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Armagh County - Patrick Reilly / O'Reilly | B: 1813 or 1812

I am looking for records or immediate family for my GGG Patrick Reilly who was born in County Armagh in 1813 or 1812 depending on his birth date. He was trained as shoemaker in Armagh until he was 21 and joined the Royal Irish Constabulary and was moved to Carlow. He retired from his Sergent position April 1st, 1856 and married my GGG, Winifred Noonan, 3 days later. They had six children during their marriage: Edward, Thomas, Patrick, Maryanne, Frances and Peter. He died at age 86 in Carlow, Ireland on February 11, 1899. He is buried next to Winifred in Rathoe Cemetary in Tullow, Carlow, Ireland.

If any one has any connection to Armagh and the Reilly's, any info would be greatly appreciated. I am starting my research in Armagh today.

melissa.reilly…

5 replies

If you can access his RIC file, it should record who recommended him for appointment. That might be the local RIC Inspector in the part of Armagh he lived or it might be some respected citizen in that area eg a Magistrate.  If that person can be identified, then that gives you a narrower search area within the county.

That said, assuming he was RC, few parishes in Co. Armagh have baptism records as early as 1813 so there might not be a church record of him to find.

The RIC  files are in various locations eg the PSNI Museum in Belfast, the Garda Museum in Dublin plus there’s a copy in PRONI in Belfast. Originals are in the National Archives in Kew, London.

RIC Indexes on Ancestry show he joined the RIC in 1838.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you Elwyn, It does list the referrer as Magistrate J. Bigger. I have been trying to find a record of magistrates for Armagh all morning. I have had very little luck so far but this is just the beginning 😊 

melissa.reilly…

MelisReilly, 

I tried Pigots & Slaters Directories but can’t see a J. Biggar listed as a magistrate or gentry in Co Armagh. I searched the British Newspapers site and found a Lennox Biggar Esq who was a magistrate in Dundalk (Drogheda Journal 24.8.1830). Perhaps the same family? Who knows. Stumped for the moment in finding J. Biggar.

His death is reported in the Carlow Nationalist of 18.2.1899 which briefly describes his life but does not mention his origins.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Did you notice on his civil death record that his infant granddaughter, Eileen Heron, died three months prior to his death of whooping cough? His daughter, Maryanne Heron was present at both deaths. :(

Regards,

carolyntoohey@…

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