Orr family ancestry - Samuel Orr Death 1831 • Carrickfergus prison, Antrim, Northern Ireland

I searched on-line newspaper archives for a mention of Samuel’s execution in 1831 (and nearby years). I found no mention of it. There are mentions of other executions at Carrickfergus but none for this man. So I would wonder about the accuracy of the information.

If prisoner records for Carrickfergus Prison survive they should be in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. I have searched their on-line catalogue but can’t find any. There are records for other prisons but not that one. (It ceased to be a prison in about 1845).

Carrickfergus Castle today is owned by the local council and is a museum. You could certainly contact them to see if they have any records of folk executed there.

Orr is a pretty common surname in Ireland. In the 1901 census there were 3052 of them, of which 864 lived in Co Antrim, so the likelihood of your ancestor being related to William Orr probably isn’t very high.

You wonder if Samuel’s middle name was Kilbegs. Few people in Ireland in the early 1800s had middle names, so I wouldn't be cautious about that. Kilbegs is however the name of a townland near Antrim town (It’s close to Shane’s Castle). . Perhaps the family lived there?

This is great info, thank you!

I did alittle more searching on the United Irishmen and it was dissolved in 1804 so more than likely if he did die in prison, it was due to natural causes.

Ill contact the museum and look into info on the town of Kilbegs

Thanks again!

Jeremy

Samuel Orr 1774-1831 was William Orr's brother, William was a presbyterian United Irish Man,hung in Carrickfergus by the English ..You can google William it will give you the whole dirty story about his death...William was married to my 7 time great Aunt Isabel Greer...I only have Samuel listed as dying at Carrickfergus, I didn't know he died in jail..Now I have to find out why he was even in jail.

My name is William David Orr, I live in Co.Down.David Orr b 1797 a weaver married to Margaret Scott b 1800 were my 3rd G Grandparents. Some people on ancestry have Samuel Orr possibly Samuel Kilbegs Orr as being his father, I do not know where they got this info. from and am scared to add Samuel to my family tree, it would be nice to know if anyone can verify! Regards Billy Orr!

Have you had any further luck? I'm in Ontario, Canada and at the top of my tree I also have John Orr also who immigrated to Canada possibly 1820. I don't have a birth, marriage or census record yet. He is mentioned in historical texts regarding the famous UEL loyalist John Walden Meyers as he married his granddaughter Catherine 'Katie' Bleeker, both from Albany, NY.

I should also mention that an execution during the Irish wars has always been passed down in our Canadian Orr family for generations all the way down to me and although it has dramatically changed over the years. I have some typed notes of my ancestor relaying them down the lines. 

I also have a letter his daughter Mary Ann Allen wrote and is available on this site which is related to William Orr and Samuel Orr. My John Orr also has a Samuel Orr as his father according to this letter. Maybe it will help you.http://orrnamestudy.com/maryallen.htm

https://books.google.ca/books/about/Remembering_All_the_Orrs.html?id=o3qcmGbLHGQC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&redir_esc=y

There also is a detailed view of Samuel Orr's life available in this book here.