...added 22.03.06
Heppenstall Emigration page launched | Eventually detailing all historic emigration and global movement of Heppenstalls in the last few centuries.
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...added 25.02.06
From Sherry Twaley | From a UK book titled, "A REBEL HAND, Nicholas Delaney of 1798, From Ireland to Australia", by Patricia Owen and Frances Owen, Banner, London 1999. The Owens are Delaney descendants. Patricia is a former announcer with The Australian Broadcasting Commission and winner of BBC TV's 'Mastermind' competition; and Frances is her daughter, a former BBC broadcaster. It is the story of the Wicklow rebel involved in the murders of Richard Twamley and George Hepenstall of Rosnastraw (who were actually piked to death by John Carney).
Excerpts from the book include several references to Heppenstalls, include the following:
"Oral history can lead up false paths from time to time. When we began researching Nicholas's story, we thought that the Heppenstall he was accused of killing was a yeoman known as the "Walking Gallows' who, at 6 ft. 7" tall was able to half-hang a man over his shoulder; a notorious figure in Wicklow and Wexford even now.
Vincent O'Reilly put us right. The Heppenstall/Heppenstalls originally came from Yorkshire and settled in Ireland, moving into the Wicklow/Wexford area. Edward Heppenstall, the "Gallows", was a member of the Wicklow militia, which was the only company to serve in their own area and thus doubly hated.
'Our' Heppenstall was called 'George'; not the same man. Nor was he the Gallows's brother, also called George. He was, however, a relative, and came from Rosnastraw in the parish of Kilpipe, nor far from where he was arrested by the rebel party.
It is worth taking a little space to show how folk legends around such men as the "Walking Gallows" arise: in July 1934, Mrs. O'Toole of Ballycumber, Co Wicklow, was recorded telling her family's version of the events of 1798 for the folklore journal, Bealoideas:
...By and by [Heppenstall] says he would go up and clean them [the rebels] off at Aughavannagh. And the very day he went up to Aughavannagh was the very day him and the two whipper-ins (assistants) were shot... The "Walking Gallows" was stretched on the broad of his back... and the fellows went and put mud in the "Walking Gallows" mouth; he was after doing such cruelty they had a horror against him and put a nettle in it, if you please, and they left him there.
A loyalist called Heppenstall shot near Aghavannagh; no wonder we were thought he was Nicolas's alleged victim.
A footnote to Mrs. O'Toole's narrative states that, according to the Irish Magazine of January 1810: Heppenstall died in his bed at his brother's house in St. Andrew Street in 1804, of the shocking distemper; his body was literally devoured by vermin." So local legend passed on what 'should' have happened, rather than what DID happen."
...added 05.02.06
From Sherry Twaley | An eye-witness account from when she was researching her ancestors; George Twamley, his brother Richard and George's son, Robert Twamley from Coolaney, Wicklow, Ireland.
The following excerpt is from The Rebellion [of 1798] in Wicklow, by Ruan O’Donnell; Pg. 267, Chapter Five, ‘Late Rebellion to ‘Brigand war’: July-November 17981
"...In the days following the battle of Ballygullen small groups of rebels made their way towards Whelp Rock camp near Blessington. One group killed several loyalists whom they encountered en route just as they had on 2 July when marching to Ballyrahan. Edward Neil of Carnew was leading several mounted rebels on the Kilpipe Road on 6 July when they unexpectedly met George Hepenstall of Rosnastraw in company with John Myers and George Twamley of Coolaney. Twamley’s teenaged son Robert and brother Richard also formed part of the company, and were taken by the rebels to Aghavannagh camp. The Loyalists had sensed the danger of their predicament which spurred George Twamley to make good his escape when confronted by Neil’s patrol. The others were brought to Aghavannagh, where 200-300 rebels attached to Anthony Perry had collected. The mood in the camp was dark following the privations and losses of the Wexford campaign and Hepenstall and Richard Twamley were promptly piked as 'Orangemen'. Garrett ‘Banogue’ Kavanagh, however, managed to prevent the execution of your Robert Twamley before Perry’s intervention put a stop to the bloodletting. This intersession was not without hazard for Kavanaugh who braved threats from Neil before Perry reprieved the surviving prisoners. Perry lacking writing materials to issue safe conduct passes which forced the men to remain with the insurgents and accompany them into Meath the next week. There were '40 holes in the shirt of Rich[ar]d Twamley' when his body was recovered.2..."
1 Moore Diary, I, p. 304.
2 28 May 1799, NA, 620/17/30/57 and 14 November1799, NA, 620/17/30/41. See also, Musgraves, Rebellions, 4th edn., p. 696.
...added 05.02.06
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