North Street, Newry, County Down

North Street, Newry, County Down
North Street, Newry, County Down

Saturday, 30 June 2018

Harriet Biddulph [1781-1850], of Vicarstown, Queen’s County

 Harriet was the eighth and youngest child of Francis Biddulph [1727-1806] and Eliza Harrison. Her name can also be found as Biddolph.
She married the Reverend Richard Clarke [1777- 1838] on the 26th of January 1799.
They had 9 children.
1. Elizabeth [1800-1881] was the eldest child. She died in Portarlington, a spinster aged 81, described as a Lady on the death record.
2. Richard [1807-1866] appears to be  the eldest surviving son. He attended TCD in 1824 aged 17 and completed his studies in 1832.  He married Mary Caroline Minchin in 1836.  Rector of Geashill, King's County, he was buried in Geashill Graveyard, St. Mary Church of Ireland.His death was registered in Tullamore. His brother, Jonathon Clarke, of Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin, and his widow, Mary Clarke, of Eglington [sic] Park, Kingstown, County Dublin, were named as two of the executors of his will.
3. Francis [1808-1877] attended TCD in 1824 aged 16 and completed his studies there.[1] He married Rebecca Clarke, daughter of Jonathon Clarke and Elizabeth Thomas, in 1838. They had one son Francis Edward Clarke who became a doctor. Francis was married a second time to Jane Crozier Magee. They had three daughters, Anna Selina, Margaret Jane and Harriet Biddulph. His wife, Jane, their three daughters, and his son Francis Edward, are all mentioned in Francis Clarke’s will.
4. Harriet Biddulph [1811-1904]  can be  found in the 1901 census where she is recorded as  Harriett Clarke, 90, born Kings County, unmarried, Church of Ireland, occupation "income house property" living in Kilmalogue, Port Arlington North. She died in Kilmalogue, Portarlington in 1904; a spinster aged 93, and is described as a Lady on the death record.
5. Jonathon [1816-1887]  also attended TCD in 1831 aged 15, became a solicitor and married. He died on the 28th of July 1887, aged 70, at 30 Clarinda Park East, Kingstown, County Dublin. Minnie E. Clarke, his daughter, was present at his death. His widow, Emily, 16 Crosthwaite Park East, Kingstown, County Dublin died in 1901.
6. Edward John [1825-]  attended TCD in 1842 but there is no record of Edward having  completed his studies.[2]
7. Mary, of whom nothing is known
8. Frances, of whom nothing is known
9. Patience [-1860]
The Reverend Richard Clarke died in 1838 and is buried in St. Michael’s, Portarlington, where he had been a minister for 37 years. He left a will, which no longer exists.
The Rev. Richard Clarke, thirty-seven years Chaplain of St. Michael’s, Portarlington, and twenty years Sovereign of that borough.[3]

The following extract gives some idea of the troubled times of his ministry:
Letter from A Lindsay Kyffin, Chief Constable, Mountmellick, [Queens County or County Laois], to Maj Powell, Inspector General, Corkagh, Rathcoole, [County Wicklow], reporting on intimidation and beatings of workers, who agreed to work on a canal at a lower rate of 10d per day. Mentioning the beatings given to two men named Conroy near Portarlington, an attack on the house of Edward Cavanagh, threats issued to Murphy, tenant of Maj Chitwood. Noting that an investigation conducted by Rev Richard Clarke and his fellow magistrates concluded that a larger constabulary force is required. [CSO/RP/OR/1828/283][4]
 Harriet died in Portarlington in 1850, and is believed to lie in Lea Cemetery, Lea Parish, Queen’s County, together with many of her children.
Lea Parish Graveyard contains a Church of Ireland church (built c. 1810), marked on 1841 OS map as 'Church'. Graveyard contains headstones dating from 19th to 21st century; generally in good condition; mostly upright. The northwest corner of the graveyard is very overgrown and contains some badly damaged gravemarkers dated to the 19th century; this area also contains a large portion of table tombs.[5]



[1] Alumni Dublinenses
[2] Alumni Dublinenses
[3] www.limerickcity.ie/media
[4] http://www.csorp.nationalarchives.ie
[5] http://historicgraves.com/graveyard/lea-rathmiles/la-larm

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