By Irishexaminer.com,Martin Claffey
Copyright irishexaminer
The records are available to search for free between until Sunday September 29 on Ancestry.ie.
“The barley purchase books date back to the foundation of Midleton Distillery, which marks its 200th anniversary this year, and represent a remarkable resource for anyone tracing their roots in East Cork. As they capture a pre-famine period, these may be the only surviving records of some individuals.” said Irish Distillers head of archives Carol Quinn.
“It is very possible that descendants of the farming families recorded in these volumes still live and work in the area today and may even continue to supply barley to Midleton Distillery. These records offer a unique bridge to the past, helping the public to explore and connect with their family history They also show the crucial importance of business archives in filling in the gaps in our documentary heritage.”
The volumes record the names of local farmers who supplied the distillery in its early years, along with the quantities of barley sold, offering a rare insight into the early history of Midleton Distillery and the farming communities that supported the production of Irish whiskey. The ledgers even record the names of female farmers who were leading households and managing farms across East Cork.
These documents may be the only written trace of many of the families listed, making them an invaluable resource for genealogical research. Beyond the names, the ledgers provide a rare snapshot of community life before the Famine, even recording the names of female farmers who were leading households and managing farms across East Cork.
This latest release adds to a collection of records made available through Irish Distillers and Ancestry. The two organisations previously digitised records of 1m employees at John Jameson & Son spanning more than a century and also historical agreements with Irish publicans.
“We are proud to work with Irish Distillers to digitise and bring online this unparalleled collection of barley purchase books recording farmers from the pre-famine era. By combining our strengths, Irish Distillers and Ancestry are excited to help unlock new and interesting family history and social history stories for those interested in researching their connections to East Cork,” said Ancestry senior content acquisition manager Rhona Murray.
James, Daniel, and Jeremiah Murphy established the Midleton Distillery in 1825. The James Murphy & Company then merged with four other Cork City distilleries more than 40 years later, in 1867, to form a new entity, the Cork Distilleries Company. In 1966, Irish Distillers was formed when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son, and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, the global spirits giant.
The records can be viewed at https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/63101
