The Anti-Catholic Petitions of 1827

Back to Bawnlea Townland

See also The Bowles of Kilcooly and The Palatine Road in the Slieveardagh Hills of Tipperary

During the Catholic Emancipation Movement of the 1820's in Ireland one of the tactics by Daniel O'Connor's Catholic Association was to present Parliament with petitions carrying the names of hundreds of thousands of Catholics protesting the limitations put on their rights due only to their religion. In response there were Anti-Catholic Petitions circulated throughout the Protestant population which their members would present to Parliament. Unfortunately, the Catholic Association passed a minute calling for the publication of the names of every signer of the Anti-Catholic Petition in the signer's local newspapers. This was done throughout Ireland, usually a few dozen names each time, but most dramatically in Tipperary when a list of about 325 signers from the Kilcooly parish was published on May 12, 1827 along with the comment "that such a list of ragamuffins (with very few exceptions) was scarcely ever presented to the public"

The Kilkenny Independent of May 16 commented on the Slieveardagh signatures and published a list of the most notable names. On May 30 the same paper published a scathing article on the insignificant number of Orangemen who signed the petition in Kilkenny and Carlow, showed how many of the names on the petition from Carlow were actually duplicates to make the numbers seem larger and promised "that we shall continue to publish as long as they continue to sign".

The full text of all of these articles is below.

My inclusion of the complete list of names below is not meant as any criticism of their actions but only as a documentation of those events and as a resource for future researchers of any of these surnames. Those were different times with different mores and standards and I do not comment on them. I think it important though that we know and understand our past.

Note: the Bowles surnames in the following are highlighted as they are the focus of my own research.

THE TIPPERARY FREE PRESS - 1827

Clonmel, Wednesday, April 4, 1827

SIGNATURES TO THE ANTI-CATHOLIC PETITION
Of the Protestant Gentlemen and Landed Proprietors, resident in Ireland.

We give the names of the Anti-Catholic Petitioners from this County. It is a pleasing circumstance, that out of the numerous body of Landed Proprietors, only two dozen could be found, whose hearts are so corroded with bigotry, as to deny a participation of rights to their fellow-subjects. Of those insignificant few, we shall say more at a future period. The Slieverdagh Petitioners shall also receive a just measure of attention, when the hurry of the Assizes are over; we have received their names, and shall only now say, that such a list of ragamuffins (with very few exceptions) was scarcely ever presented to the public.

COUNTY TIPPERARY WORTHIES!

J. BAGWELL, Kilmore; Richard S. MANSERGH, Greenan; Mathew SANKEY, Rockweil; Charles LANGLEY, Coalbrook; A. GOING, Ballyphillip; F. DESPARD, Killaghy-Castle; F. LANGLEY, Lickfin; William GOING, Ballyphillip; John GOING, Ballylosky; H. LANGLEY, Coalbrook; Richard MILLETT, Lismortagh; P. POE, Harley Park; Nathaniel TAYLOR, Noan; Robert B. ELLIOTT, South Lodge; R. MILLETT, St. Johnstown; John DESPARD, Killaghy Castle; Edward Pennefather, Marlow; Thos. Ryder PEPPER, Lisitony; Thomas BRUNSTON, Bathurby; M. ANDREWS, Carroway; T. PEPPER, Lissinisky; and John PEPPER, ditto.

THE TIPPERARY FREE PRESS - 1827

Clonmel May 12, 1827

SIGNATURES TO THE ANTI-CATHOLIC PETITION FROM THE BARONY OF SLIEVARDAGH (This petition was touched on in a previous article)

Carrick, Mountcashel,

R. Hedges EYRE, J.P Charles LANGLEY, J.P. N. TAYLOR, Noan, J.P. John POE, J.P.Richard MILLETT, J.P. Matthew SANKEY, John DESPARD, J.P. Fergus LANGLEY, J.P. A. GOING, J.P. Francis DESPARD, J.P. D. SCOTT, Archdeacon COTTON Robert JACOB Clerk Edw. LABARTE, Rector of Kilvemnon. R. MAULEVERAR, Rector of Ballingarry Mungo N. THOMPSON, Prebendary of Tennor. E. PEPPER, Rector of Kilcooly John WHITTY, jun. clk. William BRYAN, J.P. clk. Jas. W. DESPARD, clk. Ambrose LANE, clk.

BALLINGARRY PARISH

Sam. SWITZER Jacob MILLER John MILLER Peter MILLER Peter MILLER Richard PRICE John SMELSER Paul SMELSER John GOAN Jack GOAN Patrick GOAN Peter STEEP Michael STEEP John COOKE Peter COOKE Henry COOKE Adam COOKE John COOKE John GLAZIER Peter GLAZIER Matthew PARKER Thomas PARKER William PARKER Henry COOKE John COOKE jun. Peter COOKE Adam COOKE Peter COOKE jun. James CHURCHEL Richard MILLET Thomas POWER Wm. STANNARD Nesbett LODGE Matthew HAMERTON John HAMILTON Edward COOKE Wm. MINCHIN Anthony Guy LUTHER Thomas H. LUTHER Wm. QUINN, jun. Thomas DESPARD Charles ELLIOTT Rich B. ELLIOTT Geo. J. REEVES Wm. JONES John GOING Wm, GOING, jun. Henry LANGLEY John LANGLEY Hamilton S. LANGLEY Alexander SIMSON J.H. BURGHE Jas. Thos. MAULEVERAR Wm. SPARROW John WALTON John WALTON, jun. Matthew WALTON John ALEXANDER John ALEXANDER Matthew ALEXANDER Wm. ALEXANDER Matthew ALEXANDER, jun. Joseph SPARROW George SPARROW Robert SPARROW John SPARROW Thomas SPARROW Robert SPARROW George SPARROW, jun. John SPARROW Wm. MOONEY Robert LITLE William LITLE

KILCOOLY PARISH

Joseph HILL Edward HILL John DOLMEGE Jacob DOLMEGE Wm. SPARROW, sen. Wm. SPARROW, jun. Matt SCANLON Edward SCANLON John SPARROW John BUCKLE James BUCKLE Samuel BUCKLE John SPARLING William SPARLING Joseph SPARLING Christopher SPARLING James YOUNGE John YOUNGE Joseph YOUNGE Henry YOUNGE John SUTCLIFF Thomas SUTCLIFF Thomas WEBSTER Daniel WEBSTER John CHURCHEL John COOKE, jun. Peter COOKE Jacob MILLER James HOLMES Joseph SUTCLIFF Richard RYAN James RYAN Wm. RYAN Thomas SUTCLIFF Jacob SUTCLIFF Wm. SUTCLIFF John SUTCLIFF Martin SUTCLIFF Thomas SUTCLIFF, jun. John SUTCLIFF Mathew SUTCLIFF, jun. Philip SMEESER Matt HAYDEN Edward HAYDEN John FREESALL Peter PHESALL John PHESALL Jacob CANTLON Philip CANTLON Adam CANTLON Joseph HILL Richard HILL Peter HILL John HILL Peter MILLER John MILLER Peter MILLER, sen. Peter SMELSAR Wm. SMELSAR John SMELSAR Peter SMELSAR, jun. Adam PHEASAL Jacob PHEASAL Thomas SMELTSAR Philip SMELTSAR Philip SMELTSAR, jun. John SMELTSAR David CANTLEN Thomas MAGEE, sen. Thomas MAGEE Jacob MAGEE Peter SPARLING Thomas BARROW Wm. ARCHIBALD Wm. ARCHIBALD, jun. William BIBLE David CANTLER William BALY David CANTLAN, jun. Peter CANTLAN James PIERSON Richard PIERSON James CANTLAN Samuel CANTLAN Peter COOKE Robert HAND Henry COOKE Adam COOKE Jacob DOMAGE Peter CANTELON Baldwin SUTLIFF Thomas CASAR Andy SEMPLE Peter MILLAR Charly MILLAR Henry COLE, jun. Henry COLE, sen. John MILLAR, jun. Jacob MILLAR George MILLAR James MILLAR Charles BOWLS (note: of Bawnlea; note also the Youngs who were also of Bawnlea and were possibly relatives of Charles Bowles' mother Barbara Young, the three Young brothers emigrated to Goderich, Ont. that year))

KILVEMNON Parish

John MILLAR, jun. James SEMPLE John SEMPLE Thomas BRYAN Basil BRYAN Trevor LLOYD Christopher BLUNDEN Humphrey BLUNDEN Arthur POWER Richard R. WRIGHT Wm. L. JOHNSTON Wm. BURKE Francis OLDIS, jun. Francis OLDIS Richard BRADSHAW Francis OLDIS, sen.

CRUHANE PARISH

Thomas BOURKE, jun. John WRIGHT Thomas OLDIS Hamilton OLDIS Ben. WRIGHT Nicholson CONSTABLE *Robert CONSTABLE John ROSE _____ BRADSHAW Robert LANE Hampden LANE Richard BLACKMORE John BLACKMORE Edward BLACKMORE Robert ALLISON James ARMSTRONG Wm. CARTY Nicholas BIBBY Thomas BIBBY John PERDUE, sen. John PERDUE, jun. Peter PERDUE Julius CAESAR Wm. CAESAR Thomas PERDUE, sen. Thomas PERDUE Wm. PERDUE Henry SPARROW James CARTY Richard CARTY Thomas CARTY John BOWLES, sen. Chas. BOWLES Wm. BOWLES David BOWLES Henry PERDUE Wm. PERDUE Wm. PERDUE M. PERDUE Henry PERDUE Thomas PERDUE Wm. TWEDDEL Thomas NEILSON John BIBBY Robt. NICOLSON * NOT the respectable Gentleman Robert Constable, Esq. M.D.

KILLENAULE Parish

John LANGLEY Fergus LANGLEY, jun. George LANGLEY Charles LANGLEY George LANGLEY, jun. J. CALDWELL John SWITZER Joseph SWITZER John TAYLOR William TAYLOR John WALDRON _____ GRIFFITH John McCHEANE, jun. Jeremiah McCHEANE James McCHEANE Francis BUTLER _____ LANGLEY Ambrose GOING William A. GOING William GOING Matt MILLETT John FITZGERALD Thomas BATEMAN Matt. PERRY Nathaniel RUSSELL, sen. Richard RUSSELL Denis CORMICK John SHAW ____ CARLETON George SPENCER James SPENCER jun. Henry TAYLOR John TAYLOR Starkill TWISS John PROCTOR Thomas ROURKE Ambrose LANGLEY John GOING James GOING Richard GOING Samuel COWIN, jun. Edmond COWIN, sen. John SPENCER William SPENCER James SPENCER John HOLMES Thomas HOLMES Edward HOLMES James HOLMES Thomas HILL John COWIN Joseph COWIN Richard COWIN William HOLMES Robert PROCTOR William COWIN Mathew COWIN Edmond COWIN William COWIN, jun. Samuel COWIN Bartholemew COWIN Thomas SPENCER Richard SPENCER Thomas LEARY John SWEETMAN Richard LEARY Wm. LEARY Maunsell BLUNDEN Isaac FOSCET Joseph MOORE

The Kilkenny Independent
Wednesday, MAY 16, 1827

Our esteemed contemporary, The Tipperary Free Press, gives a list of the redoubted champions who signed the Slievardagh Anti-Catholic Petition, to whom the KILKENNY INDEPENDENT alluded on a former occasion. We give the names of a few of those worthies in this number-

Signatures to the Anti-Catholic Petition from the Barony of Slievardagh- Carrick, Mountchael, R. Hedges Eyre, J.P. Charles Langley, J.P.N. Taylor Noan, J.P. John Poe, J.P. Richard Millett, J.P. Mathew Sankev, J.P. John Despard, J.P Fergus Langley, J.P. A. Going, J.P. Francis Despard, J.P. D. Scott, Archdeacon Cotton, Robert Jacob Clerk, Edw. Labarte, Rector of Kilvemnon, R. Mauleverar, Rector of Ballingarry, Mungo N. Thompson, Prebendary of Tennor, E. Pepper, Rector of Kilcooly, John Whitty, jun, clk. William Bryan, J. P. clk Jos. W. Despard, clk, Ambrose Lane, clk.

The Kilkenny Independent
Wednesday, May 30, 1827

ANTI-CATHOLIC PETITION- ORANGE ARTIFICES

One important advantage attending the publication of Signatures to Anti-Catholic Petitions, in the several Counties of Ireland, is the exposure of the actual weakness and insignificance of the Orange party, and of the artifices employed to give it apparent strength and consequence. In the County of Kilkenny, for instance, the Orangemen represented every Protestant to be hostile to Catholic Emancipation. But how many, in fact, of the whole Protestant population of this County signed the Anti-Catholic petition?- Twenty-five. Again, what was the case in the County of Carlow? The whole number of Protestants that could be found to petition for the continuance of the persecutions of the penal code was only sixteen, tho' these conscientious gentlemen contrived to swell their number to twenty-eight. By what ingenious manoeuvre did they produce this apparent increase? To explain the secret we must first give the names.

     * W. Newton ,Bagnalstown House, High Sheriff,
     * R.S. Saunders, Saunder's Grove, Magistrate,
     * Thomas Dennis, Fort Grant,
     * J. Bennett, Magistrate,
     * Samuel Watson, Roseville,
     * John L. Watson, Kilconner,
     * John James Leeky, Ballymalley,
     * P. Whelan, Wathglass,
     * Thomas Watson, Lumdone, Magistrate
     * John Walker, Ballyknockan,
     * John Watson, Ballydarton,
     Samuel Elliott, Kilmeanny,
     * W.R. Steuart, Stenonts, Magistrate
     Walter Newton, Bagnalstown House, High Sheriff,
     R.S. Saunders, Saunder's Grove, Magistrate,
     Thomas Granite, Fort Granite, Magistrate,
     M. Bennett, Bewthut, Magistrate
     S. Watson, Roseville
     John L. Watson, Kilconner,
     Thomas Elliott, Racroge,
     P. Whellew, Rathglass, Magistrate
     Thomas Watson, Lumdone,
     John Walker, Ballyknockan,
     John Watson, Ballydarton,
     Philip Newton, Dunlukery,
     Jos. F. Duckett, Duckett's Grove,
     John J. Leeky, Ballyhenley,
     W.N. Steuart, Steuart's Lodge, Magistrate.

Of the above twenty-eight names the following twelve marked with asterisks, are repeated twice, with some slight variation in the names or residences, or descriptions, the better to disguise the repetition from the superficial reader:- W. Newton, R.S. Saunders, Thos. Denis, J. Bennett, Sam. Watson, John I. Watson, J. James Leeky, P. Whelan, T. Watson, J. Walker, John Watson and W.R. Steuart. The following four names are affixed to the Petition only once:- Samuel Elliott, Thomas Elliott, Philip Newton and Joseph F. Duckett.

The Orangement of this county are extremely indignant with us for having presumed to publish the names of those who signed the Kilkenny Anti-Catholic Petition. We promise those gentlemen, notwithstanding, that we shall continue to publish as long as they continue to sign; and while they shall have the fear of the Press before their eyes, we are satisfied that the Orangemen of the County of Kilkenny will scarcely have the hardihood to follow the laudable example of their honest brethern of the County of Carlow.