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Captain George Gafney Memoranda, 1689 part of the From Ireland web site©Dr. Jane Lyons |
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Extracts from the Private memorandum Book of Captain George Gafney, of Kilkenny, an Officer in the Army of James II. By the Rev. James Graves Published in the Proceedings and Transactions of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society. Vol. III, 1854-55. pp. 161- 172
"It needs no apology to introduce to the notice of the members of a Society such as ours professes to be, the following extracts. It is one of our objectives to collect and place on record the materials of history; and although the extracts I am about to give may to many seem trivial and unimportant, yet, in my mind, they are far from being so, inasmuch as the serve to introduce the private life of an officer who formed one of that formidable army which the devoted loyalty of James' Irish subjects enabled him to oppose the forces of William III. From these memoranda we may learn how the army was fed and clothed. By their means we get a peep into the jovial habits of the officers, whilst one or two entries, such as that of the list of regiments encamped at Ardee, and the orders of the day, dated a few days before the battle of the Boyne, are of higher and more general historic interest. The family of Gafney seems to have been founded, or at least raised to noticeable position in the Irishtown of Kilkenny, by the prelate of that name, who filled the See of Ossory from 1565 to 1576. The name frequently occurs in Corporation Records of the Irishtown; and there can be little doubt that the writer of the memoranda was of that family. (In front of an old house in Vicarstreet, at the foot of the Coach-road, is a slab bearing the inscription "George Gaffney, Ano DOM 1704". This George was probably son of Captain Gafney) The original MS is at present in the keeping of Henry James Loughnan, Esq., of Kilkenny, one of the members of this society, who kindly permitted me to make from it what extracts I pleased. Mr. Loughnan whose ancestor appears from it to have been an ensign in Captain Gafney's company obtained the manuscript from the late James Gafney Biling, Esq., of Dublin, a lineal descendant, in the female line, from the writer. The MS consists of the remains of what was at one time a thin paper book, eight inches long by three wide, originally bound at the narrow end, pocket book fashion, the writing running across the narrow page. The binding has, however, given way, and the leaves are very much worn at the top and bottom. The dates of the entries extend over a period of about eighteen months, terminating a few days before the battle of the Boyne. Then, perhaps the writer fell; at all events there are no subsequent entries. It is an undoubted autograph. In the order which I have chosen for my extracts, I have followed as nearly as possible the order of the dates, and commence with Captain Gafney's entry of:" An
Accompt of what Cash I have by me To
Cash in silver ye sume of................................£086.16.08
1/2 In
goulde and silver ye sum.................................£171.12.04
(sic) Feb
ye 12 1689 "It will be seen that the writer carefully enters the rate of exchange of the sterling money, showing a considerable premium in consequence of the depressed state of the currency, of which an indication also occurs in the quantity of 'bras' money in the worthy Captain's Exchequer - £130. Next, I subjoin a list of his company from which we learn that it constituted a portion of the Right Honourable Edward Butler's regiment of foot. The Colonel was a Kilkenny man, being eldest son of Edward, second Viscount Galmoy; he retired into France after the termination of the war, where he died without issue. Under the date of March 29th, 1689, there are entries of payments to the men; these lists are nearly the same in names and number. Each man appears to have been paid every fortnight 1s. 6d., as pay or subsistence money. The muster roll presents many Kilkenny names, and is as follows:" A list of Capt. George Gaffney his company of foote, in the Right Honourable Coll Edward Butlers Regiment March ye.......1689. Capt
George Gaffney
"It may now be interesting to have a peep at out gallant Captain's private affairs. The date of the entry is defective from injuries done to the leaf on which it is written. The words ".........self anno Domini 16...." Only being apparent. But, from a subsequent entry the year is ascertained to have been 1688. It may be necessary to remark that the commencement of the year was on March 25th at this period, the old style being still in use. The Captain''s uniform was sufficiently gay, as appears by the items given below:" March
ye 18 Mary ffaning and scoth cloth entries totalled to £00.02.00 Ye 19 March
20th '88 Ye
22 March
ye 26 March
28 1689 The next entries relate chiefly to regimental affairs, comprising some curious particulars, such as £1.8s.6d. the charge of going to and from Dublin, the making of "my owne leding-stafe," April
ye 4th 1689 Ye
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