In 1837, ten years before the height of the famine, Marlfield was recorded as having a population of 1,123 inhabitants, many of whom were employed at John Stein's distillery. Like much of the rest of rural Ireland, the poor of Marlfield suffered greatly during the Great famine. While there were local acts of philanthropy to help alleviate starvation, there were documented cases where food convoys and barges transporting flour and grain were attacked by desperate residents. These incidents of 'lawlessness' were viewed with little sympathy by local establishment figures.