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An attack on residents of Urker, Parish of Creggan, Co. Armagh. This is where the grandmother of Sir Thomas JACKSON lived - as did the next four generations.
Sharon Oddie Brown. November 6, 2008

 

The Belfast News-Letter (Belfast, Ireland), Friday, February 8, 1833; Issue 9981. (1326 words) 

On Saturday night, a party of the misguided peasantry entered a part of the townlands of Cloghog and Urker[1] near Crossmaglen, County Armagh, and broke into several Protestants houses, beat and abused several of the inmates severely, and carried off four guns (two of them belonging to the yeomanry[2]), together with several articles of wearing apparel, and some cash which they found in a chest which they had broken open.  Six persons[3] supposed to have been of the party, were taken by Sergeant Kidd[4] of the constabulary of Crossmaglen early next morning.  – Newry Telegraph.

 


[1] Five years earlier, in the Tithe Applotment Books of 1828 for Urchere, the names appearing as owners or lessees of land included:  Thomas P. Ball Esq.; Michael Byrn; Patt Connolly; Cormick Coyle; David Doyle; Samuel Gilmer; Patt Grahams; Denis Hearty; Mrs Jackson; George Kerfoot; John Kerfoot; Josua Kerfoot; Widow Kerfoot; Francis Lannen; Alex Marks; Patt McElroy; John McNickle; Patt McShane; Owen Morris; Michael Nugent; Thomas Nugent; Thomas Rowland; Roger Shields; Peter Wade. More than forty years later, many of the same family names show up in the Griffiths valuation, so I am assuming that most of them would still have been resident in the townland in 1833. I have highlighted Mrs. JACKSON. This would have been the widow, Mrs. Elizabeth JACKSON nèe McCULLAGH who resided at Urker Lodge. Her children were all living at home, to the best of my knowledge, and included Sarah (age 22); David (age 19); Margaret (age 17 or 18); and Elizabeth (age 16). Even if their home was not one of the ones assaulted, it would still have been a most unsettling experience. Samuel GILMER who is also mentioned was married to Jane COULTER and the first five of their nine children would have been born (ranging in age from 6 to 4 months). He may have lived at Urker or at neighbouring Lisgalgot. I have not done a timeline on his residency.

[2] A number of these people may have been “yeomen”. In 1810, John JACKSON, the husband of Elizabeth had a certificate for killing game, so I would presume a rifle would have been involved.

[3] I do not know who these six persons may have been.

[4] Sergeant KIDD.

 

 

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