Leases by Ambrose Moore O’Ferrall, Balyna, County Kildare, to Fr. William (Paul) Neary OSFC, Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC, Fr. Patrick Joseph (Columbus) Maher OSFC and Fr. Joseph (Bernard) Jennings OSFC, St. Mary of the Angels, Church Street, Dublin, of the ‘houses known as number 133 and number 134 Church Street (old) with the yard at the rear thereof extending to Bow Street on which the house facing Bow Street and formerly known as number 27 on said street formerly stood … coloured green in the map delineated … [and] secondly the plot of ground on the east side of Bow Street on which the two houses formerly known as numbers 22 and 23 Bow Street stood, and also the plot of ground on which the Charity School formerly stood with passage thereto and on which the Presbytery attached to the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, Church Street, or a portion of it now stands … coloured pink in the map delineated’, for 300 years and in consideration of the sum of £719 12s 0d and at the yearly rent of £51 8s. With annexed hand-coloured map of the premises referred to in the said lease. Scale(s): 44 feet to 1 inch; 16 feet to 1 inch.
This section includes deeds, leases and other legal documents relating to the title to three houses fronting onto Church Street (nos. 138-140) which subsequently became part of the present-day Capuchin Friary. It was evident that Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC (1849-1923) and the other Capuchins friars were eager to purchase these derelict properties with the intention of ‘pulling down the houses’ in order to expand the Friary. In 1886, Fr. Nicholas succeeded in acquiring these plots which later became part of the Friary garden. By 1914, a solicitor reported that all traces of the original buildings and houses had completely disappeared.
Assignment of Michael Murphy, 24 Bow Street, to John Cunningham, 44 Bow Street, of no. 24 Bow Street in consideration ‘of he putting said premises in repair, and he allowing me two shillings and 6d per week during my life’. With a conveyance (24 May 1887) from John Cunningham to Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC and other Capuchin friars, Church Street, of the said premises in consideration of the sum of £50. This deed has a small sketch map of the property. With receipts for the aforementioned payments and notices for payments in respect of municipal rates on the said premises. (See CA CS/2/2/7/10).
Conveyance of Fr. Fiacre Brophy OSFC and Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC to Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Fr. Matthew O’Connor OSFC and other Capuchin friars, of premises on Church Street and Bow Street (including Father Mathew Hall).
Schedules and lists of deeds and leases relating to properties and premises held by the Capuchin friars, Church Street. Many of the schedules of deeds were prepared by solicitors investigating title to the properties or were deposited in banks. Some of the documents were supplied to Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC. The file includes: • Schedule of deeds and documents relating to the Capucine [sic] Church, Dublin, received from Blount, Lynch & Petre. The list was compiled by Thomas J. Furlong, solicitor. 11 Oct. 1897. • Particulars of holdings on Bow Street and Church Street compiled by Terence O’Reilly & Son, 5 North Great George’s Street, solicitor. c.1900. • Receipt for a schedule of deeds supplied on loan from the National Bank Ltd., College Green. c.1910. • List of deeds received from Messrs Little, O’Huadhaigh & Proud relating to the Capuchin Friary of St. Mary of the Angels. 10 Jan. 1941.
Receipt signed by Michael Meade & Son for £305 received from Fr. [Nicholas] Murphy for principal and interest on account for building works at St. Mary of the Angels, Church Street. Endorsed on reverse: ‘Amount of debt due - £3,200 … by cash as per other side £305, now due £2,967, 21st March 1888’.
‘Lists of applications for Church Street made by Dispossessed Tenants’. The lists provide the names of local tenants who are seemingly occupying tenements, their addresses, and occupations. Notes are made of which tenants responded to ‘cards sent out’ and those which did not. With a cover sent to Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC by ‘Labourers’ Dwellings and Lodging-Houses, Corporation of Dublin’.
A report titled ‘housing in Dublin’ by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. referring to the corporation-sponsored Church Street and Beresford Street Improvement Schemes. Fr. Angelus refers to the history of Capuchin involvement in the campaign for housing improvement in the areas around Church Street. He wrote: ‘The Capuchins were directly responsible for the improvements that began in 1890, when Father Columbus [Maher] erected the Father Mathew Hall. Later on Father Nicholas [Murphy] obtained possession of the area extending from the Hall down to the Church. This was a very insanitary area, with a number of courts and alleys of ill-repute. It is now occupied by an extension of the Hall and by the garden attached to the Capuchin Friary. Reference is also made in the report into the Church Street Tenement Disaster of September 1913. This article was published in 'The Father Mathew Record', Vol. 27, No. 8 (Aug. 1934), pp 407-16.
