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Waterford (City)

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See also Waterford St Johns WithinWaterford St Johns WithoutWaterford St MichaelWaterford St OlaveWaterford St Patrick,

 Waterford St PeterWaterford St Stephens WithinWaterford St Stephens WithoutWaterford Trinity WithinWaterford Trinity Without

“WATERFORD, a city and seaport and diocese, locally in the county of WATERFORD, of which it is the capital, and in the province of MUNSTER, 67 miles (E. by N.) from Cork, and 75¾ (S. S. W.) from Dublin; containing 28,821 inhabitants, of which number, 26,377 are in the city and suburbs. The ancient name of this place is said to have been Cuan-na-Grioth or Grian, signifying, in the Irish language, "the Haven of the Sun;" it afterwards obtained the appellation of Gleannna- Gleodh, or "the Valley of Lamentation," from a sanguinary conflict between the Irish and the Danes, in which the former, who were victorious, burnt it to the ground. By early writers it "was called Menapia, under which name was implied the whole district, and by the Irish and Welsh, Portlargi, "the Port of the Thigh" (from the supposed similitude which the river at this place assumes to that part of the human body), which it still partly retains. Its more general name Waterford, which is of Danish origin, and supposed to be a corruption of Vader-Fiord, "the Ford of the Father," or of Odin, a Scandinavian deity, was derived from a ford across St. John's river, which here falls into the river Suir.......More”.  [The transcription from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837]

“WATERFORD, a parish, market town, seaport, parliamentary borough, episcopal city, a county of a city, and the county town of county Waterford, Ireland, 94 miles S.S.W. from Dublin, 76 N.E. from Cork, and 32 S.W. from Wexford. It was founded by the Danes in 850, and soon became a place of considerable importance. In 1170, Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, took it by assault, and considerably enlarged it. King John resided here for some time, and granted to it its first charter, which was annulled by James I., but after nine years was restored by Charles I. Cromwell besieged the town unsuccessfully in 1649, but it was taken in the following year by Ireton. James II. embarked at this harbour for France after the battle of the Boyne, and the city surrendered to William, who remained here for some time. It had previously been visited by different sovereigns, and had received many charters and other marks of royal favour. The city, which is about 12 miles from the sea, is situated wholly on the right bank of the Suir, here 230 to 350 yards in breadth; it is here joined by St. John's river, which falls into it on the S. side of the city. The principal streets are the Quay, a mile in length, and the Mall, the houses of which are regular and well built; but in the older parts the streets are irregular and the houses ill-arranged. There is a suburb on the left bank of the river........More” [From the National Gazetteer (1868), provided by Colin Hinson.

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Census

1821 Census - City of Waterford - on IGP

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Churches

There are more than 30 churches identified in this place. Please click here for a complete list.
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Church History

"The churches of St. John, St. Stephen, St. Peter, and St. Michael long since fell to ruins. There are four R. C. chapels, of which the principal, situated in Barron- Strand-Street, was erected in 1793, on ground given by the corporation, nearly opposite a former chapel, which had been built about a hundred years previously, and was the first ever erected in the city; it is a very large building, and was erected at an expense of £20,000,..." [Transcription from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837]

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Description & Travel

“The county of the city comprises the parishes of Trinity Within, Trinity Without, St. Michael, St. Olave, St. Peter, St. Stephen, St. Patrick, St. John Within, St. John Without, Killoteran, Kilbarry, and Kilculliheen 3 the three last are entirely rural, and are described under their own heads.”

"The county of the city, from the peculiar situation of the town on the northern confines of the county of Waterford, is made to include a portion of land on the north of the river Suir, which formerly belonged to the county of Kilkenny; and by the charter of Chas. I. comprises the great port and river up to Carrick, that part of the county of Kilkenny which is contained in the parish of Kilculliheen, all the lands on the opposite bank of the river in the parishes of Kilbarry and Killoteran, and the town of Passage; comprehending together, according to the Ordnance survey, 9683 statute acres, of which about 882 acres are occupied by the city and suburbs; the amount of Grand Jury cess, in 1835, was £4928. 9. 7½

[Transcriptions from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837]

You can see pictures of Waterford (City) which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The transcription of the section for this parish from the National Gazetteer (1868), provided by Colin Hinson.

The transcription from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837

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Historical Geography

The civil parish of Waterford (City) contained the townlands of:
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History

"The city first received a charter of incorporation from King John, who, on the 3rd of July, 1205, granted the city, with its port and all appurtenances, to his citizens of Waterford, with murage and all free customs, liberties, and privileges enjoyed by the burgesses of Bristol"[Transcription from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837]

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OSI grid reference S6076912176 (Lat/Lon: 52.258413, -7.110772), Waterford (City) which are provided by:

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Merchant Marine

"The liberal policy, adopted in 1704 and 1705, of admitting to the freedom of the city foreign traders of all descriptions, induced several merchants from Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Holland, and other countries to settle here. Before agriculture became so extensive as it is at present, the principal trade was the exportation of beef, hides, and skins, not only to the English settlements but to several ports of Spain; cheese also, of an inferior quality, called "Mullahawn," was exported in considerable quantities, and an extensive trade was carried on with Newfoundland. At present the principal trade is with England, to which is exported a large quantity of agricultural produce of every kind, butter, pork, bacon, flour and all kinds of provisions; and since the establishment of steam-packet communication, great numbers of live cattle have been sent across the channel. The value of these exports, in 1813, was £2,200,454. 16.; but for several years afterwards it did not exceed £1,500,000; but this decrease was rather the result of reduced prices than of any diminution of the quantity. On an average of three years from 1831 to 1834, the quantity of provisions exported annually was 38 tierces of beef, 880 tierces and 1795 barrels of pork, 392,613 flitches of bacon, 132,384 cwts. of butter, 19,139 cwts. of lard, 152,113 barrels of wheat, 160,954 barrels of oats, 27,045 barrels of barley, 403,852 cwts. of flour, 18,640 cwts. of oatmeal, and 2857 cwts. of bread; and of live stock the number annually exported, during the same period, was on an average 44,241 pigs, 5808 head of cattle, and 9729 sheep, the aggregate value of all which amounted to £2,092,668. 14. per annum."

"The principal imports are tobacco, sugar, tea, coffee, pepper, tallow, pitch and tar, hemp, flax, wine, iron, potashes, hides, cotton, dye-stuffs, timber, staves, saltpetre, and brimstone, from foreign ports; and coal, culm, soap, iron, slate, spirits, printed calico, earthenware, hardware, crown and window glass, glass bottles, bricks, tiles, gunpowder, and bark, from the ports of Great Britain"

"In the year ending Jan. 5th, 1835, 57 British ships, of the aggregate burden of 11,489 tons, and 5 foreign ships, of 984 tons aggregate burden, entered inwards; and 28 British ships, together of 4658 tons, and 1 foreign vessel of 169 tons, cleared out from this port in the foreign trade. During the same period, 1376 steamvessels, coasters, and colliers, of the aggregate burden of 154,004 tons, entered inwards, and 1028, of the collective burden of 123,879 tons, cleared outwards, from and to Great Britain; and 132 of 6136 tons aggregate burden entered inwards, and 170 of 6848 tons cleared outwards, from and to Irish ports. The number of ships registered as belonging to the port, in the same year, was 115, of the aggregate burden of 11,986 tons. The amount of duties paid at the customhouse, for 1835, was £135,844.12.4., and for 1836, £137,126. 7. 9: the amount of excise duties collected within the revenue district of Waterford, for the former year, was £60,835. 12.10."

[Transcriptions from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837]

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Occupations

"This place has never been much distinguished for its manufactures; it had once some celebrity for the weaving of a narrow woollen stuff, which was in great demand in every part of Ireland, and was also exported in considerable quantities; but of this trade, and also of the hall in which the article was sold, there are now not the smallest remains. There were also manufactories for salt, smoked sprats; japanned wares of various descriptions, established here by Thomas Wyse, Esq.; and for linen and linen thread, which latter was celebrated all over Ireland, established here by a family named Smith, who brought with them a number of workmen from the north of Ireland; but all these have successively failed, as has also a glass bottle manufactory, which was established opposite to Ballycarvet. A glass-manufactory of superior description was, however, established in 1783, and is now conducted by Messrs. Gatchell and Co., who have a considerable export trade, particularly to America: in this establishment about 70 persons are employed. There is a starch and blue manufactory, also two iron-foundries; and till within the last few years there was an extensive manufacture of glue, of which considerable quantities were sent to England." 

"There is a small establishment for rectifying spirits; and public breweries have been established and brought to such perfection as to supersede the necessity of any importation from England; they are conducted upon a scale affording the means of a considerable export of beer to Newfoundland, and latterly to England, which trade is progressively increasing. But it is to its commerce, promoted by the favourable situation of its port, that Waterford is principally indebted for its importance, and for which it has been distinguished from a very early period. "

[Transcriptions from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837]

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Religion & Religious Life

“The population in 1861 was 23,202, of whom 1,989 were members of the Established Church, 20,429 Roman Catholics, 234 Presbyterians, 266 Methodists, 153 Quakers, and 131 belonging to other denominations” [Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868] by Colin Hinson ©2018]