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The Flax Growers Bounty List, 1796

© Leona MacDonald

The Flax Growers Bounty List is also known as The Spinning Wheel Survey of Ireland. The list was compiled in 1796 by the Irish Linen Board. The list included about 60, 000 growers who were given rewards for growing flax. Flax was so important a crop in Ireland that the Board decided on a scheme of incentives to get people to grow the product. An individual was rewarded with 4 spinning wheels for planting one acre of flax. Three quarters of an acre got the grower 3 spinning wheels. One-half acre of flax brought the grower two spinning wheels. A grower of one-quarter acre of flax would get one spinning wheel. A flax grower that cultivated no less than five ares got a loom or or spinning wheels up to the value of five shillings.

"To the person who should sow between the 10th day of March and the 1st day of June 1796 with a sufficient quantity of good sound flax-seed, any quantity of land, well prepared and fit for the purpose not less than 1 Acre -- 4 Spinning Wleels, 3 Roods -- 3 ditto, 2 Roods --2 ditto and 1 Rood -- 1 ditto. And to the person who should sow in like manner any quantity of like land, not less than 5 Acres, a loom or wleels, reels or hatchells to the value of 50 shillings, and for every 5 Acres over and above the first 5, a like premium"

Please note that Dublin and Wicklow are not included on the Flax growers list. Also note that this list date backs 30 years or so before the last census record subsitute. It could be a valuable source for you. I indeed think that several of my families may be found on that list. I might be buying it. *wink*

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Ancestry.com

http://www.ancestry.com has the Irish Flax Growers List as one of their databases a member may search through. Yes there's a fee for Ancestry.com and I think it's a rather good service over all. I found a few entries on the flax growers list that could match up with my family. The information is limited and they refer you to The Ulster Historical Society to get more information on an individual's listing. A look up costs $31 US funds or 20 pounds UK. For more on what you get for that fee please go to the following URL: http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/i... Here's a sample of what you will find on the Ancestry site: