A Coastguards Daughter’s Story. 1875
A Coastguards Daughter’s Story. 1875
A daughter of one of Her Majesty’s Coast Guard Officers, now the only surviving child, asks us to tell her mothers story. Her mother is 75 years of age, totally blind and wholly infirm. She is perishing for the want of the commonest necessaries of life. Now in her unending darkness she should see a happy past for her husband, Richard C.O’Brien, as Master Mate in the Elephant, a first rate of 74 guns fought under Admiral Nelson in most of those engagements that swept away the enemies of England from the seas. She describes her joy at his return home unscathed, when the great ships, with shattered masts and tattered sails moved grandly home in triumph with the enemy’s ships towed astern.
She was a proud wife then, for did not her neighbours all flock in to listen to her husband’s stories of the main and of the chase, and the blockade, of the breaking of the line and the roaring of the guns upon the glowing sea. When the Coast Guard was established in Ireland, she was a happier wife still, for was not her husband, in requital for his services, stationed at home as Chief Officer of Coast Guards? In this latter service he did his duty for 30 years. Twice he was severely wounded in the performance of these duties. We have before us the certificate of J. Blake, Esq, J.P. witnessing that “Chief Officer Richard O’Brien was most severely wounded on the body and face, while he in the most intrepid manner beat off, single-handed, a numerous body of rioters who attempted to seize the arms and ammunition stored in the Coastguard barrack”
On that occasion he shot down their leader. Again he was severely wounded when in pursuit of smugglers, for smugglers of those days did not hesitate to fire on the King’s officers. After 30 years service, yearning for rest, he retired on a pension, and then died. With him died his pension, for the widows of officers on the relieved list lost all.
Mr.Disraeli at once placed the name of the old lady of 75 upon the list of applicants for the Royal Bounty : but no Royal Bounty has yet come to the blind widow of a brave Irish sailor, and yet a year has passed away. An only son worked hard in India, and supported most comfortably his mother and sister, until he, too, died, and the remittance which used to come regularly came no more.
Ref: The Irish Times 7 May 1875.
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Posted by Tony
on May 22 2009
