Were your Irish ancestors evicted?

Most of us have heard about the land struggle in nineteenth and early twentieth century Ireland. Usually, this consisted of the conflicts between tenant farmers and their wealthy landlords in rural parts of Ireland. But have you ever tried to uncover if your Irish family were involved?

An unusual record set on Findmypast, may help you do just that. The Estate Commissioners Offices, Applications for Evicted Tenants 1907 lists people who had submitted applications with them as an evicted tenant, or representative of an evicted tenant. The information was compiled due to the Evicted Tenants (Ireland) Act 1907 which sought to provide some relief for those affected. So, if your family were evicted by their landlord you may well find them here.

From an Irish family history standpoint, this collection offers a wealth of useful information including names, addresses and circumstances of the applicant. The latter often records great details such as notification of emigration, dependents and living conditions.

The next time you get hassle from your landlord, just think of how tough it would have been to be a tenant in nineteenth century rural Ireland and you’ll feel a whole lot better!

For more stories on tracing your Irish heritage from Findmypast click here.