Hubert Kelly Waldron papers
Abstract
The papers of the Hubert Kelly Waldron Family of Drumsna, Ireland, spanning 1815 to 1962, include Hubert Kelly Waldron's papers as well as those of his mother, children and grandchildren. These papers consist primarily of correspondence relating to day-to-day business and family subjects, including Hubert Kelly Waldron's murder in 1848. But the family also witnessed some of the most turbulent times in Ireland's history, including the potato blight and subsequent famines, mass emigration, and the Fenian uprisings.
Important Information for Users of the Collection
This collection is open for research.
Hubert Kelly Waldron papers, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.
Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.
This collection is PROCESSED.
Historical Note
Hubert Kelly Waldron and his family lived at Ashfort (sometimes spelled Ashford) House in Drumsna, County Leitrim, Ireland. They were Anglo-Irish, King James I having granted Dromellan Castle to Sir Richard Waldron in 1609. This property was later sold by Sir Richard's great-grandson, Henry, who then settled at Catron near Carrick-on-Shannon, Country Leitrim. Another ancestor, Richard Waldron (born 1609), had emigrated to America around 1635, becoming a major in the militia in New Hampshire, dying at the hands of local Native Americans in what became known as the "Cochecho Massacre." Henry's descendent, Elizabeth Barbara inherited Ashfort House and, on September 5, 1816 married her cousin, Hubert Kelly Waldron. They had seven children. The three boys, Francis, Arthur and Hubert all died in infancy. The daughters were Barbara Elizabeth who married John Hamilton, Mary Kelly and Sarah, both of whom married men named Potterson and some of whose descendents emigrated to Australia; and Rebecca Elizabeth, who married William Cullen.
Born September 10, 1795, Hubert Kelly Waldron was a Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant, and in 1832 became High Sheriff of County Leitrim, Ireland. His first wife, Elizabeth Barbara Waldron died in 1824, and in December 1831 he married Eleanor ('Ellen') Johnstone. With Eleanor, Hubert Kelly had one more child, a son named Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron, who became a captain in the 31st Regiment of the British Army. Hubert Kelly's half brother, Frank Waldron, chose to emigrate to America.
Hubert Kelly Waldron appears to have had a colorful personality; he had frequent money problems and a talent for alienating people. As a Justice of the Peace, he was responsible for collecting taxes to fund the Poor Laws. The Poor Laws Commission called for parishes to be grouped into unions to spread out the cost of poor relief and for a central authority for each to be established. Hubert Kelly Waldron was involved with administration of the local workhouse at Carrick-on-Shannon.
For Ireland's poor, the potato comprised sixty percent of their diet and so the occurrence of the potato blight from 1845 to 1849, on top of previous economic problems, quickly led to mass starvation and emigration, known in Ireland as "The Great Hunger." The population plummeted by nearly fifty percent from 8 million to 4.4 million by 1911. The Great Hunger led directly to open rebellion in 1848 and the Fenian rebellion in 1867. These issues are discussed in some of the correspondence in this collection. Given their family history and position within Irish society, the Waldron family sympathized with the British, more than the Irish, in political affairs. The collection also contains material concerning Hubert Kelly Waldron's son, Hubert Johnstone Waldron's participation in the suppression of the February, 1867 Fenian uprising in Tipperary, which is generally considered to be the first engagement of the Irish War of Independence.
The issue of Irish Home Rule predominated from the 1870s until the partition of Ireland in 1921, which resulted in a majority Catholic independent Irish Free State and a separate Northern Ireland that remained part of the United Kingdom.
On January 27, 1848, Hubert Kelly Waldron was shot and killed at Ashfort House in an altercation with an official attempting to serve papers resulting from a suit brought by Mr. George Church.
Barbara Elizabeth succeeded her father at Ashfort and married Patrick Hamilton in 1852. Their children were Hubert Francis Waldron-Hamilton; John and Elizabeth, who both died young; and Jane Waldron, who married Robert Patterson.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The papers of the Hubert Kelly Waldron Family cover the years 1815 to 1962. The correspondents in the Waldron Family Papers do not often allude to the problems facing Ireland during the time of the Great Hunger. As relatively wealthy landowners, these problems would not have affected the Waldron family as deeply as they did their tenants. However, family members were aware of these issues as shown in letters dealing with relieving distress, and collecting and distributing clothing and food for the poor. Most of the papers deal with everyday issues of visiting, health, farming, births and deaths in the family, and day-to-day family issues. There are also many letters and other papers having to do with Hubert Kelly's business transactions. Important subjects include: potato famine, Fenian uprising, teachings of the Lord, money for passage to America, use of property for Cholera Hospital, flannel garments sent to Belfast for the needy, murder of Hubert Kelly Waldron and testimony at the subsequent inquest. There are also financial documents, recipes and family histories.
Custodial History and Acquisition Information
Major P. W. Malins, The White House, Puddletown (Dorchester), Dorset, England, deposited the papers of the Hubert Kelly Waldron family with the University of Maryland Libraries in 1970
Processing Information
Processing date unknown. Revised by Caitlin Wells, July 6, 2011.
Photographs that were filed in the Biographical Print Files were returned to the collection in July 2011.
EAD markup created using EAD database in Microsoft Access. Markup completed by Janna Robinson, May 31, 2005.
Arrangement of Collection
This collection is organized into four series:
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series 1: Family Correspondence, 1815-1962 and undated (4.50 linear feet)
Series I consists of family correspondence of the Hubert Kelly Waldron family. Letters are arranged alphabetically by recipient
Subseries 1.1: Hubert Kelly Waldron, 1816-1847 and undated (2.00 linear feet)
Correspondence by Hubert Kelly Waldron and correspondence to Mrs. Hubert Kelly Waldron (Elizabeth Barbara Waldron, known as Bess).
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Correspondence, 1816-1819 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Correspondence, 1820-1823 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| Correspondence, 1824 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Correspondence, 1824-1825 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Correspondence, 1825-1826 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Correspondence, 1816-1832 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Correspondence, 1827 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
| Correspondence, 1828 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 8 | |
| Correspondence, 1829 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 9 | |
| Correspondence, 1830-1831 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 10 | |
| Correspondence, 1831 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 11 | |
| Correspondence, 1832 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 12 | |
| Correspondence, 1832 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 13 | |
| Correspondence, 1832 | series 1.1 | box 1 | folder 14 | |
| Correspondence, 1833 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 1 | |
| Correspondence, 1833 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 2 | |
| Correspondence, 1834 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 3 | |
| Correspondence, 1835-1836 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 4 | |
| Correspondence, 1838-1839 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 5 | |
| Correspondence, 1839 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 6 | |
| Correspondence, 1840 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 7 | |
| Correspondence, 1840 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 8 | |
| Correspondence, 1840 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 9 | |
| Correspondence, 1841 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 10 | |
| Correspondence, 1841 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 11 | |
| Correspondence, 1841 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 12 | |
| Correspondence, 1842 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 13 | |
| Correspondence, 1833-March 1842 | series 1.1 | box 2 | folder 14 | |
| Correspondence, 1842 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 1 | |
| Correspondence, 1842 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 2 | |
| Correspondence, 1842 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 3 | |
| Correspondence, 1843 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 4 | |
| Correspondence, 1843 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 5 | |
| Correspondence, 1844-1846 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 6 | |
| Correspondence, Undated | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 7 | |
| Correspondence, Undated | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 8 | |
| Correspondence, Undated | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 9 | |
| Correspondence, Undated | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 10 | |
| Correspondence, Undated | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 11 | |
| Correspondence -- Miscellaneous from Hubert Kelly Waldron, 1819-1842 | series 1.1 | box 3 | folder 12 | |
| Correspondence, 1815-1819 | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 1 | |
| Correspondence, 1820-1822 | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 2 | |
| Correspondence, 1822-1823 | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 3 | |
| Correspondence, 1823 | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 4 | |
| Correspondence, 1824 | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 5 | |
| Correspondence, 1824 | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 6 | |
| Correspondence, Undated | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 7 | |
| Correspondence, Undated | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 8 | |
| Correspondence, Undated | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 9 | |
| Correspondence, Undated | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 10 | |
| Correspondence, Undated | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 11 | |
| Correspondence, 1815-undated | series 1.1 | box 4 | folder 12 | |
Subseries 1.2: Children, 1827-1859 and undated (2.00 linear feet)
Correspondence between the children of Hubert Kelly Waldron.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 1 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 2 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 3 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 4 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 5 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 6 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 7 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 8 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 9 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 10 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 11 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, 1827-1848 | series 1.2 | box 5 | folder 12 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, March 1848-1849 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 1 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, March 1848-1849 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 2 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, March 1848-1849 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 3 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, March 1848-1849 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 4 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, March 1848-1849 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 6 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, March 1848-1849 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 7 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, March 1848-1849 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 8 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, March 1848-1849 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 9 | |
| Barbara Waldron -- Correspondence, March 1848-1849 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 10 | |
| John Hamilton -- Correspondence, March 1853-1870 | series 1.2 | box 6 | folder 11 | |
| Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron (H.K.J.W.) -- Correspondence, 1854-undated | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 1 | |
| Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron (H.K.J.W.) -- Correspondence, 1854-undated | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 2 | |
| Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron (H.K.J.W.) -- Correspondence, 1854-undated | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 3 | |
| Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron (H.K.J.W.) -- Correspondence, 1854-undated | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 4 | |
| Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron (H.K.J.W.) -- Correspondence, 1854-undated | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 5 | |
| Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron (H.K.J.W.) -- Correspondence, 1854-undated | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 6 | |
| Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron (H.K.J.W.) -- Correspondence, 1854-undated | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 7 | |
| Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron (H.K.J.W.) -- Correspondence, 1854-undated | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 8 | |
| Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron (H.K.J.W.) -- Correspondence, 1854-undated | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 9 | |
| Hubert J. K. Waldron and Margaret (Maggie) -- Correspondence, 1857-1858 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 10 | |
| Hubert J. K. Waldron and Margaret (Maggie) -- Correspondence, 1857-1858 | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 11 | |
| Hubert J. K. Waldron and family | series 1.2 | box 7 | folder 12 | |
| Mrs. Margaret (Plews) Waldron -- Correspondence, 1856-1895 | series 1.2 | box 8 | folder 1 | |
| Mrs. Margaret (Plews) Waldron -- Correspondence, 1856-1895 | series 1.2 | box 8 | folder 2 | |
| Mrs. Margaret (Plews) Waldron -- Correspondence, 1856-1895 | series 1.2 | box 8 | folder 3 | |
| Mrs. Margaret (Plews) Waldron -- Correspondence, 1856-1895 | series 1.2 | box 8 | folder 4 | |
| Mrs. Margaret (Plews) Waldron -- Correspondence, 1856-1895 | series 1.2 | box 8 | folder 5 | |
| Mrs. Margaret (Plews) Waldron -- Correspondence, 1856-1895 | series 1.2 | box 8 | folder 6 | |
Subseries 1.3: Grandchildren and other family members, 1825-1962 and undated (0.50 linear feet)
Correspondence by the grandchildren of Hubert Kelly Waldron.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Beatrice (Bee) Waldron, 1892-1962 | series 1.3 | box 9 | folder 1 | |
| Francis Waldron, February 20, 1819-March 7, 1819 | series 1.3 | box 9 | folder 2 | |
| Fanny Waldron, March 13, 1823-April 8, 1823 | series 1.3 | box 9 | folder 3 | |
| Fanny Waldron, undated | series 1.3 | box 9 | folder 4 | |
| Maria Waldron, January 27, 1824 | series 1.3 | box 9 | folder 5 | |
| Michael Waldron, August 19, 1825 | series 1.3 | box 9 | folder 6 | |
| Sawrence Waldron, April 1, 1830 | series 1.3 | box 9 | folder 7 | |
| Frank Waldron, May 25, 1839 | series 1.3 | box 9 | folder 8 | |
| Thomas Waldron, March 28, 1840 | series 1.3 | box 9 | folder 9 | |
| Elizabeth Waldron, June 26, 1848 | series 1.3 | box 9 | folder 10 | |
| Barbara and Bessy Waldron, August 23, 1848 | series 1.3 | box 9 | folder 11 | |
Series 2: Family Interest, 1810-1884 and undated (2.50 linear feet)
Financial records, legal records, genealogical materials, newspaper clippings, and other documents relating to the Hubert Kelly Waldron family history.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calling cards, funeral memoriams | series 2 | box 10 | folder 1 | |
| Drawings | series 2 | box 10 | folder 2 | |
| Financial Records -- Hubert Kelly Waldron, 1810-1820s | series 2 | box 10 | folder 3 | |
| Financial Records -- Hubert Kelly Waldron, 1820s | series 2 | box 10 | folder 4 | |
| Financial Records -- Hubert Kelly Waldron, 1820s | series 2 | box 10 | folder 5 | |
| Financial Records -- Hubert Kelly Waldron, 1820s | series 2 | box 10 | folder 6 | |
| Financial Records -- Hubert Kelly Waldron, 1930s-1840s | series 2 | box 10 | folder 7 | |
| Financial Records -- Hubert Kelly Waldron | series 2 | box 10 | folder 8 | |
| Financial Records -- Margaret Waldron, 1860s-1880s | series 2 | box 10 | folder 9 | |
| Financial Records -- Miscellaneous | series 2 | box 10 | folder 10 | |
| Financial Records -- Miscellaneous | series 2 | box 10 | folder 11 | |
| Financial Records -- Miscellaneous | series 2 | box 10 | folder 12 | |
| Financial Records -- Miscellaneous | series 2 | box 10 | folder 13 | |
| Land Rent Account -- Anne Johnstone | series 2 | box 11 | folder 1 | |
| Land Rent Account -- Clemera Kettlewell | series 2 | box 11 | folder 2 | |
| Land Rent Account -- Hubert Kelly Waldron | series 2 | box 11 | folder 3 | |
| Land Rent Account -- Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron, 1850s | series 2 | box 11 | folder 4 | |
| Land Rent Account -- Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron, 1855-1862 | series 2 | box 11 | folder 5 | |
| Land Rent Account -- Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron, 1862-1884 | series 2 | box 11 | folder 6 | |
| Land Rent Account -- Hubert Kelly Waldron, 1832 | series 2 | box 11 | folder 7 | |
| Legal Papers -- Hubert Kely Waldron | series 2 | box 12 | folder 1 | |
| Letters -- Miscellaneous | series 2 | box 12 | folder 2 | |
| Lineage -- Waldron Family | series 2 | box 12 | folder 3 | |
| Lineage -- Waldron Family | series 2 | box 12 | folder 4 | |
| Miscellaneous | series 2 | box 12 | folder 5 | |
| Mortgage interest Papers -- Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron | series 2 | box 12 | folder 6 | |
| Newspaper Clipings -- Fenian Uprising | series 2 | box 13 | folder 1 | |
| Newspaper Clipings -- Miscellaneous | series 2 | box 13 | folder 2 | |
| Newspaper Clipings -- Miscellaneous | series 2 | box 13 | folder 3 | |
| Newspaper Clipings -- Miscellaneous | series 2 | box 13 | folder 4 | |
| Newspaper Clipings -- Weddings, Deaths, Legal Announcements | series 2 | box 13 | folder 5 | |
| Pamphlets | series 2 | box 14 | folder 1 | |
| Personal Journals | series 2 | box 14 | folder 2 | |
| Poems | series 2 | box 14 | folder 3 | |
| Poems | series 2 | box 14 | folder 4 | |
| Recipes | series 2 | box 14 | folder 5 | |
| Recipes | series 2 | box 14 | folder 6 | |
| Will -- Mrs. Margaret (Plews) Waldron | series 2 | box 14 | folder 7 | |
Series 3: Correspondence -- other people, 1859-1859 and undated (1.00 linear feet)
Correspondence by people outside the Hubert Kelly Waldron family.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs. Armstrong | series 3 | box 15 | folder 1 | |
| Lawrence Baske | series 3 | box 15 | folder 2 | |
| Arthur Cranston Boyle | series 3 | box 15 | folder 3 | |
| Thomas Cloffard | series 3 | box 15 | folder 4 | |
| David Cullen | series 3 | box 15 | folder 5 | |
| William Daud | series 3 | box 15 | folder 6 | |
| John Dunn | series 3 | box 15 | folder 7 | |
| Godfrey Hogg | series 3 | box 15 | folder 8 | |
| Ellen Johnstone | series 3 | box 15 | folder 9 | |
| Clemena (Johnstone) Ketlewell | series 3 | box 15 | folder 10 | |
| J. Kidd | series 3 | box 15 | folder 11 | |
| Mary Kidd | series 3 | box 15 | folder 12 | |
| Owen Lloyd | series 3 | box 15 | folder 13 | |
| Reverend Lloyd | series 3 | box 15 | folder 14 | |
| Miss Major | series 3 | box 15 | folder 15 | |
| Henry Martley | series 3 | box 15 | folder 16 | |
| Jane Mager | series 3 | box 15 | folder 17 | |
| Ryan O'Karne | series 3 | box 15 | folder 18 | |
| L. Parke | series 3 | box 15 | folder 19 | |
| Maryanne Plews | series 3 | box 15 | folder 20 | |
| Mrs. Plews | series 3 | box 15 | folder 21 | |
| John Plews -- Corespondence, 1856-undated | series 3 | box 15 | folder 22 | |
| John Plews -- Corespondence, 1856-undated | series 3 | box 15 | folder 23 | |
| John Plews -- Corespondence, 1856-undated | series 3 | box 15 | folder 24 | |
| John Plews -- Corespondence, 1856-undated | series 3 | box 15 | folder 25 | |
| John Plews -- Corespondence, 1856-undated | series 3 | box 15 | folder 26 | |
| John Plews -- Corespondence, 1856-undated | series 3 | box 15 | folder 27 | |
| John Plews -- Corespondence, 1856-undated | series 3 | box 15 | folder 28 | |
| Mr. Shaw | series 3 | box 16 | folder 1 | |
| Sir E. Tugard | series 3 | box 16 | folder 2 | |
| Mr. Walsh | series 3 | box 16 | folder 3 | |
| Miss Watkins | series 3 | box 16 | folder 4 | |
| Wright & Co. | series 3 | box 16 | folder 5 | |
| John Wynne -- Correspondence, 1854-1858 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 6 | |
| John Wynne -- Financial Records, 1854-1859 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 7 | |
| John Wynne -- Land Rental Accounts, 1850-1853 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 8 | |
| John Wynne -- Poems | series 3 | box 16 | folder 9 | |
Series 4: Photographs, circa 1860 and undated (18 prints (17 black and white, 1 color))
The photographs series consists of 18 prints. Prints depict members of the Waldron family, including Hubert Johnstone Kelly Waldron; his wife Margaret; and the soldiers of the 31st Regiment of the British Army. Many of the subjects are not identified.
Photographs from the Biographical Print Files were returned to the collection in July, 2011.
The box inventory for this series is not currently available online. Please refer to the series description above for a broad description of the materials or contact the department for more information.
Related Material
"The Cochecho Massacre," Dover, New Hampshire Public Library. (www.dover.lib.nh.us/DoverHistory/cochecho.htm).
For other related archival and manuscript collections, please see the following subject guides.
Selected Search Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the University of Maryland Libraries' Catalog. Researchers desiring related materials about these topics, names, or places may search the Catalog using these headings.
Subjects
- Ireland -- Social life and customs -- 19th Century -- Archival Resources
- Ireland -- Social life and customs -- 20th Century -- Archival Resources
- Waldron, Hubert Kelly -- Archives
- Waldron family -- Archives
Names (Added Entries)
- Plews, John
- Waldron, Barbara
- Waldron, Hubert Johnstone Kelly
- Waldron, Hubert Kelly
- Waldron, Margaret Plews
- Wynne, John