18/04/2026
Today sees the release of the 1926 Census of the Irish Free State , the first census to document the people of Ireland following the War of Independence and it is fascinating to see who was resident in Mote Park House on the night of the census: Lord Edward Crofton recorded as farmer born Rathnew, Wicklow, widowed and aged 59 years and 9 months was entered as head of household along with Arthur Marcus Lowther Crofton 27, single and born Northumberland, England a retired Lieutenant in the Irish Guards and employed in the British Government and three servants: Hannah Pratt 32 born Borris on Ossory, Queen's Town and two local girls Mary Margaret Mullan 25 from Cloonsellan and Mary Connor 18 from Tremane.
Lord Crofton recorded himself as an employer on 1091 statute acres.
The House and Buildings Return Form A stated that Mote Park House consisted of 33 rooms, three of the gatehouses and the head of households of each were listed: Thomas Rogers (Lion's Gate), John Macklin (Tremane Gates) and John Crean (Ballymurray Gates). Also listed was Daniel Connor (we know that he was living in the mill & farmyard complex) and Alexander Haggart who was living at the Laundry House. Also recorded on this form were the number of rooms in each house and the number of males and females resident (you will find more information on these families under their own census return forms.
The following is a link to the 1926 census:
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-census/
