Pilkington, Riverville, Co. Galway

[gendeam]

I need help to find details on a Reverend Michael Dillon Pilkington who was living in Riverville, Co. Galway, Ireland, approximately 1820.  Reverend Michael’s wife was Anna Alexandra Orr.  Anna was the daughter of Sarah Dunbar and Alexander Orr of Landmore, Co. Londonderry, Ireland. Sarah Dunbar was the daughter of John Dunbar and Wilfrida Gilmore.  I have found a headstone inscription for Sarah Dunbar Pilkington, daughter of the Reverend Michael Dillon Pilkington, late of Riverville, Co. Galway, and the loved and loving niece of George Dunbar of Woburn, county of Down, born Sept 21st 1825, died Oct 16th 1874. Sarah’s uncle, George Dunbar Dunbar, (A barrister and Member of Parliament for Belfast, 1835-41) was born in 1800, the son of Alexander Orr and Sarah Dunbar. George changed his name from Orr to Dunbar so he could inherit the estates of an uncle, John Gilmore Dunbar. 

The person I am really interested in is the son of Reverend Michael and Anna.  He was George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington (date of birth unknown) who married Marian Dugdale at St Dunston in the West Church, London on 28 June, 1853.  The marriage certificate shows that Marion was the daughter of William John Dugdale.  George’s father was shown as Michael Dillon Pilkington.   I would like to know who the Reverend Michael’s parents were, and any details at all on his family.  I would also like to know who William John Dugdale was.  I know nothing of the Dugdale family.

I found the following (which I think could be Reverend Michaels family, but am not sure) at www.familysearch.org (noted that records submitted by a member of the LDS church)  - 1) Birth of Sarah Pilkington about 1817 at Urney, Offely, Ireland. Parents:  Michael Pilkington and Anna Orr.  2) Birth of Michael Pilkington, about 1790 at Uney, Offely, Ireland. father: Henry Pilkington.  3) birth of Henry Pilkington about 1766 at Urney, Offely, Ireland. Parents: Thomas Pilkington and Bridget Harper.

George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington came to Australia and was living in southern NSW. He was formerly an officer in the British Army (37th Regiment of Foot).  In 1872 he mysteriously disappeared then his wife Marion was murdered in 1876!  I am not related to George but am interested in the local history of the area where he was living when he disappeared.  I am very intrigued by this murder mystery!  Any help to find more info, (or any relatives) on this Dugdale-Pilkington-Dunbar family would be most appreciated.

[heywood]

Welcome to Rootschat.

There is reference to Michael Pilkington's parents here.  You  need to scroll down as the entries are in alphabetical order.

regards
heywood

[gendeam]

Thank you for replying to my post.  I appreciate your help.
kind regards

[sakdolan]

Hi Gendeam,

Difficult to know where to start. Your George Pilkington was born in 1827 and served in Sri Lanka. He gave his place of birth as Loughrea (the local town) as opposed to Kilconierin (his RC parish) / Kilconickny (his EC parish) which might have confused you.

I can fill in some of the Co Galway blanks too. Hi father (the Reverend) was based near Riverville with Glebe house and land at Lickerrig (and land in Carrownagower). It can’t have been easy for him being so out-numbered here (RC:EC) and being ‘on the wrong side of the argument’ so does speak in the tithe war. Basically, he was in the eye of a storm of agitation. The official response to the agitation bemoaning “the poor deluded peasantery… still persisting in the illegal and unwarrantable course” didn't exactly go far in attempting to understand the motivations behind the local ‘crimes’.

In January 1832, under the headline “Terry Alt System”, ‘The Freeman Journal’ newspaper reported that “In the barony of Loughrea, during the last week, some outrages have been committed – parties having visited several houses, demanding arms, and swearing persons to relinquish their buildings. During their midnight excursions they visited the residence of a Mrs [Anna Alexandra, by then widowed] Pilkington of Riverville, between Saint Clerans and Dunsandle, as well as the houses of many others, and after threatening the inmates, some arms were delivered to them. The insurgents were well armed and commenced their work of plunder and infatuation at the early hour of eight o clock in the evening”. You can see the Pilkington family on records here and there of the era.

This is a wonderful site, however can I also suggest that if you are looking for Irish information, you try Ireland XO etc? Also facebook.com/SEGAHS is the local historical society which I am happy to endorse.

Am happy to have connected with you. It would be lovely to think the Pilkingtons might return and visit Galway some day so if you ever contact their descendants, feel free to give my details. Or if you've a query on Ireland.

By the day, did George commit the murder do you think?

S.

P.S. Riverville area remains beautiful. You can see the castle (towerhouse) if you google it. Cracking history to it too. :-)

[gendeam]

Dear sakdolan
Thank you so much for all your interest in the Pilkington family. I was so thrilled to read your post!  I read and re-read your information a few times today, trying to take it all in.  I presume "EC" is Established Church (equivilant to the Church of England).  It seems from what you say, that part of Ireland was mainly Catholic?  You are talking about a website where you quote the Freeman Journal newspaper, but you don't give the name of the website.  Would it be the British Newspaper Site?  What is Ireland XO?  I have never used Facebook and am a bit reluctant to do so,  it seems to break all the rules of privacy, from what I have read.  Below I have a newspaper article about George Pilkington and his wife Marion (nee Dugdale).  This is from the National Library of Australia, which has the "Trove" digitised Australian newspapers online - www.nla.gov.au  -  The disappearance then murder of the Pilkingtons, seems to have been regarded as very sensational and first of all, an account was printed in the Gundagai newspaper - The Gundagai Times - then reprinted in various newspapers in other parts of Australia, in NSW, Victoria, Queensland etc.   The "Trove" newspapers are free, unlike the British newspaper website. If you do a search for say "Plkington + Gundagai" , also "Marion Pilkington" "George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington" etc. etc. you will pick up numerous news articles.   This article below is particularly flowery and extravagent, but it makes entertaining reading!  "Spring Creek" is really Spring Flat, and was a goldfield from the 1860s on the outskirts of Gundagai.
Warwick Argus and Tenterfield Chronicle, (Queensland) 31 August, 1876 - MYSTERY AND MURDER. -  THE Gundagai correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald says:-" Almost every old country town has some mysterious tale of woe or horror attached to it, and Gundagai is not an exception. Born years ago, an officer in one of the crack regiments in England had to sell out of the army because of a misalliance, he having become enamoured of a fair and a frail enchantress. - The officer's family was very aristocratic, and, to prevent a scandal, the newly married couple took ship and came to Australia.  The husband was a tall handsome man and it could be perceived at a glance that he was every inch a gentleman and a soldier, and the wife was exceedingly pretty.  They settled about one mile out of Gundagai, near Spring Creek, and in course of time became possessed of land, horses, cattle and money. Probably recollection of old times caused Mr. Pilkington to imbibe rather freely, but never in his fits of intemperance, did he lose the deportment of a gentleman.  One night, about four years since Mr Pilkington was in the township of Gundagai; it was a dark rainy night, and as he had been drinking very freely, some friends advised him not to go home, but he persisted, mounted his horse, and on his way called at an hotel and procured a bottle of brandy.  From that night up to the present time Mr. Pilkington has never been heard of.  His horse, with saddle and bridle, was discovered the following morning, and the bottle of brandy, which was identified afterwards, was found near the burial ground fence on the road to Mr. Pilkington's house. It is not known whether Mr. Pilkington was drowned in attempting to cross the creek, or whether lie was murdered, and the body thrown down one of the many abandoned shafts upon the Springfield diggings, through which he had to pass, on his way home. Such was the first act of this  dark tragedy ; and now comes the second and |equally mysterious affair. Mrs. Pilkington  took out letters of administration, but the bank refused to hand over the husband's deposits, simply because there was no certainty of Mr. Pilkington's death. A few days after the supposed death of Mr. Pilkington, the wife formed an illicit connexion with another man, and thus matters went on for three years, with no tidings of the missing husband.  Meanwhile everything had been disposed of by Mrs. Pilkington.  About a month since this woman informed her neighbors that the was going to the Palmer with some friends, but the evening before she intended to start, she was found murdered in a ditch on the highway with her skull battered in, and for his crime a man is now awaiting his trial in Wagga Wagga gaol. This woman's body was discovered almost a few yards of where it is suspected her husband was murdered four years previously. This ends another chapter of a tragedy shrouded in mystery that possibly will never be unraveled.

[sakdolan]

Excellent stuff. Will PM you Gendeam.

[Carolyn65]

I have some information going backwards from Revd Michael Pilkington.  I have a very old and damaged family tree which leads to my great-grandmother, great-granddaughter of Thomas Pilkington and Bridget Harper.
According to this (insofar as I can decipher it), Michael was born in 1800 and died in 1827. He married Anne Orr in 1824 and she died in 1868. (Michael may have gone to Trinity College, Dublin?)
Michael's father was Henry Pilkington (no dates). He was a Lieutenant in the King's Co Militia (?) on 16 September 1795. (I don't know the relevance of this date!)
Henry's parents were Thomas Pilkington of Urney House, Urney (died approx 1829) and Bridget, daughter of Rev Ephraim Harpur of Urney, married 4 October 1768.
Thomas's father was Henry Pilkington of Tore/Fore(?), Co Westmeath, born Longford about 1704, at Trinty College, Dublin in 1720, High Sheriff in 1738, died 13 November 1777, buried at Newtown.
Thomas's mother was Henry's second wife Barbara Sampson, daughter of Archdeacon Edward Sampson, rector of St Paul's, Cork. They married around 1738.  Barbara died around 1789/90.
Hope this is of some help!

[gendeam]

Dear Carolyn
Thank you so much for the extra information on Reverend Michael Pilkington and his family.  I appreciate your interest.  You are the first person that I have come across who is actually related to this family! The family tree that you hold sounds quite fascinating.

I am not related to this family, but I am interested in the local history of Gundagai, NSW, Australia, and I have been fascinated for a long time with the intriguing mystery of the disappearance of George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington (son of Rev. Michael) and then the murder of his wife, Marion/Mary Ann Pilkington (nee Dugdale) at Gundagai.    A while ago I thought I would give it a go, to try and find out something about George's background.

George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington married Marian Dugdale at St Dunston in the West Church, London on 28 June, 1853.  Reverend Michael and his wife Anna had two children that I know of:-  1) Sarah Dunbar Pilkington, born 1825 and 2) George, born 1827.  Do you know if they had any other children?  Sarah died in 1874, and I found a reference to her headstone by Googling "Dunbar Pilkington".  If you go to the National Library of Australia website - www.anl.gov.au - you will find the Trove digitised newspapers which is free to search and find articles (like the British newspaper site, but the British site you have to pay, and Trove is entirely free).  If you search for "Pilkington" + "Gundagai", or "George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington", you will find many sensational articles in newspapers all over Australia about the mystery of George's disappearance and Marion's murder.  I think any murder or mystery such as this seemed to be picked up by newspapers everywhere, as the hot topic of the day.

Marion's father was William John Dugdale (as stated on the marriage certificate in 1853) but I know nothing else of this Dugdale family.  they were married in London, but there is nothing to say that is where Marion was born.  I thought I would have more luck tracing the Dugdales, as I thought that it was an uncommon surname, but I have not found out anything about Marion's family.

Thank you again, Caroline, and please check out the "Trove" newspapers.  As this is your family, I am sure that you will find all these various news items very interesting.
kind regards, Gendeam.

[Kearney58]

Good Evening,

Found your posts during the course of my research and have registered with this site in order to let you know that I have details of the burial place, gravestone inscription for Michael Dillon Pilkington should you not already have these

Regards

Kearney58