There is a possibility that we have a sequence such as this, as there a series of Laurence O’Hara’s on Ballyshannon who fit the bill, but it is difficult to work out the possible combinations and timings.
- Laurence O’Hara b 1650 d 1722 (m Ann Moore 1676)
- Laurence Hara b 1685 d 1750 m Anne
- William O’Hara b 1735 m Elizabeth
- Lawrence O’Hara b 1768 d 1825
This is also a Lawrence O’Hara Esq who was High Sheriff of Tyrone in 1756. It is not clear that this person is related, partly because he is in the county, but also he is too young to be Laurence b 1740 and his father was dead, also but not critically the spelling which may or not be transcribed correctly.
Where was Lawrence from?
From the 1814 Letter (see below) and letters sent by Lawrence from Limerick in 1821 / 1822 trying to sell his commission we have to conclude that he was from or had a connection to Ireland.
We have no information from the summary of the marriage in the India Office Records, nor anything in the military records where we would normally find birth information. It is fairly safe to assume that the fact that he obtained a commission in the British Army even though there was no purchase (which is a mystery in of itself), he would have to have come from a family with some money if nothing else to have the influence to obtain a commission. This would normally be someone with the means to live independently, landowners, living on rent rolls of farmers or property tenants, this where the term Gent arises from.
There is a tantalising reference in the War Office: Secretary-at-War, Out-letters (PRO/WO4/516 p 497) which contain letters sent from the War Office relating to the purchase of commissions (amongst other things).
War Office 30 Nov 1814. Sir, In reply to your letter of the 23rd instance. I am directed to acquaint you that by the latest return from the 1st Battalion 56th Regiment dated 25th January 1814. Captain L O'Hara is reported on Command at Bellary in the Presidency of Madras. The above is all the information that can be furnished from this Department. In any further enquiry. I would suggest you applying to the Agents for the Regiment Mssrs Greenwood, Cox and Co. Mr Robert Lukin Asst to Sec. of War Mr W O'Hara Nicholas Street Limerick
One the one-hand it could be just pure coincidence that an O’Hara is enquiring after Lawrence to buy his commission, but is is tempting to think that Mr W O’Hara is in some way related and would give us the long held Irish connection!
The problem of Irish Record in the 1700’s
In 1922, most Irish records were lost in a fire at the Public Record Office of Ireland, during the Irish Civil War. This critically includes marriage and wills from this period. We have summaries in the form of Abstracts created in the early 1800’s and the Register of Deeds (https://irishdeedsindex.net/index.php), which were transcriptions from the originals, and documents such as Burke’s Peerages which are also based on interpretation of these and related records. In short, we have a territory rife with interpretation and hence uncertainty.
The Genealogical abstracts of Prerogative wills, ca. 1530-1800, compiled by Sir William Betham in around 1814 was made available online in 2023. The background to this can be found at https://timeline.ie/bethams-genealogical-abstracts/.
This family tree, which shows a Laurence O’Hara with an elder brother William two sisters and a marriage to Mary.
Source: Genealogical abstracts of Prerogative wills, ca. 1530-1800, compiled by Sir William Betham.(https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000541127 (image 122))
At first sight, this looks like the Lawrence we are seeking, who married Mary Woodson (in Calcutta in 1794), this though is almost definitely not the case, as it seems that the marriage to Claude Ingram was after that to an O’Hara, which would would make Laurence in the above diagram born in the 1760’s or earlier.
Source: Ireland, Abstracts of Wills and Marriages, 1620-1923 (Crossle, Betham and Thrift Genealogical Abstracts. Dublin, Ireland)
The problem with the records is that the only dates we have are deaths, so it is tricky to work out when these people were actually born and married, especially for women.
Laurence O’Hara (b 1650 d 1725)
The birth date is an estimate, we have from the abstract of Wills, a Laurence O’Hara and Ann O’Hara both died around the same time 1725 and 1729 respectively from Greggstown (the former name for Ballyshannon), and a document recording an ‘issue’ which is I think related to marriage between John Moore and Laurence O’Hara in 1678.
Laurence O’Hara (b 1700 d 1750)
We have this from the Registry of Deeds, which is thankfully transcribed. It is recorded that he is from Greggstown, as was his father. This match’s the diagram above with an additional two daughters, with no birth dates, it places the children at anytime prior to 1745. Anna died (from above) in 1780, so if her last child from Laurence was in 1745, and the likely oldest age to have child is 35 years, then it would make her born in 1710, and Laurence born say 10 years previous. With 6 children, the eldest son Laurence, would be born around 1735.
Source: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSMQ-LSLG-B?
Laurence O’Hara (b 1725)
We have a document from the Bill of Equity records. which records a transaction or possibly a dispute in 1769, between Laurence and his wife Rebecca, and William Young who married his sister Mary. Also recorded is a minor (again Laurence) and a William O’Hara who is possibly Laurence’s brother.
Source: Exchequer Court of Equity Bill Books, 1674-1850
The marriage between Laurence (b 1735) and Rebecca is confirmed by Burke’s Peerage.
Source: Burke’s Peerage
The London Gazette states an appointment of Laurence O’Hara to be the High Sheriff of Donegal in 1781.
William O’Hara b 1740
We have a document acquiring property in Ballyshannon (aka Brookfield) in 1775 with William, his wife Elizabeth and a son Laurence. Which suggests Laurence is the son of William b 1735.
Source: Transcripts of memorials of deeds, conveyances and wills, 1708-1929
Assuming that the Laurence referred to here is born at some point between 1765 and 1775, we have a credible link to our Lawrence. It seems that the Laurence referred to in the Bill of Equity records is William’s son, not Laurence’s as could easily be inferred from that document.
Previous Lines of Enquiry
It is widely circulated on genealogy sites that Lawrence was born 1772 in Sligo and died in Roscommon, Ireland in 1841 (see https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52754126/laurence-ohara?). Although the birth period is likely correct, we know that he died in 1825 from entries in Military records, in addition the children and wife do not match and remained entirely in Ireland.
There is further coverage of this Laurence at: https://leitrim-roscommon.com/plavin/. He is also referred to a Laurenec O’Hara of Behy, County Sligo.
Walter O’Hara b. 1787. I had previously thought that W(alter) O’Hara was a likely contender as a brother, being from Limerick but with the above evidence it seems less likely.
He was a freeman of Limerick in 1824 and he later had a military career and was the son of Robert O’Hara of Raheen. More information about him from the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. How he could be related is not yet very clear.
Source: Betham’s Genealogical Abstracts: Prerogative Wills: (Phillips Mss) Ij. 1767-1799, K 1700-1723
John O'Hara (d 1729, Town Mayor of Galway)
1. James O'Hara of Lenaboy (b 1717 d 1787) (county. Galway), Mayor of Galway (1747)
A. James O'Hara of Lenaboy (b 1748. d November 1838, recorder of Galway, Freeman of Limerick 1817)
m. (1796) Margaret Moore (d 1814, daughter of Richard Moore)
i. James O'Hara of Lenaboy (b 1796, d Dec. 1838, recorder of Galway)
m. (15 April 1823) Anne Trench (d March 1870)
B. Robert O'Hara of Raheen Mayor of Galway (1804)
m. Frances Taylor (b 1765)
i. Walter O'Hara (b 1789 d 1871)
ii. Anne Lousia (b 1790 d 1844)
m (25/10/1815) James Hardiman BURKE
i. Robert O'Hara Burke (b 1821 d 1861)
iii. John O'Hara (b 1794))
iv. Elizabeth (1799-1875)
m Robert Gregory (b.6/10/1790 d April 1849)
ii. Charles O'Hara (b. 1800 d 1874))
Lieut. Walter O’Hara served in the Peninsula with the 59th and was present at the siege of St.Sebastian, and battles of Vittoria, Nivelle, and Nive, for which he has received the War Medal with three Clasps. He served also the Waterloo campaign.
There is the possibility that he is in some way related through a common uncle, but there is currently no clear way that this can be established.
Birth Connection to India?
Others who may be his father are those actually in India at the time or around the time we think Lawrence was born.
Purely from being of the right age, and taking into account that Lawrence was described as being ‘a Gent’ on joining the British army the following could potentially be his father.
- William O’Hara: was a Lieutenant (there is no record of him in a British i.e. HM Regiment, so he was most likely in an EIC Regiment) and father of Mary O’Hara (born 11/1/1777 recorded in OIOC Madras Presidency N2/11/29) his wife is unknown.
- James O’Hara: died 1783 in the Bengal Presidency, a captain in the First Madras European Regiment.
- James O’Hara: died 1787 in Bombay Presidency, a captain in the Infantry.
- John O’Hara: born 1750, died 1785 was a Captain in Madras when he died, he is buried in Rajahmundry Cemetery in East Godavari district. There is no record of him having any children in India
- William O’Hara from Ireland arrived in 1785 on the Francis as a civilian recorded in list of Embarkations (IOR/L/MIL/11/114). Unless Lawrence arrived with him, of which there is no evidence it is unlikely.
- Thomas O’Hara: from Ireland. He arrived in 1767 on the Egmont as a civilian; this is recorded in the list of Embarkations. (IOR/L/MIL/11/114).
- James O’Hara died 1793 in Fort William garrison, Calcutta, a Private in the infantry. Although as a private it is unlikely that it would have had sufficient monies
- Alexander O’Hara: (born 1765 in Ireland). He died in 1793 with the rank of Lieutenant and could have passed sufficient monies for Lawrence to join the British Army and marry
I have excluded Edward O’Hara who was in the 7th Foot and got his Ensign in the same month as Lawrence (October 1796) in 1807 he became a Major in the Yorkshire Light Infantry, he was born in Canada and is definitely not related to Lawrence
Who were Lawrence’s children
We know that Lawrence had at least 5 children,
- John b 1808. His sister Amelia is the Sponsor at his Daughter’s baptism in 1838. Lawrence as we have learnt from the Muster Rolls of the 33rd Regiment was on leave at the end of 1808, the time we think he was born.
- William (1811) in IOR/N2/4/129 his burial is noted as “Captain O’Hara son William, burial 5 November 1811
- Elizabeth (1815) at IOR/N2/5/74 it is shown as “Elizabeth illegitimate daughter of Captain L O’Hara of HM 56th Regiment”
- Amelia (1818) Her marriage to William Green in 1853 records the father as John Lawrence D.(sic) Hara
- George (1820) as we have a record of him being the son of Lawrence and Gungha born in Mauritius and brought up in the Lawrence Memorial School.
It is unlikely that Mary was the mother of any of these children, she would have been over 50 to have given birth to John. We know that Elizabeth was a legitimate daughter, so it is very likely that he married again (or was a ‘clerical error’), George was conceived in Mauritius to ‘Gungah’, the woman/women who bore him John, Elizabeth and Amelia was most likely dead by 1820.