Robert Alexander Bankhead : Short Biography

Robert Alexander Bankhead was destined to touch historical events throughout his life. He participated in a war which would shape Europe, a famine that decimated many parts of Ireland, and took a hand in enforcing laws that could be considered barbaric.
As a young man, Robert joined up with the Royal Artillery at Antrim and was posted to Quebec. His wife, Fanny, their young son Robert, and her family emigrated there the following year possibly to escape the Potato famine. They stayed there for three and half years and on his return he was sent to the pivotal war which was to predict the nightmare of the Great War and shape the countries in Europe, the Russian War, also known as the Crimean War. After eight months he returned to spend just over a decade earning a living in Penzance as a shoe maker, while still being registered in the Artillery. Robert was declared bankrupt during this time, which possibly led to his final and darkest brush with history.                                      
He returned to the country of his youth, Donegal, Ireland and took up his post as a land agent, a bailiff, for various landlords in the area. With what appeared to be a callous determination, Robert carried out his duties evicting the impoverished tenant farmers and their families who were unable to pay the landlord’s rents.

He appears in court many times, and in the papers, quite a few. He is even mentioned in Hansard as it was unusual for a bailiff to carry a gun at the time. 

Derry Journal 31st March 1876
Assault.
Sub-Constable O'Beirnes prosecuted Michael M'Fadden of Derryreel, for having, on the night of the 17th inst. (Patrick's Day) assaulted Robert Bankhead of Crossroads.
It transpired from the evidence that Bankhead was standing at the office window of his house, and received a blow from some one, whom he could not see, as it was dark- about 9pm. The Sub-Constable saw the prisoner strike the blow, which he described as "a very severe one." The defendant said he was drunk at the time, but the Sub-Constable swore he was perfectly sober. The Bench found the assault proved, but owing to the previous good character of the prisoner they would give him on this occasion the option of a fine. He would, therefore have to pay £1 or go to gaol for one month. The fine was paid.

Derry Journal 8th April 1881
County of Donegal Division of Lifford
Notice of Appointment of a Process Server
Notice is hereby given, that the County Court Judge of said County, on the 5th April inst., appointed Robert Bankhead, of Falcarragh, to act as Process Server for the Division of Lifford. (By Order of the County Court Judge,) John Cochrane, Clerk of the Peace County of Donegal, Peace Office, Lifford, 5th April, 1881.

The Donegal Independent March 20th 1891
The Falcarragh Shooting Case

Mary Magee, sworn and examined by Mr. Irvine, said on 22nd August last she saw the prisoner between twelve and one o’clock. He was driving away his cows that were grazing on her husband’s land. The cows had strayed into an evicted farm of which the prisoner was taking care. She saw her husband go before the cattle, and then Bankhead lifted a stick and struck her husband over the head. She then went to the place. 
His Lordship – Was this in your own field? 
No, my Lord, it was in Bankhead’s field. 
To Mr.Irvine -When she was going up towards Bankhead she heard him say to her husband “I’ll put you down you papist -”
Witness said to him, “You tried to kill my husband,” and Bankhead said, ”I made a good offer, and I’ll kill you too.” She then turned and went towards Paddy Gallagher’s house, and Bankhead followed her. There was a dog in the garden, and it was barking, and she “hushed” him, and the dog lay down on the ridge. Bankhead had a stick in his hand at the time, and was walking towards witness. He laid the stick down on the garden fence, and taking a revolver from his pocket he pointed it toward where she was standing. 
Did he say anything to you? He said he would let me know something, and then fired a shot. I never heard a report like it so near before and it was fearful to me. 
Continuing – Witness said she ran to Gallagher’s house, and with the fright she fell. She got up again, and Bankhead said if she was not down he would put her down. Bankhead was about sixteen or seventeen yards from her when he fired the shot. 
Cross-examined by the prisoner – She saw no geese with the prisoner on the day he fired the shot. She could not say how many fields she crossed on the 20th August, the day he had the geese. 
To his Lordship- She crossed no fields the day the shot was fired. 
The Prisoner – She came and claimed the geese falsely the day I shot at her. 
Witness, in reply to his Lordship, said she claimed twelve geese from the prisoner on the 20th August, but that was not the day the shot was fired. 
The Prisoner -This is not the first conflict she and I had. We had many a one before, and will again I hope. (Laughter.) To the witness – Didn’t you hunt the dog on me that day I shot you? 
His Lordship – She has sworn that she did. 
Prisoner – Don’t you know that the dog bit me a day or two before it? I did not.
Didn’t you hear it? I did not. 
Witness was further cross-examined, but no point of interest was elicited. The witness when leaving the box said to the prisoner, “You followed me the day I was coming here.” 
Prisoner – It was not for your beauty, my darling (laughter.)
Catherine M’Ginley (who gave her evidence in Irish, interpreted by Dan Boyce, the court interpreter) said she saw the prisoner strike John Magee on the head with a stick. Mary Magee then came out, and she heard her and the prisoner arguing. She afterwards heard the report of a shot, but could not say where it came from as she was in her own house. Mary Magee came in afterwards greatly frightened. 
Cross-examined for the prisoner – She saw no geese at the place on the day the shot was fired. 
Kate Magee, daughter of the witness, swore to seeing Bankhead strike her father on the head with a stick. She heard him say that he would kill her mother too. 
John Wilkson, petty sessions clerk, Falcarragh deposed to the accuracy of the statement made by the prisoner at petty sessions to the effect that the shot he fired was at a dog which had bitten him the previous day. 
This concluded the evidence for the Crown. 
Head – Constable Barrett, called by the prisoner, deposed to John and Mary Magee coming to him and making a statement with reference to the prisoner. The statement, as read by the head-constable, was corroborative of the evidence given by the witness. 
Sergeant Kenny, Falcarragh, gave similar evidence, and added that Mrs Magee said it was from his coat pocket. She said, in reply to the head-constable, that she would not swear the shot was fired at her. 
This concluded the evidence, and the prisoner said the case was brought against him because he had brought a number of decrees against Magee’s for trespass. 
His Lordship summed up, and the jury retired. 
After a lengthened absence, they returned to court with a verdict of not guilty.
The prisoner was put back, as there was a further charge against him. 

Londonderry Sentinal Thursday 19th March 1891
Robert Bankhead Discharged.
Mr. Irvine Q.C. onbehalf of the Crown, informed his lordship that the Crown had arrived at the determination, having regard to the circumstances of the case, to enter a nolle prosequi in the charge of assault against Robert Bankhead. Mr. Ramsey asked for the discharge of the accused. His lordship acceded to the application, and Bankhead left the dock.

The 1901 census shows Robert Bankhead living with his daughter Louisa in Potterne. Here he is described as an army pentioner. His burial further links him to his family by being in the same plot as Louisa and Arthur McKenna. On the certificate of William Bankhead's second marriage Robert is described as a farmer.

Robert A BANKHEAD Date of death 4 Nov 1907 Age 85 
Notes grandfather of Arthur MCKENNA RefNum 74132 Place unknown, WIL

Monumental inscription at St Mary's Church, Potterne, Robert A Bankhead aged 85
shown with Arthur McKenna aged 23
Louise and Edwin Hampton aged 70 and 83 respectively.

Finally following a court case where he had been charged with shooting at Mary Magee, a farmer’s wife, Robert retired to live out the last seventeen years of his life in Potterne, Wiltshire, with his daughter, Louisa.
 

Monumental inscription at St Mary's Church, Potterne, Robert A Bankhead aged 85
shown with Arthur McKenna aged 23
Louise and Edwin Hampton aged 70 and 83 respectively.