Tuam dig is discovering Medieval artefacts

[scolairebocht]

So the Tuam hoax has been in the news every other day all summer, even one twitter user remarked that it was in all the bulletins as he travelled South America! What we have now is the excavation of the site which includes the old, well recognised and consecrated, graveyard of the Children’s Home and the workhouse before that. The dig started in an area they knew would contain no human remains but nonetheless they did manage to find one human tooth and even that story is now flying around the world, even on BBC etc. They almost seem to be priming the sense of expectation which will explode ‘if’ (actually ‘when’ obviously) human infant remains are found there.

In any case the interesting thing is that this dig has also uncovered some medieval pottery and I wonder if that could grow as an interesting development in this case. There is actually a lot of evidence that this exact site was the old palace of the Archbishops of Tuam, so hence they could find some interesting structures of that age here. What follows are a few historic references to this:

–1032, up to circa
Toberjarlath, the townland in which the workhouse stood, was the original site of the monastic site and archbishopric founded by St Jarlath, until that was transferred to Temple Jarlath, inside the modern town centre, sometime between 947 and 1032. (1)

1288, soon after 3rd July
Among the records housed in the National Archives in Kew Gardens in London, from the original papers of the English administration here, we have this:

“Memorandum of chattels found in Ireland belonging to S[tephen] Archbishop of Tuam, justiciary of Ireland.
Tuam. In the wardrobe. 1 silver ewer of the weight of £4., 1 silver-gilt cup, with a cover of the weight of 40s., 3 cloths of gold, 12 striped cloths for esquires, 1 cloth for men of trade, 1 cloth for grooms, 33 furs with lambskins, 4 score and 9 ells of linen for tablecloths, 10 towels, 11 pairs of silken shoes, 5 score pounds of almonds, 30 lbs. of rice, 1 frail of figs, 1 frail of raisins, 10 lb. of dates, 2 pieces de cindone, 4 ells de Carde ; in a chest 2 cups of silver, 1 white coverlet, 2 capes, 1 large bible; in another chest £100 of silver, 1/2 black cloth for the use of the archbishop; and 4 entire black cloths for knights and clerks, with fur.
Panty or buttery. 1 silver salt-cellar, 3 gold spoons, 12 large silver spoons and 12 smaller ones, 5 silver plates, 1 silver dish for alms, 2 large silver ewers, 9 silver pots with covers, 1 gold plate with a gold cover, 3 gilt silver cups with feet; 2 smaller silver ewers.
Kitchen. 2 large silver dishes and 3 smaller ones, 13 smaller silver dishes, and 18 silver salt-cellars.
Armour. 6 halberds and 2 coats of mail, 3 pairs of iron cuirasses, 3 pairs of new trappings [trappes], and 2 pairs of old.
Stables. 1 large white palfrey, and another called Hackney; horses called Lyvet, Jordan, Feraunt of Trim, Bancan, Blaunchard of London, and 2 large horses called Constable and Bendur; 2 sumpter horses for the wardrobe; horses called Scampane, Black Obin, Feraunt and Dunnyng.” (2)

1447, 19 March
This is an interesting reference from the Papal records in Rome:

St Peter’s, Rome, “Eugenius IV (having learned that the buildings of the church of Tuam needed no little repair, that the house and mansio of the archiepiscopal court of Tuam were, on account of their age and the absence of the archbishops, who rarely dwelled there, almost totally collapsed and levelled with the ground, and that for the said repair and the restoration of he said house the means of the mensa of Tuam and of the fabric of the said church were insufficient) granted in perpetuity under date 4 Nov 1441 to all, penitent and confessed, who visited the said church on the feast of St John Baptist and gave alms for the said repair etc., relaxation of seven years and seven quarantines of enjoined penance. Inasmuch etc...[as in the preceding] the pope hereby decrees the said relaxation to hold good from the said date, and these presents to be sufficient proof thereof.” (3)

1723, 25 June
If you look at the accompanying early Ordnance Survey map of c.1840 you can see how maybe the townland of Farrannabox might have originally encompassed the site of the Children’s Home. Note the way it seems to encircle that area, the arrow you see shows the famous site on your news bulletins all the time (part of which is actually in Farrannabox) and the workhouse occupied the large area just North of that. If so this might be of interest from the Registry of Deeds of this date, of course a ‘castle’ could be the old palace:

“...thirty four acres in the quarter of land of Farenebox wherein there is in the Town of Tuam one ruinous castle, one stone house, six gardens and parcels called Gorteofslane, Acregare[?] and farm McRickard...” (4)

1962, 3 November
This is written by John J Waldron, whose family owned a shop where Brogue’s pub now stands in Tuam and who later lived in Galway city, and we are told:

“His whole life was dedicated to the preservation of all the important landmarks of the historic town of Tuaim Dha Ghualainn and in the years ahead his name will be synonymous with all those plaques he had erected.” (5)

There is actually now a plague to him in Tuam, because of his great work and fame as an historian in the town. Anyway this is what he said in some historical notes that he contributed to the Tuam Herald in 1962 (its clearly by him but its only his later historical notes, of the early 70s, that carry his name):

“On the east side of Vicarschoraland were the lands of St John’s Priory and the palace of the then Protestant Archbishop of Tuam was on the site of the Bon Secours Home.” (6)

So this hoax could end up doing some good work if they find artefacts from historic Tuam!

by Brian Nugent, http://www.orwellianireland.com


Footnotes
1. Dr Anthony Claffey, A Irish Historic Town Atlas no 20 Tuam (Dublin, 2009), p.11. On p.18 he says the original Archbishop’s residence is unknown but “possibly Dublin Rd E.” I got most of these subsequent references from this book at that page.

2. Henry Savage Sweetman, Calendar of Documents relating to Ireland, 1285-1292 (London, 1879) vol iii, p.180-1.

3. Jessie Alfred Twemlow, Calendar of entries in the Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland AD 1447—1455 (London, 1915) vol x, p.333-4.

4. ROD 38-191-23927.

5. Tuam Herald 18/7/1987, p.17.

6. Tuam Herald 3/11/1962, p.7.

 

[willows68]

So the Tuam hoax has been in the news every other day all summer, even one twitter user remarked that it was in all the bulletins as he travelled South America! What we have now is the excavation of the site which includes the old, well recognised and consecrated, graveyard of the Children’s Home and the workhouse before that. The dig started in an area they knew would contain no human remains but nonetheless they did manage to find one human tooth and even that story is now flying around the world, even on BBC etc. They almost seem to be priming the sense of expectation which will explode ‘if’ (actually ‘when’ obviously) human infant remains are found there.

In any case the interesting thing is that this dig has also uncovered some medieval pottery and I wonder if that could grow as an interesting development in this case. There is actually a lot of evidence that this exact site was the old palace of the Archbishops of Tuam, so hence they could find some interesting structures of that age here. What follows are a few historic references to this:

–1032, up to circa:
Toberjarlath, the townland in which the workhouse stood, was the original site of the monastic site and archbishopric founded by St Jarlath, until that was transferred to Temple Jarlath, inside the modern town centre, sometime between 947 and 1032. (1)

1288, soon after 3rd July:


1447, 19 March
This is an interesting reference form the Papal records in Rome:


View attachment 7998
1723, 25 June
If you look at the accompanying early Ordnance Survey map of c.1840 you can see how maybe the townland of Farrannabox might have originally encompassed the site of the Children’s Home. Note the way it seems to encircle that area, the arrow you see shows the famous site on your news bulletins all the time (part of which is actually in Farrannabox) and the workhouse occupied the large area just North of that. If so this might be of interest from the Registry of Deeds of this date, of course a ‘castle’ could be the old palace:


View attachment 7999
1962, 3 November
This is written by John J Waldron, whose family owned a shop where Brogue’s pub now stands in Tuam and who later lived in Galway city, and we are told:

There is actually now a plague to him in Tuam, because of his great work and fame as an historian in the town. Anyway this is what he said in some historical notes that he contributed to the Tuam Herald in 1962 (its clearly by him but its only his later historical notes, of the early 70s, that carry his name):


So this hoax could end up doing some good work if they find artefacts from historic Tuam!

by Brian Nugent, http://www.orwellianireland.com


Footnotes
1. Dr Anthony Claffey, A Irish Historic Town Atlas no 20 Tuam (Dublin, 2009), p.11. On p.18 he says the original Archbishop’s residence is unknown but “possibly Dublin Rd E.” I got most of these subsequent references from this book at that page.

2. Henry Savage Sweetman, Calendar of Documents relating to Ireland, 1285-1292 (London, 1879) vol iii, p.180-1.

3. Jessie Alfred Twemlow, Calendar of entries in the Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland AD 1447—1455 (London, 1915) vol x, p.333-4.

4. ROD 38-191-23927.

5. Tuam Herald 18/7/1987, p.17.

6. Tuam Herald 3/11/1962, p.7.

Very interesting. Thank you.
On a different note, even if they continue find nothing but maybe a single toenail clipping from the relevant time span, the nuns have been befouled by the kind of dirt that is impossible to wash off.