17th March 1849
Properly going to the tune “The Siege of Carrick”, this is another of those songs which deal with attempts to attack Protestants.
Here the aim is “Not to leave a Protestant soul in Crossgar.”
A new ingredient is introduced with an attack on policemen – the Irish Constabulary, like the R.I.C. which superseded it, was largely composed of Roman Catholics.
Again we have a victory song with a plea for brotherliness in gratitude for a calamity which had been prevented.
You Protestant brethren, of high and low station, That dwell in this nation, and hear what I say, I pray pay attention, while briefly I mention, The Thrashers' intention on Patrick's Day. It's well understood that the thousands were warned To clean up their pistols and guns for the war, By a secret council they basely determined, Not to leave a Protestant soul in Crossgar. A Crossgar policeman, whose name we won't mention, Spoke thus to the Thrashers on Patrick's Day. "Be determined, dear boys, carry out your intention, Set mercy aside and throw shyness away, I hear Killyleagh Street will make some resistance, It's likely they'll try it, but what can they do. As they need not depend on police for assistance Who are mostly repealers, and won't injure you." They paraded the country from morning till midday, As they had made an appointment to meet, They marched into town in a well-armed body, To pour all their vengeance on Killyleagh Street. But sad was their mistake, as their plan was frustrated, And caught in a net they for others had wrought, While faced in an obstinate silence to murmur ' Twas but a mistake, like the Gunpowder Plot. The cowardly peelers that were brought to protect us, Afraid or unwilling, I can't tell you why. But surely they gave us good cause to suspect this, When forced into action they fired too high. Just think of their treachery, while justice explains it, By suffering a green-jacket traitor to fall. And many a Thrasher that day was detained, For it's hard to escape from an Orangeman's ball. But where is the language that's fit to describe it, The mind of a Milton I here would require, The thundering of guns and the dark smoky pillars, That rose to the clouds by the continual fire. At last they were forced to retreat in a hurry, Over field, ditch, and hedge they in terror did run, While we cried, "Hurrah for the sons of King William!" We fought them and beat them an hundred to one. To Crawford and Anketell praise should be given, They're worthy of credit, esteem, and applause, For venturing their lives through the heat of the fire Defending our town and the Protestant cause. Long live Anketell and should any vile system, Seem likely to hasten disturbance or war, With him at our head we could brave any danger Or stand for our rights - we're the boys of Crossgar. Now in conclusion, a word from a Brother, I beg you will hear and take warning by this. Be friendly and cheerful and kind to each other, And grateful in heart that it is as it is. But think of your foes all disgraced, killed, and wounded, While you are preserved without mark or scar, And surely the Thrashers if ere they assemble Will never think long to come back to Crossgar.
The forgotten Crossgar Battle that banned Orange parades
On 12th July 1872, 150 years ago, Crossgar Orangemen took part in the first legal Twelfth parade since the repeal of the Party Processions Act which had banned all processions in 1850.
Crossgar is hugely significant to the history of Orangeism in the 19th century.
While it was the renowned Battle of Dolly’s Brae near Castlewellan on 12th July 1849 that finally motivated Parliament to enact a law banning parading on both sides, it was the ‘Battle of Crossgar’ four months prior that was one of the chief initiators of the Act.
Since the 1830s, Crossgar had been plagued by faction fights, usually at Easter and Christmas. The population of the town was evenly divided between Protestants and Catholics both trying to establish ‘no-go’ areas.
The Defenders or Ribbonmen (Catholics) decided on a show of strength on St Patrick’s Day 1849; to march up Killyleagh Street, regarded in Crossgar as a Protestant enclave. The Potato Famine of 1845/46 and the perceived lack of help from the British Government to alleviate the problem also added to the discontent.
Anticipating a clash, 60 constables rushed to Killyleagh Street to set up a cordon between the Ribbonmen of Lecale and the Orangemen of Killyleagh Street. It was a staunch Protestant enclave in the village and the Orangemen of this street were determined to block the Ribbonmen’s passage.
In fact, in 1859, the street was described as “the Sandy-row of Crossgar” (The Ulsterman, 1859). A severe riot soon broke out and three lives were lost.
The week after the conflict, efforts were already being made to ban parades, except this time for both loyalists and republicans.
A report from the Coroner’s Inquest at Crossgar on 22nd March 1849 states the following:
“These processions must be put an end to, and that with a high and prompt hand, is no longer to be doubted.
However reasonable [a loyal Orange procession may be] against a rebel organisation, at its proper time, there can be no justification alleged for a wanton outrage upon the religious feelings of any party, such as took place at Crossgar; but, if the Procession Act be renewed, let it be enforced against both parties alike.
Let there not be, as in times past, one law for the Ribbonman and another for the Orangeman.
We remember the year when Orangemen were pining in jail for a breach of the Procession Act [1823] on the 12th of July, while the Ribbonmen flapped their flags against the prison windows as they passed, on Patrick’s day.
If the spirit of the required enactment prevent such a gross instance of partiality we shall be content, as will every peace-loving and right-judging man in the province.”
After the St Patrick’s Day riot in Crossgar, tensions were high in the district. As St Patrick’s day had largely become a Catholic event by the early 19th century, a counter riot on the main annual Protestant event four months later was fairly inevitable.
The Battle of Dolly’s Brae took place on 12th July 1849, resulting in the loss of 30 lives. Although, there was only half the number of rioters.
The ban on party processions was enacted seven months later, and although the Orange Order believed it was aimed at them, it banned republican parades too, such as those at the Crossgar clash.
Unknown Battle
While the Battle of Dolly’s Brae has been deeply etched into local folklore to this day, the Battle of Crossgar is largely unknown. Yet during much of the late 19th century, the significance of the Crossgar battle was of equal regard.
For example, at an Orange protest in Belfast thirteen years later, Orangemen spoke of their pride in standing in “common fellowship” with the “renowned heroes who fought ‘the good fight,’ at Crossgar and Dolly’s Brae.” (Freeman’s Journal, Sep 1862).
The Dolly’s Brae Conflict is better known partly because it occurred right before the Party Processions Act. However, perhaps another factor making the Crossgar battle less well-known is the fact that there were so many sectarian clashes in Crossgar and Kilmore, both before and after 1849, that soon such stories all blurred into one general period and eventually into obscurity.
The significance of the Crossgar battle to the story of Orangeism was not lost on William Johnson MP, arguably the most famous Orangeman. He went to prison in 1868 for his campaign to repeal the processions ban, and upon his release was heavily involved in the erection of new Orange halls in the Crossgar area.
Within a year, he had lain the foundation stone of a new hall in Crossgar, on Killyleagh Street no less (on land provided by Mr Boyd, a major landowner in the village). By the time the ban was repealed in 1872, Mr Johnston of Ballykilbeg had been involved in erecting new halls at Inch, Kilmore, and Listooder.
Over the succeeding decades, the Orangemen from these lodges in the Crossgar area marched together towards Lecale for the Glorious Twelfth Celebrations; beginning in Kilmore, with each lodge joining the procession along the way.
The battle in Crossgar in March 1849 is immortalised in the Orange ballad ‘Defence of Crossgar’
The Thrashers
The Whiteboys were a mid-18th Century pro-Irish Secret Society. After 1815 they were known by different names such as the Carders, Terry alts, Rockites, Whitefeet and in the song Boys of Crossgar they are called the Thrashers.
Many Orange songs of the period suggest that the police were sympathetic to the Thrashers and turned a blind eye to numerous skirmishes in County Down. This particular riot happened near Castlewellan, co. down in July 1849, shortly before the Battle of Dolly`s Brae.
The rise of the Orange Order from 1795 brought about the rise of the Defenders to oppose them. Following on from skirmishes in other areas, The Defenders or Ribbonmen (Catholics) decided on a show of strength on St Patrick’s Day; to march up Killyleagh Street, regarded in Crossgar as a Protestant enclave.
The Potato Famine of 1845/46 and the lack of help from the British to alleviate the problem also added to the discontent. Since the 1830s, Crossgar had been plagued by faction fights, usually at Easter and Christmas. The population of the town was evenly divided between Protestants and Catholics both trying to establish ‘no-go’ areas.
On St.Patrick’s Day in 1849, Ribbonmen from Lecale, Saul, Strangford, Ardglass, Annacloy and Teconnaught, with drums and banners, marched to a prearranged meeting in Crossgar. At 11am, companies of Threshers or Ribbonmen, passed through Downpatrick,where some slight rioting took place and some locals threw stones.
In retribution for this,they targeted the Skillen home, 4km out of Downpatrick where the road to Crossgar turns to the right. Damage was done to the windows and doors, furniture and crockery broken and the front door was riddled with shot, which lends support to the police claim that some of the Threshers were armed.
The procession then proceeded via Annacloy and Kilmore where an attack was made on the premises of the Seay brothers, spirit grocers and general merchants in the village. Shot was fired at the door and the bread delivery van was demolished by large stones.
Police had been strengthened to a force of 60 by sub-inspector Despard from Navan. Behind the police line in Killyleagh Street, crowds of Orange and Protestant supporters chanted,”up this street they must not walk.”
Anticipating trouble, three magistrates were in attendance. They were Messrs. James Sharman Crawford, William R. Anketell and J.L. McCance. Thirty Police were sent to Rea’s corner in attempt to block access to Killyleagh Street via William Street. This weakening of police strength may have contributed to the events which followed.
As the parade was turning the corner of Widow Boyd’s public house much pushing and shoving occurred; but it was not until a sixteen year old lad called Cleland, left the Killyleagh Street party, ran across the street and attempted to drag a collarette off a young man n the procession, that events deteriorated.
As Cleland and the drummer tussled over possession of the sash, Constable Bradley of the Crossgar Barracks and two other officers, ran over to separate them.Each opposing side saw this as an attack upon their own party so stone throwing increased and shots were heard. Each side was armed and the gunfire increased. Police were ordered to load their guns to protect themselves.
Full scale rioting now appeared to escalate beyond control and at this point Mr. Anketell read the Riot Act. The tragedy of this melee was the death of a police constable called Bourke from Newtownbreda, who was shot through the neck and killed instantly and a young lady called Ann Woods who was assisting her father at his ginger bread stall.
Another innocent bystander called Smyth was also shot and died later in Down Infirmary. Under attack from both sides, the police were ordered to open fire with about thirty rounds fired.
At the inquest in the Market House into the deaths two days later, evidence was given that both sides were armed and bullets were flying in all directions.
The coroner counselled the jury to bring down an open verdict on the deaths but added that the procession was unlawful. He blamed the government for not passing legislation suppressing these types of processions which are the ” bane and curse of this country”.
On 14th April 1849 at Killyleagh Petty Sessions, 23 persons were summoned for being engaged in an illegal and riotous assembly in Crossgar and Kilmore on 17th March 1849.
Constable Bradley identified for of the prisoners: John McGuire,Hugh McClurg, John Burns and John McCauley as being armed with guns and stated that the number assembled was between two to three thousand.
John Bell identified John, Daniel and Peter Rogan, proved that they were armed and alleged that he saw two of them fire in the direction of the police.
On 4th April 1849,some sixty defendants appeared and were examined at a special court at Killyleagh, as a result of which 27 were sent for trial at the Quarter Sessions at Newtownards.
Of a further 25 persons who appeared at Killyleagh on 28th April 1849, 8 were “held to bail” to stand trial at Newtownards, making a total of 35 persons tried for taking part in a riot.
Credit to Crossgar Life facebook page for the text.