Andrew John was the second son of Charles Jennings [abt
1780-1855] of Monaghan Street,
Newry, County Down,
and his wife Sophia Corley, daughter of Patrick Corley, Clones, County Monaghan.
He was named after his paternal grandfather Andrew.
In 1833 he was a baptismal sponsor for Margaret O’Hagan,
daughter of John O’Hagan and Mary Ann Cavanagh, together with Sara Catherine
Caraher who was possibly his cousin and daughter of his aunt Eliza Jennings,
wife of John Caraher.
14 May 1833 Margt of
John O'Hagan (settled in the US)
and Mary Ann Cavanagh sp. Andrew John Jennings and Sara Cathne Caraher.
£0.10.0.[1]
He also sponsored his sister Ellen Jennings at her baptism
in 1834 together with his sister Anna Maria.
Feb 19 1834 Ellen of
Charles Jennings and Sophia Corley sp. Andrew John Jennings and Ann Maria
Jennings £0.10.0[2]
The Registration of Voters [Ireland] 1840 was a Bill introduced
in the House of Commons by Edward George Stanley on 25th February
1840. The Bill was opposed by the Irish MPs led by Daniel O’Connell.
A meeting of the ‘Parishioners of Newry’ was held in Newry,
at 28 Merchant’s Quay on the 25th of April 1840 at which Andrew John
Jennings was the secretary, and D.C Brady Esq., was in the chair. The Jennings family were
supporters of Daniel O’Connell and the premises at Merchant’s Quay had been the
location of a dinner welcoming O’Connell to Newry in the previous year.
The first resolution to be passed unanimously was:
That we regard with
astonishment and indignation the provisions of the Bill introduced into the
House of Commons by Lord Stanley, nominally for the purposes of amending the
system of Registration in Ireland, but really with the design of
re-establishing the ascendancy of Toryism.
It was followed by a second, also passed unanimously:
That this foul
measure, if carried, would have the effect of disenfranchising the independent
Constituencies of Ireland , to give her Illiberal Representatives and Tory
Rulers, and plunge her back again into
all the turbulence, misery, and degradation which were her portion under long
misgovernment.[3]
The Dublin Morning
Register had this to say:
The Stanley Agitation. Newry.
On Sunday last an
aggregate meeting of the Reformers of Newry, took place at no. 28
Merchant’s-Quay, pursuant to requisition, for the purpose of petitioning
parliament for the complete rejection of Scorpion Stanley’s monstrously unjust
and insulting Irish registration bill. Previous to the commencement of the proceedings
the place (which is very large and spacious) was densely crowded with the
greater portion of the rank, wealth, worth and respectability of Newry and its
vicinity. Indeed the truly brave, patriotic, and intelligent men of “Ulster’s frontier town,” most enthusiastically
evinced their determination to oppose the Scorpion’s iniquitous bill, by all
lawful and constitutional means; and, therefore, this important public
demonstration is calculated to have a stirring and striking effect on the rest
of the northern province.[4]
In 1843 Andrew John was a witness in a case where James
Bradley a blacksmith was accused of robbing some steel from Charles’ Jennings store. An account
of the case can be found in the Newry
Telegraph 22 July 1843
Andrew
John requested that the judge should be as lenient as possible. He knew the
prisoner’s family and had always considered them to be very respectable.
However James Bradley was imprisoned for twelve months at hard labour.
County of Armagh Assizes, Monday, July 17. James Bradley for
having stolen a bar of steel, value 5s., the property of Mr Charles Jennings,
of Newry. Guilty twelve months' hard labour.[5]
He signed the William Smith O’Brien Petition 1848-1849, in
Newry in 1848, where he is described as a merchant.[6]
He subscribed to the Railway Subscription.[7] Did this ultimately lead to his
bankruptcy?
He appears to have moved from Newry to Dublin with his mother and sisters, and lived
with them at 8 Cabra Parade, Phibsborough. After his father’s death in 1855 he
no longer appears in records in Newry.
But what did he do in Dublin?
While active politically in Newry, there is no evidence to suggest he was also
active in Dublin,
or so far any indication as to whether he continued to act as a merchant. Did
he emigrate like his younger brothers, and later return to Ireland?
He died unmarried in 1892 and is buried in Glasnevin
Cemetery Dublin with his mother and sisters.[8]
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