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The Royal Bounty for Triplets
Posted by Alan King on June 20, 2016 at 16:11:01:
In August 1849 Queen Victoria, while on a visit to Ireland, established the practice of granting one guinea for each child of a multiple birth above two. The bounty was "to enable the parents to meet the sudden expenses thrown upon them." To qualify the births had to be live and in wedlock, the parents British subjects." This programme continued right up until 1957 when Queen Elizabeth instituted several changes to the monarchy. The Royal Bounty for triplets was then replaced by the sending of a congratulatory message instead.
In Ireland, the practice continued up until 1940 at least when a mother of triplets from Longford applied and was awarded the bounty. The practice in the past was for a doctor to apply to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland/Governor-General of the Irish Free State giving proof and details of the multiple births. This very old custom was abolished when Ireland was officially declared a Republic in 1949. The last application I found from Mayo was in October 1924, when Dr. Alfred J. Faulkner from Castlebar applied to Mr. T. M. Healy, Governor-General of Ireland in the Viceregal Lodge, Dublin (later Áras an Uachtaráin) for a Mrs. John Boyle, Broadfield, Turlough who gave birth to triplets – three girls. It’s unknown if the bounty was paid out but Dr. Faulkner observed that because the birth of triplets was so unusual, it attracted a huge crowd at the local church when the babies were being baptised.
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