The Story of the Rowe Family of Spawell Rd

EU Neighbours' Day falls on the last Friday of May each year, which, this year was May 25. In Wexford town dozens of neighbours came together in Redmond Park to celebrate the day. There was coffee, chat and glorious warm early Summer sun (sunshine, remember that?). The high point of this gathering was a lecture on Rowe's Mill and the Family Rowe given by local historian and tour guide Monica Crofton. The mill once occupied a corner of what is now the Children's Memorial Park, better known as Redmond Park. Monica has kindly given us permission to re-print her notes from that lecture here. Thanks hun!

The Story of the Rowe Family of Spawell Rd
Moses Rowe
The first of the Rowe family to come to Wexford was Moses Rowe. He came from Kilkenny. He was not involved in the milling trade himself but his wife’s family were. She was Sarah Jane Howard. Moses was a member of the militia and was posted to Wexford Barracks sometime before 1816.  Each generation gave the name “Howard” to one of its sons. Moses reached the rank of Quarter master sergeant but was the owner of several houses in Wexford town; probably the money came from his wife’s family.
Thomas Howard Rowe 1
Thomas Howard Rowe, son of Moses Rowe, bought the grounds (now Redmond Park) in Spawell Rd in 1850 or 1853 and began milling there. There had been a glue factory and a tannery on the site. Water came from the adjoining springs. In 1859 he borrowed £600, probably to convert the mill to steam.
Thomas Howard Rowe 2
The tradition of milling was carried on by the next generation when Thomas Howard Rowe 2 took over the business. The mill burned down in1904, but Rowe used this as an opportunity to up-date the milling machinery and methods. The preference then was for iron ground flour. This Thomas Rowe serves as mayor of Wexford for the two years 1911/1912. This was the time of the “Lock Out” in Wexford when workers in various factories in Wexford were “locked out” by their employers for joining the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union. Rowe locked out his 30 workers during that time. He professed to be a follower of John Redmond the Wexford leader of the Home Rule Party. When Thomas Rowe died he left several bequests to various members of his family .These could not be honoured without selling the business so the family agreed to wait for payment to avoid having to do this.
Charles John Rowe
Charles John Rowe took over the mill in 1920. He was not a business man and he found he had many difficulties to overcome. He was facing huge competition from large flour mills such as Ranks. During the war the British Government had subsidised the flour milling industry, now the subsidy was removed, there was a general slump in the price of flour and all the time Charles Rowe was conscious of the bequests left by his father which he felt had to be paid to the rest of the family. In 1926 he moved the milling business to Paul Quay, where his father had a store and sold the 4 acres of land at Spawell Rd to the Park Committee who landscaped it as a people’s park in memory of Major Willie Redmond and the Redmond family. The only piece kept by the family was the mill house where they lived, called Richmond, and a small yard. He mill was converted to a dance hall called Redmond Hall. Dances were run there every week to the music of Lowney’s Band.
The Rowe family finally moved out in 1958 and all the promised bequests were paid. The business on Paul Quay was sold to the Odlum Group. Redmond Hall ceased to be popular in the 1960s when the taste in music moved from jazz bands to show bands .It was finally demolished in the 1970s
Monica Crofton
(Monica extends her gratitude to David Rowe for information provided.)