Harkness Gunmaker's. Co:Tipperary.

Harkness Gunmakers :  County Tipperary.

compiled by Irene Wilkinson- 2008.

The following notes were compiled by Irene Wilkinson in 2008 following her lengthy research into her family tree. We were in correspondence and it became evident that she had unearthed a very rich seam of information currently unrecorded. This blog is totally her work and we thank her for the transcript and information.

James Dempsey Harkness, Nenagh

Born around 1825/26 (deduced from death certificate), died in 1889 at Ballinware, near Nenagh, buried in Kilruane church yard.

First records of him are when he enlisted with the 15th Hussars in London in 1848. He sailed immediately to India on the Gloriana, to join the regiment in Bangalore in January 1849 taking up the appointment of Armourer Sergeant. He stayed there until early 1854, when the regiment returned to England, sailing on the Trafalgar. Evidence of his army service is from the 15^th Hussars muster rolls, kept in the National Archives.

During his time in India he married Emily Hickie, who is believed to be the daughter of a fellow soldier Henry Hickie, the regiments Army Schoolmaster Sergeant. Their first child ,Susan Elizabeth, was born in India and their second daughter Charlotte, was born in Exeter in late 1854. James and Emily had fifteen children in all of whom twelve survived into adulthood- seven sons and five daughters, the youngest of whom, we believe was our (Irene Wilkinsons) grandmother Emily.

James purchased his discharge from the army in November 1855. The first record we have of him in Ireland is the baptism record of his first son, James, in Templemore (Church of Ireland) in November 1856, which states that his occupation was a gunsmith. (This son probably died before 1866, when a subsequent son was born and christened James. His address was only given as Nenagh in this instance but subsequent baptism and civil birth records give Castle Street, Nenagh as his address ( initially number 27 but later 46 Castle Street). Bassett's Directory of 1880 lists him as a gunmaker and Guy’s Directory of 1886 lists him as a whitesmith. His death certificate puzzlingly gives his occupation as a farmer and his residence as Ballinware-we have not yet found out how this property came into his possession ( a codicil to his Will, added not long before he died refers to 

” my estate at Ballinware”.

He apparently was, or became, a man of some means. The book Nenagh and it’s Neighbourhood has several references to houses in Nenagh built by James Dempsey Hackness (including his home in Castle Street) and his Will refers to over fourteen different properties ( mostly in Nenagh) but several elsewhere which he divided up amongst his wife and children. Whether these developments were initially funded by gunmaking, or whether he had other income is not known.

His grave at Kilruane (in which are also buried his wife Emily, their eldest son, William and their daughter Abigail is enclosed

by low iron railings and has a headstone with a still legible inscription; it gives the impression of a being the grave of a man of some standing.

We have not been able to trace any record to prove his relationship to the Harkness gunmakers of Templemore but suspect he could be the younger brother of the William Dempsey Harkness of Templemore (referred to below) and therefore another son of James and Susan Harkness? ( the Dempsey middle name is surely more than a coincidence and the birth dates of the siblings fit). Nor have we been able to find a link with a wealthy Harkness family with estates in County Limerick and Somerset, although some of the Christian names are common to both families.

William Arthur Dempsey, Nenagh.

Eldest surviving son of James Dempsey Harkness, he was a gunsmith in Castle Street according to Guy’s directory of 1893 but in the 1901 census is stated as being a contractor and in 1911 as a master plumber. He became a significant figure in the local business community, according to his Nenagh Guardian obituary in 1933.

George Robert Harkness, Tipperary.

Son of James Dempsey Harkness, he became a watchmaker ,jeweller/gunmaker in Grattan Street, Tipperary (in property owned by his father). Listed in Guy’s directory 1886, Bassett’s 1889 (watchmaker only) and Guy’s 1893; also in 1901 census as watchmaker (and fishing tackle) these more significant than gunmaking. He was not listed at Grattan Street in 1911 and we believe he ceased trading because of ill-health.  

James Samuel Harkness, Nenagh.

Son of James Dempsey Harkness he became a gunmaker /merchant operating from the family home in Castle Street, Nenagh. After James Dempsey Harkness died James Samuel traded in partnership with his mother Emily until her death in 1901. (There are advertisements in the Nenagh Guardian of the 1890’s for his gunmaking/ammunition selling business; civil records have him as a general merchant in 1903 and gunmaker in 1905.

James Dempsey Harkness’s other sons were:

Henry Howard: Commission Agent for Singer sewing machines and later a farmer.

Charles Walter: Church of Ireland minister.

Frederick Herbert: Cycle engineer.

Allen James: Cycle engineer, Nenagh.

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William Dempsey Harkness, Templemore.

 The first reference to him as a gunsmith is in the 1846 Slater’s directory trading in Church Street, Templemore. A subsequent entry is listed in the 1870 Slater’s directory. William Dempsey Harkness died in 1877.

William James Harkness, Templemore.

Listed in Guy’s 1886 directory: Gunmaker, Church Street.

Bassetts directory lists him for “ gunsmith and fishing tackle”, in George Street. Slater’s directory of 1893 lists him as “gunmaker” and also in Guy’s directory for 1894.

  

James Robert Harkness, Templemore.

Guy’s directories for 1883 & 1886 list him as a gunmaker in George Street. Also in the 1901 census.

By 1911 he was Inspector of Waterworks living in main Street.

He died in 1931.

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We thank Irene Wilkinson for all the above details and wish her well with her further research.

These notes are given as an overview of the Harkness gunmakers operating in County Tipperary and our research is ongoing.

We are always pleased to know of any other snippets of information relating to any of the aforementioned gunmakers.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk