links
- The Kilkenny 400
- Victorian Library Technology in Kilkenny
- Towns and Villages of Laois
- Traders in Tuam in 1823
- Tuam in Olden Days
- Tuam Schools in the Nineteenth Century
- Williamstown — History Marched Down Its Street
- Irish Genealogy
- Monuments & Built Heritage
- Pages in History
- Poor Law Union
- Special Collections
- Traditional Crafts