1920 wealth. Mallow Cork

femur61

My grandmothers family was from Mallow, Co.Cork. I know in 1920 they had three shops in Mallow and 700 acres of land. It seems like an awful lot. I know they had some money as they were doctors and solicitors in the family, but I didn't think Catholics had this kind of wealth. I know some in Dublin were middle class with a good life.
I'm curious about this. How would I go about finding out how they accumulated this wealth, or were there families in Ireland who had this kind of wealth.

tabbey

There was always a catholic middle class, even during the penal law days. Otherwise how would they have sent their sons to the continent, to be educated for the priesthood?

700 acres may seem a lot, but I have seen lots of catholic families with this sort of holding. Most of them would have been tenant farmers, known then as strong farmers. They would generally have acquired the freehold under the land acts from 1880s onwards, particularly Wyndham's land act, which was attractive to both landlord and tenant.

There were also catholic landlords, although usually much smaller than the Duke of Leinster, the Fitzwilliams or the Downshires. The O'Connells of Derrynanewere not small landlords by any means.

The catholic middle class really took off in the late Victorian era. They made money from pubs and shops, educated their sons who became doctors and lawyers, so much so that there were few jobs for them, half the Irish trained doctors had to emigrate to make a living.
In the early twentieth century, the great majority of magistrates appointed, were catholic, to eliminate the denominational imbalance which had previously prevailed.

By 1920 therefore, the majority of the middle class was probably catholic.

To research your ancestor's socio- economic progress, the valuation books in the Valuation Office, and the Registry of Deeds, are your main sources, but start with street and trade directories.

femur61

Thanks very much.