In the early part of the 19th
century, Ballynakill, a parish in the Barony of Leitrim together with the town
of Woodford, boasted some 13,000 inhabitants. The parish comprised 12,000
acres, 800 of which were woodlands and the remainder arable and in pasture.
There were nine pay schools and one national school, and chapels at Cloncoe,
Loughtorick, Marble Hill, Knockadrian and Woodford. Fairs were held in the
area twice a year.
The village of Gurteeny near
Woodford is the birthplace of Michael Page c1817.
Irish research has shown
baptismal records for Woodford Parish commenced in 1821, too late to record
Michael's baptism. However, the records do show Michael's sisters, four
daughters born to William and Margaret Page (nee Egan):
|
|
Born/Baptised |
Sponsors |
|
Jane |
born 20 March 1823
baptised 23 March 1823 |
Thomas Fahy
and Maria Page |
|
Letitia |
baptised 24
February 1833 |
Gerald
Burke and Frances Lynch |
|
Judith |
baptised 9
September 1834 |
Patrick Burke
and Fanny Page |
|
Ann |
born 20 April 1837
baptised 25 April 1837 |
Patrick Egan and Fanny Page |
A marriage
entry was found in the Woodford Parish Church records for Judith Page:
On 6 June 1853 Pat Lynskey
married Judith Page. The witnesses were Daniel Lyons and Anne Page.
On 20 March 1835, at the age of
18 Michael joined the army from Limerick and served in the 13th
Regiment of Foot. On the 7 July 1835 he embarked for India where he arrived
on 11 April 1836. A long journey indeed. Did they stop along the way, and
if so, where?
On arrival in India, he joined
the main part of the regiment which was stationed in Bengal. His rate of
promotion was not rapid - five and a half years to make Corporal and a further
two and a half years to reach the rank of Sergeant.
Michael served in many campaigns
during the first Afghan War including the storming of Ghuznee in 1839, in
Kurdistan in 1840 and was present at Jellalabad for the general engagements in
1842. His regiment gained the nickname "the illustrious garrison" for their
gallant defence of Jellalabad. Indeed, Queen Victoria saw fit to grant the
regiment a mural crown subscribed "Jellabad" as a badge, as a memorial to the
fortitude, perseverance and enterprise evinced by that regiment and the
several corps which served during the blockade of Jellalabad.
In March 1845 at the end of
their tour of duty, the Regiment embarked for England arriving on 7 August
1845. Michael was by then a sick man and was invalided at Chatham on 12
August 1845 and admitted as an outpatient to the Chelsea Royal Hospital on 11
November 1845. He was 28 years of age and was suffering from a "shattered
constitution from severe fever contracted in India".
His entry in the Chelsea
Register in 1845 (WO 116/53) describes him thus:
Height: 5'7"
Hair: Dark brown
Eyes: Grey
Complexion: Sallow
Character: Very good
Place of Birth: Ballinakill,Woodford,
Galway
Age: 28
Trade:
Labourer
Disability: Shattered constitution
from severe fever contracted by service
in India
His
pension of sixpence per day in 1845 was later increased to nine
pence in 1850.
Whether Michael could see no
future for himself in Ireland, or he could see no end to the potato famine
which had just manifested itself, or perhaps he was just restless, but after
spending sometime with his family in Gurteeny (which he describes in his army
pension book as "behind the world"), he enlisted with the Royal New Zealand
Fencibles. The lure of an acre of land and a free cottage after seven years
service must have been strong and he was off again on another adventure, this
time of a more permanent nature.
Michael arrived in New Zealand on
13 December 1852 aboard the "Berwick Castle".
The Fencibles were established in
response to Hone Heke's rebellion in 1845 which exposed Auckland as dangerously
insecure. It was decided to build a perimeter of four military settlement
villages at Onehunga, Otahuhu, Panmure and Howick to cover the southern
approaches to Auckland which was then the capital of New Zealand.
The assisted immigrants, retired
but proven soldiers were to staff these villages and numbered over 700 former
Army personnel with their wives and children - more than 2,500 souls in all who
arrived in Auckland between 1847 and 1852. The attraction was free passage to
New Zealand for the Fencible and his family, a promise of a wage and a cottage
with an acre of land, to become freehold after seven years of uncompromised
service.
During the years Michael served
as a Fencible, he was required to attend six days drill in the Spring, and six
days in the Autumn, as well as Church Parade every Sunday. The condition of
enlistment made it clear that non-attendance at Church Parade would be a
punishable offence i.e. "he would be liable to the penalties of desertion in
addition to the forfeiture of pension".
Michael married his wife Mary at
the Howick Catholic Church on 27 January 1853, six weeks after arriving in New
Zealand. It is thought they met aboard ship and married on their arrival in New
Zealand but this has not been confirmed.
Michael and Mary had nine
children. Their first born Mary Jane was born in Howick on 24 October 1853 and
lived only one day. Their other children were:
|
|
Born |
Died |
|
William |
26 November 1854 |
17 February 1828 |
|
Michael |
21 December 1856 |
26 February 1902 |
|
Patrick |
10 January 1859 |
9 August 1927 |
|
John |
15 October 1860 |
11 November 1926 |
|
Elizabeth |
23 October 1862 |
2 August 1936 |
|
Thomas |
4 September 1864 |
21 December 1894 |
|
Edward |
16 November 1866 |
19 August 1953 |
|
Dennis |
9 October 1868 |
19 February 1955 |
