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CSO/RP/SC/1825/611

Letter from James Williams, chief constable of police, Colehill, Abbeyshrule, County Longford, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting on the capture of several suspects in connection with a crime made reference to in a letter of the 24th of August. He asks how he should proceed with respect to the prosecutor [probably John Quinlisk or Quinlish], who is ‘much alarmed’ and desires to move to Dublin for reasons of personal safety until the advent of the assizes. [See also descriptions CSO/RP/SC/1825/269, CSO/RP/SC/1825/279 and CSO/RP/SC/1825/419].

27 Aug 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/612

Letter from Major George Warburton, inspector general of police for Connaught, Ballinasloe, County Galway, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting that Thomas Goodwin, chief constable of police, County Galway, was brought before the petty sessions court on a charge of taking or procuring alcohol in an unlicensed premises. Encloses letter from Goodwin, Kilconnell, County Galway, to Warburton, explaining he was ‘wholly ignorant’ of the illicit nature of the establishment over which he is indicted. However, he admits seeking an alcoholic drink at the woman’s house and confesses to having left some money in payment. [See also description CSO/RP/1825/1150].

25 Aug 1825-1 Sep 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/613

Letter from Lieutenant Hugh Boyd Wray, chief constable of police, Borris in Ossory, Queen’s County [County Laois; Leix], to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting on arrangements to preserve the peace at the fair of Mountmellick on the 26th of August [where a violent party affray was anticipated]. He states he was present in the town from ten o’clock in the morning till ten at night and had in support a magistrate, a police force of 60 constables plus three chief constables. During that period all remained quiet, he remarks. [See also description CSO/RP/SC/1825/609].

27 Aug 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/614

Letter from Major Richard Willcocks, inspector general of police [Munster], Cork, County Cork, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting on a request made of a chief constable in County Waterford to assist in the collection of parish rates and seeking the guidance of government on the matter. Encloses letter from Hugh Bernard Haly, chief constable of police, Tramore, County Waterford, calling attention to the serious difficulties that attends the deployment of the constabulary in the gathering of the church rates [a tax used to cover church repairs and pay wardens’ salaries]. While the police have sought to deliver warrants, he expresses himself uncertain in dealing with the enforcement of distress or handling attempted rescues. Might one or more magistrates, he enquires, be permitted to attend the police in this ‘most arduous and important duty’. He comments upon the belligerent part taken by Reverend John Cooke, Church of Ireland rector of the union of Drumcannon, who is the chief enforcer of the parish taxes raised in the locality. In the course of the collection in the countryside, he is increasingly aware of the presence of ‘a combination amongst the people to resist the payment of it’. The country people are advised against payment of the tax by ‘eminent’ lawyers, he points out, and resist on grounds the charge has not been paid in the past. A variety of strategies are used by the lower orders, he notes, including a ‘system of telegraph’ whereby the movements of the collectors is watched and communicated throughout the district by a team of juvenile monitors; a practice that allows the people to assemble in very large numbers in resistance, 23 August 1825. Also encloses copy of warrant issued to Haly for the protection of Thomas Morgan, church warden, in the execution of his duty as parish rate collector. States the collector faces serious threats in the performance of his work due to the action of a well organised combination. Conveys details of a recent incident involving the seizure of Whittle’s goods at Williamstown by Morgan, during which the church warden was confronted by a man wielding a ‘butcher’s knife assisted by various other persons armed with Pitchforks & shovels’; signed by Henry Alcock and Shapland Carew Morris, magistrates of County Waterford, 21 December 1824. [See also description CSO/RP/1825/1488].

21 Dec 1824-31 Aug 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/615

Letter from Major George Warburton, inspector general of police for Connaught, Ballinasloe, County Galway, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, referring to a letter from TS Ireland [chief constable of police, County Roscommon], seeking guidance over whether a specimen of clothing belonging to a man who was murdered at Kiltoom bridge [Patrick Hooks] should be brought for examination to his sister, Mary Carroll, who is a native of Bandon in County Cork [not present]. Also copy letter from Goulburn to Ireland, reflecting on establishing the identity of the deceased man. Only if the clothes of the dead man be taken to Bandon for verification, he reasons, can the facts of his identity be properly known. He adds in postscript the information of Langhlin Kelly is not in itself a satisfactory basis upon which to arrest suspect James Connor, should he be discovered. [See also descriptions CSO/RP/SC/1825/205 and CSO/RP/SC/1825/219].

31 Aug 1825-Sep 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/616

Letter from Peter Warburton, magistrate, Rocks, Crosdoney [Crossdoney], barony of Clanmahon, County Cavan, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting on the alleged presence of a party of Ribbonmen in his district. He indicates he is in communication with an informer named Thomas Burke with a view to discovering the identity of the gang. Encloses copy statement of Burke, Crosserlough, County Cavan, claiming he and about 50 other Ribbonmen met last night in a field near the chapel of Crosserlough. The men, he asserts, are headed by Patrick Reilly of Rockfield and have a selection of arms at their disposal. It was proposed, he continues, that he himself should make a trip to Dublin and procure a warrant from [Daniel] O’Connell for his appointment as a captain of that body. The vehemence of the party, he remarks, is directed against Reverend Thomson [apparently the Church of Ireland clergyman of the parish], who was earmarked for attack by another Ribbon captain named ‘Fegan’ who is from Mucerstaff [Muckerstaff] in County Longford.

31 Aug 1825-2 Sep 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/617

Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Wedderburn, military secretary, Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin, to William H Gregory, Under Secretary of Ireland, Dublin Castle, reporting on an outbreak of riot at Lowsgreen [Lowesgreen] in County Tipperary. Encloses copy letter from Lieutenant Philip North, commander of the 86th regiment of foot, New Inn [Newinn], barony of Middlethird, in County Tipperary, conveying details of the outbreak of disturbance at Lowsgreen during which a number of keepers of corn came under attack by a large crowd of country people. Five keepers, sustained serious injury in the affray and are now confined to hospital at Cashel. By the time the magistrate had visited the scene, he observes, the crown had dispersed and all was ‘quiet and tranquil’.

2 Sep 1825-5 Sep 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/618

Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Wedderburn, military secretary, Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting on the appearance of a warning notice at the farm of Thomas Donohoe near Cratloe Cross in County Clare. Encloses copy letter from Sergeant [William] Anderson, commander of the 78th regiment of highlanders, Cratloe Cross, conveying details of the fixing of a threatening notice on the property of dairy farmer Donohoe. He reproduces a copy of the notice below from ‘a friend to the Poor’ which warns Donohoe against employing strangers in the parish and demanding he be ‘more pliable’ in letting meadow pasture or ‘work ground’ to the lower classes. Also expresses ire at the milk maid for withholding milk from the poor, and warns any person not to remove the notice lest he should meet the same fate as ‘Stark’ who was shot at the same location about two years earlier.

3 Sep 1825-5 Sep 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/619

Letter from Edward Wilson, chief police magistrate of County Tipperary, Thurles, County Tipperary, to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle, reporting on a recent faction fight at Dundrum near Clohane [Cloghane] in the barony of Kilnamanagh in County Tipperary. He observes that near 1,000 persons were in attendance at the skirmish, some of whom had travelled from as far away as County Limerick. Connexions and heads of the families of Dwyer, Quinlan, Ryan and English, were the principle participants, with each party being marked or attired in a particular way to assist with recognition. The warring parties, armed with missiles, converged together in a field with ‘multitudes of women on each side carrying stones and the great Coats of the contestants’. Information on the incident in question was difficult to obtain, he regrets, except from two local magistrates. Nonetheless, he affirms, the individual heads of the parties were bound over to keep the peace.

9 Sep 1825

1825

CSO/RP/SC/1825/620

Letter from Henry Watters and William Fishbourne, magistrates, Carlow, County Carlow, to William H Gregory, Under Secretary of Ireland, Dublin Castle, calling attention to a case involving an alleged assault perpetrated by George EA Jackson, attorney, of Mountainview Cottage, Carlow, on William Butler, attorney, of Aghmacard [Aghmacart], Queen’s County [County Laois; Leix], and seeking the advice of government as to granting bail to Jackson, who is now held in the jail of Carlow. Encloses copy of information from Butler complaining that Jackson prevailed upon him to join him at his residence in Carlow, on 30th of May, and there ‘without any provocation whatsoever violently and repeatedly Assaulted’ him; he claims that Jackson stabbed him with a knife in the leg and later ordered two workmen, Patrick Murphy and John Neill, to pursue him and make him a prisoner, 11 September 1825. Also letter from Henry Butler, sub sheriff, County Carlow [to the Chief Secretary’s Office, Dublin Castle], indicating that a writ for £90 was made at the behest of Jackson against William Butler on 30 May 1825, 21 September 1825.

11 Sep 1825-21 Sep 1825

1825