Anna Haslam and the Quakers of Piltown and Youghal

My god friend Mike Hackett who resides this side of Youghal Bridge is Youghl's foremost Historian. Mike has several books behind him And; he continues non-stop with his articles. I am delighted to get articles from him. Several can be found in these pages.

Quakerism is a way of life rather than a dogma or creed. It is a conviction that people can have direct connection to God without a priest or minister by looking into their hearts. Quakers are expected to dress plainly, be honest in their dealings, treat everybody equally, live peacefully and assist the needy. One of the most outstanding members of the Quaker community was Anna Maria Haslam (nee Fisher), daughter of Abraham and Jane Fisher of Piltown, who won a national reputation as a famine relief worker and was a convinced feminist seeking the vote for women. Anna passed away in Dublin on the 28th of November 1922 and is buried in Blackrock. To go back to the early days ; in 1673, the Youghal Friends (Quakers) purchased a field at the top of Windmill Lane from local merchant Richard Yeats for a burial ground. Then in 1691, they leased a ground at Beau Street where they erected a meeting house. Local Quaker, William Fennell later purchased this and entrusted it to the Society of Friends. However, Quakerism in the town failed to progress during the 17th Century and this was attributable to the harsh treatment that members received from the authorities. Early Quakerism was seen then as subversive and revolutionary with the intention of overthrowing the existing religious and social order. The actions of some Quakers were indeed provocative. Members were persecuted and imprisoned for offences like: disrupting church services of other denominations; refusal to take the oath; refusal to serve in the army; not paying tithes, and insufficient respect for the gentry and aristocracy. They also preached against the clergy and were often beaten and stoned for their behaviour. In 1661, a Quaker, Robert Sandham, was jailed in Cork for not swearing when summoned to jury duty. He was fined five pounds and it resulted in his horse, worth twice that amount, being taken from him. The following year, Sandham returned to Youghal and continued to annoy the authorities. He held religious meetings in his house that were broken up by soldiers and the Governor of the town ordered him to leave. As a freeman of the town, he refused and the Governor had him dragged on foot to Charleville to face the Lord President. He was found innocent of all charges and was released. He returned to Youghal to continue the meetings in his house until a proper meeting house was built.

Fishers Mill To Quakers, everyone was equal in the eyes of God and they refused to show deference to the gentry and aristocracy by removing their hats in their presence. The Act of Toleration of 1719 guaranteed freedom of worship for Quakers, providing that their meeting houses were registered. Accordingly, William Fennell and Gabriell Clarke presented a certificate to the Mayor of Youghal which stated “We certify that the house in Beau Street, called the ‘Meeting House’ is intended to be kept for a place of worship and we desire it to be registered”. There was a great increase in the local Quaker community in the 18th Century. Among those to settle in the area were Gabrielle Clarke and John Dobbs, whose father was High-Sheriff of Antrim. When John became a Quaker, his father disowned him and then after his mother’s death, he was forced to leave home. Going to England, he studied medicine, became a doctor, returned to Ireland and set up practice in Youghal. In 1703, he married Martha, a member of the Fisher family.

I took this picture several years back when Mike (Pictured right) and I were meeting up with Gary, a Newzealnd visitor who was reserching his ancestors came to visit. mike took us to the relevant site locations in the area. That 18th Century was a period of great development and growth. Wool manufacture, pottery and brick making became thriving enterprises, while the port enjoyed a share of the lucrative Newfoundland provision trade. This was in addition to a thriving fishing industry. Extensive commerce was carried on with Bristol, Bideford, Liverpool and London, and with continental ports such as Bordeaux, Bilbao and Lisbon. Imports included ironmongery, timber and coal. A lot of agricultural produce was brought downriver from Counties Tipperary and Waterford to be exported. Throughout the century, slob-lands were reclaimed, docks were extended and big warehouses plus corn-stores were built on the riverside. A parliamentary grant in 1769 encouraged Quaker merchants like Thomas and William Harvey and Joseph Fisher to spearhead the developments. By 1792 – the new street that the Harveys had built was named Grattan Street (after Henry Grattan). The present Harvey’s Dock is another reminder of this family’s contribution. Of the seven corn merchants listed for Youghal town in 1824, three were Quakers: Abraham Fisher, North Main Street; Thomas Harvey, Grattan Street; and Benjamin Jackson on the quay. A partnership of Fisher and Moor operated a mill at Brown Street while the Fisher family also operated a large corn mill at Piltown, halfway between Youghal and Ardmore. Talking about the Gorta Mor; among the most notable contributions of the Quakers was the relief scheme launched during the Great Famine of 1845 - 48. In 1846, a committee of twenty-one was appointed to co-ordinate relief measures on a national scale. The local area was represented by Abraham Fisher and Thomas Harvey. By November, a soup kitchen had been set up in the town. When Anna Maria Haslam (nee Fisher), daughter of Abraham (as mentioned above), came home as a teacher from a Quaker school at Akworth in Yorkshire, she taught poor girls the art of knitting and lace-making to enable them to earn a living. Later when the Presentation Sisters established a lace industry in town, they found a labour force familiar with the craft. A number of Anna Maria’s brothers were also involved in various relief works. Her brother, Joseph Fisher, was secretary of the Poor Relief Committee. Another brother, Peter Moor Fisher, set up a number of soup kitchens near his mill at Piltown. He also imported Indian corn and taught the starving peasantry how to prepare it. He was held in high esteem by the peasantry and there is a report of a mob rushing to the mill at Piltown to shout “Three cheers for Mr. Fisher”. Fisher’s civic spirit and charitable disposition were shown in that he was a freeman of the town, a member of the Board of Trade, and served on the committee set up to build a bridge over the Blackwater connecting counties Cork and Waterford. In 1844, when he moved to the Piltown mills with his wife and family, the area had no school. He established a school locally where English and Irish were taught. He loved to hear the children recite the Lord’s Prayer in both languages. For many years he was part of the Irish delegation to the International Peace Congress. After 1850, the number of Friends attending the meeting house in Youghal began to decline and was then only about fifty. As the years passed, the numbers declined rapidly and by 1873, there were only fifteen members. In 1902, the meeting house closed and was purchased by the Urban Council. Buiochas do Miceal O’hAicearn agus Cork Historical & Archaeological Society. Mike Hackett.