Letter to the editor: Cork Examiner, Friday June 21st, 1872
‘Dear Sir, I beg will your land leave to make, before the ceremony of the laying of the corner-stone of this much wanted church, a few acknowledgements, and owing to my deep gratitude to the benefactors, not in the ordinary way, by advertisement. “…
. “In addition to the rood of land, on which the old chapel stands or rather totters, with scarcely room for a decent prostration of its venerable remains, should it anticipate by natural dissolution a more violent and inglorious end by the crow bar. I succeeded in getting around this plot one acre more, and the entire on a lease of 900 years, at a shilling a year. Doubtless, you are anxious to learn who the generous donor is, while I am as impartial to delay no longer to return public thanks for a promise made eleven months ago, since faithfully kept and now irrevocably secured by a lease in my possession. The grantor is John Beaver Webb, Esq. who immediately, on application, most auspiciously inaugurated the inception of his majority by this very gracious and generous act. “…..” Mr. Humphrey Desmond, who has a lease of lives of the farm in which this plot of ground is included, is also entitled to thanks for having waived all claims thereto…”
“I have an agreeable duty to discharge in publicly thanking James Baldwin, Esq. who, on Sunday 17th September last, the eve of my begging mission in Cork, wits the first to lead my list with a handsome donation, and at the same time to promise the free use of a quarry, and aid in horses labour in the carting of building materials. Mr. Baldwin’s active kindness has not been confined to this solitary instance during my short acquaintance with him, for he has since granted much more than asked for -three roods of the richest park land round the chapel at Farnivane, which before was enclosed between inconveniently close and high walls. This very valuable piece of land has just been walled around and the gift enhanced by 25 beautiful forest trees left standing by the generous donor…”
. “In closing my list of acknowledgments for the present, I have to return most sincere thanks to George S. Ware Esq. Mallow, for a most invaluable privilege – that of raising sand and freestone on his property in Farranthomas, a conterminous townland. ” (This quarry was in the Long Valley, held at that time by the O’Mahony family).
Jeremiah Cummins P.P.
Mossgrove,
Bandon
June 21st 1872