EDWARD LAW KILKENNY HISTORY

All historians think and hope that there is more material to be uncovered on their chosen topic. This hope can, in the end, result in the loss of valuable research as the researcher continually refrains from publishing, waiting until all is known. Some wait until it is too late!

The internet may prove to be the answer to the historian's dilemma, presenting an opportunity for publishing work in progress with the option to update at will, or to rewrite as often as may be necessary or desired. It can also be a medium for items not suited to publication in traditional format for whatever reason. The danger in this is that the material may not be of a reasonable standard, and the only protection from this is the exercise of the readers' critical faculties.

We are fortunate in county Kilkenny to have had local newspapers from the 1760s. These are a veritable goldmine for the patient historian. I have worked through the hardcopy holdings of these papers in the library of Kilkenny Archaeological Society, scanning for references to some of my basic interests and recording a variety of material as it took my interest. The KAS holdings are not complete and some of the missing material has been inspected, mainly on microfilm, in Kilkenny county library.

Two areas of interest which are never going to be complete have been selected for publication here. They are only two of many, and others may follow. I have also taken the opportunity to publish an essay on Kilkenny charitable institutions, more or less in the format of a dissertation I undertook for a Local Heritage Studies Diploma, and a couple of short essays arising from newspaper references.

The material has come from local newspapers from 1768 to the mid-nineteenth century, from deeds and from printed sources. I have given references for all material with only a handfull of lapses. I would welcome material (with references) to be added to the site, and am happy for others to utilise the contents, except for the purposes of trade, subject only to due acknowledgement.

THE COUNTRY HOUSES OF COUNTY KILKENNY

Sources

Edward Law, interests, bibliography, and the Victorian prize medals of Huddersfield College.

Anastatic printing, some brief notes, relating to photograph and crest albums and Cowells of Ipswich.

Sheffield silversmiths, two important research articles on the silver industry in Sheffield.