Ladies' Land League facts for kids

The Ladies' Land League was a special group that helped the Irish National Land League. It was started on January 31, 1881, and finished its work on August 10, 1882. This group stepped in to do the jobs of the main Land League when its leaders were put in prison.

Why the Ladies' Land League Started

The Irish National Land League was created in 1879 by Michael Davitt. Its main goals were to lower high rents for farmers and help farmers own their land. Charles Stewart Parnell, a very important political leader at the time, was chosen as its President.

By late 1880, Michael Davitt thought that the leaders of the Land League would soon be arrested. He suggested forming a Ladies' Land League to keep their important work going after they were jailed. A few months before, Charles Parnell's sister, Fanny Parnell, had already set up a Ladies' Land League Committee in New York. This group raised money for the Irish National Land League.

Charles Parnell was against the idea of a Ladies' Land League in Ireland. But Michael Davitt and the League's Treasurer, Patrick Egan, convinced the main committee. Davitt suggested that Anna Parnell, another of Charles's sisters, should lead it. So, on January 31, 1881, the Ladies' Land League officially began its work.

What the Ladies' Land League Did

The Ladies' Land League grew very quickly. By May 1881, there were 321 branches across Ireland. They also had groups in other countries like Britain, the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Keeping Records of Land Issues

At their main office, the women kept a detailed record book. They called it the "Book of Kells." Local branches sent in information every week. This book listed details about every land estate, including:

• The name of the landlord or agent.
• How many tenants lived there.
• The rent paid.
• How many families had been forced off their land (evicted).
• How many evictions were about to happen.

Helping Evicted Families

When the Ladies' Land League heard about an upcoming eviction, members would travel to that area. They brought money to help the families. If tenants wanted to go to court, the League would hire a lawyer and pay the costs. They also tried to build simple wooden huts for families who had been evicted. However, the police often stopped them from doing this.

In October 1881, the leaders of the main Land League were jailed, and the League was made illegal. From jail, they told people not to pay rent. From this point on, the women of the Ladies' Land League were in charge of continuing all the important work.

Building Homes for Evicted Tenants

At first, volunteers tried to build the huts for evicted tenants. But this didn't work very well. So, Anna Parnell decided to use prefabricated wooden huts. These huts were about 20 feet long and had windows and wooden floors. The wood was cut and prepared in Dublin by a company called B.B. Leech. They even sent carpenters to help set up the huts. A metal roof, felt lining, and a stove were sent separately.

These huts could be put up quickly. They could also be taken apart fast and moved to a new place. This often happened because, after a few months, tenants might pay their overdue rent and move back to their own homes. The Ladies' Land League built over 200 of these special huts.

Supporting Prisoners and Their Families

Besides helping evicted tenants, the League also gave money to the families of people jailed under the Coercion Act. They also looked after the Land League prisoners in Kilmainham Gaol (jail). They gave the prisoners comforts and organized food for them so they wouldn't have to eat only prison food.

At first, they used caterers to provide food, but this was very expensive. It cost 25 shillings and 6 pence per week for each person. This was using up too much money. Eventually, Anna Parnell convinced the League leaders to change this. Instead, each prisoner received 15 shillings a week to buy their own food.

Publishing the Newspaper

The ladies found themselves with even more work in late 1881. The Land League had started its own newspaper called United Ireland in August 1881. But towards the end of the year, the government tried to shut it down. William O'Brien, the editor, kept secretly sending out articles from Kilmainham Jail. But it was up to the ladies to get the newspaper printed.

They first printed it in London, and then for a while in Paris. Eventually, the ladies printed and distributed the newspaper themselves from an office in Dublin.

The final records of the Ladies' Land League were given to Michael Davitt in June 1882. They showed that the League spent almost £70,000 during the 18 months it was active.