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Pat Purcell Papers |
Names: Murphy, Doyle, Kavanagh, Nail, Doran, Byrne,
Barron, Nowlan & Bunbury.
From Pat Purcell Papers.
1817 / 1818.
THE Examination of Edward Murphy of Ballyellen, Farmer, who being
this day Duly Sworn on the Holy Evangelists Deposeth and Saith
that on the 17th April 1817 he was desired by Peter
Doyle of Ballyellen, Carpenter, to collect Threatening Notice
papers to the effect that persons should not rent or lease the
farm of David Barron, Farmer, of Ballyellen, then out of Lease and
for renewal of which lands Walter Blakney, Esquire, of Ballyellen
House was Landlord, Peter Doyle expressed his desire to have the
Threatening Papers attached to the Chapel Gates in the area and at
the Cross Roads threatening Death to any person who would take the
Lease of the aforesaid lands.
That about four days after meeting Peter Doyle, he was sought out
again by Doyle who then and there gave him a Crown Sterling and
desired him to go to Saint Mullins to meet with some men to bring
to Ballyellen, the names of which were Thomas Kavanagh, Michael
Kavanagh, Miley Kavanagh, Patrick Doran, Hugh Nail, James Byrne
and James Nowlan all of the Barony of Saint Mullins, Farmers, for
the intention of attacking Ballyellen House and by fire consume
the property, Peter Doyle told Edward Murphy that each man would
be paid a Crown Sterling and whatever Chattles and Yokes they
could remove from the House and out-Buildings could be divided
among themselves.
That they should approach the House at ten of the Clock after
sunset at which time Walter Blakney would be in the Palour as was
his custom to be so there and that Peter Doyle had a Pistol and a
tin of Gunpowder which he would give to Edward Murphy with
encouragement that he was to shoot the Bastard Blakney dead as he
sat in the Palour and
Burn the House, following which no man would then take the Lands
at Ballyellen and the Lands of right belong from father to son of
the Doyles for over one hundred years before taken from them by
David Barron a common rascal of low order and the aforesaid Lands
would be restored to the Doyles once Blakney was in the Pit of
Hell.
Edward Murphy Saith that he heard out Peter Doyle in order to know
his Wicked intent in order that he would Swear Information before
the Magistrates in Open Court against a dangerous Lunatic and Evil
man such as Peter Doyle amongst the Subjects of our most Sovereign
Lord, George the Third, King and so Forth.
And Edward Murphy further Saith Naught ~
(signed) Edward Murphy.
Sworn before me this 10th Day of August 1818 (signed) Benjamin
Bunbury.
Taken and Acknowledged by Benjamin Bunbury, Esquire, One of His
Majesties Justices of the Peace, before the Clerk of the Peace at
the Court House at Carlow Town and conveyed to Walter Blakney,
Esquire, by immediate dispatch.
Just a few comments from Roger Nowlan!
In the account of events described below, Peter Doyle was offered
money to fetch several Kavanaghs and a James Nowlan, all of the
Barony of St. Mullins,
from St. Mullins mentioned. At this point one may be tempted to
assume that these men were from St. Mullins, however, in my
opinion, I believe that St. Mullins was merely a point of
assembly. Ballyellin
(at least this part) is in the Barony of St. Mullins and I believe
that the James Nowlan mentioned was also from the Ballyellin area
(more specifically the Ballyellin-Tomdarragh area; essentially
just south of the "Crossroads"). The Kavanaghs mentioned in the
account were likely from the Borris area where they are more
numerous.
Supporting my conjecture about the above-mentioned James Nowlan is
the fact that during my trip to counties Carlow and Kilkenny last
Fall I met with a Nolan family from the Goresbridge area which
traced its ancestry in the early 1800s to the Ballyellin area.
In my own family research, one line of investigation is that my
ancestor James Nowlan (who married Mary Shortall in Ballon in
1793) may have moved to the Ballyellin area
after the troubles of 1798.
In the mid-1700s a Rev. Michael Shortall had been parish
priest in Ballon and, at his death, in the 1790s, he was buried
"with his ancestors" in Ballyellin. I believe that my maternal
ancestor Mary Shortall was related to this line of Shortalls from
the Ballyellin-Goresbridge area and that the family decision to
move to the Ballyellin area would have been be one based upon
having family ties in the area.
Besides the two brothers who emigrated to New Brunswick in 1818
(Peter born circa 1796 and Edward born circa 1798), two other
tentative children of the James Nowlan identified in the
transcription below would have been the Thomas Nolan (c1797-1861)
and James Nolan (c1800-1846) buried in the Goresbridge cemetery.
Here is the transcription for their tombstone:
[RN: Based upon onsite research I know this family originally
hailed from the Ballyellin area.]
The two Nowlan brothers who emigrated to New Brunswick did so
around 1818.
* Thomas (presumably after the child's great-grandfather and also
possibly an uncle)
* John (after the child's maternal grandfather)
* William James (after the child's grandfather namely James", also
possibly an uncle and possibly after an uncle "William")
* Pierre/Peter (after the child's father)
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