Chronology Chronology of the Great Famine

1 chronology

1.1 1845

1.1.1 august
1.1.2 september
1.1.3 october
1.1.4 november


1.2 1846
1.3 1847
1.4 1848
1.5 1849
1.6 1850
1.7 1851

chronology
1845
august

at beginning of august, sir robert peel, british prime minister, received news of potato disease in south of england. first recorded evidence blight had ravaged potato crop in north america had crossed atlantic. cecil woodham-smith write failure in england serious, ireland, disaster.

september

following earlier reports of incidences of blight in england, on 13 september 1845 potato blight first reported in ireland. crops @ dublin perishing, reported in gardeners chronicle, asking ireland in event of universal potato rot? british government nevertheless optimistic through next few weeks.

october

skibbereen 1847 cork artist james mahony (1810–1879), commissioned illustrated london news



as digging of potato crops began, devastating reports started coming in. sir robert peel found accounts alarming , writing sir james graham, home secretary on 13 october reminded him there tendency in irish news exaggerate. constabulary reports 15 reported great failures, sir james graham, home secretary wrote truth potato crop, until digging completed, not ascertained.
the prime minister robert peel prompted act, , on 15 october decided summon emergency meeting of cabinet 31 october. remedy decided repeal corn laws. peel decided set scientific commission go ireland , investigate potato blight , report on conditions.
the emergency cabinet meeting met on 31 october till 1 november. first day consisted of reading reports , memoranda ireland on potato failure. peel proposed relief commission established in ireland, , sum of money advanced lord -lieutenant. differences arose when peel pointed out these measures required advance of public money. purchase of food destitute districts open question of corn laws. possible, asked, vote public money sustenance of people on account of actual or apprehended scarcity , still maintain restrictions on free import of grain; peel declared not. on issue cabinet split, overwhelming majority voting against peel. unable reach decision, cabinet adjourned till 6 november.

the principle of corn laws had been keep price of home-grown grain up. duties on imported grain assured english farmers minimum , profitable price. burden of higher price bread carried labouring classes, in particular factory workers , operatives. claimed if corn laws repealed connected land ruined , established social organisation of country destroyed.

according cecil woodham-smith, rising wrath of tories , landlords ensured interest in ireland submerged. writes tory mayor of liverpool refused call meeting relief of irish distress. continues mansion house committee in dublin accused of deluding public false alarm , , blight represented invention of agitators on other side of water . entanglement of irish famine repeal of corn laws, says, key misfortune ireland. potato failure eclipsed domestic issue of corn law repeal. irish famine, writes, slipped background.

november

on 9–10 november peel ordered secret purchase of £100,000 worth of indian corn , meal america distribution in ireland.
on 15 november scientific commissioners reported half potato crop had been destroyed.
on 19 november mansion house committee in dublin claimed have ascertained beyond shadow of doubt considerably more one-third of entire potato crop...has been destroyed.
on 20 november relief commission first met.
unable persuade cabinet repeal corn laws, on 5 december peel tendered resignation queen victoria reinstated days later when lord john russell unable form government.

1846

the first deaths hunger took place in 1846. in march peel set programme of public works in ireland forced resign prime minister on 29 june. new whig administration under lord russell, influenced laissez-faire belief market provide food needed halted government food , relief works, leaving many hundreds of thousands of people without work, money or food. grain continued exported country. private initiatives such central relief committee of society of friends (quakers) attempted fill gap caused end of government relief , government reinstated relief works, although bureaucracy slowed release of food supplies. blight totally destroyed 1846 crop , famine worsened considerably. december third of million destitute people employed in public works.

1847

emigrants leave ireland, engraving henry doyle (1827–1892), mary frances cusack s illustrated history of ireland, 1868

there average crop yields in 1847 harvest few seed potatoes had been planted. crowds began throng public works during last months of 1846 , start of 1847, promoted social conditions spread of famine fever. in late january , february, legislation called temporary relief act went through british parliament; became popularly known soup kitchen act , burgoyne s act. system of relief designed deliver cheap food directly , gratuitously destitute masses. system of relief terminated in september. government announced additional change in system of relief. after august 1847, permanent poor law extended , become responsible providing relief , result, relief financed local poor law rates. put impossible loads on local poor rates, particularly in rural west , south. mass emigration of famine era, horrors of coffin ships , 1847 have ever since been associated in popular mind, according james s. donnelly.

1848

the blight returned in 1848 , outbreaks of cholera reported. evictions became common among irish not keep demands of british landlords. famine victims on outdoor relief peaked in july @ 840,000 people. on 29 july uprising against government led william smith o brien. after skirmish @ widow mccormack s house in village of ballingarry, county tipperary leaders of rebellion fled america or sentenced transportation.

1849

the potato crop failed again in 1849 , famine accompanied cholera outbreaks. deadly cholera epidemic killed 1 of ireland s greatest poets: james clarence mangan.

1850

the famine ended.

1851

by 1851 census figures showed population of ireland had fallen 6,575,000 – drop of 1,600,000 in ten years. cormac Ó gráda , joel mokyr have described 1851 census famous flawed source. contend combination of institutional , individuals figures gives incomplete , biased count of fatalities during famine. famine left in wake million dead , million emigrated. famine caused sense of lasting bitterness irish towards british government, whom many blamed — , — starvation of many people. fall-out of famine continued decades afterwards.