Richard O’Donnell from Castlebar parish late 1790s

Callon,

I found an interesting article by Irish writer Tom Phelan about why Irish men joined the British army over the centuries: https://www.facebook.com/thelaoispeople/posts/lovely-tom-tom-phelan/1095491603836696/   

Hopefully it will give you an idea of why your ancestors joined up.

Re James Callon, do you have the names of his wife and children?

Thanks Patricia for the article reference and query.

Richard was married to Mary Regan and they had a child while in Ireland, Patrick was born about 1813.

Richard was born in 1792, He enlisted in 1814 in the 68th and eventually posted to Canada around 1819 where they had more children here, John born in 1821, Mary born in 1828, Richard jr. born in 1835 and Anne (not known when born).

Richard’s brother John was born in 1797 and enlisted in the 68th at the same time as Richard.

I have viewed some their Military records already.

Here is Patrick's 1814 baptism, from rootsireland.  He was baptized in Co. Kildare.

Name:            Patrick O'Donnel    

Date of Baptism:      15-Feb-1814                  

Parish/District:         NAAS

Gender:          Male   

County           Co. Kildare

Denomination:         Roman Catholic

Father:           Richard O'Donnel   

Mother:         Mary Regan

                   Sponsor 1 /Martin Monaghan

Sponsor 2 /Bridget Walsh

Great to see a documented record, Thanks very much for the find on Patrick. 

So he was born the same year Richard was shipped out with the 68th.  I note that when Richard was posted at Pentanguishine Ontario Canada around 1819, he was posted with his wife and Patrick who also showed up on payroll. The posting was to continue guarding the border against the Americans from invading again as they had in 1812-14.

Thought I would ask ….but I note they were in NAAS parish in County Kildare, by chance, would there perhaps be a reason to have gone to Kildare from Castlebar? Could it possibly have been a military post for recruits before shipping out?

Just an fyi, our Irish direct connections include several branches that included the following surnames:

O'Donnell, Gallagher, Shields, Mcdermott, Devere, McNally, Regan, Grehan, Montgomery, Cathcart, Howden, Callon, Reilly. Are there online records of Irish emigration.  Aside from the O’donnells and the Callons,most  came over with the Irish was in the 1840’s and 50’s.

Just focusing on O’donnell(1819) and Callon(1825) for now.

Thank you 🍀

James