St. Patty's Day Series: William Fingleton

My great great great great grandfather, William Fingleton, was a very interesting and notorious character. He was born in about 1810 in Clopook,County Laois, Ireland. He was not your typical Potato Famine immigrant, nor did he really even immigrate in the normal sense of the word.

I believe he snuck aboard the Town of Ross, a ship bound for Canada, after somehow escaping imprisonment for an attack on a Protestant. He was affiliated with a violent anti-Protestant group known as the "Whitefeet" along with his brother Thomas. According to newspaper reports, he had, with Thomas Fingleton alias Power, attacked and set fire to the house of Pat Brenan at Clopook, parish of Tullomoy in the colliery district. The attack, on 4 November 1829, caused a sensation which reached even the London newspapers. Brenan resisted the men, shot and wounded the one who had the fire on the end of a pitchfork, and later identifed to police two of the attackers as his neighbours Thomas and William Fingleton. Earlier that same night the Whitefeet had forced their way into the house of Brenan's brother Thomas, within a quarter of a mile, and taken a case of pistols.

Dublin Freeman's Journal Friday 9 January 1830 p4

A ROCKITE TAKEN. — (Extract of a letter from Maryborough.) — "A very troublesome fellow in this country has been at length arrested by the constabulary — no less than William Fingleton — he who distinguished himself so much at the attack for arms upon Patrick Brenan's house at Cloppook, some months ago. After the defeat and route of his party, on that occasion by Brenan, this Fingleton had taken refuge among a string of relatives, from whom — though his conduct was odious and his restless mind dangerous — he received protection from the most unwearied pursuit. Always well armed, he feared no man, and threatened the death of all who were obnoxious to him. He is in Maryborough gaol since last Sunday, where also his brother, Thomas is confined since his participation in the same desperate attempt on Brenan's house. His labours and study were directed avowedly to the assassination of all whose testimony could be available in the prosecution of himself and his brother."

Thomas was exiled to Australia permanently in 1831, but somehow William escaped. With the charges listed above, there is no way he would have gotten off that easily. He had to have escaped, aided by family, and made it as a free man to Canada in 1831. I believe he was aboard the ship "The Town of Ross," whose arrival in Quebec is documented here.

Dublin Freemans Journal, Friday 8 April 1831 p.4

EMIGRATION

... We noticed in our publication of Saturday last, the sailing of the ship Town of Ross, on the 30th ult., from Ross to Quebec, with passengers. We have since learned she had on board 230 emigrants, and that upwards of 150 of them had their passage and provisions supplied by their benevolent and humane landlord, the Honourable Butler Clarke Wandesford, brother to the Marquis of Ormond. This gentleman, on recently coming into possession of the Castlecomer estate, finding that the well known collieries of that district were, from various causes, not remunerating him for the heavy expenses attending their working, he decided on abandoning several of the most unproductive pits, which occasioned a considerable population to be thrown out of employment. To remedy such an evil, the feeling mind of Mr. Wandesford soon sought a remedy, and on conferring with his respectable and excellent agent, Mr. Eaton, a determination was formed of sending out free to Quebec, last season, a party of fifty persons, as an experiment. The result has proved highly satisfactory, as they were enabled, after a short residence in Canada, to report on the benefit they had derived from their change of country. This circumstance occasioned that humane and truly honourable gentleman to undertake so heavy an expense this year in forwarding the above considerable number. — Waterford Mirror.

I hope someday to be able to find out for certain how William managed to make it to Canada, the same year his brother was transported as a political prisoner to Australia for life. As far as I know, prisoners were not transported to Canada, and I am certain he would not have been allowed to go on his own accord. He MUST have escaped. Just to think that if he hadn't, I wouldn't EXIST, is mind boggling. I hope to have more on this story to share in the near future!