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'I began to think
of leaving Ireland'
Edward Robbins's Memoirs, 1800-1853
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Kilmonaghan
cemetery at Clara, County Offaly |
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Edward Robbins (1802-1866) was born in Clara, County Offaly - at
that time, King's County - in the bosom of a middle-class rural
family. He inherited the family farm lease and, as a result of
personal industry and social connections, advanced in his rural
business as well as in public life. Robbins was appointed valuator
for the Poor Law Unions of Edenderry and Tullamore, and to the Board
of Works in County Roscomon. However, the product of his farms was
not enough to provide for his large family and in 1849 he emigrated
to South America with his wife and eleven children. After a rocky
start in Buenos Aires, Robbins worked as shepherd in Cañuelas. He
died in 1866 and was buried in San Pedro. |
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| 1802 I was the
oldest of the children of my parents. I was born this year on the
3rd day of January. I was baptized by Rev. Father MacNamee. [...] |
| 1809 The lease
of Killeens expired this year and the landlord wanted to increase
the rent from 27 shillings to 50 shillings per acre, in
consequence of which my father rented a farm of land at Bolart,
next town land but one to Killeens, and went to reside there. I
travelled over much land in Ireland and I seldom met a spot more
convenient or better for a farmer. In this thrice happy home my
brothers, sisters, and myself grew up to Man and Womanhood, "seats
of my youth when every sport could please". [...] |
| 1817 My father
took me occasionally to school this year to teach me farming, and
he gave me some money to buy flax yarn and get it manufactured
into linen. The linen trade was very profitable in Ireland this
year and for some previous years, but after a couple of years from
this date it would not remunerate the manufacture. |
| 1818 I left
school and commenced to learn farming. My father then occupied
three farms containing between 170 and 180 Irish acres of land,
namely, Bolart, Gurteen, and Cloarany. [...] |
| 1822 My father
commenced building the house at Killeens, finished a range of
offices at the close of last year, got a new contract of the lands
of Cloatany, at a high rent. [...] I was in the full height of my
glory at this time, no care, nothing but sport. [...] |
| 1825 Was a
very dry hot summer and harvest. The oat crop in many places was
short in straw and the people foolishly pulled it. The contract
for the farm at Gurteen expired, and the landlord occupied, and my
father resigned the farms at Bolart and Cloatany (they were high
in rent), keeping only the farm at Killeens on which he resided.
The wheel had got a turn with us and times were dull, and to my
brothers, sisters and myself it was a sad change to meet any
cheek. [...] |
| 1830. On
Friday, February the 19th, I was married to Margaret, youngest
daughter of the late James Eagan and Judy Winn, of Newton, near
Faheeran Parish, of Kilcumrearagh, King's Co., by the Rev. Father
Murtagh, Roman Catholic Church (Tobber). [...] |
| 1832 [...]
Tithe meetings this year, a large one at Moate, County Westmeath,
on the 29th June. Cholera first made its appearance in Ireland and
many died of it in the large towns. [...] |
| 1834 Cholera
again appeared in Ireland. Mrs. Brady and James Summers died of it
at Clara. Making preparations to leave my father. I lived with him
from my marriage. [...] |
| 1836 The
summer and harvest very fine; good prices for cattle and sheep and
for all kinds of grain. My father and I had large harvest of wheat
and all other kinds of grain; the wheel got a turn and by God
sending the good harvest and good prices that we almost gained our
former position. Tithe meetings all over the Kingdom more
frequent, and the people who would not pay were arrested and cast
into prison, but almost all resisted. [...] |
| 1838 My first
entrance on the stage of public life was on the 16th of April. On
the previous day, I was written for by the Independent and the
Liberal Club of the County Westmeath to go to their meetings at
Mullingar in order to engage me to value the lands of the
Freeholders. [...] |
| 1839 This year
is memorable in Ireland in consequence of the terrible wind that
was on the night of the 6th of January (twelfth night). Nothing
like its violence was ever felt in Ireland, England or Scotland.
[...] |
| 1842 [...] The
distemper set into my cows and the loss I met with on that account
shook my capital a lot. My brother Pat married about the 22nd of
April, Mary, youngest daughter of James Brien, of Cor a Collin
Parish of Meelane, King's County The first failure in the potatoes
appeared this year, much seed potatoes did not grow, and had to be
sown the second time. |
| 1843. The
distemper again attacked the cows and horned stock. My wife's
illness continued to increase and my stock of cattle and money to
decrease. I now felt it impossible to attend with advantage to my
family and to public business. [...] |
| 1845 This was
a sad year for Ireland. The potato crop almost all got black and
unfit for use. [...] This year I had seven acres of potatoes, the
yield was very fair but they paid nothing as they were almost all
black. |
| 1846 This was
a fearful time for the poor of Ireland. Fever and dysentery to an
awful extents in many parts of it. Provisions of every kind
doubled the usual prices, the poorhouses filled to overflowing. I
had not one rood of potatoes sowed this year and, those who had,
met with a poor return. I had a good harvest of corn. [...] Were I
to endeavour to record the misery I saw in that part of the County
Roscommon to which I was sent by the Board of Works, it would
appear incredible. Except at Scull or Skibereen, there was no
other part of poor dear unfortunate Ireland so very badly off with
fever and dysentery. |
| 1848 On the
23rd day of March my sister Rose died and was buried at Noughville,
County Westmeath. I was at the September fair of Banagher and
dined at uncle John Deehan's for the last time. I began to think
of leaving Ireland. My family was large, my two farms too far
asunder and both too small apart to support my family, and I could
not brook the idea of getting into difficulties and perhaps into
prison for debt. [...] |
| 1849 Early in
the month of March I left for Liverpool and I arranged for a
passage to Buenos Ayres for myself and family. [...] |
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Acknowledgements
This text has been extracted from Edward Robbins's memoirs,
kindly sent by Julia McInerny of San Pedro.
The complete
version has been published in Edmundo Murray's Becoming
Irlandés: Private Narratives of the Irish Emigration to Argentina,
1844-1912 (Buenos Aires: Literature of Latin America, 2006),
pp. 29-36.
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