The Southwell Situation of 1845
Jonathan Smyth's latest Times Past column investigates a breach of the peace situation at Killeshandra in 1845.
Until the mid-1840s, Castle Hamilton in the townland of Keelagh in Killeshandra, was the home to the noble Southwell family. A Hamilton co-heiress married into the Southwell family in the 18th Century, and so the estate went to the said Southwell’s. In 1837, Samuel Lewis wrote in his fine Topographical Dictionary: ‘Adjoining the town (Killeshandra) is Castle Hamilton, the seat of R. H. Southwell, Esq., a spacious mansion surrounded by an extensive and highly embellished demesne.’
Life was grand, that was, until things went belly-up, and it was sold to James Hamilton, a relative of the Hamiltons of Ballyfatton, Co. Tyrone. The picturesque Cavan estate included land in the parishes of Killeshandra, Kildallan and Kilmore.
Southwell’s departure in 1845 was under, shall we say, strained circumstances. However, he received enormous support from the Catholic tenantry. They set up a fund to help buy him back Castle Hamilton. The matter came to a head when a massive meeting was organised to present an address to the Southwells. Some of the neighbouring Protestant yeomanry farmers became worried that there was an alternative situation brewing and military units were soon summoned to Killeshandra. Panic, suspicion and labelling are an unhealthy mixture.
In 2003, a Franciscan priest, a friendly Italian man, who married my wife and I, took me aside, and said, ‘Too many people, they put labels on others.’ Then he added, ‘We should practise dropping these labels.’
He made a good point. Such a thing can breed enmity. These very same ‘labels’ contributed to the events that unfolded at Castle Hamilton and threatened to breach the peace. In September 1845, the full story was relayed by the Nenagh Guardian.
Mr Southwell had serious money troubles. Creditors did not get paid. A Court of Chancery decree ordered the sale of Southwell’s beloved Castle Hamilton and its demesne. In 1845, a Hamilton relative, James Hamilton bought the lot for £55,000. In the past, Southwell had stood for election as a Liberal and in doing so, won the respect and friendship of the people. They had empathy for their landlord and communicated with his relatives to form a campaign to buy back the estate from James Hamilton. Restoring Southwell to his perch was, I think, a long shot. To hurry the matter along, someone prepared threatening notices and others spread rumours about the dangers Hamilton should encounter, if he set foot in Killeshandra.
The Nenagh Guardian affirmed that the respectable Southwells were in no way associated with the law-breakers.
In private correspondence with Dr Martin, Mr Southwell, expressed concern. He enlightened Dr Martin as to ‘Mrs Southwell, having discovered the very great excitement which prevailed, expressed apprehension that Mr Hamilton, the stranger, wholly unknown, would be neither safe nor comfortable in coming to this country, at a moment when some of its most respected and long resident gentry, acting under the advice of prudent friends, had felt it necessary to absent themselves.’
Mrs Southwell then wrote to Mr Dickson and informed him, ‘the people were also deluded with the promise, and would not believe it was actually sold… When I announced it to them, nothing could surpass their grief and consternation, and indeed just anger as being so betrayed. They then fixed on a plan to raise by subscription amongst themselves… You know the Irish character too well to make it necessary for me to tell you that Mr Hamilton would not be likely to live his life here, if he came against the will of the people.’
Then came the news that there was to be an appointed day on which the subscription must be presented to the esteemed former landlord. The Nenagh Guardian emphasised the fear among the Protestant population who presumed ‘ulterior’ motives were at play. They decided to gather themselves in large numbers on an appointed day to defend their interests. Then on September 7, 1845, a Cavan correspondent recorded the arrival in Cavan town of two troops of the second regiment of the Royal North British Dragoons who had marched from Carrickmacross. So many soldiers appeared that a party of the men had to be detached to quarters in Stradone. The barracks in Cavan was full to capacity. On the same date Captain Woodward led a company of the fifth fusiliers to Killeshandra. In addition to that, four companies of the 34th regiment were marching in the same direction too. The 34th had travelled all the way from Athlone at two hours’ notice. Both troops of the 21st lagoon guards were expected the same day in Cavan. You would almost think they were about to fight a war!
Earlier in August, the Total Abstinence Society of Killeshandra had begun advertising that they would on September 8 present a special address to Robert Henry Southwell, Esq. The messaging was clear: ‘no banners, or colours, or arms of any sort were to be allowed’ and the participants agreed and pledged to conduct themselves in the ‘strictest order’.
But the Protestant yeomanry who feared terrible consequences and a fight, felt justified in their chosen response, since the date of the planned gathering was on September 8 which happened to be the anniversary of the Battle of Ballinamuck. The whole malarkey of the presentation to Southwell was to them a pretence, a sham, which needed to be prevented by the authorities at all costs. The worried faction lamented that Southwell’s supporters were about to cause the ‘dismemberment’ of the empire. The concerned yeomanry proposed their own assembly on September 11.
Lord Farnham had happily returned from England to spend a while on his Farnham estate. He warned if anyone was caught in possession of a gun at a gathering, they would receive punishment. The community was urged to keep away from both meetings.
That said, the Protestant contingent announced they would back down. With such a large military presence, somewhere in the region of 1000 soldiers, including policemen, it was enough to make everyone think twice about heading to Killeshandra. The Total Abstinence Society followed suit and a confrontation with the dragoons and their friends was avoided.
Castle Hamilton
What became of Castle Hamilton? Well, it remained in the Hamilton family ownership until it was destroyed in 1911. An ‘accidental’ fire caused by a heater in a chicken house set other chicken houses alight and the conflagration swiftly spread to the family home.
The house was incinerated. Today, Castle Hamilton’s yard, and some of its outhouses still stand. Further information on the estate and its records are available here.
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