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File relating to an abortive attempt to establish an Irish Capuchin missionary presence in the Cape Colony, South Africa. In 1903, Bishop Hugh McSherry (1852-1940), Vicar Apostolic of the Cape of Good Hope (Eastern District), invited the Irish Capuchins to establish missionary foundations in his Vicariate. The large missionary area offered to the friars comprised the civil divisions of Albert, Aliwal North, Herschel and Barclay East collectively known as the Gariep (later Aliwal) territory. The file includes:
• Ecclesiastical return of the numbers of missions and Catholics in the Eastern Vicariate. 30 June 1903.
• Correspondence between Bishop Hugh McSherry and Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister.
• Draft report of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC on his visit to Port Elizabeth to view the proposed territory in March 1904.
• Draft letters to the Capuchin Minister General re the proposed mission.
• Draft memoranda of agreement for the proposed mission stations and properties to be held by the Irish Capuchins in the Vicariate.
• Colour trace map of the Eastern Vicariate showing the locations of the proposed Capuchin mission stations.
Other correspondents include: W.H. Butler, J. Commins, Fr. Lewis B. Gately, Fr. J.J. O’Reilly, St. Mary’s, Cape Town, and Fr. Bernard Christen of Andermatt OSFC, Minister General of the Capuchin Franciscans. On 13 July 1903, Bishop McSherry wrote: ‘I fear it would be practically impossible for me in a letter to convey to you any fair idea of the state of things in this country. Everything here is quite different to what it is at home – climate, season, habits and customs of the people, conditions of travelling, the ways of the natives – everything’. Later, the Bishop explained that the ‘mission district is 175 miles in its greatest length and 75 miles in its greatest width. It contains the important towns of Ailwal and Burghersdorp and the following smaller ones, Jamestown and Barclay East. … There are no Catholic schools in the district. The climate is about the best in South Africa or in the world’. (4 Jan. 1904).

A file of letters from An tAthair Peadar Ó Laoghaire, Castlelyons (Caisleán Ó Liatháin), County Cork. The letters primarily relate to Ó Laoghaire’s publications on the Irish language and various grammatical, translation, and textual issues. The letters are seemingly addressed to a religious sister (possibly Sister Treasa le hÍosa or Sister Teresa Curtis). The file includes one letter to Ó Laoghaire from Sister Treasa le hÍosa, St. Clare’s Convent, Carlow. The letter dated 1899 is addressed to ‘Conchubhair’. One of Ó Laoghaire’s letters (31 May 1915) reads ‘I say it is quite possible for the translation of the original into one language to be superior to a translation of the same original into another language’. Reference is also made to Mairéad Ní Raghallaigh, one of the founders of the Irish Book Company. The file includes transcripts of some of the letters compiled by Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. An annotated envelope in the file reads ‘I think this a letter from Fr. Peter O’Leary, Castlelyons, County Cork’. The cover is addressed to Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Church Street Friary, Dublin.

Costs of Thomas J. Furlong, 11 Eustace Street, solicitor, to Fr. Peter (Edward) Bowe OSFC and others for preparing a deed of conveyance to vest Church property in nine members of the community as joint tenants and for a power of attorney from Fr. Anthony (John) Travers OSFC (resident in Tasmania) to Fr. Aloysius (William) Travers OSFC. Total cost: £33 5s 4d. 2 copies. With letters from Thomas J. Furlong to Fr. Angelus Healy OSFC and Fr. Paul Neary OSFC referring to a deed executed by Miss Maher on 19 Aug. 1897 conveying the property bequeathed to her following the death of her brother (Fr. Patrick Joseph Columbus Maher OSFC, died 10 Sept. 1894) to the Capuchin community on Church Street.

Lease by Fr. Edward (Peter) Bowe OSFC and other Capuchin friars, Franciscan Capuchin Friary, Church Street, to Robert Kavanagh, grocer, tobacconist and confectioner, of the dwelling house and premises known as no. 151 Church Street, together with a plot of ground upon which nos. 11-15 May Lane formerly stood, for 150 years at the yearly rent of 1s and in consideration of the sum of £300. With a letter from Seán Ó Huadhaigh, solicitor, to Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap., regarding Kavanagh’s lease of 12 May Lane and questions re the title to the premises. 20 Mar. 1969.

Costs of Thomas J. Furlong, 11 Eustace Street, solicitor, to Fr. Edward (Peter) Bowe OSFC, Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC and Fr. Bartholomew Brophy OSFC for services rendered in respect of the purchase of premises on Bow Street and Brown Street. Totals: £21 0s 3d; £26 1s 0d.

Lease by Fr. Edward (Peter) Bowe OSFC, Fr. Bartholomew Brophy OSFC and Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC, ‘the sub-lessors’, to John Morgan, North King Street, ‘the sub-lessee’, of ‘the piece or parcel of ground in Bow Street … bounded on the North by number 44 Bow Street, on the south by waste ground on which a weigh house formerly stood in the possession of Messrs John Jameson and Sons …’, for 135 years at the yearly rent of £10 and in consideration of the sum of £212 10s 0d. The deed contains an annexed sketch map depicting the demised premises. Scale: 16 feet to 1 inch. With apportionment by Fr. Edward (Peter) Bowe OSFC and others to John Morgan of rent and rates on the said properties. 1 Apr. 1908.

Lease by Fr. Edward (Peter) Bowe OSFC, Fr. Bartholomew (Fiacre) Brophy OSFC and Fr. Nicholas (Maurice) Murphy OSFC, Church Street, to Bernard O’Reilly, dairyman, of the aforementioned old dwelling house and dairy yard situated on the north side of Carter’s Lane off Smithfield for 999 years in consideration of £182 and at the yearly rent of 1s. One of the covenants attached to the lease specifies that the lessee ‘will not use the said premises or permit the same to be used as an appurtenant to any of the purposes of a brewer, distiller, malt house or storage for the sale of intoxicating liquors or for any asylum hospital or other institution for any offensive, noisy or dangerous trade, business, manufacture or occupation of any nuisance …’. With a draft of the lease prepared by T.J. Furlong, 11 Eustace Street, Dublin. The file also includes a letter from Bernard O’Reilly to Fr. Fiacre Brophy OSFC on the subject of the said lease (1 Sept. 1914).

Ledger and account book for the Capuchin community at St. Mary of the Angels, Church Street. The ledger provides a daily record of income received and expenses incurred by the community. Notes are made of income derived from mass stipends, street collections, sodalities, Third Order payments and temperance publications. Reference is also made to monies received from donations, alms, bequests, and cheques. Expenses include travel tickets, staff wages, groceries, building repairs and other sundries. The entries are periodically signed by the Friary Guardian and by the Provincial Minister at Visitations
The front cover is endorsed in typescript with a list of Friary Guardians:
Fr. Bernard Jennings 1883-1886
Fr. Nicholas Murphy 1886-1893
Fr. Francis Hayes 1893-1895
Fr. Anthony Travers 1895-1898
Fr. Peter Bowe 1898-1901
Fr. Fiacre Brophy 1901-1904
Fr. Thomas Dowling 1904-1907
Fr. Laurence Dowling 1907-1910
It is also noted that Fr. Laurence began a ‘new ledger in Sept. 1907’. See CA CS/3/1/6.

General house receipts for 1926 to 1934. Includes bills of costs and receipts associated with the funeral expenses of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, former Provincial Minister (d. 24 Nov. 1926), and Fr. Sebastian O’Brien OSFC (1867-1931).

Letter from Joseph W. Cleary, National Education Office, to Fr. Mark McDonnell OSFC, Church Street, enclosing a printed draft of the rules (particularly in respect of funding) for Evening National Schools. With a letter from P.E. Lemass to Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC informing him that St. Francis’ Male Evening School has been recognised by the Office of National Education. Also includes a memorandum noting that St. Francis’ School has received a capitation grant of £15 15s 0d from the Commissioners of Education.