Halpin family of Wicklow - Part 1

[Shanachai]

On Byrne and Halpin, you might be interested in something I came across some time ago:-

...About 12 o'clock the people of Enniskerry were considerably enlivened, and something almost approaching to excitement was occasioned, by the appearance of three distinguished persons who walked most unostentatiously down the principal street of the little town.  The form of one of the three was at once recognised as that of the most popular lord of the soil, and it very soon oozed out that his companions were none other than Mr Gladstone and Lord Talbot de Malahide.  Opposite the National School the party met two well known local gentlemen, one of whom was Captain Halpin (a brother of the celebrated commander of the Great Eastern), and the other Mr Byrne, one of Lord Powerscourt's tenantry, and a gentleman somewhat largely engaged in farming pursuits.  With both the ex-Premier, on being introduced by Lord Powerscourt, warmly shook hands and entered into conversation, principally on the subject of agriculture, to which it may be mentioned Captain Halpin now also devotes his attention.  Mr Gladstone, amongst other inquiries, desired to know if Egyptian wheat was largely sown in Ireland, to which the burly and good-humoured-looking captain (the beau ideal, by the way, of a naval officer) replied that he believed that some of that description of wheat had come into the country, but that he had not used any of it himself.  The Powerscourt National School (which receives a grant of £50 annually from Lord Powerscourt) was then visited.  Mr. Gladstone inspected the hand writing of some of the pupils, and the sewing of the girls, with which he said he was much pleased.  He also remarked the cleanliness of the children, and their comfortable, well clad appearance.  The children sang "God save the Queen" very creditably, and when the right hon. gentleman took his departure cheered him... - Irish Times, Thurs, Nov 1, 1877.

I think you'll agree that this is an enormously rich extract.

[Shanachai]

A continuation of one branch of the Halpin Family tree, which I began some time ago and hope to complete in the coming months.

The Rev. Nicholas John Halpin's eldest son:-

Nicholas John Halpin, of 5 Palmerston Road, Dublin, Sec. of Customs and Excise Dept. in Ire., b. 1818, educ. Portarlington Sch., and Trin. Coll. Dub (BA 1841), m. 8 Nov. 1848, Rebecca (d. 30 Jan. 1903), dau. of Michael Doherty, of Glen House, Co. Donegal, and d. 26 Nov. 1891, having had issue -
1. Nicholas John, ICS, b. 12 Sept. 1851; d, unm in India.
2. Edward Evelyn, b. 19 Oct. 1854, d. 3rd Feb. 1855.
3. Alfred Walter Charles, b. 20 Nov. 1855; d.s.p. in Australia.
4. William Henry (see below).
1. Rebecca, b. 19 Nov. 1849; d. 4 May, 1853.
2. Mary anne Isabella, b. 18th Nov. 1857, m. 17 April, 1882, William David Bradley, and d. 4 June, 1897.
3. Lucy Anne Victoria, m. 29 April, 1879, Richard Allen, and d. 25 July 1927.
4. Elinor Alexandra, m. 1stly, 1888, Major Arthur W. Carleton.  She m. 2ndly, 1907, Charles Robert S Walker, and d. 25 Jan. 1950.
The yst son,
William Henry Halpin, of Ford Lodge, Cavan, Solicitor, b. 11 Aug. 1862, educ. Trin. Coll. Dub. (MA), m. 14 Sept. 1898, Caroline Isabella Emma (Ford Lodge, Cavan), dau. of Albert Hutton, JP, of Rockwood House, Swanlinbar, Co. Cavan, and d. 17 April, 1937, leaving issue,
1. John Ralph Halpin (see previous entry for details).
2. William Richard Crozier, ACA (1936), served in WW2 1939 - 1946, as Major, RASC, seconded to Treasury 1942 - 44, Dir. John Lewis Partnerships, Ltd. 1946 - 51, Sec. Lobitas Oilfields, Ltd. from 1952, Trustee and Chm., Finance Cttee. Empire Rheumatism Council (Hares Form, Great Stampford, Essex; 17 Burton Court, SW3; Junior Carleton Club); b. 28 June 1912, educ. Rugby and Corpis Christi College Camb. (BA 1933), m. 25 Nov 1939, Hilary Alicia, JP., LCC dau. of Lt.- Col. Gilbert Henry Keighley-Bell, MC, of Hurlingham Court, Putney, SW, and has issue'
1. Nicholas Richard, b. 10 april 1942.
1. Deborah Jane, b. 5 july 1944.
2. Emma Serena, b. 26 April, 1947.

[Jack2227]

(by kind permission of Noel Farrel)
'Enniscorthy Roots' 1901

Brownswood;
Halpin William & Sarah; John, Margaret

1911;
Brownswood;
Halpin William & Sarah; John

Don't know if they are related, but they are the only family recorded there.

[BillW]

In relation to Halpins listed recently, the following was contributed by CARA as part of a Dublin response and I know she won't mind my sharing it here.  It seems to include Captain Robert Halpin (Wicklow).

May no doubt have these but from Hibernain Magazine comes:
A Halpen North King Street married Miss Christie - Workmans Field Nr. Cabra Co Dublin in May 1807 page 320
John Halpen of Woodville Queens County married Mrs Swettenaham relict of Alderman Kilner city of Dublin Aug 1800 page 127
Paget Halpen of Maryboro Queens COunty married Miss Delane daughter of Solomon in june 1794 page 568
 
Prerogative wills of Ireland ( Index only)
Mary Halpen a widow of London dead by 1770
 
1876 Land Owners
1-Joseph Halpin - address Gowran Hall Kingstown ( co Leitim)
2-Margaret Halpin address Care of Michl Whelan Maryborough ( queens)
3- Nicholas J Halpin address -Custom House Dublin( Queens)
4-William Halpin- address great Common Lusk ( Dublin)
5-Matthew Halpin  and Mathew Halpin Jnr address Richmond Fairview ( Dublin)
6-William Halpin -address Galloping Green Stillorgan ( Dublin)
7-R Halpin - Address Dublin ( Co Wicklow )
8- Rev Thomas B Halpin address Williamsfort Fransfort Kings COunty ( Louth)
9-W O HAlpin address Laurel Lodge Foxrock ( Dublin City county)

Raymond lists descendants of Nicholas Halpin here today, and last week, and there are a few William Halpins.  I also have a couple of William Halpins descended from George Halpin and one of them is in this list, W O Halpin at Foxrock.  Who may the other two be, at Great Common, Lusk, and Galloping Green, Stillorgan?  To my limited knowledge, Foxrock itself was spun out of greater Stillorgan.

All best, Bill.

[Shanachai]

Thankyou CARA.  I've come across some of the Halpins you list but I tended to discount many of them as unrelated to the Wicklow Halpins.  The Fairview Halpins are a shady lot - their surname is usually followed by a string of aliases.  Must look them up again and make a note of them.  Nicholas John Halpin, address Custom House, can be found above - he's the good Reverend NJ Halpin's eldest son. 

Now - there are two very good discoveries in your list CARA which may well have a connection to the Wicklow Halpin's through the Rev. NJ's bloodline - I've encountered Paget before in the House of Commons Parliamentary papers and I'll revisit him shortly.  The real discovery here though is John.  It's an amazing coincidence, but I came across his marriage to Mrs Sweetenaham (?) only yesterday, again through the House of Commons website.  I think Mrs Sweetenaham died not long after the marriage and my gut feeling is that both bride and groom were quite old when they tied the knot.  John Halpen, or Halpin - he tended to spell his name both ways - was a Dublin bookseller/engraver/liberal and there is a good deal written about him but - until now - I have come across nothing about Woodville, Queens County.  That is an extremely important detail, since the Rev. NJ Halpin's bloodline begins in Queens County, Portarlington, and the dates make the men contemporaries.  John was hauled before Gratton's Parliament to testify in relation to a sensational libel case that split the ruling class apart at the time (around 1796) - he was released when he satisfied his interrogators that the offending pamphlet, while published by him on behalf of a prominent liberal MP, was not circulated publically but privately, among a few friends.  I will return to the incident some other time, but if I'm right (and believe me there's no guarantee of that - I'm always confusing my Halpins) CARA may have uncovered something that locates the split in the Halpin ranks precisely where I thought it was - between the 1780s and 1810s, when, in reaction to the American and French Revolutions, Liberal and Tory formed diametrically opposed ideas about the ideal structure of society. Those Halpins who wanted a politically independent Ireland took their inspiration from three precedents - from England (ie Ireland's interests were best served by Union with Eng and Empire - the Rev. NJ Halpin...the liberals opposed this, and advocated Homerule, Catholic emancipation, etc - John Halpen, bookseller); from the United States (political independence, democracy - the Rev.'s son, Charles G Halpin(e)); or from France(here you come across the distillers - James and William - no political progress would be made in Ireland without bloodshed/revolution)...in many respects these approaches to political life in Ireland divided the Halpins throughout the 19th century - driving a wedge between Edwin and his Wicklow relatives, and carrying over into the 20th cent., where Willy became an assassin of sorts, leading a raid on a military vehicle in 1919 - 1920 Dublin, during which one young British soldier was shot dead, with another two dying in hospital soon afterwards...on that raid a young medical student, one of the raiding party, 'froze' during the shootout - according to Willy, who apparently never forgave himself - and was later caught by the British as he hid under a truck at the scene of the ambush.  That lad's name was Kevin Barry, and they hung him a month later...With CARA's apparently insignificant discovery, we may be able to say that the disputes and the passions which led to Willy's actions in 1920s Dublin began in the 1790s, in Queens County, between John Halpin, school master, and John Halpin(en), engraver/bookbinder-seller, the former's disowned first cousin?  At least now we may have somewhere to start the search that may answer that question once and for all.  Take a bow CARA.

[maryderry]

fouNd this index only.

marriage. EDWARD FRANCIS HALPIN TO MARY ANNE MURPHY WEXFORD 1883.


                                       regards mary.

[Shanachai]

Are you sitting down, Bill?

1833 (591) Report From the Select Committee on Dublin and Kingstown Ship Canal; with the minutes of evidence.  - 10th july 1833.

George Halpin jnr called in and examined:

2376. What is your profession? - Civil Engineer.
2377. How long have you been so? - I was a pupil of the late Mr. Alexander Nimmo for eight years, and practicing for some time since; I have had pretty general experience in engineering works during my apprenticeship to him.
2378. Did you continue that apprenticeship with him until his death? - No, my apprenticeship expired about two years before his death.
2379. About three years ago? - About that.
2380. Are you aquainted with the Port of Dublin? - I am.
2381. What opportunity had you of aquiring the knowledge of the Port of Dublin? - My situation obliges me to have an opinion of it; I am obliged frequently to sound up and down it, in order to see what the lighters are doing in their dredging operations. I have been frequently from time to time ordered to make surveys of portions of that port to show what improvement was taking place.
2382. What is your situation? - Assistant Inspector of Works to the Ballast Board.
2383. Is your father the Inspector? - He is.
2384. Have you recently made soundings in Dublin? - I have.
2385. In the River and Bar? - River and Bar.
2386. Have you seen the map that is attached to the Ship Canal pamphlet? - I have, and this is one of them - [producing it].
2387. What do you say as to whether it be a correct or incorrect representation? - It is an extremely incorrect representation; I find it is a copy from a map published by Mr. Duncan in 1821; it purports to be a map describing the state of the Port in 1833, while it is taken figure for figure from Mr. Duncan's map of 1821, as I will show to the committee...

And so it goes for another four or five pages.

Mr. George Halpin called in and Examined by the Committee.

3378. What public situation do you hold? - Inspector of Works to the Ballast Board.
3379. How long have you known the Port of Dublin? - Since 1800.
3380. Have you been engaged in the works carried on for the improvement of the Port during that period? - I have.
3381. What were those works? - There were the building of five miles and a third of quays walls, mostly difficult of execution; raising, backing and securing a mile and 7-8ths of Pool Beg on the South Wall; building the Great North Wall breakwater, two miles long, nearly; building two graving slips; keeping in repair five miles of sea wall; and improving the line of the Liffey Channel throughout.

And so it goes on in similar vein for another four or five pages.  Let me know if you can access these papers from Oz. All the best.

[Shanachai]

I refer back to something Bill asked - about the meaning of the initials "FB" - I said I believe they represent the names Frederick and Bestall...Was it CARA, or perhaps Christopher, who said that one of the families the Wicklow Halpins married into were the Bestalls?

Also, I found this in my files, but it's accessible to everyone through the House of Commons website:

1894 [c.7488][c.7488-1]Deputy Keeper of public Records in Ireland: Twenty-sixth Report.
Halpin, Elizabeth and Isaac Orr - 1788 - Nature of record: M.L.(marriage licence)
            Helen and Isaac Eades - 1995 - M.L.
            Henry and Frances Jones - 1775 - M.L.
            John, gentleman - 1737 - I (?).
            Maria and Alexander Brairly - 1793 - M.L.
            Mary and Henry Drennen - 1781 - M.L.
            Patrick, Dublin - 1722 - O.W. (will?)
            William Henry and Anne Crosthwaite - 1787 - M.L. (the Rev. NJ Halpin's parents).

In the 1900 edition of the same records we find George H. and Elizabeth Bourne - 1817 - M.L.There is an even more extensive list of Halpin names and corresponding records (which I'm assuming have since been destroyed) in the 1900 "Duty Keeper of Public Records in Ireland" ledger.

BillW - we might have found the surname of George snr's wife Elizabeth. 

And take a look at the address listed in the following:

On the 25th ult. at Nuneaton, Warwickshire, by the Rev., RC Savage, vicar, Charles Boyton Halpin, Esq., of Lincoln's Inn, third son of the Rev. NJ Halpin of Seville Place, Dublin, to Margaret Grace, third daughter of William Milligan, Esq., MD of Nuneaton.
     - Manchester Times, Sat. Feb. 3 1849.

[BillW]

For what its worth;
BYRNE, EDWARD. Rank: Temp 2Lt. Regiment or Service: Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry. Unit; 6th Battalion. 23-August-1917. Killed in Action. Supplementary information from De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour; Eldest son of the late Henry Byrne, of Dunlavin, County Wicklow, by his wife, Mary daughter of Andrew Halpin and nephew of Patrick Byrne Ex-Superintendant of the Dublin Metropolitan Police, born in Dunlavin, County Wicklow, 8th Dec, 1886. Educated De La Salle College, Waterford; Leeds University and London University, was subsequently employed as Teacher under London City Council. Gazetted, 2nd Lieutenant, Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry from the London University, O. T. C. 9th Oct 1915, trained at Weymouth and Wareham; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 9th Sept, 1916, took part in the fighting on the Somme, the battle of Arras and the fighting around Ypres. Was killed in action at Inverness Copse 23rd August, 1917, while leading his platoon into action. His Colonel wrote “He was killed instantaneously by a rifle bullet through the head whilst leading his platoon very gallantly. His loss is mourned by all ranks, by whom he was universally liked and admired. Grave or Memorial Reference: He has no known grave but is listed on Panel 80 to 82 and 163A on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium.

Picking up on this mention of BYRNE married to HALPIN (probably in the 1890s), I realise that neither name is uncommon, particularly Byrne.  However, again for what it may be worth, Mary Villiers Halpin, born c.1846 married a Patrick Byrne about 1868, probably in Dublin, and is mentioned in an 1870 deposition by her recently widowed mother as MARY BYRNE, widow, of Melbourne.

I don't as yet know what became of her after that but I have been informed that she had a daughter ANNIE BYRNE who, under the above circumstances, must have been born about 1869.  It is possible mother and daughter may have returned to Ireland as other researchers and I have not been able to find further trace of them in Australia yet.

Bill.