George Wilkinson GD018329    Contact contributor     Contributor Number: 32
Born ABT 1813 at Ireland
Father: ?
Mother: ?
Married Jane Ainsworth 01 September 1854 at Stockport
Children.
Married Catherine
Child.

Notes: BALLINA CHRONICLE Ballina, Mayo, Ireland Wednesday, November 14, 1849 THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER IN ULSTER The anniversary of this great Protestant deliverance has come and pa ssed away in Ulster, amidst the most perfect peace, good order, and tranquilit y. The Orangemen of the north have proved themselves worthy of the honorable nam e they bear. They have wisely refrained from any public demonstration to commemo rate this glorious event so dear to every Protestant heart, and in this we hav e another powerful proof of their desire to pay obedience to those placed o ver them, and to cultivate good will and harmony. BALLYNAHINCH. Here not the slightest public manifestation of feeling was exhibite d by the Orangemen throughout the day. On Wednesday last a meeting of the master s was held in Walker's Hotel, for the purpose of considering what steps shoul d be taken with reference to the then approaching 5th of November. The attenda nce on this occasion was very numerous, and after grave deliberations, it was unanimously resolved that there should be no procession. The brethern [si c] of the district therefore remained quietly at their homesteads during the da y, and in the evening enjoyed themselves in their respective lodge rooms. The precautions of the government were therefore quite unnecessary. The troop s in Ballynahinch during the day consisted of two companies of the 13th regime nt, from Belfast, under the command of Major Wilkinson, a troop of the 13th L ight Dragoons, commanded by Captain Ormsby Gore, M.P. for Sligo, and Sub-Inspe ctor of Constabulary, a Head Constable and thirty police, from Dublin, besides th e permanent local force. S.L. M'Cance, Esq., R.M. remained with the troop s in the town during the day. The only excitement perceivable in the minds of th e people was that produced by the presence of so many soldiers and police. CASTLEWELLAN When I entered this town, now so celebrated, I observed a company o f the 9th regiment drawn up on parade in the centre of the square. On inquir y I found the troops stationed here for the day to consist of two companies of th e 9th regiment from Newry, a troop of the 13th Light dragoons, under the comman d of Captain Holden, and Sub-Inspector Croghan; Head Constable Reilly and fift y police, from the county of Louth, together with seven of the local consta bulary under Head-Constable Wrigth, commanded by Sub-Inspector Janns. Gerald Fitzgerald, Esq., R.M., of Ballinasloe, who was sent down by government, remained with the troops to give his services if necessary. The Orangeme n of this district who had not contemplated walking at all in procession, rema ined at their several houses and attended to their individual affairs, as if ther e had not been an anniversary that day. DOLLY'S BREA After I left Castlewellan, I proceeded direct by the old road to Dol ly's Brea. To driver a car over this "bone-setting" road is no easy matter, an d requires not only a good horse but a skilful driver. Its whole surface i s marked here and there with large stone half above the earth, with deep gullies a nd cart ruts, into which the wheel of the car frequently enters and the shock you r entire system experiences somewhat resembles that from an electric batter y. When you arrive at the highest hill on the road, your driver informs you, if y ou have not been there before, that you are just then on Dolly's Brea. From the t op you command a most extensive view of the surrounding country. The land on eit her sides is of a very inferior description-rocky eminences and bleak and bar ren patches ever where around-and countless multitudes of stone ditches confi ning their stony fields within the smallest divisions. A few miserable huts sc attered here and there, are to be seen, quite in keeping with the land and scarce ly a comfortable spot observable, to render the prospect in the slightest degr ee cheering. When I reached the top of Dolly's Brea, instead of seeing arme d bands of Ribbonmen strongly entrenched with murderous intent, to dispute the pa ss, as to some extent anticipated in Castlewellan, the only living things I coul d perceive were six policemen, armed, patrolling about, and shivering in th e bitter blast that swept over the hill, two very ugly brown goats, and thr ee crows that appeared to be industriously engaged in making experiments o n some diseased tubers in a potato field. I left the aforesaid policemen, goats , and crows, to the uninterrupted enjoyment of their respective pursuits; and h aving passed over Dolly's Brea, proceeded to MAGHERAMAYO. This hill, the scene of the late fatal conflict, is about a quarte r of a mile distant from Dolly's Brea. I could see nothing worthy of notice her e at all. The scene of the Ribbon encampment both on the morning and evening o f the 12th, and the first and second parallels behind which the Ribbonmen wer e posted, were, to be sure, seen; but this was all. The patrol of police on Dolly' s Brea commanded a full view of the Magheramayo hill. RATHFRILAND This town remained in a state of perfect quietness and tranquility d uring the day. The Orangemen made no exhibition of feeling whatever. Every prec aution was taken by the police to guard against any collisions. Sub-Inspector Hi ll and a number of his men were out all night of the 4th, patrolling the countr y in various directions, having heard that the Ribbonmen from Cooly, Meath, an d Armagh, were determined to assemble on an "eligible sight" to be ready t o oppose with pitchfork, pike, and musket, the Orangemen and women, should they re solve of walking. The police returned to barracks after six o'clock on Monday m orning, and not having observed any body of people, as they had reason to suspect . In the evening, I understand, the Orangemen assembled in their lodge-rooms a nd enjoyed themselves most convivially. During the day the town was literall y filled with troops, consisting of two companied of the 55th regiment from Dublin, under the command of Major Daubeney, one troop of the 13th Light Dragoons, under Captain Oldham, from Dundalk, sixty constabulary from Dub lin, under Sub-Inspector Warburton, and twenty of the local police, all unde r the command of Sub-Inspector Hill, of Rathfriland. All the military were unde r arms from eight o'clock in the morning to turn out at a moment's notice. The stipendiary magistrate present was Bartholomew Warburton, Esq., from Baltinglass, in the county of Wicklow. HILLTOWN As soon as the Orangemen of Hilltown saw Lord Roden's letter they immediately and unanimously resolved not to walk in procession on the 5th . The troops in this town consisted of one company of the 55th regiment, a troo p of the 17th Lancers from Dublin, and a head constable and thirty police. Th e day passed off quietly, not the slightest breach of the peace that I could le arn having occurred. The Orangemen enjoyed themselves in their lodge rooms i n the evening. The stipendiary magistrate who was temporarily sent down to ac t with the troops here was Mr. Barron, who had lately been sworn in Dublin as a magistrate for the county of Down. CLOUGH This little town is situated about four miles from Castlewellan, o n the road to Downpatrick. The Orangemen here also resolved not to walk in proc ession, and they faithfully carried out their resolution. In the evening they par took of refreshments in their lodge rooms. DOWNPATRICK No procession here throughout the day. The Orangemen acted with thei r brethren in the other districts, and resolved not to walk. The utmost res pect and obedience were paid to Lord Roden's letter. In the evening the Orange men sat down to a splendid dinner in their lodge rooms, in Bridge-street, kept b y Mr. Wm. Gray. The troops stationed in Downpatrick during the day, consisted of thirty-three men of the 13th Light Dragoons, under Captain White, sixty r ank and file of the 9th regiment, and thirty-three policemen, twenty-five of whom , including a head constable, were sent from Dublin. They were all under th e command of Major Powell, of the 75th regiment, from Enniskillen. The stip endiary magistrate who had been sent down for the occasion was Neal Browne, Esq. , from the Queen's County. CROSSGAR. This place, which is the grand rendezvous for the Ribbonmen on ever y 17th of March, and well-known as the scene of Ribbon outrage and murder on las t Patrick's Day, was unusually quiet on Monday. The Orangemen of the distri ct did not depart from the rule so stringently urged by their brethren throughou t Ulster; but in the evening, I was informed, they spent a few convivial ho urs in their lodge rooms. SAINTFIELD. No additional police was ordered to this town on Monday. The small p arty already stationed here were amply sufficient to discharge the duty. The Orangemen had no procession whatever, and the evening was spent convivial ly in their lodge rooms.--Abridged from the Belfast Chronicle. Cathy Joynt Labath Ireland Old News http://www.IrelandOldNews.com/ ==== IRELAND Mailing List ==== The Ireland Mailing List Website: find list's guidelines, links, subscipt ion information: http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/IrelandList