1901 Census Research for Burtown, Co. Kildare

The population trends in the townlands reveal a dynamic narrative of growth and decline over the decades. Burtown saw a modest population decrease of 12% between 1851 and 1881, which sharply accelerated in the subsequent two decades. Ardscul, the largest townland at 1,189 acres, was also the most populated with 151 residents in 1851. This population remained stable until the 1870s when a gradual decline began, speeding up in the 1890s.
Aughnaure was sparsely populated with only 15 residents in 1851. Griffith’s Valuations from around 1850 show that two families lived there: Arthur Perrin, who leased the entire townland from the Duke of Leinster, and James Doyle, who had a single house but no land. By 1901, the only remaining family was that of Thomas and Mary Halligan, along with their three children and an uncle, Patrick Brien.
In contrast, Ballindrum experienced a population increase from 88 in 1851 to 103 by 1871, followed by a steady decline to just 52 in 1901.
Burtown Big remained relatively stable until the 1890s, when its population dropped from 45 to 25. According to Griffith’s Valuations in the 1850s, the land was farmed by James Patterson (363 acres), Charles Sinnott (164 acres), George Egford (163 acres), and William Pelin (92 acres), all leasing from the Duke of Leinster. Thomas Dillon and John Anthony also resided there. By 1901, most of these families had left, except for the Dillons. Mary Dillon, an 80-year-old widow, lived with her three unmarried children, Michael (43), Thomas (36), both blacksmiths, and Julia (38).
Burtown House, situated in Burtown Little, was initially known as Powersgrove House. The population here grew from 27 in 1851 to 34 in 1861, then fell to 21 by 1871 before rising again to 33. This fluctuation likely reflects emigration and replacement by new families. However, the population sharply declined from 32 in the 1890s to just 13 in 1901. Four houses were occupied in 1901, headed by Daniel Fallon, Julia Keogh, Maria Dowling, and Patrick Hill, with the Fallon family being the only one listed in Griffith’s Valuations of the 1850’s.

Burtown House was inherited by William James Fennell, a member of a well known Quaker family who married Isabel Shackleton, a cousin of Sir Ernest Shackleton. On Census night William and six  children were living at nearby Rathside in the townland of Mullaghmast, which is in the Moone Electoral Division and can be found on its page here. Isabel was not at home that evening, for she is recorded on Census night as a visitor to the home of Eliza Johnson at House 3 in the townland of Suckfield, the Electoral Division of Creagh in the Co. Roscommon. Eliza’s two daughters Elsie and Hilda, were aged 35 and 34 and born in Co. Kildare and were likely to be friends of 34 year old Isabel. 
Gilassealy’s population halved in the 1860s to 39, rebounded to 54 by 1881, then halved again in the following decade to 23.
The populations of Inch and Irishtown remained relatively stable over 50 years. The decline from 27 to 15 in Inch during the 1850s was likely a temporary migration of one or two families who were subsequently replaced.