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For reasons unknown, I have not been receiving notification of posts since late Feb and thought the list had gone dormant. Far from it, good to see. I just logged on to record a piece of information on Capt William Halpin, which is minor by recent standards.
Peninsular Medal Roll 1793-1814. King's German Legion. 1st Light Dragoons. Halpin, William, Paymr. 4 Clasps. Sal. Vitt. Orthes. Toul. [The Battle of Salamanca was in July 1812, the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813, Battle of Orthez in February 1814, Toulouse April 1814 ].
All of William's fellow officers had German surnames. He had the most clasps of the unit apart from one other. The names of over 26,000 men are listed in the Peninsular Medal Roll.
Topic Split at 300 replies
Previous section : Halpins of Wicklow - Part 3 (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,476972.0.html)
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Hi Bill,
At last a voice in the wilderness after 25 days of silence. Must be a record for this topic.
Just by chance, I looked up something today, and found your reply No.5 of 23.8.2010:
'The birthdate of Nicholas Halpin of Portarlington has been estimated at about 1735'.
On 16 March I posted details of children of Mark Halpin/Halpen baptised in London, incl. a Nicholas
in 1726. There is a good chance that the Mark concerned is one of the Maryborough Halpens.
Three common factors would be Queens Co., the name Nicholas, and the similar birthdate.
Could Mark have returned to Ireland with his children after his wife died, and left them there ?
It's a lead worth following I believe, although I am not sure how to go about it.
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Index to the previous sections of this thread for reference :
Halpin family of Wicklow - Part 1 (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,270348.0.html)
Halpins of Co. Wicklow, Portarlington and Dublin City - Part 2 (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,440561.0.html)
Halpins of Wicklow - Part 3 (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,476972.0.html)
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Please note the links shown above to the preceding threads of our topic. Thank you to our moderator Shane who has set us up to continue on our Halpin/Wicklow journey. Somewhere in the last thread I made a rough estimate of the huge number of posts, possibly some sort of record on one family group.
There have been many sterling contributions this year alone, particularly lengthy and well researched efforts by Ronald (Bigbird), Ray and Ken. The quality of our efforts are not diminishing and look set to continue, for which we are all grateful.
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My cousin Pamela Griffith and her husband Ross Griffith are visiting Ireland. I understand they will be staying at Tinakilly House on the weekend of 25/26 May and may be meeting some of you. Pamela and I are ggg-grandchildren of George Halpin senior. Pamela is an esteemed artist and has a public website. She will be hoping that time and weather combine to allow her to get some sketching done in beautiful Wicklow.
Going back to her and my Halpin descendant tree after some time, I have been struck by a couple of names and, as ever, wonder at the significance of some names.
George Halpin junior's sons (all baptised Villiers as previously told) were William Oswald, George, Robert and Alfred. We have previously canvassed where William and Oswald may originate. But ROBERT (b.1846) and ALFRED (1851)? Junior had cousins named Robert, but why did his uncles William and James both choose Robert? (James named two sons Robert after the first died.)
What part did Junior's wife Julia Villiers have in the naming. Both William Oswald and George both relate back directly to the Halpin family, unless William was a name shared with her own Villiers family (frustratingly unknown so far). But Robert and Alfred?
George the third was Pamela's and my ancestor. He only had two sons. Alfred came before his own son George. His brother Alfred had died at the age of four when George had been twelve. Perhaps this influenced naming his first son Alfred. But also, was Alfred an important name in his mother's Villiers line? It would be very good to discover.
There is also the intriguing repeating and distinctive female name, ANNIE CAROLINE. She was junior and Julia's second daughter after Isabella Julia. Thereafter Annie Caroline was used for the name of her own child and those of her sister Isabella Julia's daughter and her brother George's daughter. Might these also have been in tribute to someone in her mother's Villiers family?
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Bill,
Re your first post above, it seems that we are now required to log in regularly.
Each log-in lasts for 3600 minutes, which is 2.5 days.
I guess we'll just have to get used to checking every couple of days.
Ken
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The Wm. Halpin mentioned in the first deed here may not be the same as the one mentioned in the deeds below. I've still one deed left to decipher, which has the potential to be very informative.
William Halpin/Thomas Penrose 601 39 407712
Indented lease bearing date 22nd August 1806 between William Halpin of the town and county of Wicklow and Thomas Penrose of [Brittas?], Wicklow County, Esquires, and Hannah Penrose, of Wicklow Town, Spinster...the deed deals with property adjoining Lawrence McCabe’s holding – bounded on the east by the Street’s Market Place, on the west by Lawrence McCabe’s holding, and on the north by the late Robert Bullock’s holding and on the south by the Earl of Meath’s holding...witnessed by George Hobbert and Samuel Bury, gents, both of the said town of Wicklow, and Wm Manifold.
William Halpin/Robert Kane 1846 5 299 (Note the last name mentioned)
Indented deed dated 12th January 1846 made between Edward Litton Esq [...?...] of the Masters of Her Majesty’s High Court of Chancery in Ireland, Edward Acton Gibbon of Sandymount, Dublin, Esquire, Sole assignee of the Estate and Effects of William Halpin, an insolvent debtor, James Gibbons of Ballingael, Westmeath, Esq., Godfrey Levinge of [?] in Tipperary and Edward Symes Bayley of Ballyarthur, Co. Wicklow, Esquire, Edmund Mooney, Henrietta Street, Dublin, Soliciter, and Robert Kane, Dublin, Esq.,...as a result of a decree and other proceedings in a Cause in the Court of Chancery wherin James Gibbons was plaintiff and E A Gibbon, Godfrey and E S Bayley were the defendants...in obedience to court decree Robert Kane deposited £5,950 in the Bank of Ireland and paid 10s to each defendant...with the approbation of E. Litton...with the consent and by the direction of Edmund Mooney...[and so on. It mentions the town and lands of Glardree, Tulla, Co. Clare (1811)...transferred from Sir Joseph Peacock to Peter Purcell...] Witnessed by Simon Henry Nolan of Henrietta Street, James William Middleton Berry of Seamingtow in Warwickshire, Esq., and James Kilkee/Kilbee of the Wooden Bridge Hotel, County Wicklow, Hotel Keeper.
William Halpin/J W O’Fallon 1847 8 22 [Note the last name. I don't know if we've mentioned A. Halpin before. Who could it be? Male or female?]
Memo of indenture dated 1st September 1840 between William Halpin of Castleforbes, County Dublin, Esquire, and James William O’Fallon of Blessington Street, Dublin, Esquire, Barrister, whereby after reciting that George Flood late of Cranagh [?], Co Roscommon, Esq., deceased, was in his lifetime and at his death seized in fee of all the town and lands of Cranagh...by a certain indented deed of Conveyance bearing date 28th May 1830 the said lands were conveyed unto William Halpin and his heirs...after further reciting that William Halpin had agreed to convey his right to title and interests in said lands etc unto James William O’Fallon...[for £20 Halpin sold the lands and interests of Cranagh – including mill and watercourse erected thereon with the dwelling office and demesne lands of Cranagh to O’Fallon]...Witnessed by James Leeson, Dublin, Clerk, and Tankerville W Chamberlain of Dublin, Esquire, Barrister...and by A. Halpin [Andrew Halpin?] of [elugus/augus/dugus] in the Kingdom of France.
William Halpin/Dunn 1848 21 32 (is Halpin attempting to generate cash?)
Indented lease dated 25 February 1839 between WH, Dublin, Esq., and Michael J Dunn of Amiens Street, Dublin, Builder. Halpin let unto Dunne that parcel of land on the North Strand being part of Lot No. 50 measuring in front to West Road 72’, on south side to Sheriff Street 79’...and so forth – from this point on the deed simply outlines the dimensions of the lot in question. Witnessed by John Joseph Clark, Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin, Solicitor, and “Cyprian Nial” of Phibsboro Avenue, Dublin, Clerk.
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Ray's quotation above of "A Halpin in the Kingdom of France" reminds me of the post on 14 Sep 2010 (perhaps at http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=476972.10 ) showing that on 22nd August 1851 a ship's captain declared aliens aboard his vessel from Calais
Name: Halpin. Quality/Profession: Gent. Country/Pays: France
Perhaps this was the A Halpin recorded in the Deed.
[France had restored monarchies from 1815, became a republic again from early 1848 and the 2nd Empire from 1851/2. Britain and Ireland may not have always honoured these changes.]
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I have been making efforts to see what exists by way of French genealogical sources in the 1840s/50s, trying to identify Halpins there, and not getting far. One respondent however did wonder whether the "A. Halpin" could be in fact R. Halpin, meaning William Halpin's son Robert who had been born in France. Just passing on this thought. Another respondent wished to see an image of the illegible location in case it is recognisable to a Frenchman.
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Images recorded from the Calendars of Wills & Administrations 1858-1920 can now be inspected online at
http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/search/cwa/home.jsp. Full information at this home page.
Many names we have been discussing here are listed. Deaths outside Ireland including Canada, Scotland and France are to be seen.
Most wills are kept at the Archives but they caution that some have not survived.
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At times in the past, as we've been busy posting our latest discoveries, we've sometimes paused to speculate on where the Halpins came from. Are they natives, who converted to Protestantism some time around the end of the 17th century? Or are they colonists, who came to these shores from Scotland, or England, or maybe even France? Part of my own research has tried to answer this question. My findings are inconclusive. Through my investigations in the Registry of Deeds I've loosely traced the Halpins back to Dublin in the 1720s. And in one of those deeds I have a Halpin doing business with a Halpenny. The Halpennys appear to predate the Halpins of Wicklow, which has prompted some to wonder if Halpenny isn't some kind of Gaelic version of the Anglicised Halpin, which would suggest a blood tie between the earlier Halpennys and the later Halpins.
I've played around with a theory of my own for some time, which suggests that the Halpins were originally native and Catholic, but converted when land was being transfered from its native owners to Protestant settlers, in the hope of hanging on to their land. I have no proof of this, and base my theory solely on a hunch. It could just as easily be the case that the Halpins arrived with the invading army in the middle of the 17th century, after Cromwell's victory over Charles II and the Catholic Confederacy. As Fintan O'Toole writes in last weekend's Irish Times (Sat., May 11): "Soldiers who had fought in the campaigns, and adventurers who had funded them, had been promised Irish land in return." If you're going to expropriate someone else's land and hand it over to your allies, you need to conduct a survey first, to find out what you have. This is precisely what was done, and the results of that survey, complete with the names and locations of the original owners, have just been posted online by Trinity College. You can find it at:
http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/
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...and by A. Halpin [Andrew Halpin?] of [elugus/augus/dugus] in the Kingdom of France.
1. I am told by experienced researchers in France that many records including censuses exist but that it is almost always necessary to know the location to search. Records are not held centrally.
2. My cousin Pamela has been inspecting items at the National Maritime Museum and has some interesting observations. Some excerpts:
I met the man who has the job of setting up the exhibits. He still had a lot of Halpin stuff in boxes and was talking about a ticket or permit that Halpin had to go into Confederate waters where he ran guns to the men engaged in the Civil war. He did this in the year that he was not licensed to captain ships. I asked him for a copy of it and have it with me now. It gives his height as 5.7 feet and complexion as ruddy. His signature is on the card. It then occurred to me that someone would have had to give the things to the Museum and the volunteer said they came in at about the time of the death of the Halpin women in the late sixties. This was only heresay however I got the card of the man who is engaged in research on Halpin and asked him if he had the details about the person who gave the objects of which there were plenty and some were very valuable. He could not tell me off the cuff but it occurred to me that this information must be there somewhere and it would be nice if we could tap into it.
There is a lot of respect for the two George Halpins. To some they are heroes. They are generally credited as being great men and they are inseparable as they worked together on the same projects. Apparently George's writings are short and to the point and juniors are long and detailed. I saw an archive room in the museum that ... runs and there were expensive library modern moveable shelves that had volumes of leather bound large format books of writings by both men. Some were copies in handwriting of their records.
. I have observed how lighthouse keeping ran in families for many generations and I am prepared to believe that the Halpin dynasty was a similar thing. Therefore I am not surprised by the link to the Stevensons who were the engineers in England.....I have seen it written that snr George built three bridges. To get this job he must have had connections. Often the Stevensons accompanied him on visits to lighthouses or sites where they were to be either constructed or inspected or designed. They were close. I think we may be about to make a breakthrough in understanding why George got the job at such a young age. It may have been to keep it all in the one family as is the habit here in Ireland even today. With the troubles developing it may have been good to change the name from Halfpenny to Halpin to appear more Irish. The English became very Irish over the centuries here.
I do not believe that the Halpins just rose from being road or quarry workers. This did not happen easily. There would have to be a history of leadership or family connections. Maybe we should go further back into history if possible. The clannishness of Irish families is amazing to me. Nothing is straight forward in this country.
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The online wills calendar (probate notices) that Bill mentioned in a recent post is a very useful new resource (or maybe just new to me) - interested to see that as late as 1903 the surname 'Halpin' and 'Halfpenny' being used by the same person!
http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/reels/cwa/005014913/005014913_00104.pdf
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Continuing with the Halpin/Halpenny theme -
Halpen/Halpenny: 131 304 89183.
Memorial of Deed of Lease dated 25th of March 1748 between Richard Halpen of Golden Bridge County Dublin, Gent, and Thomas Halfpenny bof Arbour Hill, Dairyman...whereby the said Richard Halpen for the yearly rent of £112 sterling did demise sell and to farm let unto the said TH all that part of his the said Richard's holding containing 28 acres situate in the Parish of Saint James County Dublin. To have and to hold the said demised premises for the term of thirty one years from the date of the said lease which said lease was duly executed by the said parties in the presence of Paget Halpen of the County of Dublin, Gent, and Patrick McDonagh of the City of Dublin, Gent...and this memo was executed by the said Thos. Halfpenny in the presence of the said P. McDonagh and James Monnaghan of the City of Dublin, Victualer.
And a connection to Ken's forebears -
Halpen/Halpen: 133 220 90485.
Memorial of a Deed Poll dated 11th February 1748 made by Paget Halpen of Hamstead, Co. Dublin, Gent, to Mark Halpen whereby the said PH for the Considerations therein Mentioned did bargain sell assign transfer and make over unto the said MH all his right and interest in - and to his leasehold interest in - Hamstead and all the household goods in his house in Hamstead and to all other reale (sic) and personal effects, together with all the money due and owing to him. To hold all and singular the said several granted premises unto the said Mark Halpen...
Wit. by William Connor Clark, Edward Butler Attorney at Law and Thos. Fitzmaurice, Clerk to the said E. Butler.
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Thanks again Ray,
The deed of 25.3.1748 between Richard Halpen and Thomas Hal(f)penny seems to show a relationship between the different variations of the name. Of course it could have been a coincidence, but that is not likely. And a witness was Paget Halpen, most probably related to the other two, but to date we can not establish the link. Interesting to see that Paget was not from the City of Dublin, but was ‘of the County of Dublin, Gent’.
Six weeks earlier Paget was noted in a deed, living at Hamstead, County Dublin, in which he transferred the property at Hamstead to a Mark Halpen.
But which Paget, and which Mark ?
It can only have been Paget (1) born 1682, son of Nicholas ‘Generosus’ of Maryborough. Paget (2) the army officer, was too young (born about 1742).
Paget (1) had a brother Mark, born 1684 and a son Mark, born about 1710.
I had assumed that it must have been his son, as his brother lived in England from about 1712 until his death there in 1768.
But there is a gap where nothing is heard of Mark senior, between 1742 and his death at Bath in 1768.
It is possible that he went to Ireland to settle his affairs there in 1748, then returned to England to spend his last years (and that his son Nicholas, b. 1726 in London, accompanied him and stayed in Ireland ?)
It would be interesting to see how other contributors interpret these two deeds.
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Your interpretation seems pretty sound to me, Ken.
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Who was Gaston Rogan Halpin? He is in the Wills Calendar dying 5th August 1883 at London Ontario, leaving a small Irish estate, probate granted to Nicholas John Halpin (who had been at the Custom House, wife Rebecca Doherty) of 5 Palmerston Road Rathmines, "attorney of the mother". It seems most likely he was a son or grandson of Rev William Henry Halpin (brother of the above NJH) and of Elizabeth Gaston Rogan but if the latter was his mother she had predeceased him in 1869.
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From an email sent by Diane Carruthers, June 25th 2009:
"William Henry married twice. He first married Elizabeth Gaston Rogan in Ireland [27th September 1853 at the Church of St. George, Dublin] then Eleanor Baynham in Canada. William and Ann's children were: Henry Ross (1854), Hugh Gaston (1855), Annie Greham , Nicholas John (1859), Charles Bernard (1867), Claude S Burgoyne (1868), Herbert Francis (1869). I have been able to trace them on the Canadian census records. Nicholas John ( 1859) had a drug store in Brandon, Manitoba and he helped my great grandfather Herbert buy his engagement ring."
This would suggest that Gaston Rogan Halpin was not W H Halpin's son. Is another interpretation of the information possible? I haven't seen it so I can't be sure. Since G R Halpin died in 1883, and left 'a small Irish estate' to N J Halpin, he might in fact have been William and Elizabeth's second child, "Hugh Gaston" (b. 1855), and the beneficiary of his will could have been his brother Nicholas John (b. 1859). If this is correct, the change of name, from Hugh Gaston to Gaston Rogan will have to be explained.
Henry Ross Halpin was a fascinating character. After the death of his first wife he married a Metis woman, Flora Leask, and had a second family. Leah, who has contributed to this forum in the past, is his descendant. For a photograph of Henry and a brief biography, go to: http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/halpin_henry_ross_1856-1930.html
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I've been sitting on this for a while. Can anyone explain it to me? Have I mistranscribed?
Marriage: William David Bradley, Hudercliff, Killiney; occupation: Esquire.
Mary Anne Isabella Halpin, 19 Northbrook Rd., Ranelagh -
19 April 1882.
Fathers: William George Halpin and N J Halpin.
Church: Leeson Park.
Source Irish Genealogy: Births, Marriages, Deaths.
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There must be a mistranscription because an image of the parish register entry is at that source, which is http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/reels/d-708-3-1-047.pdf and the fathers are Bradley and Halpin.
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might be of interest re the Bradley/Halpin couple...
The name of the house of William David Bradley is actually 'Undercliff', in Killiney - see : here (http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,725878,724942,7,9), and he appears to have died in April 1897.
18 to 28 Northbrook Rd. are listed as vacant in 1880, (possibly just built at that stage ?), and in 1884 it's listed as the address of Nicholas John Halpin, esq. A.B., T.C.D. Her Majesty's Customs
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Thanks Shane; thanks Bill - I've given the source to the marriage of Halpin and Bradley as Irish Genealogy. But I also have a notice from the Dublin Evening Mail, which lists the two Halpins as fathers. It must be a mistranscription. My mistake.
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Thanks guys - yes, Undercliff, Killiney, belonged to my William George Bradley, the father of William David Bradley who married a Halpin. Nicholas John Halpin died at 19 Northbrook Road.
Found an interesting connection between Rev Robert Halpin, the Chaplain to the Forces, and my mother's family. Basically, the Rev Robert Halpin was a witness at the marriage of one of the aunts of my (Jeffreys) maternal grandfather and also conducted the marriage service for her sister. The further connection is that my grandfather then married a daughter of William David Bradley and Mary Ann Isabella Halpin. Probably completely incidental as my grandfather's Jeffreys family were all soldiers and the father of these Jeffreys girls was Barrack Master at Portobello and Robert was probably a good friend of the family - I don't think Robert Crawford Halpin and Nicholas John Halpin (the branch of Mary Ann Isabella Halpin) are connected?
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A couple of things Brian. The personal connection of our Rev RC Halpin with yours is good to see. He was for most of his time in Dublin, among other things, chaplain at Arbor Hill Barracks, where his own children were baptised.
As to where Nicholas John Halpin died (of the Custom House and father of Mary Anne Isabella Bradley), the Wills Calendar shows him as a "retired public servant of 5 Palmerston Road" (Rathmines), estate granted 11 Dec 1891 to his wife sole executrix.
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Found in Tinakilly House, a portrait of Captain Robert Charles Halpin dated 1886 and signed "Sydney Halpin". Pamela has enquired at the National Gallery and made other investigations to no avail. Was Sydney Halpin a local Wicklow artist?
The Captain had had an older sister named Sidney born 1826 who died before he was born. George Halpin senior had a daughter named Sidney two years earlier in 1824, discovered by Tavern. When George died in 1854, only two sons are known to have survived him, junior and Frederick.
Who was Sydney Halpin, artist, male or female, alive in 1886?
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N J Halpin was a member of the Dublin branch of the Constitution Club. See here for a brief description of its purpose: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_Club
This deeply conservative organisation was vehemently opposed to Home Rule for Ireland. N J Halpin's brother, Charles Greham Halpine, was very much in favour of Home Rule for Ireland. In fact, he favoured complete independence. In terms of political outlook, therefore, the older of the two brothers, Nicholas, took after his father - the Reverend N J Halpin. The younger of the two brothers, Charles, was closer in outlook to his uncle, the journalist, satirist and bankrupt, William Henry Halpin.
There must have been some heated debates at the dinner table in that household.
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I have mentioned here before Richard Halpin, harbourmaster at Howth. 12 July 1859. Letters of Administration of the Personal estate of Richard Halpin late of Howth in the County of Dublin Gentleman a Widower deceased who died 1 May 1855 at same place were granted at the Principal Registry to Edward Baker Giltenan of Spa Mount Belfast in the County of Antrim the Substitute of Adam M’Crory having an Interest in the estate of said deceased. (Limited as therein mentioned.) In the margin is handwritten “Coterorum Grant herein passed at Principal Registry April 1862”. It seems he died without a will.
Subsequent entry for him. 5 April 1862. Effects under £25. Letters of Administration of the rest of the personal estate of Richard Halpin late of Howth in the County of Dublin Surveyor of Customs deceased who died 30 April 1855 at same place were granted ... to MARIA BOND otherwise HALPIN (Wife of Joseph Bond Writing Clerk) of Alfred Lodge York-road Kingstown in the County of Dublin the Daughter one of the surviving next of kin of said deceased. (Cæterorum Grant. Former Grant Court of Probate 1859.)
Susannah Frances Halpin (wife of Dr Stopford Halpin of Arklow) late of 3 Adelaide Terrace Kingstown County Dublin Widow who died 29 November 1908 granted at Dublin to George NEWSOM Farmer. Effects £765 7s 2d. Newsom was married to her daughter Catherine Ann.
Her son, Stopford John Halpin, married Geraldine Anna BOND 1894 in Co Wicklow. Geraldine’s parents were Richard Thomas Bond of Kiltoom Co Roscommon and Elizabeth Jane Wilton. Stopford and Geraldine appear to have left behind their two children to leave for New York in 1903 and settling in Vancouver Canada. In the 1901 Census they were living as a family at Legan (Moate, Westmeath) where Stopford aged 35 was a bank accountant, children Stopford Richard Arthur 5 and Loiuse Frances 2.
After they left, son Stopford died in 1908 in the Rathdown district (probably Kingstown) and in the 1911 Census, daughter Louisa Francis age 12 is living at her grandmother’s old residence, 3 Adelaide Terrace Kingstown, with her aunts Nannie Caldour and Violet Louise Halpin, along with her cousin, Elizabeth Francis (Bessie) Halpin 20, orphaned daughter of Dr Richard Frederick Bestall Halpin. Louisa at some point went to her parents in Vancouver where she died in 1977.
Here we have intriguing coincidences. Maria daughter of Richard Halpin of Howth had married a Joseph Bond and lived in Kingstown. About this time, Geraldine Bond was born in Co Roscommon and later married Stopford John Halpin and their children lived with Stopford John’s mother and sisters in Kingstown.
Add to which, Mary Anne Halpin b.c. 1860 to Richard Mathews Halpin (brother of Dr Stopford William Halpin of Arklow) and Sarah Gregg married at St Annes COI Dublin in 1882 Henry Swinton BOND of 57 York Road Kingstown, son of Joseph Bond, Agent, (and unstated wife). C E Bond signed as witness. And remember that a Gregg was a close neighbour of Richard Halpin in Howth, father of the wife of a Joseph Bond.
It appears to me that Henry Swinton Bond was a grandson of Richard Halpin of Howth and here he marries a daughter of Sarah Gregg, probably related to his grandfather's neighbour in Howth, and of a member of the family of the Wicklow Halpins, Richard Mathews Halpin.
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My mistake Bill, N.J. Halpin did indeed die at Palmerston Road and was formerly of 19 Northbrook Road. Brian
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Margaret Halpin, baptised at Wicklow in 1782 to parents John and Elizabeth Halfpenny, younger sister of William, George and James, outlived all of them and died aged 80 in 1862 and was buried in Wicklow churchyard. Could she have had a stake in the Bridge Hotel? She left an estate of under £600, executors her nephew Dr George Halbert Halpin and Abraham Rogers. I wonder if she mentioned any interesting bequests.
The Rev Robert Crawford Halpin came down from Dublin to co-conduct his aunt’s funeral service.
Three interesting wills at this 1859 page: http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/reels/cwa/005014882/005014882_00210.pdf.
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Eaton Cotter Halpin born 1817 was the eldest son of James and Ann Halpin, Bridge Hotel Wicklow. He married March 1852 at Killiskey Wicklow Elizabeth Jones, daughter of Owen Jones, Beaumaris Anglesey Wales. In the same year he is listed in Thom’s Directory practising as a solicitor at 7 Ormond Quay Dublin and Wicklow. He seemed to have everything going for him, and for the Halpin family. Five years later aged 40 he is recorded as dying on 19 July 1857 at Mount Ashen Co Wicklow, buried in Wicklow churchyard. Probate for a small estate was granted January 1859 to his widow Elizabeth of 8 Castle Street Beaumaris.
There were no records of them having children. Elizabeth Halpin is found to have remarried 10 Nov 1859 in Beaumaris to John Ambrose, bookseller. In the 1861 Census, Elizabeth 42 and John Ambrose are living in Beaumaris with no children. The same applies in the 1871 census, where Elizabeth’s age is given as 55. We can rule out Eaton Cotter Halpin having left any living child.
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Death of Mr. N J Halpin.
We regret to observe in this week's obituary the death of Mr. Nicholas John Halpin, who was for many years connected with her Majesty's Customs, Dublin. He was greatly esteemed as an able and curteous official by all those with whom he was brought in contact. He was the eldest son of the late Rev. N. J. Halpin, for many years editor of the Dublin Evening Mail, and brother of the late Charles Greham Halpin (Miles O'Reilly), whose life and works were lately reviewed in a leading Dublin paper. In his private life Mr. Halpin had made a host of friends.
- Freeman's Journal,
Saturday, November 28 1891, and the Belfast Newsletter, Monday, November 30 1891.
I've been unable to locate the review mentioned above.
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It is interesting, thinking of the death and not inconsiderable estate of Margaret Halpin in 1862, that the estate of her sister-in-law Ann Halbert Halpin had become insolvent a few years earlier and nephew Frederick Halpin felt that he had to come to the rescue. Whereupon only a few years after this, in 1859, before Margaret's death, Frederick died while young having chucked in his maritime career to carry on the hotel and left a very substantial estate to Margaret's then unmarried nieces Fanny and Louisa. That family did very well out of Frederick and, indirectly after his death, out of his father George. I observed when this first came to light thanks to Tavern that Ann's children and the wider family consisted of doctors, solicitors, sea captains and businessmen, and yet they left it to a more distant relative to bail them out. I suspect hard-working George would have been turning in his grave. Frederick only had the money to do this by his half brother George junior buying him out of his share of George's estate.
Then, about this time with George junior probably in debt to make this payment to Frederick, his own children were working as carpenters and clerks, venturing overseas looking for work. The eldest son WO Halpin eventually emerged into prosperity but his siblings saw very little.
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Rebecca Doherty was married to N J Halpin. Here's a little background information on her family, sent to me this evening by A. Halpin:-
Michael Doherty, known as Michael Mór, was a landlord who lived in Glen House in the 1800s. He had a dispute with Fr. William O’Donnell, who fought at Waterloo, over a church gate collection and decided to change his religion. He is buried in Straid churchyard. Doherty owned an estate of 113 acres.
The Burying Ground
of
Edward Doherty Esqr
of Glen House Co Donegal
Herein Buried
Michael Doherty
Died 1855
His Wife Rebecca
Died 1867
Their Son James Walker
Died 1860
Their Son Michael
Died 1893
Their Daughter
Ellen Irvine Died 1888
Her Son
John J Irvine M.D.
Died 1897
And Edward Doherty
Who Died 6th March 1918
Also His Son
James Walker Doherty
Who Died 1st February 1925
Aged 51 Years
(upright marble slab)
January 14 1843
Marriages:
On the 11th inst., at Clonmany Church, by the Rev. M. O'Connor, the REV. GEORGE H. YOUNG, Rector of the parish of Clonmany, in this Diocese, to ISABELLA, eldest daughter of MICHAEL DOHERTY, ESQ., Glen House
November 18 1848
On the 8th inst., at Clonmany Church, by the Rev. George Henry Young, NICHOLAS JOHN HALPIN, ESQ., of her Majesty's Customs, eldest son of the REV. N.J. HALPIN, of Dublin, to REBECCA, youngest daughter of MICHAEL DOHERTY, ESQ., of Glen House, county Donegal.
April 30 1858
At Clonmany Church, on the 22nd inst., by the Rev. George H. Young, brother in law of the bride, ALEXANDER IRVINE, ESQ., M.D., youngest son of JOHN IRVINE, of Lisagore, in the county Fermanagh, to ELLEN, daughter of the late MICHAEL DOHERTY, ESQ., of Glen House, in the county of Donegal
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I've been unable to find out anything about an artist by the name of Sydney Halpin. I wonder if the name was a thinly disguised pseudonym?
The Dictionary of Irish Architects contains the name Arthur Sydney Ormsby. George Halpin snr, who is also named in the dictionary, was often listed alongside the Reverend William Gilbert Ormsby in deeds relating to the holdings of Thomas Crosthwaite. All of those holdings were situated in and around the North Strand area. It seems the Crosthwaites, who were a very wealthy family in the late 18th and 19th centuries, nominated George, the Reverend Ormsby, Joseph Hone (of the banking and artistic dynasty) and the Reverend Robert Halpin, as guardians of their sons' North Strand interests.* Naturally, this suggests a tremendous degree of trust on the part of the Crosthwaites, a trust that was passed from Reverend Ormsby to William Oswald Halpin and John Hone - descendants of the original guardians - in 1874. I won't dwell here on the implications of these connections because I intend to deal with them in a forthcoming post. I simply want to draw your attention to the web of connections that can be spun from a new name.
The Reverend William G Ormsby served mass for a while in Clontarf, which is where George Halpin and Thomas Crosthwaite were based on and off in the 1830s and 40s. After a stint in Swords Reverend Ormsby ended up in Arklow, where he and Stopford Halpin became firm friends. I think you can sense the outline here of the kind of strong social network that was typical of colonial communities right across the British empire. In the case of the Halpins, Ormsbys, Crosthwaites and Hones those tight colonial links were maintained over the course three centuries, from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. This created a sense of caste entitlement, and could devolve into fratricidal hatred if anyone from within the group broke ranks or did anything perceived to undermine the specific interests of the group, which I would argue is what happened in the case of my forebear - Robert Wellington Halpin.
George Halpin married Elizabeth Bourne in 1817. His first wife, Isabelle, probably died in 1813. The Bournes also had a large presence in Clontarf and held a lucrative monopoly in the delivery of mail throughout Ireland, which in those days was transported from town to town in coaches. George and Elizabeth had the following children:
1. Frederick baptised 25 October 1818.
2. Arthur baptised 5th July 1820.
3. Charlotte baptised 13th January 1822.
4. John baptised 15th or 22nd June 1823.
5. Sidney baptised 12th September 1824 (Note: James Halpin of Wicklow had a "Sidney" two years later in 1826). This information, and the note, were passed on to me in an email from Eamonn McGettigan, dated 1st December 2011. I'm sure Bill has a more updated version of these details, but I mention them only to draw attention to "Sidney". Was there at some point in the distant past a "Sydney" who in some way united the Ormsby and Halpin families?
Lastly, I found this: http://dhalpin.infoaction.org.uk/23-articles/dr-david-kelly/120-witness-statement-of-dr-david-sydney-halpin-frcs
Maybe we should contact Dr. Halpin.
*See indentured deed Halpin to Halpin, 1874 4 184. I'll be posting more on this deed, and many like it, at a later date. And I'll use the information gleaned from them, along with that from other sources, to construct a strong circumstantial case for a blood tie linking the Wicklow Halpins to the Portarlington Halpins through George Halpin, thus making a good case for the reliability of the Halpin family lore, which maintained from the outset the existence of that link.
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A brilliant link well worth following. With the arrival of independence in 1922, southern Unionists - a group to which most of the Halpins belonged - quickly disappeared from public life. Ireland's slide into war both at home and abroad can be followed here:-
http://www.rte.ie/centuryireland/
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I have a question I hope someone can help me with - when members were elected to Wicklow's Board of Commissioners in the early 1880's, they were required to take an oath of office before they could act as commissioners. Does anyone know what that oath was? Did it involve a pledge to serve the Queen, to recognise her and her ministers as Ireland's sovereign power, and Dublin Castle as their Administrative seat? I'd say it did, but I can't be sure.
I ask because I'm interested in Joe McCarroll, a Tyrone man who arrived in Wicklow town in about 1870 and established himself as 'a shipping broker and agent of the Dublin and Wicklow Manure Company'. Joe was to go on to become one of Wicklow's 'most prominent land agitators' (Donnelly, 1999, p. 9*). It seems he was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in August 1883, but didn't take the oath. At that time, all commissioners were legally obliged to take the oath if they wanted to act as commissioners. It simply wasn't enough to be elected per se. To act without taking the oath was to risk a severe fine. And anyone knowingly serving with a commissioner who had refused to take the oath, or who had simply neglected to take it within the requisite period, could also face a fine.
On Thursday September 6 1883, a meeting of the Town Commissioners of Wicklow was held at the Town Hall "for the purpose of electing four commissioners to act as representatives of the Town Council on the Harbour Board." Present were Joseph Smyth, the Chairman of the Board, A. Doolittle, W. Desaix, Dr J P Byrne, J Hamilton, Captain R. Halpin, Tynaston Edwards, J Flanagan and Joe McCarroll.
Robert Wellington Halpin, the Commission's long-serving Town Clerk and Harbour Board Secretary, was at home on his death bed, gaunt, jaundiced, spitting blood and still grieving for his wife, Frances, who had died the previous March. In his absence as Secretary to the Commissioners his son, Robert jnr, stood in. The role should have gone to the young man who had been trained for it - Edwin Francis Halpin. But Edwin had fled Wicklow after the scandal of the Marryat affair in 1876, and hadn't returned since. For that reason the role went to Robert jnr, who acted on his father's advice.
The election was held soon after seven o'clock in the evening, but Edwards and Flanagan had arrived too late to take part. After taking his seat, Edwards asked if he could cast his vote anyway. The Chairman (after much hesitation) said - As you were not here at seven, the hour named for the election, I cannot receive your vote.
At this point a number of commissioners expressed their dissatisfaction.
McCarroll, perhaps sensing that something was up, said - The Chairman is quite right.
To which Captain Halpin replied - Who made you Chairman?
After some heated discussion Mr Smyth agreed to accept the votes of Flanagan and Edwards. The resulting count was: Smyth 7, Carr 6, Flanagan 5, McCarroll 5, Doolittle 4.
Before the Chairman could announce the result, Mr Desaix stood up and asked if every member sitting at the board had taken the oath.
Mr Carroll, after much hesitation, was understood to say that he had not.
Mr Edwards rose to order - Mr McCarroll not having taken the oath was not at present a town commissioner, and had no right to speak or vote at the board. We cannot recognise Mr McCarroll as a town commissioner, therefore since he is not in a position to be elected a harbour commissioner, his name should be struck out of the return.
Mr McCarroll - If Mr Edwards takes that view I will ask the chairman to administer the oath to me now.
Mr Halpin (secretary pro tem) said he had received a letter from Mr Burkitt, solicitor to the board, in reply to a query as to Mr McCarroll's eligibility to sit as a commissioner. With the commissioners' permission, he would read it.
The Chairman (snappishly) - I am not going to allow you to speak unless you are called upon.
At this there were expressions of disapproval and cries for the letter to be read.
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Ray, I'm pretty certain that the oath was one of loyalty to the monarch, which only Protestants could take. At least, that's how it was in 1660s.
"Documents connected with the City of Kilkenny Militia in the 17th & 18th centuries."
A Nicholas Halfpenny ( who had been Portreve of Irish Town in 1662) was in the muster parade of the qualified citizens (of Kilkenny) bearing arms, held at the Butts (shooting range) on 8 April 1667.
“It will be seen that the foregoing was a muster of every qualified citizen capable of bearing arms...
It should be observed, however, that only the Protestant citizens were qualified to serve, as Roman Catholics could not take the oath of supremacy, without which no one could, under the then existing law, serve the State.”
©1855 Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland.
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Someone called for a fresh election.
Mr. Edwards - I do not think the proposition to proceed to a fresh election can be entertained. With the exception of Mr McCarroll, we were all perfectly competent to record our votes and did so. Mr McCarroll is surely a man of sense and ought to know that he could not act as a town commissioner without first taking the oath. His action tends to place us all in a very serious position.
Mr McCarroll said if he was ineligible for election his vote was also invalid, and the election must, therefore, be void.
Mr Desaix asked again that the secretary be allowed to read the letter containing the solicitor's opinion.
The Chairman - If Mr McCarroll wishes to take the oath I think he is entitled to do so.
Mr Doolittle - Your solicitor has sent in an opinion which bears very strongly on this subject. I call upon you, Mr Chairman, to let the secretary read it.
The secretary was about to make an observation with reference to the letter when he was silenced by the chairman.
Mr Edwards - I think our secretary [Edwards actually said "our" secretary] has a perfect right to be heard. (hear hear)
The Chairman - I have known secretaries to be very 'officious', and to do things in a very dubious way, and in a manner they were not authorised to do.** This young gentleman is not our secretary at all. Whatever I might do with a fully-qualified secretary, I should not be justified in allowing him to make statements to the board.
Captain Halpin - I think the chairman speaks like an advocate.
Mr Edwards said Mr Halpin, junr., was their secretary pro tem, and was entitled to act as his father would do. His father had often kept them out of difficulties by producing papers at the right moment. The letter in question seemed to have a very important bearing on the subject under discussion, and it certainly could do no harm to read it.
The Chairman - I have to find fault with Mr Halpin for obtaining opinions without the authority of the board.
Mr Halpin denied that either he or his father had anything to do with obtaining the opinion.
Mr McCarroll - I again demand to have the oath administered to me.
The Chairman - I cannot refuse to allow Mr McCarroll to take the oath.
Considerable confusion ensued, several commissioners insisting on the letter being read, and the chairman refusing to allow it. In the midst of the squabble, Mr McCarroll whipped round to the side of the secretary, snatched up the book, and administered the oath to himself, Bradlaugh fashion, before anyone could interfere.
After the resulting hullabaloo settled down, Mr Edwards asked the chairman if he intended to hold a fresh election. When the chairman said he did, Mr Edwards left the hall in a huff.
Mr Doolittle, smarting from the fact that he would not be elected to a position on the Harbour Board, and without any apparent self-respect, observed that from a conversation he had had that day with Mr Burkitt, he understood that the commissioners would be liable to a fine for allowing a person to sit and act at their board who was not duly qualified. It didn't seem to bother Mr Doolittle that 'his' secretary, Mr Robert Halpin junr, was not "duly qualified" either.
The Chairman - When I took my seat here it was with the determination not to allow any underhanded business to be carried on. If it is necessary to put any question to the solicitor it should have been done through the board. They could not know how the solicitor had been instructed in the present case.
Mr Doolittle - Then let us have the letter read. If you do, there will be less of the underhanded work you so decry. (hear) It is the duty of every commissioner to respect the law and the oath he has taken, and it is furthermore his right to protect himself from the consequences of illegal conduct if insisted on, and I may tell you that, for the future, while I sit at this board, I do not intend to allow myself to be polite or passive enough to be "barked down" by anyone. (hear hear)
Some desultory conversation ensued, after which the meeting was adjourned.
*For The Betterment of the People: A History of Wicklow County Council, by Brian Donnelly, published by Wicklow County Council (1999).
**Mr Smyth is here referring to the tendency of R W Halpin, who had been Town Clerk for forty years, to deliberately manipulate proceedings if and when he could, in order to secure outcomes that favoured his patrons. In practice he had learned to be somewhat Machiavellian, but at heart he was a Radical, favouring the abolition of the landlord system and the introduction of Home Rule. He and a former Chairman of the Board, Francis Wakefield, were very like-minded when it came to reform and, despite class differences, remained very close friends after Wakefield stepped away from local politics in the mid-1870s. The irony is that despite what the above exchange might imply, R W Halpin and Mr McCarroll had a great deal in common.
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Thanks, Ken. I guessed as much. After Catholic Emancipation in 1828 (which the Rev. N J Halpin had been enlisted to obstruct), life improved (a little) for Catholics. And after the Famine, it improved a little more. But it really wasn't until Gladstone arrived that real reform became an issue again. Parnell and Davitt (among others) initiated the Land Wars in 1879, shortly after which Joe McCarroll emerged from obscurity and rose to prominence. I'm guessing that Mr McCarroll refused to take the oath on principle - by way of protest. But I'd like to be certain. Seeing the oath would help.
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"The Oath of Supremacy, imposed by the Act of Supremacy 1558, provided for any person taking public or church office in England to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Failure to so swear was a crime, although it did not become treason until 1562, when the Supremacy of the Crown Act 1562[5] made a second offence of refusing to take the oath treason. The Oath was later extended to include Members of Parliament and people studying at universities. All but one of the bishops lost their posts, a hundred fellows of Oxford colleges were deprived; many dignitaries resigned rather than take the oath. The bishops who were removed from the ecclesiastical bench were replaced by appointees who would agree to the reforms."
Text of the Oath as published in 1559:
“ I, (name), do utterly testify and declare in my conscience that the Queen's Highness is the only supreme governor of this realm, and of all other her Highness's dominions and countries, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes, as temporal, and that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence or authority ecclesiastical or spiritual within this realm; and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all foreign jurisdictions, powers, superiorities and authorities, and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true allegiance to the Queen's Highness, her heirs and lawful successors, and to my power shall assist and defend all jurisdictions, pre-eminences, privileges and authorities granted or belonging to the Queen's Highness, her heirs or successors, or united or annexed to the imperial crown of this realm. So help me God, and by the contents of this Book."
(from Wikipedia)
Of course by the 19th century, it may have altered.
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Ray,
You can look up 'historical oaths of allegiance, Ireland' as the oath did change over the centuries,
Ken
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Terrific, Ken. Thanks very much. Whatever the oath was in 1883, I imagine it wasn't all that different to the one you quote.
By the way, I forgot to give the reference for the above exchange (compressed and paraphrased) in Wicklow's Town Hall - it can be found in The Wicklow-Newsletter, Saturday, September 8, 1883. My great great grandfather, Robert Wellington Halpin, died less than a month later, on the 2nd October 1883.
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For the Kents of Wicklow Town.
I've been meaning to type this up for a while, Marie. Apologies for the delay.
Destructive Fire In Wicklow.
Messrs. Kent’s Mill Burnt Down.
One of the most deplorable and destructive conflagrations which has occurred in Wicklow town within the past fifty years, took place last Saturday evening. At 4.15 the extensive flour mill belonging to Messrs. Kent and Sons, and situate at the extreme end of the South Quay, was observed on fire, and within the short space of two hours and a half the massive block of buildings was a complete wreck. How the fire originated is still a matter of conjecture, but the most probable solution is that one of the “journels” of the machinery in the screen room on the fifth storey set fire to the surrounding woodwork. The mill premises consisted of a large stone building, five storeys high, covering a considerable portion of the ground. In addition to this building, there was a large meal-store, engine-room, boiler –house, and the detached steam bakery premises. To the fact that the engine-room and boiler-house were under a separate roof from the main building, and that the wind was blowing in an opposite direction, may be attributed their safety from the flames. The bakery also escaped, and business is still carried on there. The engines and boilers are valued at £1,000, and the fine combination of machinery within the main building, which was erected a short time ago by Messrs. Simon, of Manchester, was valued at £3,300. It is regrettable that all this machinery has been rendered absolutely worthless by the fire, and a few days ago a number of the mill hands were engaged in clearing the debris. The lofts contained a large quantity of flour and other milling stuffs, and, as before stated, the top or fifth storey was used as a screening-room.
The particulars of the fire are as follows: - The mill was working as usual all day on Saturday, and at four o’clock work ceased, the mill closed, and the hands paid off. A few minutes later some sailors standing on what is known as the “Bank,” over the mill, observed smoke issuing through the roof on the south-east corner, and the volume of smoke increasing, an alarm was raised. A sailor named Davis entered the bakery and informed the clerk, Thomas Mullen, who was the only mill hand near at the time. Mr Mullen promptly entered the building, which had only been vacated a few minutes previously by the workmen, and ascended to the screening room. He was, however, forced to retire immediately, owing to the dense smoke, but on a second attempt he gained a footing, and succeeded in opening the front door and affixing the chain used for hoisting flour. Several other workmen and sailors then reached the loft, and with the help of a few others below a number of buckets of water were hauled up, and thrown where the fire was visible. A miller named Keogh pluckily cut the water-pipe in the top storey, but it being only an inch thick its effect on the fire was insignificant, consequent on the absence of a hose to direct its course on the immediate spot where the fire existed. Within ten minutes from the time the alarm was first given, flames burst through the south-east end of the roof, and though the men worked hard it was manifest to everyone that their efforts to save the building were futile. The wind was S.S.E., and the flames spread so rapidly that within two hours and a half the structure was a mass of ruins. Mr. M. S. Kent, Mr. Robert Kent, and Mr. R. Armstrong, were early on the scene, and their permission having been obtained by a number of volunteers, a quantity of flour, etc., was removed from the lower storeys. In fact, this enterprise was attended by the greatest danger to the gallant fellows, who almost risked their lives in their anxiety to save property. Slates were flying about in all directions, and the burning premises were not vacated until the second storey had collapsed.
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Owing to the Winter Assize Court sitting, a large number of witnesses, jurors, and others made their way to the scene, and later a vast multitude surrounded the building, though at a respectful distance. Upwards of one hundred of the Constabulary and the local coastguards were present, but though they appeared willing to save any property possible, the building burned so rapidly that their presence might have been dispensed with at the beginning. Indeed, it would have been much better for some if a certain police officer was not present. No doubt, he is a very good officer when alone, but he is responsible for an act which does not reflect very much credit on his discretion. It appears that behind the western gable of the mill an old lady named Mrs. Corrigan resided in as comfortable and as nest a little cottage as the town can boast of. Between the gable and the cottage was a slated out-office, filled with coal and lumber, and though there was not the slightest danger at any time of this house taking fire, the police officer directed his men and the coastguards to strip the roof of its slates and leave it there. And there it was left, with the sparks from the furnace adjoining pouring in on the exposed rafters and the firewood underneath. But this was not all. The poor old lady was put outside, her furniture pulled to pieces and put out after her, and there she was forced to sit in the cold, watching her few things for over three hours. The onlookers, as well as the old lady herself, were against the stripping of the roof, and the action of the authorities was universally condemned. Who will refund Mrs. Corrigan for this unnecessary damage to her house and premises? They are not insured, and therefore we advise her to apply to the Inspector-General for compensation.
We were glad to hear that Messrs. Kent and sons had their premises insured, and during the week the Assurance assessors visited the ruins. We understand that the offices of this energetic firm have been removed to Fitzwilliam Square, where business will be carried on as usual, and arrangements have been made for the importation of large quantities of flour. Before concluding, we desire to give expression to an unmistakable feeling which exists in the town respecting the studious neglect of the Town Commissioners in not providing suitable apparata for quenching outbreaks of fire. The responsibility which this august body have incurred is not a little, and it was evident that had there been available one single line of fire-hose the conflagration, when first observed, could have been easily extinguished.
- from The Arklow Reporter, Saturday, December 13, 1890.
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The Rev. Robert Charles Halpin of Belsize Park, Hamstead, Senior Chaplain to the Forces, London, is at present visiting his relatives in Wicklow, and is the guest of his cousin, Captain Robert Halpin, at Tinnakilly.
- Wicklow News-Letter, September 27 1884.
It would have been nice if I'd stumbled across this a few years ago.
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This report confuses the names of these men. He, Rev Robert Crawford Halpin, was a guest of his cousin Capt Robert Charles Halpin of Tinakilly.
It further confirms what we have already concluded, that their fathers, Capt William Halpin, formerly Paymaster in the King's German Legion, was a brother of James Halpin of the Bridge Hotel, Wicklow. William, in many on-the-record situations, declared that he was a native of Wicklow although living most of his life in Dublin and with his sons in London during his declining years. He died in 1862 aged about 85.
At the time of this report, Rev RC Halpin was 69 and Capt RC Halpin was 48. So, although they were 1st cousins, these men were almost a generation apart in age. Tinakilly was newly completed. To quote from the hotel's website: 'The hotel was originally built by the British government in 1883 for Captain Robert Halpin, commander of "The Great Eastern" and mariner supreme who laid 2,600 miles of telegraphic cable in 1866, joining Europe to America.'
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Who's Related To Who?
My last post brought to life all of the tough graft Bill and others have put into the detection of familial links between the different branches of the Halpin family. The sons and grandsons of William and James Halpin had been linked before - through weddings and (in the case of a daughter) through burials. As Bill says, the clip from the Wicklow Newsletter (dated Sept. 27 1884) further confirms pre-established connections between these families. But I wonder how many noticed the implications of Reply #33 Fri. 31 May 2013.
Right from the beginning of this investigation, one of the claims my family has consistently made has been that the Halpins of Wicklow, Portarlington and Dublin were connected by blood. My family has made other claims too, which have been shown to be mistaken (thanks to my own findings and the findings of other contributors to this thread). But their most consistent contention - that the Halpins I've just mentioned were blood relatives - was one of the reasons why so many Halpin descendants chose to visit this site: they wanted to find out if there was any credence to what appeared to most to be a fantastic claim.
To the best of my knowledge, no one had ever suggested that George Halpin, light house engineer, was related to Robert Charles Halpin, Captain of the Great Eastern. Contributors to this site have since proved that claim to be true. I'd like to go one step further now and suggest that we have enough evidence to make a very strong circumstantial case for the existence of a link between the Wicklow Halpins and the Portarlington Halpins. The Portarlington Halpin's family tree has been thoroughly scrutinized by us already, and the marriage I'd like to focus on is that of Wm. Henry Halpin and Marianne Crosthwaite (1787). Their union was a successful one and the couple had many children, the eldest of whom was Nicholas John Halpin (1790 - 1850). Nicholas grew up to become a clergyman, and married Ann Greham in 1817, moving to Oldcastle a year later.
The Reverend had a reputation for Shakespearean scholarship and anti-Catholic polemic. In 1837 he resigned as Rector of Oldcastle and moved his family to Dublin to take up the editorship of The Evening Mail. The Mail was an archly Protestant newspaper at that time, fiercely opposed to Daniel O'Connell's campaign to repeal the Union. The Reverend's home address in Dublin was Seville Place (Nos 12 or 14 - he seemed to switch between the two), which joins the North Strand Road at the Five Lamps junction. According to the city's Valuation Books, which I examined last week, George Halpin was the lessor of those properties.
If you examine Reply #33 Fri. 31 May 2013, I draw your attention to a number of deeds, copies of which I have in my possession, which name George Halpin, the Reverend Robert Crawford Halpin, the Rev. William Gilbert Ormsby (formerly of Clontarf, later of Arklow), as witnesses and signatories to leasehold deeds that list the Northstrand interests of Leland Crosthwaite, Thomas Crosthwaite, and their sons. Joseph Hone and John Hone were also named in those deeds. The Hones, which were a family of Bankers and artists, were also Solicitors and can be linked to the legal dispute raging around the ownership of the Bridge Inn Tavern in Wicklow and the sale of George Halpin's properties in Seville Place, which took place in 1920 (Irish Times, Sat. June 12 1920).
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The Hones and the Crosthwaites were long associates in Dublin's 'high' society. George Halpin and the Crosthwaite brothers were life-long friends and associates. Three Crosthwaite daughters married three Allen sons - the Allens being another Dublin banking family. And Lucy Halpin, the daughter of N J Halpin, who was the son of the Reverend N J Halpin, married Richard Allen, a relative of the Allen banking fraternity, at Crosthwaite Park in Kingstown, where one of the Crosthwaite boys lived and worked as a JP (Freeman's Journal, Friday May 2 1879). This strong social network, which endured for over a century and involved close friendship, personal assistance and in some cases marriage, was typical of Colonial communities the world over. I've been unable to establish the link between the Rev. N J Halpin's mother, Marianne, and the other Crosthwaites. But I believe the links we've already established make for a very strong circumstantial case for a familial link between the Portarlington Halpins, the Dublin Halpins and the Wicklow Halpins. If these connections are as solid as I think they are, notwithstanding the work that needs to be done to shore them up, then my family's claim that all three Halpin families were blood relatives appears to be true.
If this claim can be substantiated with a little more solid evidence, it would not mean that my family's other claim - that it is also related to the Halpin clan - is also true. It simply means that my family was, at the very least, well informed. And with my great great grandfather Robert Wellington Halpin being Town Clerk for forty years, as well as being Wicklow's Post Master, he was better placed than almost anyone else to be well-informed about one of his home town's most prominent families. There is also the small matter of a direct rebuttal of any such link between my family and the other Wicklow Halpins, which came from Captain R C Halpin's sister, who ran the Bridge Inn Tavern in Wicklow. That rebuttal, which was discovered by 'a family researcher', seemed pretty straight-forward. But in a future post I intend to show how Mrs Halpin's rebuttal might not be as straight-forward as it appears.
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As someone new to RootsChat I wonder if I can post a message on your amazingly productive site that only relates marginally to the Halpins? It's to do with the Bradley family of Dublin solicitors, who are connected via the marriage of William David Bradley to Mary Halpin in 1882 and who have cropped up from time to time in your discussions.
I am interested in my wife's ancestors, the Martellis (who have Italian origins and arrived in Ireland in the 1790s). One of them, Joseph Wilson Martelli (c1844-1901) married a sister of William David Bradley, Charlotte Elizabeth (1854-1938). Due to a combination of family misfortunes - the deaths of William David Bradley and Mary Halpin in 1897, the death of Joseph Martelli in 1901 and the disappearance of his wife Charlotte Elizabeth to London soon after that, probably because of alcohol problems - the younger children of both families (Doris and Willie Bradley and Howard Martelli) were brought up together by their grandmother and a maiden aunt, Maria K Bradley, for several years. Willie and Howard went to school together (Monkstown Park in Kingstown/Dun Laoghaire, 1911 census), and then in England (Trent College, for a while at least). The wills of their grandmother Charlotte Bradley (1905) and their aunt Maria Bradley (1913) in the National Archives in Dublin help to throw light on how the three orphans were brought up. Your correspondent 'tompion' mentioned in a posting back in 2010 that he had information about a court case of 1913 brought by the older generation of the Bradleys against Doris and Willie regarding ownership of the Bradley family home Undercliffe in Killiney. I would be very interested to have more information about that dispute and the location of the legal papers. I am also of course happy to pass on any other details I have on the Martelli side that may be of interest to you.
Thanks,
Dennis
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Welcome Denboa, I am the great grandson of William David Bradley and Mary Halpin - Willie and Doris were my great uncle and great aunt. I knew both Willie and Doris, the latter very well as she often stayed with us. I know about the Martelli's. I also know some of the family were brought up by Charlotte Bradley and Maria Bradley but I think that other of the ophaned children were looked after, or certainly were very close to, the family of Mary Halpin's brother, William Henry Halpin, a solicitor in Cavan.
The legal case you refer to was not a vindictive case by the 'older Bradleys' against the younger ones but was brought as Charlotte left Undercliffe to Willie and Doris and this was not something she could do as she had not inherited the house, but only a share of the house. Thus the elder Bradleys (who were both solicitors) needed to get a judicial view on what should happen etc. The papers are available in the 'Papers in the Chancery case of Bradley v. Brooke, relating to trusts under the wills of W. G. Bradley and Charlotte Bradley, deceased, 1913. Dublin: Public Record Office, M.3691b (1-6)'. The Record Office were very helpful and kindly xeroxed them for me at a very modest cost.
Hope that helps, Brian
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Many thanks, Brian, for getting back to me and giving me the reference to the court case. It sounds as if I have been reading too much into the situation after looking at the earlier Bradley family wills, but I will look forward to seeing the papers anyway. Have you seen the wills too? I can give you the references to them in the National Archives if you haven't.
Your earlier notes on the Bradley family on this website - both to the generation that William David and Charlotte (Martelli) belong to, and to the children of William David and Mary (Halpin) - were really helpful to me as I was putting together the Martelli family history. Thanks for all of that too. Ours was one of those 'trunk in the attic' stories where my wife and I found all kinds of material relating to the family just before her mother Mary (the older of Howard Martelli's two children) died a couple of years ago. As I was trying to solve the puzzle of how Howard was brought up after he was effectively 'orphaned' in the early 1900s I started seeing the links between him and his two orphaned Bradley orphans, Willie and Doris, who were all about the same age. (I thought until I got your reply that you were a descendant of Doris's and wondered whether some of the information about how the three of them were brought up by their aunt Maria might be of direct interest to you too. Let me know if you have gaps there that I might be able to fill.)
There are a few more things that I am trying to piece together that you might be able to help with. I am pretty sure, working from some old school photos, that Willie Bradley and Howard went to boarding school together at Trent College in Nottinghamshire around 1912-13, but that Willie didn't stay there for long. Might have have been some earlier family link with Trent College? Howard went straight from school in 1915 into the Sherwood Foresters and joined World War 1 on the Western Front, just in time for the battle of the Somme... Do you know if Willie returned to Ireland? They seem to have linked up again in Ireland after the war, before Willie moved to England and Howard went to the North.
And Charlotte Bradley/Martelli's life after she left Dublin for London in the early 1900s is a mystery until the 1911 census, where I found her again, living in a boarding house. She and Howard appear to have reestablished contact while he was in school in England. Maybe she also had contact with some of her other Bradley relatives in England over these years?
All the best,
Dennis
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Dennis - I have sent you a private message - suggest we continue by email as further posts on Martelli/Bradley not really relevant to this Halpin board. Brian
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Brian,
I think you're right. I certainly wouldn't want to impose on our hosts, so I will be in touch separately, as you suggest.
Thanks,
Dennis
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I have not contributed much to this site for some time. I have been following family away from Wicklow, some of which may come into focus in due course. However, something has come to light that injects new material into the wonderful discoveries by Tavern over a year ago now, more or less culminating in Reply 216 in the previous thread.
Ray has uncovered in the Registry of Deeds the following.
1839 1 67 - 1839 1 68: Memo of Indented Deed of Marriage Settlement dated 2nd September 1829 made between the Reverend Henniker Johnston of Mullboden, County Kildare, Clerk, of the first part, George Halpin of Northwall in the County of the City of Dublin, Esquire, of the second part, Elizabeth Halpin of the same place, Spinster, second daughter of the said George Halpin, of the third part, William Halpin of Seville Place, in the City of the County of Dublin, late Captain in His Majesty's First Regiment of Light Dragoons, of the King's German Legions, and James Elliot, Esquire, of the City of Dublin, Attorney at Law, Trustees, mutually chosen and appointed of the forth par, Reciting a marriage was then shortly intended to be had solemnized between the said Henniker Johnston and Elizabeth Halpin ........
This Elizabeth must be a previously unknown daughter of George and Isabella. It would be tempting to have her as a daughter of George and his second wife Elizabeth Bourne. But they married in 1817, which rules out a daughter marrying in 1829.
A Wicklow note is that Rev Henniker Johnston seems to have ended his days dying in the rectory of Hollywood in 1882. So far I have not been able to discover if his marriage to Elizabeth took place, or anything further. We do know that at George's death in 1854 his only surviving children were named as George junior and Frederick.
I wonder if any of our Wicklow readers may know anything of the Hollywood COI parish.
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1.
In addition to the Deed above, I uncovered the following:
Unbeneficed Curates in the Dioceses of Dublin and Glendelagh.
Henniker Johnston 7 April 1826 Salary: £50 Allowances: £00 00s 00d {This Parish is compounded for £127 10s}.
- from 1828 (260) Curates (Ireland.) Accounts of the number of unbeneficed curates of the Established Church in Ireland, p. 16 of 26. House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online.
In Thom's Irish Almanac 1848, in its Ecclesiastical Directory, Henniker Johnston is listed as the 'Incumbent' and 'Curate' in Blessington, where his 'Patron' is the Archbishop. The 'Benefice' is described as "Ballymore-Eustace, U."
In Griffith's Valuation we find the Reverend Henniker Johnston named as the occupier of a property leased by John La Touche. The date given is 14th September 1853, in the County of Kildare, in the Poor Law Union of Naas, in the Barony of Naas South, in the Parish and Townland of Coghlanstown.
Most of the listings of Henniker Johnston inspected by me in Thom's place him in "Hollywood (Glendalough), Ballymore-Eustace." As Bill notes above, he appears to have ministered there until his death in 1882.
In the Freeman's Journal of Saturday, January 6 1883, I found the following, which I transcribe in full:
Co Wicklow.
Executors' Sale.
Robert J. Goff
has been favoured with instructions from the executors of the late Rev. Henniker Johnston to
Sell By Auction,
At Hollywood Rectory,
(One mile from Hollywood, 1 and a half miles from Ballymore-Eustace, 3 miles from Blessington, and four miles from Dunlavin),
On Wednesday, 10 January 1883,
The entire indoor and outdoor effects, comprising -
In Dining Room, Drawing Room, and Hall:
Set of mahogany dining tables (to accommodate 10), mahogany loo table, side tables, a knee-hole writing table, mahogany card tables, shaped papier mache table, table covers, couch and five chairs, in chintz; prie dien chair, spring-seated easy chair, in green rep;easy, elbow, and ten single chairs; mahogany sideboard with drawers, cellaret, and lockers; Japanned and papier mache trays, some plated ware, writing desks, card and letter racks, hand screens, suits of crimson damask, and muslin window curtains, gilt poles and rings, Holland blinds, Kidderminster and felt carpets, oilcloth, hearthrugs, fenders, fire irons, etc.; a library open bookcase with enclosed locker beneath; step chair, set of mahogany drawers with secretaire top; mahogany hall chairs, hall table, umbrella stand, eight-day clock in mahogany case; flower stand, suspension lamp, oil cloth, wool bordered and cocoa fibre mats, stair carpets, rods, etc.
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2.
The Bedrooms.
Mahogany four post bedsteads, double and single iron bedsteads, palliasses, hair mattresses, feather beds, bolsters, pillows, blankets, Marseilles and counterpane quilts, bed linen, iron chair to form occasional bed, set of mahogany drawers, deal painted wardrobes, toilet cans, towel rails, commodes, bedroom chairs and tables, mantelpiece mirror; man and maid servants' bedroom furniture.
The Kitchen, Dairy, etc.
A Variety of cooking utensils, kitchen boiler with tap, brass skillet, Dutch oven, roasting screen and bottle jacks, kitchen and pantry presses, tables, plate drainer, some delft and glass, paraffin lamps, washing tubs, chairs and forms, fender, etc.; Eastwood's patent churn, milk pans and butter dishes, bacon chest, etc.
Out of Doors.
A rick (about 12 tons) well saved 2nd and 3rd crop hay.
A pike (about 4 tons) strong old meadow hay.
A stack of white Tartary oats.
Two heaps of manure.
Three pits champion potatoes.
One milch cow.
One forward springer, an excellent milcher.
One two-year old heifer, served to calve in May.
Three one and a half year old bullocks, in good condition.
One calf on the pail.
One bay mare, used to all kinds of farm work and quiet to drive.
One phaeton, by Whiteitt; 1 outside car, set of harness, saddles, bridles, horse rugs, roller, etc.; head collars, stable requisites, 1 farm cart, sideboards and creels, set of carte harness, donkey cart and set harness, No. 3 plough stone roller, long ladder, wheelbarrow, corn bins, water barrels, granite stone corn stand, some fencing wire, 2 iron triangles, beam, scales and weights, a log stand, cattle tubes, hay knife, hatchet, manure and hay forks, etc.; bath chair, garden seats, garden tools, etc.
Sale to commence at 11.30 am. A punctual attendance is solicited.
Terms - Cash. Purchasers to pay five per cent commission.
______---______
In 1881, at the Benefice of Hollywood, Henniker Johnston, residing at Ballymore-Eustace, was earning a 'Net Annual Living' of £163 15s 5d. The "Amount of Commutation agreed on (including 12% Bonus)" was £1,219 5s 0d.
- from 1881 [C.2773] [C.2773-I] Irish Church Temporalities Commission. Report of the Commissioners of Church Temporalities in Ireland, for period 1869 - 80. [26th July, 1869, to 1st November, 1880.] Page 65 of 277. House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online.
With an annual income of £163 15s 5d, Reverend Johnston was comfortably off and middle class. Bill rightly wonders if his marriage to Elizabeth Halpin went through. I think it probably did. Deed Number 1839 1 68 is a Memo of a Deed of Assignment dated 11th September 1835 made between William Halpin of Seville Place, Dublin, late Captain of His Majesty's First Regiment of Light Dragoons..., James Elliot, Dublin, Attorney at Law, of the first part, George Halpin, of the North Wall, Dublin, Esquire, of the second part, and the Reverend Henniker Johnston of Mullboden, County Kildare, Clerk, of the third part, after reciting...the agreement therein mentioned in consideration of five shillings to each of them the said William Halpin, James Elliot and George Halpin paid by said Henniker Johnston, they the said William Halpin and James Elliot at the request and by the direction of George Halpin and Henniker Johnston respectively, testified by their execution thereof...did each and every of them thereby Grant Bargain Sell Assign Transfer and make over unto the said Henniker Johnston All That and those that part of one Lot 4 on the North Strand, together with all Houses, out-Houses, Edifaces, Erections and Offices erected and built thereon, and all other the premises comprised and demised by the therein recited Indented Lease of the 10th December 1806, and all and singular the rights members and appurtences to the said premises or any part thereof belonging or appertaining or therewith held and enjoyed and the Rents issues and profits and every part thereof...
The legalese is confusing and the lack of punctuation in the original doesn't help, but I think the purpose of the transaction is clear enough - to 'assign' to Henniker Johnston, for a nominal sum of five shillings, all rights to and income from a property in North Wall that belongs to George and William Halpin. Would the Halpin brothers do this if Henniker Johnston wasn't an in-law? I think it's unlikely, but I can't say I'm sure of myself here. If we examine the itemised list of Reverend Johnston's household goods, it's not clear to me that they are those of a married man, let alone those of a man who has raised children.
Finally, after a perfunctory search of the archives I came across a mention of "Elizabeth Halpin" as "Deputy Matron" of Wicklow County Gaol, Wicklow Town, where (in 1850) she received an annual salary of £20*. I don't know who this Elizabeth Halpin is, but she works under William Nolan, Esquire, who was the Local Inspector of Wicklow Gaol (£46 3 6 p.a.), and Andrew Nolan, Esquire, Surgeon (£65 p.a.), both of whom were deeply involved with the Board of Commissioners in Wicklow Town and closely associated with my own forebear, Robert Wellington Halpin.
After a brief search last Thursday afternoon, this is all the information I could uncover on Henniker Johnston and "Elizabeth Halpin".
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3.
*- from 1850 [1229] Prisons of Ireland. Twenty-eighth report of the Inspectors-General on the General State of the Prisons of Ireland, 1849; with appendices. Page 122 of 132. House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online.
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By all appearances, Henniker Johnston was more a farmer than a clergyman. Finding his home in Griffiths, it is a small estate of over 140 acres about 1km NW of Ballymore Eustace. The house is named as Mullaghboden. There are a great many Johnston names in Griffiths for this region. A witness to the first deed was "Saint George Johnston". In Griffiths, St George Johnston holds over 50 acres between Mullaghboden and Ballymore Eustace.
Researching an ancestor of mine who was a clergyman in Yorkshire in the late 1700s, he was gifted a rectorship from which he enjoyed a meagre living but to the best of my knowledge never took a service nor lived there. It was not uncommon apparently for rectors to employ ministers or curates to perform clerical services in the parish.
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Here is a brief clergy biography of Hennicker Johnston. It shows that he married Elizabeth Halpin and also remarried to a Julia, surname not provided, who died 26 Jan 1873. He was the son of Richard Johnston, soldier, born Carlow 1798, attended TCD, curate Tipperkevin Co Kildare 1826, Rector Ballymore Eustace Co Kildare 1847, Rector Hollywood 1866-78 together with Ballymore Eustace again from 1872. The given death year is probably wrong, which can cast doubt on the overall reliability.
My source says that the early registers for Tipperkevin where he was curate at the time of his first marriage were destroyed in the fire at the Public Records Office of Ireland in 1922 but that the parish registers for Blessington might also be relevant. Presumably also the registers of Ballymore Eustace and Hollywood may be revealing if they survive. I have so far been unable to find any of these events in the usual online sources.
Another researcher has referred me to information on Mullaboden House.. See http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=KD®no=11902406. The building featured seems to be the original stables in which case the main house must have been very substantial.
He also reports that : The six-inch map image shows the house, woods around it, a cemetery (probably private, family one), a weir and a hydraulic ram assembly....to supply water to the property.
I wonder if that cemetery survives - it may have had the burial place of Elizabeth Halpin. So far, in line with George Halpin's death settlements, Elizabeth had to have died by 1854.
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Are we sure Elizabeth died? If she and Henniker merely separated there would be a record of it, wouldn't there? I'm inclined to believe she died, perhaps some time before the Deed of Assignment was drawn up.
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To place it alongside previous postings, the wills of Hennicker Johnston and of his second wife Julia Johnston are in the Calendar of Wills and Administrations 1858 - 1922, http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/search/cwa/index.jsp. I had seen the précis of his will but failed to notice that of Julia until someone kindly pointed it out to me. Image at http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/reels/cwa/005014898/005014898_00225.pdf.
Julia death 25 Feb 1873, proved by the Rev Charles Elliott of Belgrave Terrace Monkstown, sole surviving executor. Brother? Son from previous marriage?
Hennicker death 23 Dec 1882, proved by Richard Johnston MD of Leicestershire, one of the executors. A pencil handwritten note in the margin states "in Will Johnston, Henniker or Henniker M". The listing is for Johnston (Reverend) Mocher Henniker.
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"James Elliot, Esquire, of the City of Dublin, Attorney at Law", was named as a Trustee in Deed 1839 1 67/68, in which the details of Elizabeth Halpin's marriage settlement were decided. He may have been a relative of the Reverend Charles Elliot.
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Firstly, Christmas greetings to all our correspondents, and we trust that 2014 will be productive, safe and happy.
Elizabeth Halpin, previously unknown daughter of George Halpin sr. - needless to say I have been putting out many queries and have gleaned interesting information on her husband and related parties. However this falls well short of what we need to know.
I still do not have any record of Elizabeth’s birth, marriage or death, or any child. If she was baptised or married in the family’s church, St Thomas, Dublin, it may not be able to be found, as Tavern has explained previously, because of the state of the records. If she married in her husband’s parish, he was at the time (1829) curate at Tipperkevin co Kildare or at the nearby church where he later became rector, Ballymore Eustace, part of the Blessington union of churches.
If she had a child, and when she died, these events are likely to have been recorded at one of these two churches. Just now found is this newspaper notice. DEATHS - August 12, 1857 -Cork Examiner - August 1, at 18, Adelaide-road, Jane, only child of the Rev, Henniker Johnston, Vicar of Ballymore Eustace. [There are Adelaide roads near Stephens Green in Dublin South and near Monkstown where Elliott seemed to have a connection.] So, where would this burial have been recorded?
We have seen that her husband Johnston’s residence at the time of marriage was Mullaboden. I am discovering that this was a very substantial residence. Later in the century an owner kept a private pack of hounds there for the Kildare Hunt and subsequently Sir John Milbanke VC of Mullaboden died at Gallipoli. I am attaching part of the map that locates the private cemetery at Mullaboden, which is Elizabeth’s possible resting place.
Johnston, in the Ireland Calendar of Wills, had his will proved in early 1883 by Richard Johnston MD of Oakham co Leicester, one of the executors. Dr Richard Johnston FRCS has been located in the 1881 England census as aged 30, born Dublin, married Dublin. If the child Jane above was Johnston’s only child, who was Richard?
So, these seem to be the questions and it may take time to answer them. And why was the deed pertaining to Elizabeth’s 1829 marriage recorded in 1839? Does this possibly give a clue to when she may have died?
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For the record, relating to above locations, the RCB Library lists that it has the following registers (http://ireland.anglican.org/cmsfiles/pdf/AboutUs/library/parregs.pdf):
Ballymore Eustace: Baptisms 1838-1879; Marriages 1840-1956; Burials 1832-1879
Blessington: Baptisms 1695-1860; Marriages 1683-1953; Burials 1683-1878
Hollywood: Marriages 1845-1942
Tipperkevin: Marriages 1846-1867
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P.204. Number 328. Halbert, Thomas, the elder, town and county of Wicklow, 2 July 1803. Full ⅓ p. 28 March 1806. [I think this means probate granted 28/3/1806]
To my nephew all my estates in Co. Wicklow and elsewhere, subject to bequests to my nephew and two nieces, children of my late brother James Halbert, to provide for them until they reach twenty one years of age.
Witnesses: Rev. Mathew Johnson, clerk, and Wm. Goodison, Esq., both of town of Wicklow, and Martin Doyle, Collawiney [? Coolawinnia] (sic), Co. Wicklow, nurseryman.
Memorial witnessed by: said Wm. Goodison and Wm. McDermott, city of Dublin, attorney.
574, 458, 391337
George Halbert (seal) in said will named.
[From “Registry of Deeds Dublin abstracts of wills vol. iii 1785-1832, E. Ellis and PB Eustace 1984" at http://www.irishmanuscripts.ie/digital/Registry%20Of%20Deeds%20Abstracts%20Of%20Wills%20Vol%20III%201785-1832/, accessed via a digitisation project by the Irish Manuscripts Commission at http://www.irishmanuscripts.ie/servlet/Controller?action=digitisation_backlist]
George Halbert is not in the "said will named”, so I presume that George is the “my nephew” to whom the estate is left. A James Halbert was the father of Ann Halbert born 1797, wife of James Halpin, and so more than probably she was one of the two nieces. Coolawinna, with various spellings, to the north of Wicklow Town, has been mentioned in prior postings, to do with the Revell family from memory. Ann Halbert's mother, James' wife, was Mary Revell.
I have speculatively reviewed my conception of this family and attach a tentative tree and invite comments or corrections. For some reason Thomas the elder left all his estate to his nephew George and none except limited bequests to his other nephew, Thomas, and his nieces. We know from previous findings that Thomas, George and Hester were siblings. Mid 1800s Thomas had a fine small estate at Kilmullin near Newtown Mount Kennedy. Hester had a lease on 80 acres at Ballinabarny near Rathnew, possibly a vineyard.
In an ebook found at Google: A List of the Officers of the Militia..... For Co Wicklow under Coolkenna Infantry is Captain John Revell 12 Dec 1799 and the only officers listed for the Wicklow Infantry are Captain Thomas Halbert 3rd Jan 1817; 1st Lieut Richard Cotter; 2nd Lieut George Halbert both 8 Mar 1817. No Halpin named in the entire book.
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Title John Galloway, Dublin: report by George Halpin on repairs to steeple of church of Kilbeggan, County Westmeath
Reference CSO/RP/1822/1552
Date 9 Apr 1822-16 Apr 1822
Creator Chief Secretary's Office
Scope and Content Letter from John Galloway, secretary, Commissioners of Consolidated Fund, Board Room, 37 Sackville [O'Connell] Street, Dublin, to William H Gregory, Under Secretary of Ireland, Dublin Castle, enclosing copy of report by George Halpin, engineer, on repairs to steeple of church of Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, work which he regards as defective and ‘should be taken down, properly jointed and reset’: expresses approval of new wall around churchyard and other repairs and finds funds lent for the purpose were appropriately accounted for.
Extent 2 items; 5pp
[From: http://www.nationalarchives.ie/search-the-archives/, search Kilbeggan and steeple.]
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[From the same source.]
Title Ballast Office, Dublin: plan for erection of two lighthouses on Skellig Rocks, off Valentia Island, County Kerry
Reference CSO/RP/1820/224
Date 6 Jan 1820- 13 Nov 1820
Creator Chief Secretary's Office
Scope and Content File of material relating to plan of Ballast Office, Dublin, for erection of two lighthouses on Skellig Rocks, off Valentia Island, County Kerry. Includes copy letter from James Court, Trinity House, London, England, to John Cossart, Ballast Office, Dublin, indicating acceptance by Elder Brethren of Corporation, of plan proposed by George Halpin, inspector of Irish light houses, for positioning of lighthouses on Skellig Rocks, 4 November 1820; also includes copy letter from Halpin, for transmission to Trinity Board, London, making report on establishment of sea warning structures, designed to a ‘be faithful leading Light for Vessels bound North or South and keep them clear of all danger’, 5 October 1820; also includes copy letter from Halpin to Cossart advocating feasibility of erection two lighthouses rather than one, on the site in question, 24 August 1820.
Extent 9 items; 13pp
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Thanks for the tip Bill (your reply No 65). I looked up 'Sweny' at the National Archives and found one interesting item. I had assumed that Mark Halpen Sweny (1783-1865) left Ireland as a boy to join the Royal Navy and never returned. But it seems that Sweny did return to Ireland for a short time before settling in England.
Letter from Mark H Sweny, lieutenant, Royal Navy, Rathmines, Dublin, to Charles Grant, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, requesting appointment to post of surveyor or local inspector of fisheries; includes letter from Sweny to Earl Talbot, Lord Lieutenant, Dublin Castle, applying for position and to state that he served in the battle of Trafalgar, ‘lost both thumbs and a finger and was selected to fill the situation of first Lieutenant of the Northumberland when that ship carried Bonaparte to St Helena’ (1815). From Nat Archives Ireland, April/May 1820.
I take it that his application was rejected, as he turns up in England in 1822. Sweny is mentioned in ‘Diaries of a Lady of Quality’ (1797-1844) by Miss Frances Williams Wynn, who had met him at a ball in Hastings in 1822.
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In my previous post, it sounds as though he lost his thumbs and finger at Trafalgar, but in fact we don't know the details. For those interested, I have just posted more complete details of his life on the Rootschat topic "Sweny of Dublin", Posts #82 & 83.
Ken
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From the Dictionary of Irish Architects (http://www.dia.ie/architects/view/2340/HALPIN%2C+GEORGE+%5B1%5D), is the following wording from Footnote 3:
"According to the inscription on his gravestone in Mount Jerome Cemetery, he was 75 at the time of his death (information from O'Donoghue); Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 60, quotes a report of his death in The Dublin Evening Post of 11 July 1854, which states that 'Mr Halpin was, we believe, in his 80th year'. Presumably the age on his gravestone is the correct one, although it would mean that Halpin was only 21 when he was appointed to the Ballast Board post."
I have been to this page previously but not noted the mention of age 80, which certainly is interesting. I have found many instances of newspaper reporters taking liberties in their haste, recording information daily of hundreds of people they know nothing of.
Against this, and in support of the younger age, was the age given of George when he was discharged injured from Beresford's yeomanry in 1800 aged 22. It should be speculated that this may have been his age at the date of the accident, 28 Sep 1799, but equally it could have been his age at discharge in 1800 (date not seen).
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George Halpin was from 1800/01 Inspector of Works employed by the Ballast Board. Belatedly I attempted to find where he worked from. It seems he was a superb organiser and ran a well-oiled machine. He'd have needed draftsmen, clerks, accountants, paymaster, deputies, etc. I have found the following.
From de Courcy’s “The Liffey in Dublin”, p.89.
Under the heading “Corporation for Preserving and Improving the Port of Dublin”, he writes: “…The bill was enacted in 1786 and under its terms [the Corporation] was established. This body became known for convenience as the Ballast Board.
“[It] forthwith took over the Ballast Office house in Essex Street, renaming it as the Ballast Office of the Port of Dublin. The Board later moved to Lower Sackville Street and then in 1801 to Westmoreland Street, where it occupied the building known widely in the 19th and 20th centuries as the Ballast Office.”
Mr Frank Pelly, Consultant Curator to the Commissioners of Irish Lights, confirms that this was where Halpin's official quarters would have been, although he believes that Halpin also fashioned offices for himself next to his residence at the old North Wall Light.
I have these two links relating to the Ballast offices in Westmoreland Street.
http://homepage.eircom.net/~Irishshipping/Ballast%20Office.htm
http://archiseek.com/2013/1800-dolier-westmoreland-dublin/#.Uyt-2WeKCUl
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http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
Census of Ireland 1901/1911 and Census fragments and substitutes,
1821-51.
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Any new Halpin census entries have eluded me. Thanks Ray.
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http://ireland.anglican.org/about/128
Explanation of an up-to-date, comprehensive and overdue list of the holdings of Church of Ireland parish registers. To go to the actual pdf document, click on the word "here".
Generally the RCB Library does not have the ability to do lookups but may supply a list of researchers.
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A few links to some superb pages on the history of the Atlantic Cable, including illustrations and good summaries of Captain R C Halpin's life.
http://atlantic-cable.com/Books/Russell/index.html
http://atlantic-cable.com/CablePioneers/Halpin/index.htm
http://atlantic-cable.com/CablePioneers/
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Doing a broad search in the Irish News Archive, I noted that in 1802, an Oliver Halpin received the degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Edinburgh. (Belfast Newsletter, 17 Sept.). The same year, Richard Halpin appears as a Warden of the Corporation of Bricklayers and "Plaisterers". [A later report is of Dr Oliver Halpin retiring from an army regiment.]
On May 20 1803, the Belfast Newsletter reports Richard Halpin of Mecklinburgh street, Dublin, builder, under a list of bankrupts. William Halpin, distiller, in the same situation a couple of months following.
One or more of the Halpins who attended Trinity College had as their school tutor a Mr Falloon. In 1809, an entry is placed in Freeman's Journal (July 8) for Rathmines School, Mr J Falloon, A.B. Master. Students listed include Halpin and Revell. I had not previously located Falloon's school in Rathmines.
Also in 1809, Freemans Journal 28 July reports - Monday being election day of the Corporation of Bricklayers and Plaisterers, or Guild of St Bartholomew, Richard Halpin of the North Strand was unanimously elected Master ...
In April/May 1810, Mrs Halpin of Athy respectfully informs her friends and the Public that, under the patronage of many of the most respectable characters in this City, whose children she has had the honour of Educating, she has opened a Day School for Young Ladies at No 181, Abbey-street. English Grammar, History, Geography and Use of the Globes; Reading, Prose, Rhyme and Blank Verse; Writing, Epistolary Composition and Arithmetic, by Mr. W. H. Halpin, who purports devoting the principal portion of his time to this Establishment. At present has leisure for a few Private Tuitions.... No vacation....
In September 1810, J Halpin adds his name to a list of parishioners of St Thomas requesting a meeting be convened to consider the most speedy, effectual and constitutional steps to be taken to restore the Parliament of Ireland, by a repeal of the unfortunate Act of Union.
House, Stock in Trade and Establishment in the Bookselling and Stationary (sic) Business. Jane Halpin, widow of the late J Halpin, No 31 New Sackville-street, intends to dispose of her house, Stock in Trade, &c. The House is in perfect repair; with a large work-shop, two ware-rooms, coach-house and stable. To any person of the business it would be a great acquisition, as they may have the Stock at a valuation, with a large and valuable connexion in town and country, with many other advantages...... (Freemans Sunday March 03, 1811). A later entry shows her late husband as John Halpin.
A December 1811 post shows a J Halpin as a student at Blancherstown Academy, master the Rev Joseph Joy Dean. August 1812 shows a Richard Halpin a student at Lower Gardiner-street School, No 26, Rev John Coghlan, AB, master
More anon
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Deaths. In Portarlington, on the 30th ult at a very advanced age, Mr Halpin, who had been for upwards of fifty years, Master of a Principal Academy in that town, which important office together with the social and religious duties of a christian, he discharged with a conscientious zeal, and unaffected piety which procured him the respects and esteem of all who knew him. –He was indeed an upright and exemplary character. [Freemans February 02 1820, p.3]
A John Halpin is listed in May 1820 as a member of the Corporation of Tailors, or Guild of St John, for the purpose of electing a Lord Mayor.
On 28 June 1820, Freemans devotes more than a whole page to list the names of persons who voted for Henry Grattan or Thomas Ellis in the election of Lord Mayor. James Halpin, bricklayer of Wicklow Town, voted for Ellis. I believe this refers to his being a member of the Bricklayers Guild.
Births. On the 1st inst., at Oldcastle, the Lady of the Rev. N. T. (sic) Halpin, of a son. [Freemans January 10 1825, p.4. This would be William Henry Halpin who went to Ontario.]
On the 12th inst. at Clontarf Church, Frederick H Halpin, Esq. of the Hon. East India Company's service to Caroline, daughter of Sir William Stamer, Bart. [Belfast Newsletter Nov 16 1830 p.2]
Insolvent Debtors petitions. James Halpin, Greenmount, county of Louth, baker. [Freemans July 25 1836]
ROYAL SCHOOL OF ENNISKILLEN. THE REV. DOCTOR GREHAM, MASTER. … Wanted, a RESIDENT WRITING and ENGLISH MASTER. of first-rate qualifications. Application to be made to Dr. GREHAM, Portora House, Enniskillen, or to the Rev. Mr. HALPIN, 14, Seville-place, Dublin; (if by letter, post-paid.)… Portora House, 7th January, 1837. [Belfast Newsletter Jan 17 1837]
In a law case, Malone v O’Connor and others, Henry Halpin and others give a number of statements that reflect on their residence. Margaret Kelly: Mathias Moore lived next door to me; there was a school in Portarlington, kept by Mr Halpin, and many others kept by different persons; Moore and Halpin lived at one time next to each other, and afterwards Halpin moved opposite… Mr Henry Halpin examined: My father and myself lived in Portarlington for many years; I also knew a gentleman named Stepney who was going to my father’s school….. I am now 75 years of age. [Freemans Dec 15 1837. So it would seem that Old Nick’s son William Henry was commonly named Henry.]
An inquest was held on Saturday, before Alderman Perrin, on view of the body of an old man which was taken out of a trench, near Halpin's-row, at the rear of the Customhouse dock.. [Freemans Oct 15 1838]
“E. Halpin” among a list of newly sworn attorneys. Eaton Halpin? [Belfast Newsletter May 17 1839]
Select School for General Instruction, 10 D’Olier-street. H Sweeny, Principal. Premiums to Masters … Halpin, 4;…Sweeny, 3. [Freemans Jul 6 1839]
Military Promotions. War Office Jan 10. 14th Regiment of Foot…..Robert Halpin, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Blundell to Lieutenant, by purchase. [Freemans Jan 14 1840]
City Grand Jury. Board of Superintendence. Much discussion followed on the question which was next introduced, respecting the widening of Carlisle Bridge and the erection of a new bridge over the Liffey, from Beresford-place to the opposite quay. Alderman Hoyte said that according to the estimate of Mr Semple, the architect, the widening of Carlisle Bridge; would cost 20,000l., whereas, on referring to their own engineer, Mr Halpin, he said it could not be done under 30,000l. The matter was therefore rejected. [Freemans April 30 1840, p.3]
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In response to some of the points Bill made in his post above:
James Halpin may have belonged to the Bricklayer's Guild because his brother George was a noted Dublin builder. It should also be noted that The Reverend Doctor Greham, of the Royal School of Enniskillen, in soliciting applications for the position of Resident Writing and English Master at the school, invited applicants to lodge their CV's with the Rev. N J Halpin, of 14 Seville Place, Dublin. As I have already pointed out elsewhere in this long Halpin thread, George Halpin - brother of James Halpin of the Bridge Tavern in Wicklow - owned no. 14 Seville Place in Dublin. I've also mentioned elsewhere that George Halpin had close personal and business ties to a family of wealthy Dublin merchants by the name of Crosthwaite. The Rev. N J Halpin's mother was Ann (or Marianne) Crosthwaite, and his wife was Anne Greham. This, I think, leaves little doubt about the blood ties between the Wicklow Halpins and the Portarlington Halpins. Ties, I might add, that my own family always insisted existed.
Until I made the claim that George Halpin, the Portarlington Halpins and the Wicklow Halpins were all blood relations, no one to my knowledge had ever made the connection. I based my claim on family lore, which was rightly critiqued at the time. But thanks to the research of other contributors to this forum, and to research I conducted myself, I think there can be no doubt about the validity of the claim, or of the provenance of the lore. Stronger links than the ones I've unearthed between the Wicklow and Portarlington Halpins no doubt exist, and I am confident they will be found in due course. But there was a fourth part to the original claim that has yet to be proved - the link between my own Wicklow forebears, and the other Halpins mentioned in this post. It was my forbears who insisted on the tie, and since they were proven right about the links between George Halpin, James Halpin and the Reverend N J Halpin, I think their claim deserves to be taken seriously. And I think it would be, were it not for a particular letter written by James Halpin's daughter specifically denying any family tie between her family and that of my forebear, Robert Wellington Halpin, who was at that time Wicklow's Town Clerk and Post Master. But I have uncovered evidence that casts suspicion on the credibility of Mrs. Halpin's claim, evidence I will present to the forum at a later date. The evidence, I ought to say, is not compelling. It is merely suggestive, and it certainly won't convince very many. But it is interesting enough to convince me that I ought to retain faith in the truthfulness of my ancestor's claim.
I have also uncovered evidence that William Henry Halpin (1760 - 1839), who was the father of the Rev. N J Halpin, either divorced his wife Ann before she died, or remarried after she passed away(she died in 1808). The point is, he married for a second time (at least), and forced the children from his first marriage to vacate the family home. This, apparently, embittered the children of his first marriage. Did it also embitter them towards the children of the second marriage? Were there indeed any children from the second marriage, which probably took place in around 1810? And could one of those children have been my great great grandfather, Robert Wellington Halpin (b. 1814/15)? It is a possibility I'm not willing to discount.
Finally, I have no photographs of Robert Wellington Halpin. But a photo has turned up online that may include an image of him. It features the launch of the Wicklow lifeboat The Robert T. Garden, 7 September 1866. Can anyone confirm that the photograph is indeed that of the Robert T. Garden. And, if so, can anyone identify the characters featured in the photo?
PS - does anyone have access to a better print of the Robert T. Garden? Much obliged for your help.
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From The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, September 1, 1866.
Part One.
The establishment of a Lifeboat Institution at Wicklow is, in truth, a feature in the history of our town, of which the inhabitants may justly feel proud. Its value cannot be overestimated when we consider the large numbers that are each year saved by the beneficent influence of such an institution. About nine years ago a committee of the gentry and inhabitants founded the institution and erected a boathouse on our coast. The building, becoming, after some time, undermined by the tides, it was taken down and at this junction Robert Jones Garden, Esq. came forward with his generous gift of a New Lifeboat and House to the Committee of the Parent Institution in London. It was then arranged that the station should be at Wicklow, and accordingly the local committee, aided by the indefatigable exertions of their hon. sec., the Rev. Henry Rooke, lost no time in completing the erection of the new boathouse, which is situate on the Murrough within a trifling distance of the coast, and in immediate proximity to the telegraph office and railway station. The Boathouse is an exceedingly handsome building in the Gothic style. It is 46 feet in length and 21 feet in breadth, and is admirably adapted to the purpose for which it is intended. In the front of the building, and immediately over the entrance is erected a chaste and beautiful marble tablet containing the following inscription:
"In Memory of Robert Theophilus Garden, Esq., Of River Lyons, Philipstown, King's County, Died 10th October 1862.''
''Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.'' - St. John vi, 37.
This Lifeboat Is Presented to The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, in the Names of His Affectionate Grandchildren, Mary Dorcas, and Blanche Jane Champagne. 7th September 1866.
Chas. H. Cooke, Hon. Architect.
Rev. Henry Rooke, Hon. Sec.
We may add that the building was executed by Mr. John Sayers, of Wicklow, and reflects great credit on his superior skill and workmanship.
On Friday next, the formal Presentation and Launch of the new Lifeboat will take place, and all necessary preparations are being made to celebrate the event in a manner suitable to the munificent gift of the high-spirited donor. The programme of the proceedings is highly attractive and most judiciously arranged. After the launch, there will be a great variety of aquatic and other amusements, including rowing matches, boat races, (not the least interesting of which will be a "Duck Hunt.'') The several yachts in the bay will be decked in their gayest bunting. The town itself will present a very animated appearance, and on the whole the day will be a gala one to the inhabitants of Wicklow.
We quote the following from the Journal of the Parent Institution in London:
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Part Two.
"The National Lifeboat Institution has just forwarded to Wicklow a new lifeboat. The boat is 33 feet long, 8 feet wide and rows 10 oars, double-banked. She possesses the usual valuable properties peculiar to this class of boats, viz. - self-righting, self-relief of water, etc., which qualities were found to be satisfactory in every way at the harbour trial of the boat in London a few days since. She is provided with a transporting and a launching-carriage, from which she is launched with the crew on board, oars in hand, who are thus enabled to obtain headway before the breakers have time to beat the boat broadside on to the beach. The cost of the Wicklow new lifeboat establishment was liberally presented to the Institution in the names of the grandchildren of the late Robert T. Garden, Esq., of River Lyons, King's County. A commodious and substantial lifeboat-house has been built for the new lifeboat and carriage. A free conveyance was readily given to them by the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, and the Dublin, Wicklow, and Wexford Railway Company. The lifeboat will be publicly exhibited and launched in Wicklow on Friday, the 7th September, that being the anniversary of the birthday of the late Mr. R. T. Garden. The Institution is much indebted to the Rev. Henry Rooke, the hon. secretary of the Wicklow Branch, and the local committee generally, for their co-operation in the management of the Branch. The lifeboat station will long remain a monument of the philanthropy of the benevolent donors. The National Lifeboat Institution has now 168 lifeboats in connection with it. During the present year alone the lifeboats of the Society have been the means, under God, of saving 260 of our fellow creatures from a watery grave, in addition to 252 lives saved by fishing boats and other means, for which services it has granted rewards. As each lifeboat requires about £50 a year to keep it always ready for instantaneous service, it is evident that a large sum is required by the Institution to enable it to maintain in a state of efficiency its numerous lifeboat establishments, and that the good and sacred work in which it is so actively engaged can only be perpetuated by legacies and the continued support of the public at large. To rescue the shipwrecked mariner from a watery grave, just within sight perhaps of his cherished home, looks like one of those great endeavours which an Irishman of all others would be the first to propose; and it is one that is yearly becoming more fixed in the minds of the people of this country. The number of lives saved, either by the lifeboats of the Society or by special exertions, for which it has granted rewards since its formation, is 15,492; for which services 82 Gold Medals, 762 Silver Medals, and £22,460 in cash have been paid in rewards. Since its formation the Institution has expended £144,918 on its Lifeboat establishments, in addition to the rewards it has granted. We may add that contributions will be thankfully received by all the Irish and London bankers, by Mr. Samuel B. Taylor, Blakeney Houses, Sandymount, Dublin, the General Agent of the Irish Auxiliary of the National Lifeboat Institution, by the several Honorary Secretaries of the different Irish Lifeboat Branches, and by Richard Lewis, Esq., Secretary to the Institution, John Street, Adelphi, London.''
- from The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, September 1, 1866.
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Report of the actual launch of the Robert T Garden.
Part One.
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, September 8, 1866.
The town of Wicklow yesterday presented an appearance as animated and cheerful as it was spirited and encouraging. The weather was most favourable, and, as a natural consequence, crowds arrived from the county districts, to show by their presence, if nothing more, their full appreciation of the memory of one whose name shall ever be held in grateful remembrance, not only by the tempest-tossed mariner, but also by every heart capable of appreciating those dangers and accidents connected with the mighty deep.
Shortly before twelve o'clock yesterday, according to previous arrangement, a procession was formed on the Murrough, and proceeded through the town in the following order:
Band of the Wicklow Rifles.
Staff of Wicklow Rifles.
Local Committee of the Royal National Life Boat Institution and Town Commissioners.
John Hayden, Esq., Chairman, and T.C.
Thomas Troy, Esq., Chairman of Town Commissioners.
Doctor Halpin, Joseph Pim, Doctor Banks, John Chapman, Thomas Doolittle, Henry MacPhail, Michael McCabe, John Oakes, James Dillon, William Gregg, Charles Ralph (all Town Commissioners).
Mr. Robert W. Halpin, Secretary to Town Commissioners, Mr. James Lambert, Surveyor to Town Commissioners.
Lifeboat, drawn by Six Horses.
Volunteer Life Brigade.
Admiral Jones (Representative of Robert Jones Garden, Esq., Donor of the Lifeboat, and Miss Jones.
The Right Hon. the Earl Fitzwilliam.
The Rev. Henry Rooke, Hon. Sec., to Local Branch of R.N.L.I.
Captain DeButts and family.
Captain Wynne, Secretary to Grand Jury.
Mr. Richard Keegan and family.
The procession proceeded, in order, down Leitrim Place, up Bachelor's Walk, by Wentworth Place, round the Abbey and up the Main Street as far as the Courthouse, returning to the Boathouse by the same route.
Having proceeded through the town, which was gaily decorated with flags, the procession returned and reached that portion of the shore selected for the launch shortly after one o'clock. There was a large number of persona awaiting the procession. ...
Rev. Mr. Rooke then briefly addressed the spectators, observing that the inhabitants of Wicklow had reason to hold in grateful remembrance the name of Mr. Garden, whose practical benevolence had enabled the town to be established as a life boat station. He rejoiced that the Earl Fitzwilliam would perform the duty of reading an address [which was beautifully illuminated by Mr. Hopkins of Great Brunswick Street, Dublin] to Mr. Garden, the benefactor, and proceeded to return thanks to the Parent Institution for suggesting Wicklow as the station for Mr. Garden's gift, to Lord Fitzwilliam for his presence on that occasion, to the Town Commissioners for granting the site and ground for the new boathouse, and to Miss Halpin for giving the use of her house on the quay in which the gear of the old lifeboat had been stored during the building of the boathouse.
Earl Fitzwilliam said - My friends and Inhabitants of the Town of County Wicklow - I am most happy to take my humble part amongst you today, in offering through Admiral Jones and Miss Jones, our most hearty thanks for the munificent specimen of naval architecture which has been presented by their relative Mr. Garden to this station. I do not think there is any greater evidence of a thoroughly kind disposition than that which prompts a man to lay out the blessings which God had placed at his disposal in bringing as far as he is able to secure the lives of our sailors who may be cast by shipwreck to our shores, and it is through such vessels as these that we must seek to perform that most pleasing office, and I am sure you will one and all join with me in giving our most hearty thanks to Mr. Garden, for this most liberal present which has been sent here for that most Christian-like and laudable purpose. I will honestly say to you that it had long been my intention to have done as much to benefit my fellow creatures whose occupations are on the sea as Mr. Garden has done; but I must congratulate Mr. Garden for having cut the ground from under my feet (applause). I have now been desired by my friend and your neighbour Mr. Rooke, to read the ADDRESS, which we are to present to Mr. Garden, on this occasion. It is as follows:
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Part Two.
"To Robert Jones Garden, Esq. - We the Inhabitants of the town and county of Wicklow beg to present to Robert Jones Garden, Esq., our marked and sincere thanks for his great kindness and liberality in the munificent gift of a New Lifeboat, Lifeboat Carriage, Boathouse, and all the necessary Gear complete, given gratuitously by him to the Wicklow station, under the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and we trust that this station so amply and efficiently supplied may be active and efficacious whenever opportunity occurs in carrying out the noble, humane, and praiseworthy objects of this valuable Institution of which it is a branch.''
Signed on behalf of the Inhabitants of the Town and County of Wicklow. [Here follow the Signatures.]
And now I will add that although we have accepted this noble gift here today, I trust, but I fear I may trust in vain, that no shipwrecked sailor may be cast on our shore, and I trust, and I believe that the generous hearts of the people of Wicklow, of her sailor population, will come to the rescue on such occasions, and deliver our drowning fellow creatures from the deep (cheers). I am sure now, for I will not detain you longer, that you will give three times three most hearty cheers when this beautiful boat is placed in her proper element (loud cheers). Mr. Rooke will now read the answer which Mr. Garden has sent on this occasion (cheers).
The Rev. Henry Rooke, Hon. Sec., then read the following reply from Mr. Garden.
London, 4th September, 1866. Dear Sir, I have to acknowledge the receipt of your very kind letter of 29th ultimo, informing me of the intention to present me personally with an address at the launch of my late father's Lifeboat. I regret exceedingly being unable to attend upon so, to me, interesting an occasion, but to write the honest truth, it is one on which feelings of intense pain rather than of pleasure would predominate. This will be readily understood when I state that it was only six days previous to the death of my father, which event was at that time quite unexpected, that I told him of my intention, should I survive him, to establish two Lifeboat stations, the one on the Westtern Coast of England in Memory of my Mother, which was effected at Budehaven, Cornwall, on the 19th June 1863, and the second in his Memory on the Eastern Coast of Ireland, in which Country my father was born, of which he was always proud, and to which he was sincerely attached. These promises have now, I rejoice to write, by God's grace, been most effectively carried out through the active and liberal Co-operation of the Committee and Officers of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, to whom I beg to express my warmest thanks. Most sincerely do I pray that the exertions of the Crew of the Wicklow Lifeboat, whenever their generous and voluntary services are called for, may be, by the blessing of the Lord God Almighty, crowned with success, and result in the saving of the lives of countless shipwrecked fellow-creatures.
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Part Three.
In conclusion, I beg that you will convey to the Noble Earl, and Gentlemen, who have signed the Address, my grateful thanks for the Honor they have done me. Hoping that the weather may be favourable for the launch, I remain, Dear Sir, yours most truly, Robert Jones Garden.
Admiral expressed his sorrow that Mr. Garden was unable to be present to thank them for the kind manner in which they received his noble gift. A sailor himself, he knew well the dangers which sailors incurred in the exercise of their profession. He knew well also that upon these occasions no man thought of his own life, but did his utmost to save the lives of others, regardless of consequences to himself (hear, hear). He saw present a good number of blue jackets, and he had no doubt that they as well as the fine fellows who composed the crew of the boat, would do their utmost, whenever the occasion arose to sustain the reputation of Robert Theophilus Garden (applause).
Captain Robertson on behalf of the National Lifeboat Institution returned thanks for the manner in which the Boat had been received by those present. It was the second time he had the pleasure of being present at the launch of a Lifeboat presented by Mr. Garden. He also returned thanks on the part of the Lifeboat Institution, for the noble and philanthropic manner in which he had come forward with so valuable a gift. He was not surprised at the large gathering there today, because he had seen a great deal of Irishmen not only in Ireland but in different parts of the globe, and he ever found that when anything noble was to be done the heart of an Irishman would prompt him to the duty (hear, hear). On every part of the coast of Ireland noble and brave men were to be found who were ever ready to risk their own lives in the endeavour to preserve the lives of their fellow creatures.
The Rev. H. Rooke then offered up an appropriate prayer. At the conclusion of the prayer, and when everything was pronounced ready, Miss Jones to whom was assigned the distinguished honor of naming the boat then took hold of the bottle which was suspended over the stern and dashed it against the cutwater saying"God speed the Robert Theophilus Garden.'' Then amid long and hearty cheers the boat (which contained in addition to her crew of twelve men, Lord FitzWilliam, the Rev. Mr. Rooke, Captain Robertson, Colonel Atkinson and Mr. Hayden) glided beautifully off the Carriage into her native element. (The Anna Liffey here made her appearance with a large number of excursionists, but being a little late for the proceedings).
After practicing her a while in the bay she was drawn up to her House. The Coast Guard under the direction of Captain Barkley, then brought forward the Rocket Apparatus and fired it out to sea, showing the manner in which communication is effected with a stranded vessel. Preparations were then made for the Boat Races.
The first race consisted of the pulling Coast Guard Boats, Wicklow, Arklow, Jack's Hole and Five-mile-point Boats. After a spirited race the Arklow came in the winner, the second being the Wicklow boat.
Second Race between five oared gigs. Mr. Deceis's - Tornado. Mr. Halpin's - Blue Jacket. Mr. Barlow's - Rover's Bride. After a fast and well-contested race the Tornado came in first, Blue Jacket a good second.
Third Race for Pilot skiffs. Three started viz., the Pilot, came in first, and Daring (Mr. Conway owner), second.
Fourth Race, for Boys, rowing same boats as in third race, and coming in in the same order. This ended the programme, and one of the most interesting and pleasing days, which has ever passed off in Wicklow, the pleasure of which was much increased by the Band of the Wicklow Rifles, who performed their part most admirably.''
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In 1866, the authorities in Ireland decided to clamp down on those opposed to British rule. Habeas corpus was suspended and hundreds of suspected Fenians were arrested. The launching of the lifeboat ''Robert T Garden'', therefore, took place amid an atmosphere of genuine fear and anxiety. In the face of a credible threat from Fenian conspirators, Wicklow's Protestant community had to remain united and defiant. It had a chance to demonstrate those qualities when members of the London Missionary Society, visiting Ireland on a recruitment drive, arrived to give a series of speeches about their experiences as evangelists in the colonies. The speech I've chosen to reproduce here has been edited, and contains a very clever maritime metaphor that must have greatly appealed to the town's Protestant inhabitants.
At seven o'clock on Monday evening, September 3rd 1866, a deputation, from the London Missionary Society, addressed an audience of Wicklow townspeople (of mixed Protestant denominations) in the Grand Jury room of the Courthouse. Proceedings were opened by the Rev. J. W. F. Drought, M.A., who introduced the Rev. Mr. Windle of Kingstown to the assembly.
Mr. Windle began by stating that it was the first time in his life that he had ever spoken to an audience that did not belong exclusively to the Church of England. However, as he grew older, he said, though he did not the less value his own church, he wished increasingly to love all those who loved the Lord Jesus Christ, and to give the right hand of fellowship to all, for the sake of spreading that which alone could make man happy in time, and give him freedom throughout all eternity. When he considered the value of one soul, nay, when he remembered that there were 100 million human beings who had never heard the name of God, he prayed that he might never be so exclusive as not to say "Lord, give power to every true Missionary!" We should remember that the nearer the staves of a wheel approached the centre, so much the nearer were they to each other. As the staves diverged, they left each other. So as we approach Christ, the centre of Christendom, we must come nearer to each other. This could not be helped - "For by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another.'' Love, said Rev. Windle, was more expansive than the world. It was more powerful than any external machinery, for love was of God and God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God and God in him. Love would make them a united body against all who knew not Christ.
He asked if there were any young men there that night panting to gain laurels under the banner of Christ. Many of their best Missionaries had sprung up from a country meeting like that in Wicklow. ''You may say, how can so insignificant a person as I help in this great work? Let me tell you. Consider what small items compose the Atlantic cable, and yet being united they bring together the new and the old worlds. So with you. True, you are insignificant, but God condescends to use the weakly things of the world to confound the mighty. Being united by living faith to the world to come, you have wonderful power. You become a wrestling Jacob, a prevailing Israel. A Prince in prayer with God. Thus you can help.''
Now the great question which struck him was, were they personally united to the Son of God? Were they one with him, and was he one with them? He was not asking whether they were Presbyterians or Episcopalians, Baptists or Wesleyans. He was asking no external questions, but an internal question - Were they or were they not at peace with God? If not there was no connexion between them and the world to come. They should remember how far that noble ship, the Great Eastern, had carried out the Atlantic Telegraph Cable before it became spliced with the little Cable which was run out from the American coast. Thus God in Christ has thrown out the crown of Redemption from Heaven to us, and all that we need is to put out our hand and, touching it by faith, have union with the world to come. Let them put their body, soul, and spirit in subjection to God, and then there would be a bond of union which time could never separate, and eternity never break.
The reverend gentleman was loudly applauded at the conclusion of his address.
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After the Reverend Mr. Windel resumed his seat, another member of the London Missionary Society rose to speak to the people of Wicklow about his experiences taming the cannibals of the South Sea Islands. Keep in mind the Fenian context in which the address is delivered, the essentially colonial condition of Ireland - at least as far as most of its Catholic inhabitants were concerned - and the understandably nervous state of many Irish Protestants at that time. The Society's appeal for contributions was straightforward enough, but the stories the missionaries had to tell were both sympathetic and reassuring. The subtext of what the missionaries had to say was sympathetic in this sense. They said: "We understand what it's like to live in mortal fear among a hostile and alien population." They also offered this reassurance: "We belong to a vast Empire that is currently on a civilizing mission throughout the world. Despite horrific setbacks, perseverance - and the Divine Truth - have won out in the past and will continue to win out in the future.'' These messages would not have been lost on many in the audience, and while most would have rallied to the missionaries' certainties, some would have been slightly more sanguine in their reactions and sensitive to the hypocrisy at the heart of the missionaries' appeal. Men like the Town Clerk and bookseller, Robert Wellington Halpin (1814 - 1883), for instance, a Protestant who owed his positions as Town Clerk and Harbour Board Secretary to the support of Wicklow's Catholic nationalists, and his youngest son, Edwin Francis Halpin (1855 - 1924), who would become by the 1880s a committed Socialist and a fiercely anticlerical atheist.
By 1871, barely five years after the missionaries' visit, and in response to the failed Fenian uprising of 1867, the Church of Ireland had been disestablished and Home Rule, which held out the possibility of the endowment of a Catholic University, religious equality, denominational education and tenant's rights, seemed a distinct possibility under the Prime Ministership of William E. Gladstone. Disestablishment would have seemed an inconceivable proposition to the audience in the Courthouse Grand Jury room on Monday, September 3 1866. And Home Rule would have struck most as an unforgivable betrayal by Britain of her 'loyal' Irish subjects. As it turned out, Gladstone's best efforts ultimately failed to deliver sufficient political independence to Ireland, prompting Robert Wellington Halpin's grandson William to join the Irish Citizen Army in 1913. As a member of that army, William went on to storm Dublin Castle on Easter Monday 1916. He would fight again during the War of Independence (1919 - 1921), and finally as a republican in the Civil War (1922 - 1923). His motives can't be understood without an appreciation of the experiences that formed his father's worldview.
The Reverend Mr. Pritchard's address, Part 1.
Mr. Pritchard said he was very happy to have the honour of saying a few words to the assembly on the triumph of the gospel in heathen lands. ... Now, by the blessing of God, through the labours of missionaries generally, sent by the agency of the missionary societies, to Europe, America and elsewhere, one million and a quarter of the formerly degraded heathen had given up their heathen customs, and were with Christ, enjoying the privileges of the gospel as those present did in this town. 355,000 of these had given evidence of a Divine change, and there was every reason to believe, that they had become new creatures in Christ Jesus, and become united in the bonds of holy fellowship. Was it not a happy thing to think that they could look at those heathen people, converted and changed, studying their Bible, and reading the truth of God's Word. Such marvelous success ought to fill their hearts with joy and gratitude to that God who had vouchsafed such goodness and mercy to his servants. They were aware, from the various papers and handbills that had been circulated amongst them in this town, that there were no less than 185 missionaries and others devoted to the cause, together with nearly 1,000 native agents labouring in connection with this one missionary society. These servants laboured in different parts of the mission field, including Polynesia, Africa, the West Indies, India, China and Madagascar. ...
He (rev. Pritchard) had spent thirty-three years on the South-Seas islands, and the audience would allow him to direct their attention to the triumphs of the gospel in that part of the world. Perhaps in no part of the world had the gospel triumphed more than in that between the islands of the Pacific. A great many cannibals were there. Where before many were blood-thirsty voracious heathen, now they had become meek and humble followers of Jesus. When the Missionaries first arrived on those Islands the people were ignorant and superstitious. One of the missionaries who first landed on Tahiti, was killed by the savages, and several others despaired of their lives.
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Part 2.
After the missionaries had succeeded at Tahiti, and when all promised well, Brother Williams and Mr. Harris, who had just landed, were both murdered, and shortly after poor Mr. and Mrs. Gordon met a similar fate on the same island. To his own knowledge, no less than twelve of the missionaries had been slain by the hands of these savages to whom they had gone to introduce the Gospel. Thus the meeting saw that those people, while in their heathen state, were very cruel.
The rev. gentleman then entered into a graphic description of the manner, customs, superstitions, and character of the inhabitants of the Fiji Islands, which he illustrated by several amusing, but not less interesting, anecdotes. He said that when he first knew the King of the Islands, he was a man who zealously prescribed the rites of his heathen persuasion and blood-thirsty country. Indeed, it might be said by him that his feet were swift to shed blood. He had feasted upon hundreds of human bodies. It was his custom, and that of his father, to feast his visitors with human blood, which the people of the islands undertook to provide for him. No missionaries were allowed to live where he presided. He (Mr. Pritchard) had stood in his heathen temple, he had waited for his presence, and seen the leaves of the trees covered with human blood to be offered as a sacrifice to their heathen Gods. The missionaries living on those islands had laboured daily in prayer for years, and at length succeeded in bringing to the heart of that man - heathen king though he was - the glorious sound of the Gospel. He was happy to be able to tell them now that the king was a very different man to what he was when he first met him. For a little more than eight years he had been connected with Christianity, and had given up his heathen superstitions and customs. Thus they saw the power of the Gospel, and its almost miraculous effects in that part of the habitable globe.
Mr. Pritchard then referred to the work of the Society in New Zealand, and illustrated by anecdotes and diagrams the habits, and peculiarities, of the natives, dwelling especially in their savage propensities and hideous thirst for human blood. In describing the conversion of their kings (King George) of the Tonga Islands (where the Wesleyan Missionaries had zealously laboured) he observed that no sooner had the King felt the fire of the Gospels burning within his heart, than he destroyed his heathen temple and committed his idols to the flames. Notwithstanding his high position, that man had, through the agency of missionary labour, been preaching the Gospel to his own friends. (The rev. gentleman here exhibited one of the idols which had been worshiped by the King and his subjects in that part of the world. It was a small figure, roughly cut in wood, representing partially the Chinese character.) The missionaries, he continued, had by their efforts, succeeded in eradicating the heathen notions formerly held by those people, and planted in their stead the seeds of Christianity, which had sprung up under the influence of the Gospel, banishing idolatry and furnishing abundantly the vineyard of our Saviour.On that island at the present time the inhabitants, as well as the missionaries, had large places in which they assembled to worship and pray to the true God. They had also schools for their children to educate them in the true knowledge of their Saviour, and in the good tidings of the gospel truth. That was a most interesting island now. A happy change had come over the people. They were now worshiping the true God, and receiving the consolation of the Word of Life.
The speaker then referred to the successful efforts of the mission in the Sandwich Islands, especially at O-wy-hee (where the celebrated Captain Cook met his melancholy fate), and proceeded to detail the progress of Christianity in India where, he said, there were two hundred millions of mortal beings, the greater part being under British rule. While there were two hundred millions of natives in India, it was said that there were no less than 230 million gods. Mr. Pritchard then related the dissemination of the Gospel in India, adverted to the large numbers that had been converted, and gave an interesting imitation of the hymns and prayers of the poor Indian after his conversion, his zeal in search of - and attachment to - the Divine Word. He also referred to the large number of schools that had been established in India, and stated that in one district alone there were no less than 800 native boys and girls attending their missionary schools.
The rev. gentleman concluded an able, lucid and fascinating address by urging on the meeting the importance of the London Missionary Society, and exhorting them to aid it by every means in their power - by their contributions and by their prayers - to carry the Word of God to their fellow-creatures in heathen lands.
The doxology was then sung, and the benediction having been pronounced, the proceedings terminated.
- from The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, September 8, 1866.
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Continuing with the events leading up to and including the presentation of the Lifeboat Robert T. Garden to the town of Wicklow, here are the minutes of a meeting of the Wicklow Branch of the Lifeboat Institution, held a week or so before the presentation was made:
LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.
A special meeting of the Committee of the Wicklow Branch of this Institution was held on Wednesday, the 29th August, at 12 o'clock in the Coastguard Watch-house.
Mr. John Hayden took the Chair.
Other Members present - Colonel Atkinson, Rev. Henry Rooke, Captain Truell, Captain Barkley, W. J. Smith, Esq., Dr. Halpin, Mr. Ralph, Mr. Watty, Mr. Wm. Gregg, Mr. E. Doolittle.
Several matters connected with the opening of the new Lifeboat House, on the 7th September, were discussed and agreed on, and the Hon. Secretary was directed to forward the final report of the building to the committee of the parent Institution in London. Dr. Halpin proposed that the best thanks of the meeting be given to the Rev. Mr. Rooke, for his able and most interesting lecture delivered in connexion with the Lifeboat Institution on the 16th of August, in the Courthouse, Wicklow. The resolution was seconded by Mr. Ralph and adopted by acclamation.
The Rev. Mr. Rooke briefly acknowledged the vote of thanks, expressing the pleasure it gave him at having satisfied the Committee by his efforts. The rev. gentleman then announced that he had received the sum of £5 12s. towards the fund for defraying the expenses of the proceedings to take place at the launch of the Boat.
Mr. Ralph thought it a great pity that the parties in business in the town (who would gain considerably by the event) had not done more.
Captain Truell - What means will you adopt to collect funds? We have only a few days before the advertisement goes forward.
Rev. Mr. Rooke - The townspeople will not refuse.
Mr. Hayden, Dr. G. Halpin, Mr. Ralph, Captain Doolittle, agreed to act as a Sub-committee to collect.
The Chairman - There is a class of people in the town who can well afford to subscribe.
At this stage of the proceedings Lt.-Colonel Atkinson, President of the Lifeboat Institution, entered the room.
Rev. Mr. Rooke - I may state that Colonel Atkinson has been using his influence for us at Kingstown. He has succeeded in getting one of the Revenue Cutters from Kingstown, and the service of the men who are accustomed to be present at the regattas at Kingstown and elsewhere.
Dr. Halpin asked the Hon. Secretary if he had received notice when the Boat would arrive here.
The Rev. Mr. Rooke replied that he had not. The vessel would leave London for Liverpool, and would come from Liverpool to Dublin. They would be advised as soon as she left London, and care would be taken to have her arrive in time. The rev. gentleman then read letters from Earl Fitzwilliam and W. W. F. Dick, Esq., M.P., and other gentlemen, stating that they would be happy to allow their names to be appended to the address to be presented to Robert Jones Gerden, Esq., for his munificent gift of the House and Boat.
Colonel Atkinson proposed that Earl Fitzwilliam and the members for the County should be written to for subscriptions for the forthcoming regatta. The resolution passed nem con.
The proceedings then terminated, and the Committee adjourned to Friday (yesterday) morning.
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Wicklow Newsletter, September 1st 1866.
Editorial
.
At the end of February 1865, the number of paupers in Irish workhouses was 63,009, and at the end of February 1866, 57,037. Of these about 20,000 were registered as sick in each year; 17,000 more as children; and about 9,000 as disabled adults. The ablebodied adults reckon about eleven thousand. In the present state of the labour market no great hardship would be done in unhousing these last, and the children would be better and more cheaply provided for if put out to nurse or apprenticed in the country, while for the sick there ought to be free hospitals alongside the dispensaries.
It seems odd to force people unable to work because of sickness into a workhouse, and there can be no question that workhouse life is the very worst for children. We would relieve the workhouses of all these people and there would only then remain to be cared for the nine thousand disabled but healthy adults. One can hardly suppose that if for these the proverbial charity of the Irish people were properly directed, asylums where relief would be given without imprisonment would be long wanting.
As it is we put away the poor out of sight, and no matter how well they may be cared for they are degraded, dispirited, lost. Disguise it as we may, we punish poverty as a crime. We do not care for the poor in the true spirit of charity although we pay more than if we did. In this regard the Jews and the Quakers put us to shame. Although there are many Jews in London, and some of them very poor, yet none are allowed by their richer brethren to feel such want as would drive them into a workhouse, and even a poor or distressed Quaker is never heard of.
We know that the workhouse system was not a choice of the Irish people. It was forced upon them and they quietly bear with it. But that is not right. It cannot be justified upon any ground of religion or charity, and we might safely add of economy. The fanfaronade [fanfare] of a feast at Easter, and another at Christmas, may perhaps put to rest the conscience of a Guardian or a Commissioner, but it cannot satisfy that of any reflecting man who rightly considers the question. The hundred and forty workhouses in Ireland are so many witnesses of the national sin, and we hope before long to see them used in some better way. The figures we have given above show how little real use there is for them. It would therefore, we maintain, be a wise and statesmanlike act of the new Government to change the whole tenor of the Poor Law, and make it in accordance with the dictates of religion and charity, no portion of the Poor-rate would be applied to the maintenance of prisons.
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Wicklow Newsletter, September 1st 1866.
Letter From USA. Chicago, Illinois, 14th August 1866.
To The Editor Of The Wicklow Newsletter.
Sir, Permit me, through the medium of your highly-esteemed paper, to make a few plain observations relative to the land of my adoption, which may be of some practical use to those turning their attention to emigration. There may be some whose minds are fired with an ignus fatuus* prospect in the future, fondly cherishing that spectral gleam, hoping to heap up treasures in America in an incredibly short time. Some even, fancying 'Whittington' like, to find our streets paved with gold. Let me tell such, they will be sadly disappointed.
On landing in New York, the emigrant feels almost ready to despond, and his depression of spirits continues a good while. I do not at all wonder at those persons who have bent their steps homeward in a month or two. Every one for himself here, making money the ever-existing hobby. Like every other country under the sun, a man's success in life, very much, if not altogether, depends on himself. I have met with many a man here who has not a cent more than he daily requires, after spending over ten years in this country, while others have realized a fortune in the same period. And why does this difference exist? Simply because one spends his dollars foolishly on drink, having no desire to better his condition on the grounds of self-denial - while the other, urged on by the secret promptings of final success, lends his bravest energy to its accomplishment, by adhering faithfully to the ever memorable words, "Where there's a will there's a way.''
Men who have a floating capital at home, can live there comfortably, and would do well to remain; but young men who have to commence the world penniless, would do far better here than in Ireland - I mean, they would make money in a shorter time. It is impossible for a strong, healthy young man of strictly temperate habits to spend a few years in this country without saving a considerable sum; but, of all others, any man who is delicate, or even having such a tendency, has no business across the Atlantic. This climate would soon use him up. There are many facilities here for getting him into business. A person can commence on a very small capital, and receive public patronage at once - though, as far as I know, there is no Traders' Alliance formed in the United States; yet people have common sense enough to keep the floodgates of a monstrous evil closed, by every man strictly confining himself to one branch of trade, giving everyone the chance of making a living. Our public here would gladly shun such a monster house as the far-famed establishment of Messrs. Pim, Brothers and Co., as a temperate man would ''Old Malt Liquor.''
Bye-the-bye, I wish to say to every emigrant the sooner they get right away from New York the better. Any one of the Western cities affords wider channels for success to every adventurer. As for the Canadas, they are very little, if any better than Ireland.
Well, I must not forget to tell you something about the Fenians. Whatever you may think of the madness of the undertaking, there seems to my mind to be an increasing earnestness and dogged determination stamped upon every Irish Republican brow, as their processions enliven our busy streets with the lovely, but unfortunate flag of Ireland floating proudly in freedom's breeze, hoping e'er long to wave it over every mountain, hill and dale of Erin, where now it solely floats in the regions of the mind. They expect to make a desperate attack upon Canada in a very short time. Vigorous efforts are being daily made. Their many fast friends, who represent them in Congress, have given a strong impulse to the general movement. Every leader has stamped upon his brow and countenance ''Invincible.'' I fear Andrew Johnston and his Cabinet will not get a very flattering reception next month to our prosperous city, on the occasion of his laying the foundation stone of the Douglas Monument.
Though located in the far West, yet I have had the pleasure, a few days ago, of hailing the flag of ''Old England'' waving in the Prairie breeze over two British ships harboured in our river, being a thousand miles inland. Nor had I less pleasure in recognizing the merits of one whose name shall ever be honourably associated with the history of that wonderful achievement - the Excelsior of all modern science, and summit of the cultivated imagination's wildest flight - the laying of the Atlantic Cable. I refer to the well known Captain Robert Halpin. Nor can I less admire that aspiring adventurer, whose tender years render him a stripling of admiration, who took his manly part in that almost fabulous enterprise, with no little pleasure. I allude to Mr. John Gregg. Wicklow may well boast of her sons and representatives upon the stage of intellectual advancement, as well as in white-glove presentations, as her emblem of purity in the absence of criminal offences.
Having already trespassed too much upon your valuable space, I conclude by promising, at a future date (if acceptable), a brief outline of Yankee life, customs and society, together with some striking similarities existing between.
Wicklow-wooing Strand,
And Our Lake-shore of Chicago,
Yours respectfully,
Anonymous.
* An illusion or will-o-the-wisp.
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HALPIN, tbe Misses, of Tinnakilly House, CO. Wicklow. Ethel; Belle Louise ; and Edith, daus. of Robert Charles Halpin, Esq., J.P. and D.L., of Tinnakilly House, who d. 1894, by Jessie, who d. 1912, youngest dau. of the late John Munn, Esq., of Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. — Tinnakilly House, Rathnew, co. Wicklow.
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The point of posting stories from Wicklow's local newspaper is to provide a little historical context for the Halpin family saga. While the Halpin clan was riven by infighting and rivalry before 1866, the views and loyalties that were to galvanize my branch of the family and propel them into the second half of the 20th century came together in 1867, at around the time of the Fenian Rising.
My great grandfather, Edwin Francis Halpin (1855 - 1924), was born upstairs in Wicklow's Post Office. He grew up serving customers in his parent's business, and received most of his education at home. By the time he was around ten he was reading extracts from the national newspapers to all classes of customer as they queued outside the postal hatch waiting for mail. Apparently, his job was to prevent people from becoming impatient as they stood around in all kinds of weather. Edwin's sister Emma (1850 - 1939), who died in my grandfather's home on Clonliffe Avenue, Dublin, at the age of almost ninety, said that Edwin became very entertaining on the steps of his father's post office, adding scenes from the novels of Dickens, Trollop, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, among others, to his repertoire. In time, my great grandfather became a Telegraphist and took up a position as a postal clerk in Wexford, where he lodged with a family of native speakers by the name of Murphy. They taught him the language, and he married their daughter, Marianne, in 1883, a month after his father died, and six months after the death of his mother.
In addition to his responsibilities as a Telegraphic Clerk, Edwin had aspirations to be an entertainer. In the early 1880's he stage-managed a number of shows in Wicklow, where he appeared regularly before an audience of 1,000 people. A reviewer who saw him perform in the lead role as a Christy Minstrel, had this to say about his abilities:
It would be invidious to single out particular members for special notice, but we would certainly be doing an injustice if we did not mention that Mr. Halpin has established his name as a first class Christy Minstrel. His drollery of manner, inimitable mimicry and natural humour combine to place him in the front of the rank.
My grandfather often referred to Edwin's skill as a mimic, which is a curious talent to develop in a country town like Wicklow in the third quarter of the 19th century. At least I thought so, until I read this:
Wicklow Newsletter, September 8, 1866.
Valentine Vousden.
The popularity of this clever ''Polynational Mimic'' may be fairly said to be unlimited. Wherever he has appeared he has invariably won the unqualified appreciation of all who have had an opportunity of witnessing his splendid entertainment. His ''Unity of Nations'' is, in a word, faultless. It is truly original and possesses the power of increasing the desire to see it again and again repeated. Of Mr. Vousden's gifted accomplishments it is unnecessary to speak a word of commendation. He is well known to the Wicklow public, and it is only to be regretted that he does not appear more frequently among us. We learn, however, that he will, on Monday evening next, visit our town for a short time, and it is not unreasonable to anticipate that his reception will be commensurate with the excellence of his talents, and the superior character of his spirit-stirring entertainment. We cannot but regard Valentine Vousden, as a true Irishman, and as an accurate exponent of Irish character, fondly attached to the ''Emerald Isle,'' and thoroughly imbued with idiosyncrasies he brings her in juxtaposition with other countries, and by his original songs, and faithful representations illustrates with great discrimination the character of ''Poor Pat'' which unfortunately has been but too often held up to ridicule by contemptible ''strollers'' whose reputation is as questionable as it is ephemeral, and whose performances, while they are repulsive to good taste, operate materially against the interest of true genius and deserving merit.
Edwin would have been about eleven when he saw Vousden perform, and there's every chance that his experience that night was a formative one.
More can be found out about Valentine Vousden here: http://www.vousden.name/valentine.htm
The Christy Minstrels toured Dublin in 1864: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christy%27s_Minstrels
For an uncomfortable glimpse at what Edwin's performance in Wicklow's Christy Minstrel Show might have looked like, try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NqbxQw0rdY
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Part 1.
Wicklow Newsletter, September 1st 1866.
Editorial
.
In our last publication we expressed our gratitude that, notwithstanding the spread of Cholera to other counties in Ireland, Wicklow had been entirely exempt from the fearful epidemic. At the same time, we remarked that too much attention and care could not be bestowed on the part of those on whom rests the responsibility of taking all precautionary measures to improve, to the fullest extent, the sanitary condition of our town and neighbourhood. Regard to external matters is all very well in its way - the cleansing of the streets, repairing of the roads and footpaths - but it should not be forgotten that whilst the surface may appear healthy, the fatal cancer is eating its way within. So it is, with respect to the dwelling houses in some localities, which, to the passer-by may present a clean and healthy aspect, while within are to be found, huddled together, no less than eight or ten families - writhing in the agonies of the death-striking monster. It cannot be denied that there are powers, amply sufficient to prevent this state of things, and carry out the desired object. Regulations can easily be made to fix the number of occupants of houses let in tenements, not being common lodging-houses - to compel the registration of the place, and enforce the lime-washing and otherwise cleansing of the house at certain periods. There is also abundant provision made for providing the several districts with sufficient sewers, or with a proper supply of water where the public health is imperiled from either the in-adequateness or unwholesomeness of the existing supply. Surely, when such means are open to those in authority, the least that may be done is to adopt them immediately - not when the plague arrives, and when all measures, preventive or precautionary, cease to be effectual. We feel that we cannot too strongly urge this matter upon the Town Commissioners of Wicklow; and in making these observations, we do so without in any way imputing to that body the slightest dereliction of duty, or any indifference to an interest so vital as that of the health of the inhabitants, but simply with the view of drawing their attention to the rapid progress which Cholera is making in adjoining counties.
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Part 2.
We have just learned that a case of this alarming disease has occurred so near as Arklow. We have not been furnished with the particulars of it, and trust that the rumour is without foundation. A great amount of evil arises, no doubt, from false alarms and shivering anticipations, but we should, nevertheless, be prepared, should it please Providence to visit us with a plague whose influence is so deadly and devastating to the human family as that of Cholera.
(Since writing the above, we have been informed that the rumour of the Cholera having reached Arklow is unfounded. A man named Ivory, a coaster, residing in that town, took suddenly ill, and the circumstances having been made known, medical aid was at once procured. The medical gentleman in attendance pronounced the case to be free from any symptoms of Cholera. The occurrence, however, produced considerable excitement in the district.)
[The 'medical gentleman in attendance' may have been Dr. Stopford W. Halpin, brother of Captain Robert Charles Halpin. Dr. Halpin spent most of his professional life as an MD working in Arklow, where he was 'supported' rather than liked by the Protestant community, and generally reviled by the Catholic community. His deserved reputation as a competent medic was overshadowed by his reputation as a class snob and anti-Catholic bigot. Dr. Halpin was not averse using his influence in a highly unethical way to punish or subdue his Catholic neighbours, as when he maliciously deprived the starving inhabitants of Arklow's Fisheries of their only supply of half-decent drinking water, an act of undeniable bastardry that resulted in what the media at the time described as 'the Arklow pump riots', in which reserves of constabulary from nearby towns were called on to subdue the furious peasantry, up to five hundred of whom had attempted to burn Dr. Halpin and his family out of their home. On another occasion, the son of the owner of the Green Tree Hotel in Wicklow - a prominent Dublin barrister - was implicated in a case of illegitimacy when Dr. Halpin named him as the father of the child of a young Catholic girl who worked as a maid in the hotel. The Doctor, it appears, simply didn't like the barrister's pro-Home Rule politics and, when the opportunity arose, did what he could to blacken his good name. Therefore the 'doctoring' of a report on the cause of the death of the coaster named Ivory, who was feared to have brought Cholera to Arklow, should not be discounted as improbable, whether 'the medical gentleman in attendance' was Dr. Halpin or not. The motive for doing so might have been to prevent the 'evil that arises from false alarms and shivering anticipations', but outbreaks of contagious disease in 19th century Ireland often reflected badly on the reputations of the local medics, resulting in a near-total boycott by townsfolk of doctors' surgeries, which seriously damaged their personal finances. Therefore it simply wasn't in a doctor's interests to be the one to declare a medical emergency unless it was absolutely necessary. In other words, the initial rumours may well have been right - the coaster named Ivory could have died of the effects of Cholera after all.]
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Part 1. Wicklow Newsletter, September 8, 1866.
Wicklow Town Commissioners.
The usual monthly meeting of the Town Commissioners was held on Monday last, in the Courthouse.
Mr. Thomas Troy, Presiding.
The other Commissioners present were: - Captain Wynne, Captain Howard, Wm. Magee, Esq., J.P., Dr. A. Nolan, J. Nolan, Esq., and Messrs J. Chapman, J. Hayden, T. Doolittle, H. McPhail, J. O'Brien, W. McPhail, J. Oakes, M. McCabe.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
Absent Commissioners.
Mr. H. McPhail applied for a record of the attendance of the several commissioners for the previous six or eight months. He said he made the request in consequence of some gentlemen having voted at the last meeting whom he had not had the honour of seeing at the meetings for many months prior.
The Secretart (Mr. Robert Wellington Halpin) said - Mr. MacPhail can inspect the roll book after the meeting, but -
Mr. McPhail - I would prefer another course. I will not wait until the meeting is over, unless the members express their desire that I should do so. At least unless the majority of the members express that desire, and make that decision.
Mr. Chapman - I move that Mr. McPhail get the roll and be allowed to make out the list of the names.
The motion was agreed to and the book in question was handed to Mr. McPhail.
Mr. H. McPhail having inspected the registry book said - Mr. Chairman, I find by reference to this list that Mr. Barry has not for eight or ten months attended your meetings, and according to the terms of the Act, any Commissioner absenting himself for six months is, at the expiration of that period, liable to a penalty or fine. Now I wish to know whether that has been enforced in this case or not.
The Secretary said that the date of Mr. Barry's last attendance was within six months. It was over five, but did not come exactly up to six months.
The Wesleyan Chapel.
The Rev. Mr. Cather said he had an application to make with regard to the Old Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. With the notification which he had received he was ready to surrender the premises, and had forwarded a letter to the Commissioners which he would request the Secretary to read.
The Secretary then read the letter which was referred to the next monthly meeting.
The Wicklow Tramway.
The subject of the Wicklow Tramway, which had been discussed at the last meeting, and postponed until the present was then taken up for consideration.
Mr. O'Brien inquired if there was any person present to represent the Tramway Company.
Mr. Hayden replied that he appeared as the representative of the Company.
The Secretary then read a letter from Mr. Ebbs, stating that he would not allow the original lease to go out of his possession, but that he would let the Commissioners have a copy of it at the usual charge.
Dr. Nolan thought that as a matter of courtesy the inspection of the copy of the lease held by the Tramway Company should be open to the Commissioners.
Mr. Hayden - We got no notice to produce the lease, and I do not see that we are in any way bound to produce it.
Dr. Nolan - I put it to you as a Town Commissioner, whether it is reasonable for you, or is it consistent with your duty as a Town Commissioner, to put us to the expense of getting a copy of the original lease. If, however, we have to go to the expense of getting it we shall do so.
Mr. Hayden - If the members think that that document should be now produced I will send for it, but I would suggest that the matter should lie over until after this meeting.
Dr. Nolan - If it is not produced I will move that the Secretary be directed to write to Mr. Ebbs for a copy of the original lease.
Mr. Hayden then went for the document referred to, and after a short interval returned, and said that having further considered the matter and consulted with Mr. Fox, he believed it to be his duty not to produce the lease.
The matter then dropped.
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Part 2.
The Wicklow Gas Company.
The Chairman said that the next matter to be brought before the notice of the meeting was the payment of a sum of £20 to the Gas Company. He was of the opinion that the sum due to Mr. Byrne (Of Croney-Byrne) should also be paid.
The Secretary said that the gross amount in bank was £56.
After some further discussion with reference to the items due, the several amounts were ordered to be paid and the matter dropped.
The Lighting Of The Towns.
The Lighting of the Town was the next subject brought forward.
Mr. O'Brien moved a resolution to the effect that on or after the 1st October next, the town be lighted until the 1st April 1867. Mr. O'Brien, whilst moving this resolution, strongly complained of the deficiency of the Gas lights hitherto supplied. Several other Commissioners made similar observations with respect to the quantity of the Gas supply.
Dr. Nolan remarked that the lighting of the locality at the crossroads in High Street, leading to Bayview Terrace, was insufficient. He made that observation not from any personal motive, but simply because the want was apparent to every person.
Mr. O'Brien agreed with Dr. Nolan that the additional light be given at the Crossroads, provided that the Gas Company would put up the lamp free of expense.
It was then proposed by Mr. Chapman, and seconded by Mr. O'Brien, that the lighting of the town be referred to the Managing Committee, giving them power to treat with the Gas Company, and have the Town lit by the 1st of October.
The Public Health.
Captain Wynne drew attention to the sanitary condition of the town, and in doing so referred to the spread of Cholera in adjoining counties. He remarked that too much attention could not be given to the matter, and concluded by suggesting several improvements (of a sanitary character) which were acquiesced in by the meeting.
Some business of a routine character was then disposed of, after which proceedings terminated.
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Presentation To Lord And Lady Powerscourt.
On Tuesday last, according to previous arrangement, a large number of the tenantry from the Enniskerry, Tyrone, Dublin, and other estates of this highly esteemed nobleman, met for the purpose of presenting to Lord and Lady Powerscourt their portrait in a large oil painting, by Mr. Weigall, an artist of considerable standing, also to present Lady Powerscourt, with a splendid diamond and gold bracelet, value 120 sovereigns. The entire cost of the presentations was about £900.
About half-past one o'clock the tenantry (in well dressed groups) arrived at Powerscourt demesne, which, under the influence of the fine weather, presented a very attractive appearance. The house was decorated with flags, bannerets, &c., and from its summit floated a red ensign.
Among the Wicklow and Dublin tenantry present, were - The Rev. Charles McDonagh, Rev. T. O'Dwyer, P.P., John F. Meekins, Esq., Edward Vaughan, Esq., Messrs Patrickson, Buckley, Shirley, Keegan, Walker, Clarke, Quigley, Sutton, Mason, Hanicks, Smith, Byrne, &c. The representatives of the Tyrone tenantry included the Rev. David G. Smyth, Presbyterian Minister, Dungannon, and H. Harper, Esq. The Wexford tenantry were represented by John Whitmore, Esq., Robert Dowse, Esq., and W. H. Dowse, Esq.
Several residents in the neighbourhood of Enniskerry (including Dr. King) were also present.
The deputation of the tenantry were admitted to the main hall of the Mansion, where they were courteously received by the noble lord. The presentations having been formally made, Mr. C. Posnett, an agent to the Powerscourt Estate, read an address highly eulogistic of Lord Powerscourt as a kind and liberal landlord, and his lordship delivered a suitable reply.
The tenantry were then entertained at a substantial dinner, at which several toasts, including the health of Lord and Lady Powerscourt, and the Agent of the Estates were proposed and drunk with enthusiasm.
The festivities were kept up till an advanced hour in the evening when the tenantry retired to their homes, evidently delighted with the proceedings of the day, surely it is a source of great satisfaction to witness such an indication of good feeling as that manifested on this occasion between the noble owner of Powerscourt and his industrious and respectable tenantry.
- Wicklow Newsletter, September 1, 1866.
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Part 1.
Summary of News.
The Constabulary: A circular from Colonel Wood, Inspector-General of Constabulary, has been issued, announcing that the regulation granting increase of pay to the Constabulary had come into operation, and would date from the 1st of April last past.
The Lord Lieutenant and his private secretary are tolerably hard worked just now, preparing replies to the numerous addresses poured in from every conceivable public body on the occasion of a new vice-royalty. Every word has to be nicely balanced, so that carpers and critics may have no ground of offence, and yet to say something assuring and satisfactory in each particular case. The corporation of Dublin were unusually windy and particularly anxious about the Irish tenants, though they said not a word about their own dirty streets, or of the utter neglect with which as a rule in their private capacity they treat those in their employment. We will be bound to say there is hardly one of these gentlemen of the scarlet robe could even tell where their workpeople live, and of course are utterly ignorant how they live, while most landlords know all about their tenantry, and take an interest in their welfare. There are exceptions, it is true, but as matters stand it is altogether out of place in such people as the present corporation of Dublin is composed of to lecture so good and kind a landlord as the marquis of Abercorn.
An aged pauper in the New Ross Workhouse committed suicide last week by throwing himself from one of the dormitory windows.
The Countess of Portarlington has closed her subscription list for wounded Austrians. The sum collected was exactly £100, which certainly does not represent a very large amount of sympathy.
Private Michael Hartigan, late of the 61st regiment, one of the soldiers tried at the recent Courts-martial in Dublin, is sentenced to penal servitude for life. These courts still continue.
All the Fenian prisoners - fifty-seven in number - in Belfast jail have been removed to Mountjoy prison, Dublin.
The rate of interest is this week again reduced to 6 per cent.
Troops for Canada: The Herald says - We believe that the Canadian authorities have applied for a military reinforcement, to give confidence to the colony during the present complications in the United States. It is probable that two infantry regiments, which are under orders to embark in the usual course of relief, will proceed to Quebec, and be placed at the disposal of the Governor-General if he should wish to retain them. Further, if it should be required, a cavalry regiment, to be furnished with horses in Canada as on a former occasion, will follow in a short time. The 53rd and 61st Regiments and 13th Hussars are the regiments indicated.
The Wicklow Line: A very influential deputation of gentlemen from the county of Wicklow waited on Thursday morning on the directors of the above line of railway for the purpose of representing the inconvenience likely to arise by the closing up, as arranged, of the Glenealy station and showing that it would prove not only an inconvenience to the public, but also a loss to the company. The chairman and directors promised to attend to the application, and it is understood have agreed to allow the Glenealy station to remain open. The deputation consisted of the Rev. John Drought, Rev. Samuel Clark, Captain Drought, Captain De Butts, Thomas Acton, Esq., A W Byrne, Esq., Colonel Donovan, Robert Donovan, Esq., Edward Keogh, Esq., John Hayden, Esq., Mr. Robert Lawrenson, Mr Richard Fawcett, Mr Richard Edge, Robert Holt Truell, Esq., Captain Truell, Samuel Fenton, and Rev. John Fletcher. The Killoughter station also remains open.
Wicklow Young Men's Christian Association: We desire to call attention to an advertisement in another column, announcing that His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin, will deliver a lecture in connexion with the above society, in the Parochial Schoolhouse, Wicklow, on Thursday evening next. His Grace has chosen for his subject ''Proverbs'' which it is unnecessary to say will be treated with the profound genius and masterly ability of this eminent Divine.
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Part 2.
Representation of the County of Wexford: The Wexford Independent says - "It is rumoured that the Hon. Captain White, who recently contested the County of Dublin on Liberal principles, will offer himself as a successor to Mr. George, for the County of Wexford.'' The same journal remarks, that ''Mr. George, as a member of the Conservative party, while he clung with fidelity to his own principles, was never known to give offence to those who differed from him, but acted towards every man that came in contact with him, whatever might be his political convictions, with courtesy, kindness and attention; but there was one enactment which he was instrumental in passing in conjunction with Sir Wm. Somerville, that entitles him to the everlasting gratitude of the poor - the bill for the erection of suitable dwelling-houses for the labouring classes. As a landlord and a county gentleman, he faithfully discharged his duties.''
Holloway's Ointment and Pills: The Anchor of Hope - If there be one description of human knowledge superior to all others it is the knowledge of the means of preserving or maintaining health - wanting which, existence is a mockery - death a relief. Holloway's twin medicaments supply this great desideratum. In all diseases they are beneficial because they purify the blood, from which every portion of the body must inevitably be renewed. The Ointment, by brisk friction, relaxes, penetrates, and then exerts its regulating and wholesome influence on the skin and underlying organs. In this way the stomach, lungs, liver, and kidneys can be effectively reached and invigorated, especially if Holloway's Pills be simultaneously taken to aid in the work of purification and regeneration.
- Wicklow Newsletter, September 1 1866.
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The Dublin Markets.
For The Week Ending August 30, 1866.
Cattle Market, August 29.
With an average supply, but consisting chiefly of secondary classes of cattle and sheep, our market opened briskly for the most superior qualities of each at the fullest extreme of last week's value; but as the morning passed sales grew very dull, and a reduction in secondary, middling, and inferior stock became inevitable, and with much difficulty a clearance was effected, sheep showing the effects of bad demand in the English markets. Top beef 68s, 70s, to 72s 6d per cwt - say 7.5d to 8d; odd instances 8.5d per lb; top mutton 8d to 8.5d and 5.5d per lb. Wool 20d to 21d per lb.
Provisions - Spitalfields, Aug. 24 - Wicklow bacon (new) 70s to 74s; ditto (old), 68s to 70s; ditto hams (new) 68s to 70s; ditto (old) 60 to 65s 4d; cheeks 44s to 46s 8d; Limerick middles 74s to 78s; ditto hams (long) 84s to 88s; ditto gams 60s to 62s; bladdered lard 80s to 84s; American middles 53s to 56s; ditto shoulders 42s to 44s; Monte Video beef 16s to 18s per cwt. Pork 56s to 58s per cwt. A moderate supply of Wicklow bacon and indifferent demand led to no alteration in prices.
Egg and Butter Market, Little Green, Aug. 29 - cool butter 10d to 12d per lb; do. firkins 90s to 102s 8d per cwt. Eggs hen 7s per 124 (wholesale); ditto ditto 7s 8d to 7s 10d per 124 (retail); supply fair but demand dull.
Potatoes - Downs 2s 2d to 2s 8d; Kemps 3s to 3s 6d per cwt. No complaints of disease.
Hay - 2s 6d to 3s 6d per cwt; straw 1s 6d to 2s 6d; oil cake 10s.
Coals - House coals, 18s to 20s per ton, quay price; Coke, 11s per chaldron.
Wool. - Firmer; 1s 6d to 1s 10d per lb. Buyers seem very cautious.
Only 130,000 tons of coal were raised last year in Ireland, while in South Wales alone the quantity raised was nearly eight million tons.
81,993 tons of Iron Pyrites were raised last year in the county of Wicklow, and only about 32,000 tons more in all the rest of Ireland. The value of the whole is estimated at £71,174.
The Waterford News says that harvest labourers have been engaged there at three shillings per day and food, and that so anxious were the farmers to get them speedily to work numbers were taken off on jaunting cars.
- WNL Sept. 1st 1866.
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In the interests of a greater understanding of the local, national and international factors that impinged on the thoughts and actions of the Halpins of Wicklow, I include here one of the most important and revealing documents in our survey so far. It is the story of a meeting that took place between a group of enterprising Wicklow residents and the most influential man in the country at that time, the Lord Lieutenant, who represented the seat of British power in Ireland. The purpose of the meeting was to present a petition from the people of Wicklow to the Lord Lieutenant outlining the reasons why they felt it was in the interests of almost everyone to improve the town's harbour. But as soon as the petition is presented to the Lord Lieutenant, he begins to take it apart. The exchange that followed essentially defined the political debate that would take place in Wicklow for the following twenty years, in which men of vision and promise clashed repeatedly with a coalition of hard-nosed pragmatists and obstructive local landlords.
Part 1.
Deputation to the Lord Lieutenant.
A deputation, appointed by the Grand Jury of the county of Wicklow, waited yesterday on His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant to present to him a memorial praying for Government aid in the construction of a refuge harbour, or a fishing pier at Wicklow. The deputation consisted of Viscount Powerscourt, Sir George Hodson, Bart; Col. Tottenham, Wm R La Touche, Robert Chas Wade, Andrew Wm Byrne, George Wynne, Chairman of the Town Commissioners; John Chapman, Chairman of the Harbour Commissioners; George H Halpin, John P Hopkins, and Robert F Ellis.
His Excellency was attended by Mr Lefanu, Commissioner of the Board of Works, and Capt Lascelles, A D C.
The deputation was introduced to His Excellency by Sir George Hudson, Bart, who stated that the object of the deputation in approaching his Excellency was to call his attention to the tidal estuary at Wicklow, with the view to the construction of a fishing pier.
Mr. George Wynne, Chairman of the Town Commissioners of Wicklow, read the memorial as follows:-
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Part 2.
The Memorial Of The Gentry, Merchants, And Inhabitants Of The Town And County Of Wicklow, Showeth -
That for many years, the necessity of improved harbour accommodation at the mouth of the River Lietrim, in Wicklow Bay, has been felt to be as much an object of national importance as it is absolutely essential to the development of the trade connected with this county, and the shipping of the port. That Wicklow Bay is clear, easy of access, and affords good anchorage and shelter from sixteen points of the compass, with unrivalled natural advantages for the construction of a breakwater - in fact is the only place for such, between Kingstown and Waterford, where certainty of success could be relied upon. That, for want of fascilities for egress and ingress at any time of the tide, the use of large boats is impracticable in the fishery of the place, and that without such boats (which the fishermen and inhabitants are willing to provide) the waters on this coast cannot be regularly and systematically fished. That the large fleet of fishing boats which frquent the channel, off our coast, are unable to land their cargoes at all times of the tide, at Wicklow, for transit per rail, to the Dublin market; and when obliged by stress of weather to put into harbour at Wicklow, it is quite impossible to provide accommodation for such numbers as at times seek for shelter, to the great inconvenience of the trade of the port, and danger to life and property, the harbour being unprotected from easterly gales. That since the introduction of deep-sea fishing tackle, and its general use wherever it can be adopted, our fishermen and their sons, from the causes above stated, have gradually abandoned that occupation and become seamen in coasting and foreign vessels, to the very great detriment of the trade of the town, as well as loss to the country of much valuable and cheap food. That, although an exceedingly hardy and fine race of men, remarkable for their peaceable and domesticated habits, and possessing qualities which have distinguished many of them in the Royal Navy, the fishermen of this port are not only gradually becoming extinct, but that those who remain, or who have become seamen, cannot even join the Naval Reserve, since it is impossible for the Royal gunboats to find shelter while enlisting. That, for the sake of the mercantile marine of the Channel, and on account of the fishery and general interests of the locality, as well as the supply of a hardy race of men to the Royal Navy and the Navy Reserve, the erection of a fishery pier or harbour of refuge at this port is necessarily a matter not merely of local but national value, a question of imperial importance. That, in support of these views, the memorialists beg to call your Excellency's attention to the following extract, written so far back as January 1853, by Barry D Gibbons*, Esq., Engineer to the Board of Works, Ireland:- Extract from Mr Gibbons' report: 'A general, or what I may call a national object, of inestimable value, may be obtained here, by the construction of a breakwater, running north from the Black Castle point, masking a portion of the bay, and thereby converting it into a harbour of refuge for the trade of the channel. Its position, and the configuration of the land, hold out strong inducements to recommend such a project, when we consider the incredible number of vessels, especially coasters, which, bound down the channel, meet with adverse winds and thick weather about Wicklow Head, and are obliged to run back to Kingstown or elsewhere for shelter, throwing away the windward advantage which it took them perhaps days to attain. I shall not enter farther upon this; although a refuge-harbour of moderate capacity may be constructed here at a comparatively small cost - certainly far within its value in a national point of view.'
The Memorialists, therefore, humbly and earnestly pray your Excellency will take the foregoing facts into your consideration, and recommend to Government the construction of a pier at Wicklow, a work which your memorialists have no hesitation in saying will prove of inestimable value to the navigation of the Irish Channel, as well as a valuable means of saving life and property from the numerous shipwrecks which your memorialists have so often painfully witnessed upon this coast.''
*Gibbons, working under Isambard Kingdom Brunel, surveyed the proposed extension of the Dalkey line to Wicklow in 1856. Brunel designed and supervised the construction of the Great Eastern. For more on Gibbon, see: http://www.dia.ie/architects/view/2119/GIBBONS-BARRYDUNCAN
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Part 3.
The Lord Lieutenant said he thought the memorial referred to three very different things - a fishery harbour, a mercantile harbour, and a harbour of refuge. Now, fishery piers in some cases had been constructed under the special powers given by Acts of Parliament for the advancement of loans for the purpose. With respect to a harbour of refuge it did not come under the designation of works authorised to be promoted by the act. He would wish the deputation to consider whether it was a fishery pier alone that was wanted, for the sum applicable to such a purpose was very small.
Sir George Hodson said that what the deputation wanted included both a harbour of refuge and a fishery pier.
The Lord Lieutenant remarked that he understood the advance for a fishery pier could not exceed £5,000. Mr Lefanu said no greater sum could be advanced by the Board of Works. The Lord Lieutenant said he was afraid that the works contemplated were of such a character as to cost a great deal more than £5,000.
Mr Andrew W Byrne - If the Government once arrive at a determination to construct a harbour of refuge it would embrace the fishery pier, and open the harbour for merchandise.
The Lord Lieutenant - Then you contemplate a harbour of refuge?
Mr Byrne - Yes.
The Lord Lieutenant - That is a large consideration, and I must point out to the deputation that Wicklow is not one of the harbours named by the Commissioners who had inquired into that subject. They have named only three harbours - Carlingford, Portrush, and Waterford - and I think it is hardly probable that the Government will consider a harbour not recommended by the Commissioners.
Mr Byrne called attention to the fact that a harbour of refuge at Wicklow was a necessity in consequence of the navigation, and instanced the recent loss of the 'Armenian' in support of his argument.
The Lord Lieutenant showed he could not take upon himself to recommend the construction of a harbour of refuge where the Commissioners had not recommended it, and even if he did he feared his representation would have very little weight. He would wish to know if any application had been made under the provisions of the Act of 1861, which authorised the Board of Trade to recommend advances for harbour works, other than fishery piers, and to extend the repayment over a period of fifty years.
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Part 4.
Lord Powerscourt - Is that where the limitation is to £5,000?
The Lord Lieutenant - No; I know an instance where, I think, the advance obtained was £40,000, but there the works were to cost a quarter of a million.
Mr Byrne - Was that a loan or a gift?
The Lord Lieutenant - A loan.
Mr Byrne - On the security of the tolls?
The Lord Lieutenant - Of course.
Mr Chapman, Chairman of the Harbour Commissioners of Wicklow, said that there were difficulties in the way of this loan, arising from the fact of the tolls having been mortgaged to the Town Commissioners in consideration of an advance of £14,000, to be expended on the harbour works. He believed that the Board of Trade, for any money they advanced, required the repayment to be a first charge on the property.
The Lord Lieutenant - They require it, of course; but if this would be for the benefit of the place, probably the Town Commissioners would allow it to be a first charge.
Mr Byrne said it being Corporate property he feared the Commissioners could hardly allow another claim to take priority over their lien*.
The Lord Lieutenant - Well, they might get an Act to enable them to do so.
Mr Chapman said they would be quite satisfied if they could get a fishery pier.
The Lord Lieutenant - That is another matter. Do you think this is a place that can come under the designation of a fishing harbour? For, from what I have heard, the fishing goes to other ports.
Sir George Hodson said the fish were not taken at Wicklow because there were no means there of protecting large ships.
The Lord Lieutenant asked, was it not the fact that fishing smacks came into Kingstown, and would prefer to continue to do so?
Mr Chapman replied that it was true that a large proportion of fishing smacks did come into Kingstown, but he had no doubt if proper accommodation were given at Wicklow they would come there. But, not alone was it for fishing that this accommodation was wanted, but for general mercantile purposes. He might mention that at present there were many thousands of tons of sulphur ore lying in the yards which could not be taken away in consequence of the absence of means of shipment.
The Lord Lieutenant inquired why the the Wicklow Railway Company did not take the project up.
Mr Chapman replied that the interests of the Railway Company were opposed to Wicklow being a port at all, inasmuch as it would interfere with their receipts by reducing the mileage over which traffic was carried.
After some desultory conversation, the Lord Lieutenant said he understood from Mr Lefanu that the fund at the disposal of the Board of Works for the construction of fishery piers was reduced to £3,200, which he was afraid would not do much for Wicklow harbour from all he could learn respecting it.
Mr Byrne observed that the $14,000 already expended on the harbour had been completely lost, in consequence of the want of governmental support. The harbour was beautifully situated. Once the shelter was formed, the means of ingress and egress given for large ships, they were sanguine that an enormous trade would spring up. If the fishery were once established, another trade - the construction of ships, for which timber lay in the vicinity of the harbour - would grow up, and other advantages would speedily follow.
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Part 5.
The Lord Lieutenant - Surely, if all that be true, it would be ground for a private company taking it up. I am afraid that that not being done shows that the prospects are not very bright.
Mr Byrne remarked that no port could rise to mercantile importance unless accommodation were given for steamers to go backwards and forwards, and in this respect all the interests of Wicklow and of the fine country surrounding it had very much suffered.
The Lord Lieutenant said that he was the owner of property in an English seaport town which had gone very much to decay, until the people scraped together a sum of money, and obtained an advance from the Board of Trade, in the way he suggested to the deputation, and went to work to improve the port and harbour. If they could not get persons to come forward and embark their money in the requisite works he was afraid that it was generally an indication that the prospect of remuneration was not tempting. In the present instance he thought the best thing to do was to apply to the Board of Trade for an advance. In point of fact it was a mercantile harbour they wanted, and if it was the fact that the tolls were mortgaged, it was an unfortunate day for the town, but they should fall back upon a private bill. No doubt the improvement of the port, so as to admit large steamers, would prove a great advantage to Wicklow, but the question for him to consider was, whether he could recommend the matter to government to give a special grant for, and he was afraid that in the face of the Commissioners' report he would hardly be in a position to do so.
In reply to His Excellency, Mr Chapman said he thought the fund at the disposal of the Board of Works would do considerable service in providing a shelter for fishing smacks.
The Lord Lieutenant said that if this matter were embodied in a statement and sent to him it might form the basis for a recommendation to the Government, favourable to the views of the deputation.
The deputation then withdrew.
The Irish Times, Tuesday, February 8, 1865.
*DEFINITION of 'Lien': The legal right of a creditor to sell the collateral property of a debtor who fails to meet the obligations of a loan contract. A lien exists, for example, when an individual takes out an automobile loan.
'Lein': the legal claim of one person upon the property of another person to secure the payment of a debt or the satisfaction of an obligation.
'Lien': a right to keep possession of property belonging to another person until a debt owed by that person is discharged: "they shall be entitled to a lien on any lot sold".
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Wicklow Newsletter, Editorial, Saturday, March 2 1867.
Assizes after Assizes and Sessions after Sessions for a series of years it has been our pleasing duty to congratulate our readers on the state of our country as regards the commission of crime, and now more especially we are gratified, at the close of the Assizes, to refer to the peaceable and orderly condition of our country. Four hours were sufficient to try all the bills sent down by the Grand Jury, and the longest term of imprisonment inflicted upon any prisoner was seven months. The offences too were only of an ordinary character, and not such as to affect the public peace; and the insane bubble of Fenianism which has alarmed the inhabitants of other places seems to find few sympathisers amongst us, judging by the fewness of the arrests made in this county under the provisions of the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act. These are matters for great thankfulness, and we hope that each succeeding year will only render [the people] more loyal, and that a thriving tenantry, fastened by a resident landed proprietary, may have its fruits in a people prosperous and contented.
The Telegraph In Wicklow.
Local advancement leads to general prosperity. For this reason, we are pleased to find, the the British Electric Telegraphic Company propose to run their line of communication along the public roads between Bray and Roundwood in the county of Wicklow. The Grand Jury at once, and very properly sanctioned, the project on the application of Mr. B. Dawson Watlock, Engineer to the Company. We understand that all the poles have been purchased off the estate of the Earl Fitzwilliam, and that a number of local labourers will be employed in their erection. Thus even in a preparatory degree much service is secured for the county, and at the same time a permanent institution of enlightenment* and public convenience is firmly established. We desire for the project every possible success.
*My italics.
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Wicklow Salmon Fishery.
Pursuant to notice, the Special Commissioners of Irish Fisheries, held a court of Inquiry at the County Court House, on 28th ult., to receive evidence relative to the defining of the mouth of the river Vartry and of its estuary, and other matters connected with the salmon fishery of this place, rendered necessary by applications made to them for that purpose. There were present Captain Barclay, RN., Inspecting-Commander of Coast Guard; George Wynne, Esq., F. Wakefield, Esq., Dr. Halpin, Mr. W J Nolan, and the principal inhabitants of the town interested in the fisheries. Mr Burkitt, solicitor, appeared in the interests of the fishery - John Barlow, Arthur Barlow, Michael Byrne, and the representative of a widow whose boats are licenced, were examined on oath, their united evidence went to prove that the mouth of the Vartry is its point of debouchure into the lake at Tinnakilly, and that the only available places for fishing for salmon are those hitherto used by the fishermen, namely - immediately outside the bar of Wicklow, and a pool under the vineyard - the resting places of the salmon being either near a rockbound coast where nets could not be hauled, or in a very small bay (Bride's) where the bottom was too uneven for the purpose, or as one of the witnesses rather naively remarked, where they could ''admire the salmon jumping and playing but could not catch them.''
Evidence was also taken as to the number of salmon taken during the last couple of years, and all witnesses concurred in stating that if the fishermen were prevented from fishing in the old ground, they could not possibly catch fish enough to enable them to pay their licence.
The Commissioners having expressed a willingness to take evidence applicable to an enquiry to be held in Dublin, on 16th inst., relative to an alteration of the closed season, Mr. W. J. Nolan having given evidence as to the peculiar nature of the river Vartry, which might be considered merely as a mountain stream, he stated that during the early part of the open season the fish were spent and useless, and similarly during the early part of the closed season the fish were in good condition, he therefore gave as his opinion that it would be for the benefit of the fishery if the closed season were extended for one month later, thus giving a relative extension to the open season. All the fishermen present concurred in the correctness of Mr. Nolan's views, and the Commissioners promised to take this matter into their consideration when deciding on what changes would be made in the closed season of the district.
The protection of the spawning beds having been brought under consideration, and the desirability of having waterbaliffs being urged by Mr. Wakefield, the Commissioners stated that so few licences were taken out on the river, the receipts would be totally inadequate to pay a bailiff, Mr. Wynne, Mr. Wakefield, Dr. Halpin, and Mr. Burkitt replied they would subscribe to supplement whatever sum the Commissioners might allow for the purpose. In reference to the Alkali Works on the Murrough, Mr. Wynne asked a question as to the damage likely to be done to the fish from the drainage from the works. Mr. Burkitt stated in reply that a clause would be inserted in the lease of the ground to the Company, obliging them to send their drainage into the sea, so that no damage need be apprehended from that quarter. The Commissioners in closing the inquiry stated that they would endeavour to give effect to the suggestions of the witnesses, and that their decision would shortly be announced.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, March 2 1867.
Editorial
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That the noble Earl, on whose property it is intended to erect Alkali Works near this town, should consult the wishes of the inhabitants, before granting a lease to the company established to carry them on, was only to be expected from his lordship's well-known consideration for the convenience and comforts of his tenantry; and as at a public meeting of the inhabitants of Wicklow and its neighbourhood, held in the Courthouse, on Wednesday last, a resolution was adopted in favour of their erection by the majority of those assembled, we must take it that it is in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants that the lease is to be granted, notwithstanding, that we have knowledge that many persons of wealth and property in our neighbourhood dreading the injurious effects in general produced by the fumes from smelting houses, have protested strongly against their erection. If there is one fact, however, more than another that presses itself forcibly on our attention it is the great want of employment for our labouring population. Our poor are very poor indeed, and the outlay of capital and thereby increase of employment which is an absolute necessity would be most beneficial. It cannot be doubted that when one branch of industry is fairly established in a neighbourhood, others will quickly follow in its train; and should the project now proposed prosper as anticipated, it may fairly be expected that the junction of our railway and harbour by tramway, and the improvement of the harbour itself, are results that must quickly follow, while the position of the works themselves lying in a point from which the wind seldom blows towards us, and the precautions to be taken as obliged by law and otherwise, will reduce the inconvenience to a minimum. At the same time perhaps it would be well that a clause should be inserted in the lease confining the company to the manufacture of soda cake, &c, and totally excluding the smelting of copper.
It has been asked, and naturally too - supposing that the lease would not be granted, what would those gentlemen who now oppose it do for the benefit of the poor, or the trade of our town in lieu of the works? We must confess, we are unable to give an answer to this inquiry, and without venturing to express any decided opinion, we cannot but hail with satisfaction any project to benefit our town, and to provide bread for the many in it who need it.
[To the right of the photo attached, taken some time in the 1890s, you can see the smoking stack of the Alkali Works on the Morrough, north of the town of Wicklow.]
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Part 1.
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, March 2 1867.
Alkali Works At Wicklow.
A large and influential meeting of the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood was, on the 27th inst., held in the Courthouse, Wicklow, relative to the establishment of Alkali Works at Wicklow. The following attended:- Thomas Troy, Chairman, T.C., R. D. Barry, Francis Wakefield, both T.C.'s, Rev. Henry Rooke, William Magee, J.P., T.C., George Wynne, John Hayden, John Chapman, J. W. Dillon, T. Doolittle, Thomas Smyth, J. O'Brien, all T.C.'s, Robert W. Halpin, Sec. T.C., R. Caldwell, Custom House, W. Nolan and G. Halpin, M.D.'s, J. Nolan, Joseph Morton, W.J. Nolan, E. Doolittle, Harbour-master, J. Collins, J. Byrne, Stamp Office, Charles Ralph, John Arthur Travers, J. D. Smyth.
Mr. Troy having been requested to take the Chair, the Secretary read two letters from Hon. J. Ponsonby, to the Town Commissioners, on the subject of the proposed works. The Chairman having addressed the meeting, said he was now prepared to hear any gentleman on the subject.
Mr. R. D. Barry said that he hoped that no person would impute to him any sinister motives in advocating the project, the gentlemen concerned in it were men of large property, and would lay out £10,000 at once. He Mr. Barry, could not see how the works could injure anyone, as stringent clauses are to be inserted in the lease; and also as the owner of property in the neighbourhood he would not be likely to advocate any manufacture that would injure it, he need not go fully into the question of the manufacture of soda cake, as it is the interest of the manufacturer to turn every portion of the Sulphur Ore into profit.
Mr. Hayden, T.C., said the very explanatory letters that had just been read from the Hon. Mr. Ponsonby, and the statement made by Mr. Barry, show clearly that precautionary measures will be taken to protect the inhabitants from injury. He Mr. Hayden cannot conceive how under the protective clauses any injury can arise, whereas the proposed works would bring capital among us, and open up a branch of manufacture hitherto unknown in Wicklow, which could be lucratively carried on in this county, instead of being diverted elsewhere, and would ultimately lead to the improvement of the harbour and extension of our quays and wharfs. If this object alone were attained it would well be worth the trial; but further, we would have the circulation of an extra £200 to £300 a week expended in the town. He Mr. Hayden would therefore propose that this meeting is of the opinion that Earl Fitzwilliam will best advance the interest of the inhabitants of Wicklow by granting the lease of the site for the proposed Alkali Works.
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Part 2.
Doctor William Nolan - As nearly one of the oldest inhabitants of Wicklow, I would like to say a few words on the subject. It is in our interest to encourage in every way the introduction of English capital into Ireland, and here we have an opportunity of having a business which in England is carried on with great success, and what has made many towns in England as prosperous as they are. He Dr. Nolan remembered Widness in Lancashire, a mere village, now a prosperous town of upwards of 60,000 inhabitants from the establishment of such works. As to any injury arising from the works he could give the testimony of his son-in-law, a medical gentleman practicing in the immediate vicinity of many alkali works, to the general good health of the district.
Francis Wakefield, T.C. [a former industrialist from Mansfield who previously owned a foundry. His personal agent was the Town Secretary, Robert W. Halpin], said that there seemed to be some misconception as to what the nature of the works were; now smelting works would mean the smelting of copper, which he Mr. Wakefield had no hesitation in stating would be injurious to the surrounding environment and the town's inhabitants, but if confined to the manufacture of soda cake he believed would not be injurious. Now, as there is absence of those who should be interested in the building of villas, &c., and making Wicklow a first-class bathing place, let us now direct our attention to making it a manufacturing place.
James W. Dillon, T.C., agent to the largest Mining Company in the district, seconded the resolution of Mr. Hayden, and remarked that there need be no apprehension of the use of copper for the simple reason it was not in the country to any extent.
The Rev. Henry Rooke read the following letter from the Rev. Henry Brownrigg:-
Having heard incidentally that a meeting was to take place this day in Wicklow, to ascertain the wishes of the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood with regard to the contemplated establishment of alkali works on the Morrough, and being unable, from illness, to attend in person, I would ask permission to express my sentiments on the subject on paper. In the latter part of 1866 a movement of the same nature was first made, and this met by a memorial addressed to Earl Fitzwilliam, rapidly got up, but largely and respectably supported and signed, signifying strong disapproval of the project, an assigning substantial reasons for such dissent.
It was supposed that this memorial had succeeded, and that the alkali undertaking had collapsed. But now it seems that a fresh effort is being made to galvanize it into a new existence. To meet this movement I would again make use of the same memorial of 1865, a copy of which I now enclose, that it may be read before the present meeting, assembled in Wicklow this day. I have received letters on the subject from persons of high position, expressing their disapproval of the proposed project. But I do not feel that it is necessary or expedient to make them public.
I will only in ending observe that Wicklow would appear to be a doomed place, menaced as it is by the bursting of the Vartry water works and the establishment of alkali works on the Murrough. The plagues of Egypt are re-enacted - "What the hail spares the locusts destroy.''
Henry Brownrigg, Prependary of Wicklow, 27th February 1867.
Mr. Dillon moved that the memorial be read, which was not done.
[the rest of this story will be posted tomorrow.]
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Part 3.
W. Magee, Esq., J.P., read an extract from some of the Dublin papers complaining that some of the works in Dublin had become a nuisance.
Dr. Nolan in answer to Mr. Magee remarked that the letter was an answer to itself; why did not the inspectors do their duty and not allow the nuisance to continue which they had ample power to do.
The Chairman then put Mr. Hayden's resolution to the meeting, which was passed unanimously.
Mr. Hayden proposed, and Dr. Nolan seconded, that the marked thanks of the meeting be given to Earl Fitzwilliam and the Hon. F. Ponsonby, for their great courtesy in consulting the Town Commissioners and inhabitants, and giving them an opportunity of expressing their opinions. Mr. Wakefield, having been called to the second chair, a vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Troy for his impartial bearing and the good harmony in which he conducted the meeting, which then terminated.
Mr. Joseph Correll attended to give any information required.
The following is a copy of the memorial referred to by Rev. Brownrigg:
We, the undersigned, the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood of Wicklow, having heard with alarm and dismay the proposed grant of land from your lordship for the purpose of erecting ''Alkali Works'' on the Murrough of Wicklow, within half a mile of the town, earnestly entreat your lordship's attention to the two enclosed letters, which appeared in the Wicklow Newsletter of 30th September, and which represents the pernicious effect to animal and vegetable life always attendant on such works, and the consequent deterioration of the value of property within several miles of its vicinity. We, therefore, beg to solicit your lordship's serious consideration to the above statement of facts, before irrevocably inflicting an injury so detrimental to the salubrity and agricultural prosperity of this neighbourhood.
H. Brownrigg, W. Magee, J. S. Howard, George Wynne, Robert Burkitt, J. W. Fetherston II, Samuel C. Curtis, J. W. De Butts, Daniel Tighe, Charles Tottenham, Robert H. Truell, R. Truell, jun., Henry Shepard, Andrew Nolan, H. Townsend, John Ridge, W. West, John Hunter, Betsey Hagerty, Edmund Hall, Timothy Byrne, William Cullen, Pat. Byrne, Coolawinna, T. T. Robinson, Richard Keegan, H. MacPhail.
4th October 1865.
[I will post copies of the letters of 30 September 1865 next week.]
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Who were the Fenians and what did they want*? The answer to this question is important, since the organization made a deep impression on Edwin Halpin (1855 - 1924), the youngest son of Robert Wellington Halpin (1814 - 1883), Wicklow's Town Clerk, Harbour Board Secretary, agent for The Nation*, Bookseller, Stationer, Shopkeeper and Post Master. I'm trying to trace the political evolution of my family, from the liberal nationalism of my great great grandfather Robert, who was influenced by the writings of Ernest Renan and John Stuart Mill, through the socialism and syndicalism of Edwin Halpin, down to the staunch republicanism of William Robert Halpin (1885 - 1951), Edwin's eldest son and my grand uncle. Edwin's politics are hard to nail down, partly because we know little about him in comparison to Robert and William. But what we do know, which is based on some documentary evidence and a little family lore, is that Irish self-determination meant a great deal to him. He despised sectarianism, detested religion, disliked clerics and fiercely objected to the political violence of physical force nationalists like Patrick Pearse and James Connolly. He reserved a particular dislike for Countess Markiewicz, whom he described derisively as ''a souper'', and had immense respect for Michael Davitt and Jim Larkin. From the little I know of him, he was not opposed to force per se, provided it was organized and constructive. This is probably why he liked the syndicalism of the labour movement. If the majority of the workforce of the United Kingdom and Ireland could be convinced to stage a series of co-ordinated strikes over an extended period of time, the political elites would capitulate and agree to much-needed concessions, including Home Rule for Ireland and universal suffrage. Edwin also believed in the workers' right to defend themselves against police brutality, and supported the formation of the Irish Citizen Army in 1913, which was organized for that specific purpose. He backed away from the army, however, when it adopted a more offensive position in relation to the Irish question, and while he admired James Connolly's intelligence, he had no time for his abrasive fanaticism. He regarded Pearse as being seriously disturbed.
Edwin's nuanced approach to Irish independence was not shared by his son, William. The two men engaged in furious arguments over the moral and practical advantages and disadvantages of political violence, arguments that came to a head in the last weeks of the War of Independence, when a ten year old boy by the name of Andrew Hanratty - a child Edwin knew well - was killed in an IRA ambush on Saturday, June 4th 1921. The incident took place in Dublin on the North Strand Road, yards from Newcomen Bridge. A small detachment of ''E'' Company, 2nd Battalion Dublin Brigade, led by William, armed with revolvers and home made hand grenades, attacked a passing military vehicle as it headed into the city. The vehicle sped away without returning fire, and neither the British forces nor the IRA reported any casualties resulting from the clash. Fourteen civilians were not so lucky, although young Hanratty was the only fatality.
To understand how William Halpin found himself embroiled in a vicious war with the British forces on the streets of Dublin in 1921, we need to appreciate the complicated Protestant and Catholic background from which he came. And that background story requires an understanding of the history of Wickow town in the 1860s, 70s, and 80s. Critical to an understanding of that history, is a basic knowledge of the Fenian movement. My next few posts will attempt to provide that knowledge.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenian
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nation_(Irish_newspaper)
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Part 1.
Fenianism
.
Fenianism, a revolutionary movement originating in the greatly expanding Irish immigrant community of the USA following the collapse of the repeal and Young Ireland movements of the 1840s and the discrediting of parliamentary agitation by the collapse of independent opposition.
Difficulties of integration and prejudice experienced by Irish immigrants kept attention focused on Ireland and her problems while in New York revolutionary groups, which continued to exist after those in Ireland had collapsed, produced men ready to continue the independence struggle. John O'Mahony (1816 - 77), Michael Doheny (1805 - 63), and Joseph Deniffe, together with James Stephens, a veteran of the ineffectual rising of 1848 who had fled to Paris, were chiefly responsible for initiating the Fenian movement.
Stephens, having established a leadership role and with limited financial backing from America, launched a revolutionary society in Dublin on St Patrick's Day 1858, dedicated to secrecy and the establishment of a democratic Irish republic. Initially, the organization had no specific title, being known variously as 'The Society', 'The Organization', or 'The Brotherhood'. The name 'Fenian', a reference to the warriors of ancient Ireland, originated with a parallel branch of the organization in America headed by John O'Mahony and, by extension, came to describe the movement in Ireland. Stephen's continental experience was reflected in a clearly defined hierarchical structure with each member's knowledge of the society supposedly limited to the personnel of his own section. In practice neither organization nor secrecy corresponded with intention.
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Part 2.
Both Stephens and T. C. Luby (1821 - 1901), another 1848 veteran, quickly got down to putting the society on a national footing and made significant progress. In the process, the movement inevitably attracted police attention, Catholic church opposition, and competition from constitutional nationalists, especially A. M. Sullivan and the former Young Irelanders associated with the Nation newspaper. Stephens proved adept at wrong-footing Sullivan's attempts to revive constitutionalism; however, his own position was undermined in a split with his American associates when he sought to improve his financial position by starting a newspaper, the Irish People. This breach of secrecy resulted in his position within the overall movement being reduced to European representative and organizer of the Irish people. But more seriously, the newspaper offices provided a convenient target for the government, which had successfully infiltrated the movement, and when the end of the American Civil War released thousands of Irish-American officers for possible Fenian activities in Ireland, it launched a pre-emptive swoop which netted Luby and other prominent members such as John O'Leary and Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa. Stephens was also arrested soon after.
The government strike was effective: 1865 was the optimum year for a rising. The movement had a relatively strong urban base and had recruited successfully in Britain's Irish community and the British army. But by 1866 it was on the defensive and was further weakened by leadership splits in the American body. Stephens, recently sprung from jail, took control of the American organization but lacked the money and arms to put the long heralded rising into effect, and was replaced at the end of the year by military men determined on armed action regardless of the circumstances. A weak attempt in February 1867 was followed by a more significant, but hardly impressive, rising on the night of 4 - 5 March. All Fenian actions were short-lived, defeated by informers, bad weather, a well-prepared government and a disciplined army. The rising, however, was not without consequences. Agitation for an amnesty for Fenian prisoners, and outrage at the execution of the Manchester martyrs, mobilized nationalist opinion on a scale the Fenians themselves had never achieved, and provided the basis for the launching for the Home Rule movement. In addition the rising moved Gladstone to initiate reforms that would culminate in his conversion to Home Rule.
Traditionally regarded as an uncomplicatedly revolutionary movement, Fenianism has recently been subjected to a revisionist treatment, most notably by Comerford, which dilutes the importance of nationalist commitment and emphasizes the social and recreational role the movement provided for its recruits. This treatment has, in the inevitable reaction to 'anti-nationalist' revisionism, in turn been criticized for distorting reality.
- a paraphrased version of an entry by James Loughlin, in the Oxford Companion to Irish History, edited by S. J. Connolly, Oxford University Press, 2007.
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Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, December 15, 1866.
Arrests In Wicklow.
We regret having to announce that two supposed Fenian Head Centres have been discovered in this county, which had hitherto - apparently, at least - escaped the taint of Fenianism. Patrick Cunniam, a national schoolmaster at Tinnahely, was arrested on Friday last, by Sub-Inspector Talbot, under a warrant from the Lord Lieutenant. We believe there were no treasonable documents discovered, but he had been suspected for some time. The second arrest was that of a shoemaker, named Doyle, at Baltinglass, on Monday last. They are both in the county gaol. It is stated that the police have several other suspicious characters under close surveillance, and additional arrests may be expected.
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What could qualify as a 'treasonable document'? On the basis of the following notice, virtually anything.
Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 24th 1866.
Treasonable Publications.
A little girl was arrested by the Constabulary in this town, for offering for sale songbooks containing seditious lyrics. As she purchased the books from a Marine Store Dealer in the town, it led to their arrest and the parties are to be tried for their offences.
A man named Hugh Byrne was committed to goal yesterday, suspected of treasonable practices under the provision of the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act.
In what sense could the contents of a songbook be regarded as seditious? The following extract, from Young Ireland & The Writing Of Irish History, by James Quinn, University College Dublin Press (2015), may shed some light:
The Nation contended that 'the history of Ireland has not yet been written' and that Ireland could not claim to be a nation until this was done. ... It claimed Ireland was deficient in three crucial areas: 'national self-respect, knowledge of our own past, and national ballads'. The comparison was often drawn with Scotland, whose ballads were seen to be an integral part of Scottish nationality, and the words of the Scottish patriot Andrew Fletcher were quoted approvingly: 'it is of little consequence who makes the laws of a country if the song-making be in proper hands'. The Nation dedicated itself to the task of giving the Irish people better songs to sing, claiming that nothing could succeed until these had laid 'a fertile deposit in the public mind'. Raising the tone of Irish popular song accorded with Young Ireland's mission of national improvement. ... In his Songs of Ireland, the Young Irelander Michael Joseph Barry explicitly rejected songs which are un-Irish in their character of language, and those miserable slang productions, which, representing the Irishman only as a blunderer, a bully, a fortune-hunter, or a drunkard, have done more than anything else to degrade him in the eyes of others and, far worse, to debase him in his own.
... [Thomas Davis, one of the founders of the Nation and its most talented contributor], regarded a comprehensive ballad history as 'the greatest book (religion apart) that a country can possess' and lauded the part ballads had played in forging national sentiment in Scotland, Spain and Germany. The proposed work began in the Nation on 18 January 1845 with a ballad on the battle of Clontarf of 1014; others on 'The battle of Callan AD 1261', 'The Coming of St. Patrick' and the 'Battle of Credran AD 1257' followed. However, their quality did not match Davis's hopes and the series came to an abrupt end in May 1845.
In keeping with Young Ireland's prose historical writings, most of the pieces in the ballad history series celebrated military victories. Such 'war songs' were a staple of the Nation, allowing the paper to express militant nationalist sentiment while avoiding the risk of prosecution by placing it in a historical setting. Davis saw them as a subtle and insidious form of propaganda that could appeal to the patriotic instincts of even political opponents. However Tories such as Isaac Butt, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and John Wilson Croker were deeply uneasy at the inflammatory language of much Young Ireland verse, and The Times of London commented, Let a man make his thoughts rhyme, and there is hardly any amount of treason and iniquity he may not utter...no sedition appears too daring to be spoken, no atrocity too great to be recommended with impunity...
In 1843 the most popular of these songs were collected and published as the Spirit of the Nation, in a cheap shilling edition. It was enormously popular, going into six editions in its year of publication. By 1877 it had gone through 50 Dublin editions, and was also published in Boston and New York; it remained in print for over 90 years with a 97th edition published in 1934. - pp. 42 - 50.
There is every chance, therefore, that the little girl arrested by the Constabulary in Wicklow in February 1866 was selling a cheap edition of Songs of Ireland or Spirit of the Nation.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, February 24th 1866.
Editorial
.
The steps taken by the government within the last eight or ten days are well calculated to check Fenianism and restore confidence. The large number of arrests made in Dublin and throughout Ireland generally, combined with the knowledge that the least whisper of treasonable practices is enough to deprive the whisperer of his liberty until, at all events, the first of March 1867, will, undoubtedly, rid Ireland of a swarm of traitors and mischief-makers; and the number of troops arriving daily, and spreading over the country, will prevent any chance of an outbreak. Still it is too much to suppose that the Fenian fever will subside all at once, or the treason-mongers drop all their plans. For a long time the authorities must be vigilant and watchful. No suspected person should be left at liberty for an hour, and wherever evidence to warrant a conviction can be had it should be obtained. The Government, however, would be greatly helped in their action if they could prevail on that of America to discountenance Fenianism there. By the last accounts, money was flowing freely into the Fenian treasury, and arms too were supplied in quantities. While this state of things exists there, we cannot hope to be quite free of the plague of Fenianism here. Besides, the notion of invading Canada appears to be abandoned and the whole energies of the body directed towards Ireland. It is best that it should be so. The Government could not in honour refuse to defend Canada, and it is much easier to defend Ireland from any filibustering expedition. In fact it would be almost a thing to be desired that such should be attempted at once, that the dupes of the movement in this country might see their last hope fade away.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, February 24th 1866.
Part 1.
Suspension Of The Habeas Corpus Act.
There has not been within our memory any meeting of Parliament which has had such significance and importance since the memorable year of revolutions, 1848, as the meeting of last Saturday, when both Houses of the Legislature were specially called, at the desire of the Government to pass an extraordinary measure. The Commons were convoked at noon, but before that hour numbers of the members had arrived, thus bearing witness to their anxiety relative to the great event which was to transpire.
Sir George Grey, the representative of the Crown and Government, so far as the internal control of the United Kingdom is concerned, rose amidst the breathless attention of the House to ask its sanction to so extraordinary a measure that it is only common justice to believe the Government felt to be absolutely necessary. The speech of the Home Secretary was virtually a splendid bill of indictment against the Fenians, whether American or English, but dealing with them only so far as they existed and worked out their villainous projects on the British empire. He showed that the Fenian conspiracy had assumed proportions of the most dangerous character; that especially since the termination of the American war it had become largely developed; that the disbanded Irish in America had organized themselves in conjunction with their countrymen at home to subvert the power of the British crown in the sister island; and that in Ireland bodies of men were arming themselves and preparing for an insurrection. Sir George Grey then showed that there was but a choice between two things - either military repression or the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act. ''I have watched every symptom of the conspiracy,'' said the Home Secretary, ''for many months, and it is my conviction that no time should be lost in suspending the Act. Unless this is done there cannot be responsibility for the safety of the country. With that power I hope to avert any serious mischief.'' The loud cheering which came from all parts of the House at this request showed the opinion of men of all parties. The House evidently felt that it was no party question; the Government sought to act for the good of the entire kingdom, and not least for that of Ireland than for the benefit of any other portion of the British dominions.
Men of all shades of opinion heartily fell in with the views of the Government. Mr. Disraeli, while blaming the Government for some of their past acts, cordially supported the proposal of the Home Secretary, Mr. Bright, than whom no man is more jealous of the liberty of the subject, , earnestly entreated that the evils under which he considers Ireland now suffers might seriously be taken into consideration, but he too heartily approved the extreme power that government sought to obtain. Mr. Roebuck, Mr. Horsman, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer - men of a very different cast of mind, and the two former remarkable for their independence of political opinion - and several other members, looking at the subject from various points of view, all agreed that the time had come when the liberties of a portion of Ireland should be curtailed. The result was that while only six individuals were found to vote against the Government proposal, 364 voted for it. In the House of Lords the same hearty approval of the step which Ministers felt themselves compelled to take was manifested; and thus, within a few hours, the Habeas Corpus Act was suspended, so far as Parliament could act, and her Majesty's sanction was speedily given. Throughout the country there is scarcely any other feeling but that of regret that such a measure should be necessary, accompanied by a hearty approval of the course which our Government has taken.
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Part 2.
So far as Ireland is immediately concerned we cannot see that she has any cause to complain. ''Rulers are a terror to them that do ill,'' and it is against such only that the power of British law is directed. The respectable portion of the Irish community, the vast majority of the inhabitants of the sister isle, can have but the same feeling in the matter that we have; and they feel that it is for Ireland's good that one portion of the charter of our common liberties has for a time been suspended. It is quite a mistake to suppose, as many do, that the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act is equivalent to a declaration of martial law. The Habeas Corpus Act, passed in the reign of Charles II, does not regulate the manner in which persons shall be tried, but the time of trial. The object of the enactment was to prevent the accused persons being kept in prison for an indefinite period without trial: and its main feature was that accused persons should be tried at the next term or assizes. This Act is now set aside till the 1st of March 1867, but to prevent any abuse of it, it will be necessary that the warrant for the arrest of any person, must be signed by six members of the Privy Council of Ireland, or by the Lord Lieutenant or his chief secretary. In fact there is not one safeguard for the fair trial of the accused which is affected by the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act. It gives the Executive considerably more power, but the prisoners will not have one atom less of justice. On the whole, we applaud the decision and firmness of the Government, and we sincerely trust that the attitude our Queen and Parliament have now assumed may speedily put an end to this insane and wicked rebellion.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, December 15th 1866.
Wicklow Town Commissioners.
A special meeting of these commissioners was held on Monday last, for the purpose of electing a member to replace Mr. John P. Hopkins. Present - Messrs. T. Troy (Chairman), H. McPhail, J. W. Dillon, J. Hayden, J. O'Brien, J. Oakes, T. Doolittle, and T. Gregory.
Mr. Hayden proposed that Mr. Wakefield be appointed to fill the vacancy. Mr. McPhail had great pleasure in seconding the nomination of Mr. Wakefield. He thought that a better selection could not have been made, and he only wished there were more like him on the Board. Mr. Wakefield had always been most energetic in his efforts for the improvement of the town.
There being no other candidate proposed, Mr. Wakefield was elected nem con.
Mr. Wakefield said that he would endeavour to make his private interests subservient to the public good, and would always support to the best of his ability any project for the improvement of the town. He hoped there would be no more about any little unpleasantness that had arisen between the Board and himself, and that they would all now unite to advance the interests of the community, and he was sure their efforts would be successful.
The proceedings then terminated.
[Unite to advance the interests of the community was what some on the Board adamantly refused to do. To circumvent this opposition, which was based on a mainly Anglo-Irish attachment to feudal political arrangements that were, in practice, colonial in nature and prejudicial towards the interests of Irish Catholics, Francis Wakefield and Robert Wellington Halpin maneuvered their way into controlling positions within the Board of Commissioners and the Harbour Board - the two most powerful local government bodies in Wicklow at that time. From there, they actively attacked the ancient monopolies that did so much to stymie development in Wicklow. The Bridge Inn Halpins were a demonstratively loyal part of the old regime, and were to do all they could to oppose, and discredit, Wakefield and his most trusted political ally - R. W. Halpin. Wakefield was to become the Radical candidate for the Liberal party in Wicklow, and was described in his obituary as a champion of local government in Ireland, but not quite a Home Ruler. In 1867 he wrote what could be described as a political manifesto cum autobiography, in which he describes his travels in the 1840s into some of the most isolated regions of Ireland, his impressions of Daniel O'Connell, whom he heard speak before a monster rally at Tara in 1843, and his proposals for the reformation of administrative governance in Ireland. His book was written to inform public opinion in the United Kingdom of the ongoing injustices in Ireland, and to propose a number of workable solutions. The reasons for my great great grandfather's affection for him can be gleaned from the following passages of Wakefield's manifesto:
My opinion and my testimony are valuable, because my prejudices are directly contrary to the convictions I have been forced deliberately to entertain. I go with the tenants and with the Roman Catholics because my conscience tells me they have right on their side, and because I see, as any unprejudiced Englishman must see if he has lived in Ireland, and sought out the truth as I have done, that the people and the priests have been wrongfully used. Far greater and far more eloquent men than myself have discussed Irish questions, but splendid advocates like Mr. Butt and Mr. Bright are practically unacquainted with the effect produced by the years of misrule amongst Irish tenantry, popular as both these gentlemen are in Ireland; and Lord Dufferin can only see the faults in the Church management, and ignores the defects of Irish landlords; clever and well-meaning as he is, he cannot see why a landlord should not exercise the right of doing precisely as he likes with his own.
...I claim therefore to be the first unprejudiced, well-informed "Saxon" who has studied the Irish questions, and given the pros and cons without humbug, and to have laid bare many things studiously concealed, or not previously known.
...Let [my readers] remember that Ireland is not England, but an island held as a conquered country for generations, where all attempts at trade were crushed at their first development, lest they should affect the reign of England's commerce.
...Pray remember the Abyssinians reject beads and brass buttons and prefer dollars, and that money and money's worth are appreciated even amongst those outer barbarians - the Munster and Connaught peasantry - who are every day leaving the chance of starvation and a bit of land for plenty elsewhere, and who, as railways, education, and civilization are introduced, will become more desirous to be independent and well fed.
Lastly, I beg [my supporters] to assist me in encouraging the present Government in their crusade both against the Fenian conspiracy and the intemperate exhibition of Orange bigotry in the north, and in causing every inhabitant of these islands to understand that matters will be henceforward so managed that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland shall have no ill-fitting joint in its armour through which any insidious foe can smite.]
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The Wicklow Newsletter, December 15th 1866.
Part 1.
The Future Of Wicklow.
To the Editor of the Wicklow Newsletter.
Sir - During the last days of one of the most remarkable years which the present generation has witnessed, it is well to take stock of our town, and to see what has happened to increase or diminish our prosperity, and to make us hopeful or despondent for the future.
Of the great struggle in Europe, and of the agitation in America, we have felt nothing; and though we must, as inhabitants of Ireland, be aware that Fenianism exists, no voice in our town has asked for protection, and were the loyal inhabitants called on tomorrow, we could show a numerical front of Protestants and Catholics calculated to win approval even from the Times. The Cattle Plague [outbreaks were reported at the beginning of the year] has providently spared us, in common with the rest of Ireland.
The Cholera, which has proved so fatal to our neighbours, has just let us know how its terrors could be felt by taking one of our best townsmen, and a few of those whom illness of some kind so frequently destroys in the first days of winter; but the disease has been encountered wisely and well, and its stay has been short, its ravages few.
Of the terrible commercial crisis which shook the credit of England, and has impoverished thousands who thought themselves beyond the reach of fate, Wicklow has felt little. The National Bank stood firm, and the only relative concern we have felt is for the collapse of the Chairman of our Railway, Mr. Dargan. Grieved as we are for the misfortune to a man who has everyone for his friend, we still believe that the dynasty which will succeed him may see matters according to newer lights. To concentrate all the traffic upon Bray, as a second Brighton, to make Kingstown the only shipping port, so as to bring empty carriages over all but twelve miles of the important Dublin, Wicklow, and Wexford line, while the mineral traffic which ran past Wicklow was carried at half-price - all these are errors in judgement not likely to be continued by those who do not have heavy house investments in Bray, and who do not want to show even at a loss an increasing mileage of mineral traffic. We are soon to be connected with Carlow and Waterford; and there is good hope that, either by Government supervision, or by general amalgamation, the whole railway system of Ireland may be joined, when increased speed, efficiency, and cheapness, may be looked for.
Wicklow has been visited by many this season, who have been struck with the beauty of the situation as a summer retreat, and the facilities the port presents for trade. Whatever the natural advantages we enjoy, however kindly Providence has spared us from afflictions others have sustained, to prove worthy of these blessings we must look for future progress to our own endeavours. Some weeks since, you printed a speech of Mr. Rooke's given at the dinner to Captain Halpin, in which the necessity of united action for the public good was inculcated. Any one who attended the late meetings on the sanitary state of the town must have been struck with the improved feeling exhibited by everyone. In every little town there is certain to be suspicion of the motives of everyone, intolerance of opposition, and also want of business attention to details. While we feel gratitude for the perils we have escaped, I hope we shall all lay aside personal feelings, and join together even at some sacrifice of prejudice and pocket, for the public good. In a Town like Wicklow no interest can be benefited without everyone participating. Unfortunately, though we possess a harbour splendidly situated for trade, the sacrifices we have made of our whole available property are at present useless, for the Government plans have resulted in failure. We must take all the Harbour Dues to save the harbour, and to keep and increase the extra business coming to our port. To increase these funds the Wicklow shipowners must show their willingness to give up some of the exclusive privileges they now enjoy.
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Part 2.
The great advantage we have over other towns is our splendid health-giving Murrough. We must not let it become a dirty cart-track, but have a decent drive, while the elastic turf promenade is kept well fenced in for ladies and children. Then we must remember that though in another year the Commissioners will have a fine income, they have none now. We call upon them to clear away nuisances, to save us from disease, to give up Harbour Dues, and to improve the Murrough, and then we call out: "No taxation!" Now, Sir, this won't do. We have all but escaped disease in Wicklow, and we shall escape the 3s 6d in the pound a neighbouring town will have to pay; but this year, you and I and all of us must put our hands in our pockets and thank God we are so well off. As we pay, however, we will consider that the excellent line taken by Mr. Chapman, in regard to coupling our parish with Glanealy and Newcastle, may save us something in future in our poor-rates, and we will tell him to appoint a ''Finance Committee'' at once from the corporate body of Wicklow. A committee of this kind would see that the rents were duly got in at the proper time, and that the debts were duly paid. The best of us is all the better for a little looking after, and accounts were never overhauled yet without good result.
If we can write that "After 1866 Wicklow Harbour improved, owing to the abandonment of privileges by its shipowners, and the dedication of all dues to that object; that the Murrough was rendered all that it was capable of being made, by the efforts of its inhabitants; that the Commissioners became remarkable by their readiness to sacrifice personal interest, and (accepting the voluntary tax offered by the townsmen to pay the expenses incident upon warding off disease, and other matters), appointed a 'Finance Committee' who were enabled to effect great results by their attention to their duties.'' If we can write this of 1866 we may, indeed, call it a ''wonderful year.''
I am, Sir, yours &c., "Hopeful.''
[I have tried to figure out who ''Hopeful'' might have been by comparing the style of his letter with other letters sent to the Editor of the WNL, and by inference based on the contents of the letter itself, but have had no success. From what I have read of Wakefield's letters, it lacks his forceful positivity. From what I have read of my ancestor's writings, it lacks the humility of someone of his class and background, and displays a presumption that he - as Secretary to the Board of Guardians - would have been unlikely to demonstrate in so public a way. But the letter encapsulates everything both men stood for, which leads me to believe it was written by them. It would not be the first time they spoke in unison, and it would not be the last.]
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, December 22nd 1866.
Wicklow District Relief Committee.
At a meeting of the Wicklow District Relief Committee held this day (Friday), Captain Wynne in the chair, other members present:- Rev. H. Rooke, Rev. M. Sullivan, Francis Wakefield, Esq., Dr. H. Banks, Dr. W. Nolan jun., Messrs Hayden, O'Brien, W. J. Nolan, and R. [W.] Halpin.
The shortness of the notice given occasioned the absence of many influential persons, who, otherwise, would have attended to support a movement of such general interest, the following resolutions were agreed to.
Resolved - That Dr. Banks be appointed Hon. Secretary.
Proposed by Mr. Hayden and seconded by Dr. W. Nolan jun., and Resolved that it appears to this meeting, that the relief given be continued for the present to assist in aiding the amount allowed by the Poor Law Guardians, and that Dr. Banks, Dr. Andrew Nolan, Dr. W. Nolan jun., and Dr. Halpin send written orders to the Committee in every case of destitution.
Proposed by Mr. R. Halpin, and seconded by Francis Wakefield, Esq., and Resolved that six tons of coal be distributed amongst the poor of Wicklow before Christmas - in accordance with the above resolution.
Resolved - That Dr. Banks take the Irishtown district; Dr. W. Nolan jun., the Murrough; Dr. A. Nolan, Main Street and Abbey Street; Dr. Halpin, back of the town and Crossroads.
Proposed by Rev. M. Sullivan, and seconded by Dr. Banks, that in consequence of the amount of destitution in the town of Wicklow, a public meeting of the Gentry, Clergy, Merchants, &c., &c., be called with a view to open a subscription list to alleviate the present distress, and that the Committee meet again on the 27th inst., at 7 o'clock pm, for the purpose of fixing the day of meeting.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, February 24th 1866.
On Monday morning a marine named Lambert was flogged on board the Royal George at Kingstown, for striking his superior officer. The full number of lashes ordered by the Court Martial, four dozen, were given, and the shrieks of the unfortunate man were distinctly heard at the Railway Terminus. If discipline were not vigorously maintained the service could not be properly carried on; still, it is most revolting that there should be such a mode of punishment. Some other, less repugnant and as efficacious, might surely be devised. Incorrigible youths and treason-plotters should only be subject to the lash, and even then to a far smaller extent than four dozen.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 10th 1866.
Postal Arrangements In Wicklow.
We beg to inform the inhabitants of Wicklow and vicinity, that a Memorial lies at our Office for signature, praying the Postmaster-General to cause some change in our present Postal Arrangements, so that replies to letters received at 11 o'clock am may be posted on same day, and forwarded in time for delivery in Dublin or for transmission by the English Mail Steamers, instead of remaining as now twenty-one hours in the post office, a serious inconvenience to all, but especially to our mercantile community.
Wicklow Town Commissioners.
At the monthly meeting of the Wicklow Town Commissioners, held in the Courthouse, Wicklow, on Monday last - Mr. O'Brien took the Chair. Mr. Halpin, the Secretary, gave a lengthened history of the circumstances under which the various plots of ground for building, on the Commissioners' property in this town, were taken. This was done in pursuance of a resolution moved some months since by Dr. A. Nolan, with a view to ascertain how far the holders of building plots had fulfilled their agreement with the Commissioners. Its further consideration is postponed to next meeting. A very noteworthy movement also stands for consideration in the providing of a suitable depot for storing the timber which usually blocks up the South Quay, by giving room for it on the North Quay. Some matters of routine were also disposed of.
Court Of Chancery - Wednesday, Feb. 7.
Wakefield v. Deane.
This was a petition filed to compel specific performance of an accepted proposal for a lease of part of the lands of Rogerstown, situate near Raheny, in the county of Dublin, for three lives, or eight years, and prayed for a reference to the Master if necessary. It appeared that the petitioner was seized of the lands in question, with a power to grant leases for three lives or eight years; and on the 4th of September 1858, the respondent sent to the petitioner a written proposal to take 100 acres of the land, at a rent of £3 an acre for three lives or eight years, the lands to be managed in a proper husbandlike manner, and to be properly laid down in grass before the termination of the tenancy. This proposal the petitioner accepted, and sent back to the respondent, and in pursuance of the contract possession of the land was delivered up to the respondent, who has ever since held them, and paid the rent for them, but he never executed the lease, although frequently required to do so, and, as the petitioner alleged, has allowed the outbuildings to go to ruin, and has used the lands in an unhusbandlike manner, taking several successive crops of corn off same, and in order to compel him to execute his contract, and to take out a lease, the present petition was filed. The respondent insisted that after such a lapse of time he ought not to be required to take out a lease, and he denied that he had managed the premises in an improper manner.
Messrs Brereton, QC, Hemphill, QC, and O'Driscoll were for the petitioner. Messrs Warren, QC, Chatterton, QC, and Romney Foley were for the respondent. After some discussion the case was sent into the Master's office, in order that inquiries might be made as to the state of the lands and the manner in which they had been treated. Under these circumstances, the respondent agreed to pay a certain sum equivalent to £4 per acre on the land not properly laid down, and all costs.
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 17th 1866.
Tenant Right.
To the Editor of the Wicklow Newsletter.
Sir - I was the plaintiff in the case of Wakefield v Deane, and I am happy to say that the defendant being convinced his sub-tenants had not properly laid down the land, has arranged with me without further litigation, and the principle of a tenant being compelled to do justice to his land is established. Since I have resided in Ireland, I have been convinced that the question of tenant right must be satisfactorily settled before the country can become prosperous and peaceable. I see continually instances of landlords being oppressive and unjust, and tenants dishonest and averse to farm their holdings in a proper manner. In discussing the question, the landlords as a body regard with aversion any interference with what they call their property, and the tenants insist on being fully paid for all improvements. Each party says all the advantages of increased value, from whatever cause, should belong to him.
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Part 2.
Now, it appears to me that a compromise would meet the case, and I see such is suggested in an English paper. At the end of a term, let the tenant, who has been paying say 30s per acre, and considers the land worth 40s per acre, be entitled to a new lease for twenty-one years at 35s per acre, or half the increased value. If the landlord refuses this, believing it is worth 50s per acre, then let the tenant be entitled to 10 years' purchase of half such increased value. Thus, in a case where the landlord valued the land which had been 30s per acre at 50s per acre, he would have to pay the tenant ten times 10s, or £5 per acre.
Were this kind of partnership established between landlord and tenant, we should see a more kindly feeling existing, and far better cultivation of farms. I may add, that some agents of large proprietors in England told me they generally adopted this view in making new leases, ie., they added about half the extreme improvement in value, unless the landlord had produced it by building offices, &c. Surely this is better than having tenants taking the most out of their lands just before a lease falls in, and selling all hay, straw, and turnips for years previously.
I am, Sir, &c., Francis Wakefield.
Wicklow, 9th February, 1866.
PS - It must be recollected that a landlord can eject any tenant who owes a year's rent even if he has a lease, and he can afterwards sue for the amount due. He can protect his land by covenants against selling hay, straw and turnips, or taking two corn crops in two successive years. In general, such covenants are for the true interests of both parties, but on the other hand when a tenant had no lease I would make it incumbent on the landlord to pay all the County Cess, as it is unfair to make a man who may be sent away in six months pay for new roads and bridges, and I would not in yearly tenantry let a claim for rent take precedence over other debts. - F.W.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, February 10, 1866.
Important Meeting Of Magistrates At Rathdrum.
(From Our Own Reporter).
Rathdrum, Tuesday, February 6.
A meeting of the Magistrates of the County of Wicklow was held this day in the Coffee Room of the Fitzwilliam Hotel, at Rathdrum, for the purpose of taking into consideration the present disturbed state of the country, and of adopting measures to secure to the County of Wicklow the protection of the Peace Preservation Act.
The following Magistrates were present:- Colonel Edward Symes Bayly, Vice-Lieutenant; Captain, The Hon. William Proby, High Sheriff, William Kemmis, W. Wainright Braddell, George Hudson, John J. Byrne, John Ebbs, Henry Braddell, Andrew Wm. Byrne, Maj. R. A Gun Cunninghame, Charles Frizell, R. Howard Brooke, John F. Nuttall, William Charles Hume, Captain Dennis, William Courtenay, John Coates, Edward Barnes, Michael Fenton, Wm. Robert LaTouche, Charles M. West, Joseph Scott Moore, late High Sheriff of County Wicklow, George Booth, Robert Hudson, Captain Drought, William Magee, St. Vincent B. H. Whitshed, Col. Tighe, Charles Putland, Captain Truell, W. Patton, and W. S. Tracy, R.M.
On the motion of the Hon. Wm. Proby, seconded by Major Gun Cunninghame, the Chair was taken by
Colonel Edward S. Bayly, Vice-Lieutenant of the County of Wicklow.
Mr. Wm. Courtenay, JP, acted as hon. sec. to the meeting.
The object of the meeting having been stated, Mr. Putland proposed the following resolution:- "That inasmuch as the adjacent counties of Carlow and Dublin have been proclaimed, by which this county may become a receptacle for arms, it is proposed that the Peace Preservation Act be extended to this county.''
Capt. Truell seconded the resolution, which was adopted.
On the motion of the Hon. Mr. Proby, seconded by Mr. Dennis, the following resolution was unanimously adopted:- "That this meeting does not wish to separate without expressing its full concurrence in all the resolutions passed at meeting held at the Rotunda, Dublin, on the 1st inst., and only regret that on that occasion it was not suggested to the Government the expediency of proclaiming the whole of Ireland.''
A vote of thanks to Colonel Bayly terminated the proceedings.
The Cattle Plague.
At a subsequent period of the day the gentlemen who constituted the meeting above, assembled at the same place, and having at some length discussed the question of the Cattle Plague, signed the following resolution:-
To the Hon. William Proby, High Sheriff of the County of Wicklow.
Sir - We, the undersigned, present at a meeting held at Rathdrum this day, hereby request that you will, at Wicklow, on the occasion of the approaching assizes, or at such other time or place as you will think most fitting, convene a meeting to consider the steps necessary to be taken to receive the expression of the opinion of this county as to the best mode of action to adopt by precautionary measures against the introduction of the Cattle Plague into Ireland, and the best course to be pursued in case it should unfortunately appear in this country, and we would also suggest the propriety of convening the meeting as soon as possible.''
February 6, 1866.
The meeting then adjourned.
[A] meeting, in pursuance of the above requisition, to consider the rules passed by the Privy Council relative to the Cattle Plague, and which will be well worthy the attendance of all concerned in keeping cattle, will be held at the Courthouse, in this town, on the 13th inst., and though, happily, this scourge has not yet visited our country, it is necessary that proper precautions should be taken in case any symptoms of disease should appear, that it should, if possible, be prevented extending from the infected to the uninfected districts.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 17, 1866.
Editorial
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It is not consolatory to learn after the length of time since the rinderpest made its appearance in England, and the endeavours of our best veterinary surgeons to overcome it, that there is no certain cure, and that wherever it appears it must be stamped out - that is, all cattle attacked with it must be killed, and all communication prevented with infected places. The Government are urging a Bill through Parliament, giving power to local authorities to do these things in England, and a Bill, we are told, is in preparation for Ireland, probably to the same effect. It is well that the best regulations should be made, even to stamp it out since nothing better can be done; but there remains to be considered the question of remuneration. In the English Bill it is proposed to give compensation to the extent of two-thirds the value of a diseased beast, compulsorily killed, but in no case to exceed £12; and, for a sound one, three-fourths the value, but not to exceed, in any case, £25. Two-thirds of the sum granted as compensation is to be drawn from the county or borough rates, and the remaining third from a rate charged on all cattle above a year old, but not to exceed five shillings per head. As far as regards the last third it is fair enough, but we do not see why county county or borough rates should be saddled with any part of such a fund. Consumers who suffer a degree now and will suffer far more when the supply of beef begins to fall off, and the price consequently to rise, would be taxed in this way to provide an insurance fund for the owners of cattle. If the Plague be regarded as a national calamity, compensation should be drawn from the Consolidated Fund, but if not we cannot see any reason why the owners of cattle should not be their own insurers. Of late years large profits have been made by rearing and fattening cattle; while in Ireland farms have been consolidated for the purpose; and it would be more or less unjust to ask any other class to bear part of any loss that may arise, should the Plague unhappily extend its ravages here. Nothing could be more UNJUST than to pay such compensation out of the Poor-rate, while nothing could be more equitable than to levy a rate for the purpose upon all cattle. It would be quite as easy to do this - indeed easier - than to levy the dog-tax and the same amount per head, two shillings and sixpence, would provide a fund probably large enough. Numbers of pigs have died, of late years, of a disease quite as mysterious as the cattle plague, but nobody ever thought of compensating the owners, because, perhaps, they were in most cases poor and could not make a loud enough outcry. It will require, however, the force of an Act of Parliament to compel owners of cattle to make this plain provision against the loss that now threatens them; and which, without it, would bring certain ruin to many of their class. Meantime, might it not be well to pay less attention to cattle and more to crops?
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 24th 1866.
Cattle Plague - County Meeting.
To The Editor Of The Wicklow Newsletter.
Sir - I read with great satisfaction your very able remarks in your last publication, on the question of compensation to owners of cattle that may be compulsorily killed in the event of the Cattle Plague breaking out in Ireland, and I hope the meeting, to be held on Saturday, will adopt your view. It is exactly the same principle as that of Insurance Companies. The owners of numbers of houses pay premiums against fire, which enable the Insurance Company to pay their losses in individual instances. In like manner, the owners of cattle should provide a fund, out of which individual losses could be made good. But they will not do this of themselves, and the action of the Government is necessary to make a general levy. This might be done by installments, say of one shilling per head at a time. The first to be made on the appearance of the plague. Although I would fain hope there may be no necessity for it, it is right to be prepared on all points, especially on this.
I am, Sir, your Obedient Servant, A Constant Reader, February 21st, 1866.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 24th 1866.
The Cattle Plague.
At a meeting of the Board of Guardians of the North Dublin Union held on the 14th inst., the following resolutions were unanimously adopted.
"Resolved - That a committee be formed to aid her Majesty's Government in carrying into effect the order of Council mentioned in the letter of the Poor Law Commission of the 30th January, 1866, or any other order the Executive may deem it prudent to enact for the prevention of the spread of the rinderpest.''
In reply to the communications from some Boards of Guardians in Ireland, relative to compensation to be paid to parties who may lose their cattle should the rinderpest unfortunately come into the country:
''Resolved - That, whatever means may be devised for remunerating persons who may lose by the cattle plague, we feel constrained to express our decided conviction that the amount required for payment of such losses should not be placed upon the poor rates, which were originally established simply and exclusively for the relief of the destitute poor; and we believe that the true principle of action should be a compulsory registration or insurance for compensating the owners of cattle slaughtered to prevent the spread of the rinderpest, and that the Government should at once advance the sum necessary for such compensation as a loan, to be secured by such fund; and that the chairman, with such members of the board as can attend, do wait upon the Royal Agricultural Society to lay their views before that body; also that copies of this resolution be forwarded to our representatives for the county and city of Dublin, and to the Chief Secretary for Ireland.''
A meeting of the members of the county Wexford Stock Improvement Society, and of others interested in preventing the introduction of the Cattle Plague into Ireland, was held on Wednesday, in the Market House, Enniscorthy. The following resolution was moved by Major Alcock, seconded by Captain White, and agreed to:- "That our county and borough members be requested to press upon the Government the urgent necessity of preventing drovers or other persons accompanying cattle to the English markets, in the event of such restriction not being already included in the bill for the prevention of Cattle Plague of the Attorney General of Ireland.''
[In June 1916, along with dozens of other Easter rebels, William Robert Halpin, grandson of Robert Wellington Halpin, Wicklow's Town Secretary, was crammed into the hold of a cattle boat and transported from Dublin's North Wall to Knutsford Prison in England, from where he was transferred again by rail to internment in Frongoch, Wales. He remained in internment for around seven months. The cattle boats were open to the elements and crossed the channel at night. By the time they docked in England the men, with only enough room to stand upright, were covered in each other's vomit.]
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The Wicklow Newsletter, February 17 1866.
Meeting of the Carlow Town Commissioners.
Protest against levying a Rate to compensate Cattle Owners.
Mr. Bolger, in proposing the first resolution, said he considered it would be monstrous to tax the people in the manner proposed by several Poor Law boards to levy the poor rate to raise a fund to compensate stockowners for the loss of their cattle, should the rinderpest break out in this country. He looked upon graziers as ordinary traders who were in a position themselves to guard against the injuries by which they were threatened. Merchants and manufacturers, after investing their money, usually insured their property, and if they failed to do so they should themselves suffer the loss, in the event of its being destroyed by fire. They were already too heavily taxed - the poor rate being the severest tax of all, owing to the numbers of poor persons sent in from the rural districts to the towns, where they usually became permanent burdens upon the rates. He thought they should strongly protest against the proposed rating, and he would therefore propose the following resolution:-
''Resolved - That we have read with considerable surprise the resolutions of the guardians of the poor of the Oldcastle Union, and the resolutions of other Poor Law guardians and agricultural committees, recommending a rate in aid, to be levied on the general valuation to compensate the graziers and owners of cattle for loss by the rinderpest, should such a calamity visit this country; and we take this opportunity of expressing our determination to oppose, with every means within our power, any scheme in connexion therewith calculated to raise the taxation on any property situate within the municipal boundary of any township or borough, and more particularly the borough of Carlow.
Mr Graham seconded the resolution, which was carried by a majority of ten to one.
In the course of a further discussion, the several speakers appeared to think that they were in no way interested in the matter, and consequently should not be called upon to contribute to any fund for the purpose for compensating stock owners for any losses they might sustain by the cattle plague, which some members of the board regarded as a visitation from God for converting so much of the land into pasture. The following other resolutions were passed:-
Proposed by Mr. Tracey, and seconded by Mr. McDonnell - "Resolved - That we consider it due to the ratepayers of the borough to use every means within our reach to protect them from taxation, and that a suitable memorial upon this subject be numerously signed and forwarded to the Home Secretary, praying him not to sanction any mode of compensation to the owners of stock, whereby the struggling householders and shopkeepers, already overburdened by taxation, should suffer to the amount of one farthing; and that our borough member be requested to present same.''
A third resolution protested against the present mode of Poor Law rating as ''unsatisfactory and unjust, by which facilities have been given for the extermination of the poor from country districts'' into towns and villages, and praying for a general union rating, as more calculated to ''give satisfaction to the majority of all classes in this country.''
A fourth resolution directed that copies of the resolutions passed should be printed and forwarded to the several boroughs and townships in Ireland, seeking the co-operation of the various boards in bringing these matters before Parliament.
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The Irish Poor Law (1838) created a nationwide system of poor relief financed by poor rates paid, in large part, by Irish landowners. There was not, as in England, a legal right to relief. Instead relief, provided within the workhouse, was granted at the discretion of local poor law guardians, with preference being given to the aged, the sick and disabled, and children. The guardians operated under the direction and control of the Poor Law Commission. The country was divided into 130 unions, with a workhouse in each, and 2,049 electoral divisions. Boards of guardians were composed of elected guardians chosen by those paying poor rates, and local magistrates sitting ex officio. In the post famine period the scope of the system was substantially extended. From 1851 the poor rate supported not only the workhouse system but also a network of dispensary stations staffed by qualified medical officers. Poor law boards also became responsible for administering and enforcing the growing body of sanitary and other public health-related legislation, and their role in local government now rivalled that of grand juries.
Notwithstanding the increasing influence of Catholic and nationalist representatives in its administration, especially after the Local Government Act of 1898, the poor law remained an unpopular form of welfare. The first Dail declared its intention of abolishing 'the present odious, degrading and foreign poor-law system' and replacing it with a 'sympathetic native scheme.' Boards of Guardians were formally abolished in 1925, and replaced by county boards of health and public assistance, empowered to grant outdoor relief to all needy persons. However, the anxiety of the new local authorities to limit expenditure prevented the needy from deriving any significant benefit from the changeover.
- extract from ''Poor Law'', by Virginia Crossman, Oxford Companion To Irish History, Ed. by S. J. Connolly, OUP (2007).
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The Wicklow Newsletter, February 10th 1866.
Fenianism
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The Special Commission was brought to a close on Friday, 2nd inst., after a sitting prolonged over a period of two months, which must have seriously taxed the energies of the learned judges who presided, and of the counsel who were engaged in the prosecution of the Fenian prisoners. The Attorney General informed the Court that he had decided on not bringing forward any more cases at that Commission, feeling that it would not be right to prolong any further the arduous duties which had been imposed upon their lordships, the jurors, and every one engaged at the Commission. The Court had been sitting, without intermission, from the 27th of November until the present time. During that period 41 cases were tried, 36 persons had been convicted, five acquitted, and there had been one disagreement. With the results of these trials the Attorney General expressed himself perfectly satisfied, and he stated, for the information of the public, that all the persons connected with the Irish People newspaper, and every person who appeared to be a leader had, with the exception of one or two who had fled the country, been made amenable to justice. With respect to the mere rank and file the Court had no desire to pursue them if they were disposed to return to their allegiance. The learned gentleman having expressed his thanks to the High Sheriff and Sub Sheriff, and to the juries for the manner in which they had discharged their duties, announced that the Commission had closed. Mr. Justice Keogh congratulated the Grand Jury on the close of their arduous labours, and complimented them highly on the judgement and ability which they had displayed. His lordship said it was due to the petty juries to say that in the two instances in which they disagreed, the facts were such as to justify men in arriving at opposite conclusions, and the verdicts of acquittal which were pronounced met the entire approval of the Court. His lordship eulogized in the highest terms the manner in which the cases were conducted by the law officers and counsel for the Crown; he also bestowed high praise on the counsel for the prisoners, especially the distinguished advocate who led for the defence, and having expressed his concurrence, in the observations made by the Attorney General respecting the courtesy and attention to their duty of the High Sheriff and his Deputy, Judge Keogh proceeded in eloquent and impressive language to speak of the dark side of the picture. He could not think without the deepest pain even upon those criminal and wicked men which were now reaping the conduct of their misdeeds. They had brought upon themselves and their families the most terrible punishment and ruin. They had frustrated the best hopes and paralyzed the energies of the country. He warned those in every part of the country who had more or less connected themselves with this conspiracy, that the authorities were, to a greater extent than they imagined, in possession of their most secret acts, and he admonished them, while there was yet time, to disconnect themselves from this foul conspiracy, and to seek in the pursuit of peaceful industry the clemency and protection of the Executive. In conclusion, the learned Judge prayed that it might be within the inscrutable designs of Providence to restore the good old nature of our fellow countrymen, to mould their minds to the ways of moderation and of justice, so that peace with its abundant harvest of industry and plenty, might preside over the land. The conclusion of the learned Judge's address elicited a loud burst of applause. Mr. Justice Fitzgerald said a few words in recognition of the admirable manner in which the juries had acted, and observed that their decisions were of inestimable value, as amounting collectively to the verdict of the intelligence of the country against this wicked, disastrous, and insane conspiracy. The High Sheriff, Mr. Boyce, and the foreman of the Grand Jury, Mr. Casson, briefly acknowledged the flattering manner in which their services had been recognized, and the proceedings terminated. We have only to add our tribute of admiration for the efficient and impartial discharge of their responsible duties by the distinguished judges who preside over the Commission with such signal ability and propriety. The unwearied patience, the unruffled temper, and the judicial dignity which they displayed throughout the whole course of these protracted trials could not possibly have been excelled. - Saunder's News-Letter.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 10th 1866.
Summary of News.
Tyrone - For some time past serious symptoms of the advancement of the Fenian organization in isolated portions of the county of Tyrone have been unmistakably manifested, and the more prudent of the Protestant population have taken precautionary measures to meet any sudden outbreak. However, none were prepared for individual assassination, such as was attempted on Sunday evening, the 4th. Just near the small village of Carnteel, about two miles distant from the town of Aughnacloy, a young man named Harvey was proceeding, about six o'clock in the evening, to a house some miles distant, when he came up with two young men on the road, one of whom asked Harvey if he were a Fenian. On his replying in the negative, his questioner said, ''I suppose you are a Protestant?'' On this being admitted, one of the two declared Ireland must be their own before long, and discharged a pistol right at Harvey's head, and in almost a moment after struck him on the face with it, knocking him down, when both ran away. The contents of the pistol appear to have been both bullet and shot, which tore away a large portion of the scalp, injuring the bone, and placing the poor fellow's life in the most imminent danger. He is now an inmate of the Aughnacloy hospital, and almost in a hopeless condition. Informations have been sworn before Edward Waller and William Scott, Esqrs. Warrants have been issued, and the sub-inspector, Mr. Harrell, is actively searching after the miscreants.
Fenians in Cork - On Sunday, about one o'clock in the afternoon, a man, on whose veracity implicit reliance might be placed, was coming into town from beyond the Commons. When passing through the passage, or borheen [a narrow, unpaved rural road] leading from the Commons to the Fair Field, he came suddenly upon between three and four hundred men drawn up along the lane four deep. Most of them had sticks in their hands, with which they seemed to be practicing military exercise under the instruction of an elderly man having the appearance and bearing of a pensioner. They were, almost without exception, a low, ragged, dirty set, evidently the scum and scouring of the back lanes of the city. There were, however, amongst them a few that appeared to be agricultural labourers, and several old men were also amongst the ranks. The man came right upon them before either party became aware of the presence of the other. The moment they saw him they adopted the old tactics, fell into confusion, a ball was thrown up, and in an instant they were all engaged in goaling. The man had not proceeded much further when he met two policemen, one of whom stated he passed about three hundred people goaling at the place where the man had first seen them drilling, and a little farther on he was accosted by a number of men coming from the city, who asked him if he knew where ''the meeting'' was to be held, but, suspecting the question to be a ''feeler,'' he replied he knew nothing about what they referred to. - Cork Constitution.
Limerick, Tuesday - There is no concealing the fact thaat the alarm which is felt in all quarters in respect to the Fenian movement has driven terror into every respectable homestead, the youngest member thereof, from the age of six years, talking, or rather lisping, nothing but apprehension, for in every circle it is the principal topic of conversation. This morning the ''table-talk'' at many a fireside turned upon the rumour of an arrest by a superior non-commissioned officer of the City of Limerick Militia Artilery of a sergeant and another of that corps, upon a charge of Fenianism. The name of the sergeant spoken of is Stenson, who keeps a public house in Thomodgate. As I have been informed, and upon the most reliable authority, the fact is, Stenson is not a member of the brotherhood, but that the now notoriously notable Colonel Byron, late of the Irish-American Volunteers, and who has funds ad libitum, resorted his house, with a lot of lads whose social position is questionable, and there held a levee under sanction of the proprietor, and that other members of the city militia staff were present, and countenanced what was going forward. The constable in Thomondgate Station is stated to be the one who formerly arrested this alleged colonel, and, of course, since his discharge by the authorities, owing to sufficient information not being at the time available - nor has anything since turned up to warrant his arrest - the police have been vigilantly watching his local movements. At the police court this morning the matter was the topic of conversation amongst the magistrates presiding; but the case did not come judicially before the bench, as the course adopted by the militia officer in command had been to reprimand the parties under his command for their imprudent conduct; and a statement of the whole facts in connection therewith will be forwarded to the proper authorities for instructions as to the course which will be pursued under the circumstances. On Sunday last Colonel Byron visited Bruff, and made many friends in a village where he was hitherto unknown.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 10th 1866.
Important Seizure of Ammunition Made Yesterday in Dublin - 1,700 rounds of Enfield rifle cartridges, powder and bullets complete; 1,200 rifle bullets; bores of cartridge-paper cut by machinery; numerous tundishes [in metal casting a tundish is a broad open container with holes in the bottom, used to feed molten lead into a mould to avoid splashing] and measures for powder; a powder flask, and three casks which had been emptied of the powder which they contained to make cartridges.
Further Seizure of Arms - Last Saturday a further seizure of arms was made in Dublin. Inspector Conyngham, Acting Inspector-Entwistle, and Constables Thomas Doyle and Laying, of the G Division, proceeded to the house, No. 15 Stafford Street, Dublin, occupied by Richard McKeown, cabinet-maker, to search for arms. In a large cellar under the shop, to which they got access by a ladder leading from a trapdoor, they found twelve basket-hilted swords, five rifles and bayonets, six pike-heads, some bullet moulds and lead for making bullets. The cellar seemed to have been used for the purpose of drilling. McKeown and his two apprentices, James Byrne and Arthur Rutledge, were arrested on the premises, and taken to Sackville Lane Station House. On Monday they were brought before the sitting magistrate charged with having in their possession four guns, three bayonets, six pike-heads, a dagger, a cane-sword, a bullet mould, a quantity of bullets, a tunic and shake belonging to the Tennessee Volunteers, and a large number of treasonable documents. Among the latter was a copy of the Fenian Times, a small printed sheet containing a passage to the effect that Fenianism is not crushed, and calling upon the people to ''prepare for the day of liberation.'' Immediately under the heading were the words ''100,000 copies gratis.'' His worship remanded the prisoners McKeown and Byrne. Arthur Rutledge was held to bail for his future good conduct. The prisoners were then removed in custody.
Seizure of Arms at Warrenpoint - On Tuesday, Mr. Nealon, port surveyor, seized two cases of arms on the arrival of the steam-packet from Liverpool. They were consigned to Banbridge, and included twenty rifles and bayonets, twenty-eight six-chamber revolvers, a number of bullet moulds, and a great quantity of ball cartridge.
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Wicklow's Town Clerk, Robert Wellington Halpin (1814 - 1883), was a Protestant and a nationalist. His grandson, William Robert Halpin (1885 - 1951), was a Captain in the Irish Citizen Army in August 1914, and a plater on Dublin's Quays. A few months ago a box containing his personal effects was found in an attic, and among his papers were letters from Patrick Pearse, the De Valeras and Dorothy Macardle, and a sheaf of notepaper containing a few pages of 'memoirs' that were evidently never revised. I have taken some details from the memoirs and, in a language close to his own, recreated an incident from William's days as a member of the ICA Army Council. The following passage is fairly self-explanatory, and - at a guess - describes activities that took place in August or September 1914, before Larkin left for America and Connolly assumed control of the Army. These details have never been made public before:
"My duties now began to increase as the demand for arms became more pressing. The Countess managed somehow to secure six Lee Enfield rifles and four Lee Mitford rifles along with a considerable amount of ammunition. ... I decided to increase our supply of Shot Guns without having to pay for them, and sent for my Squad - Paddy Daly, Des Carberry and Patrick Egan. I put the matter before them and told them to get busy at the Quays. They were to report any arrivals of weapons and shot. I also approached Kearns down at the LMS and explained what I was looking for. He assured me all would be well and I'd have something in a day or so.
The following Sunday, at about seven o'clock in the morning, Kearns called to my house. He told me he had removed a box of .45 semi-automatic pistols to a safe place the night before. They were easy enough to get to and the theft could be discovered if I didn't move fast. I promised him I would deal with the matter immediately. Putting his hand into his overcoat pocket he produced one of the pistols and said "They are all like this one.'' I nearly fell off my chair with excitement. I told him to meet me again at twelve o'clock at Liberty Hall, and assured him that by that time the firearms would be safe.
Taking the pistol I made my way to Croydon Park to see Jim Larkin, as he was living there at the time. He saw me at once and I told him the news. Because I had very little money on me at the time, Jim gave me £2 and said if any more was required I was to see him at Liberty Hall at twelve o'clock. I can tell you now that Larkin was the very first member of the Army to receive a gun of this make, and he afterwards took it with him to America.
Leaving Larkin, I returned home, changed my clothes, and set about retrieving the guns. I arrived at the goods yard and under a heap of straw and refuse found the box, exactly where I was told it would be. Taking care not to be seen, I began emptying it as quickly as I could. Judge my surprise when I found hidden beneath the guns packages of steel-nosed bullets, each containing fifty rounds. I had not expected this, and took a moment to gather my thoughts. With the guns alone I would struggle to make it out of the yard without being noticed, but I could not leave the ammunition behind. It might not be there when I got back. Collecting unknown reserves of strength, I gathered up what I could and staggered out of the yard back to the house. Luckily no one paid any attention to me, and before long I was burying the ordnance beneath ridges of loose clay in the workmen's cottage gardens. It took me six journeys in all to finish the job, as I could only take four guns and a little ammunition at a time. It was heavy stuff to carry.
As arranged, I met my friend Kearns again at Liberty Hall, and gave him £3, which I had great difficulty in making him take. He said to me "I'm doing this for Ireland. Not for personal gain.''
"Well'', I said, ''I'm a teetotaler, but I know you like a drink, and if you feel like I feel after what we've just done, you'll want one.'' "
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Part 1.
Re reply #109 in this thread, I said I'd locate the material referred to by Rev. Brownrigg in his objection to the building of an Alkali Works on the Murrough, and post it this week. That material, dated 30th September 1865, can be found below, along with a little more of the contemporary debate about the pros and cons of building the works.
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, March 19th, 1864.
Wicklow Fishery Protection Society.
There has been great destruction of Salmon in the Vartry by Poachers, in Winter, killing them on the spawning beds, taking the fry when coming down the river in Spring, with bag and foot nets, and in Summer by spear and gaff, when the water is low. For this reason it is proposed to form a ''Fishery Protection Society.'' Subscribers of £1 or more, to be members. Smaller donations thankfully received. A Water-Bailiff to be appointed. Rewards given for killing Otters, Herons, &c., and for the conviction of Poachers. The Police also to be called on for their assistance. Those parties who approve of this proposition, will please address Hugh Eccles, Esq., Rossana Cottages, Ashford; or James Nolan, Esq., Lietrim House, Wicklow.
Wicklow, 11th March, 1864.
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, August 26th 1865.
Correspondence
.
To The Editor Of The Wicklow Newsletter.
Sir - As a visitor, would you kindly inform me why those vast piles of timber are allowed to remain lying on the Quay of Wicklow, some of them apparently for years, and completely monopolizing the frontage of the River, rendering some of the best portions of the Quay useless. The only construction I can put upon it is that the ''Wood'' must be of great value (perhaps used for medicinal purposes) and that, consequently, the owner can afford to pay a very large rent for the ground, which, I suppose, satisfies the authorities for the inconvenience. I would not trespass upon you, but, having an object in view, I would be glad if you could inform me, in your next publication, what the rent of the Quay, with the exclusive use of the frontage, is, per foot, per diem, after the timber, ore, or other matters, lie there a reasonable time, and oblige yours truly,
Alkali.
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, September 23 1865.
To The Editor of the Wicklow Newsletter
:
Sir - As the manufacture of Alkali, &c., which is about to be carried on near this town, naturally excites some apprehension on the part of many, as to its effects upon health and vegetation, I beg of you to kindly insert the enclosed letter (bearing on the subject) which appeared in the London Times of 13th inst., and I have no doubt that the fears of many of your readers will be allayed in perusing it.
I am your obedient servant, J. Kennedy, Wicklow, September 19th 1865.
Copper Smoke.
To the Editor of the Times.
Sir - I hope you will allow me a small space in your powerful journal, first to thank Lord Derby for his exertions by which the vapours from the alkali works are, I may say, wholly destroyed; secondly, to thank Mr. H. Hussey Vivian, MP, for his exertions in abating the nuisance of the copper smoke, and also, I hope, the vapours from the smelter smoke. I hope all the other smelters will heartily join him to attain this desirable object; and should they not, I hope his Lordship will move in this matter as he did in the alkali case.
I am informed there is a gentleman in this neighbourhood who has obtained a patent whereby the copper can be returned from the ore without any smoke, at the same time rendering the refuse fit for the iron furnaces, and worth about 12s per ton for iron.
I hope this will meet the eyes of capitalists who will embark in the trade; a sufficient margin can be shown for profit, and they will confer a great boon on the inhabitants of this place, who I may say, live almost their whole life in a cloud of smoke, mud, or dust. I have no doubt that if an iron furnace were erected in connexion with the copper works, it would answer the most sanguine expectations. I am also informed that in addition to the sulphuric acid which would be obtained in the process, small works where detecting chambers are provided can return 10 or 12 tons per week of arsenic, which otherwise would be carried with the wind and dropped on adjoining land.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant - An Old Copper Smelter, Swansea, Sept., 9.
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Part 2.
The Wicklow Newsletter, September 30th, 1865.
Correspondence.
To The Editor of the Wicklow Newsletter.
Sir - A Correspondent has sent you a letter from the Times relative to the Alkali Works. I now enclose another to show how destructive the fumes from such works may be, and which also incidentally proves Alkali Works to be more pernicious than Copper Works, or they would not have been the first to be regulated by Act of Parliament. Lord Derby's Bill would be, no doubt (if possible to carry it into effect) of great service in particularly abating the nuisance but when we see the great facility with which the laws are evaded, which profess to compel railways to burn coke, and manufacturer to consume their own smoke, one cannot hope that the Alkali Regulation Act will be enforced. The great works set up near Newton, in Lancashire, by the Messrs Merspratt, at an enormous expense, were, I believe, taken down; the costs of the lawsuits with Sir John Gerard and others being found too ruinous to fight against. Now I think every person residing within a certain distance of the projected works should serve notice upon the projectors, that they will seek for damages. It may not be too late to stop a scheme which will, if carried out, be more injurious to the Town of Wicklow, than people, not conversant with such matters, can be aware of.
There is another subject of a somewhat similar nature to which I may take this opportunity to bring before the notice of the inhabitants of Wicklow viz, the attempt now being made to [open a mine near] Ashford. Should it succeed, [its pollutants] must flow into the Vartry, [poisoning the reservoir] and destroying all the fishing in the lough and at the mouth of the river, as it did at Arklow. Had the proprietors of the land and the fisheries in the Vale of Ovoca, taken the matter up in time, the miners could have been compelled to dispose of their poison in some other manner, at whatever cost.
I am, Sir, only A Neighbour. September 28th, 1865.
To The Editor Of The Times.
Sir - I see that your columns are open to some communications on the subject of copper smoke; I venture to hope that you will afford room for a few lines from one who can prove the immensity of the evil caused by that smoke. I lately sat upon a committee for the new assessment of tenements to poor and county rates in Glamorganshire; the valuation of hundreds of acres in the neighbourhood of Swansea had to be reduced by one half, as young stock cannot be reared at all, and cows and horses kept upon the grass soon die of salivation. I reside seven miles from any copper works. Even at that distance the smoke reaches me; and, finding that a large wood of 400 acres was pining, I sent specimens of it to one of the most eminent analytical chemists in London. The reply was that ''the specimens gave sulphuric acid and recognizable quantities of arsenic.'' I calculate that the surface of more than 20,000 acres of land in the neighbourhood of Swansea and Neath is now undergoing a gradual process of destruction from copper smoke; and this, that about half-a-dozen gentlemen - for the trade is in very few hands - may make enormous profits at the cost of their neighbours. It is well known that for 35 years not an effort has been made on the part of the copper smelters to mitigate the evil, and every invention calculated to afford such a result when offered to them has been rejected. The state of the law, also, which makes it incumbent upon a plaintiff to fix the damage upon some particular work when an action is brought, has hitherto protected them. It has just been announced by the owner of one of our leading copper smelters - the only one, I think, possessing landed property of any importance in the county of Glamorgan - that he has discovered and adopted a method of smelting by which more than two-thirds of the poisonous vapours are caught and even rendered profitable. I trust therefore, that Parliament will now interfere and take the matter up, as they did in the case of alkali works, and thus save the estates of your humble servant and others from gradual but certain destruction.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, N. Edwards Vaughan, Rheola, Vale of Neath, September 6.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, October 7th, 1865.
Correspondence.
Chemical and Smelting Works.
To the Editor of the Wicklow Newsletter:
Sir - Had "A Neighbour'' been better informed on the subject of his letter, in your last impression, he would have hesitated before, if not altogether refrained from, rushing into print regarding some matters on which it is evident he wants some enlightenment. He states that ''Lord Derby's Bill would be, no doubt (if possible to carry it into effect), of great service in partially abating the nuisance; but when we see the great facility with which the laws are evaded, which profess to compel railways to burn coke, and manufacturers to consume their own smoke, one cannot hope that the Alkali Regulation Act will be enforced.''
It is a trite saying, but not the less true that ''one fact is worth a thousand arguments,'' and if ''A Neighbour'' will refer to the fourth section of that Act he will find that ''Every Alkali work shall be carried on in such a manner as to secure the condensation to the satisfaction of the Inspector, derived from his own examination, of not less than 95% of the muriatic acid evolved, under a penalty of, in the first conviction, not exceeding £50; and of every offence after, not exceeding £100.''
So much for the provisions; now for the results of the Act. Let him, therefore, further refer to the ''First Annual Report by the Government Inspector, Dr. Angus Smith, of the proceedings under the Act, during the year 1864,'' and he will find that ''the actual condensation, per cent., was 98.72; the average escape of acid, 1.28% over the whole of the United Kingdom... That there was no conviction under the Act; no obstruction on the part of the Manufacturers;'' but on the contrary - that while it was believed that it would take two or three years to bring every work to a compliance with the demands of the Act, it was gratifying to be able to say that ''this result had been brought about in the first year, and no less pleasing to add that the success in many cases had been more complete than had been anticipated.'' Besides, Lord Derby, when commenting on that report in the House of Lords, on the 22nd of May last, declared that the facts therein detailed were ''remarkable and satisfactory'', and the result ''gratifying.''
From these facts, therefore, it must be obvious to anyone that ''A Neighbour'' has been somewhat hasty in his assumptions as to the inefficacy of the Act. But, if further proof is necessary, the projectors of the Works in question have the permission of Dr. Smith, as well as of Dr. Percy, Lecturer on Metallurgy, at the Royal School of Mines - the best authorities on the subject in the kingdom - for stating that by the patent processes which are to be adopted, ''the nuisance can be wholly suppressed.'' In fact, the sulphurous acid gas, instead of being evolved as at Swansea, will be too valuable to throw away; instead it will be fully utilized.
As to railways being compelled to burn coke, it will be found that there is no law to make them do so. They, or any manufacturer, not consuming their own smoke, are accruing unnecessary losses; they could avoid this by very simple arrangements, and be large gainers by the improvement.
As to the Vartry being poisoned by any trifling driblet which may flow into it from the Mine referred to, it is very doubtful; the true cause of the scantiness of fish in the lough and the river is the conversion of the harbour into an open cesspool for the sewage of the town and the vessels frequenting it. Proper sanitary arrangements might in a great degree obviate this also.
It is very disheartening to find that in the present advanced stage of the world's civilization and enlightenment, whether from some peculiar idiosyncrasy, or whatever cause, there is in Ireland not only an ignorance of but an indifference to learning the right means of developing its industrial resources - that, even among the talented and estimable of the rank and wealth of the community, there is a disposition to pooh-pooh, no matter how practical, every project. More particularly disheartening is it to find that the smells of the manufactory or the workshop can motivate some to object to the founding of an industry which would raise the labourer from earning one shilling a day, to the position of an artisan earning three to five shillings a day. Make two traders thrive where one starved before, and otherwise conduce to the material prosperity of the country.
No wonder that Fenianism stalks through the land, and other disturbing influences exist to arrest the investment of capital in many of its languishing resources, when those who should be the foremost to further its advancement, are so apathetic, so wanting in that co-operative and energetic action which is the mainspring of the onward progress of our near neighbours in England and Scotland.
I am, Sir, A Projector, October 5th, 1865.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, October 14th, 1865.
Editorial
.
A series of letters relative to the proposed erection of Alkali Works on a site called ''the Island,'' lying about three quarters of a mile from this town, on the property of Earl Fitzwilliam, have recently been published in this newspaper. The correspondence commenced with a letter complaining of the want of excursion trains and other facilities for tourists to visit the scenic beauties of our neighbourhood, or to enjoy a healthy promenade on the Murrough. Or, if so inclined, to take a dip in the sea available here at any hour of the tide - safe, clean and comfortable. Incidentally, alluding to the splendid building sites, both on the Fitzwilliam and Corporation properties, Wicklow is all the more desirable owing to the absence of local taxation, a burden heavily felt in some of those towns where the inhabitants have been fortunate enough to have themselves placed under the provisions of the ''Towns Improvement Act.''
But, lest any should be tempted in consideration of these advantages to venture thither, another correspondent fully alive to the advantage of an unadulterated atmosphere, and not one, evidently, who would wish to see the suburbs of the town draperied in the smoke of a smelting-house chimney, cautiously warns the inhabitants against these impending evils; which, he says, will be calculated to destroy the pure and healthy atmosphere for which Wicklow has been remarkable, render the neighbouring pastures useless, and destroy every prospect of Wicklow ever becoming a desirable resort for Summer visitors. We can hardly think it possible but that this description of the evils attendant on the presence of these works is exaggerated. A legislative enactment stipulates that at least 95% of the muriatic acid evolved must be consumed, and fixes a heavy penalty for non-compliance. And this is not evaded. It is actually a source of profit for the manufacturers to comply with the law; and setting even this aside, Government Inspectors are appointed to see the law carried out.
There are few towns in which the expenditure of capital is more needed than in this; and, now that the Town Commissioners have set themselves earnestly to provide the means of reconstructing our harbour and deepening the river, we cannot wish to see any obstacles thrown in the way of erecting works which would be the source of employment to the many able-bodied men who, more than half idle, are depending on the odd jobs that turn up throughout the year, for the support of themselves and their families. At the same time we confess that no amount of pecuniary advantage to be derived from the proximity of these works should in the least degree weigh in their favour, if it can be unmistakably shown that the health of the inhabitants of our town should in the least suffer. Possibilities should not alone be taken into account in offering opposition to schemes calculated to increase the commercial prosperity of the town, which we believe would benefit more by the increased trade, which a good harbour and manufactories and works, such as these, would bring to it, than by the Summer visits of thrice the number of sojourners who have hitherto patronized it. We consider the letter of ''A Projector'', published in a previous number of this paper, so explanatory on this matter as to be almost convincing to ourselves, and, without offering any decided opinion either way, we would recommend the matter to the serious consideration of those who still have it in their power to do what is best for the interests of the town, when they shall clearly see their way in the matter.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, October 14, 1865.
Editorial.
In the midst of scenery which, in its peculiar richness of verdure and wide expanse of sea and land view, is not surpassed even in Ireland, Wicklow has long been hovering between stagnation and progress. Tourists have written up places not half as beautifully situated, and speculators have converted them into Brays and Bundorans. Active MPs have advanced the claims of the seaports they represent, to have hundreds of thousands of pounds laid out on their harbours, and they have got their claims allowed, while Wicklow only - declared by all the practical men out of Parliament, to be the best situation for a harbour, from Liverpool to Cork - is still only hoping.
It is, however, gratifying to find that our neighbourhood is appreciated. That the value of property is steadily on the increase, and that any one who purchases and improves, finds his money fructifying, was shown by His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin purchasing the Demesne of Broomfield at a price which, we heard, was considerably more than the proprietor had given a few years before. Had it been publicly offered for sale it would, probably, have produced still more; as, in several instances, we know of some hundreds more being got by auction than the property had been offered at previously. The many thousands His Grace is expending on ''Beautiful Broomfield'', shows we may expect to be constantly honoured by his residing amongst us. It is now stated that another and larger property (Cronroe) has changed hands, at a price which makes the people who are always going to buy property, but find it too dear, hold up their hands in astonishment.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, October 7th, 1865.
Correspondence
.
To the Editor of the Wicklow Newsletter.
Sir - Now that the necessity for sanitary improvement so strongly urges itself upon us, may I beg through your columns to draw the attention of those whose duty it is, or whose comfort and health render it necessary to look after such matters, to the state of the passage leading from the Mall to the Quay in this town. Even in this dry weather, filthy matter exudes from the yards over the way, and nasty sights offend the eye, equaled only in nastiness by the stench that assails the olfactories. Can nothing be done?
Yours, Health.
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, October 14th, 1865.
Sir - As you have noticed the condition of other parts of this town, I beg you will also direct attention to the state of Strand Street, on the Murrough, and its environs. I cannot describe it; anyone of good constitution, and not easily deterred by filth, can examine for themselves; and to add still further to its unwholesomeness it is so built that there is no proper sewer or fall for the water.
I am, Sir, &c., A Sufferer.
Summary of the News.
A Genius - An extraordinary genius has been discovered in Ireland, in the person of a lad of sixteen years of age. The lad has constructed, entirely unaided, a piece of machinery in full motion, occupying a ground space of some six or eight feet square, and driven by a small waterwheel about four feet in diameter. On a close inspection it was found that the various wheels, cogs, cranks, and spindles were entirely wood, and were performing simultaneously the varied operations of pumping, churning, hammering on an anvil, operating perpendicular, diagonal and circular saw, &c., but so cleverly adapted to these respective uses that the whole was driven with the most perfect and easy motion by the water-wheel already alluded to. The lad is the son of a blacksmith living in Knockrath, county Wicklow, and has never been ten miles from his home.
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Part One.
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, June 17th 1865.
The Forty-third Report of the Inspector-General of Prisons has just now been published. It is a voluminous document, containing a variety of statistical details on the subject of the prisons. The most gratifying point which we notice is in reference to the diminution in the number of offenders, which has been of late years a subject of congratulation. In 1863 there appeared to be a slight reaction, but last year the downward tendency was resumed. In the number of prisoners confined there has been a total decrease of 1,576 persons, and in the number of committals the decrease is 1,070. The number of debtors has diminished by 250; the average daily number of prisoners by 186. There is a proportionate reduction in juvenile criminality, the committals having decreased by 213, and the individuals by 216. A remarkable fact, which had been adverted to in former reports, and is still to be noticed, is the ratio of crime to the religious classification of the population. Members of the Established Church number 3,312, or 10 per cent; Presbyteriansm 1,094, or rather over 3 per cent; and Roman Catholics, 28,256, or 86 per cent. These proportions have been substantially maintained for the last three years, the only variation being a slight increase in the Presbyterian per-centages.*
One of the most esteemed of the Dublin clergy, the Rev. E. S. Abbott, Rector of St. Mary's Parish, and Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal, committed suicide on Monday last, in a fit of temporary insanity. The evidence at the inquest showed that he had been for some time subject to fits of despondency. So late, however, at the previous day he took part in the services of his church, and was out through the city on the morning of his death. About one o'clock he returned home, and in a few minutes after was no more. The funeral of the above lamented clergyman took place on Thursday last, and was most numerously attended by the principal clergy and gentry of Dublin. In the address delivered previous to the internment of the body in Mount Jerome Cemetery, by the Rev. Mr. Gibson, the melancholy circumstances attending his death was attributed to his being involved in pecuniary embarrassments through his generosity in supplying the wants of others.
Viscount Gort is elected to fill the vacancy in the Irish representative Peerage. The noble Lord is in his 75th year, and has experienced in a large degree the vicissitudes of life. Succeeding to a fine estate he was created a Peer in 1816, but he burthened it with a heavy debt in raising up a princely mansion in the demesne of Loughcoote, and soon after the opening of the Encumbered Estates Court, he was literally left without an acre. For several years he managed to exist, no one could well tell how, until 1860 when a poor widower he married a widow with an income stated at twelve to fifteen thousand a year, and now he is sent to represent his Peers in the first assembly in the world. When he attempted to remonstrate against the sacrifice of his estates in the Encumbered Court - and they were sacrificed - he would hardly be listened to, and now the highest and the noblest in the land must listen to him whenever he chooses to speak. The story of his life has a moral worth studying. Debt dragged him down, but a lucky turn of the wheel of fortune raised him again to the surface.
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Part Two.
The oyster fishery at Sligo was very successful during the past year. Sir Robert Gore Booth, received over £2,000 for ''Lissadrills,'' and as many as 853,000 were exported from another fishery.
At the Head Police-office, Dublin, on Monday last, a man named Doyle was fined £1 or in default one month's imprisonment for beating his father.
At the Blanchardstown Petty Sessions on Monday last, a farmer named Kennedy was fined in a penalty of two guineas with £1 costs for unhorning cattle. Two men who assisted him in the cruel operation were fined one shilling each, with costs of the same amount. It is to be hoped the practice will now be given up.
On Friday last a fine young woman was murdered at Palmerstown, about five miles from Dublin, on the Ashbourne road, by a man named Kilkenny. Kilkenny wanted to marry her but she preferred another lover who had gone to America, and from whom she had got a letter with a photograph a few days before. This made Kilkenny madly jealous, and he smothered the unfortunate girl in a muddy ditch, but his conscience wouldn't let him rest and he came into Dublin and gave himself up to the police. Kilkenny was in rather good circumstances, but the girl's parents are not so. He is fully committed for trial.
Some Bailiffs who went to Limerick Barracks a few days ago, to arrest a Captain of the Limerick Militia were rather roughly handled by the men of his company, and while the melee was going on the gallant Captain made his escape.
The herring fishery has commenced at Howth and Arklow favourably.
*All italics are mine unless otherwise stated.
[I have been asked to present this material in chronological order, or to arrange it according to subject only. I've deliberately chosen not to do that because I don't want my selections to overly shape a reader's impressions one way or another. As I move from a general presentation of the kind of news Wicklow residents were reading in the 1860s and 70s, to a more focused selection of stories that impinged directly on the Wicklow people and specifically on members of the Halpin family, I'm hoping to shed a little light on the motives and personalities of those involved in the various local disputes and initiatives, and to demonstrate why so many members of the Halpin family - or the Halpin clan, if you like - adopted relatively extreme and somewhat confrontational political positions.]
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, June 17th 1865.
The Murrough Of Wicklow.
To the Editor of the Wicklow Newsletter.
Sir - The fright some of us have been in at the proposed conversion of our health-giving Murrough into a stinking depot for chemicals, abated considerably on Tuesday when we heard the representative of the reported ''Company'' admit that this wonderful combination had no advertised existence, and that he could give no names of Directors. He said also that he could not promise an outlay of £5,000, though nothing less than six acres of ground would be enough for this wonderful speculation.Of course, in this age of company projections, we can only conclude that this gentleman wants to get a lease of our Murrough, and then try to form a company to do something with it. The papers are full of such schemes, which, as our Law Courts show, generally end in litigation, and loss to the parties who have any money to lose. At present my idea is, that we shall not see the project brought forward by parties who will give any guarantees, or pay a deposit to be forfeited if the undertaking is not carried out. It is well, however, to let your readers know that there is no doubt the most baneful results are felt by persons employed in chemical works. Since the meeting I have inquired if Lord Derby's Act has amended the destructive results to trees and vegetation, clothes hung out to dry, and to persons at all inclined to chest infections. I find that the Act is evaded, and that people do not like being constantly at law. All the inconveniences I have described are still felt by persons living even one or two miles away. Everton was once the chosen residence of the chief merchants of Liverpool. Now Aiybwith is selected, and Everton is left to the Alkali Works. I feel certain that while there is a chance of making Wicklow a prosperous resort for visitors - a second Brighton as it ought to be - we should discourage any manufactures, or utter desecration of the Murrough by tall chimneys; but, if we even abandon it with regret and in utter discouragement, let us not have a trade carried on which banishes all other less objectionable branches of industry.
I am, Sir, yours &c., Francis Wakefield, Midland Hotel, Derby, June 15, 1865.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, June 17th, 1865.
Married
.
June 14 at St. Nicholas Church, Galway, by the Honourable and Rev. Wm. Wingfield, the Rev. Wm. G. Ormsby, Rector of Arklow, County Wicklow, to Anne, only daughter of Henry Hodgson, Esq., of Merlin Park, County Galway, and Ballylaine, County Wicklow.
Wicklow Town Commissioners.
A special meeting of the Wicklow Town Commissioners was held in the Court House, Wicklow, on Tuesday last at 2 o'clock pm. The Chairman, George Wynne, Esq., presiding, to meet Mr. Mackee, the applicant for a site for Alkali Works, to receive information from him relative to the company for whom he seeks the site and other particulars necessary to be known. It appears that nearly six acres will be required for the purposes of the intended company, but Mr. Mackee declined giving a positive guarantee for more than £3,000, but stated that in all probability a sum of £10,000 would be laid out within twelve months, and therefore he would not consent to take less than the entire of the plot already referred to. The Commissioners did not come to any decision, and the matter stands over for further consideration.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, June 17th 1865.
Editorial.
The project to erect chemical works on the Murrough of Wicklow by a company organised for that purpose, is a subject well worthy of the consideration of the inhabitants of the town. That such an undertaking, if carried on properly, would add materially to its commercial prosperity, in various ways is beyond doubt, while the employment, which would be given to our labouring population, would rescue from want many who are now scarcely able to support themselves. Our coasters would find additional employment in importing coal, salt, &c., and in exporting the produce of the works, while the necessity for increased accommodation would give an impetus to the efforts made to improve the navigation of our Harbour and river. There are few sites more eligible than that chosen by the company. The railway on one hand to bring in the ores from the mining districts, the river to convey to the Harbour's mouth the outgoing produce, and coal, &c., at a minimum freight. On the other hand the caution manifested by the Commissioners is very commendable - past experience warns them against precipitancy in such matters. A desire to benefit the town by giving accommodation to those whose enterprise would lead them to expend capital, is weighed against the possible evils which, as trustees of a public property, they are bound to guard. Few towns possess so beautiful a promenade as our far-famed Murrough. Already has a large portion of it been taken up by the Railway Company, and now an application is made to the Commissioners for that portion lying to the rere of the Marine Hotel [owned by Francis Wakefield.] It is well known that poisonous gasses, and disagreeable effluvia emanate from works of the kind proposed, unless that preventives which modern science, aided by experience, have brought to bear to prevent their escape, and, should the Commissioners be brought to yield any portion of the Murrough, a strict undertaking and guarantee should be had, that these, as well as suitable chimneys, be erected. Wicklow is pre-eminently suited for a first-class bathing-place; the suburbs shortly to fall into the hands of the Commissioners will make sites which we hope yet to see studded with villas, and the portion of the Murrough which will be available for building purposes, should not be polluted with noxious gasses as to make it untenable to all save those whose business it might be to earn their daily bread in the works which produce them. We feel certain that the people of the town, many of whom we are aware feel a deep interest in the matter, may have the greatest confidence that the Commissioners will act in such a manner that, if they comply with the application of the company, it will be only after receiving full security that the above precautions will be adopted, and that a sufficient sum will be expended in building and otherwise, to make the letting desirable, and failing these, no matter what other proposals, be made to refuse any application hurtful to the health or interest of our townspeople.
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, September 30th 1865.
Summary of News.
The Fenian Conspiracy is hunted up; at least the arrests are, for the last four or five days, few and far between. What the infatuated dupes could have meant it is hard to comprehend. They have done their best to injure the country they pretend to love so well. They have not helped it forward with their own industry, and they have done their best to chase away capital, the only true source of progress. In common with everyone we are naturally anxious to know the ramifications of this wild plot which we presume will come out in the evidence to be given this day, or some day next week, at the Police Headquarters in Dublin.
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Part One.
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, June 17th 1865.
Editorial.
While opinions vary as to the best mode of dealing with the Irish land question, there can be little difference on the question that owners and occupiers should have full and free liberty to make the best use of it in their power. Yet, it will hardly be credited in this free-trade age that a very injurious restriction exists, and is submitted to with hardly a remonstrance. We refer to the prohibition to grow tobacco. It is very well known that in many parts of this country and of Wexford the tobacco plant would thrive, but even for private use it dare not be grown. This is a practical grievance which, if pressed upon the attention of Parliament would, undoubtedly, be got rid of. Of course, it would have to pay the same amount of duty paid upon tobacco of foreign growth but subject to that, Irish farmers ought to have the right to raise it on their lands. On the eve of a general election when candidates are generally free in their promises, it might be no harm to include one to take up this question. We regard it of very considerable importance to the country. It would be better, no doubt, if tobacco were not used at all, but as it is beyond doubt extensively used it would be far better if possible the money paid for it was kept at home than sent abroad to the stranger.
Progress of the Civil War in America.
To Europeans who were for the most part unprepared for the tremendous alterations in the different dispositions of the war, the spectacle which now presents itself to them appears more like a dream than a reality. A few short weeks ago and the great question with us was, who is to triumph - Grant or Lee? Arrayed against each other in order of battle, at the head of trusty troops, it did not seem probable that their fortunes and positions would be so speedily changed. Then, Davis was at Richmond, and Lincoln was alive; now, Davis lies manacled in a grim fortress and Lincoln lies dead! Then, the South, having won respect from its opponents by bravery on the field of battle, could sue or threaten in the guise of an equal; now the rebellion is crushed; there is no ''South''; and those who unhappily associated themselves with the fortunes of the late confederacy, are regarded as traitors.
As we reflect on these things there are one or two matters which must arise to the minds of all men. The first is, that the North must have been providentially aided to crush so gigantic a foe in so short a time; the second is that, having gotten the victory, it should endeavour to temper justice with mercy. ''The quality of mercy is not strained,'' and indeed, if mercy is importuned for persistently, until it is obtained, the concession is not mercy at all. It would be well for President Johnson - sternly just as he may be when he denounces the Confederates as traitors to the Federal power - and men who aimed at the life of the nation - to remember that forgiveness often goes farther than rigour, with nations as with individuals. We cannot read the account of the ironing [ie, the throwing into irons] of the late President of the South without hope that no Christian gentleman would be guilty of the crime of treating in such a manner one who is in person and education at least his equal. Public opinion revolts at such a proceeding, and we are hoping that the story may turn out to have been false, and concocted by political detractors.
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Part Two.
[The American Civil War formally ended in April 1865, but sporadic fighting continued until June, when all remaining Confederate forces surrendered and dispersed, and President Johnson ordered the lifting of the blockade of the Southern ports. On the 22nd June 1865, the day before the end of the blockade, Captain Robert Charles Halpin joined the Great Eastern as Chief Officer. Two years earlier, while working for the European Trading Company, he joined the Eugenie. ''It has been suggested that the Eugenie was a blockade runner, bringing supplies to the beleaguered Confederate States...According to the records of the New Hanover County Library, North Carolina, the Eugenie made ten successful runs through the blockade between May 1863 and January 1864.''* In April 1864, Captain Halpin was in charge of the ss Virgin. ''In August of that year the Virgin approached Mobile Bay, Alabama. Although Mobile itself was still in Confederate hands the approach to the city was guarded by Fort Morgan which was under the control of the Union Army. The garrison fired on her to stop, but Halpin ordered the Confederate flag raised to the mizzen peak and she glided past and on into Mobile to the rousing cheers of the besieged Confederate troops.''**
That flag was removed today, hopefully for the last time, from the South Carolina Statehouse Capitol.
While the institutions of slavery weren't enough to deter Captain Halpin from making a mercenary buck, his cousin, Charles G. Halpine (son of the Rev. N J Halpin, who died at his writing desk in 1850 in a house he rented from Captain Halpin's uncle) fought a pivotal role for the forces of the North. His great friend, the editor of the New York Tribune, Horace Greeley, attributed victory in the 'war for emancipation' to the influx of Afro-Americans into the Union Army. White opposition to black Americans playing any role in the war was fierce on both sides. Irish recruits in the northern army were particularly hostile to black emancipation, and violently objected to Lincoln's attempts to pave the way for the enlistment Afro-Americans. According to Greeley, in a letter to Lincoln, the change of heart among the Irish was due almost entirely to the efforts of Charles G. Halpine, who eroded their resistance to black enlistment with a series of humourous sketches making the case for ''Sambo's Right To Be Kilt.''
After the defeat of the South and the imprisonment of Jefferson Davis, Halpine contribute to the national healing process by ghost writing a sympathetic biography of Davis. This was the era of 'reconstruction', which aimed to protect black Americans and reintegrate the South into the Union on terms that were not unnecessarily harsh or too upsetting. It began what historians refer to as the Second Industrial Revolution, and lead to a decade of feverish financial speculation. The reconstruction era ended with the Panic of 1873, which in turn triggered the First Great Depression, or what some call 'the Long Depression'. This extended period of price deflation did not end in the United States until 1879, and continued on in the United Kingdom until 1896. These broader economic shocks were to play a telling role in the evolution of nationalist politics in Ireland, prompting the Halpins to respond in ways that I propose to chronicle and document in the coming months.]
*Jim Rees, The Life of Captain Robert Halpin, Dee-Jay Publications (2009), pp. 50 - 51.
**ibid.
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Just to let you all know that I have started a new topic "Paget Halpen of Texas USA" which will concentrate on that branch of the Maryborough Halpens. So far, I have just summarised what has already appeared in this column.
Ken
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Thanks, Ken. I'll check it out.
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Halpin or Halpen ?
Part 1 of this topic was started in Nov. 2007. I joined the discussion in June 2009, and now we are well into Part 4. But after six years we still have found only a few tenuous links between ‘my’ Halpens and the others, mainly Halpins. Apart from the similarity of the surnames, we find the first name ‘Nicholas’ occurring in both branches, one in Portarlington and one in Maryborough, both in Queens County. There are differing views about the origin of the name. Some of the contributors favour MacAlpin as the basis of Halpin, while some of the Halpen line tend towards Halfpenny. In my view the two explanations are not necessarily incompatible. They could both be correct, but refer to different families. Perhaps some MacAlpins dropped the ‘Mac’ (the MacSweenys also did that) and gradually became Halpin, consciously keeping the ‘-in’ ending, while some Halfpennys morphed into Halpens, knowing that the ‘-en’ was traditionally part of their name.
I can give two examples of the Halfpenny/Halpen evolution: Paget Halfpenny, son of Nicholas of Maryborough, entered Trinity College Dublin, in 1698. He was noted by that name in a deed of 1727, but in another deed of 1748 he was noted as Paget Halpen. In fact, all members of that family, descended from Nicholas Halfpenny of M’borough, eventually became ‘Halpen’.
1761 The Dublin Directory-HALFPENNY John, Herald Painter, Britain St.
1776 Watson’s Almanack- HALFPEN John, Herald Painter, 161 Britain St.
Hibernian Journal- DEATH 31 April 1777, in Gt. Britain St., Mr. John HALPEN, Herald Painter
1781 Watson’s- HALFPEN Mary, Herald Painter, 161 Britain St.
So, in 1761, Halfpenny; 1776, Halfpen; 1777, Halpen; and in 1781 back to (?Mrs.) Halfpen
(A Herald Painter created all manner of heraldic devices and coats of arms for status-conscious local gentry and nobility, painted on boards for display on special occasions.)
Can anyone provide examples of the progression of the name MacAlpin to ‘Halpin’?
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Like you, Ken, I've noticed the same progression from Halfpenny, through Halpenny, Halpenn, Halpen and Halpin. I have a deed in which a Halpen and a Halfpenny strike a deal over the use of land. My own theory is that as the colonization of Ireland spread throughout the country, and as it penetrated more deeply into the various layers of Irish society, there was pressure on the native population to assimilate, to become more like their colonizers. The rewards for willingly adapting oneself to the new regime were considerable. The penalties for resistance were also considerable, and ranged in severity from restrictions on trade and entry into the professions, to transportation to Van Diemen's Land. I think the progression of the Halpin name, from Halfpenny onwards, represents the gradual drift of the Halpin family from their native (and Catholic?) roots to a new colonial (and Protestant?) identity. But while that process generally moved in the one direction, from native to colonizer, from Irish to Anglo-Irish, it was not smooth. Some branches of the family, with their roots still in the soil and their commercial activities based on the land, were slow to dispense with their original name. But as their sons moved into the towns and cities and took up a profession, they Anglicized their names. They wanted to distance themselves from their poorer cousins.
Personally, I believe the Halpins originally came from Louth, where they had quite a bit of land. They moved from there to counties like Cavan, Queen's County and Dublin, changing their identity and their name as they went. As the generations passed they lost touch with their roots (but didn't forget them) and fully assimilated. The Irish Halfpennys became the Anglo-Irish Halpins. I believe most of the Halpin families in this thread are connected, but divisions emerged in the late 18th century that became increasingly political over time. By the late 19th century my branch of the family was rapidly regressing back to its native roots and becoming increasingly nationalistic in its outlook, whereas its local blood kin became increasingly anti-nationalistic in its outlook. Other branches of the family eventually sold up and emigrated.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 27th, 1864.
Editorial
.
It is a fact, confirmed by ancient as well as modern experience, that one of the greatest sources of wealth and prosperity to any country is maritime enterprise. Just as the interchange of ideas tend to foster and encourage a deeper research in every science beneficial to mankind, so does that of commodities between nations and people, enrich and benefit, as well as add to the social comforts of communities. It is one of the wise arrangements of Providence, that throughout the whole creation, man must be dependant upon his fellow man, and so with the natural products of the earth; nations cannot within themselves produce all that is required to supply every want, but must seek from other sources and different countries, what their own industry and ingenuity fail in accomplishing. The variations of climate, as well as the position of places, are so wisely ordained and adapted, that it is left only for the industry and enterprise of mankind to take advantage of them, in order to promote that social prosperity upon which the wellbeing of all depends.
But whilst taking an expansive view of the beneficial results of commerce, we must not overlook the resources of home. The various ports of our coasts are so many outlets for the many productions of our own localities, which are transported to other parts of the empire, where a demand is created for them, whilst we, on the contrary, receive in return the results of those industrial occupations which distinguish that portion of the population; and thus a mutual interchange of labour is established, which adds to the prosperity of all engaged, whether in trade, agriculture, or labour. To effect, therefore, a rapid and safe means of communication is essential as well as politic, and where the means are supplied in a great measure by nature, it is folly not to encourage the most ample development. As this can only be on the seaboard by means of fishing, we should supply all the appliances to a good harbour, necessary to induce vessels of every description to visit our seaport, whether for the purpose of commerce or for repairs. We regret that Wicklow, although well situated on the coast for the latter purpose, is not able to boast of much convenience, either for the repairing or building of vessels. We have noticed, during the past week, that there were three vessels undergoing repairs, and one building, which proves how desirable it is to encourage this branch of trade, in order to prevent it going to other places, where, should it be necessary, by mechanical aids, the difficult process of overhauling a vessel can be accomplished with little trouble and much less expense than the one which has to be resorted to in this harbour. We have been informed, by the owner of a vessel trading from this port, of the trouble and inconvenience, to say nothing of the risk, attendant upon repairing one under present circumstances, and whilst there are so many inducements held out to enterprise, in every way, in Wicklow, it is a matter of surprise to us that the great want of a patent slip has not attracted, ere this, the attention of those interested in the prosperity of the port; confident as we are that it will not only prove a source of remuneration, but a great incentive to the further development of the shipping trade connected with the town.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, June ? 1865.
Summary of News in Other Papers.
Emigration: - Week after week we are pained to witness the departure of hundreds of our strong and youthful peasantry, of both sexes, for far off lands. The elements for material prosperity are hourly quitting our shores, leaving behind the aged, the very young, the weak and the helpless. If the exodus continues at its present rate for a couple of years to come, the bitter sentence of the London Times will be fulfilled - The Irish, indeed, will be gone with a vengeance. We cannot stop to minutely trace the effects of this widespread emigration which have already made themselves felt throughout the country. Two-thirds, at least, of the provincial towns are gradually losing both trade and population. The receipts of railways show the falling off, while the country shop-keeping and trading classes find it difficult to eke out what pays their way, owing to a contraction of business. Some well-conceived practical movement should be set on foot in order to limit this wholesale flight of the most industrious and hardy sections of our population. Such a movement cannot be undertaken by the Legislature; it lies more within the province of personal and local enterprise. - Sligo Journal.
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In Reply #146 above, dated Friday 10th July, I mentioned the positive role played by Captain R C Halpin's cousin, Charles G Halpine, in the successful campaign by Northern leaders to enlist black Americans in the Union Army. I also drew attention to the hostility of the Irish on both sides of the conflict to any participation of American blacks in the Civil War. It might surprise you to know that there were also furious debates in the Southern House of Representatives about the enlistment of 'slaves' in the Confederate Army. Davis argued that the South couldn't possibly win without more manpower, and it seemed counterproductive not to utilize the 'help' they had at their disposal. In return for their co-operation, the Southern parliament would offer 'their' black population greater personal liberties. Naturally, the proposition was rejected by a nearly apoplectic House.
By sheer coincidence, there was a reference to Charles G Halpine in last Saturday's Irish Times. The great Irish historian, David Fitzpatrick, was reviewing Cian T McMahon's The Global Dimensions of Irish Identity*, when he wrote this:
McMahon maintains that ''the average Irish soldier fighting in the Union army'' shared the sardonic outlook of ''Private Miles O'Reilly'' (Charles G Halpine) of the New York 69th in Sambo's Right to Be Kilt:
Some tell us t'is a burning shame
To make the naygurs fight;
And that the thrade of bein' kilt
Belongs but to the white:
But as for me, upon my sowl!
So liberal are we here,
I'll let Sambo be murthered
instead of myself,
On every day of the year.
The poem is blatantly racist, and illustrates the kind of prejudice black Americans faced even from Northerners, who were supposed to be fighting a war to end slavery and reinstate the Union. The Irish did not identify with the plight of black Americans, even though their respective situations had much in common. Regretfully, the Irish tended to regard African Americans as racial inferiors, the same way Dr Stopford W Halpin regarded Arklow's Catholics as part of an inferior and treacherous native race. As far as Irish nationalists were concerned, they belonged to a racial group that included all Europeans. If they were not sitting as equals at the table of nations, that was only because England had colonized Ireland and oppressed her people. It was not because of any inherent racial inferiority on their part. After the end of the American Civil War, the 'fighting Irish' set their sights on liberating Ireland from English rule. The disastrous 'Fenian plot', which took up so many column inches in the Wicklow Newsletter throughout 1865 - 67, was the practical outcome of their endeavours. While the plot was an unmitigated military disaster, it convinced British Liberals that significant political reforms had to be introduced in Ireland if the country was to be pacified. That campaign for meaningful reform in Ireland began in earnest after Gladstone assumed office as head of the UK government in 1868, although a glimpse of what was to come had already been revealed by the Conservatives' Reform Act of 1867. In the meantime, Captain Halpin did his bit for Empire by laying thousands of miles of telegraphic cable across vast expanses of sea, his brother Stopford Halpin did his bit to keep the Catholics in their place in Arklow, and the Town Secretary in Wicklow, Robert Wellington Halpin, gave the books of Charles G Halpine a prominent place in the town's Main street bookstore.
*The Global Dimensions of Irish Identity: Race, Nation, and the Popular Press, 1840 - 1880, By Cian T McMahon, University of North Carolina Press, reviewed by David Fitzpatrick, The Irish Times, Saturday, July 11, 2015.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, September 23, 1865.
Editorial
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The Corn Harvest is now completed. Nothing could exceed the splendid condition in which it has reached the stackyards. There has been no waste, and its value to the millers will be enhanced. In the Northern districts wheat is reported as yielding well, in the Southern as only middling. Oats are generally near an average, but short in the straw; this, however, does not matter much as the hay crop is more than usually prolific. Barley is an average. So that on the whole the cereal crops in Ireland are fair enough. Potato raising is just begun, and from the general reports we think it will be found that fully three fourths of a very fine crop will be gathered; the other fourth we fear will be lost. If we look abroad we find low estimates of yield from most of the great corn-producing countries, from which, heretofore, England drew large supplies, so that in the coming year the imports of foreign grains are not likely to be near as large as those of this year or the last, and therefore it is probable that prices will advance. At all events there is no likelihood of their being lower than at present. As regards cattle and sheep the value has risen to such a pitch that large profits must result to those who made rearing them the chief business of the farm. And it is impossible to say where or when the upward movement may stop, for as long as trade prospers in England and such numbers of operatives get high wages, a penny or two in the pound on beef or mutton, or a halfpenny or a penny on the loaf, will not stand in the way. The beef and the bread and, we may add, the beer, will be taken as freely as ever. But for the heavy imports of foreign cattle into England it would be hard to say what the price of meat would rise to. The price of wool also has risen so much that sheep farmers are making large profits. It is, therefore, the obvious interest of Irish farmers to make cattle and sheep raising their chief aim, and this we believe can best be done by a judicious system of tillage, by which a portion of the farm will in its rotation be under grass. Where land is thrown out entirely under grass the least is made of it even as regards cattle raising. Taking all things into account, farmers have no cause for grumbling while all should be truly thankful to the great Giver of All Good for the unspeakable blessing of a fruitful season. If those with fixed incomes or limited means find it harder to get on, they may at all events be satisfied there is no danger of famine or even of scarcity.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, September 23, 1865.
Editorial.
The Fenian bubble has burst upon its dupes sooner than perhaps the ''head centres'' reckoned on, at all events too soon for the ripening of their plans, if indeed they ever had any, beyond the notion of in some way or other taking revenge upon England for real or fancied wrongs. That in this age such preposterous folly as Fenianism, so far as the public know of it, could enter into the heads of anybody outside of a lunatic asylum, it is hard to imagine. But it is, nevertheless, a humiliating fact that it exists. It is, however, some consolation that the clergy of all creeds and every layman with the least pretension to respectability are opposed to it. It appears to us that the Fenians in Ireland and the Fenians in America have been deluding each other. Information has, we doubt not, been conveyed to the American ''centres,'' that all Ireland was ripe for rebellion and would welcome their advent, while the Irish Fenians have in turn been deluded by the fierce speeches of their American friends. In this state of things there was a golden opportunity for knaves and adventurers, and we feel satisfied it will be found that the selfish and untiring industry of a worthless few kept up the whole thing. It is well therefore that the Government have set about its suppression with such spirit and energy. We hope, but really after such preposterous folly, one can only hope that with Fenianism we have arrived at the last of such follies. We cannot pity the dupes now awaiting their punishment; nor can we hope that that punishment when it does come will be light, for we hold with President Johnson, that treason is the greatest of all crimes.
To The Editor Of The Wicklow Newsletter.
Sir - Will you please allow me space, as is your usual courtesy, to ask what are the ratepayers of this district thinking of? It is now some three months since a vacancy occurred for a Guardian, and yet not one has been elected; and what has been the result? No less than that there has been an addition of twopence in the pound to the already heavy taxation; and, for argument sake I shall say such has been caused by the absence of the existing Guardians at the meeting for levying the rates. No doubt two persons were nominated, and by the most glaring doggery both were requested to withdraw, and for what reasons the mediators are the best judges. Now, Sir, if the ratepayers do not wish to be further cajoled; if they desire their interests to be attended to, they will elect a gentleman whose name I noticed in a former issue of your paper, and who has had ample experience as an agent and accountant, they will at once offer the unthankful position to him, and by paying his personal expenses, he would, I have little doubt, attend, at a loss of his time, and with a decided benefit to their interests.
I beg to remain, Sir, your obedient servant, Weak Back For A Heavy Burthen. Arklow, September 18, 1865.
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Part 1.
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 27, 1864.
Lecture on The Monarchy of the Mind.
A lecture was delivered on the above subject, in the Courthouse, Wicklow, on Thursday evening, the 18th inst., by the Reverend J. J. Landers, of Blackrock. After a few remarks from the Reverend J. Saul, Wesleyan Minister, the Reverend Lecturer expressed the pleasure he felt in again meeting his friends upon that occasion. We lived in a world of wonders, but of all the marvels that struck an observant eye - man stood the first. The question would naturally arise - whence comes man's superiority? The secret of which was, the mind of man. It was intellect that had placed man in his present position. Some had affirmed that mind had no existence. On the other hand Metaphysicians had gone to extremes in their classification of the mental faculties; but it was not his intention to treat his subject metaphysically. He then showed the analogy between the mind of man and a monarchy: as the glories of a kingdom depended upon its constitution, so it was with the monarchy of mind. As the wealth of a kingdom was closely identified not only with its agrarian wealth, but likewise upon the manufacture of the mineral resources which lay beneath its surface, so the wealth of the monarchy of mind could only increase in proportion as the latent powers of the mind were brought out by study and education.
He then described, in most pleasing and eloquent terms, the faculties of consciousness, reason and imagination. He dwelt especially upon memory; some, he said, had represented memory as parsimonious and gluttonous; he regarded her as a compendium of all the cardinal virtues. Memory was the most industrious as well as most social of all faculties.
The Lecturer then alluded to the importance of education in the acquisition of discipline ... drawing attention to the success of self-educated men like Hugh Miller, Robert Stevenson, and others, but observed there were few who really made great progress without the benefit of early training. He urged the advantage of a judicious course of reading, by which means many who had not the benefit of a Collegiate education had raised themselves to eminence. He then described the delight and pleasure derivable from a taste for literature. He urged his audience to avoid, as a pestilence, those works which tended to relax the mind and vitiate thought, pointing out the advantage of acquaintance with the works of master spirits. It was in the power of all to cultivate habits of observation, to such many persons were indebted for arriving at distinction Newton, Columbus, Galileo, Brunel, Franklin, Watt, and Paxton were adduced in illustration in eloquent and beautiful language, which elicited much applause.
The achievements of this kingdom were worthy of our regard; the painter and the sculptor were prompted to illustrate the deeds of their country's heroes. The Rev. Lecturer referred, in glowing terms, to the heroes of Switzerland, Germany, France, Holland, Poland, America, and Britain. The poet, from the earliest history of our race, perceived the adaptation of language to clothe sentiments and ideas of beauty. He dwelt upon the connection which existed between history and poetry. The Orator was then alluded to. Oratory was a child of the soul, and was not confined, as was too often supposed, to the learned professions. St. Paul, Demosthenes, Cicero, Chatham, and Curran, were referred to in elucidation of this part of his subject.
This ''monarchy'' was not destined to decline. The empires of Rome and Carthage had passed away, and it was said, by some who would desire it, that this empire of Britain would share a similar fate, and that a traveler from some distant region would yet stand on a broken arch of London Bridge and sketch the ruins of St. Paul's; but he did not believe that such would ever be the case, so long as we were, as a nation, faithful to ourselves. After eulogizing the press and noticing the privileges we enjoyed, both nationally and religiously, he dwelt most beautifully upon the word of God as the highest and most worthy study for the mind of man.
The Lecture, which occupied one hour and forty minutes in the delivery, was listened to with great attention.
After a vote of thanks to the Rev. Gentleman for his able and instructive lecture, the meeting separated.
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Part 2.
[I think it's clear that the Lecturer, the audience and the reporter did not believe they were Irish. Their understanding of high culture did not include native Irish culture; the capital of their world was London, not Dublin, and their spiritual home was St. Paul's, not St. Peter's. The British Constitution underwrote their liberties, and British prosperity guaranteed their wealth. They really did see themselves as a race apart. Some, like Francis Wakefield and R W Halpin, believed that greater economic liberty would lead to more prosperity for all and less sectarian division. The best way to ensure that was for Britain to cede more political power to local government in Ireland. Their failure to secure that power, to break down the old monopolies in Wicklow - which were based on rights of conquest - convinced Edwin Halpin that his father's liberal politics were unworkable. Only socialism, as far as Edwin was concerned, could answer the Irish Question and provide fairness to all. But even socialism was inadequate if Ireland lacked her own Parliament, and this fundamental request made Edwin a constitutional nationalist. His eldest son William (1885 - 1951) would go on to become a physical force nationalist and fight in 1916.]
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 27, 1864.
Wicklow Petty Sessions.
Monday, February 22nd, 1864.
Three young men named Murray, Toole, and Bulger, were summoned by Thomas Doyle for the sum of 24s damage done to his cart, whilst standing on the Murrough during the night of the 12th December last. Mr. Burkitt, who appeared for the prosecutor, examined him, when the following facts were elicited:-
Doyle had placed his car, loaded with ore, on the Murrough, and during the night it was smashed and the shafts broken. He had a conversation with one of the defendants the following day, and he asked him not to say anything about it, for when they who had broken the dray came home, he would be paid for the damage done.
Thomas Broderick deposed that he was on guard that night, and saw some of the defendants lift the car up and then let it fall. He could not swear which of the defendants it was, but saw them all in company.
Thomas Mitchell - recollected the 12th of December; he was at Doyle's house on that night, but did not hear of the car being broken until the next morning. He was not present when the car was raised.
The magistrates enquired from Doyle whether there was any animus against him, whether he thought the damage was done out of mischief or from ill-feeling. Doyle, who is a cripple, said he could not tell why the defendants should have any animosity against him; he was a cripple, as was his mother also; he had, before, two windows and his door broken.
The Chairman, after censuring the conduct of the defendants, fined them each 6s 8d compensation, and 5s costs, or 14 days imprisonment.
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The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, March 19, 1864.
Emigration from Ireland.
The emigration mania is spreading in every direction amongst the agricultural classes. During many years there has not been witnessed so many leaving as within the last two months. The majority of the emigrants belong to the class of small farmers. The lavish expenditure of money created by the war in America, has enabled the Irish settled in the United States to realize considerable sums, and a large proportion of their money is expended to enable friends and relatives in Ireland to emigrate.
[One of the tasks my great grandfather Edwin had to carry out was the reading of private mail sent to local Catholics from their relatives in the US. This task was usually carried out by the parish priest, but not always. Wicklow's clergy and nuns were trying to build a schoolhouse and a new church, and funds were short for the completion of these projects. If the priest found out that some of his flock had received money from America, he'd request that part of it be donated to the local building fund. Many people felt imposed upon, and took to asking the Post Master to keep the arrival of their mail to himself, which he agreed to do.]
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News of two horrific disasters reached Wicklow early in 1864. From Chile came reports that two thousand women were burned alive when the mostly wooden Cathedral of Santiago caught fire; and from Sheffield came news of the collapse of a poorly constructed dam at Bradfield, which claimed the lives of around 250 people.
A link to the Cathedral fire can be found here: http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/30th-january-1864/1/news-of-the-week
A link to the Sheffield disaster can be found here: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-26478728
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This is how the Wicklow Newsletter addressed the disasters:
Editorial
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Scarcely have the horrible details attendant upon the burning of the Cathedral of Santiago ceased to fill us with sorrow and dismay at the awful sacrifice of human life, under the most distressing circumstances, than we are again astounded with another event of terrible magnitude occurring in our own country. The former invested with all the horrors of human immolation, at a time of peculiar excitement in the observance of religious ceremonies; the other coming suddenly upon the unconscious occupant of the chamber in the still dark hour of the night, and, regardless of age or circumstance, sweeping its victims into eternity. The accounts furnished us of the transactions on that fearful night, and the immediate cause of the catastrophe, ought surely to convince us of the necessity, in every public undertaking of a similar kind, of paying more than ordinary attention to the security of such receptacles of convenience for the supply of water to our towns.
This is the third accident for the same cause occurring within the last few years, viz: Liverpool, Holmforth, and, lastly, Sheffield, each of which were attended with like results. For the immediate cause no one seems to be blamed, either as to the construction or the means provided in case of accident to divert the pressure of water flowing in one vast channel to the certain destruction of life and property. Surely, in this age of science, some means might be arrived at to act as a safety valve, similar to the mode adopted to prevent accidents by steam, which would act in cases of extraordinary pressure, by an overflow of water, or where any portion of an embankment should give way? Could no plan be suggested to avert at least a portion of subsequent disasters, by having more than one reservoir in connection with others, which, by communication, would divide the main body almost instantly? Such plan, we believe, is adopted in the great works of the Manchester Water Company. It is time, however, some precautionary measures should be taken throughout the United Kingdom; and we think it is the duty of the authorities in the different districts where these large undertakings are situated, to make themselves satisfied that public companies do not take advantage of their localities for the purpose of obtaining supplies of water to populous towns, at the risk of the lives and property of themselves and neighbours. If anything prompt us to exertion, surely the natural instinct of self-preservation should do so. Situated as Wicklow is to the Vartry and the works of the Dublin Water Company, it behoves the people to be on the alert, to their own interests and safety, in reference to these matters; and we do not think we are wrong in calling public attention to the subject, without wishing to create alarm or suggesting anything which might forebode some anticipated disaster.
But really these terrible accidents seem so many Providential warnings - the loss of more than two hundred and fifty lives, and the destruction of property to the amount of half a million of money - call to us not to raise the cry of alarm, but with the voice of warning, to urge a watchful supervision over those impending dangers, which might entail upon our town, though to a much smaller extent, the calamities of the Sheffield disaster, in the sacrifice of life, the destruction of property, and all the misery attendant upon the wreck and ruin of families and homes.
- Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, March 19, 1864.
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Part 1.
Summary of News.
Rathdrum Union - The persons nominated as Guardians for the Moneystown and Trooperstown Divisions of this union are Messrs Michael Byrne and Thomas Byrne of Moneystown, and Moneystown Hill, and for the Oldtown Division, Messrs Thomas Valentine and James Fleming of Roundwood, Farmers.
Rathdown Union - A contest is anticipated for the post of Poor Law Guardians, in the Rathdown Union, for Kingstown. Mr Hennessy, late Town Commissioner, offering himself in the Roman Catholic interest. Messrs Hasler and Chambers, JP., the present and for many years the guardians representing the place at the board, in the Protestant interest, intend it is understood stoutly to defend their position.
Arklow Lifeboat - On Tuesday morning a vessel was observed by the coxswain of the Arklow Lifeboat to be aground on the bank. The lifeboat of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution was immediately launched, and reached the bank in about an hour and a half. The crew were unwilling to leave, hoping that their vessel would float off at high water, which turned out the case. The lifeboat then accompanied her for some time, fearing that she might have sprung a leak while in contact with the bank, but on signal being made that no injury was received, the coxswain returned to shore. The Blue Eyed Maid, of London, being in the offing when the boat was returning, and observing that she was falling to leeward, owing to the strong tide running against her, and that she would have much difficulty in making Arklow, hove to and took her in tow, and brought her up to the bar. This considerate act deserves to be noticed as worthy of imitation.
Accident to a Steamboat - The Steamer that left the North Wall, Dublin, on Saturday night last, laden with passengers, goods and 275 pigs, bound for Holyhead, met with an accident of a very dangerous character, about five miles beyond the Kish light, the boiler having burst and disabling the vessel, she remained in the position mentioned all night. On Sunday the engineer succeeded in getting steam up, and brought the vessel back to the North Wall. Though all on board were much alarmed, no accident very fortunately occurred.
Attempt at Piracy on the Mayo Coast - On the night of the 7th of this month, at the hour of ten o'clock, a desperate attempt was made to plunder the schooner ''Vixen'' laden with flour, in Blacksod Bay, where she was driven for refuge by stress of weather. The crew of three boats, numbering about twenty men, boarded the schooner on coming to anchor and set about opening the hatches, but the captain, with great presence of mind, quickly set up a blue light and rocket, which had the effect of deterring them in their purpose, and they took to their boats, fearing the approach of the coast-guards.
Important Charge - At the Cork Assizes on Saturday last, Judge Keogh, in addressing the Grand Jury said, ''I am happy to be able to state that the business before you at the present assizes will be light. The calendar contains not more than 25 cases, which are not henious nor aggravated. Considering the extent of the county, the vast range of districts it comprises, including almost one-tenth of Ireland, with a population of five or six hundred thousand persons, the information before me is not in any way discreditable to that large population.
Donegal Assizes - Mr Justice Hayes, at Lifford, on opening the assizes on Saturday, stated in his charge to the Grand Jury, that he was ''filled with dismay at the great prevalence of illicit distillation which (he observed) was the beginning of crime. He regretted also to find the county proclaimed as the headquarters of agrarian conspiracy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assizes
Quit Rents (Ireland) - A return has been issued, showing the gross and net amounts of Irish Quit and Crown rents received and applied by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests in each year from the 5th day of January, 1861, to the 5th day of January, 1863. It appears from this paper that the receipts in 1861 - 62 were £47,057, and the expenditure £3,100, showing a surplus of £43,957; and the receipts in 1862 - 63 were £46,912, and the expenditure was £2,955, leaving a surplus of £44,027.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quit-rent
Latest Intelligence.
Italy - We are informed that collisions have taken place in Rome between the French and Pontifical troops. Detachments of troops patrol the city night and day, to maintain order. The populace participate in the conflicts by siding with the Papal soldiers.
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Part 2.
Home News.
The Earl of Donoughmore, in the House of Lords on Thursday, inquired whether government intended to take any steps to reorganize the Irish constabulary. He complained of the exclusively military character of the force, and its centralization. Earl Granville defended the constabulary, on the ground that the peculiar circumstances of Ireland rendered a military organization necessary. The government had, however, communicated with the executive in Ireland [Dublin Castle] to see what could be done to improve the efficiency of the force.
The time-honoured custom of setting aside the 17th of March as a holiday throughout Ireland, to commemorate the advent of St. Patrick, was observed throughout the length and breadth of the land with customary eclat. In the metropolis the day was celebrated by the trooping of the Castle guard, formed by companies of the different regiments now stationed in Dublin, in the presence of His Excellency and a distinguished company. Several thousand persons assembled to witness the imposing sight. In Wicklow the day was observed as a partial holiday, and, with the exception of a few drunken brawls, which were soon quietened by the activity of the Constabulary, the day passed over in a peaceful and pleasant manner.
- The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, March 19, 1864.
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Part 1.
Wicklow Town Commissioners.
Monday, March 14, 1864.
A meeting of the Town Commissioners was held in the Court House on Monday evening last, at eight o'clock, the following members of the Board being in attendance:
George Wynne, Esq. Chairman; Dr. A. Nolan, Messrs J. Perrin, J. Nolan, J. Hayden, J. Chapman, J.P. Hopkins, T. Troy, J. Oakes, J. Pim, Wm. McPhail, and R. Halpin, Secretary.
The Chairman said, in reference to the letting of the old Market House, they were taken by surprise at the last meeting. An application had been made for it which he thought very advantageous, when a verbal proposal was made on the instant by another party, which, in his opinion, was not so favourable as the first one. It would be for them, however, to consider the merits of each, and decide at once as to the most eligible one.
Mr. Hayden said he was not opposed to letting the Market House to Mr. McPhail, at the same time making allusion to a claim he had to materials at present in the building.
The Chairman said they could not entertain the question of any claim Mr. Hayden might suppose he had; they were met for the purpose of considering a special subject - the letting of the Market House.
Mr. Chapman thought if Mr. Hayden had wished to remain as tenant, the Commissioners would not have removed him so long as he paid the rent. Mr. Hayden had not only surrendered it, but in such a manner that it looked like taking advantage of the Secretary. The Commissioners were bound to set the premises to the best advantage.
After some further observations in support of Mr. Chapman's views from Mr. Hopkins and Dr. Nolan, Mr. McPhail stated the terms of his application, namely, to take the Market House for four years certain, and to expend the sum of £40, provided the commissioners granted a lease for 75 years, when they had the power to do so.
Mr. Hayden objected to the letting of the Market House to anyone. He considered the Commissioners did him an injustice in not letting him the premises.
Mr. Perrin observed that there was no injustice done by the Commissioners, for he had himself surreptitiously given up the concern.
Dr. A. Nolan then moved the following resolution, which was seconded by Mr. Perrin: -
Resolved: That the premises known as the Town Hall and Market House be let to Mr. William McPhail, at the yearly rent of £23 per annum, from the 25th March, 1864, for four years certain, at the expiration of which time the Commissioners, as far as in their power, do engage to grant him a lease of the premises for 75 years.
Mr. Hayden moved an amendment, which was seconded by Mr. Troy, that the premises be let only from year to year.
Dr. Nolan said, that if a person proposed to take premises for so lengthened a period as 75 years, it was a most favourable proposition, as he would lay out doubtless a substantial sum in improvements; and would not the outlay of £40 be equivalent to any benefit it was supposed they were granting in giving up the old materials about the premises.
The amendment having been put to the meeting by the Chairman, it was negatived, 3 voting for it, and 7 against.
The original proposition was carried.
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Part 2.
Monthly Meeting of the Board of Commissioners continued:
A memorial from shipowners in the town of Wicklow was read, respecting the dues paid by vessels frequenting the port, and, after some discussion, it was proposed by Dr. Nolan and seconded by Mr. Chapman, that the resolution of the 25th of April, 1862, be rescinded, and that the rates for vessels from the 1st of May next should be 4d per ton annually for Wicklow vessels, provided all arrears were paid up on or before the 1st of May next; and 3d per ton for foreign vessels each voyage.
It was proposed by Mr. Nolan and seconded by Mr. Hopkins, that the mooring fees for boats under 15 tons should be 6d each voyage - Carried.
Mr Hayden moved a resolution, which was seconded by Mr Chapman, that 10 per cent be allowed to Mr Hutchinson for collecting the tolls.
Mr. Chapman said, in reference to any further outlay on the harbour, that from conversations he had had with the Surveyor, that official was of opinion it would be useless to expend any more money at present. He thought the Harbour Master ought to report at once any timber that was loose about the quays which was the property of the Commissioners, and if any be stolen, to endeavour to trace out the offenders, with a view to their punishment.
The Chairman thought it would be useless to expend more on the harbour. In reference to the duties of the Harbour Master, that official ought to take every means of protecting the property of the Commissioners.
Mr. Chapman suggested that all small matters that required doing should be done out of the tolls, without touching any moneys borrowed by the Commissioners.
The Chairman said he wished to draw that attention of the Board to the state of the Murrough. It was the most attractive part of the town for strangers, and he hoped before they adjourned that they would come to some resolution to attend to it.
Mr. Hopkins stated it was his opinion that the Chairman had power to protect the Murrough.
The Chairman thought his power was not available without funds. If the Commissioners would empower him to act, and furnish him with means, he should be able to carry out the work.
Mr. Chapman made some remarks respecting the cartage of timber, which was one cause of the state of the Murrough.
Mr. Hopkins alluded to the value of the Murrough for the exercise of the militia during the period of their embodiment in Wicklow, and the Chairman observed that a little thing would drive them away, if no inducement were held out to encourage their annual assemblage in the town.
Mr. Chapman said it was important that it should be done now; it would not be wise to wait until another meeting.
After a few words from Dr. A. Nolan, in reference to the necessity of some steps being taken to preserve the condition of the Murrough, and keep up its attractions for visitors to the town, it was resolved that Mr. Edwards be written to respecting the state of the Murrough, that the timber now deposited there be removed by water, and that in future none be stored there, and that the timber deposited along the banks of the river be likewise removed.
The meeting then adjourned.
- The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, March 19, 1864.
The photo attached depicts timber strewn along the Wicklow quays, with the Morrough in the distance (c.1890).
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Part 3.
Wicklow Rifle Militia - This fine regiment will assemble here on Saturday, the 14th of May, for 21 days training, and we have no doubt the men will conduct themselves in the same orderly way they have hitherto done in former years, during their periodical stay in Wicklow.
Baltinglass Union, Thursday.
Thomas S. Dennis Esq. in the Chair. Other Guardians present - Edward A. Dennis, Esq., Messrs Robert Parke, Charles Wynne, Edward Heydon, and Patrick Kelley.
State of the House.
Remaining since last week, 295; in infirmary 37; in Fever Hospital 14; admitted 18; born 0; died 0; discharged 11; remaining 301. Corresponding number last year 286.
Finance
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Cost of Provisions received, £46 11s 9d. Do.consumed, £39 2s 2d. Average cost per head, weekly, 2s 5d. Do. in Fever Hospital, 4s 4d. Do. in Infirmary, 2s 7d. Amount of Poor Rate collected and lodged during the week, £000 00s 0d. Do. Uncollected, £1,672 19s 1d. Balance in favour of Guardians £1,756 18s 4d. Cost of Out-relief for the week, £2 16s 6d.
- The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, March 19, 1864.
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Part 1.
I've already referred to the special relationship between Francis Wakefield, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, and R W Halpin, Town Clerk, Secretary to the Harbour Board, Post Master and Bookseller. Both men were committed radicals and devoted their entire political lives to the improvement of Wicklow's economy and the reform of Local Government in Ireland. According to his obituary, Wakefield was not quite a Home Ruler, but he was certainly a strong supporter of many of Gladstone's attempts to secure greater political independence for Ireland. R W Halpin, who was also Wakefield's personal agent, openly supported the nationalist cause and enjoyed the respect of most of Wicklow's Catholic community. Joseph McCarroll, one of the county's most notable nationalist politicians in the last quarter of the 19th century, spoke with sincere appreciation of R W Halpin's services after the latter died in 1883, and James Everett, Wicklow's longest serving TD, referred to my great, great grandfather with genuine feeling when relatives of mine visited Wicklow in the 1950s. Everett never met R W Halpin, but he heard a great deal about him from Joe McCarroll, and was taught by Robert James Halpin (1872 - 1960), who was R W Halpin's grandson. Over the next few months I intend to post a good deal about the daily political activities of Francis Wakefield and R W Halpin, which should allow readers to form an appreciation of their reformative endeavours. In the mean time, this letter, published by Wakefield in June 1868, gives some insight into the kinds of issues he and my great great grandfather concerned themselves with.
(I have made some slight changes to the original text to improve clarity.)
The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, June 20, 1868.
Wicklow Dispensary.
To The Editor Of The Wicklow Newsletter:
Sir - Since I have bee a resident in Ireland I have noticed that what Albert Smith* called ''the poor man dodge'' is extremely worked. In any legal question the fact of the plaintiff or defendant being a ''poor man'' is eagerly brought forward by counsel for the favourable consideration of the jury. In every other display of oratory, on the hustings, at commissioners meetings, each speaker endeavours to impress upon his audience his eager desire to benefit this object of universal sympathy. I am quite ready to concede that when the jury, the members of Parliament, and the commissioners, discover that they can benefit the ''poor man'' without injuring themselves financially, or offending their prejudices, or inconveniencing themselves in any way, they readily lean towards him, sometimes to the perversion of justice. But the fact remains that the hardworking poor in Ireland have been worse paid and had less consideration given to their wants than in any country with which I am acquainted. Now I have the pen in my hand I can scarcely refrain from giving your readers my late experience of the wretched hovels in which the poor dwell, and the utter disregard of all sanitary considerations in choosing the sites of their habitations. The bottom of two steep lanes where foul drainage stagnates, appears a favourite site for the friends of the poor man to locate their charge.
However, my present letter is the consideration of how we are going to doctor the poor man when the wear and tear of life, insufficient food and foul lodging lay him up, and the rate-payers have to keep him and his family. In your last impression on the obituary of Dr. Banks, you alluded to the prodigious amount of work he had to undergo for £100 per annum. I know one instance in which a gentleman acting for him had to travel 36 Irish miles in 24 hours to one patient, and there are in the district 10,000 people who may require the services of the Wicklow Dispensary Doctor! It was quite right in dealing with that subject that you only dwelt on the hardships Dr. Banks had to suffer. Indeed, the situation of a gentleman by birth and education, obliged by the demands of a growing family, to undertake an amount of work no one could thoroughly perform, for a sum which would hardly pay for the keep of his horse and the wear and tear of his clothes and gig, is painful in the extreme, and I, for my part, feel that there is something degrading in the idea that the agent who spends two or three days in the year collecting from tenants £2,000, and the auctioneer who sells in a few hours £2,000 worth of property, receive the same sum as a surgeon, who, after an expensive education, and a rigid examination, attends to the health of some thousands of people for a whole year, up late and early, out in all weathers, exposed to all dangers from contagious diseases. But my present purpose is to consider the claims of the poor, to have proper medical attendance, and I confess I consider the report that the Dispensary Committee intends reducing the surgeon's salary to £85 per annum as a heartless joke. The fact is however, that, as about £20 is received for the arduous and tiresome work of registration, some clever cheese-parer amongst the committee thinks this £20 may be reckoned as part of the salary! I have not heard that the fortunate gentleman who may be elected to the post of surgeon will be expected to give an account of any private practice he may obtain and take the amount from the £85 per annum, but no one need be astonished should this be the case.
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Part 2.
But sir, it is quite impossible that even on £100 per annum any man can do justice to this district. It must be either divided and Ashford, Glenealy, Dunran, &c., formed into one district, while Wicklow, Rathnew, &c., form the other, or the dispensary doctor must be allowed an assistant. The former plan would be far the best and secure quicker attendance upon the sick, for hours must often elapse before anyone taken ill or being injured beyond the Devil's Glen can send into Wicklow and find the surgeon, who may be attending a case near Sea-park. It would of course involve more expense if two medical officers at £75 were engaged instead of one at £100, and even if one were allowed £30 per annum towards an assistant, there would be a little apparent saving. However, I maintain that the ''poor'' who we are all so anxious - in theory at any rate - to serve, are entitled to have their wants in illness ministered to in a far more efficient manner than has hitherto been possible. I hear there is at least one clergyman on the committee. No doubt he will remind his colleagues far better than I can do, of all the moral and religious obligations which bind them to consider the claims of the sick and the needy. I will merely take the low ground of the rate-payer. In the first place, badly paid work is badly done. The poor fellows I knew years ago in the West, who were employed at 9 pence per day, were unable to do a quarter of a day's work. The railway and bank directors, however, who received handsome salaries and had no responsibilities, have robbed their shareholders of thousands. Therefore, divide your district, and pay your dispensary doctors something worth having. Don't let people who can afford to pay get free tickets, and when the time for attendance at the dispensary arrives, see the doctor is at his post. In the second place, if a man is laid up, he cannot earn wages. If he dies, his wife and family come on the parish. The object of the ratepayer is to get a sick man well as speedily as possible, and not to let him die by any means. Suppose by not having a doctor in time 5 men die every year, and thus five families of 4 each are thrown on the parish, that is 20 people, and each of these costs 4 shillings a week, that is £200 per annum. Let the rate-payers reflect on this pecuniary drain every year, mounting up for five years at least, till the aggregate run is £1,000 per annum, then I am sure all will vote for two doctors well paid and well kept up to their work.
I am, yours &c., Francis Wakefield.
Wicklow, June 18, 1868.
* Albert Smith: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Richard_Smith
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Part 1.
Wicklow Town Commissioners.
A special meeting of this Board, convened by requisition, was held at 7 o'clock on Monday evening last, in the County Courthouse. The following Commissioners attended:
Dr. Andrew Nolan, Chairman, Messrs. Francis Wakefield, Thomas Doolittle, John Hayden, James W. Dillon, John Chapman, Henry McPhail, John O'Brien, Thomas Smyth, Thomas Troy, and William McPhail; Robert Halpin, Secretary.
The Corporation Land - Allowance For Raw Stubble, &c.
Mr Chapman proposed that the tenants should be allowed the first half-year's rent for such portions of their land as is in raw stubble or broken ground.
Mr Wakefield was of opinion that this allowance should only be granted to those tenants paying £4 per acre.
The Chairman - I think it would be well if you would define the fields where the allowance should be made.
Mr Hayden - I think you might confine it to Carr's late holding.
Mr Wakefield - I am under the impression that some gentlemen have been given this allowance in the fixing of the rents. Have any persons been granted land at a low rent because some of it was in raw stubble?
Mr Chapman - No.
Mr Henry McPhail - If I do not make a great mistake I believe a resolution has been already passed that the tenants getting possession in November would not come under rent until the March following.
The Chairman - That has no relation with the question before us.
Mr Chapman - I don't know the reason why Mr Wakefield should put in the proviso that the allowance should be made only to the tenants paying £4 an acre. The resolution I have proposed would take in every person that fell in for raw stubble or broken ground. Among those is Mr James Byrne. If the Commissioners think he should not be granted the allowance I have no objection: but whether they do or not there is another holding which should have the advantage of it, and that is, a part of the field held originally by Mr Byrne which was given to Mr Thomas Doolittle. The broken land on that should have the same advantage as the rest.
(Here Mr O'Brien called upon the Chairman to show him the requisition convening the meeting as it was a special one.)
Chairman - I know that this meeting was called by the unanimous consent of the committee, and at least four of the Commissioners signed the requisition.
Mr O'Brien - But you know you cannot call a special meeting unless there is a requisition for it, signed by at least one-third of the Commissioners. I require the requisition to be produced; our meeting must be legally constituted.
The Secretary Mr Halpin then went for the requisition.
Several Commissioners thought that seven members of the Board had signed the requisition, and that they might go on with the business.
Mr Wakefield - As you wish the business to go on I must say that in my experience I do not know of any books that show more injustice than the books of the Wicklow Commissioners. I consider that lately we have not acted justly and equally, and it shall not go on without my protest.
The Chairman - Mr Wakefield, I must call you to order, because I think you are making a gross attack on the Commissioners, and I am sure you will admit that an attack of that kind should not be made. I must request you to confine your observations to the resolution at present before us.
Mr Wakefield - I am coming to that. Mr Chapman by a series of resolutions has compelled us to commit an injustice which really I am ashamed of. I will tell you what we have done: I believe I proposed that Mr Connor should have his land at 17s 6d per acre. Mr Chapman advisedly -
The Chairman - I must protest against you saying anything about Mr Chapman doing acts 'advisedly'. What he proposed received the full consent of the Commissioners, and if you reflect upon him in that way you reflect upon the whole body. I cannot sit here and allow an individual Commissioner to bring a charge against another for what the whole Board has confirmed, and I must say Mr Chapman's resolutions were framed with an intelligence and zeal which should be commended.
Mr Wakefield - I am just telling you what we have done.
Mr Chapman - You must confine yourself to the business.
Mr Wakefield - We took a piece of land from Mr Connor which was immediately assigned at £2 10s per acre to Mr Fox, one of the most respectable men in this town. The piece of land given to Mr Connor, in place of this, for 17s 6d an acre, is to be taken back and given to Mr Fox at £4 per acre. Now, if you consider that is fair, I am done with my notions of what is fair and right. In the case of Mr Byrne, his land was given at the low rent of £2 an acre because he got raw stubble. I heard Mr Chapman say that himself - I remember it distinctly. In addition to that allowance are we to give him half a year's rent? When you are going to put a £4 rent for bad land on a respectable inhabitant, who has laid out a great deal of money in the town, I have a right to be heard, and I will see justice done. We have passed a lot of resolutions, and after all very probably what we have done will be upset. You have already granted an allowance to Mr Byrne for the raw stubble. Now you propose to give him further compensation.
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Part 2.
Mr Chapman - Almost every word Mr Wakefield has said is incorrect and untrue.
Mr Hayden - I object to that language. Mr Chapman should not charge anyone with being untrue.
Mr Dillon - I believe no Commissioner has a right to say that the words of another are untrue.
The Chairman - I think not.
Mr Chapman - With regard to the fixing of the rents I had nothing to do with it. I never said that because Mr Byrne got raw stubble his rent should be £2 per acre. I had nothing to do with that. It was fixed by a vote of the Commissioners; and I was neither the proposer nor the seconder of the resolution on his rent. With regard to the rent on Mr Connor, I had nothing whatever to say about it. I never proposed a rent on anyone, but in several instances I objected to a high rent being placed on some parties. The only thing I took any part in was the procuring of the grazing land, and the dividing of the plot called ''the orchard plot.'' Why Mr Wakefield should focus his attack on me I cannot imagine, unless it is because I opposed an application of his at the last meeting, which I shall feel bound to oppose as long as I am Commissioner. But whenever Mr Wakefield proposes anything that is right and fair, I shall support him.
Mr Wakefield - As far as the rent on Mr Connor goes I know that I proposed it, but I must say that I was told that it would be no advantage to anyone to get Connor's land at the high rent of £4 per acre.
Mr Chapman - I was not at all the proposer of that change of land. The only thing that occurred to me in that matter was that that field might be of great advantage to some parties living in the town, and what was given to Mr Connor was more than what he had before. When I went out to see it, I perceived at once that there was some mistake.
Mr Wakefield - I am very glad that Mr Chapman has given this explanation. In my observations I may have been rather warm, but Mr Chapman admits that there was a mistake made.
The Chairman - We saw that we had committed a mistake and we accordingly took steps to rectify it.
Mr Chapman - I had nothing to do with fixing the rents.
Mr Wakefield - Well, if so, I beg your pardon.
The Chairman - I think that when the rent of £4 was fixed on Carr's plot, Mr Chapman intimated that there should be allowances made for worn ground in that instance, but I think it was solely restricted to that plot.
Mr Chapman - I would say let all get the allowance except Mr James Byrne.
Mr Wakefield - The misfortune is that every man that has not got what he had before is not satisfied. We have gone on no principle. What you should have done in fixing the rents was to have taken the poor law valuation as a basis, and then, before you made any distribution, fix it 25 or 50 per cent, or as much as you like over that. Then I don't think anyone could find fault with us.
Mr Hayden - That question is not at present before us, Mr Wakefield.
Mr Chapman - I will put in the words ''on Carr's late holding only'' in my resolution if you wish, or if you like to put in the field held by Mr Thomas Doolittle I shall do so. I objected to the rent put on that field at the time it was fixed as I thought it was too high.
Mr Henry McPhail - There is half of the land held by Mr Thomas Doolittle raw ground.
Mr Wakefield - The Chairman confirms me in my statement that Mr Byrne got his land at a low rent because it was broken land.
The Chairman - Decidedly.
A resolution was then proposed by Mr Chapman and seconded by Mr Wakefield to the effect that the tenants on Carr's late holding be allowed the first half year's rent on such portions of their land as is in raw stubble or broken ground: the same allowance to be made in the case of the broken ground in Mr Doolittle's field.
The resolution was passed.
The Commissioners were then proceeding to other business when the Secretary returned with the requisition which he said was signed by only four members of the Board. He also stated that he did not receive any notice of it until Saturday evening, and he had not time to get more signatures.
The Chairman said they could go on no further with the proceedings, and what they had passed fell to the ground. It was a pity to lose so much time.
Mr O'Brien - But I don't think I am to be blamed for calling for the requisition.
The Chairman - Oh, certainly not.
Another requisition for a meeting to be held on the following Thursday was then drawn out and signed by the Commissioners, after which the meeting adjourned.
- The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, June 20, 1868.
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Continued from the previous page. Part 3.
An adjourned special meeting of the Town Commissioners was held on Thursday evening. On the motion of Mr. Henry McPhail, seconded by Mr J. D. Smith (in the absence of Dr. Nolan), the chair was taken by Mr John Chapman.
Other Commissioners present: Messrs. William Magee, J.P., Francis Wakefield, John Arthur Travers, Thomas Doolittle, James W. Dillon, Thomas Troy, John Hayden, Thomas Smith, John O'Brien, Henry McPhail, Michael McCabe, J. D. Smith and William McPhail. Robert Halpin, Secretary.
The Corporation Land.
At the request of the Chairman, Mr Wakefield proposed: "That the tenants on Carr's late holding and the Green Hill field lately in possession of Mr James Byrne, be allowed the first half-year's rent for such portions of their land as is in raw stubble or broken ground.''
Mr Henry McPhail seconded the resolution which was passed unanimously.
Refusal of Mr Charles Kavanagh to Sign Letter of Proposal For Crops.
The Secretary said: All the tenants have signed the letters of proposal for the crops, with the exception of Mr Charles Kavanagh, who refused to acknowledge that he had given up the land, and expressed himself so that I understood him to say that he would hold the land in defiance of the Commissioners.
Mr Wakefield - Is there any person representing Mr Kavanagh here?
The Secretary - I think not, Sir: All the other tenants signed with the greatest pleasure.
Mr Henry McPhail - I think Mr Kavanagh is under some misapprehension, and I am very sorry for it as he is a most respectable man. Mr Chairman, did not Mr Kavanagh some time ago express to you his willingness to take his crops in the usual way like the other tenants?
The Chairman - He did.
Mr Henry McPhail - It is extraordinary that he should change his mind.
Mr J D Smith - What does he mean by setting the Commissioners at defiance? Is it his intention to hold the land?
Mr Henry McPhail - We cannot answer that.
Mr J D Smith - Has he got possession?
The Chairman - No.
Mr Hayden - I propose that the present Chairman tender the agreement to Mr Kavanagh for signature.
Mr J D Smith - I second that.
Mr Henry McPhail - I think that would not be a judicious course. You have offered the crops to Mr Kavanagh on the same terms as to the other tenants. All the others have come forward and signed the agreement most willingly, and although Mr Kavanagh is a deserving man and should receive a great deal of consideration from us, still he has refused, and we must take some other steps to meet that refusal.
The Chairman - I was the principal person who induced the Commissioners to give the tenants their crops, as I thought it was only fair and right that they should get them. I think it my duty now to say that the Commissioners ought to carry out their resolutions strictly. With regard to these crops, as in every other part of the business they have gone through, the Commissioners have acted fairly and justly in my opinion, and I believe, in the opinion of most people, and I think they ought to carry out this resolution as strictly as all the others. I am satisfied that if they do carry it out determinedly, but at the same time justly, it will be agreed to without any hesitation, because there is nothing unfair, or unreasonable, or unjust in it. All the other tenants were most thankful to us for having treated them so kindly. If we submit to what Mr Kavanagh is doing we will upset our arrangements with five new tenants.
A lengthy discussion then followed. Ultimately, on the suggestion of Mr Henry McPhail, a messenger was sent to ask Mr Kavanagh to come to the meeting in order that he might give an explanation. However, he refused to attend, and after some further discussion, Mr Wakefield proposed and Mr J D Smith seconded, that thhe Secretary should write the following letter to Mr Kavanagh: -
"Sir - I am directed by the Wicklow Town Commissioners to inform you that unless you sign the agreement relative to the crops, the Commissioners will otherwise dispose of them. You will please reply to this by Monday next.''
This letter was agreed to by the Commissioners and the proposition of Mr Wakefield passed.
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Part 4.
The Green Hill Field.
The Chairman announced that Mr Thomas Doolittle refused to hold the Green Hill field which was allotted to him.
Mr Wajkefield - Would his brother take it? I would propose that it should not be taken out of the family.
Mr Dillon - Captain Doolittle considers that the field is out of the way and that the rent is very high.
The Chairman - I objected to the rent of £4 being being put on that field as I thought it was too high. However, the Commissioners settled, and determinedly settled it at that rate.
Mr Henry McPhail strongly advised Mr Doolittle to hold the field for the present, and said that after a time the rent might be reduced.
Mr Doolittle - I will not take it, nor will I subject myself to the obloquy [strong public condemnation] that has been thrown upon those Commissioners who it has been stated have got land by preconcerted arrangements. I will never give the public a chance of casting reproach upon me for being concerned in such work. I was reared in the principles of a gentleman*, and I shall always act upon them. (Mr Doolittle then left the meeting.)
Mr Hayden proposed ''That in the event of Mr Doolittle finally deciding not to hold the Green Hill field, it be given to Mr Parker.''
Mr Wakefield seconded that proposition.
Mr Henry McPhail - I think Mr Doolittle is a little excited this evening, as he is if the opinion that he has not been fairly dealt with. Mr Parker has as good a right to land as any man that has got it, but we should give Mr Doolittle time to consider.
Mr Hayden - I mean that of course he should have full time for consideration.
Mr O'Brien proposed as an amendment (on Mr Hayden's resolution) ''that the question stand adjourned until Monday to receive the final answer of Mr Doolittle.''
Mr Dillon seconded the amendment.
On a division the votes were: - For the amendment: Messrs. O'Brien, Dillon, J D Smith, Mr Troy, T Smith, and Mr McCabe (6).
Against: Messrs. Magee, Wakefield, W. McPhail, Travers, Hayden and H McPhail (6).
The Chairman gave his casting vote against the amendment and the resolution was carried.
Distribution of Land.
Mr Henry McPhail proposed that Mr Fox should get the two fields taken from Mr Connor. He said - From the state the far field is in, if you don't give Mr Fox the two fields, one will be of no use to him, at least for some time. Talking of the expenditure on the Corporation property let me remind you that no one has expended so large an amount of money in the town as the Fox family, and I think it is only due to them that they should get the fullest accommodation. I think they have been overlooked, and we should give those two fields to them.
Several Commissioners stated that Mr Fox only wanted one field.
A resolution proposing that ''Mr Fox get the grass field'' was then passed.
Mr Wakefield proposed that the other field should be given to Mr Edward Doolittle.
Mr Dillon seconded.
Mr Hayden - I have an amendment to propose, and that is, that the question stand over till Monday's meeting.
Mr O'Brien seconded Mr Hayden's amendment, which was carried by a majority of 8 to 4.
The resolution proposed by Mr Wakefield was accordingly lost.
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Part 5.
Arthur Healy's Holding.
It was passed ''That Arthur Healy be allowed to sell his goodwill in his holding, subject to the usual building requirements of the Commissioners.''
Harbour Master's Salary.
A prolonged discussion then ensued on the harbour dues, Harbour Master's salary, &c., a full report of which we are reluctantly compelled to omit through want of space.
Mr O'Brien proposed ''that the harbour dues at present in the bank be given to the Harbour Master in part payment of his salary.''
Mr Dillon having seconded this proposition, it was passed.
It was suggested that, if the harbour dues were not sufficient to pay the salary of the Harbour Master, his services should be discontinued.
The Rents.
The claims of several creditors having been brought under the notice of the Commissioners, and finding that there were no funds to meet their demands, attention was called to the large number of the tenants on the Corporation estate being in arrear. A resolution long since adopted was read, in which the agent was requested to institute legal proceedings in every instance for the recovery of the rents. The Board was of the unanimous opinion that inasmuch as the tenants who are defaulters held at very low rent, the most rigorous means should be taken to enforce punctual payments. This ought to be a caution to the tenants to come forward at once and pay their rents.
The Board then adjourned till seven o'clock on Monday evening next. The meeting terminated about 10.30pm.
*Wiki: The word gentleman as an index of rank had already become of doubtful value before the great political and social changes of the 19th century gave to it a wider and essentially higher significance. The change is well illustrated in the definitions given in the successive editions of the Encyclopædia Britannica. In the 5th edition (1815), "a gentleman is one, who without any title, bears a coat of arms, or whose ancestors have been freemen." In the 7th edition (1845) it still implies a definite social status: "All above the rank of yeomen." In the 8th edition (1856), this is still its "most extended sense"; "in a more limited sense" it is defined in the same words as those quoted above from the 5th edition; but the writer adds, "By courtesy this title is generally accorded to all persons above the rank of common tradesmen when their manners are indicative of a certain amount of refinement and intelligence."
The Reform Act 1832 did its work; the middle classes came into their own, and the word gentleman came in common use to signify not a distinction of blood, but a distinction of position, education and manners.
By this usage, the test is no longer good birth or the right to bear arms, but the capacity to mingle on equal terms in good society.
- The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, June 20, 1868.
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Dublin Markets.
For The Week Ending Friday, June 19.
Cattle Market, Yesterday.
We had an increased supply of stock at market this morning, the numbers being 1,170 beasts, and 7,720 sheep and lambs, against 1,013 beasts and 7,178 sheep and lambs last week. Owing to the great drought and very scorching weather, which is producing much more injurious effects in England than in this country, the English graziers are forcing their stock into market, and that, with a very large importation of Spanish cattle, has caused prices to give way considerably. We reduce our quotations today, beef being sold at 63s to 67s 6d per cwt., and mutton 5.5 to 6.5 per lb. Lambs, 14s to 30s, and, even at this reduction, a clearance could not be made.
Dublin, Wicklow, & Wexford Railway.
A meeting of the holders of the 5 per cent preference shares of 1859 and 1860 in the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway Company was held on Monday last, at the invitation of the directors. Mr A Parker, JP, occupied the chair in the absence of the chairman, Mr Waldron, and informed those present that the board would not be able to pay off the shares of the 30th inst., as agreed upon. It was contended by the shareholders that their stock held priority of all, with the exception of the debentures, and, after a long discussion, it was agreed to refer the question to a committee, who will obtain counsel's opinion and report to an adjourned meeting on the 29th inst.
Release of Mr Pigott.*
Mr Boyd, Governor of Richmond Bridewell, received on Monday night an order from the Lords Justices to release Mr Pigott, of the Irishman, from custody on the 22nd of August, on his perfecting the recognizances required by his sentence. Mr Pigott will thus have been subjected to six instead of twelve months' imprisonment.
- The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, June 20, 1868.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pigott
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Part 1.
The best way to present Francis Wakefield is through his own words and deeds. The less I have to say about the man the easier it will be for readers to form their own impression of him. A few facts will be helpful, though. Wakefield was born in Mansefield, Nottinghamshire, in about 1815 and came from a long line of reformist clergymen and liberal businessmen. He was an industrialist before arriving in Ireland in around 1843, and probably settled in Broomfield House, Wicklow, as a cattleman sometime in the early 1850s. In the mid-1860s he took an increasing interest in local politics and put himself forward as the radical candidate for Wicklow in the general election of 1868, stepping aside when Earl Fitzwilliam decided to challenge him for the seat. Wakefield appears as a member of the Wicklow Board of Commissioners at around this time, and soon after secured the Chairmanships of the Board of Commissioners and the Harbour Board, with Robert Wellington Halpin serving as his Secretary in both instances. After a gallant attempt to reform the way business was conducted in Wicklow, Wakefield was forced out of office by a combination of obstructive local monopolists, personal financial difficulties, and bad eyesight. He eventually retired to England in the late 1870s, and died in 1896.
Before presenting himself to the Wicklow people as a candidate for MP, Wakefield delivered a series of public speeches outlining his political views. I will publish extracts from those speeches over the next few weeks, along with reports from the Wicklow Newsletter about his activities as a Commissioner. By revealing something of Wakefield's political views, I'm hoping to shed a little light on the political views of his closest aid and friend, Robert Wellington Halpin.
Wakefield believed Ireland was badly governed. He felt the best way to change things was to win the support of the British public for radical reform. Part of the problem, he believed, was a lack of insight into the plight of the Irish people. To remedy that problem, and to bring the British people up to speed on what was happening in Ireland, Wakefield published a book, part memoir, part history, part political manifesto, called A Saxon's Remedy for Irish Discontent (1868). The book takes the British reader on a brief tour through the principal counties of Ireland, and produces what I regard as a fair and well-informed account of the main events in Irish history up to and including 1868. What follows are a few extracts from that book. I plan to publish a few more before the week is out.
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Part 2.
A Saxon’s Remedy for Irish Discontent.
In Queen Elizabeth’s time it was a doubtful point if her authority would be established, as army after army was defeated. The disgrace of Essex was partly owing to his bad success in Ireland. However, the climax of confusion ensued in Charles I.’s reign. The Irish as a nation remained true to the Roman Catholic faith, and when they rose in revolt, a dreadful massacre of Protestants took place. This massacre was the turning point of Irish history; it was the cause of Cromwell’s fearful reprisals, and of the division of the inhabitants into two distinct bodies – first, the English or Protestant party; secondly, the Irish or Roman Catholic party. The one, as I will proceed to explain, became possessed of all the property, power, and emoluments; the other were the serfs, who, as long as they were perfectly docile and obedient, had a right to exist, and nothing more.
No history is more perplexing than that of the Civil Wars in Ireland in the time of Charles I. Many of the leaders were continually changing sides; and when the victorious Parliamentarians of England turned their attention to Ireland, it is recorded that they actually captured and threw into the sea a body of soldiers who had been actively fighting against the rebels. When Cromwell took the matter in hand, he acted in his usual straightforward manner. The principal cities were taken; where resistance was offered, no quarter was given; and the ‘’Curse of Cromwell’’ is to this day a favourite mode of wishing evil fortune. His plan was simple and thorough: the native Irishry, as they were called, were to be driven to Connaught, the other three parts of Ireland were to be occupied by English and Scotch settlers. In the northern districts, the English companies and Scotch settlers occupied the lands, to the exclusion of the ancient inhabitants. The superior energy of the people, the favour shown to Protestants, and the prevalence of a custom that no tenant can be evicted except for non-payment of rent, also that he may dispose of the right to occupy his land should he wish to quit, have made the province of Ulster quite different from the rest of Ireland.
In Leinster and Munster many Roman Catholics, rebels, and partisans of Charles I., were killed, dispossessed, sold as slaves to the plantations, or driven into Connaught; but many were quietly allowed to remain by the English or native Protestants who had acquired their land; and many took to the mountains, and becoming Tories [sic] plundered where formerly they had received rents.
When James II. Attempted to re-establish the Catholic faith, the times looked better for these dispossessed gentlemen; some of them resumed their old inheritances when James himself came to Ireland, aided by the French; and if Derry had been taken, the Protestants would have suffered the horrors of Drogheda; but after the siege of that town was raised – after the ‘’Boyne and Aughrim’’ – and after the surrender of Limerick by Sarsfield, Protestantism again became completely in the ascendant.
Looking back to the Irish massacres, the constant trouble given by that nation, and the necessity for putting down at once and for ever Papal domination, one cannot wonder at the wholesale transference of property from the vanquished to the successful party, or at the severe enactments levelled against Irish and Roman Catholics. Had the other party been victorious, they would probably have been as bloodthirsty and unrelenting.
In those days almost every bit of real property and every particle of power were taken from the Irish, who were looked upon as an alien and conquered race. William’s Dutch favourites received whole counties of land; and French refugees, flying from the bigotry of Louis XIV., recovered in Ireland and from Papists the equivalent of property they had lost in France for having protested against Popery. Nevertheless, William III was blamed by the English Parliament for being too indulgent to Irish Catholics, and the English Parliament was appealed to by the Catholics themselves as being more honourable in its conduct than the Parliament of Ireland. It cannot, therefore, be doubted that the Protestants of Ireland, many of whom had lately endured the extremities of fire and sword, strained the penal laws to the utmost against the conquered race. In one respect, however, both Protestants and Catholics alike were unjustly treated; and the celebrated ‘’Drapier Letters’’ of Swift are a lasting proof of the intolerant attempts of England to crush all efforts to establish manufactures in Ireland.
The position of the new landlords required that they should not altogether break with the native population. A great tract of land is of little use to a man unless there are labourers to till it. Many of the sons or relations of the former proprietors agreed to pay rent for liberty to farm part of their late possessions; and leases for ever, for lives, or for long terms of years, were frequent during the eighteenth century.
[All italics are mine.]
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Part 3.
Gradually, as the population increased, the subdivision of land and the rents increased also; and as there was hardly any trade or manufactures, as the gentry were for the most part reckless and improvident, the situation of the smaller farmers and the peasantry became wretched in the extreme. All this time the laws against Papists continued not only severe, but absurd. A Roman Catholic was not allowed to possess a horse of over five pounds’ value, and instances are told of Irish gentlemen being compelled to dismount and give up their valuable hunters for this sum. At length came the American declaration of independence, followed by the French Revolution.
- (pp. 106 – 111.)
On the English backlash during the 1798 rebellion:
Then came the reprisals; many shocking cruelties had been perpetrated by the insurgents, but nothing could exceed the barbarities with which they were avenged. Lord Cornwallis had commanded in America and in India, but he was disgusted with the evil spirit which possessed his party. A clergyman at Arklow, who had been obliged to fly for his life from the rebels, has left his written opinion that the Royalist yeomanry were the more bloodthirsty of the two. Protestant gentlemen, Catholic priests, and Presbyterian parsons perished on the gibbet; surgeons who had been compelled to dress the wounds of rebels, kind-hearted gentlemen who had used their influence to save life, were shot by martial law, on no other evidence than the accusation of those they had benefited; the summary executions without evidence of guilt, the wanton destruction of life and property, are chronicled not only in the pages of novelists, but in the diaries of English officers; and while they are remembered with horror and indignation by the descendants of the victims in Ireland and America, it is to be hoped that it is also recollected that it was the Irish Royalists and yeomanry who were eager for bloodshed and rapine, and the English Government and soldiery who repressed instead of encouraged excesses.
I am particular in dilating upon the events of 1798, because, after the redistribution of lands under Cromwell and William III, it is the most important point for the consideration of us as Englishmen. The Protestant party always refer to it as a proof that in the memory of living men the Catholics have shown themselves sanguinary rebels, not fit to be trusted with power. It has kept alive among them that feeling of mingled hatred, fear, and scorn with which the Irish were regarded by the English colonists of two hundred years ago. On the other hand, ’98 is still bitterly remembered by many Irishmen. A man who can dimly remember his father and mother being shot, and all the family property destroyed, because his name happened to be the same as that of a rebel leader, can hardly be expected to have friendly feelings towards the sons of the Yeomanry captain who perpetrated the outrage; and it is hard to persuade the country people that a gentleman who is crippled for life, and who happens to be the immediate descendant of an officer who cut off the head of a poor carman for not bringing up ammunition quickly enough, is not expiating his ancestor’s crime. The sons of the men who were flogged, had pitched caps put on their heads, or were scored with a hot iron, not because they had done anything wrong, but to force them to give or invent evidence, must have ugly thoughts in their minds now and then, particularly if they are turned out of their own little holdings; and if they emigrate to America may tell tales of the condition of Ireland calculated to rouse up dangerous feelings in the breasts of their countrymen.
– (pp. 113 – 116.)
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Part 4.
[After the defeat of the United Irishmen, the Act of Union was implemented, ending Grattan’s Parliament and breaking every promise made to Irish Catholics. In the wake of the Union and the broken promises, Daniel O’Connell agitated for emancipation. See: http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/history/18001877.html ]
During this period agrarian outrages and assassinations prevailed to a dreadful extent. Even in those days of high prices the land was let as high as it could bear. When the rent was paid, tithes for the maintenance of the Protestant Church were levied. When an election took place the tenantry often had to vote for their Protestant landlords or be turned out of their farms. There was no Poor Law – thus to be turned out was to starve; nevertheless the farmers often voted contrary to their landlord’s dictation, and were evicted. But the landlord, his agent, or the new tenant, ran imminent risk from the secret societies.
After the Peace in 1815 [when Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, and Robert Wellington Halpin, Wicklow’s Town Clerk and Wakefield’s agent, was born] , rents still remained high, though the price of produce fell. Wholesale eviction was the order of the day, and Whiteboys, Cravats, and Shanavests tried, sentenced, and executed those whom they considered their persecutors.
Soon after George IV’s accession to the throne, he visited Ireland, and those who advised him to take such a step well calculated on the extraordinary veneration the people have in Ireland for the name of King and the visible presence of their ruler. Everyone was exuberantly loyal, broken promises were forgotten, and even O’Connell was fervent in his devotion to the stout elderly gentleman, who hardly dare show himself in the streets of London, so unpopular had he become, owing to the unseemly display connected with the funeral of Queen Caroline.
No measures favourable to Ireland followed this visit; but the Marquis of Wellesley, who again became Lord Lieutenant, held an even hand over Catholics and Protestants, and far-sighted men perceived that the inconsistency which had now prevailed for thirty years, of allowing Catholics to vote for members of Parliament, but not to sit there themselves, could no longer be kept up.
In 1829 the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel perceived that the measure of relief which had been so long promised to the Roman Catholics could not be delayed, and the Act known as ‘’Catholic Emancipation’’ was finally carried; though the King, even at the last moment, stated he was coerced into it, and his brother, the Duke of Cumberland, was vehement in his opposition. The Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV, made a great impression by his statement of the joy which would have been felt by Nelson and other naval heroes had they been alive to see the Irish Catholic sailors, who had joined with Protestants in defending the British flag, made equal with themselves in civil and religious liberty.
– (pp. 120 – 122.)
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Part 5.
Wakefield moves on to focus on O’Connell’s activism after Catholic Emancipation:
Agrarian outrages still continued, and many of the most eminent of the Roman Catholic divines acknowledged the necessity for the Coercion Bill. The truth was, that the secret societies went far beyond even the ‘’wild justice of revenge’’ O’Connell talked of. Whole families were murdered, not because they had violated any of the unwritten laws respecting land, but because one of them had resisted being plundered of arms, or was perhaps suspected of having given evidence about some petty matter.
No doubt the energies of O’Connell and the melodies of Moore riveted the public attention to the wrongs of Ireland, but it will always be a debated point if the constant promise of ‘’Repeal,’’ the virulent abuse of everyone who opposed him, and the blind obedience exacted from the other Irish members, did not delay many necessary measures. The application of the new Corporation Act to Ireland was certainly put off because the English Members of the House of Commons feared O’Connell would rule all municipal elections.
However, the Reform Bill of 1832, and many subsequent Whig measures, were carried partly through the influence of O’Connell and his supporters. As session succeeded session more useful enactments were passed: Ireland obtained a Poor Law, and the grant to Maynooth College was much increased. It was at this time that the House of Commons lost another grand opportunity of gratifying the Catholic party in Ireland, by refusing to throw open Trinity College to all denominations. Mr Sheil*, who had more polished eloquence than O’Connell, made a magnificent speech in favour of equality in all respects – ‘’social, political, official, and ecclesiastical.’’ ‘’If,’ said he, ‘you apply your 18,000l a year to the establishment of new professorships and new fellowships in the Metropolitan and National Institutions, Englishmen will get a value in peace, in contentment, in pacificatory results for their money.’’
In 1842 O’Connell renewed his agitation for Repeal in a most energetic manner, and in 1843 gathered together immense numbers of people, whom he addressed in language so heart-stirring, and so provocative to insurrection, that even he could not have kept them in check (and he was a man who always deprecated actual treason) if his hearers had been excited by whisky. But at that time Father Matthew, the celebrated Apostle of Temperance, had almost as much influence as O’Connell himself, and had completely changed the habits of the people.
*Sheil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lalor_Sheil
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Part 6.
It was at that period I first visited Ireland, and spent some weeks in traversing in cars the Midland, West, and Southern counties. No drunkenness whatever was to be seen, though whisky was ridiculously cheap. If you offered your driver something to drink, he chose ginger beer. All outrages had entirely ceased, the people were courteous and obliging, but evidently watching and waiting for some great event. Often in the south and west I was accompanied in my rambles over the mountains by a dozen or so persona. Only one or two asked questions, for often few among them could speak or understand English, but what I said was interpreted to the rest. ‘’If O’Connell helped to get the Repeal of the Corn-Laws in England, would the English Repeal the Union?’’ was one of the questions constantly asked. ‘’Had the French gone to war with England, and did I think they would land in Ireland?’’ was another. We had a great deal of talk about the new workhouses, which at that time hardly anyone would enter. But we were always very good friends, and I felt perfectly safe (as all strangers are in Ireland), though I passed by the scenes of many terrible deeds of murder and destruction.
The monster meeting of Tara, where O’Connell went nearer to treason than ever before, is as vividly before my mind as if it were yesterday. The Hill of Tara is where the ancient kings of Ireland were crowned, and as the half-million of people covered every yard of ground round the elevated position from which O’Connell spoke, attentive to every motion of his arm and every inflection of his voice, in figure and attitude he might have passed for a sovereign himself. But there was nothing of nobility in his face. It was terribly wrinkled, and he had an expression half sly, half humorous, reminding one rather of a merry old woman, as he wore an unmistakable wig, and had no hair on his face. Many of his hearers had come scores of miles to hear him, and looked fagged and hungry, so much so, indeed, that though no one begged, I bought rough griddle cakes, which was the principal food to be procured in the tents scattered about, and gave them to some of those who seemed most weary. I saw some well-dressed persons doing the same, but there was so little to eat that I am sure many must have suffered greatly. Indeed, as we went home that night, the poor wretches were lying about the roads thoroughly exhausted, and it was all our driver could do to avoid injuring them.
O’Connell made two speeches that day: one to the people on the hill, the other at the banquet which took place afterwards. Though very young, still – as my family had always taken an active part in politics, and O’Connell had been recently staying with some of them – I was placed very near him on both occasions, and heard every word he said. I did not think much of his speech on the hill, but it seemed to have an immense effect on his listeners. He made a great point of the pecuniary loss Ireland had sustained by the Union, which he said his son John could prove in defiance of any Saxon financier. He had two or three pet expressions, which, when used, created tremendous cheering that re-echoed for miles. The cold dinner, which was only five shillings, was not so well attended as might have been expected considering the lowness of the charge and the difficulty of getting refreshments elsewhere – a convincing proof to me that those who had joined the movement were more numerous than influential.
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Part 7.
There were some French and American sympathizers – Ledru Rollin*, I think, among the former. Some of the guests had little tufts of grass of a peculiar colour, which by a stretch of imagination might be likened to blood, and it was said this was in consequence of the slaughter of rebels in this place in ’98.
O’Connell spoke here more quietly than in the morning, but he treated the dissolution of the Union as a foregone conclusion. ‘’The difference,’’ he said, ‘’between himself and the Ministry was that the Duke of Wellington mumbled it, while he shouted it out loud.’’ In describing the good conduct of the people, he said, ‘’The immense multitude had dispersed quietly to their homes. But where would they be if the Saxon was at the door?’’ This expression, and the constant tirade against both Tories and Whigs, in which other speakers joined, were all that in my inexperience I thought dangerous. But I believe Government took a dim view of O’Connell’s decision to appoint arbitrators to settle Irish disputes, instead of obeying the existing laws and referring them to the regular legal authorities. The Ministry were aware too that the ‘’Young Ireland’’ party was suggesting more violent measures than O’Connell approved, so that he must either press on with his campaign for Repeal or resign his power to more reckless and inexperienced hands. Accordingly, a vice-regal proclamation prevented the monster rally at Clontarf in October, and O’Connell was tried with his principal coadjutors in January following.
England was in a state of great agitation about the repeal of the Corn Laws, and the true policy would have been to have won O’Connell over by certain concessions, and to have used his influence against the Young Ireland party. However, he was brought to trial and sentenced to imprisonment. But the sentence was soon reversed by the House of Lords.
The last days of O’Connell were embittered by seeing that Mr. Smith O’Brien had obtained the virtual leadership of the party he himself had so long headed, and after his death the travesty of rebellion which terminated in the transportation of Mr O’Brien and his followers, showed how weak was the mind which attempted to carry out plans too difficult even for the powerful intellect which for twenty years had directed four-fifths of the Irish nation.
- (pp.124 - 132).
*Ledru Rollin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_Auguste_Ledru-Rollin
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Part 8.
Wakefield’s views on the Famine won’t satisfy everyone, but dissatisfying though they may be for some – diehard Irish nationalists in particular – they are in fact balanced and historically accurate. If the actions of Wakefield and R W Halpin in the late 1860s and early 1870s are to be properly understood, one needs to be familiar with their view of Irish history. Their appreciation of its injustices had a profound effect on their behaviour in public office, as well as influencing the evolution of Edwin Halpin’s politics and the extremism of William R Halpin’s attitude. By way of a reminder – Edwin Halpin was R W Halpin’s youngest son, and William R Halpin was his grandson. William joined Fianna na hEireann at its formation in 1909, was close to Countess Markiewicz, entered the Irish Citizen Army at its inception in 1913, acquired the rank of Captain, fought in City Hall in Easter 1916, where he was the last to be captured after hiding up a chimney for two days, served time in Frongoch, fought again in the War of Independence and the Civil War, and was associated with the republican movement’s Plan Kathleen* during WWII. Throughout the Irish revolution (1913 – 1923), Edwin and William had furious arguments about the justifiability of physical force, and it’s fair to say that William would have been among those most dissatisfied with Wakefield’s views on the Famine.
Continued from Part 7: And now came the terrible disaster which, with its consequences, completely changed everything in Ireland. Free admission of corn was not granted a minute too soon, for an extraordinary blight fell upon the potatoes in Ireland. Many people say that if Lord George Bentinck’s** proposal of granting loans for the construction of railways had been carried out, both present and permanent advantages would have ensued. But though that notion was, perhaps unfortunately, rejected, the English Government nobly did its duty. Famine and fever had before fallen upon the Irish, but the scarcity and disease on former occasions were mild inflictions in comparison with the fearful sufferings of 1847. Meal and money were sent over from England; roads and other public works were undertaken; many of the upper and middle classes did their duty, and spent money and time, and risked health and life, in giving assistance, though some selfishly ran away or shut themselves up in their estates.
In spite of all, the numbers of those who died of starvation in their cabins or in the fields far exceeded any slaughter in Cromwell’s time. Dead bodies were carried to holes in the bogs in coffins with sliding bottoms, so that their contents could be left in the ground and the coffins used again.
Unfortunately, excessive bureaucracy and the deficiency of administrative talent in English government officials were painfully apparent; some of the starving got no relief, while people comfortable off received liberal allowances. Families lying ill of fever could not get to the places where food was given away, and there was often no one to find them out and bring succour.
At length the famine and pestilence passed away. Then came the troubles.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plan_Kathleen
** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_George_Bentinck
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Part 9.
The hitherto despised workhouses had been filled to overflowing, and buildings had to be hired as adjuncts. The poor-rates rose to a ruinous extent, and landlords who could get no rent had nevertheless to pay mortgages and their proportion of the poor-rates. Some landlords commenced clearing their lands: they got rid of the tenants, assisting them to emigrate when able and willing, but still getting rid of them. In hundreds of cases landlords who had let large lots of land to middlemen, recovered possessions of what was let for long terms of years, and even for ever.
Then it became apparent how difficult it was to make a good legal title to many Irish estates. The Encumbered Estates Act was passed, which enabled the Court in Dublin to give a new title to real property in a cheap and binding form. [I believe Wakefield took advantage of the Act to secure his Irish holdings.] Mortgagees by hundreds defaulted, and the estates of some of the oldest and most extensive landholders in Ireland were brought to the hammer.
The Act was an excellent rough-and-ready way of surmounting a difficulty, and has worked great benefit to the country. But the ruin which befell many respectable and hitherto wealthy families was terrible. Not merely the old proprietors were often reduced almost to poverty, but those who had second mortgages or charges on estates lost every sixpence.
There was great commercial distress in England. The railway and revolutionary panic there had not been got over. Few dared buy property in Ireland, and many sales took place before twenty years’ purchase on the fair letting value was attained.
Sir Bernard Burke* has chronicled the reverse that befell many of the Irish aristocracy, and it is not long since I saw the common necessaries of life refused to a gentleman who had been High Sheriff and Deputy-Lieutenant of three counties, in all of which he had large possessions. Only the other day I saw the eldest son of another gentleman, formerly master of fox-hounds in his native county, carrying the luggage of steamboat passengers.
Still, as time wore on prices rose, for every farmer and professional man who had saved money invested in land. English and Scotch buyers came in, and finally the operations of the Encumbered Estates Court were most beneficial to many proprietors whose estates were loaded with debt.
...In the meantime emigration continued unabated, for every purchaser strove to get estates free from squatters, or tenants holding small parcels of land; and if he did buy a property so circumstanced, he gave considerably less for it, and then spent no slight percentage of the purchase-money in paying the passage of any he could induce to go to America or elsewhere.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Burke
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Part 10.
Whenever the history of Ireland is written, the Famine of 1847 and the operations of the Encumbered Estates Court will be mentioned as turning points from which to date great changes in the habits of the people, which led to a great deal of prosperity and improvement in the middle and lower classes. At the same time the Famine and its results were unjustly charged to the apathy of the English Government; and it has been so frequently asserted by the seditious press of Ireland that millions were starved to death and driven into exile by Saxon calculation, that many thousands in Ireland and America believe the assertion.
The cities in America were filled with emigrants who, after seeing relations and friends die around them, had their cabins unroofed and leveled and been forced to quit their country, or, if more fortunate and gratified with a few pounds, had yet the conviction that they must seek their livelihood in another land. That these emigrants rapidly saved money in America, and sent for their relatives to join them, is a well-known fact; and that small farmers, domestic servants, and skilled labourers gave up comfortable situations and followed their friends, is also a matter of notoriety. Nor can it be doubted that the enforced exodus which succeeded the Famine was composed of people who carried with them a bitter grudge against the English Government and the Irish aristocracy, which has since been turned to account on the other side of the Atlantic.
From 1850 till 1863 Ireland made rapid strides. That surplus population living on potatoes and working for sixpence a day, which was the despair of political economists, had disappeared. Much of the land had passed into the hands of energetic farmers or men of business, who drained bogs, leveled immense banks and ditches which took up so much valuable room, and increased the rate of wages. Railways were made to most of the principal towns, steamers were put on to many Irish ports, and there was a constant rise in the prices of meat, butter, corn, &c., which encouraged the reclamation of much waste land. The principal banks in Ireland were full of money, landed property continued to rise in value, and the constant erection of fine houses in the watering-places towards the Wicklow coast, and the transformation of many of the streets in Dublin, showed the general prosperity of the commercial classes.
Two or three things, however, were noticed by observant men. Firstly, absenteeism did not cease with the greater prosperity of Ireland, and the Queen and Royal Family took no means to make that island fashionable as a place of resort. Secondly, though the Roman Catholic members of the bar certainly got their full share of good things, in the way of judgeships, &c., the Lord-Lieutenants of the counties were Tories of the old class, who kept men of their own way of thinking in great preponderance on the bench, and in various ways countenanced the idea that country gentlemen must be Protestants and Conservatives. Thirdly, that the Land Question and the Church Question were as far from being settled as ever, and that the little insignificant concessions which were talked of in the House were utterly unsuited to the requirements of the priesthood and the tenantry of Ireland.
At length came the American Civil War. The necessity the North had of obtaining the unqualified support of Irish emigrants [which it achieved largely thanks to the efforts of Charles Greham Halpin*, a cousin of the Wicklow Halpins], the indignation felt against us for permitting the escape of the Alabama**, and for manifesting a good deal of interest in the Confederate cause, were all elements in producing certain aspirations amongst sanguine Irish refugees and unscrupulous agitators.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_G._Halpine
**The Alabama affair refers to an incident in the American Civil War where a ship fitted out in British dockyards was later used by the South as a military vessel in their war with the North. The North protested that the British government did not exercise due diligence in determining how the vessel would be used.
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Part 11.
The result was the Fenian conspiracy, which, as far as open insurrection has gone, is almost contemptible, but which has had a blighting effect on the dawning prosperity of Ireland, has rendered the state of affairs there a matter of anxiety to every inhabitant of these islands, and necessitates bold and decided, but liberal and comprehensive, measures on the part of our Legislature.
I have no finished my sketch of the History of Ireland, and I beg you to note, my good friends, that a great many Irishmen believe they were wealthy and prosperous, and held countless acres of land to ‘’their own cheek,’’ till Cromwell and William III despoiled them and bestowed their possessions on certain Saxons who still wrongfully hold the same; the destruction of many abbeys and religious houses, and the conversion of Catholic cathedrals into Protestant churches took place at the same time. Both Protestants and Catholics are well aware that during the eighteenth century your ancestors stamped out with their broad Saxon feet all Irish attempts at manufacturing. Many Protestants and Catholics consider also that by bribery your fathers bought up their Lords and Commons in the beginning of this century, saddled the country with an undue portion of debt, and drew money out of it by taking the landlords to the London Parliament House to spend rents acquired in Ireland [an echo of anti-EU views today in the wake of the crash?]. Finally, that you yourselves, perhaps by cold-blooded calculation, certainly by Saxon apathy, starved hundreds of thousands in ’47, and drove a yet greater number into exile. You have allowed unprincipled people to say and write these things for years, and are only just now awaking to the fact that the Irish may be at once more suspicious and more credulous than yourselves; suspicious of their rulers, and credulous in believing lies about them. All these things you must consider when the Irish question comes to be dealt with.
- (pp.137 – 143.)
If some readers regret Wakefield’s reluctance to dwell on the scale and horrors of the Famine, they might keep in mind his purpose, which is not to alienate fair-minded English readers but to convince them to take a more active role in securing meaningful legislative change in Ireland, the kind of change that will satisfy the demands of ‘the Catholic party’ for equality, without alienating a nervous – and often bigoted – Protestant party. Throughout the rest of A Saxon’s Remedy for Irish Discontent Wakefield goes into greater detail about what he thinks needs to be done in Ireland, and presciently identifies the northern Protestant community as being the least likely to accept any form of Home Rule. Indeed, in a letter dated February 1886 his prescience proves revelatory:
Sir - As I lived for twenty years in Ireland, and held a large farm in my own hands until a year since, and received my own rents for most of that period, I suppose I can give as good an opinion about all things Irish as most people. I think all parties in the State are to blame for the disgraceful condition in which Ireland now is. The Conservatives and Landlords so altered the different Bills brought in for the benefit of tenants, that even now when a lease for lives or years falls in, it is doubtful if all the tenants cannot be cleared out, without any compensation for their improvements, or for disturbance. The Radicals and dissenters are those who threw out the Bill of Lord Nass (afterwards Lord Mayo)*, which would have entitled the priests to State pay, as the Church of Ireland and Presbyterian clergy were paid, and thus made the Catholic priests dependent upon their flocks for their daily bread; and therefore obliged to go with popular prejudices, or lose their influence. While what is called the Liberal or Gladstone party, has so mismanaged everything, was so lax with regard to outrages and the doings of the League in the first instance, that it is now extremely difficult for any Conservative, Liberal, or Radical to...take the necessary steps to maintain order and restore prosperity to Ireland. It must be remembered that less than twenty years ago, Ireland was generally very prosperous; farming was very profitable, land sold high, and rents were well paid. All this time the better classes could buy meat, fowls, etc., at 40% less than at present, and the ports did far more business, and the hotels at the seaside were full during the bathing season. Now all this is reversed. I drove for miles last year in the best parts of Counties Dublin and Wicklow without meeting the carriage of a gentleman, or the car of a tourist. Wages for labour are fully 30% higher than they used to be, but the farmers tell me that less work is done and the whiskey shops much more frequented.
[Continued next page...]
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Mayo
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Part 12.
Now two remedies are proposed for all this: either to give Home Rule, or for English money to buy up all the land and give it to the present tenants who are to pay for it by installments. Both these propositions show how intensely ignorant people generally are of Irish matters. Home Rule could only be implemented if Ireland was divided North and South, and only then if there was an English army to keep the peace. Without one, civil war would break out within six months. The party of Mr. Parnell are chiefly men of English descent, clever speakers and writers, who would be no more able to control the American Fenians who would flock to Ireland, and the truculent mobs of Dublin, Cork, and other cities, than Lamartine* and his friends did the Parisian ones. Nor would the Northern Protestants and Irish landholders stand quietly by while they were robbed. [In the event of civil war,]I should expect to see them victors in the long-run, and to rule Ireland as Cromwell did. For England to find money, and the State to be landlord, is nonsense. It is most unjust to the English tax-payer in the first place. Lord Ashbourne's Bill** does everything possible for tenants wishing to be landlords, and it is not taken advantage of, simply because there is a reign of terror in Ireland, and everybody fears the Land League and his neighbour. A lady wrote the other day asking me what she should do. She hated the League, but was told no one would sell her anything, or even shoe her horses, if she did not subscribe, and I believe she has had to do so. The very people who threatened her I know were compelled to give in themselves.
I believe, from experience, that the most popular course in Ireland, as well as the best for everybody, would be to enable every man to buy his land at a reasonable price, and if he remained tenant under lease of any kind, always to have the option of buying. Let property be represented. Do not let a town mob - priest-led or Parnell-led - outweigh law and order, and above all, let everybody know and feel that crime will be swiftly punished by whatever party is in power.
I am, Sir, yours etc., Francis Wakefield.
- The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, February 6th, 1886.
Wakefield sincerely believed that maintaining the Union was in the best interests of Irish Protestants, Irish Catholics and the English people. Home Rule would lead to Civil War, and he abhorred bloodshed and ‘outrage’. Like O’Connell, he was not a romantic when it came to Liberty. If it was to cost human life, it was too costly. Other ways were preferable, and good men had a moral obligation to pursue them. Unrest in Ireland was due to a series of horrific historical crimes and the ongoing prevalence of bad government. By addressing those historic crimes with meaningful legislative reform, a good government could go a long way toward minimising the causes of discontent in Ireland.
Francis Wakefield was a genuinely good man with a sure grasp of the complexities of Ireland in the latter half of the 19th century, but even among his Irish friends he was something of an outsider. As I will demonstrate in future posts, Wakefield’s supporters in Wicklow had their own seditious views about what qualified as ‘meaningful’ reform in Ireland, and my own great great grandfather, Robert Wellington Halpin, was among them.
(See below, Lamartine in front of the Hôtel de Ville of Paris, on February 25, 1848, by Félix Philippoteaux.)
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonse_de_Lamartine
** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchase_of_Land_(Ireland)_Act_1885
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At noon, Monday 27 December 1869, Wakefield delivered a speech from the balcony of the Wicklow County Courthouse to an assembly of thousands. Addressing an ''aggregate meeting'' of the County of Wicklow on the Land Question, convened by the High Sheriff at the request of 2,000 rate-payers, Mr Wakefield had this to say:
"We know that the land belongs to the landlord, and that the rent belongs to the landlord, but we say that the money of the tenant and the produce of his labour shall not be confiscated, and he himself made the victim of arbitrary eviction. (Hear, hear.) We are sometimes told that the landlords do not arbitrarily raise the rents. Many of them may not - but many others I fear do, and if you travel through Ireland as much as I do, I think you will find that in the vast number of cases the improvements made solely by the tenant are charged to him by an increased rent as if they were the improvements of the landlord. (Hear, hear.) You will see the rents increased five or six times in the course of twenty or thirty years - (Hear, hear) - and why? Because the tenant has built a good house, or made land originally worth only ten shillings an acre by his labour worth twenty shillings. (Hear, hear.) This injustice we seek to redress. Irish men, descendants of the native race, descendants too of the Dane, the Saxon and the Norman, Catholic, Protestant and Presbyterian, are all combined in this great movement to obtain justice for the tenant farmers by legal and constitutional means (loud cheers). We are determined to succeed in this great cause, and we certainly will support no man as our representative in Parliament who does not give full effect to the wishes of the people. (Cheers)..."
- The Wicklow Newsletter, Saturday, Jananuary 1st, 1870.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Fs
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In A Saxon's Remedy, Wakefield reveals his hopes for Wicklow and Ireland:
My plan is twofold - I wish to protect you [the tenant] against your landlords and I wish to protect the landlords against you. The landlord cannot turn you out, and you shall have no power to lessen the value of his property....My plan is to make both parties act fairly and honourably. If all landlords were just and considerate, and all tenants improving and industrious, this book need not have been written: but it is from the lords of the soil, not its cultivators, that my plan will meet most opposition.
Of course, the first objection will be that it interferes with the rights of property. Now, I deny that altogether. Nearly all the land in Ireland was given to the ancestors of those who at present hold it on the implied conditions of their keeping the island tranquil and making it Protestant. They have certainly not done the latter, and even, at the present moment, that act which is the safeguard of liberty (the Act of Habeas Corpus) is suspended. But I will go much further than that, and say that, with few exceptions, the Irish landlords, as a class, have laid out less money in useful improvements, have been less patriotic in giving their time and risking their money in increasing the prosperity of communities with which they are intimately connected, than any public-spirited Englishman can conceive.
My lips are sealed in matters in which I have acted in a public capacity...but in Ireland I have been perfectly aghast at the short-sighted illiberality displayed by wealthy landowners in dealing with works of public utility. I wish some of those members of the House of Lords who speak about the agricultural machinery and improved breeds of cattle and sheep they have introduced among their tenantry, would tell us what harbours they have rendered more secure, what watering-places they have had established, what towns they have benefited by introducing gas-works or water-works, by building convenient cottages for the labouring classes, or by fostering manufactures. I wish they would tell us where the towns are in which they have built market-houses, or schools, or done anything calling for the expenditure of time and money.
- (pp. 352 - 354)
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Part One.
By posting press reports about a range of subjects related to Wicklow in the 1860s, 70s, and 80s, and by quoting from lesser-known works written by Wicklow residents from that time, I was hoping to generate some discussion about the political and social issues that mattered to Wicklow men in the third quarter of the 19th century. I needed the kind of feedback that might help me to finish a book I'm putting together about my Halpin forebears. Unfortunately, that feedback wasn't forthcoming, and - for all intents and purposes - this thread now looks dead. That is a pity, because while it was active I learned a great deal about a subject I knew absolutely nothing about when I first posted back in 2010. I had a head full of confused and often confusing family anecdotes that required verification, and the surprising thing is just how many seemingly unlikely claims ended up being corroborated by subsequent research - research carried out by me or by other contributors to the Halpin forum.
Essentially, four claims were made from the outset - that the Halpins of Wicklow were related to the Halpins of Portarlington; that the lighthouse builder George Halpin was related to the Halpins of Wicklow; that my Halpin forebears, who ran the town's Post Office, as well as a number of small businesses over the years, and served as Secretaries to the Board of Commissioners and the Harbour Board for around four decades, were also related to the Halpins just mentioned; and that my forebears fell out with the rest of the Halpin clan as a result of profound differences in political outlook.
Thanks to a combination of feedback and research, I am now in a position to speak with some confidence about the political differences that divided the Halpins. I am also in a position to state, without facing reasonable objections, that the Halpins of Portarlington and Wicklow were related, and that George Halpin was the brother of James Halpin, owner of the Bridge Inn Tavern, and an uncle of Captain Robert Charles Halpin of ''Great Eastern'' fame. What I still can't prove beyond reasonable doubt is the blood tie linking my Wicklow forebears to the people they've always claimed to be related to - the broader Halpin clan. The fact that their other claims about the various Halpin links turned out to be true, is a strong indicator of the veracity of the last claim - the very claim I can't quite prove yet. I can explain what was going on when, in a very inconvenient rebuttal published in the Wicklow Newsletter on July 28th 1858, ''F. Halpin'', the proprietress of the Bridge Inn, explicitly denied a blood tie between her family and that of my distant forebear, Robert Wellington Halpin (1815 - 1883). But while my explanation is interesting, it won't convince everyone.* Despite this drawback, I've finally arrived at a position where I can give a detailed description of the activities of the Halpins from the early 1800s all the way up to the 1970s, a period in which the political activities of my relatives - and their opponents - remained consistent and provocative. Unfortunately, given that the thread here is now devoid of feedback, I've decided to present my findings elsewhere. When I do that, I will post a link connecting it to this forum.
Before I sign off for the last time, I will leave you with an indication of what my research revealed. Robert Wellington Halpin, Francis Wakefield, James Lambert and James Dillon (who was related to John Blake Dillon, publisher of the Nation), were the main players in a radical group of political reformers active in Wicklow in the 1860s, 70s, and 80s. I've already given a good indication of Wakefield's views in previous posts, so I won't refer to him again. I've said nothing, however, about Lambert.
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Part Two.
In 1869 and 1872, James Lambert published two remarkable pamphlets that indicate just how ambitious and prescient the Wicklow radicals were. In these pamphlets, Lambert composed a more formal expression of the Halpin-Wakefield vision, and published it in the nation's press in the hope of stirring popular discussion. The ‘’Land Question’’ Solved: Being Part of a Plan For Making Ireland a Rich and Prosperous Country (1869) - proposes, among other things, a Home Rule parliament. In fact in his second pamphlet, Hints And Suggestions For The Government On The Land Act, Public Houses, Home Rule, And Education (1872), Lambert has this to say:
I believe I am correct in saying that the ‘’Home Rule’’ movement was caused by my pamphlet, published in September 1869, ... part of my ‘’programme’’ being ‘’the annual meeting of the Irish members in Dublin for the consideration of local business.’’ I have the authority of the press for stating that this pamphlet caused ‘’considerable sensation’’ at the time, and very shortly after its publication we read in the papers that a certain group of gentlemen were privately engaged in framing a plan for Home Rule.
Personal scandal was to force Wakefield out of the push for reform, but after the success of the Irish Church Act (Jan 1st 1871), which resulted in the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland and, more importantly for my ancestor, in its disendowment, the Wicklow radicals decided to try something remarkable. Colonel Gun Cunninghame, resident of Newtownmountkennedy and a 'Lord of the Soil', approached the Board of Commissioners about having his leases renewed, which were due to expire. The majority of the Board, however, decided to behave in a conscientiously illegal way by effectively swindling Cunninghame out of his properties and placing them under the control of the Board. Having done that, they then set about slashing rents. They could have been in no doubt about what would happen next, which begs the question - why did they do it in the first place? A subsequent inquiry into these shenanigans reversed this conversion of private property into publicly owned assets, and was heavily critical of my forebear's lack of co-operation with the judges sent to look into the matter. The motives of the Board members only become clear when their actions are placed in historical context - between the failed Fenian revolt of 1867 and the outbreak of the Land War in 1879. It was, in my opinion, nothing short of a provincial mutiny by a small but immensely courageous group of Irish nationalists determined to secure - at least for themselves and their constituents - the three F's: Fair rent, Free sale, and Fixity of tenure. The conspirators were hoping to trigger popular approval for their actions, with the aim of possibly expediting the passage of Home Rule. There is a strong whiff here of the Municipal Socialism that R W Halpin's youngest son, Edwin Francis Halpin (1855 - 1924), would maintain a lifelong interest in, and more than a little hint of the confrontational tendencies that would prompt William Robert Halpin (1885 - 1951), who was R W Halpin's grandson, to join the Irish Citizen Army in 1913 and fight in City Hall during the Easter Rebellion in 1916.
I will address all of these matters - and more - in greater detail on another website, to be opened to the public soon after the centennial celebrations of the Rising next April. In the meantime, I want to thank everyone for their help over the years. It really has been an education. All the best - R.H.
*See ''Tavern's'' post, 24th October 2010.
Attached, a photograph of Captain William Robert Halpin, taken with A Company of the ICA outside Croydon House, around the summer of 1914. This image is sometimes misidentified as being that of Captain William Partridge.
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Postscript:
I was asked to provide proof of an earlier assertion before I sign off for good. Here it is:-
From the Nation, Saturday, 22 August, 1868:
Word From America.
Death of General Halpine.
The New York Herald says:-
The family of which General Halpine was a scion is ancient and most respectable - one which a couple of centuries ago was among the most influential of those which resided within the populous and wealthy county of Louth, Ireland. His father* was a farmer of means, who cultivated an estate near the town of Dundalk, on the Drogheda road. The Halpines were always noted as intelligent; and although they rapidly increased in numbers and by divisions and losses the patrimony became greatly reduced, they managed to float comfortably on the stream of society and educate their sons and daughters in the best, if not always in the most expensive, manner.
The death of his father's mother and the subsequent second matrimonial alliance of his grandfather compelled the ''children of the house'' to seek homes elsewhere. Two of the General's aunts - women of fine attainments - established a seminary for young ladies in the Irish capital, which became famous and was correspondingly patronized by the aristocracy. Through the exertions of those ladies his father, Nicholas, was educated at Trinity College. The career of this man was, intellectually, such as his son could well be proud of. On his leaving college Nicholas Halpine entered into Holy Orders, being ordained a Minister in the Protestant Episcopal Church. As a clergyman this gentleman was established near Oldcastle, in the county of Meath, where, in connection with his parochial duties, he received as tutor and prepared for admission to Trinity College the sons of the extreme aristocratic families in the vicinity, among whom was the present Earl of Farnham. It was while his parents resided at Oldcastle that in the year 1829 the General was born. As he grew in years he grew in knowledge. In fact, so thoroughly was he indoctrinated by his father, who early impressed him, after the manner of Solomon, with the importance of an acquaintance with Horace and Virgil and Homer, that he learned to speak Latin and Greek with almost the facility with which he could ''lisp his numbers'' in English.
When the Reverend Mr Halpine, who was as active a politician where the interests of his Church were involved as he was a priest, removed to Dublin in, we believe, 1840, and became the leading editor of the Dublin Evening Mail, it is not to be questioned that the Rev. Mr Halpine, while at the head of the editorial corps of the Mail, exercised a widespread influence over his countrymen of all religious denominations; and it is questionable, if he had survived, if he would not in the end have defeated O'Connell's pet measure, or, at least, have deferred its consummation for years. Perhaps we should here remark that while yet labouring in opposition to the wishes of the Catholic people for equality of political as well as religious interest, the rev. editor died in harness. He was found seated at the table in his sanctum, his pen in his hand (which rested on a sheet of paper on which were traced the introductory words of an article on his favourite subject), dead.
Charles Halpine was, as soon as the rules of the college permitted, matriculated at Trinity, and at once became a general favourite with the faculty and the students. As a translator of Latin and Greek he was known for the freedom and elegance of his diction, and also for his assiduousness as a reader. Although an ''apt scholar,'' he was not behind other lads of his years as a mischief maker and practical joker. He graduated with all the honours.
Some time before his marriage in 1848, and for about four years subsequently, Mr Halpine contributed very acceptably to the Irish press, and was even extending his reputation as a poet and sketch writer to the sister island, having formed connections with some of the leading literary minds of London, when he suddenly discovered his relations with those who sought the brilliant products of his pen and resolved on emigrating to America. With that impetuosity which distinguished him, and which came of his mercurial temperament, he at once prepared to cross the Atlantic with his family and the penates** of his hearth, and here set up his Benjamin.
*They must mean ''grandfather'' here, otherwise it doesn't make sense.
**penates - household gods who watched over the home or community to which they belonged.
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Thanks Ray for the amazing amount of information that you have provided on the Halpin families. Very much appreciated.
I was confused by the obituary of General Halpine as it states (as we know) that his father was the Rev Nicholas John Halpin and (accepting the error in the obit) it states that his grandfather was a farmer. This seems odd as I thought the Rev NJH's father was paymaster William Henry Halpin? Any thoughts? Yours Brian
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Hi Brian. I understand your confusion, but I don't think the professions of ''farmer'' and Dublin Castle ''paymaster'' were mutually exclusive. The Halpins had land in quite a few counties, and if Louth was their point of origin, as some of the obits appear to imply, then it's probably no surprise that at least one of the Halpin men, the eldest in this case, had a farm there, worked by a tenant while he conducted his affairs in Dublin. I'm only speculating here, so don't take my comment too seriously.
Here are a few details that date some of the principle events in William Henry Halpin's life, including his second marriage:
Ireland Diocesan and Prerogative Marriage Licence Bonds Indexes 1623 – 1866:
Diocese of Ossory: Halpin, William Henry and Deborah Richardson, 1809.
The Trebel Almanac, 1822:
Military Account Offfice, 30 Upper Merrion Street,
Commissioners: Major General Thomas Brownrigg [one of three commissioners – there were Brownriggs in Wicklow town].
Clerks: William Henry Halpin [one of 36].
The Waterford Mail, 1839:
20th March 1839 William Henry Halpin, Esq., died at his house, North Great Georges Street, Dublin, aged 79 years, late of the Military Accounts Office.
For many years the Halpin sisters, who took care of the Reverend N J Halpin after his father remarried, ran a very well respected boarding school - or ''Seminary for Young Ladies'' - in Dublin. In the Pettigrew and Oulton Directory for 1835, the Seminary is situated at 10 Cumberland Street, which at that time was a very respectable address, as virtually everyone else in the street was either a solicitor, barrister or attorney. In the Pettigrew and Oulton for 1842, the Misses Halpin are listed as running a boarding school at No. 7 Great Georges Street (North). By then the Rev. N J Halpin was staying at No. 11 Seville Place, owned by George Halpin snr, who was still living at the Lighthouse on the North Wall, and George Halpin Jnr was staying at 33 Dorset Street (Lwr).
The location of Wm. Henry Halpin's last home address, and the location of the sisters' Seminary - as listed in the Pettigrew and Oulton for 1842 - may have been the same.
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Thanks Ray, I was assuming he could have been a farmer/landowner and also be a paymaster - after all many of our tory MPs in the UK seem also to be landowners! Good to get a bit more info about him - thanks for that - I marvel at your ability to find all this stuff. Best wishes, Brian
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Part One.
One of my last contributions to this forum, Reply 189, 3 Feb. 2016, contained the following statement:
Before I sign off for the last time, I will leave you with an indication of what my research revealed. Robert Wellington Halpin, Francis Wakefield, James Lambert and James Dillon (who was related to John Blake Dillon, publisher of The Nation), were the main players in a radical group of political reformers active in Wicklow in the 1860s, 70s, and 80s.
Obviously, that turned out not to be my last reply. Before I begin posting new material in a blog I propose to begin later this month, I thought I'd notify readers of the Halpin thread of the results of the research I've conducted since February 2016. As regular readers already know, most of the contributions to the Halpin thread followed a claim I made quite a few years ago now: I claimed that four Halpin families, none of whom had been linked before, were in fact blood relatives. That claim was based on what I managed to salvage of the Halpin family lore, and while much of it was subsequently proven to be embroidered and mistaken, its core claims stood up to some pretty hostile scrutiny - there is ample evidence now to link three of the four Halpin families mentioned in the original post back in 2010: the Wicklow Halpins, specifically those linked to the Bridge Inn tavern in Wicklow town, the Portarlington Halpins, the most prominent member of whom was probably the humourist, newspaper man, and US Army General, Charles G Halpine, and the Halpins based mainly in the Northwall area of Dublin between the early to mid 1800s, the most notable of whom was George Halpin, Lighthouse Builder and Civil Engineer. The fourth family, from whom the claim linking the other three Halpin families originated, was also based in Wicklow town. I tend to refer to them as the Main Street Halpins, to distinguish them from their cousins at the Bridge Inn. Until recently, and despite the reliability of their claims linking the other three Halpin families, the information linking the Main Street Halpins to the rest of the Halpin clan was circumstantial. There was also the case of a letter written to the Wicklow Newsletter in 1858, which flatly denied any suggestion of a blood tie between the Halpins of the Bridge Inn tavern, and the Halpins of Main Street. While the task of exposing the dishonesty of that letter has been relatively easy, the task of proving the actual existence of a blood tie linking all four Halpin families has been more difficult.
Robert Wellington Halpin (b. 1815) was a shopkeeper, bookseller, stationer, and insurance agent, who ran the Post Office in Wicklow's Main Street until his death in 1883, after which management of the business transferred to his children. Robert's daughter Emma, who was born in 1850, died in my grandfather's home on Clonliffe Avenue, Dublin, in 1939. Most of what we know (or thought we knew) about our Halpin forebears came from her. Robert was also Wicklow's Town Clerk (first elected 1849) and Secretary of its Racing Club and Harbour Board. Politically he was a radical, in favour of Irish independence and universal suffrage. We have Robert's youngest son, Edwin (1855 - 1924), to thank for what we know of his father's complex political affiliations. Robert's main political allies throughout his most active years were his patron, Francis Wakefield, and a couple of Wicklow locals by the names of James Lambert and James Dillon. In around 1868/69 Lambert would draft Ireland's first Home Rule manifesto. Apart from being a wealthy local businessman and member of the Board of Commissioners, Dillon was related to a large and proud clan of Irish champions which included one of the founders of The Nation, the main political organ of the Young Ireland movement. R W Halpin was The Nation's Wicklow agent. These links and shared political interests, which were articulated most forcefully by Francis Wakefield in public speeches delivered before large audiences in the late 1860s and early 1870s, and in his personal memoirs, A Saxon's Remedy..., rankled the local monopolists, who were opposed to any reform, political or otherwise, that threatened to diminish their power and privilege and encourage the Catholic masses. In trying to uncover the material that would prove the blood tie between the Main Street and Bridge Inn Halpins, I naturally uncovered quite a bit of information about their respective social and political networks, and it was that information that would prove decisive in what I discovered next.
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Part Two.
From what I could establish about R W Halpin and his descendants, their radical political affiliations always remained consistent. Uppermost in their minds was Irish independence. In tandem with that was an inter-generational interest in progressive politics, and a tendency to regard force as a legitimate expression of their political ambitions (a tendency they shared with their anti-Catholic Halpin relatives). I should pause here to make an important distinction between the types of force the Halpin's favoured. Robert Wellington Halpin and his son Edwin favoured moral force over its physical variety, although Edwin would consider the sympathetic strike by organized trade unions, which might sometimes include physical force, as a valid expression of moral force and essential in the battle for popular reforms. Edwin's eldest son, William (1885 - 1951), had more in common with his anti-Catholic relatives in Portarlington and Dublin, in that he considered physical force to be an essential component in any effective political enterprise. William would put that belief into deadly practice when he took part in the Easter Rising in 1916, and again a few years later in the War of Independence and the Civil War. But in his preference for physical force William was an exceptional member of this line of the Halpin clan, which generally considered violence to be entirely counter-productive within the context of Irish politics, where sectarian passions were easily aroused by vested interest groups who were prepared to resort to war rather than cede power and influence to the other side. For Edwin and Robert, full Irish independence had to be won peacefully if Ireland was to remain United - a view shared by Lambert and Dillon (albeit to a lesser extent by Wakefield, who was not in favour of separatism).
In trying to get to the bottom of R W Halpin's identity, I had to ask myself why he was so sympathetic to the idea of an independent Ireland when so many of his fellow Protestants were opposed to it. And why, upon his death in 1883, did Wicklow's most prominent Catholic nationalist eulogize so flatteringly and affectionately about Robert's stewardship during his long term as Town Clerk? A study of the minutes of over thirty years of monthly meetings of the Board of Commissioners would provide part of the answer, but it was the discovery of a document in the Registry of Deeds in Harcourt Street, Dublin, that would provide the most definitive answer yet. In that document, I discovered that John Halpin, the man I've always identified as Robert's likeliest forbear, had two brothers - Patrick and Oliver. John's father, Patrick Halpin Snr, had been Dublin's only Irish engraver in the 1760s and 70s, which makes him the most likely person to have taught the art to Paget Halpin, another Dublin engraver who practiced a generation later in the 1790s. John Halpin had also been trained as an engraver by his father, Patrick senior, and may have received at least some of the skills he acquired as a miniature painter from Solomon Delane, who would eventually become Paget Halpin's father-in-law. Despite being a reasonably skillful practitioner of the engraver's trade, John's heart lay in the theatre, and it was to the stage he would take in the late 1780s, appearing in London and Dublin on a fairly regular basis throughout the early 1790s. If reviews in the True Briton of one or two of his performances were not very kind, that had more to do with John's 'Jacobin' sympathies than his actual acting ability. John would remain dedicated to the arts until his death in around 1820.
Patrick Halpin Snr received a great deal of his commissions from the greatest printer in 18th century Dublin - George Faulkner (sometimes spelt Fawkner or Faulkiner). Faulkner first appeared in my research in a deed dated 1724, when he served as a juror with a number of other Dublin businessmen that included Richard Halpin (Paget Halpin's forbear), William Smith and Robert Dillon. Faulkner went on to make his fortune publishing the works of Jonathan Swift, whose closest friend at that time was the Reverend Thomas Sheridan. Sheridan's son would found the theater in which John Halpin made his acting debut, and his relatives would share accommodation and real estate interests with Richard Halpin and his extended family, who owned property in Dublin adjoining that of the Dillons. So the links between the Halpins, Dillons, Faulkners, Sheridans and Smiths were pretty solid in professional, social and artistic terms by the early to mid 1700s.
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Part Three.
Patrick Halpin Snr's wife was Eleanor Lambert (her first name is sometimes recorded as Elizabeth). Eleanor's family owned substantial tracts of land in County Wicklow. Eleanor's sister, Jane, married a man by the name of Hepenstall. Jane's third son, Edward, would grow up to become one of the cruelest killers in the Crown forces during the period of the 1798 Rebellion, when he was known by a terrified Catholic community as ''the Walking Gallows.'' Patrick Halpin Jun provided Edward's mother Jane with accommodation in Dublin in the 1790s. Not only would Patrick Halpin Jun - or Patrick Metcalf Halpin, to give him his full name - inherit his father's lands in Meath, but he would become one of Dublin's most respected and longest serving Attorneys, spending twenty-one years as the Lord Chancellor's personal secretary (Secretary to John Hewitt, or Lord Lifford, from 1768 - 1789), a period of public service that is still noted for its tolerance of and sympathy for the political aspirations of Grattan's parliament and the early United Irishmen. Lifford often dined at George Faulkner's home on Parliament Street, as did Patrick Halpin Snr and Jnr no doubt. They were all noted for their decency and lack of sectarian bias, favouring significant concessions to Grattan and Irish Catholics. Why this unusual degree of sympathy for Catholics? It may have had a great deal to do with the influence of Patrick Halpin Jnr on Lord Lifford's outlook, since Halpin's mother, Eleanor, was a Catholic. In what were extremely unusual circumstances for the times, Patrick Halpin Snr had married a Catholic, although he had raised his son, Patrick Jun, as a Protestant (there is an outside chance Patrick was born into a previous marriage, to a Protestant woman, who died young, meaning that John and Oliver were his half brothers).
Like his father, Patrick Metcalf Halpin married at least twice - initially to ''the widow Wilson'' in 1766, and later to Dame Maria Steele. Dame Maria had a daughter from a previous marriage, also named Maria, who fell in love with a young Lawyer by the name of John Sheares. Sheares was a dynamic young radical in the United Irishmen, who would take over the running of the Leinster chapter of that organization after the arrest and death of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. John was very well known to Patrick Halpin Jun, for obvious reasons, and would be hanged along with his brother in the midst of the brutal crackdown carried out by Lord Clare, Lord Lifford's replacement. Shortly after the rebellion was quashed and the Union had been all but decided, Dame Maria sued Patrick for divorce, most probably over his sympathies for the rebel movement's aims (if not for its methods) and his opposition to the Union. I don't know if Patrick married again, but I do know that he continued to practice law, and held down a job in the Stamp Department in the Old Custom House on Essex Quay, the basement of which had been used as a torture chamber by Beresford in 1798. In those days the Custom House was located right next door to Faulkner's home and business on the corner of Parliament Street.
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Part Four.
From the early 18th century until the end, therefore, the Halpins, Faulkners, Dillons and Lamberts were closely related, and continuously linked in terms of their professional and political activities and sympathies. In some instances they were related through marriage and blood. It is recorded that Faulkner's wife, for example, also claimed to be related to the Dillons. If I could bring you forward in time to the 1850s, 60s, and 70s, you will recall that Wicklow's small circle of campaigning radicals consisted of R W Halpin, James Lambert and James Dillon. If I had to guess as to why they were so close politically, I'd say one of the reasons was because they believed they were cousins, related to the Lamberts, Halpins and Dillons I describe above.
Finally, and most decisively for me: Robert Wellington Halpin's wife was a woman by the name of Frances Mabella Smith (1813 - 1883). Her father was a ''Paper Stainer'' by the name of Samuel Smith, who ran a very successful business in Nassau Street, Dublin. Samuel Smith's father and grandfather also went by the name of Samuel, and George Faulkner's nephew, whom he trained in the business of book publishing, book selling, and printing, was none other than Samuel Smith. Smith lived with his uncle until the latter's death in the 1760s, and worked with him from his business in Parliament Street. After Faulkner's death Samuel would go out on his own, eventually ending up in Nassau Street, where his son expanded the business in the early 1800s. His granddaughter would marry the grandson, or great grandson, of the man I regard as Robert Wellington Halpin's great grandfather - Patrick Halpin Snr. Patrick Halpin Snr, who owed his professional existence to the contracts he received from George Faulkner, must have dined regularly with Samuel at Faulkner's dinner table, where leaders of the Catholic and Protestant communities were often united over a fine meal and a generous supply of good wine.
From this point on there really can't be any sensible objection to Robert Wellington Halpin's claim that he was related to the rest of the Halpins mentioned in this thread. He was right about the links between all of the other Halpin families, and should be regarded as a reliable source of information about the broader Halpin clan, even if his descendants were - for entirely understandable reasons - not as reliable as he was, at least in the early days of the Halpin forum. More to the point, his claim that the Halpin family split apart over political differences arising out of the United Irish rebellion makes sense, when you consider his forebear's links to the Sheares brothers, who were at the heart of the rebel conspiracy.
There is a great deal more to relate about this period in the Halpin tale, particularly in regard to a family of distillers and brewers working in Dublin during the 1790s. James and Christopher Halpin were initially investigated by me as being likely sources for the legend of the Halpin link to prominent United Irish rebels, as they took care of the lands of the Teelings - another famous United Irish family - and were indirectly involved in an attempt to save Robert Emmett from the gallows in 1803. But I dismissed them after tracing their family line down to the 20th century, where I discovered they were Catholics. Given their links to the Teelings and the Catholic Association, I concluded that they had always been Catholics and put them aside. But I've since realized that my initial conclusion was wrong, and that despite their descendants ending up Catholic in the 20th century, they themselves - Christopher and James - were in fact Protestant. I'll need to return to these men shortly if I'm to exclude them from the Halpin tale once and for all. But it's at least possible that in addition to the links between the Halpins and the Sheares brothers, they also had links to the Teelings.
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Part Five.
Bartholomew Teeling, for those of you who don't know, was hung after he was caught accompanying the Humbert expedition in 1798. His declaration from the foot of the gallows remains a moving testimony to the sentiments that would inspire Robert Wellington Halpin, James Lambert, and others like them, to maintain the struggle throughout the 19th century:
The same Tribunal which has condemned me — Citizens, I do not speak to you here of the constitutional right of such a Tribunal, — has stamped me a traitor. If to have been active in endeavouring to put a stop to the blood-thirsty policy of an oppressive Government has been treason, I am guilty. If to have endeavoured to give my native country a place among the nations of the earth was treason, then I am guilty indeed. If to have been active in endeavouring to remove the fangs of oppression from the head of the devoted Irish peasant was treason, I am guilty.
Finally, if to have striven to make my fellow-men love each other was guilt, then I am guilty. You, my countrymen, may perhaps one day be able to tell whether these were the acts of a traitor or deserved death. My own heart tells me they were not and, conscious of my innocence, I would not change my present situation for that of the highest of my enemies.
To those anxious for proof, I will publish all of the deeds related to the information I've provided here (off the cuff) in a new blog I intend to commence before the month is out. And I will correct an error I made in an earlier post relating to the connection between Robert James Halpin and James Everett, Wicklow's long-serving Labour TD. Cheers for now - RH.
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Ray, out of the blue today I received email notification that "a reply has been posted to a topic you are watching.." It now appears that you have made a lot of posts and I had no idea.
This thread may not have become so moribund, as you rightly observe, if Rootschat had kept all followers regularly informed. Why it chose at this time to notify me when it has failed to do so before remains a mystery.
Bill
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Congratulations Ray on all your summaries. I am particularly pleased that you seem to have found Mabella Smith's family. I was completely unaware of that, and what an interesting family to have come from. Could you send me details to add to my records?
Re Faulkner, at one time I made extensive researches into the Hone family, who had married into the Crosthwaite family, both of whom were members of the Dublin Society and board members of the Bank of Ireland. The firm of Hone & Faulkner were solicitors for George Halpin's family up to the 1930s.
I was completely unaware of the names Lambert or Dillon, in Wicklow or Dublin, so that is all new to me and takes some digesting.
Re Charles Halpine's American obituary, I know that you are aware to regard it as but one possible version of his history. But we must accept that it contains grains of fact. It would be wonderful to be able to find evidenced of the Louth and other land claims. What are your current conclusions about how Old Nick got to Portarlington and how he fits in?
Do you know anything more about Deborah Richardson? WHH was widowed and nearly 50 when he married her but he lived a further 30 years.
All best, Bill
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Hello Bill. I am aware of the presence of Hone and Faulkiner, Solicitors, and of their connection to your forebears. But I haven't looked into the possible links between ''Faulkiner'' and the surname of George Faulkner, Printer and Publisher in 18th century Dublin. I was aware of a possible link, but I don't have the heart right now to sift through the dozens of Deeds that must exist in which the Faulkiners feature as Grantors or Grantees. If I find the time, I'll see what I can do, but my focus is on shoring up the summaries I presented here yesterday.
The findings related to R W Halpin's wife, Frances, were a godsend, because they helped to solidify the otherwise circumstantial links between her husband and the rest of the Halpin clan. Her's is not definitive proof of the blood tie I've always insisted on, but I ran a slightly more informative summary by Turtle recently, and it convinced him. So I'm happy enough to push on, now, and flesh things out. The exact details establishing the Smith link to Faulkner, and the information revealing the closeness of Lambert and Dillon to R W Halpin and Francis Wakefield, are forthcoming. I've already sent you details of the deed in which Oliver and Patrick Halpin/Halfpenny are mentioned in relation to a sale of land in Wicklow (Bushy Park) in the mid-1830s. That transaction included the name of Rev. Lambert Watson Hepenstall, who owned quite a bit of land in the Bushy Park area of Wicklow at that time.
If you conduct a Google search of ''Hepenstall, the Walking Gallows'', you'll find references to Edward and a pretty graphic image of the man in the process of killing a captive. He was Patrick Metcalf Halpin's first cousin, so you can imagine what the mood was like in the Halpin household when news reached it of Edward's antics. When in Dublin, Hepenstall conducted most of his 'investigations' in a barracks located on Stephen's Green, a few hundred yards from Samuel Smith's business in Nassau Street. The Barracks were supervised by John Beresford, who had links to George Halpin, and it was at the Custom House on Essex Quay, also supervised by Beresford, that George may have received the injuries that landed him in hospital in Kilmainham. This indicates the extent to which all members of the Anglo-Irish community who were not part of or sympathetic to the Patriot cause were implicated in the terror.
To return to the distillers and brewers I dismissed some time ago: James Halpin had a brother (it may have been his father) by the name of Richard. I have a deed in which the name of Patrick Halpin crops up as the owner of a house within the grounds of James Halpin's distillery on Petticoat Lane. I don't know if the Patrick mentioned in that deed is in fact Patrick Halpin Snr or Jnr, therefore the coincidence needs to be investigated further. Nor do I know much about the Richard Halpin I find mentioned in relation to James. Given the importance of those names to our story, and given the fact that I now know the owners of the distillery and brewery were Protestants, and not Catholics as earlier maintained, you can understand why I'm anxious to return to them ASAP.
As for the references to Louth contained in C G Halpine's obit, I think they deserve further scrutiny. I certainly have found references in the deeds to transactions in regard to land and property in Louth, but I didn't follow them up, as I was focused on the Lamberts, Dillons and Smiths. I'll have to return to that thread soon. As for how everything ties in with Old Nick down in Portarlington, I simply don't know. But education and Patronage would have had a great deal to do with it, given the historical period and what we know of Nic's professional activities.
I know nothing about Deborah Richardson.
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One final point - I had assumed that John Edmond Halpin, actor, engraver and miniature painter, and son of Patrick Halpin Snr, was also the John Halpin I found who ran a bookshop and printing service in Sackville Street, Dublin, between 1790 and 1810 (the year of his death). I have since found references to John Halpin, actor, that date after 1810, so my assumption that the two John's were one and the same was incorrect. Sharing an address with John in Sackville Street were members of the banking family of the Allens, who had professional and marital links to the Hones, which is interesting. Halpin took one of the Allen's sons as his apprentice. Halpin's own son went by the name of Frederick Horatio Halpin, and he worked for the East India Company. So the chances of him being one of 'our' Halpins is very high, I think. If I had to guess (and it's only a hunch), I'd say there's a good chance that John Halpin of Sackville Street was descended from the John and William Halfpenny, architects and draftsmen, of the mid 18th century, and the family of Herald Painters we found references to in the Dublin Street Directories dating from the last 25 years of the 1700s. We know that Patrick Halpin Snr and Jun sometimes went by the name Halfpenny, and we believe (correctly in my view) that the ancestors of the Halpins of Wicklow town were also Halfpennys, so there are some fruitful avenues to explore in the coming months.
At the risk of exhausting you with yet another discovery worth thinking about, consider this: at the time of the 1798 rebellion a couple of Halfpennys were murdered by rebels in the Wicklow area, precisely around the time Edward Hepenstall was terrorizing the populace. And we also know that members of the Halpin's extended family collaborated in the murder of a Catholic priest in Wicklow town at around the same time. Given that Hepenstall was Patrick Metcalf Halpin/Halfpenny's first cousin, and that the Protestant Halfpennys were numerous in Wicklow, we may be looking at a series of tit-for-tat killings related to the politics of the rebellion.
Cheers, R.
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The following deed is the key document that opened up the Halpin tale for me. Since it's crucial to the veracity of part of what I said yesterday, I thought it only fair I transfer in full the information it contains to this thread. Where I'm unable to read something clearly, I stick square brackets around it. Otherwise the punctuation is as I found it in the deed.
Halpin, Oliver/Lambert, Wicklow 1834 4 223:
Memo of Indented Deed of Release dated 17th February 1834 between Oliver Halpin, now residing in Ostend in the Kingdom of Belgium, Esquire, of the first part, and the Reverend Lambert Watson Hepenstall of Anamoe, County Wicklow, Ireland, of the second part, reciting indenture of lease dated about the 9th September 1737 and made between Charles Monck, then of [Charlyfield], County Wicklow, Esq., and Augusta his wife, of the one part, and John Lambert, then of [Kilkroney], Wicklow, Gent, of the other part, and reciting renewal dated 30th August 1764 between Henry Monck, as eldest son and heir at law of said Charles and Augusta Monck, then deceased, and Richard Lambert as Execor of said John Lambert, deceased, reciting deed of lease and release dated the 12th and 13th February 1747 made between William Monck of the city of London, Esq., of the first part, and said John Lambert of [Kilkroney] aforesaid, of the other part, and reciting an indenture of renewal of said last therein before recited indenture of lease made between Charles Monk (sic) therein named and the said Reverend Lambert Watson Hepenstall (party thereto) of the other part and reciting that said John Lambert desired by his will dated on or about the 18th December 1749 with his brother Richard Lambert all his real and freehold estates in trust as therein mentioned who duly proved same and obtained probate thereof, and that at the time of his death left five younger children, and reciting settlement dated 26th February 1770, made between Richard Lambert execor as aforesaid, Elizabeth Lambert, one of said younger children of the first part, Patrick Halpenny, then of the city of Dublin, Gentleman, of the second part, John Lambert and Richard Lambert the younger, then of Wicklow, in the county of Wicklow, Gent, of the third part, reciting that the said Patrick Halpenny had survived his said wife and died, leaving Oliver Halfpenny (party thereto), his eldest surviving son, who thereupon took the name of Halpen and became entitled as tenant (grati in tail) to the said portions of his mother in said lands of Kilmacanogue and Stillbawn under said recited deed of settlement, and that all the estates and interests in said lands of Kilmacanogue and Stillbawn under said therein before and herein recited leases and renewals thereof, save as to the portions thereof aforesaid vested in the said Oliver Halpin (party thereto) had become and was then legally vested in said Lambert Watson Hepenstall, party thereto, and reciting that said Lambert Watson Hepenstall (cestui que ...) for which same was then held, and during the lives of such other persons or person as should forever thereafter be added, at the price or sum of £1,200 Ster.,
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Deed continued:
...said indenture witnessed that in pursuance and performance of the said agreement, and in consideration of the said sum of £1,200 of lawful money of Great Britain and Ireland by the said Lambert Watson Hepenstall to the said Oliver Halpin in hand, well and truly paid, at or immediately before the sealing and delivery of said presents, the receipt of which from the said Oliver Halpin did thereby acknowledge and of and from the same of every part thereof did acquit the said LWH for Ever, and his execors admins and assigns, he the said OH did grant bargain sell alien release and confirm unto said LWH (in his actual possession then being by deed of bargain and sale and ten shillings and statute therein mentioned and his heirs) All That and those the said one fifth undivided part of the said moiety of said lands of [Kilkroney] and all that and those one undivided fifth part of the said town and lands of Stillbawn or said Bushy Park, together also with one fifth part undivided of one other fifth part of the said town and lands of [Kilkroney] and Stillbawn or Bushy Park respectively, All said lands and premises situate lying and being in the Parish of Powerscourt and half Barony of Rathdown and County of Wicklow, as therein mentioned, together with all the rights members and appurtenances thereof respectively, and all the said estate right title interest inheritance use trust property profit claim and demand whatsoever...at law and in equity of him the said Oliver Halpin, into, out of, or upon the same lands and premises, and every part and parcel thereof with their and every of their appurtenances and all deeds evidences and writings relating or in any rise concerning the said portions of said lands and premises thereby granted and released or intended to be in the custody or power of the said Oliver Halpin, To Hold the said fifth part of said therein before mentioned lands with their appurtenances unto the said LWH his heirs and assigns for and during the life and lives of cestui qui vies therein being and the longest lives of them and forever thereafter to be added by virtue of the covenants of renewal subject nevertheless to the one fifth part and a fifth part of one other full fifth part of the yearly rents and fines for renewal and the covenants and agreements in law in recited indent of release mentioned – and though the said Oliver Halpin did thereby covenant that he then had full power and authority to execute said release, and had done no act whereby same could be incumbered revoked or made void, and a covenant for quiet and peaceable enjoyment, and a covenant to do at all times thereafter any act required by said LWH to more perfectly and absolutely grant release and assure said portions of said lands thereby granted and released...of which this is a Memorial – and this Memorial is respectively witnessed by Alexander Howison Graydon and Richard D’Amour (a British subject)...
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Correction.
On page 19 of this thread, Reply #167, dated Wednesday 14th October 2015, I posted a comment that included the following lines:
''Joseph McCarroll, one of the county's most notable nationalist politicians in the last quarter of the 19th century, spoke with sincere appreciation of R W Halpin's services after the latter died in 1883, and James Everett, Wicklow's longest serving TD, referred to my great, great grandfather with genuine feeling when relatives of mine visited Wicklow in the 1950s. Everett never met R W Halpin, but he heard a great deal about him from Joe McCarroll, and was taught by Robert James Halpin (1872 - 1960), who was R W Halpin's grandson.''
Everything within that extract is true, bar the claim that James Everett was taught by Robert James Halpin. While that mistake should not have been made, I see no point in explaining how it was made. The simple fact of the matter is that the post is mine, therefore the error is mine.
From the outset I've regarded the Halpin forum as precisely that - a forum, where real time discussions are had about a common interest: the Halpin family. The point of the forum (at least for me) was not simply to uncover the facts, but to demonstrate exactly how the process of uncovering the facts takes place. Most of the contributors to our discussions are interested amateurs, not seasoned genealogists, and while reasonable efforts are made to avoid making errors, no one should expect to find the gospel written on every page. A published book is the result of a long process of research, writing and rewriting, therefore a reader is entitled to assume the material he or she is reading is trustworthy. Rootschat posts are not the result of a long process of research and rewriting. They are on-the-move dispatches from research underway, and should be read as part of a work-in-progress rather than the finished product. I've always tried to correct errors, but I regard it as dishonest to pretend I've never made any at all, and for that reason I refuse to go back to earlier posts and correct them without notification. Amateurs err, as do professional writers. As well as being a public record of the process involved in locating an ancestor and gradually discovering more and more about them, Rootschat is also a lesson in humility, and a tribute to the unglamorous virtue of perseverance. The Halpin thread is a testament to the doggedness of its contributors, and should encourage others to plough on through the inevitable errors and long interruptions that invariably punctuate any genealogical undertaking.
That said, I'll try to explain not how I made the error in regard to James Everett, but why I was so keen to draw him into the tale in the first place.
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A few years ago the fact that I was working on a recovery of the Halpin tale reached a distant relative of mine living here in Dublin. Through her brother she invited me to visit her lovely home overlooking Dublin bay, to examine the contents of a few bags and boxes that lay hidden in her attic for decades. The bags contained what remained of her father's papers, and her father was William R Halpin's eldest son. There had originally been a great deal more to her father's archive, which included a significant number of books, but after his untimely death in the mid-1970s her mother had disposed of a large part of it. What was left was stacked up on the kitchen table when I arrived, and I immediately set about sorting through piles of old newspapers dating from the second decade of the 20th century, as well as scores of letters and documents arranged in no particular order, a selection of tiny notebooks dating from the last year of the Civil War, along with a large Irish flag and parts of a Citizen Army uniform. My host had given me full access to a treasure trove of Halpin memorabilia, and to this day I remain indebted to both her and her brother for the faith they placed in me. I well remember my disbelief as I discovered letters from Patrick Pearse, the De Valeras, Dorothy Macardle and Nora Connolly. My disbelief grew when I flicked through a tiny notebook-cum-diary written in an extremely agitated hand, describing the awful experiences of William R Halpin and his young family as night after night Free State troops raided his home and took him away for questioning. He was on 'sticks' at the time, slowly recovering from a gunshot wound received while fighting alongside Oscar Traynor in Barry's Hotel during the Battle for Dublin in 1922. Lodging with him and his family in their home on Hawthorn Terrace, was his father, Edwin Francis Halpin (1855 - 1924), who, despite his age, was mentally alert but physically frail, emphysemic and partial to a drink. I thought of where Edwin had come from - a comfortable middle-class home on Main Street, Wicklow, where his well-read father and mother entertained people from all walks of life, and where the matter of Ireland's political status was the subject of constant discussion and debate. That home was a secure, comfortable, well-provided place where Edwin and his siblings were never hungry or cold or scared. Yet one hundred and fifty years later I was reading about a man who was cold, hungry and scared all the time, living in a working class district in Dublin's northern suburbs, among hostile neighbours during a time of civil war.
To do full justice to the story that lay spread out on the table before me, I'd have to transcribe the diaries and letters as accurately as possible and sort everything into chronological order. Thankfully my cousin felt exactly as I did, and as it turned out she did most of the difficult transcription while I did much of the sorting and background research. All in all it took us about a year to fully appreciate what we had before us, and it is on the basis of those long hours of grind and toil that my understanding of the entire Halpin tale, stretching from the late 17th century to the mid-1970s, took shape.
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In the weeks after that first visit to my cousin's home I became gradually more familiar with the items in the archives. Letters I could place in chronological order quite easily, and as each entry in the diaries were dated as well, my cousin and I began to form a sense of the day-to-day thoughts and activities of William and his family. Uppermost in William's mind during the violent days of the Civil War were the psychological state of his wife and children, who were badly unnerved by the raids. Visitors to the Halpin household would bring much-needed provisions, like food and clothing and a little tobacco, and from Jack Hanratty, who seemed to act as a go-between for William and his IRA comrades, he received a little over a pound a week in monetary assistance. William's childhood friend, Elliott Elmes, who served as a Lieutenant in the Citizen Army during the Easter Rising and shared a cell with William in Knutsford, had been interned by the Free State for the duration of the fighting. Every so often William received a visit from a distressed and strung out Mrs Elmes. She begged for food, clothing, money, and any little news he might have about the whereabouts and welfare of her husband. William gave what he had to spare, and went about Dublin on his crutches trying to find out what he could about the internees. But news was hard to come by and everyone was acutely suspicious. Letters, he was told, were being sent in to the authorities; his every move was being monitored by neighbours, who still resented what he and his small band of followers had done during the War of Independence. They had terrorized their own as well as the Crown Forces, and were largely responsible for the unwanted attention of the Black and Tans. And then there was the death of Andrew Hanratty (no relation to Jack Hanratty, eventual commandant of the ICA), which no one had forgotten. All in all, then, the pressure on William and his family was immense, and it showed in the emotional and psychological fragility of Mrs Halpin in particular, who had been severely beaten while heavily pregnant by members of the Free State forces a month or so before William had emerged from hiding. According to the diaries, on at least one occasion William called on the home of his friend, Dr Kathleen Lynn, seeking assistance. But Lynn took a dim view of psychological illness and refused to help. Relief for Mrs Halpin really only came after she gave birth to her son, ''Billy Boy,'' in early 1923, and especially after the order to 'dump arms' was delivered in May of that year. After that the family slowly healed and Willy's handwriting gradually improved. But the financial situation didn't improve, and work was impossible to find.
Aside from the picture we were able to form of the family's daily plight in Dublin, there were references throughout the diary (for 1922 - 23 in particular) to Wicklow. The sentence ''No word from Wicklow'' appeared once a week, and we remain unsure of what William was referring to when he wrote it. Could he have been referring to his father's sister, Emma, who continued to live in Wicklow town? Emma was elderly and poor at the time and William might have been echoing a concern of his father. But throughout the Civil War William received visits from republicans from the North and elsewhere, so it's not inconceivable that the line refers to IRA contacts.
There is, however, another possibility, and it relates to James Everett.
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The diaries, letters, outdated newspapers and the rest of the Halpin archive had been put together by Eamonn Halpin Snr (1915 - 1977), who was William R Halpin's eldest son. Like his father, indeed like every generation of Halpins since the mid-1700s, Eamonn had an obsessive interest in local politics, and was one of the founding members of Clann na Poblachta. Selected to run for Dublin North-East in the general election of 1948, Eamonn was de-selected at the last minute by the party hierarchy, who parachuted Kathleen Clarke into the constituency, only to see her defeated by a resentful electorate, who preferred Eamonn, the popular local. Clarke was extremely close to the family of Andrew Hanratty, so she may have had personal reasons for wanting to shaft the son of the boy's killer. Despite the possibility of an ulterior motive, however, the entire incident was notable for another reason - the friendship it forged between Eamonn Halpin Snr and Captain Paedar Cowan, T.D., who condemned the party for what it had done to Eamonn. Cowan had been a Labour Party member before leaving it in 1944, and it was while he was with Labour that he got to know James Everett.
Among the many letters contained in the Halpin archive there is this one, which hints at the testy nature of the relationship between Cowan and Everett, who were members of the First Inter-Party Government formed after the election in February 1948:
Department of Posts and Telegraphs,
Dublin.
31 Deireadh Fomhair [October], 1948.
Dear Peadar,
With further reference to your complaint regarding the Quiz feature broadcast from the BBC on Sunday 4th instant, I write to say that this matter had already come under the notice of the Director of Broadcasting who immediately got in touch by telephone with the BBC. It appears that the omission of a reference to the fact that on this occasion ‘’Round Britain Quiz’’ was going outside Britain was an oversight which will not be repeated in subsequent contests between London and Dublin, of which several have been arranged. When these contests were first proposed we welcomed them but stipulated that BBC announcements would have to make it clear that the programme was going outside Britain, so that there could be no possible complaint to the effect that Dublin or Ireland was being treated as part of Britain. The BBC gave the necessary undertaking and in previous contests their announcements were in accordance with the understanding mentioned.
There may still be the objection that the title of the series is ‘’Round Britain Quiz,’’ but we can hardly make the BBC change the title of a long established series of broadcasts and so long as they make it clear each time they are in competition with the Dublin team that they are going outside Britain, I do not think anyone can seriously object.
These programmes have in fact redounded very greatly to the credit of Dublin, since on each occasion the Dublin contestants have won the battle of brains by a comfortable margin, a most satisfactory result in a competition which is on a very high level of literary, historical and scientific knowledge.
Yours sincerely,
James Everett.
Peadar Cowan, Esq., T.D.
I won't go into the political context in which the letter was written (that can wait for another time). I merely draw attention to the fact that Halpin, Cowan and Everett were communicating. But one letter doesn't necessarily indicate anything more than a professional relationship, does it? To suggest that Everett knew the Halpins reasonably well, and knew of Eamon's grandfather, Robert Wellington Halpin, I'd need to produce something a little more substantial, wouldn't I? Thankfully, the Halpin archive provides me with it.
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At around the time Clan na Poblachta was being brought into existence, the Wicklow Regatta and Maritime Fete was being organized by the town council. It was the summer of 1945, and news of the progress of the allied forces in Europe led everyone to anticipate a swift end to the war. Wicklow's Regatta committee was concerning itself with matters much closer to home, however - it was holding a ''Great Eastern'' exhibition and commemorating the life of Captain Robert Halpin. Chairing the committee organizing the event was James Everett.
Among the personal effects of William Robert Halpin we found an invitation to the Wicklow Regatta.
Wicklow Regatta and Maritime Fete 1945.
The ‘’Great Eastern’’ Exhibition
Commemorating Captain Halpin.
The Wicklow Regatta Committee present
their compliments, and request the pleasure of
your company at the opening of the ‘’Great
Eastern’’ Exhibition in the Assembly Hall,
Wicklow, at 3 p.m. precisely on Thursday,
2nd August 1945.
Please present this card at the door.
Patrick Conway, Director.
Patrick Maguire, Hon. Sec.
Next to the invitation we found a few loose pages torn from a small notebook containing the following entries. They form the only proof we have of William's attendance (or near attendance) with his wife Matilda:
1945.
August Holidays.
Finished at Dockyard at 5.36 pm August 3rd.
Left Dublin at 7.25 am on August 4th for Delgany.
Arrived at [...?...] Hotel at 8.30 am.
Lovely day. After breakfast went down to Greystones. Had hair cut. Sat down on headland. Sea very calm. Very warm. Tilly delighted.
Sunday 5th August.
Arose at 9 am. Went to 11.30 mass at Greystones.
Tilly and I felt very tired so decided to take a good rest.
After dinner went up to [--- ---] and had a good sleep in the open.
After tea sat reading until bed time.
Monday 6th August.
Weather changed. Not so warm today.
After dinner went for walk.
Caught in heavy shower of rain and hailstones.
After tea had a good read. Went to bed at 9 o’clock.
Tilly looking well and enjoying herself.
Tuesday 7th August.
Weather not so bad.
After breakfast went for nice walk until dinner time.
Out again after dinner. Weather getting fine and warm again.
Went to bed early. Tilly and self very tired.
[William wrote across both pages of his diary, beginning his first sentence at the left hand side of the left page, ending it at the right hand side of the right page. Unfortunately, we only have one page – the left hand page – of the last diary entry for 1945. For this reason it makes little sense, but clearly indicates a visit to Wicklow.]
Wednesday 8th August.
Arose 8.30 am. Left ...
Arrived 12.30. Blowing strong ...
Met Murphy, Spence, Kelly ...
Spence putting out to sea ...
... went up to Tilly ...
... and his brother ...
After dinner went for ...
...of Visitors.
After tea left for ...
... number travelling ...
Left Wicklow at ...
Arrived at Hotel ...
...early. Tilly fed up.
Murphy, Spence and Kelly were probably residents of Wicklow and republican friends. I don’t know if the Maritime Fete was still going by the 8th, but if not it’s probable William met someone in Wicklow who could tell him something about the ‘’Great Eastern’’ Exhibition. William must have received the invitation to attend from James Everett, whom he knew fairly well, but precisely how he knew him is a mystery to me. I suspect it had something to do with their republican past. It was Everett who, in the late twenties and early thirties, contacted the Halpin family when their Wicklow aunts, Emma (1842 – 1932) and Ellen Halpin (1850 – 1939) were suffering in very reduced circumstances. Ellen died in my grandparent’s home on Clonliffe Avenue, in Ballybough, Dublin, but not before telling my grandfather a little about his father’s people. Everett may or may not have liaised with William during the War of Independence, but it's clear he knew Captain Peadar Cowan, a lifelong friend of the Halpin family, very well. The dates of the document transcribed above roughly corresponds with the entries in William's brief diary, which indicates to me a sincere desire on William's part to attend the ''Great Eastern'' exhibition. But why the 'personal' invitation? It suggests to me that the organizing committee thought William might be a distant relation to Captain Halpin, and William appears to have thought so too.
Obviously, when my relatives visited Wicklow in the 1950s, some time after the death of William Halpin, and received a warm and hospitable reception from James Everett, they were meeting a man who knew William reasonably well, and reserved a degree of personal respect for him. Does this prove a blood tie between the Bridge Inn Halpins and the Halpins of Wicklow's Main Street? No. It doesn't. But it proves that good people believed it might have been the case, and given the strength of the circumstantial evidence I presented earlier in the week (in summary form), I'm satisfied my forbears were telling the truth when they claimed to be related to Captain Robert Charles Halpin.
By the way - that claim was not made proudly. According to my great grandaunt, her father, William Robert Halpin, Wicklow's Town Clerk from 1849 to 1883, detested the Bridge Inn Halpins. And from what I've been able to ascertain, the feeling was definitely mutual.
PS: Who were Murphy, Spence and Kelly?
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Here are photographs of a few key documents:
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2.
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3.
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4.
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5.
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Thanks go to Aideen Derby-Halpin for the photographs. Aideen is William Robert Halpin's granddaughter, and keeper of the Halpin archive.
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In late December 1888 in Dublin, Eleanor Alexandra Halpin married Arthur Wellesley Carleton, both of 5 Palmerston Road Dublin. He was a surgeon, son of Rev Henry Carleton. She was daughter of Nicholas John Halpin, Esq.
This is NJ Halpin married to Rebecca Doherty, and Eleanor was their last child. The only child I had of Carleton and Eleanor was Cyril Wellesley Carleton born 1891 at 5 Palmerston Road.
Then, in the 1901 Census, in Greystones, Delgany, Wicklow, there is a household of
Rebecca Halpin, head of household, widow, 70, born Wicklow
Elizabeth G Carleton, daughter, widow, 30, born Wicklow
Charles W Carleton, grandson, 10, born Wicklow
Dora E Carleton, niece, 10, born Wicklow.
So, is Elizabeth G Carleton, daughter of Rebecca in the census, a further daughter of NJ Halpin and Rebecca Doherty who also married a Carleton, or have they put down her first names incorrectly?
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Dear Bill,
I know this 1901 census entry as Rebecca Halpin was my great-great grandmother, and the entry is certainly confusing. Firstly, the scan of the original census page shows Charles W Carleton, grandson, age 10, but the scan of his birth certificate shows clearly that he was baptised Cyril Wellesley Carleton. Secondly, Dora E Carleton appears to be listed as a niece, which is highly unlikely given she would be 60 years younger than Rebecca, but it appears to have been modified to Gniece, where great niece makes more sense.
I have two further children of Rebecca Halpin. Edward Conrad Hilton, born 1870 and died the same year, and Elizabeth G Halpin born 1871. I haven't found a second Carleton marriage. Maybe the census numerator was having a bad day, or the 70 year old Rebecca was a bit senile and gave him incorrect data!
Interestingly to me, as a widow, Rebecca's family were living in Somerville House, Greystones, Co. Wicklow in the 1901 census, where my maternal grandparents lived when they married in 1908, and where my mother was born in 1911! My grandmother was the daughter of Mary Anne Isabella (Bella) Halpin.
Yours Brian
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So, Brian, was there an Eleanor Alexandra, or only Elizabeth G, and which one married Carleton? I have in my records (don't know where from) that Eleanor (married to Carleton) died on 25/1/1950 and that she remarried in 1907 to a Charles Walker. That should help to sort it out. And where are they all in the 1911?
I probably have it all wrong, but it is very confusing, I'm glad you admit.
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Dear Bill,
Eleanor Alexandra definitely married Arthur Wellesley Carleton on Dec 27th 1888. I give a link below which, I hope, will take you to the scan of the marriage entry.
I hadn't noticed it before but one of the witnesses was my great-grandfather, William David Bradley, the other was Richard Allen (Eleanor's brother-in-law, who was married to Lucy Halpin) who my grandmother used to mention sometimes at dinner when her siblings were staying with us.
https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/display-pdf.jsp?pdfName=d-545-3-3-094
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My mother is Diane Halpin (born in Manhattan to Ralph Halpin) . I just learned tonight 12/4 that my family traces back to Charles Halpine. I have wanted to know of my family history for so long. Finally! I wish I could meet someone from what I would deem-My long lost family. I live in Westchester County, NY. 716.418.5017
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Hi William
I have to ask, what steps are you taking to trace your family back? You don't mention any.
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While writing to our forum, I do most strongly encourage representatives, of any Halpin branch, to test for DNA. At the moment there are significant end-of-year special prices. Some of the tests are cheap, some are a middling investment. But once it is done, it is done.
I do particularly want any direct MALE HALPIN descendants to test for Y-DNA. There are very precious few Halpin-named descendants surviving.
I refer to a few online guides:-
https://dna-explained.com/2012/10/01/4-kinds-of-dna-for-genetic-genealogy/
https://www.familytreedna.com/why-ftdna.aspx
I also strongly urge you to consider all testing companies (about 4) and then decide to AT LEAST decide to test with FTDNA. It is the only DNA company solely devoted to family history, and it is the only company that tests beyond Autosomal DNA - to test Y-DNA (male) and MT-DNA (female) inherited DNA.
All interested descendants, female and male, absolutely should test for their Autosomal DNA (FF or Family Finder) at FTDNA. As a package:-
All males should test for FF + Y-DNA: https://www.familytreedna.com/products#/shoppingCart?pid=%20215,1676;
All females should test for FF + mt-DNA: https://www.familytreedna.com/products#/shoppingCart?pid=%20215,1196.
https://isogg.org/wiki/Beginners%27_guides_to_genetic_genealogy
https://isogg.org/wiki/Family_Finder
https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/r-1b/faq#/FYDNA.
Bill (I have tested comprehensively with FTDNA but mine is very mixed female/male. My grandmother was a Halpin.)
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As a postscript, I do beg any descendant who is NAMED HALPIN to submit that DNA, even if you are female. Also, as a general rule, it is beneficial to test the oldest family member, who has the least recombined genes. The following article may assist.
https://dna-explained.com/2013/06/23/mythbusting-women-fathers-and-dna/
(Note, this was posted in 2013, so the prices for tests are not current - refer to my previous.)
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William Knapp. Have a look at this online marriage record.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-893H-49N1-X?i=2124&cc=1804002 and
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8NC-PBM
and note the name Knapp.
Nicholas and Emily are buried Arlington Cemetery, Emily lived to 102.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49196379/nicholas-john-halpine#view-photo=121691617
I believe Nicholas was born in Uruguay, probably where his father was stationed, also in USN. His father also buried at Arlington.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49196380/nicholas-john_lane_trowbridge-halpine
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William Knapp's query sent me delving into descendants of Gen Charles Greham Halpine, 5th child and 3rd son of Rev Nicholas John Halpin and his wife Ann Greham. All or most of his family remained in the USA, originally in Manhattan. An extraordinary number of the sons and grandsons became US army or naval officers, and many are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. There would be living descendants, at least one still named Halpine. I attach a tree chart.
Bill
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Years ago we recorded in these pages that a daughter of Old Nick Halpin, school proprietor in Portarlington, by name of Mary Anne Halpin married in 1789 Thomas HILL, son of Thomas Hill. Father and/or son were at varying times described as master builder or architect. They had 3 reported children (no substantive records) presumably born after 1789
Nicholas Thomas Hill
William Halpin Hill
Mary Anne Hill (confused with her mother?).
It is also suggested that some or all of them went to Waterford (town or county I don't know).
For the record, I have extracted these entries from Alumni Dublinenses because of the mention of Queen's Co or Waterford. There are many more Hill entries for Dublin that I have not extracted. A William Hill and a George Hill were parties to the above couple's deed of marriage settlement.
Hill, Edward, Pen (P.T.) Jan 17 1834, aged 19; s of William, Clericus; b Waterford BA Vern 1838
Hill, James, Pen (Mr Halpin) Dec 7 1801 aged 19; son of Thomas, Architectus; b Queen’s Co. BA Vern 1806. MA Nov 1832
I wonder if either of these may be cousins of the Nicholas John or William Henry Halpin families.
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Hello Halpin’s. I have not used a forum before so I hope you will bear with me. My name is Gill Halpin and I am married to Michael Halpin . My brother in law Richard Halpin advised us that he was told by his family when he was young that his father Leo Halpin (1903 -1970) was a descendant of Captain Robert Charles Halpin (1836 -1894) . I would like to see if this is the case but I do not know how to go about finding out. I stumbled on this forum and thought it would be a good place to start. I would greatly appreciate any help or advice from you incredible experts
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which one is he ?
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01q95/
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.......of Captain Robert Charles Halpin (1836 -1894).
Died 20th January 1894. Described as a deputy lieutenant.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1894/05978/4699973.pdf
KG
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see reply 100
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=270348.99
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I have read through all the pages Part 1 to Part 4. Looks like I need to sign up to other groups to work my way backwards . I would appreciate any guidance on this . On a co-incidental note my maiden name was Bradley and I married a Halpin ...hope we are not distant relatives :o
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Gilly, there are indeed Bradleys marrying Halpins, but about a century ago.
(William) Gordon Bradley 1884-1946 died Bray was born to William David Bradley and Marianne Isabella Halpin. Marianne was a daughter of Nicholas John Halpin. Gordon married Constance Marguerite Inman in 1912.
Then, Eliza Bradley born Booldurragh Co Carlow about 1831 married Dr George Halbert Halpin brother of Captain Robert Charles in 1859, died Wicklow 1887, 5 children. She was the only daughter of Henry Bradley Esq, deceased at her marriage.
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Re Leo Halpin. Captain Robert Charles Halpin had 3 daughters only one of whom married, later in life. It is understood that the Captain has no living descendants.
A Leo Francis Halpin was born 2 March 1903 in Bootle Lancashire died Ormskirk Lancs 1970. Is this your man? He has been researched at Ancestry.
His father is shown as Thomas F Halpin born Co Clare 1853 died Liverpool area 1929, unrelated I am afraid to the Wicklow Halpins.
I thought I saw recently a query about a Halpin family from Louth. I can't locate that query atm unfortunately.
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Thank you Bill that was very kind of you to provide me with that info you are a star. Yes this is the Leo Halpin from Bootle that I was looking for .unfortunately I have not been able to find any further information on his Father or mother other than their names birth dates and were they were born. I will keep plodding on backwards .once again thanks for your help.
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There have been several mentions of Mary Anne Isabella (Bella) Halpin who was the daughter of Nicholas John Halpin of the Customs Office. Bella married the Dublin solicitor, William David Bradley and Bella and William are my great-grandparents. My great-aunt, Doris Bradley, who I knew well, was the youngest daughter of Bella and William Bradley, who both died in 1897 when my great-aunt Doris was only three years old. When Doris died two photos were found in a trunk she kept under her bed. On the back of the photos the photographer had written ‘The late Mrs Bradley 1897’ and so they were taken very shortly before Bella died. One of the photos shows Bella with my great-aunt Doris. Doris must have treasured these photos of Bella Halpin, the mother she never knew.
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There have been several mentions of Mary Anne Isabella (Bella) Halpin who was the daughter of Nicholas John Halpin of the Customs Office. Bella married the Dublin solicitor, William David Bradley and Bella and William are my great-grandparents. My great-aunt, Doris Bradley, who I knew well, was the youngest daughter of Bella and William Bradley, who both died in 1897 when my great-aunt Doris was only three years old. When Doris died two photos were found in a trunk she kept under her bed. On the back of the photos the photographer had written ‘The late Mrs Bradley 1897’ and so they were taken very shortly before Bella died. One of the photos shows Bella with my great-aunt Doris. Doris must have treasured these photos of Bella Halpin, the mother she never knew.
Here's Doris Evelyn with her younger brother William David in the 1901 census in Vesey Place, Kingstown.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Dublin/Kingstown/Vesey_Place/1318373/
KG
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Interesting photo - I haven't seen that photo - be interested where it came from and how you know the identity of the people. Thanks.
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I am researching the name Halpenny- William Ousley Halpenny 1777-1815 married to Margaret Esther Giltrap 1780-1841. I believe William's parents are William Michael Halpenny born around 1739 through 1750 married to Jane Janet Delaney. Everyone is from Wicklow in Ireland. I am stuck finding proof of both William's parents. So I figured it would be better to start at WO (1777) and work my way back. I have read through this thread and I am wondering if Halpin was the parent to the oldest WIlliam. Any thoughts on when they became the Wicklow Halpenny's did some of the family drop Halpin and pick up Halpenny? Could it have been a Halfpenny to Halpenny? Will my DNA show a link to a Halpin and will that give a better understanding? I could get my oldest half brother to do a DNA test- he is the oldest living male of our line of Halpenny's. I understand three families immigrated to USA/ CANADA and I am one of those lines.
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Christ Church Delany (Co Wicklow) Registers have a number of Halfpenny/Halfepenny folk, including, in Volume 2, a William baptised 22 Sept 1782 to William and Jane Halfpenny.
See:
https://www.ireland.anglican.org/cmsfiles/pdf/AboutUs/library/AngRecord/Delgany/Delgany-Vol-2.pdf
Regards
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Apologies if this is a little off-topic, but I hoped some readers of this thread might be able to help me.
I, too, am descended from Halpins of Co. Wicklow but unlike the families discussed here, my lot were Catholic peasant farmers in the hills of west Co. Wicklow, around Hollywood.
My direct ancestors were based at Granamore (7km south-east of Hollywood) and I can trace them back to William and Ann Halpin, who married in 1812 at the church of Blackditches, now Valleymount. However, in the adjoining townland of Corragh, Darby (Dermot) and Elizabeth Halfpenny were baptising their children during the 1780s, while at Johnstown (2km east of Hollywood) two couples - Patrick and Anna Halfpenny and Darby (Dermot) Halfpenny and Brigid Nugent, were also baptising their children in the 1780s and 1790s.
Like their namesakes in Wicklow town, these families tend to be referred to as Halfpenny or Halpenny in the late 18th/early 19th centuries but as Halpin from the early 19th century onwards. I am sure that the Granamore and Corragh Halpins are related (and probably also the Johnstown Halpins) but it seems the documentary proof of this does not survive.
Could these Catholic, peasant Halpins be related to the Protestant, middle-class Halpins of Wicklow town? The socio-cultural distance between them may have been great but the physical distance was not. If any reader of this thread could give me any information or advice on this, I would greatly appreciate it.
And finally, it may be entirely coincidental - but in view of some comments here about relations between the Halpins of Wicklow and the Beresfords, it may be worth mentioning that the Halpins of Granamore, Corragh and Johnstown were all tenants of the Beresford estate.
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I never rule out a possible connection.
The Halpins from Wicklow go back in the records of the COI church there to at least the mid 1700s bearing the names Halfpenny or Halpenny.
Roberta (above) correctly raises the subject of male Y-DNA, possibly the only way of possibly ruling in or definitely ruling out relationship. For this you need direct male line descendants (so with one of the surnames in question).
It galls me that I think I have sole remaining male Halpin descendants here in New South Wales, father and son, and both firmly reject testing. I can't make them, I can only keep asking. (They descend from George Halpin in Dublin, brother we believe of James Halpin of the Bridge Hotel in Wicklow Town.)
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Thank you for your reply Bill (if I may).
I am a direct male line descendant of William and Ann Halpin who married in 1812; they were my great-great-great grandparents and my surname is still Halpin.
As it happens I have just signed up for DNA testing - a slightly cheaper alternative to the one that you recommend but my understanding is that it will give me my Y-DNA haplogroup.
When I receive this information, perhaps I may contact you again?
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Hello all, many thanks for all the fascinating detail, lore and history across multiple threads. While I have endeavored to "digest" it, I made the mistake of working backward, and have mired myself somewhat in confusion. If anyone else is starting down this road, I would advise commencing reading with the first thread so that the gradual unraveling of the story can be understood and the journey can be followed. Working backward, it is very hard, for me at least, to keep everything in order.
I say the above partly to excuse the questions I have, which may have been answered already.
My current queries are specifically about George Halpin engineer, Capt Robert Halpin and Robert Wellington Halpin (1815-1883), who is my Great-Great-Great Grandfather. I am trying to establish if I am related to the aforementioned George Halpin and Capt Halpin and to get it straight in my head what claims on these threads are "factually proven" or otherwise. To this end, I will make a number of statements, and give my understanding (please recall my mea culpa above!) of the status of the claim. If someone more informed (perhaps BillW or Seanchai, if they are still active?) could chime in with corrections and a point in the direction of evidence/reasoning.
It seems that there were two sets of Halpins from Wicklow, the "Bridge Inn" Halpins and the "Main Street" Halpins.
1. Capt Halpin is of the Bridge Inn Halpins (Status: Proven).
2. Capt Halpin's father was a James Halpin (Status: Proven).
3. James Halpin's brother was George Halpin, engineer. Thus George Halpin was the uncle of Capt Halpin. (Status: Claimed. I would love to know the reasoning for this claim, and if there is documentary evidence).
4. James (and George's, if point 3 is true) parents are John and Elizabeth Halfpenny. (Status: Factually Proven via Baptism records in Wicklow?)
5. Robert Wellington Halpin (Main Street Halpins) is related to the Bridge Inn Halpins, despite a contemporary letter, claiming otherwise (is the text available?), published in a Wicklow newspaper by the Bridge Inn Halpins. (Status: Claimed. This is really the key claim here, linking the two. I have read the many contributions of Sheanchai in particular, and I find the reasoning for this hard to follow. A John is mentioned as being RW Halpins father, is this the same John Halpenny referenced above, making RW a brother of James and George? The dates don't seem to add up, half brothers perhaps? But I see it also written that Capt Halpin was a 1st cousin of RW, so is there another John in the mix somewhere, a brother to George? I'm very confused here. Who was RW Halpins father?)
That is enough queries for now, I do wish to give as well as take, so please see below photographs of the Halpin and Turnbull gravestones in St Peter's COI Church graveyard Drogheda (where I currently live). I also reproduce the text of what is written, which has been shared here previously. Samuel Halpin was the eldest brother of my Great Great Grandfather Edwin. I am keen to find out if there are any of the family left in the Louth/Meath area. The graves are a little untidy, I would be keen to give them some attention but, obviously, given the fact of such a distant relation (and indeed differing religious beliefs), this could be inappropriate if there are closer relations in charge.
Samuel, eldest son of Robert Wellington and Frances Mabella Halpin. Born in Wicklow 4th June 1846. Died at Drogheda 7th Jan.1918. Madeline M. his wife, eldest daughter of James and Margaret Turnbull. Born in Edinburgh, 18th Oct.1847. Died in Drogheda 6th Nov.1925. Samuel son of the above. Born 1st May 1880. Died 25th Jan.1885. Maria Rose, (Ciss) their second daughter. Born 26th Sep.1876. Died 27th July 1948. Anne Christine their youngest. Born 11 Dec.1883. Died 7th June 1964. "Peace Perfect Peace".
James Turnbull, third son of James Turnbull of Roxburgh, Scotland. Born at Hollmount, 21st August 1814. Died at Drogheda, 15th April 1888. Also his grandson, Walter James Turnbull. Born at Arklow 16th April 1878. Died at Drogheda 12 Sept 1880. Also his grand-daughter Margaret Frances (Fanny) Halpin, died at Drogheda 6th June 1925. "She hath done what she could" Mark, XIV.8. Also his youngest daughter Margaret. Born at Wicklow 24th April 1860. Died at Kinnitty, Kings County 3 Feby. 1928. "Blessed are the pure in heart". His daughter Maria, widow of Edmund Rundle, late of Plymouth. Born Dublin 22nd Feb. 1856. Died at Kinnitty, 11 Jan.1941 and interred here. "Thy Will Be Done".
Images here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWgJtf2 or hopefully, below.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51330728324_5849ebb74d_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mcVpcj)Halpin and Turnbull Gravestones (https://flic.kr/p/2mcVpcj) by The Irish Antiquarian (https://www.flickr.com/photos/191859751@N07/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51330213808_a30a978247_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mcSLfm)Halpin and Turnbull Gravestones (https://flic.kr/p/2mcSLfm) by The Irish Antiquarian (https://www.flickr.com/photos/191859751@N07/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51330998825_04306f48be_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mcWMB8)Halpin and Turnbull Gravestones (https://flic.kr/p/2mcWMB8) by The Irish Antiquarian (https://www.flickr.com/photos/191859751@N07/), on Flickr
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Sadly it seems this thread is dead :(
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I don't think so, it has just been a while since there was a new reply today ;) BillW was online earlier in the year.
Welcome !
Sarah
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I don't think so, it has just been a while since there was a new reply today ;) BillW was online earlier in the year.
Welcome !
Sarah
I'll keep plugging away so :)
Freeman's Journal - Wednesday 23 March 1831 features a notice of a Wicklow Steeplechase, signed by JAMES HALPIN TREASURER.
ROBERT W HALPIN later also enjoyed an association with the race course, being named as secretary to the course in numerous reports including Wicklow News-Letter and County Advertiser - Saturday 28 July 1860.
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Hello Sarah. I am BillW aka Bill Webster.
The thread is not dead, just waiting for someone as good as you to infuse new information and to ask newish questions. I somehow get the impression of not being notified of new content here, which makes it difficult to respond.
Are you in touch with other Edwin descendants? Are any of them interested in family history other than you? Do you know who Sheanchai is?
If you are in Drogheda, I did not know that any of Edwin Francis's family went there. That was his brother Samuel who married Turnbull.
Your answers should help me to answer some of your questions, if I can.
Regards, Bill.
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Hello Sarah. I am BillW aka Bill Webster.
The thread is not dead, just waiting for someone as good as you to infuse new information and to ask newish questions. I somehow get the impression of not being notified of new content here, which makes it difficult to respond.
Are you in touch with other Edwin descendants? Are any of them interested in family history other than you? Do you know who Sheanchai is?
If you are in Drogheda, I did not know that any of Edwin Francis's family went there. That was his brother Samuel who married Turnbull.
Your answers should help me to answer some of your questions, if I can.
Regards, Bill.
Hi Bill,
Regarding the Drogheda connection, Edwin Francis Halpin's son James A Halpin had a daughter Marion, who in turn had three daughters. All three of these daughters ended up moving to Drogheda (from Dublin) at one point. Two, one of whom is my mother (sadly my aunt has since passed away) lived in Drogheda long term and raised families here. (My remaining aunt returned to Dublin). I think I am correct in saying that I and my mother are the only descendants of Edwin/James left living in Drogheda at this stage, the others having moved away to various parts of Ireland. (I hope this makes sense, a little reluctant to use other peoples names, who are alive, publicly).
I was born in Drogheda 30 or so years ago, the connection of Samuel Halpin to Drogheda was a complete surprise, none of us were aware of him and these other relations who moved to/were born in Drogheda a few generations prior until I came across this thread, and I went and found the graves, the photos of which I shared earlier. I am in touch with my cousins who were also born in Drogheda in the last 30/40 years, much of the family history was a surprise to them. The story of Willie Halpin was unknown to us and an absolute delight to find out about.
As for Sheanchai, I think I vaguely know of him, I've never met him.
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Is your James Albert the same as the Albert James that I have, born Nov 1896, called Jim?
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Is your James Albert the same as the Albert James that I have, born Nov 1896, called Jim?
Some links for others reading-
Birth of Albert James Halpin on 11th November 1896 at 26 Hawthorn Terrace, Dublin north. MMN Murphy
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1896/02151/1815887.pdf
Marriage of Edwin Francis Halpin to Mary Anne (Marianne) Murphy on 24th November 1883 in Wexford RC Church.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1883/10952/8003232.pdf
As James Albert Halpin in 1901 census with his mother and siblings.
House 26 in Hawthorn Terrace (North Dock, Dublin).
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Dublin/North_Dock/Hawthorn_Terrace/1275145/
In 1911 census as Albert Halpin.
House 22 in Ravensdale Road (North Dock, Dublin).
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/North_Dock/Ravensdale_Road/12642/
Is this his marriage in 1920 to Margaret Keogh? His father down as Edward Halpin, and one of the witnesses Cecil Halpin (brother?)
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1920/09260/5352269.pdf
KG
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Is your James Albert the same as the Albert James that I have, born Nov 1896, called Jim?
Yes, I believe so
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I am fortunate to at last be able to visit Portarlington and today I spent a few hours in the local library's local studies section looking into books by the late Ronnie Mathews, whom I knew about, and by John Stocks Powell, whom I did not. Some disparate notes.
Powell in his book Schooling in Ireland, a Clustered History, 1695-1912attributes a quote to A record of the Hill and Binney families compiled from letters and correspondence by Thomas Stephen Hill. Private Ms, page 5 of 1977 typed copy.
I had reported previously that Old Hill from a family who had a position in the (town) corporation. The couple had 3 children each of whom strongly honoured her Halpin origins. This discovery confirms that there are existing descendants from Old Nick's daughter. Ronnie Mathews' book confirms the childrens' names weNick's daughter Mary Anne Halpin had married a Thomas Hill. Powell says that he was Major by Thomas Stephre Nicholas Thomas, William Halpin and Mary Anne Hill.
We know the Rev N J Halpin but Old Nick's other son William Henry "published many poems and translations from Greek, Latin, French, Italian, Spanish and Portugese poets circa 1825". [Portarlington the Inside Story, Ronnie Mathews]
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I have come across a record of the transfer of lands from Robert Burke of the City of Dublin to Patrick Metcalf Halpin of Glouster Place, Dublin on 4 Nov 1813. The lands are in Scriebogue, Hermitage, Ughtyneal, Aughnane, Ballymacdavid (otherwise Ballymackane), Mullaghea in Co Meath. The reference is in the Registry of Deeds 1811-1820, Reference 665 300 459195.
Could this be the same Patrick Metcalf Halpin mentioned by Seanachai in Halpins of Wicklow - Part 4.
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You are correct in your assumption, Terry. The reference you refer to is indeed that of the same Patrick Metcalf Halpin mentioned in a very old post of mine. After the Union in 1800 and the abolishment of the Irish legislature, P M Halpin, who had once served as Secretary to the Lord Chancellor, Lord Lifford, was out of a job and while he didn't exactly fall on hard times, was seriously out of pocket. He appealed for compensation, but was ultimately unsuccessful, and before he died (in about 1814, I think), he was regarded by the legal fraternity in Ireland as the Father of the Profession.
His half-brothers were the actor John Edmund Halpin, and the surgeon Oliver Halpin. Patrick had land in Wicklow too, and I think much of it was sold off for financial reasons. Louth was where the Halpins originally settled after moving to Ireland from England, either at the time of the Cromwellian atrocities, or much earlier. My hunch is they were Old English, and maintained contact with their relatives in England for many generations, before the link was finally broken for good late in the 18th century.