History Armagh 2016
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£3.50 ISSN 1743-565X (N0.12) Vol.3 No.4 December 2016 History Armagh An unprovoked and diabolical murder The day ‘Old Blood and Guts’ came to town Ballymacnab’s Sherlock Holmes The Armagh woman who sang for royalty and rebels An Armagh History Group Publication History Armagh No. 12 - Vol. 3 No. 4 - December 2016 History Armagh No. 12 - Vol. 3 No. 4 - December 2016 2 Vol. 3 No. 4- December 2016 History Armagh This is a publication of Contents Armagh & District History Group “An unprovoked and diabolical murder”: the killing of James Black Chairperson: Mary McVeigh by Catherine Gartland ......................................................... 4 Vice Chair: Stephen Day Secretary: Helen Grimes Uncovering Armagh’s forgotten influences on British and Irish Treasurer: Kevin Quinn culture Press Officer: Eric Villiers by Eric Villiers ..................................................................... 8 Web Master: Richard Burns Some Irish Surnames Editorial committee: by Gerry Oates .................................................................... 10 Mary McVeigh, Eric Villiers, Kevin Quinn, Marjorie Halligan, The Great Wind of 1839 and its impact on County Armagh Stephen Day, Roy Cummings, by Stephen Day .................................................................. 14 Richard Burns, Helen Grimes, Angela Boylan, Stephen Garvin The Armagh woman who sang for both royalty and rebels: Rosa d’Erina, the Irish prima donna Copyright: by Mary McVeigh ................................................................ 18 No part of this publication may James McLevy: Ballymacnab’s Sherlock Holmes be reproduced without the prior by Eric Villiers ..................................................................... 22 consent of the publishers and the relevant author John Stanley: From Armagh to Allahabad by Richard Burns ................................................................ 24 Printers: The Postcard Company Limited C. O’Neill Refreshment Rooms 51 Gortin Road by Karl O’Neill ..................................................................... 28 Omagh BT79 7HZ Tel: 028 8224 9222 The Rev. John Redmond at the Hindenburg Line in 1917 E: [email protected] by W. E. C. Fleming ............................................................ 29 Facing page: The day ‘Old Blood and Guts’ came to town Painting, ‘The City of Armagh (1810)’, by Kevin Quinn .................................................................... 31 by James Black (ACM 156.1958) The Easter Rising, 1916 according to the local press Front and back covers: Details from above showing the Post Office by Mary McVeigh ................................................................ 35 (Market St.) and old St. Malachy’s chapel All courtesy of Armagh County Museum Armagh Hermes by Nuala Reilly .................................................................... 38 History Armagh No. 12 - Vol. 3 No. 4 - December 2016 3 “An unprovoked and diabolical murder”: the killing of James Black by Catherine Gartland On the 10th of February 1829, both the Newry Commercial Telegraph and Belfast Newsletter carried details of ‘an unprovoked and diabolical murder’ in Armagh. According to the papers, on the night of February 4th, James Black, a ‘painter’, was walking along Lower English Street where he lived when Thomas Feely, a local butcher, had rushed out of his own house across the street and attacked him with a spade. The injured party had been tended to in Feely’s house, but to no avail. By Sunday 8th, Black had succumbed to his injuries. The following day, following a coroner’s inquest, a warrant was issued for Feely’s arrest, but he had already absconded.1 On the 17th of February, a reward of £50 – a sizeable sum at the time – was offered for any information which might lead to the apprehension of the culprit.2 The appeal, published in the Newsletter, provided a fairly detailed description of Thomas Feely: ‘upwards of thirty years of age, 5 feet 8 inches in height, stout made, fresh complexion, red hair and red whiskers, blue eyes, Advertisement for reward (Belfast Newsletter 20 February 1829) round visage.’ As well as his usual attire, two distinctive features were Thomas Feely were born respectively was 32 at the time of his death.7 This specified: his addiction to snuff and the in 1825 and 1828 – shortly before seems unlikely, since the earliest 3 fact that he was left-handed. Feely’s disappearance, to an Anne known picture by James Black, ‘the Mullen.6 The newspapers specified City of Armagh', was painted around We know little else of Feely, as he that Feely was married, so it is possible 1810, nearly two decades before his vanished after the event and was never that the two children were his, the boy death. This would suggest that he was returned for trial. He may have been a having been named after his father. already an accomplished artist by the connection of James Feely, a butcher in 8 4 age of 13. English Street in 1820. The same James Black, ‘portrait painter family was, nearly 20 years later, still and draughtsman’ This oil painting is currently displayed running a slaughter house near the in Armagh County Museum.9 It is one The victim, James Black, was a local Shambles, where butchers offered their of three works by James Black held in artist. According to the newspaper meat for sale at the Tuesday and Friday the Museum. The other two are ink 5 reports, he resided in Lower English markets. drawings on paper, both views of Street and was still ‘a young man’ at Armagh City, completed respectively There is no trace of a Thomas Feely of the time of his death. There is no in 1811 and 1819.10 matching age in the Catholic Church mention of any family connections in records of the Archdiocese of Armagh. the area. The burial records for the We are not sure whether Black had Yet, the births of two children by the Parish of Armagh confirm that he was been living in Armagh since 1810. He same name are recorded: Mary and living in the town. They specify that he History Armagh No. 12 - Vol. 3 No. 4 - December 2016 4 is not listed in Bradshaw’s 1820 which were numerous in Armagh at the completed the previous year, at either directory, even though another time, but there is no tangible evidence end of the Mall;20 on the far right is 15 landscape painter, John Bell of Thomas that this was the case. part of the Royal School;21 a close look Street, is included. Moreover, Black is at Market Street reveals the Post known to have also painted County The City of Armagh in 1810 Office, situated roughly where the Down landscapes. These include a Black’s ‘City of Armagh’ is one of the Market Place Theatre now stands, 22 view of Narrow Water Castle, showing earliest known Irish landscape beside the old cross. It is an the surrounding scenery of Mount Hall, paintings depicting a provincial town. industrious, lively town: chimneys are as well as a view of Carlingford Castle This is a genre which only emerged at puffing smoke; farm labourers are hard and the mountains around Rostrevor, the beginning of the 19th Century. As at work on the allotments in the both of which were sold by auction in foreground, leaves drying on the roof 11 the middle classes rose to prominence, 1816. It is not known whether these they were seeking small paintings and of their cottage; cattle are grazing in pictures have survived. Another engravings to decorate their drawing- enclosed fields; a man on horseback painting of Tandragee and surrounding rooms.16 The choice of subject was and a carriage are passing along the scenery (probably seen from the Glebe) often local sceneries and views. James Mall. A few soldiers on the right 12 23 was sold at an auction in the 1990s. Nicholl’s and John Nixon’s views of suggest the presence of the Barracks. the North Coast were popular choices. The windmill, just rebuilt in 1810, On the back of one of the drawings 24 James Black’s views of Narrow Water dominates the West of the city. held in the County Museum, Black is and Carlingford may have been Passers-by can be spotted along the described as a ‘portrait painter and streets. Some of the wealthier 13 produced to tap into this burgeoning draughtsman,’ suggesting a skilled market, but the newly affluent citizens inhabitants are having a stroll along the craftsman, rather than an artist in the of developing towns also liked to Mall, which is no longer used as a race modern sense. A sort of early official 25 record and display their achievements. course but as a civilised promenade. photographer, he would have painted It is possible that the figure on the portraits of local notables. One of the Unlike the portraits, Black’s painting Clump in the foreground with what few surviving examples is a likeness of would not have been commissioned by looks like a roll of paper under his arm local Presbyterian minister and a wealthy patron. Designed to appeal represents the artist. assistant astronomer at Armagh to the civic pride of the middle classes, Observatory the Reverend Robert it had to be affordable; it was raffled Black’s picture predates the building of Hogg (1770-1830). The picture is between 80 subscribers who had each the Catholic Cathedral, which did not dated 1814 and currently hangs in his paid £1, and was won by Robert Steen, start until 1840, and the congregation’s Church at Cloveneden, a local tanner.17 disestablishment of the Church of beside Loughgall. The National Ireland (1869): the Established Church Gallery in Dublin also holds portraits Like the two drawings in the Cathedral, still crowned with its spire, of Samuel Molyneux (1616-93), Museum’s collection, it depicts dominates the scenery26 but there is a William Molyneux (1656-98) and Sir Armagh from the Clump hill area (now Catholic presence. The old Chapel William Ussher (d. 1657) - also an Dobbin Hill) above the prison. It is a (old St Malachy's, built 1752 in Chapel ancestor of the Molyneux. All are conventional ‘prospect’- a dominating Lane) can be seen to the left of the copies of older works signed by James view aiming at a realistic depiction of picture.