Memories Of West Wicklow: 1813-1939

The Hanbidge family originated in Gloucester, and came to Ireland in the seventeenth century. They have been settled in the Donard Dunlavin area ever since, with branches in Dublin, and elsewhere. The Hanbidge memoirs provide a vivid and unique account of Protestant "small farmer" life in West Wicklow in the nineteenth century, together with recollections of the 1798 rebellion. There are also glimpses of Jonathan Swift and members of the Synge family. William Hanbidge wrote at the behest of his daughter, setting down in a simple but detailed manner the life of his family, their farming practices, past-times, communal relations, religious views, and awareness of the outer world. No comparable account of his social group and class has ever been published.