Rollison In Wicklow

[NR]

Hi

I have a relative William Rollison who came from County Wicklow Ireland and was a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary in the 1840's.  Would anyone else have an interest in this?  I am trying to work out who his parents were.

[shanew147]

There's a few baptisms for the surname Rollison and similiar listed in county Wicklow between the 1820s and 1860s on the Irish Family History Foundation pay-website at www.irish-roots.ie ( they only have baptisms for Co. Wicklow at the moment .. no marriages)

One of those listed is a William Rollison born 1828 in the RC parish of Bray.




Shane

[NR]

HI Shane

thanks for this.  I have seen this too.  The problem i have is that the birth\baptisim date is earlier than his birth date according to his obituary and his age when he came to Australia (and his age when he joined the Constabulary).  I think it may be him but it's a bit hard to confirm when i don't really know his DOB.

Is it possible he always quoted his age wrong?

[shanew147]

It's possible that his age was given incorrectly for some records - it happened quite a bit in some families e.g. on census returns, deaths certs etc. Not all church records survive, so there may not be details available for the parish he was born in.

Do you have any idea where in county Wicklow he came from, or any details on his parents (e.g. from marriage cert) ?


Shane

[NR]

Hi Shane

Thanks for your help on this.  I know his wife was Mary Hughes and her obituary gives some clues:

On Tuesday late, July 21, were interred at the cemetery, St Frances de Sales, Mount Barker, the mortal remains of the late Mrs William Rollison, relict of the late Inspector Rollison, who died at his residence, "The Briars", Mount Barker, on March 30 {Easter Sunday}, 1902. The deceased lady had been ailing for a considerable time, and failed noticeably during the last twelve months, and the end came at 2.15p.m. on Sunday, July 19. Mrs Rollison was born on April 13, 1833, and lived until her marriage in the town of Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland. She had a clear remembrance of the dreadful plague which visited Ireland in her girlhood, also of hearing such eminent men as Daniel O'Connell and Father Mathew, the great temperance lecturer, speak in her native town while she was yet a girl, attending the Presentation Convent there. Her marriage to William Rollison, then of Keily's Cross, Co. Waterford, took place in 1855, and immediately after that ceremony, which was celebrated by Dr Halley, then parish priest of Dungarvan, the bride sailed with her husband in the ship Sea Park for South Australia, arriving on the shores of that colony in the same year, to commence the battle of life with a cheerful heart. Many quaint reminiscences of this time were related by the deceased lady. Mrs Rollison was a consistent and devout Catholic, attending Mass at St Francis de Sales until about fourteen months ago, since which time Father Landy has kindly and regularly conveyed the Blesed Sacrament to her home once a month to sustain and console her. Eight sons and daughters mourn their loss - William Robert, Robert Hewson, and A. Rollison of the Civil Service, Marianne, at present in New Zeland, Katherine and Nelly of "The Briars", Mount Barker, MArgaret, and Mrs Gen Harrison, wife of Gen Harrison of "The Age" staff, Melbourne. Father Landy held short prayers at "The Briars" previous to the start of the funeral cortege, and conducted the service at the grave. R.I.P."

I have requested information from her school and the church but neither have responded.

Where would I get the marriage certificate?  Would it even exist?

Regards

Nick

[shanew147]

Full Civil registration started in Ireland 1864 (plus non-Catholic marriages from 1845), so there will be no marriage cert for a Catholic 1855 marriage. see : 2 Minute Introduction to Irish Records

Church records will be required to locate the details. Two separate RC parishes seem to cover Dungarvan town - Dungarvan and Abbeyside and have records back to 1780s and late 1820 respectivly (with some missing dates). Unfortunately no Co. Waterford parish records are available online at the moment.

I dont see any County Wicklow connection in that article - am I missing something?


Shane

[NR]

It looks like he moved to Waterford after living in Wicklow.  His Obituary is as follows:

Regret will be felt by a wide circle of friends, especially by old colonists, at the death of Mr. William Rollison, late inspector of police, which took place at his residence, "The Briars," Mount Barker, on Sunday morning.

Mr. Rollison was born in County Wicklow, Ireland, on September 29, 1829, and was for six years a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary, but in 1855 left for South Australia by the ship Sea Park. On arrival he joined the Mounted Police in Adelaide, and next year was stationed at the Burra. Thence he went to Welling- ton, and in 1866 he was transferred back to Mount Barker, with the rank of corporal. He was subsequently appointed visiting sergeant for the central division, and on January 1, 1883, as sergeant Rollison was given charge of Port Lincoln district, where he acted in the capacity of sub-inspector. From Port Lincoln he went to Port Pirie, and thence in succession to Port Augusta, Clare, Moonta, and Teetulpa, where he was sub-inspector at the time gold was discovered. After 12 months' leave he retired from the force in
1889.

Sub-Inspector Rollison will be well remembered by old colonists in connection with his clever arrest of the notorious murderer, Malachi Martin, who strangled a servant girl in his employ and buried the body in a wombat-hole at Salt Creek, on the Coorong. At that time Mr. Rollison was in charge of Wellington station.

When at the Burra Mr. Rollison engaged on behalf of the late Captain Sir Walter Hughes some of the first miners employed on the Wallaroo mines. He was recognised as a judge of horse stock, and was an expert rider. During the regime of Commissioner George Hamilton a large number of horses for the Police Department were purchased, after having been selected by Mr. Rollison. As sub-inspector of aborigines from 1861 to 1866 Mr. Rollison had the oversight of many hundreds of natives in the Murray River district. He. was an enthusiastic gardener, and in the seventies and eighties was a leading prize winner in the flower section at Mount Barker shows. Mr. Rollison was a prominent member of the congregation of St. Francis de Sales (Catholic) Church at Mount Barker.

Do you know how I would go about getting marriage records from the church in Waterford?

[shanew147]

The records for both the Dungarvan RC parishes are available on Microfilm in the National Library (Kildare St, Dublin). I dont know if the local Parish churches in this case still hold their historic records or are able to do research on your behalf.

The only mention of Genealogy research I can find on the Diocese of Waterford & Lismore (which includes Dungarvan) website (http://www.waterfordlismore.com) relates to a research service based in Waterford City - www.waterford-heritage.ie  Their list of sources includes both the Dungarvan parishes I mentioned earlier.



Shane

[shanew147]

p.s. I've just realized that his year of birth based on his obituary is only one year different from  that Wicklow baptism record ... I'd say that record is promising, as Rollison is not a common name and I'd say the chances of another Catholic William Rollison being born around that time in Co. Wicklow are pretty slim.

I have ancestors you got their ages up to 6 years out on census returns, and10 years out on death certs!


Shane