The bumper volume of essays (list below) in Offaly and the Great War (Offaly History, 2018) can now be accessed free online at www.offalyhistory.com thanks to the Decade of Centenaries. The book of 28 essays is also available in hardcopy from Offaly History for just €20. In all over 50 articles free to download. Go to the Decade of Centenaries on the offalyhistory.com website.
When the great historian and first ‘telly don’ A.J.P. Taylor published his short history of the First World War just in time for the remembrance days of over fifty years ago he wrote that the war reshaped the political order in Europe. That its memorials stood in every town and village and that the real hero of the war was the Unknown Soldier.
This article looks at the north Offaly towns featured in Major (later general) Vallancey’s report carried out in 1771 and designed to support the construction of the new Grand Canal line to Tullamore and the Shannon. Vallancey was then a young engineer, employed to report to the Commissioners of Inland Navigation and his findings were published in, AReport on the Grand Canal or Southern Line (Dublin 1771).[1] This report is useful as a window on some of the north King’s County (hereafter generally referred to as Offaly) towns and villages.[2]
Richard Biggs was born in Devizes, Wiltshire, England into a Presbyterian family of educated and educators. Religious faith was prevalent in the paternal side of his family. Richards’s great grandfather James Biggs became a Presbyterian Minister, his grandfather Richard Biggs became a Senior Deacon and alongside Richard’s father Richard W. Biggs ran a highly acclaimed private boarding school for boys in Devizes Wiltshire between 1822 and 1865.
Richard Biggs’ (b.1847) maternal side were the Purser family of Rathmines Castle. His mother Sarah Purser was the youngest daughter of John Purser’s first marriage to Sarah Smith. The Pursers were also educated, and educators. Richards’s uncles and cousins were Civil Engineers, Chief Engineers, Barristers, Millers and Grain Merchants, Physicians, Artist, Secretaries, Teachers, including Professors of Mathematics, some of the Purser family worked and owned shares in the firm of Guinness Brewers Dublin. It is said that John Purser who died in Cork in 1781 was the first to brew porter In Ireland[i]
Richard Biggs’ (1847) early education began in the Biggs boarding school in Devizes alongside his cousin John Purser (b.1835). Some members of the Geoghegan family also attended the school (www.devizesheritage online). John Purser received numerous prizes and awards for his mathematical skills. He became tutor to the four sons of William Parsons earl of Rosse Birr, in 1857, including Charles Algernon Rosse who is known for inventing the steam turbine. Another first cousin, Sarah Henrietta Purser (b.1848) a well-known artist and stain glass worker who launched An Tur Gloine (The Tower of Glass), was the first female member of the Royal Hibernian Academy 1923. Sarah painted amongst others, William Butler Yeats, Maude Gonne and Countess Markievicz, some of her stained glass work is in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. A further first cousin, Alfred Purser (1847), a School Inspector, married Ellen Hilderbrand. Their daughter Olive Constance Purser born in Parsonstown (1886) was one of the first women to be admitted to Trinity College Dublin in 1904. Both Richard Biggs (b.1847) and son Henry Biggs (1882) are named in The Atlas of Irish Mathematics Fermanagh 2022 (online).
Birr 1869–1874, the death of Mary Ward and the new school founded
Mary Ward, died Birr, 1869.
On the 28 July 1869 Richard Biggs, BA, Scholar of Trinity College Dublin, under the immediate patronage of the Earl of Rosse advertised in the Kings County Chronicle that he intended opening a school for young gentlemen in Parsonstown (Birr). The following advertisement reads under the headline Education: ‘Mr Richard Biggs BA, Scholar of Trinity College Dublin, and Honourman in the University of London announces that he intends early in September to open a SCHOOL FOR DAY PUPILS in his premises recently occupied for that purpose at 15, Oxmantown Mall, Parsonstown, and that he is also making arrangements for the reception of boarders [This house was later that of Mrs Burbage ]. In seeking to establish a first-rate school in this neighbourhood, Mr Biggs is honoured and encouraged by the immediate patronage of the Right Hon. the Earl of Rosse. Full particulars of the terms, the course of study etc. will be given on application. Birr Castle, Parsonstown’ (KCC 04 August 1869).
Oxmantown Mall c. 1900. The first school at no 15 was on the lower left. The Ward accident took place on the right corner below the trees.
On the 31st of August 1869 Richard was driving a steam engine when an unfortunate accident occurred, Mary Ward a scientist, astronomer, microscopist, and author was thrown from the vehicle. Mary’s death is known as the world’s first recorded motor vehicle accident. The following day, Richard Biggs gave evidence at the inquest as follows: ‘I was guiding the engine, at the corner of Cumberland Street and Oxmantown Mall on yesterday, at about half past 8 o’clock, we had just turned into Cumberland Street when I felt a slight jolt and saw Mrs Ward fall, I jumped off immediately, I cannot give any reason for the jolt’. The jury returned a verdict that ‘Mary Ward’s death was caused by an accidental fall from a steam engine on which she had been riding in the town of Parsonstown the previous day. The jury expressed their sympathy towards the Hon. Capt. Ward, they also stated there was no blame attaching to any person in connection with the occurrence.’ [ii]
The Rosse boys were educated at home. Charles Parsons did exceptionally well.
A year after the fatal death of Mary Ward Richard Biggs married Sarah Francis Geoghegan (c.1848) daughter of Thomas Geoghegan MD and Anne Purser, eldest daughter of John Purser’s first marriage to Sarah Smith in Dublin on the 12 January 1870. Sarah Geoghegan’s brothers Thomas Grace Purser (c1841) and William Purser (1843) were in 1870 leading brewers in the Guinness brewery, another brother Samuel (1848) followed as a leading brewer later becoming chief engineer to the firm. [iii] A daughter was born to Richard and Sarah at the Parsonstown School in August 1872.
Various articles in the King’s County Chronicle between 1872 and 1874 report:
Mr Biggs threw open the Chesterfield school grounds for the Sunday school of Birr Church to hold their annual fete (July 1872). Mr Biggs also threw the school grounds open to the respectable public so they could witness ‘this species of development of muscular Christianity’ at the Chesterfield Sports Day. (December 1873). Chesterfield school pupil Mr L’Estrange broke his left arm whilst enjoying a game of football in the recreation grounds, Mrs Biggs immediately placed him under the care of Dr Myles (February 1874). The Leinster Reporter mentions Dr Biggs Chesterfield Grammar School is now one of the best regulated and patronised private colleges in the country has consulted with builder Mr M. Moran in relation to building a new wing to accommodate the increasing number of boarders (LR 15 October 1874) An advertisement requesting ladies and gentlemen to join the choir of which Richard Biggs. L.L.D. was the Hon Sec. of Parsonstown’s Choral Society. (December 1874).
Chesterfield, Parsonstown [Birr] School
The following article of 1874 describes Birr’s/Parsonstown’s Chesterfield School run by Richard Biggs under the headline:
Probably Parsonstown stands first among provincial towns, as far as the facilities for obtaining a first-class education are concerned. To be sure in Armagh, Dungannon, Enniskillen and some other towns, there were endowed grammar schools; but thanks to Richard Biggs, Esq., M.A. Parsonstown, unendowed as it is, has all the advantages and privileges of the Royal School districts. Besides laying out a considerable sum in putting the fabric of Chesterfield School and the surrounding ground into a condition such as Eton might be proud of, and besides devoting his own time in the class room with a constancy which is downright amazing, considering Mr Biggs is a gentleman of independent private means, this philanthropic scholar has given other proofs without number of his resolution to make Chesterfield School second to none in the country. And it is gratifying to know that his exertions are receiving extending encouragement, as the number of the pupils attest to the value of his endeavours. Within the past ten weeks four additional masters, teachers of the various classic and modern continental languages, have been appointed by Biggs. The various details belonging to a first-class school, are not wanting and in the local appointments, Mr Biggs is to be congratulated. The Department Instructor, in the person of Mr Arundel being as efficient a drill-sergeant as could be chosen, and the other arrangements are in nice harmony. The natural salubrity of the elevation on which the school stands, could not be surpassed, while the sanitary arrangements – so far as art can go– are perfect to which happy combination is due the almost total immunity from sickness among the scholars, rendering the office of medical adviser and attendant, which Dr Stoney is so well qualified to discharge virtually a sinecure. The townspeople owe no little gratitude to Mr Biggs for the benefits which he has conferred, and is conferring in so many ways; and we are sure if the opportunity ever presents itself for their giving expression to the sentiment of good will that prevails for him among every class in the community, they will accord an ovation as warm as it will be genuine’ [sic] (KCC 26 February 1874).
Chesterfield school possibly about 1880-1900. It was on the Banagher Road, Birr. Offaly History will publish a further article on the school soon.
Galway 1875-1894
Richard Biggs and Sarah Francis Geoghegan had seven further children, Richard Thomas (1878-1883). Grace Elizabeth (1879). Henry Francis (1882). John (1884). James Richard (1886). Maurice William (1888). Edward (1891-1891). All the children’s place of birth is noted as College Road Galway and their father’s rank/profession is noted as Head/School Master or Gentleman.
Richard Biggs began his post as headmaster of Galway Grammer School in 1875, a newspaper advertisement reads under the headline, Education: ‘Galway Grammar School. On the foundation of Erasmus Smith. This school will after the summer holidays, be carried on by Richard Biggs, MA, L.L.D. Information can be had on application, to him at Parsonstown School. Boarders cannot be received for some months to come, but the work of the day school will be resumed by Howse, ex Scholar QCG, and the classes will be at once assimilated to those at Parsonstown School under the direction of the headmaster, Richard Biggs, MA, LL. D, Parsonstown’ (IT June 1875).
Despite unfavourable conditions Richard Biggs continued to build a reputable school. In 1876 he wrote to the Board of Harbour Commissioners requesting that an alteration of the strict rules would allow his boarders to bathe at the end of the jetty before seven o’clock in the morning. A Trinity College Dublin entrance examination placed a pupil of Galway Grammar School sixth out of eighty-five candidates, Mr F. Sheppard, son of Frank Sheppard, Esq was solely prepared by Dr Biggs headmaster of Galway Grammar School. 1885 saw Galway Grammar school rugby team join five other fledging rugby clubs to become Connacht Rugby, Richard Biggs became the first president of the Connacht branch of the IRFU.[iv]
An extract of a report given by inspector Professor Mahaffy employed by the Erasmus Trust reads, ‘Galway flourished under a new Headmaster Dr Biggs who was appointed in 1875 from Parsonstown School. Within 15 years numbers had increased to almost 90. This occurred in spite of conditions which Mahaffy described as unfavourable to a boarding school:
‘No advantage is offered by Galway except good bathing. The town is full of decay and pauperism. Idle boys trespass on the school grounds, and molest the school, because it is respectable.’
Nevertheless, Mahaffy was impressed by the school, although both the schoolroom and the boys ‘wanted brushing and cleaning.’ The Headmaster was ‘a very able man and thoughtful man, full of new ideas and very attentive to his school’ and his staff were also praised.[v]
In May of 1878, the Irish Times reported that Mr and Mrs Richard Biggs paid a short visit to Chesterfield school, and that a fete given by Mr and Mrs Rev. W. Ewing in honour of the late principal’s visit.
Portora, 1894-1904
In November 1894, an announcement in The Northern Whig named Richard Biggs as successor to the Rev. W.B. Lindesay headmaster of Portora Royal School, Enniskillen. Over the following years further advertisements at the beginning of each school term naming the assistant Masters, along with some of the pupils’ scholarships, first honours, prizes and various exam achievements were placed in newspapers.
In early 1899 the Intermediate Commissioner conducted an inquiry into the workings of the Intermediate Education Act. Mrs Biggs headmaster of Portora School amongst others gave his opinions and beliefs. Biggs believed it was highly desirable and practicable to have separate papers for pass and honour students, he also thought the middle grade be abolished, at that time there were one hundred pupils of which eighty-six were boarders in Portora School. (Daily Express, 09 February 1899).
In Portora (Enniskillen Rural, Fermanagh) the address on the Biggs family’s 1901 census, named the residence as, Richard Biggs Headmaster Royal School aged fifty-four, born in England, his wife Sarah F. Biggs, no occupation aged fifty-two born in Dublin, three of his children: Grace E. Biggs, no occupation aged twenty-one born in Galway; Henry F. Biggs, Scholar aged eighteen born in Galway; Maurice W. Biggs, Scholar aged twelve born in Galway; Nephew Richard Thomas, Scholar aged thirteen born in India; Margaret Bell Matron of school aged forty-seven born in England, and eight servants.[vi]
Richard Biggs, aged fifty-seven, drowned in Lough Erne on the 23rd of June 1904. A solicitor, Mr James Pringle, when arriving at his own boat house noticed Mr Biggs canoe floating on the lake. ‘The Sad Death of Dr Biggs’ headlines the inquest for Richard Biggs Headmaster of Portora Royal School, whose body was found close to Portora boat house about five yards from the shore in Lough Erne after his canoe was seen floating upside down. The jury found ‘that the deceased came to his death by drowning and added that they agreed with Dr Kidd’s evidence that from the appearance of the body it was not incompatible with heart seizure or a fit of apoplexy as a factor in the cause of death’ the jury expressed heartfelt sympathy with Mrs. Biggs and family. (Weekly Irish Times, 02 July 1904). Richard Biggs was buried in Rossery COI cemetery, Fermanagh on the 27th of June 1904. His effects in the sum of £21,970 13s 9d was granted to his wife Sarah Francis Biggs. Richard Biggs was the second member of his family whose death occurred accidently at Portora School, his cousin Robert Mallet (1843-1859) Purser, son of Benjamin Purser the brother to Richard’s mother, died in an accident on the 22nd March 1859 aged sixteen at Portora School Enniskillen.
Trinity College Dublin Entrance Awards Biggs Memorial Prize.
The Old Boys of Parsonstown and two other school where the late Dr Biggs was Principal and other friends supported by subscription a memorial which is to take the shape of a Trinity College Annual Prize. Subscriptions varied from £50 to 10s.
19041217 The Leinster Reporter Entrance award. This prize was founded in 1905 by subscription in memory of Richard Biggs. It is awarded annually on the basis of public examination results as defined in section 1, to the person who achieves the best results of those who have been pupils for at least one year at Chesterfield School, Birr (or such other school at Birr as may take its place), or at Portora Royal. The list includes (among others) Archie Wright of the Chronicle, Birr, an old boy of the school.
[i] Ronald Cox. Dublin Port Chief Engineers (Dublin 2023) p. 70.
[ii] King’s County Chronicle (Offaly 18690901), p. 3.
[iii] Patrick Lynch & John Vaizey. Guinness’s Brewery in the Irish Economy 1759-1876 (Cambridge 1960), p. 236.
Patrick Lynch and John Vaizey in their history of Guinness’s brewery in the Irish economy to 1876 observed that in England the canals followed trade while in Ireland it was hoped that trade would follow the canals. It was a hope that was only partially fulfilled as outside of Dublin the new canals served few areas of commercial or industrial importance.[1] The observation was following in the line of Arthur Young in the 1770s who had advised ‘to have something to carry before you seek the means of carriage’.[2] Yet the record of the carriage of goods on the canal was satisfactory with 500 million ton miles carried in 1800 and double that by the 1830s.[3] The Grand Canal was especially beneficial to north Offaly for the transport of stone, brick, turf, barley, malt and whiskey. All bulky goods suited to water transport. The emerging firm of Guinness also found the inland water transport system helpful to sales and market penetration. The slow movement of Guinness beer by waterway was good for product quality on arrival.
The view is about 1840 and the book 1960. There is a copy at Offaly History Centre Library
Work on the Grand Canal started in 1756 and by 1779 the first stretch of water from James’s Street to Robertstown was completed. Over the next twenty years the canal was extended to Tullamore (1798) and Shannon Harbour (1804). The six-year delay at Tullamore while resolving issues with the direction of the ‘Brosna Line’ at Tullamore facilitated the establishment of a canal hotel, stores and a harbour.
Would you like to know more about public sculptures in Birr and Offaly? Who commissioned them and what do they tell us? Author, Architect and Town Planner Fergal McCabe will focus on the sculptures in and around Birr town, The Maid of Erin, The Column in Emmet Square, the Hurler, the third Earl and the Tullamore Road entrance piece ‘Looking to the Future’ with some other examples from the county. He will be joined by photographer Paul Moore who documented the sculptures in 2023 and he will talk about his experience of how the images were photographed and the story behind each sculpture. This illustrated talk will be on Monday 15 January 2024 at 8 p.m. in County Arms Hotel, Birr. Signed copies of the new book Faithful Images will be available on the night for €20.00. All are welcome.
For those who believe that the setting of public art is the key to its artistic success or failure, Birr offers five of the very best examples.
This week we look at the background to the Vallancey report on the Offaly towns carried out in 1771 to facilitate the construction of the new Grand Canal line from Dublin to the Shannon. Vallancey was then a young engineer, employed to report to the Commissioners of Inland Navigation and his findings were published in a little known and very scarce pamphlet, AReport on the Grand Canal or Southern Line (Dublin 1771).[2] This report is useful as a window on some of the north King’s County (hereafter generally referred to as Offaly) towns and villages and all the more so because of the scarcity of published accounts of the midland towns prior to 1800.[3] The report was published in the same year as that of John Trail who was at the time employed by Dublin Corporation.[4] Vallancey was writing with a mission. He was being paid to spin the story of the benefits that would come from inland navigation and to highlight the difficulties with road transport and its adverse impact on competition and pricing of commodities so as to bolster the arguments in favour of canal construction and satisfy those who were paying his consultancy fees.
Why not contribute to our series of blog articles on the Grand Canal in Offaly – info@offalyhistory.com.
[Birr Historical Society meets again on Monday 4 December 2023 after a break of three years. To mark the occasion we reproduce an article by J. Deering first published in the Midland Tribune in 1927 in the context of the golden jubilee of the coming of the Presentation Brothers to Birr. J. Deering makes reference to Chesterfield School and its first headmaster a Mr Biggs. The latter late went on to Portora as headmaster. We intend to publish articles on both Chesterfield and Mr Biggs next year. Then there is Banagher Royal School and the efforts to have its funding diverted to a new school in Birr. Deering makes no reference to the Birr Model School, but he has a few interesting comments on the smaller schools in Birr. Both the Mercy and Presentation schools have published histories as does Banagher (Quane North Munster journal article, 1967), but there is much more to uncover back to the 1820s and earlier.
Birr Historical Society is very strong in attendance at lectures and we have no doubt that Paul Barber’s lecture on Monday 4 December will have a capacity audience. In 2026 Thomas Cooke’s Picture of Parsonstown will reach the 200th anniversary of its first publication and that will be a case for celebration and emulation. The proposed lecture in Tullamore on 4 December was deferred in view of the two book launches at Offaly History Center, Bury Quay on 1 December (Irish Mist) and 11 December (Faithful Images) MB]
So far we have looked at the 1821 and 1901 censuses for Castle Street, Birr together with traders in the street in the nineteenth century (see previous articles by going to the blog section on http://www.offalyhistory.com.) There were a lot of new families in Castle Street in 1911 when compared with 1901 based on the surname of the occupiers – not always a reliable guide. Families where there was continuity included that of John Wall, James Sammon, Patrick Connors, Laurence Kennedy, Owen Gaffney and Elizabeth Watterson.
The 1901 census noted twenty-seven buildings in Castle Street, Birr (five less than in 1821, see our recent blog) of which six were unoccupied commercial properties, eight were shops including two public houses, four were boarding and lodging houses, and ten were private dwellings. Women were ‘head’ of house in six of the twenty-one dwellings. There was only one ‘dwelling’ where there was no more than one occupant and the largest household was thirteen. Only one house was divided between two families. Almost all those with stated occupations in the head of house category were in shops and craft industries with the exception of a bank porter, a retired teacher, and an Ordnance Survey employee. The latter family was Anglican as was Mrs Ellen Morahan and all other residents on the street were Roman Catholic. In 1821 perhaps up to one-third of the residents were other than Roman Catholic. The other significant change was the almost entire absence of domestic servants in 1901 and in 1911. This is a longish blog to accommodate the 1901 census. Next week we look at the street in 1911. If you have material to pass on email us info@offalyhistory.com.
In the Pigot directory of 1824 Birr was described ‘as far the most considerable of any of the towns in the King’s County. Birr was the leading town in the county from the 1620s until the 1840s By the 1820s Birr had new Protestant and Catholic churches (the latter nearing completion at the time of the census and the publishing of the Pigot directory), two Methodist chapels and a Quakers’ meeting house. The charitable institutions of Birr, were a fever hospital and dispensary, supported by county grants and annual subscriptions; a Sunday school for children of all denominations; a free school for boys, and another for girls. Birr had a gaol and a courthouse where the sessions were held four times a year. The prisoners were sent to Philipstown/Daingean which was the county town until 1835 for trial for serious crimes. From 1830 when the new gaol was built in Tullamore Birr prison was more a holding centre only. . One mile from the town were the Barracks, ‘a large and elegant building, capable of holding three regiments of soldiers’. Birr has two large distilleries and two breweries, which, it was said, gave employment to the poor of the town.
The population in 1821 was 5,400. The market day was Saturday and the fairs were four in the year. And that was it. The brief introduction to Birr in the 1820s did not engage in any detail with the census of the town in 1821 other than to produce an abstract.
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