The Silver Bowl: August 28, 1797

1797 August 28. Belfast Newsletter.

The interesting part about this snippet for me is the relationship to other clippings about the United Irishmen, as well as two letters, one in 1811 and one in 1812, that were written by William DONALDSON, one of the men mentioned as being apprehended. Some names, I have yet to annotate – and will once I learn more. Also, in the article before it is the line "Pigeon-house". Because there was such a house at Urcher, I must find this article to see if it has to do with the JACKSONs.

Extract of a letter from the County Armagh, 18 August. Early yesterday morning and last night, Col. John Ogle[1] with Lord Ancram[2], and a party of the Mid Lothian Fencibles[3] and the Derry Militia[4] apprehended and committed to Dundalk goal, Bryan Quinn[5], John Stitt[6], William Stitt[7], William Donaldson[8], Joseph Donaldson[9], Alex Clark[10], Pat Connell[11], J. Maffit[12], Frank Maclin[13] of the Fews, and 25 others[14] charged with treasonable practices.

[1] Col. John OGLE (1758-1830). He was a British soldier. In 1795, Ogle’s Regiment of Foot was renamed 128^th regiment of Foot. There is some fascinating background in an article Belmont Barracks by Kevin Murphy . The London Gazette recorded that on Oct 4, 1798 John Ogle Esq. was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant. His ancestry is online. He wife Juliana Eliza BARTON was a niece of Richard JACKSON (1658-1730)

[2] Lord Ancram aka William KERR (1763-1824). He would have been a frequently absent landlord. On March 129, 1793, Lord Belmore’s [aka Amar Lowry-Corry] divorce proceedings named Lord Ancram as a correspondent. Lady Belmore had signed a separation agreement June 15, 1781, and left Lord Belmore and Ireland a few days later. Her waiting woman testified that Dec 10, 1791 that Lady Belmore cohabited with Lord Ancram at Rochelet, within six miles of Calais, France. Others testified that they lived there as man and wife. SOURCE: The fourth session of the Fifth Parliament. NOTE: The couple then married April 14, 1893.

[3] Mid Lothian Fencibles were commanded by Major Commander William KER, Earl of Ancram.

[4] Derry Militia

[5] Bryan QUINN

[6] John STITT. There are a couple of William STITTs of Freeduff that may be him.

[7] William STITT. There are a couple of John STITTs of Freeduff that may be him.

[8] William DONALDSON (1868-1815) of Freeduff, husband of Barbara BRADFORD. He was a son of Samuel DONALDSON & Elizabeth MAFFET. William was chairman and leader of the United Irishmen in Tullyvallen and Tullynaval and attended Freeduff Presbyterian Church. It is likely he was the author of "Paine's Age of Reason, with remarks containing a vindication of the doctrines of Christianity from the aspersions of that author". It was written by: "A Citizen of the World". Thomas Russell mentions DONALDSON several times in his Journals and says also that Donaldson thought that after the revolution that this country and England will be deluged with blood. SOURCE: Journals and Memoirs of Thomas Russell. C.J. Woods. ed. Irish Academic Press. 1991

[9] Joseph DONALDSON (1770-?) . He was a son of Samuel DONALDSON & Elizabeth MAFFET.

[10] Alex CLARK. Both William DONALDSON and Alexander CLARK were discharged uner the Habeus Corpus Act, March 19, 1798 in teh Monaghan Assizes. Curiously, it was an Arthur CLARK who was indicted for high treason at this time. SOURCE: Belfast Newsletter Sept 18, 1797. Will of William DONALDSON.

[11] Pat CONNELL

[12] J. MAFFIT. He was most likely John MAFFIT, a probably relation of William & Joseph DONALDSON.

[13] Frank MACLIN of the Fews

[14] I assume that the others were either not leaders of the United Irishmen, or else not as worthy of note because of stature in the community.