Ballinafad 1821

[aus*jen]

My 3xgr.grandfather John Jennings, a native of Kilmaine was transported on Mangles 2 arriving in
Port Jackson in November, 1822.  He was sentenced to life for "administering unlawful oaths". 
A newspaper reported on a previous arrest in November 1821 as a Ribbonman.  This report refers to
a 'Ballinafad'.  Would appreciate an explanation of this term and how it related to ribbonmen.

Thanks & regards,
Jen.

[Sinann]

It appears to have something to do with events in Ballinafad Co. Galway.
I think it means they intended to behave in the same way as Ribbonmen did in Ballinfad administering oaths

If you Google Ballinafad + Ribbonmen there are quit a few results.
I haven't worked through them all.

Captain Kitt called his meetings The Ballinafad
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Kitt

Page 3 says it doesn't refer to a particular place but is just the name thay gave to their meeting place that night
http://www.clontuskert.com/book/12.%20The%20Land%20Struggle%201800.pdf

And again from Sligo
https://books.google.ie/books?id=WpJhAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=ballinafad+%2B+Ribbonmen&source=bl&ots=pl0Egzdx2S&sig=ACfU3U3MxrtLECnbyrWT6CtCxflNtDujsw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiIxcfws5blAhUKXRUIHSRGD1YQ6AEwEHoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=ballinafad%20%2B%20Ribbonmen&f=false

[hallmark]

CSO/RP/1825/619
TITLE:    

Letter from Thomas [?Lavell], County Galway, requesting that government aid to depart for Australia be given to Bridget Jennings of Kilmaine, County Mayo
SCOPE & CONTENT:    

Letter from Thomas [?Lavell], Cloghan, near Tuam, County Galway, to Lieutenant Colonel Meyrick Shawe, private secretary to Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquis Wellesley, Lord Lieutenant, Dublin Castle, requesting that government aid be given Bridget Jennings and family of Kilmaine, County Mayo, to assist with departure for Australia, 18 June 1825. Encloses petition of Jennings, Kilmaine, to Wellesley, seeking extension of government assistance for herself and 6 children in order to sail for New South Wales, Australia. States it was to this location that her husband, John Jennings, was earlier transported for crimes in connection with Ribbonism in 1822. She complains of being without food and recites the case of the wife of Murty Farraher as a recent precedent for extension of government assistance to a convict's wife. Petition certified below by Reverend George Low, Church of Ireland curate of Kilmaine, and Reverend John Burke, Roman Catholic parish priest of parish, and 2 others, 21 June 1825. Also encloses letter from John Jennings, Port Macquarie Setttlement, New South Wales, to Christopher Bowen, Milford, County Galway, making an appeal for his wife and family to come and join him in Australia. Observes his master has promised him a farm of 10 acres, in addition to what might be forthcoming from government. Describes his new home in a ‘good contry [sic]’ and comments on the food, wildlife and weather; asks his wife to take with her bedding, the ‘old shilling’ and some personal effects, 29 August 1824.
EXTENT:    

3 items; 8pp
DATE(S):    

29 Aug 1824-21 Jun 1825
DATE EARLY:    

1824
DATE LATE:    1825
ORIGINAL REFERENCE:    1825/11606

http://www.csorp.nationalarchives.ie/search/index.php?browse=true&category=27&subcategory=188&offset=610&browseresults=true



http://www.csorp.nationalarchives.ie/index.html

[hallmark]

Ireland.  Jennings is an Irish surname of Anglo-Norman origin, from MacSheoinin or MacJonin meaning "son of little Sean." They were a subset of the Burke sept which settled in Mayo and Galway.  These Jennings tended to be strongly attached to the Catholic faith.  John Jennings of Ballymurphy forfeited his Irish estates in 1633 rather than change his Catholic religion.  A descendant of his was the Sir Patrick Jennings who became Premier of New South Wales in 1886.

Jennings from Mayo included Dr. Theobald Jennings who left his native Ireland In 1738 at the time of the Penal laws to practice as a physician for SW France:

    his son Charles Edward Jennings - better known as Kilmaine, his homeland in county Mayo - was one of the greatest Irish soldiers to serve France in the 18th century.  He was committed both to the cause of Irish independence and to that of the French Revolution.
    Kilmaine's cousin John Jennings, a doctor back in Ireland, died young from a fever he contracted while attending a patient in his native Galway.  His death occasioned the lament known as Doctúir Jennings.



http://www.selectsurname.com/jennings.html

[dathai]

http://www.findingaids.nationalarchives.ie/index.php?simpleSearchSbm=true&searchDescTxt=john+jennings&simpleSearchSbm=Search#searchfocus

[aus*jen]

Sinann,   Thankyou for the links to Ballinafad, I appreciate the time you have taken to research
              this for me and look forward to a day of reading!   


Hallmark,   Thankyou for the NAI info. re Bridget Jennings, she did receive Govt. assistance for
                 passage to Australia and arrived with 5 of her children on Sir Joseph Banks in 1828 to
                 join John.  Another daughter was born the following year.  We are now in the 8th
                 generation in Aust.  I will contact NAI to get copies of those docs.  Thankyou also for
                 the history of the Jennings name, some notable chaps there.

dathai,       Thankyou for the info. on John Jennings from NAI,  matches 2 & 3 refer to him.  At the
                 time he sent the petition he was working at the hospital at Port Macquarie.  Dr. Francis
                 Moran was there at that time and when John's wife and family arrived in 1828 John and
                 family moved to Dr. Moran's farm in the Maitland district.  John was indented to Moran
                 and remained in the district until his death at 84 years.  He did not receive a pardon
                 which meant he could not return to Ireland.  Other associates of his did receive absolute
                 pardons e.g. Murty Farraher (mentioned in Hallmark's doc.) who also received a land
                 grant.  Justice was not always served, not only in those troubled times in Ireland but
                 also after transportation to Aust.

Regards,
Jen.

[hallmark]

https://archive.org/details/campaignsnapole00unkngoog/page/n28?q=Kilmaine

[aus*jen]

Hallmark, Thanks for the link.

Jen.