From: Michael Purcell <carlowmike@gmail.com>
1847, Richard Annesley-Rainsford,
Susan Woodhouse etc.
[note added by Michael Purcell 2012.
-Estimate dated 1847 from Richard Annesley Rainsford, Coach
Builder of Cox's Lane, Carlow.
According to Henrietta Maria Hickey in
her letter "Not we from Kings but Kings from us" Richard
Annesley-Rainsford was the illegitimate descendant of The Lord
Altham, Governor of Wexford.
Richard claimed blood relationship to the
Earl of Anglesey, the Earl of Rutland, the Countess of Dorchester
and Sir Richard Raynsford.
Henrietta wrote "Richard was treated with
deference by the gentry of the county, many of whom held doubts
regarding the claims made on their own pedigree charts, they
believed that Richard, now the Tradesman, emerged badly in the
settlement of the Earl's affairs".
It was said that Robert Louis Stevenson
based his novel "Kidnapped" on the exploits of The Lord Altham.
In 1872 his son Richard Rainsford married
Susan Woodhouse in St Mary's Church, Castle Street, Carlow. Her
father was John Woodhouse, a shoemaker who lived on Dublin Street,
[now a hair dressers beside O'Loughlin's pub].
Susan's sister Mary Ann Woodhouse was
married to Sam Hunt, [Sam operated a harness making business on
the corner of Browne Street / Dublin Street, where Lambert's shop
is now situated].
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To the Board of the Gaol of
Carlow.
ESTIMATE.
Cox's Lane and Dublin Street,
Carlow, 1st May 1847.
Richard Rainsford, Cox's Lane,
Carlow.
- The Estimate of Sundry Repairs with
painting wanting to be done to the Carlow Gaol prisoners van.
- Repairing the door of the van which is
much out of order.
- Making the hinges of the door quite
secure with proper screws.
- Repairing the door lock up bolt.
- Repairing the back step of the van with
proper bolt, it is nearly off.
- Repairing the back part of the body with
new molding where the molding is gone off, with making all the
sheeting perfect.
- Making the bottom of the van all perfect,
the bottom is now loose.
- Repairing the two sides of the van, which
is now really falling to pieces.
- Repairing the front of van with new
molding and making all the sheeting quite secure, the sheeting is
all quite loose.
- Repairing the roof of the van which is in
a very bad state and making the roof waterproof.
- New glazing a window in roof of van with
8 panes of glass.
- Repairing drivers foot board which is
broken.
- Putting in a new splinter bar of best
Ash, the old one is broke and of no use.
- Repairing the shafts they are greatly out
of order.
- Repairing the fou ? carriage, so as to
cause the van to be easy drawn, it is very difficult for a horse
to draw it at present.
- Making large and small wheels correct on
the A...?.
- Painting the van any colour the committee
might think proper and giving it two full coats of varnish, which
would cause the painting to hold for several years.
- Painting the van inside with one coat of
good paint.~~~~
Total £5 – 8 shillings and 4 pence.
I beg to say that by doing the van as I
describe, would cause it to last for several years and when done
would be more perfect than first day.
(signed) Richard Rainsford.
Accepted by the Board
(signed) W. ?
Bernard, Chairman.
- Transcribed by M. Purcell c2013