Item 5 - Letter from George Charles, 3rd Earl, to the Poor Law Commissioners

4pp

[Copy] letter from George Charles, 3rd Earl, Castlebar, to the Poor Law Commissioners, Dublin, expressing his views on a demand from the Poor Law Guardians of the Westport Union to the payment of poor rate by him. He suggests that they receive copies of his letters to the Board of Guardians or their solicitor Mr. Jordan. He pleads that he is not represented on the Westport Board and has no access to the rate books. He writes 'I object to paying rates of the four pound occupiers where there are old leases or where they are not my immediate tenants'. This was not the intention of the legislation. Also copies of two letters to Myles Jordan, splicitor to the Westport Board of Guardians. In the first from George Ormsby, [agent] Castlebar House Office, he is asked to submit the enclosed note to the [Westport] Board of Guardians (17 Sep 1846). The second letter is from the Earl claiming that Jordan could not have shown his note to the Board of Guardians and that the only particular claim made by him was for the island of Innisturk. The Earl threatens the Westport Board with litigation (23 Nov 1846).