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CSO/RP/SC/1825/471

Letter from Major George Warburton, inspector general of police for Connaught, Sligo, County Sligo, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting on the burning of a haggard belonging to Mr Tottenham near the town of Manorhamilton in County Leitrim. Rather than the attack being symptomatic of a wider wave of discontent, he confides, the victim himself ‘provoked the outrage’. On a more general level, he observes, throughout his jurisdiction [counties Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim] there is a palpable sense of alarm but nonetheless the country remains ‘perfectly quiet’ with no arms apparently getting into the peasantry’s hands. Matters of a political sort, however, are coming to the fore, with evidence that resistance to the collection of Catholic rent in some parishes is now subsiding. That cause, he notes, is now actively promoted in the region through the circulation of a letter to the Catholic priesthood allegedly written in the hand of Daniel O’Connell.

7 Jan 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/472

Letter from Major George Warburton, inspector general of police for Connaught, Roscommon, County Roscommon, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, conveying an extract of a letter [transcribed below] from his brother Bartholomew Warburton, magistrate of County Clare, [Tomgraney], referring to some matters of law and order in that region. Observes that Reverend Walsh [Welsh] of the parish of Kilkishen, was alerted to a possible attack on his residence and on other local Protestant houses; also conveys details of a conservation with Mr Wilson, who told of the existence of a quantity of arms in the hands of ‘improper Persons’ and described a new oath and passwords in use amongst the disaffected, which was expressed ‘in the way of a conservation about the stars’ and stressed the supremacy of the Roman Catholic church. Reference is also made to a discovery of arms [now secured at Mountshannon, County Clare] and to a difference of opinion between a couple of magistrates, ‘Hubert’ and ‘Bushe’, over the treatment of some men accused of withholding information on a person accused of retailing illicit whiskey. Encloses statement from William Dettick, police constable, County Clare, relating details of a visit to the chapel of Mountshannon, County Galway, on the 26th of December, during which the priest applauded those who paid the Catholic rent, especially the ‘military’ residents of the town, and called upon all to contribute to that worthy cause. The priest of Mountshannon, he recalls, also condemned the ‘blood thirsty orange men’ and anticipated a day approaching when the Roman Catholics could reclaim their ‘ancient rights’; sworn before Bartholomew Warburton, and witnessed by Thomas Williams.

30 Dec 1824-1 Jan 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/473

Letter from Richard Willcocks, inspector general of police, Palmerston, County Dublin, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, dismissing a claim by Robert Fitzgerald of County Kerry for remuneration over the publication of a set of police regulations in the local press. He insists he gave no sanction for the work referred to and emphasises that neither government nor himself is in any way liable for the cost of same. Returns letter from Fitzgerald, late deputy clerk of the peace, County Kerry, Tralee, County Kerry, to Goulburn, seeking reimbursement of the cost of placing regulations for the guidance of the constabulary police in local newspapers.

21 Dec 1824-3 Jan 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/474

Letter from Edward Wilson, chief police magistrate of County Tipperary, Thurles, County Tipperary, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, alluding to an attack on the church [Church of Ireland] at Fethard, over which a reward of £100 for information was offered. He also reports on an attack on the house of Mrs Chitterbuck, a widow living near Newport, County Tipperary, by a party of about 10 men. They forced their way into her dwelling, he continues, and left with some firearms and other related items, having discharged a number of shots prior to departure. Initial efforts made by police to uncover the culprits, he admits, brought no immediate results, but sometime later information was received on two ‘old offenders’ who were subsequently captured in connection with the outrage.

3 Jan 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/475

Letter from Richard Willcocks, inspector general of police, Palmerston, County Dublin, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reflecting upon some information from County Cork on the activities of the Catholic Association. Quotes an extract of a letter from Mr Keily, chief constable of police, Doneraile, County Cork, stating the lower orders at present are largely unaffected by political intrigue, but the Catholic clergy and the middling orders are ‘positively organized as they were in the year [17]98 and from the Altar the most Wicked and Seditious lectures are delivered’. The source of this contagion spread from the chapel, Keily notes, is one Daniel O’Connell.

4 Jan 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/476

Letter from Bartholomew Warburton, magistrate of County Clare, [Tomgraney, County Clare], to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reflecting upon information received of an alleged conspiracy to murder Mr Bently [a magistrate] and Reverend [William] Butler of County Clare. His informant, he adds, is Edward D O’Connell, who is ‘married to the Daughter of a Protestant Clergyman’ and whose life is at present under threat from the activities of the ill disposed. Encloses statement from O’Connell, pensioner of the royal horse artillery, Bradford [Broadford], in which he recalls a meeting with a group of disaffected men in Limerick including Michael Boyce, John Purcell, Cornelious Crow, James Nix, Patt Kean, Edward Quinlovan, Lawrence McInertey and Daniel McNamara alias Donald More. Two of that number, he alleges, Boyce and Purcell, insisted he swear a pact to obliterate every vestige of Protestantism in Ireland and ‘to wade knee deep in Orange Blood’. At the same time he was made ‘Captain’ of the ‘Bradford Party’ and given instruction to levy a fee on the inhabitants of his parish, to pay the expenses of making pikes; he was informed that ‘Cooney’ and ‘Maddison’ are appointed to murder Bently and Butler, and the campaign is to continue against other prominent Protestant persons living in the locality. Also letter from O’Connell to Major [Henry Charles] Sirr, chief magistrate, Dublin, expressing alarm over the designs of the subversive sectarian faction at work in County Clare and seeking assistance. He states that he and family are in danger and is prepared to make a full disclosure on the matter in due course.

27 Dec 1824-3 Jan 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/477

Letter from Bartholomew Warburton, police magistrate of County Clare, Tomgraney, County Clare, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, enclosing a letter from John Read Bindon, chief constable of police, O’Brien’s Bridge, drawing attention to the inflammatory comments of the Roman Catholic priest of the chapel of Bridgestown [Father McCormick] towards members of the militia. Transcribes beneath a statement from a number of soldiers of the 25th regiment of foot quartered at O’Brien’s Bridge, who attended mass on 25th of January. They claim the priest proclaimed from his pulpit the militia had came to their locality ‘with their Pockets full of the King’s money to lead them astray and that they would afterwards shoot them like dogs’. [Sworn before Lieutenant Paschal, commander of the 25th regiment of foot, and Bindon Blood, magistrate and high sheriff for County Clare].

3 Jan 1825-4 Jan 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/478

Letter from Bartholomew Warburton, police magistrate of County Clare, O’Brien’s Bridge petty sessions, County Clare, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting that Stephen Hanly [Hanley], private, 25th regiment of foot, has been charged with ‘attempting to administer illegal oaths to some persons at O’Brien’s Bridge’. He is to be tried at the following special sessions of Sixmilebridge.

4 Jan 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/479

Letter from Richard Willcocks, inspector general of police, Palmerston, County Dublin, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, enclosing a letter from Mr [William] Smith, chief constable of police, Rathkeale, County Limerick, concerning an organised faction fight or public disturbance in the town of Askeaton in County Limerick. He states the affray involved about 1000 men ‘all armed with sticks and stones’ and watched by about the same number of persons. Observes the fight took place after mass and continued for a considerable period despite the attention of the police and members of the 19th regiment of foot. On the occasion, about 20 persons were made prisoners, but sometime later, he regrets, Mr [JF] Massey, local magistrate, ‘ordered all the prisoners to be released’. Adds in postscript that a further riot later ensued and in the frenzy that ensued ‘a man’s hand was cut off by a blow of a sword’.

1 Jan 1825-5 Jan 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/480

Letter from Major George Warburton, inspector general of police for Connaught, Sligo, County Sligo, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reflecting on the public display of a placard or notice in County Galway identifying certain members of the Protestant denomination in that quarter as orangemen. He encloses an extract from a letter [from the chief constable of police] discussing the matter and indicating the name of Captain Hutchinson and a number of other leading Protestants exponents of County Galway are made direct reference to on that handbill.

6 Jan 1825

1825