Many genealogists have written of the significance of the introduction of the Old Age Pension in 1909 and its impact on the discrepancies in birth dates implied by the censuses of 1901 and 1911. Most genealogists are aware of the great value of the search forms completed in respect of those whose only proof of age in or after 1909 came from nineteenth century census returns.
First-hand contemporary accounts by those involved in administering the introduction of the Old Age Pension are rare. The one which follows was written by my greatuncle and namesake, Patrick (Paddy) Waldron (8 March 1884-29 January 1953). I know from the London Gazette of 11 February 1902 that on 7 February 1902 after limited competition he was appointed as a Male Learner at Limerick in the Post Office. In the 1911 census, he was living with his married twin brother (my grandfather) in a house built the previous year at 4 Verona Esplanade in Limerick.
Both twins by 1911 gave their occupations as `Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist Post Office'. In the meantime, Paddy's duties had included both assisting the illiterate to fill up pension application forms and, under the pseudonym `Pat', contributing `Our Irish Letter' to The Oracle (The Post Office Magazine). This article appeared in Volume I (new series), No. 5, November 1908:
Our Irish Letter.
~
THE Old Age Pension Scheme occasioned no
small amount of interest in Irish Post Offices.
On the first day the various offices were fairly
besieged by claimants who had reached the
allotted age, and Ireland being noted for the
longevity of its people, it is not surprising that
something like 180,OOO claims are anticipated
by the authorities, or that already seyeral
applications have been received from persons
over 100 years of age. These latter have a
genuine cause of complaint in that Mr. Lloyd
George was not Chancellor of the Exchequer
30 years ago. While assisting the illiterate ---
and most of the applicants were of this class ---
to fill up the forms, I received a lot of interest-
ing information about early nineteenth century
events in which the narrators took part, or of
which they were witnesses. Very few of these
links with the past knew the exact date of their
births, and could give only an idea of their
ages by reference to some important event
which formed a landmark in their lives. For
instance, one old man, who could at first give
no more particulars than that he was ``purty
crabbit,'' added that he heard it said he was
born the week of the Clare election, meaning,
of course the keenly-contested election of
Daniel O'Connell for Clare in 1828. Another
claimant told his age by recounting that, when
a boy, he saw hundreds of people starting to
walk from the North of Tipperary county to
Cork (over 100 miles) to take the pledge from
Father Matbew! This would have been in
1838, when the Apostle of Temperance com-
menceed his crusade, and before he had extended
it beyond the city of his adoption. Pitiable it
was to listen to people who had actually
suffered in the awful famine of 1846-7, when
thousands of Irish fell victims to hunger and
disease. To read, of this frightful calamity
appals one, but to listen to an account of one
of the sufferers in it make one's blood freeze.
And, as a matter of fact, almost all the Irish
applicants have the record of having lived
through a plague, from which death would
have been a happy release, and to such as have
suffered five shillings a week pension is not a
too liberal allowance.
The following popular promotions have been
made in the Sorting Office, Cork. Mr. J.
Riordan, Overseer, to be Assistant Superinten-
dent; and Mr. J. McAuley, S.C. and T., to be
Overseer.
Pat.