Charles Nolan : Short Biography

Charles Nolan RIC died 27 May 1897.

My mother’s first cousin Packie Gerard Carolan told me that my great grandmother Margaret Carolan (nee Nolan) (1844-1895) had a brother in the RIC, but he did not know his name and that he had a daughter who was a nun in Co. Monaghan.

I got the marriage cert for Margaret Nolan to Patrick Carolan and it stated her father’s name was Terence Nolan and that by 1879 he was deceased and their address was Cornabraher.  The government recently released transcripts of wills and I was able to locate the will for Terence Nolan.  The most important information was:

‘I will and bequest to my son Charles Nolan the sum of six pounds sterling also I bequeath to my son-in-law Hugh Lee of Dignavanty the sum of five pounds sterling’.  For the first time, I had his name.

Charles Nolan was born circa 1829.  The baptismal records on RootsIreland were searched from 1825 to 1845, but they did not yield his record.  I searched Jim Herlihy’s book The Royal Irish Constabulary, available for reference purposes in Cavan Library and there were two service numbers that suited 15239, which occurred during the period 12/6/1850-19/4/1852 and 31168 for the period 9/11/1865–25/9/1867.

Findmypast.ie recently added more RIC records.  One of the records that suited, confirmed that his service number was 15239 and that he was a labourer from Co. Cavan, a catholic and 5’9” tall.  He joined the police service on 13 August 1851, aged 23, having been recommended by Sub Inspector Fortescue and allocated to County Monaghan.  He would not have been able to serve in his own or his wife’s county.  He was a classic RIC model, as a farmer’s son he had to be nineteen, a minimum 5’9” tall and would have to request permission to marry when he had served for at least seven years.  He was promoted to Sub Constable in August 1852, Assistant Constable on 1 April 1871 and Constable on 1 January 1873.  He married Sarah Devlin From Keady on 12 May 1874 in the parish of Derrynoose, Co. Armagh, when he was living in Castleblayney.  They were both of full age and previously unmarried.  His father was Terence Nolan, a farmer and her father was Peter Devlin, a merchant.  Their witnesses were Sergeant John Naughton and Catherine Devlin.   Sarah was baptised on 6 February 1853 and her mother’s name was Sarah Gallogly.  On 6 October 1876, their daughter Mary Josephine was born in Keady, her home address was Carrickmacross and the informant was her grandfather Peter Devlin.  It gave Charles Nolan’s occupation as Constable.  In 1877, his wife Sarah died, aged 24.

On 18 January 1880, according to his service records, on, he received a severe contusion and on 18 October 1880 a leg injury.  Possibly as a result of these injuries he was pensioned out of the force on 15 May 1882.  He was awarded a pension of thirty pounds and nine shillings and got a gratuity of seventy-two pounds sterling.  He remarried on 05 June 1883.  The marriage certificate stated that he was a widower, a pensioner, aged 48, living in Carrickmacross and son of Terence Nolan now deceased.  He married Mary Fitzpatrick, aged 28 and daughter of Daniel Fitzpatrick also deceased from Derravona, Staghall, Belturbet.  I questioned this marriage because Staghall was some distance from Carrickmacross and she was much younger than him and I suspect he had made himself younger as he was most likely 55.  However, Edward Lee was a witness this was his nephew, this story now appeared to be coming together.

He died on 27 May 1897 according to his RIC pension record and that any residue of pension owed to him was paid to Patrick Fitzpatrick.  I located his death record and it confirmed that a fatty heart caused his death at 68 and his daughter Mary Nolan was in attendance.  On PRONI, I found an abstract of the probate of his will granted at Armagh to Patrick Fitzpatrick of Derryvona, County Cavan, Farmer.  Effects STG 121.2s 4d.

The important parts of this will was that he bequeathed to his ‘Daughter Mary Josephine Nolan the sum of one hundred pounds sterling to be paid to her after my death or when she attains the age of 21 years’ and ‘bequeath to my daughter Mary Josephine my watch and guard chain and one feather bed complete for her own use.  I wish that after my decease my remains be interred in the chapel yard of Kill with my parents.  I appoint Patrick Fitzpatrick of Derryvona and Hugh Lee of Dignavanty both in the County of Cavan Farmers executors to this my last will and testament this 16 day of August 1893’.

Hugh Lee of Dignavanty was his brother-in-law, he had married Charles’ sister Mary Nolan and Kill was his parent’s parish, so this was correct.  Patrick Fitzpatrick was also a brother-in-law, the brother of his second wife.  In 1911 census, she was living with another brother Daniel on Main Street, Carrickmacross and they were delph merchants.  In the census they were residents of house 46 on Main Street and the landholder was Peter Finegan.

From an online query from Bernard Fitzpatrick, he stated that Mary Fitzpatrick’s mother was Mary Cosgrove and her brother was Thomas Cosgrove (Mary’s Uncle).  Cosgrove was listed in the 1901 census, in Carrickmacross, aged 78, Ex Sergeant Constabulary and widowed, the Cosgrove’s were from Co. Fermanagh.  He was most likely instrumental in introducing his niece to his widowed and retired work colleague, Charles Nolan.  His second wife, Mary died on 28 August 1911, aged 65, her brother Daniel was present at her death and was her executor, her estate amounted to ninety pounds.  Thomas Cosgrove died in June 1911.  He lived on Main Street, Carrickmacross and married Brigid Johnston from Raferagh near Carrickmacross in 1878.  When Thomas died, aged 92 in 1911, his estate amounted to three hundred and thirty-one pounds, and a substantial amount of his estate was left to his housekeeper Mary McConnon and money was donated to provide two beautiful stained glass windows, which were designed by Harry Clarke and installed at the back of St. Joseph’s Church in 1925.  These windows were dedicated to his father in law James Johnston and the other to himself and his wife Brigid.

Charles Nolan’s daughter Mary was seventeen when he wrote his will and twenty when he died, I could not find any other children for him.  If this is the girl that became a nun, I was told she spoke several languages and had a brilliant mind.  I did come across a grave in the St Louis Convent in Carrickmacross, the name on the cross said that Sr. Mary Gerard Nolan died on 26 October 1947 aged 81, the nun I am researching would have been 71.  I wonder is this her and what happened to his watch and guard chain.  I have difficulty in locating her in the census, due to not being too sure of her religious name and in 1911 the Louis nuns completed their census in Irish.  I contacted the convent in Carrickmacross to try and find out more and if they have any other information, without success.