Edition Bobbett2. Speeches and statements by Elizabeth F. Bobbett
1938 Wicklow, Circuit Court
Source: Wicklow People, 09.07.1938
Miss Bobbett said she did not owe the County Council all this sum, and asked for particulars of the years in which it was due, but the witness said he was handed the warrants and could not answer how the warrants were prepared. Miss Bobbett's calculations amounted to £214 4s 1d but Mr. McCarroll referred to the item of sheriff's fees. Miss Bobbett contended she had included £2 13s for sheriff's fees under the first decree, and she asked if the County Council could include his fees in their civil bill?
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"I submit that I do not owe the County Wicklow County Council the amount in this civil bill, i.e. £218 7s 2d and I would like to ask how the rate collector arrives at this amount and what years are they for? Already two decrees have been given against me in the district court and I have paid some off each decree. Is it right that costs should be duplicated by including the balance due under these former decrees in the present civil bill? There is also an amount of £2 13s sheriff's costs on the first decree included in this civil bill. I have made every effort to pay my rates and have always been able to pay them up to 1932, but I am unable to pay now for the following reasons:
1) At the time of my father's death in 1924, there was a charge to the Royal Bank on this farm of £2’000. Under my father's will I was to get £1’000 in cash within three months and my mother was to get the same, and also she was to get an annuity of £300 free of tax. Being young and ignorant of the law I was ill-advised by the solicitor who was dealing with our affairs, he was also solicitor for the Royal Bank, and on his advice, my mother and I waived our claims to the legacies and annuity in favour of the bank to help clear off my father's debts. In April 1932, the Royal Bank of Ireland got an order for the sale of my farm as I was not able to clear off the bank charge of £ 1’700. From 1922 to 1932 I reduced the charge of £ 2’000 to £ 1’700 and also had paid in interest £916, owning to my not getting my legacy I had a hard time to keep things going on the farm here, but the court order for the bank ruined my credit. In 1935, my case was before the Banking Commission, but I was not allowed to give my full evidence. In May 1932, my brother offered the bank £1’200 in settlement of my debt, but they refused it. I had then no money and very little stock. I borrowed money from friends and relations to pay rates. I kept selling out the stock and had to till the land, but owing to circumstances over which I had no control it was impossible to make farming pay.
2) As shown by the attached documents from the inspector of taxes I lost from 1932/1933 to 1935/1936, £1’287 odd and in 1936/1937, £166 odd, a total of £1’453, while wages for this period was roughly £1’000. In 1935 I was so pressed for rates that in June I had to sell eight cattle for £29 to meet the second moiety rates and get the advantage of the credit note (the half year's rates were £40 10s 7d). In October, 1935, I had to sell six cattle for £14 8s (48s each) to pay something off my annuities. In January 1935 I had 54 cattle and 36 sheep. Today I have ten cows and 11 calves, 8 sheep and 8 lambs. The harvest 1936 was very bad and in 1937 was worse, and I had only 27 barrels of wheat off five and a half Irish acres. I could only set a very small portion of the land as people were afraid to take it, fearing their stock would be seized for rates or annuities. I have done everything in my power to meet my liabilities. I have written to Mr. Eamon de Valera and the Ministers for Local government and Lands asking them to grant me an exemption from seizure for the grazing stock so that I could set the land and give half the rent towards paying off rates and half off annuities, but they could not or would not do it.
3) The rabbit plague in 1936 left me no green or root crops and only half meadows. I had to sell my hay as I had no money to carry on or pay wages to save what was left of the harvest.
4) Had the rate collector and the County Council not pressed me so hard in 1935 I would have been in a better position to pay, as I had plenty of winter keep, but had to sacrifice this stock. It is well known that I am one of the hardest workers in this county and it is not from slackness or extravagant living that I cannot pay rates, which, under present conditions the farms of this county cannot bear. I have to keep a house for my mother who is in very delicate health. In 1934, understanding that I could get the amount of compensation put to reduction of my arrears of rates, I made no objection to the Board of Health acquiring half an acre for a labourer's cottage, but was later informed that the bank were entitled to the £15 5s awarded for the plot. My solicitor asked the bank to allow this amount go towards reduction of rates, but they refused. Now there is another plot being taken beside the first cottage for which the Board of Health have only allowed £13 10s; the Bank will not allow this amount either to go towards the rates and I understand this amount is now lodged in the Hibernian Bank, Wicklow, in the names of the Circuit Court Judge and the County Registrar for the County of Wicklow. I respectfully ask your Lordship to strike out the civil bill.”