From John Tyndall, Snr   July, 7th, 1841.

Mr John Tyndall | Ordnance Survey Office | Kinsale

Leighlin Bridge | July, 7th, 1841.

My dear John

I received a letter¹ from you on Monday morning last and a note this morning. I did not intend letting you know any thing about our present situation until after the Election would be over because I did not wish to have you fretting – not that I consider that you would have cause to fret when I tell you the truth of the whole matter.² I told you before that mobs from the Co³ Kilkenny headed by the Leighlin mob went through the country by night taking the Colonel Bruen’s freeeholders⁴ most of them by force. On Sunday night week,⁵ a party of the above villians went to Kildrenagh a short distance above Dunleckney, took them from their homes by force, and conveyed them into Leighlin Bridge. As they passed your uncle Caleb’s house they gave three cheers for O’Connell. He being up at the time gave three cheers for Bruen. The rebels attacked his house, broke several panes of glass, and struck himself on the breast with a stone. He fired out, and the misfortune was that Patt McAssey’s wife⁶ received a ball or slug in the thigh. William Hackett from the Royal Oak,⁷ one of the leaders of the gang got a black eye on the occasion. He says it was from a second shot fired by Caleb, but that story is a falsehood, as he had but one charge in his possession at the time. After the shot was fired the mob ran over the bridge and, as the story goes, consulted Priest McMahon, who advised them to secure him if they could. My opinion is he advised them to murder him, as they came back in a rage, particularly when they heard that he was gone. This occurred about half past 12 o’clock at night. But to give you a description of the people of Leighlin on this occasion is beyond my power, for they were all willing to steep their hands in his blood. Amongst the leaders in this tragedy was Jim Walsh, Tom Williams, and Ned Connell.⁸ As for the former villain I have banished him,⁹ he shall never enter my door. Nothing can exceed the state of feeling in this County at present. In Leighlin neither Roman nor Protestant speaks to each other and a system of exclusive dealing¹⁰ is now in full vogue. No Roman Catholic dare put his nose inside my door. The fact of it is, neither life nor property is secure in this County at the present moment. Your uncle Caleb I believe is in jail at present, and that more for security than any thing else for Mary McAssey is not in the least danger, the wound being but a flesh one, and even if she died it would not effect Caleb, though the villians say they done nothing to cause him to fire; but the oaths of such rascals no one could believe. Caleb is I think bailed at this moment and will vote for the Colonel¹¹ next week. Mobs from the Countys Kilkenney, Waterford, Wexford, Kildare and Queens are to be in Carlow on Monday morning next – the day of nomination. O’Connell says he will have Caleb hanged from the rapper of his hall door, others say that he will be transported. The assizes commences on the 20th¹² therefore he must have his witnesses summoned this week, as the Election will keep every one busy the next. We expect an army here on Saturday if they do not come I will go to Carlow Sunday morning and remain there for the week, agitation and outrage has done its utmost in this County by placing man against man and woman against woman, Still I say that Bruen will be the victor.

I am your affectionate father | John Tyndall

RI MS JT/1/10/3230

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