Valuation Office Books re: William Bowles Property on Dublin Road in Carlow town

Back to William Bowles of Carlow

Note: these are the notebooks which Griffith's Survey staff kept while preparing their valuations which were later published as the Griffith Valuations.  The notebooks contain much more information than the final published report.  The date given is the date that the survey team visited.

Sept. 24, 1841 Housebook

On their first visit their maps showed William's house as on Lot # 78.  It was a 20'x17' house with 13.6' walls (so two 6½' stories) of quality 1a (recent build) with 4 larger and 1 smaller outbuildings used as his office and as coal storehouses. 

Note: Lot 79 is included here as the March 1851 House Book shows William held Lot 78 renumbered as 81 and Lot 79 renumbered as 82.  While it is never noted in the 1841 visit, the published Griffith's Valuation shows that William also held Lots 26 and 27 in 1851.

Feb. 18, 1842 Quarto Book

This was a new valuation book made up from the previous year's valuations book and all the adjustments and additions which had been made in that book.   They had found that, since the lot numbers had been first assigned, many lots had been sub-divided, new lots had been developed on newly developed land and other lots had been abandoned so they also renumbered many of the town lots.  The following entry shows that William's lot 78 was re-numbered as Lot 26 but that was short-lived

William was also interviewed about the history of his property.  The entry records that William stated he had leased the first item in the yard in 1816, then built his house and coal stores in 1829 and got new leases on lots 75 and 76 (there was so much renumbering of lots being done by the valuators that it's hard to be sure but these lots are probably the ones listed as 80 and 81 in 1851). The evaluator reported that these were "rather substantial buildings but very much crowded and the yard steep, falling much away from the front at street level - retains all the offices at the rear as coal stores & coal houses etc. - no garden".

There is still no mention on Lots 26&27 that they were held by William although it does mention that the houses on them were originally one house.

Jan. 8, 1842 Field Book revisions

While the above Quarto book was being compiled the valuators were still out reviewing assessment appeals and brought back another field book of revisions. This book shows that William held Lot 26 but there's no indication about Lot 27 which is just recorded as exempt.

1843 Revisions

This was a valuation revision done by the Dublin office.  William's Lot 26 was increased in value from £5 8s to £6.  Lot 27 shows as exempt which might mean that it appeared to be abandoned or derelict and of no value.

Jan. 6, 1851 Housebook

The Lots shown as 78 and 79 in 1841 are now shown as actually having been Lots 81 and 82 and now renumbered as 80 and 81.  William's lot 80, where he actually lived, shows that he held his lease from Robert Brown (Robert Clayton Browne, Gent.).

 William's coal sheds are now described as a small coal yard.  Lot 81 which appeared in each house book as occupied by various people was also held by William, probably by lease from Robert Browne, and was currently occupied by Thomas Moore and Philip Lambert.

Lots 26 and 27 are now listed as being held by William and are now numbered 24 and 25.

Dublin Road, p. 7

March 26, 1851 Housebook

This was the last visit prior to the publication of Griffiths Valuation later that year.  William's  is now listed as Lot 81.  The description is identical as is the note about William acquiring the lease on that lot in 1819, the house's construction in 1826 etc.  and to his leases on all of Lots 75 and 76.  Those last two lots must be very old lot numbers as William doesn't seem to have had anything to do with those lots currently.  There has been so much renumbering it's hard to follow all their changes but by '75 & 76' he was probably referring to his current lots 81 and 82 or less likely to his other two lots 25 and 26.

William also holds the former lot 79 renumbered as 82 with the same occupants as in 1841 who are now seen to be William's tenants (or 'lodgers' as they are listed below).

Carlow, Dublin Road, p. 257

The final Griffiths Valuation as published: