Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-12-27
lnTeREsTlNel DISCOVERY.
Joseph Rourke. - Revolutionary Hero.
the First ,1rishman In Waterbury
In. n n

| the First t1rishman In Waterbury
judge Cowen In = Remlniscent Mood.
| A good deal of research has been in
dulged in during the past ten or fifteen
years with view to ascertaining for a GER
i tainty the name of the Iri-hman who first
visited the territorial limits of the town of
Waterbury. So far the question seems to
be an open one. the preference having
been ascribed to various persons by
different writer's. Half dozen or more of
the old Irish settlers of the town who
came here over half n century ago aud who
have resided here continuously since tell
| conflicting stories in relation to this sub
| ject. and as they are the only source from
which much information on this matter
can be obtained. the question has never
been fully decided. each one naming a
different person as being the first to lead
the way for lis countrymsn into this sec
ton of the state.
The DEMOCRAT recently conceived the
idea of making some Investigation on this
/ roint from sources other than those which
have heretofore been. brought into use,
with the result that it has succeeded in
| obtaining information in relation to this
| issue. which will be of interest to future
/ historians of the first Irish residents of
this town and cannot but settle the much
/ disputed question on this point
| As nearly as data can be collected the
first Irishman to see this part of the conn
| try was Joseph RJurke. a soldier who
| served in one of the companies attached to
/ the regiment in command of Major Gene
raj Israel Putnam in the revolutionary
war. He was with Putnam through most
of his campaigns and took such a liking
to that dashing soldier that he refused to
serve under the command of any other
| captain. 1t was this fascination which led
him to follow Putnam to his home in
Brooklyn. this state. and he was seriously
wounded in the retreat of the revolution
| irv troops from Horsenieck to Stamford in
1779.
During his service in the revolutionary
armv Rourke met and formed the ac-
quaintance of son of Gideon Hotchkiss.
the great great grandfather of JUG
George II. Cowell of this city and in 1884
lie accompanied young Hotchkiss to the
family residence then situated about three
miles southeast of Prospect center Re-
manning here for about twelve or thirteen
| years, he learned of the intended uprising
in his native country. which eliminated in
the rebellion of 1898, and left on the old
stage line for Derby. thence by way of the
sound for New York. with view of reach
ing the scene of the conflict in time to
render what service he possibly could to
the cause of the Irish patriot party.
tiors and met the fate of those of his coun-
trymen who had dared to throw down
the gauge of battle to the enemies OF his
country will never be known. hut suffi-
Client information has been obtained to
satisfy the DEMOCRAT that the story of his
visit to these parts is founded on facts.
Judge Cowell can tell many reminis-
censes of the mans characteristics which
he often heard related by his maternal
| and ssrhnra l. fra
about this said Judge Cowell. when
asked about the matter. Everybody knows
that the Irish people had been fleeing to
all parts of the world to shun the persecu-
ton to which they were subjected at
home for centuries prior to that time and
II is the most reasonable thing IN the
world to believe that some of them should
show up in these parts. IL il well es.
tablished fact that there were "A large num-
DER of Irisnmen in the Revolutionary war
not only in the rank and file. but as can
tains aud generals. Were not several of the
signers of the Declaration OF Independ-
| ence Irishmen?
Joseph Rourke was not the only one of
his race who came along here after the
close OF the Revolutionary war. but he Is
the only one have n good recollection of
hearing talked of when | was n boy.
What made the old people remember him
being a brave soldier he was an excellent
shoemaker and earned his living during
his stay here by going among the farmers.
repairing and making new footwear. At
that time every farmer kept his own tan
merry and the handsomest footwear ever
worn in this state by the forefathers of
many of the old American families Of this
section w-re put up by Joseph Rourke.
"Hr was in this place. continued the Judge
''for quite a good many years and made "a
practice of leaving every year a couple OF
months before the winter season, telling
his friends that he wanted to reach New
York in time to attend divine service on
Christmas day. In those days Christmas
was not the great religious festival in New
England that it Is to-day and the people
were practically ignorant of the real mean
ing of the tenets of the Catholic faith.
Rourke never tried to deny his religion
and it was a common thing for the farmers
for miles around to gather at the house
where he was making pair of boots and
hear him tell of the inhuman cruelties
perpetrated on his countrymen on Account
of their faith, aud In my opinion he was
the first man that told the old settlers of
this town the Catholic meaning of the
word mass After an absence of a few
| months he was sure to return and remain
until the following Christmas. when he
was of again. Finally he expressed de-
termination to revisit the scenes of his
early boyhood and use his genius in de.
Tense of his own country. and that was
the last the townspeople ever heard OF
him.
He was spoken of as a man of fair COM
plexion, with bright blue eyes. light hair
and full beard. about forty years old. five
feet ten inches tall. well built and could
| sing an Irish song to the queens taste.
He always boosted that he was a descend
emit of an Irish king and claimed that his
forefathers owned large tracts of land in
Wexford until the time of the land confis-
cations during the Cromwellian era.
lone reason why the people took such
a liking to Rourke was because of his
intense hatred of an English soldier. He
used to tell about his asking the captain to
assign him to picket duty. aud the
proudest boast of his life was that he
riddled three English soldiers with shot
about five o'clock one Sunday morning.
while they were in the act of ransacking a
house in the vicinity of Horseneck."
"I remember hearing grandmother tell. '
said Judge Cowell that she had heard
the old folks talk about how hourke used
to get mp from his seat and take an old
rifle from over the fireplace and walk up
and down the kitchen to show the boys
how he did this. He used to say it was
the pleasantest recollection of his wal
record to think of seeing one of the red.
coats running hatless through the wood on
that bitter March day. and as most of the
people of that time had some one killed OF
wounded in the war such stories were well
calculated to endear Rourke to their
| friends. / never could believe that the
Irish people met with any harsh treatment
from the old settlers when they first com