Dairy of James Burke-Gaffney

.... detail to be added ...

Like Curran's daughter after the death of Robert Emmett to whom she was engaged, who became an exile in her sorrow from the ballad "here her young hero sleeps" my sister Mary after the death of Father and Mother -- Father following Mother within a year -- in 1882 and 1883, exiled herself from her native land and travelled extensively after a visit to the Rothschilds in France -- finally dying away down in Lima, South America. I never knew the reason of her cutting herself away so completely from her family. She was one of my best and kindest correspondents up to the time of Mannion's death. After that I never heard from her again. I fear her mind must have been affected by sorrow, although I have never heard so from any member of my family. I always felt previously that I was very dear to her from my earliest boyhood days, I had received so many manifestations of her love, and I certainly had even more than a brotherly love for her, as it was united with a certain respect due to her being many years older than I. I think she used to pet me pretty much as Clare does Richard now, and Clare is very much like her Aunt Mary in many respects.

Tom was the eldest son of our family. He followed father's footsteps, literally, as he entered the Government Service soon after graduating with honors. Before entering the service, however, he studied for a while under Iugin the great architect, and cultivated a natural taste for drawing and painting. He was very clever at pen and ink sketches - and had he continued in this line might have become famous, perhaps. He also wrote for the college paper called the "Omnibus".  I can remember a few lines of one poem he wrote and sent the "Omnibus" home.  It was thus: "The ripening ear, 'til its time draws near, Fears not the scythe I wiss."

Sister Josephine, only a pert little thing then, writing to congratulate him on his success, expressed the wish that the next time he mounted his Pegasus, she hoped it would be harnessed to an "omnibus." Tom entered the office of the General Survey and Valuation of Ireland under Fathers administration and  rose step by step until he became Chief Valuer, when retired by limitation, being 65 years of age, and was decorated by King Edward Vll in the "Order of Civil Service" for distinguished service.  He was one of twelve Irishmen, only, who have been so honored. Tom also had taste for languages and acquired French, German, Italian and Spanish; it being his habit to travel every summer to the special country whose language he was studying. In this way he learned to speak fluently in these languages. As we younger members of our family grew older, we began to think he would remain an old bachelor. He remained single as long as Father and Mother lived, and was indeed the best and most devoted a son as any parent could desire. Mother's age at death I think was 66 and Father's 84. Tom married, however, when about 50 years of age a Miss Jennie 0'Donnell of the County Limerick, and I believe she was not more than 20. They have been blessed with eleven children, ten of whom are living; their names are Edward, Patrick, Nellie, John, Criss, Ita, James, Noel and Walter, but this only makes nine, probably the tenth is Harry. My brother Tom now lives at 66 Eccles St., Dublin, Ireland. As I never had the pleasure of meeting my sister-in-law, Jennie, I do not know much about her or her family. I have had one or two letters from her brother, Father O'Donnell, thanking me for some donations to his church fairs.

A peculiar incident occurs to me in connection with the announcement made me by Tom of his approaching marriage. After I had taken his letter from the post office box and was reading this surprising piece of news on my way to my office, I overtook an old Irish man named Jerry O'Brian, one of the local queer characters of Cumberland, and in familiar manner slapping him on the back I quoted: "Till one Mr. O' Brian from Clare, how square etc" when he replied, "Sure I'm not from the County Clare, but from the County Limerick - just across the border".  "Do you know the 0'Donnells of Adair?", I asked, reading from my brothers letter the name of his fiance's family.  "Sure wasn't I born in Adair and reared by the O'Donnells when I was a very small gossoon," said he.  "My brother is going to marry Miss Jennie O'Donnell." said I.  "0h, the Lord be praised," he said, "Often and often have I carried her on my back till I was ready to drop dead, when she insisted on riding me around the yard."

Chapter 8

"But you've been over thirty years in this country!" I said, "And she is only twenty, you must be surely mistaken."  He was very positive he was right however.  I wrote this incident to Tom, and soon after Jennie wrote to say that it was true about Jerry's story, except that it was her eldest sister Mary who used to do the riding on Jerry's poor back. Jennie was the youngest of twelve children., Jennie being one of twelve and Tom of fourteen -- no wonder they did so well for the their country and the credit of both families!

Next in order comes my second eldest brother John. He, too, was a very bright student, and always kept up in his studies with Tom without any of the hard study that Tom made. The latter was slow but sure, the other quick to learn when he applied himself earnestly. He was more fond of music and dancing than Tom was, and had a very fine voice.  He was an accomplished musician on several instruments. From their earliest youth my elder brothers had tutors to teach them and prepare for college, so that when they entered they were so far advanced in knowledge they graduated at a very early age, both at the same time. We younger boys also had the advantages of these same tutors, Mr. Gray and Mr. Mooney, but we did not follow so brilliantly our brothers' example.

John studied in Dublin and in Edinburgh for the medical profession with honors.  He then entered the Army and his regiment, the 24^th Infantry, was soon sent to India.  Here his talents were early recognized and he received rapid promotion.  Earl Dufferin, who was then Viceroy of India, attached him to his staff, and before retirement appointed him Commissioner of the Upper District -- one of the healthy parts of India. Here he remained until he retired from the Service with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He holds two commissions from Victoria -- his first from her as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and the other as Empress of India, when he became her representative as Commissioner, which is an office similar to that of Governor of a territory of the U.S. Before he went to India, however, he became engaged to Miss Jessie Sinclair, an Englishwoman of means, a convert to Catholicism. They were not married for several years afterwards, until he returned on his first vacation. They were a most devoted couple, but unfortunately have had no family. John always devoted to children, and no younger brothers and sisters ever a kinder or more lovable elder brother than he. We always had more of respect for Tom, but we could play any tricks on John who seemed enjoy our childish pranks.

He was a great lover of pets of every kind -- animals, birds and even fishes, he seemed to have some instinctive manner of training. A Jackdaw he taught to speak like a parrot and sent his lady love Jessie in England once played an embarrassing trick on him. When he visited her soon after Jessie wanted a good servant to look after her ponies -- John sent one of our retainers, Michael, to her, entrusted him with the Jackdaw. On brother's next visit to her, in London, he asked after the Jackdaw, and. Jessie immediately had it brought in. The bird seemed much pleased to see its old friend and master, and strutted about the table for some time;  being urged to speak by my brother last cocking his head to one side he said: "Ha Ha, I saw John kiss Jessie." Imagine the astonishment of John and the horror of Jessie, as there were other guests present. It appears Michael had taught him to say that, as well as many other things he ought not to say.

I have had many most interesting letters from John written from India and elsewhere on his travels. His descriptions of the "Durbars" annual receptions he held in District, when the native princes and people came to pay their respects him as representative of the Empress of India -- they read like tales from the "Arabian Nights".  He sent us some beautiful specimens of Indian silver filigree work soon after our marriage, and later a bamboo coin which 1imself cut in the jungles and had mounted with a silver head. Previous to his being appointed Commissioner he had been sent to the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean. These islands were inhabited by fierce tribes of cannibals, who used to kill and eat any shipwrecked sailors reaching their shores. He made a report on these islands and established a military station there for protection of such as were driven there by shipwreck. He brought off two of the wild natives of boyhood age and endeavored to civilize them. They were the only animals he ever failed in training. They both escaped and were lost in the jungles, presumably themselves being eaten by tigers.