Bray, Wicklow and Arklow were the principal urban concentrations of the county with lesser towns at Blessington, Baltinglass, Rathdrum, Tinahely, Rathnew, Newtownmountkennedy and Greystones. There were a half dozen strategic villages like Aughrim and Shillelagh dotted throughout the county with population of up to five hundred souls.

Economic activity and livelihoods in these small urbanised communities generally depended on a number of mercantile outlets, artisans workshops like smithy’s, stone masons, tailoring and seamstresses workshops and other trades. Within the larger towns were a small professional class of legal, medical and estate administrators. Important social occasions were the monthly fairs and markets. Every town and village hosted a monthly fair day where the agricultural community came to purchase retail goods, socialise and offer their farm produce and animals. Fairs were very important as news disseminators; Ubiquitous too was the presence of the law at fairs in the role of Royal Irish Constabulary barracks and the local court house. There were 13 court houses throughout the county where over 65 local amateur Justices of the Peace dispensed law with powers to fine wrongdoers or pass jail sentences of up to six months in the county prison for a host of offences, some of which would be deemed very petty indeed.