Caine family genealogy
Of Manchester
Arms: Sa. a phoenix ar. Crest: A demi antelope per fesse az. and ar. collared and armed or.
THOMAS, a younger brother of Richard, who is No. 123 on the "O'Cahan" pedigree, was the ancestor of this family.
123. Thomas O'Cahan: son of Richard; embraced the cause of King James II., and, on the overthrow of that Monarch in Ireland, at the battle of the Boyne, sought retirement in the county Leitrim.
124. Simon O'Cahan: his only child, born 1717, died 1790. Joined the standard of the "Young Pretender," in 1745; returned to Ireland, m. and had five daughters and four sons:
I. Thomas, of whom presently.
II. Dominic, had three sons and one daughter:
1. John; 2. James; 3. Myles—the three of whom died in the flower of their age and without issue: Myles the last survivor of them d. at New York in 1872. 1. Mary.
III. Myles; IV. John—both of whom died in early manhood.
I. Mary; II. Bessie; III.Sabina; IV. Bridgid; V. Honora.
125. Thomas O'Cahan: eldest son of Simon; b.1766; d.1844; and buried in Cloone, county Leitrim Took an active part in the Irish Insurrection of 1798,[1] and was present at the Battle of Ballinamuck, where he led a troop of irregular horse. He was known as the Insurgent Leader "Captain. Rock," of the county Leitrim, in the latter part of the past, and early years of the present century: and in that county is still affectionately remembered, and his memory revered as the "Old Captain."
126. Simon-Henry O'Cahan, of Manchester, England, a manufacturer, and trading as "Henry Caine and Co.:" his son; born 1805; and living in 1881. Was the first of his branch of the family that omitted the prefix O', and wrote the name Cahan. He afterwards in 1850, assumed the name Caine. Surviving issue two sons and two daughters:
I. Thomas, of whom presently.
II. James-Henry, formerly of the 3rd Regiment "The Buffs;" living in 1881.
I. Helena.
II. Mary.
127. Thomas Caine, of Manchester, formerly of the 3rd Regiment, "The Buffs:" son of Simon-Henry; born 1845, and living in 1881.
Notes
[1] Insurrection: To sustain the Irish Insurrection of 1798, French troops then landed in Ireland; and when a detachment of them had reached Cloone, on their way to the county Longford, the officer in charge was invited by a Mr. West, who lived there at that time, to share his hospitality. This hospitality the officer thankfully accepted; and, for greater security, caused the French Magazine, as advised by Mr. West (himself a Protestant gentleman), to be deposited in the Protestant church-yard of that place. Mr. West had a servant-man named Keegan, whom West induced to steal the chains of the Magazine, which Keegan did that night; so that the chains being gone, the French next morning, after having tried and broken every species of rope obtainable in the place, in their efforts to remove their guns, were reluctantly compelled to empty most of the contents of their Magazine into the Lough in the neighbourhood; and were thus rendered absolutely powerless to meet the British troops. That robbery precipitated the Battle of Ballinamuck; for, there was no intention on the part of the insurgents to engage in that vicinity: their object was to push on to Granard, where a fine body of men were awaiting the French contingent and the bold peasantry of Connaught who accompanied them.
This Thomas O'Cahan (or "Tom" O'Cahan, as he was generally called) had a friend named Terence MacGlawin, who at that Battle acted as his lieutenant, and who in the early part of the action was shot dead at the "Old Captain's" side, by a ball in the head. He had the body removed to the rear, but was at the time unable to carry it off. After the action, Captain Crofton of Lurragoe (a brother of Duke Crofton of Mohill Castle), who was going over the field, recognized the body of MacGlawin, had the ball probed for, and bought his coat from one of the human vultures who ever hang on the rear of death and destruction. The coat and ball the kind-hearted Captain Crofton gave to the unhappy mother of MacGlawin; and, two days after the Battle, gave Tom O'Cahan a "Pass," which enabled him with safety to visit the Battlefield of Ballinamuck. In presence of his royalist enemies this bold "rebel," was thus enabled to remove therefrom for interment in the family grave the body of his friend-in-arms—Lieutenant Terry MacGlawin. It was a noble idea of this Thomas O'Cahan to have back his friend's body in death; when the other "rebel" unfortunates who fell at that Battle were buried in ditches and all manner of holes.
Another incident of the Battle of Ballinamuck relates to a private soldier of the Longford Militia, named Magee. As the French saw there was no chance of success, they surrendered. When about doing so, this Magee rushed to one of their guns. It was loaded and ready, he applied the light, and sent the ball with unerring aim against and into a Magazine belonging to one of the English regiments. The Magazine exploded, and made death, havoc, and wide gaps in the British ranks adjacent. More fell by that one shot of Magee's than by the hand or act of any other man on that day. The British troops made for him and the gun; but the noble fellow scorned to fly: he fought to the last, and fell gun and bayonet in hand, with his face to the front! See also the Note under the "O'Dowd" pedigree.