Halpins of Wicklow - Part 3

[BillW]

As GEORGE HALPIN has just recently been shown to be a brother of James Halpin of Wicklow and since he himself declared that he was born in Wicklow, readers may be interested in just some of his many achievements, these listed in the Dictionary of Irish Architects.

If you click on the 'Works' tab at the following site, after reading the brief biography, it can be seen that he was responsible for lighthouses and other structures all over Ireland, including the Baily (Howth) Lighthouse, Richmond and Whitworth Bridges and Corn Exchange in Dublin, 2 new lighthouses at Wicklow Head replacing older ones, Poolbeg and Great North Wall lights in Dublin and at least a couple of bank buildings.

http://www.dia.ie/architects/view/2340#tab_biography

[BillW]

The following was contributed by Ray, obtained from the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers available to researchers.  I have added some bold and caps for highlighting.

1825 (505) Corporations, Ireland. -- 1. -- Stamps Department. An account of all ten shilling, one pound, and three pound stamps used by the Commissioners for Managing Stamp Duties in Ireland, since the 1st January 1817, (distinguishing the amount of each in every year), with the word "admission," marked thereon, or otherwise applicable to the admissions of persons into corporations, guilds or companies, in Ireland. -- 2. – Returns of the number of persons admitted members or bretheren of all corpoations, guilds or companies, in Ireland, since 1st January 1817; distinguishing the number admitted by birth, service or marriage. Page 12 of 20.

Corporation of Bricklayers and Plasterers:
Members admitted since the 1st day of January 1817.  (Selection)

1820: - July - - 24. JAMES HALPIN- - by Birth. (My caps)

Number admitted by Service - - - - - - 6.
by Birth - - - - - - - - 7.
by Marriage - - - - - 1.
by Grace Especial - 4
Total Number admitted since 1st
January 1817.................................... 18.

1830 (522) Voters, (Ireland.) Returns of the number of persons entitled to vote at the election of members for cities and boroughs in Ireland; specifying the number of electors for each place, so far as the same can be made up. Page 9 of 14.

FOR CITIES AND BOROUGHS IN IRELAND.
13. - DUBLIN CITY - continued.

Corporation of Cutlers, Painters and Stationers.
Return of the Number of Persons of the Corporation of Bricklayers and Plasterers who are entitled to vote at the Election of Members of the City of Dublin.  (Selection)

HALPIN, JAMES
HALPIN, RICHARD. (My caps)

On page 6 of the same document:

Corporation of Carpenters.
Return of the Freemen of the Corporation of Carpenters,&c.of the City of Dublin, entitled to vote at election of Members for said City. (Selection)

Arthur Battersby.
Henry J. Brownrigg.
John Brownrigg.
Richard Cotter.
Thomas Cotter.
Robert Crosthwaite (went to America).
Benjamine Eaton.
Benjamine Eaton jnr.
William Gore.
George Halpin.
George Halpin jnr.
William Halpin.

[All of the above names have connections with Halpin and/or Wicklow.  Note that these Halpins are now in the Carpenters rather than the Bricklayers.  If James Halpin was admitted to the Bricklayers in 1820 'By Birth' to a Guild that had Richard Halpin as a prominent member, might this indicate that this James Halpin's father was Richard?]

[BillW]

[The Dublin Journal, Nov. 8, 1810]

Common Council
Monday being election day for Representatives in the Common Council of the Corporation of Bricklayers and Plasterers, or guild of St.Batholomew, the numbers stood as follow :-
   
   Richard Halpin   54   
   Charles Thorpe, jun.   47   
   James Llewellyn   23   
   George Stevenson   7   
   Wm.Pemberton   2   
   B.Pemberton   2   
   David Johnstone   2   
Whereupon Messrs.Halpin and Thorpe were declared duly elected.

It should be noted, although surely coincidental, that the eldest child of George Halpin junior, Isabella Julia Villiers, married in 1861 at St Peter's C of I in Dublin Thomas Thorpe, farmer of Kilcooly Tipperary, later a schoolteacher living at Thurles Tipperary.  (Their eldest child, Isabella Julia Thorpe married in 1888 Charles John Heather of Heather's Shoes of Arran Quay, Dublin.)

[BillW]

•   George was also admitted a freeman of the City of Dublin by Grace Especial at Midsummer 1804 as a member of the Guild of Masons.

When George enlisted in (or was dragooned into) the militia about 1798, he gave his trade as Stone Cutter .  This may have been a fiction but he obviously had enough practical qualifications, experience and, perhaps most importantly, connections to get the job as Inspector of Works aged about 22.  The colonel of his militia was John Claudius Beresford of the Customs House, recently built.  Had George worked around this building, or with its architect, Gandon?

I will re-enter here a piece of my posting last May, in view of current developments.

GEORGE HALPIN Born WICKLOW, Wicklow. Served in [Not Known]. Discharged aged 22. Covering date gives year of discharge.  Miscellaneous: Abe
Date: 1800
[Source: The Catalogue of The National Archives
Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers Service Documents WO 97/1184/103]

That his regiment is unknown is an indexing error, failing to identify his regiment.  However it is quite clearly stated in a number of places on the record to be the Loyal Dublin Regiment of Yeomen Infantry.  I believe this was a Militia Regiment, raised the previous year by its Captain Commandant, John Claudius Beresford. 

George Halpin was discharged with service of 1 year and 7 months "having received a wound in the right hand when drawing the charge from his Carbine it accidentally went off and the ball passed thro two of his fingers, which has deprived of the use of them, he is thereby rendered incapable of further service.  This accident happened on the 28th day of September 1799"

His description is as follows:

George Halpin, height 5' 10 1/2", age 22, Trade Stone Cutter, Born Wicklow, County Wicklow. 

The Surgeon's certificate notes;

"I do hereby Certify, that the above-mentioned George Halpin of the Loyal Dublin Yeomen Infantry has a wound in the right hand which he received on the 28th day of September 1799 when cleaning his Carbine, it accidentally went off, and the ball passed thro' two of his fingers, by which he is deprived of the use of them and rendered incapable of earning his Bread at his trade and whereby he is rendered incapable of further Service, and a fit Object of his Majesty's Royal Bounty of Kilmainham Hospital.
 
Given under my Hand the Day and Year above-mentioned

William Swan, Surgeon."
[Mike Shingleton, military history researcher.]

In the above 1799 discharge of George Halpin from the Loyal Dublin Regiment of Yeoman Infantry, his spidery signature (possibly with his left hand because his right had just been shot) is witnessed by a RICHARD HALPIN.

[J.M. Flannery]

Any news of Ray,
is he still in ireland?

[tavern]

Which Captain Halpin is this?

Old Regular Line of Packets
From Dublin
For
NEW-YORK
Sailing on their appointed days
The First-class, Fast-sailing, Copper-fastened
American Packet Ship,
"W A V E,"
(Captain Halpin,)
Will Sail direct from Dublin without calling at
Liverpool or any other Port,
On the 5th of APRIL, 1850.



This is Capt. Thomas Halpin as shown on the Manifest on arrival at The Port of New –York on 25th May 1850. ( 7 week trip). I’m happy that this is likely Thomas James Halpin, son of James and Anne Halpin,  of the bridge Hotel, Wicklow, and elder brother of Capt. Robert Halpin.   He would have been 28 at the time. The WAVE sailed into New York six times from Dublin or Liverpool between 1846 and 1851. (At the height of the famine emigration from Ireland) It will be interesting to see if Thomas was Captain on any other of those trips.

Regards,
Tavern

[J.M. Flannery]

Hi Tavern,

Did you receive my message this morning?

Julia

[J.M. Flannery]

HI Tavern,

Thanks for reply which I received after I had posted the above.

Wishing all researches not just Halpins, a very happy and healthy 2011

Julia

[BillW]

ROBERT WELLINGTON HALPIN (c.1816-1883) was a prominent citizen of Wicklow Town.  (His obituary was posted to the first of these Wicklow Halpin threads at http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,270348.0.html on 16/4/2009 where it states that he was buried in the family grave in Wicklow churchyard.)  His wife, FRANCES MABELLA HALPIN, predeceased him the same year.  Her maiden name and their marriage are unknown, as are any other details of their origins but presumably they married before their first child was born in 1844. 

To place him in a relative time-frame to the other prominent Halpins in Wicklow Town, he was born about the same time that James Halpin married Anne Halbert (1815) and therefore he is very slightly older than their eldest children, Eliza 1816, Eaton C 1817, George H 1821, etc.  I do not know if Robert Wellington Halpin was born in Wicklow and, if not, he may not have grown up alongside these Halpin contemporaries.  But if not, where?   One suggestion as to whom his father may have been is a Robert Halpin who was a tide surveyor around the Port of Dublin, who may have been known to George Halpin there.  If so, might George have got young Robert preferment for his post/s in Wicklow?

Robert and Frances had seven known children:  Ellen M(abella?) 1844; Samuel 1846; Robert 1853; Emma 1855; Edwin Francis 1855; Frances Margaret 1858; Ada 1863.  All but Samuel and Edwin are thought to have not married.  As alluded to in the obituary, Robert reportedly took on some of his father’s roles in Wicklow but for how long after his father’s death is not yet known.  Ellen and Emma are said by Ray to have carried on the post office store for many years but died in relative poverty at advanced ages.

Ray has written here on various occasions about some aspects of EDWIN, his ancestor, who, according to the custom of the time, was disowned by the family for marrying a Catholic woman, Marianne Murphy, in Wexford.   I cannot add to those stories although there are some additional names added to that line.

Below is a tree chart of the known Robert Wellington Halpin family to assist with the instalment following.