What is the name of this parish please?

[Forfarian]

Thank you!

That C of I list contains the baptism of one of the children I knew about: John Wilkie, baptised 5 January 1814 in Ballincollig Ordnance Chapel. So that is confirmation that Ballincollig is the right parish, and that James Wilkie served there with the Royal Artillery.

James Wilkie was originally Presbyterian* but the five younger children baptised in Scotland were Roman Catholic, so I assumed that he must have converted when he married Bridget Driscoll. After her death he married another Catholic with an Irish name, Esther O'Neill, but she was born in Scotland. All known descendants of both marriages were Catholic.

*Digression - I don't think that his family were notably devout because his father wouldn't attend church services. The Kirk Session "therefore were of opinion that he had no right to the sealing ordinances of the Gospel whilst he continued in this criminal neglect of attending the public worship of God in the Church upon the Lord's Day - they therefore did and hereby do suspend him from all sealing ordinances of the Gospell untill he give evidence of his repentance and reformation". Not really the cleverest way to deal with him! So his wife had to present the children for baptism instead.

[Wexflyer]

Thank you!

That C of I list contains the baptism of one of the children I knew about: John Wilkie, baptised 5 January 1814 in Ballincollig Ordnance Chapel. So that is confirmation that Ballincollig is the right parish, and that James Wilkie served there with the Royal Artillery.

Yes, I was going to point that out. Says he was a Driver, RA, and the register also lists his specific unit, which may help in locating further army records?

Just to note that there were no Presbyterian army chaplains, at least in Ireland, that I know of.

[Forfarian]

Thanks again, Wexflyer.

I've just been following up the son John - he spent most of his life in Glasgow, and he remained RC throughout. I can't find a death certificate, but he was married twice and the second marriage was after the start of civil registration and confirms that his mother was Bridget Driscoll.

[Wexflyer]

Something has been nagging at me since I read the transcription of the Ballincollig barracks CofI register, and I think I have figured out what it is.

It is that according to the transcription, James Wilke served in the "9th Battalion" of the Royal Artillery.

Problem is that at least latterly, the RA did not have any battalions! It had batteries, organized into brigades. Now the abbreviation for battery can be Bat, which some transcribers mistakenly assume is an abbreviation for battalion. I suspect that that may be what occurred here?

[Forfarian]

Thank you. I have to admit that I had no idea about that, and I am still a bit hazy about many aspects of the organisation of the military

[Wexflyer]

Thank you. I have to admit that I had no idea about that, and I am still a bit hazy about many aspects of the organisation of the military

I suspect the original was an abbreviation for either battery (Bat) battery or brigade (B or BGD) but has been transcribed as battalion. Would be nice to see the original.