A 1799 Map Of Part Of Lands Of Waterstown & Millicent by Richard Griffith

The name Richard Griffith is today most associated in County Kildare with the distinguished surveyor and geologist (1784-1878) who was author of the valuation of Ireland known as Griffith’s Valuation. There are in fact three Richard Griffith’s associated with Millicent House.

This short article and accompanying map relates to the work of his father Richard (1752-1820) who had purchased Millicent House in 1782. This Richard’s father (c. 1714-1788) was a novelist and playwright who farmed in Kilkenny at one stage and died at his son’s Millicent House in 1788.

Richard Griffith (1752-1820) was a politician (Member of Parliament for Askeaton, Co Limerick), a Director of the Grand Canal Company and owned Millicent House for twenty six years. After making his fortune working for the East India Company in Bengal at a young age, including through the opium trade, this Richard purchased Millicent House in 1782. He later sold Millicent House and the family moved to the smaller Sallins Lodge, probably due to heavy losses incurred throughout his involvement with the development of the Grand Canal that passed near Millicent.

This Richard was also widely recognised as a successful agricultural innovator. The map below is from a letter published in the Irish Agricultural Magazine and includes a drawing of two fields, one at Waterstown adjacent to the canal and one at Millicent that Richard Griffith had irrigated based on a plan by a Mr Boswell. The text of the article describes the work undertaken “exectuted in ridges of from 30 to 60 feet in breadth, with a supply running in the middle of the ridge and a gentle declivity terminating in a drain on either side to make the water run off with rapidity…”. It goes on to highlight the improvements the work undertaken had made to the land and concludes by inviting readers of the periodical to view it at Waterstown on the banks of the Grand Canal. The editor of the Irish Agricultural Magazine also encourages readers to “make it a principle business to view this capital improvement, to which the access is so very convenient by means of the Grand Canal Boats, that he may be able to carry it into effect upon his own lands.” An original copy of the letter and map is available to consult in the Kildare Local Studies collections.

Interestingly, the letter from Richard Griffith (using 13 Merrion-square, East as his postal address) is dated 6th May 1799. This was less than one year on from Richard’s central role as Captain in command of the Clane Yeomanry on the night of the insurrection in Clane and Prosperous on 23 May 1798.

Further Reading (All available to consult at Kildare Local Studies)
Chambers, Liam. “Richard Griffith (1752-1820)”, Dictionary of National Biography (edited by H.C.G. Matthew and Brian Harrison, 2004)

Gordon L. Herries Davies, “Richard Griffith – his life and character” in Richard Griffith 1784-1878 (edited by Gordon L. Herries Davies and R. Charles Mollan, 1980).

Heffernan, Jim. “Richard Griffith of Millicent” in Coiseanna : Journal of the Clane Local History Group, Vol. 8, 2019).

McEvoy, Tony, “Richard Griffith (c. 1752-1820)” in Fugitive Warfare 1798 in North Kildare (edited by Seamus Cullen and Hermann Geissel, 1998).

Woods, C. J. “Richard Griffith”, Dictionary of Irish Biography (2009).