KIRKTON

On January 12, 1912, William Doupe, an old resident of the township of Blandchard, passed peacefully away in his 92nd year, at the house of his son Adam E. Doupe. In religion he was a life long Methodist, of quiet retiring disposition, a good friend and kind neighbour.

Although never taking any public part in politics, he was always a staunch member of the Conservative party, and polled his vote as usual at the last election.

He was the county of Limerick, Ireland, coming to this country in the early forties, remaining for a few years in the township of Brock. Then spending about a year at Toronto, which was called Bytown, at that time. He proceeded west and came to Blanshard, where he shortly afterwards took up land which was covered with forest, and commenced to hew out a home.

There passed away in London on Thursday, April the 10, 1930, Joseph H. Doupe, one of Blanshard's most highly respected citizens. Deceased had not been well for some time, having contracted gangerine in one foot, and although he had several amputation it finally got past medical skill and he died at the home of his daughter on Thursday in London.

Mr. Doupe lived almost all his life on the 4th concession of Blanchard, on the homestead where his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Doupe resided. He was in his 67th year.

In politics he was a Conservative and belonged to the Orange Order. He was united in marriage to Miss Emma Pettipiece, who still survives. There are also three boys and four girls living:
- Wess, Hermon and Frank, all of Blanshard,
and Mrs. Minor Dobbs, of Biddulph,
Mrs. G. N. Parkenson, of London,
Mrs. Earl Spearin, of Blanshard,
and Mrs. Elgin Rinn of Palmerston.
His brothers and sisters living are:
- Mrs. S. Brown, Kirkton;
A. E. Doupe, Kirkton;
Mrs. David Brown, Waybourn, Sask;
Mrs. R. R. Copeland, (Drucilla), St. Marys;
Mrs Gilford Copeland, Woodham;
Mrs. S. Switzer, Third Line, Blanshard,
and Absolem and Joshua, in Vancouver.

His funeral on Saturday to the Union Cemetery, was conducted by Rev. Mr. Bell
and Rev. Mr. Bulteel, the brethren of the Orange Order taking the burial service at the grave

by John O'Sullivan

The origin of the song,
"The Palatine's daughter"
is open to conjecture but the reference to "the Palatine's lovely lass"
stems from one of the small but most beneficial plantations
in Ireland's history.
To-day there are about four hundred descendants
of the original Rhineland colony
living in medium sized well cultivated farmsteads
in the Adare and Rathkeale districts of Co. Limerick.
Their names have scarely changed:
Bowen, Barkmann, Barrow, Benner, Bethel, Bovenizer, Bowen,
Bowman, Coach, Cole, Doupe,
Delmage, Fizell, Gilliard, Gleazier, Heavenor,
Heck, Latchford, Ledger,
Legear, Ledwick, Lowes, Millar, Modler, Naysor,
Pyper, Rhinehart, Rose, Ruttle, Schmidt,
Schumacher, Shier, Sheppard, Sparling, Steep,
Stark, Switzer, Treble, Teskey.

The origianl settlers from the Palatinate
were Protestant refugees
who had been dispossed of their lands
around Mannheim and Worms by Louis XIV.
Queen Anne sent ships and brought them to England.
In the autumn of 1709 some eight hundred and twenty families
(3,073 persons)
landed in Dublin at the invitation of the Irish Parliament,
which hoped to strengthen the Protestant interest in the country.
The majority were given holdings on the Southwell estate near
Rathkeale and Adare in Co. Limerick
where smaller groups went to the Blennerhasset property
in Kerry, Kilinane in Co. Limerick
where there is a Palatine Road, and Sixmilebridge in Co. Clare.

Each man, woman and child got eight acres at 5s. an acre
plus a subsidy of 40s. annually
per family for seven years to buy stock and utensils.
At the time the Irish tenantry
were paying rents of 35s an acre.
Each man was supplied with a musket, called a Queen Anne piece,
and they were later embodied in the free Yeomanry
under the title True Blues or German Fusiliers.
The ruins of their regimental barracks are still standing in Askeaton.
Notable about the voices raised in protest
at this minificence was that of Dean Swift
who fairly cried:
"A kingdom can be no more richer
for such importation that a man be fatter by a wen."

The Patatines, however stayed, consolidated their holding
but were slow to integrate themselves fully.
Having little missionary ambition, they contributed
little to the spread of Protestanism.
Their real strength lay in their resilience
and their love of hard manual work.
They introduced new methods of sowing potatoes in drills.
They made their own iron farm implements.
Hitherto only wooden ploughshares
had been used.

John Wesley visited the Palatines in 1756
and wrote in his diary: "Having no Minister,
they became eminent for drunkenness, cursing,
swearing and other neglect of religion,
but they are washed since they have heard
and received the truth. An oath is now rarely heard."

Thomas Waugh, a young Methodist minister,
writing about 1770 said:
"It was impossible to visit the Palatine
settlements without being deeply interested.
I spent a night with them on my way to Kerry.
I was kindly received by the Burgonmaster
but having a rested a little and refreshed he said,
'You must preach to us' I said that as I had given no notice
of my visit we could scarcley hope
for a congregation. "Well" he said, "you shall see."
I accompanied him to
where the little preaching house
occupied the center of the little green
skirted by cottages (proabably at Courtmatrix)
into one of these which he requested me to enter,
visit and pray with a sick sister and all would be ready.
He opened the door of the chapel,
from it drew a cow's horn,
put it to his lips and made the valleys ring.
On hearing it every man dropped his spade,
suspended his agricultural employment,
obeyed the well-known signal
and hastened to the house of worship.
Some of the early settlers
were the very old men of the day for their German
accents still clung to them.
On quitting one house the patriarch squeezed my hand
most affectionately, and said,
"Gott pless you, my tear young man!"

The Limerick historian, Ferrar, writing in 1786,
said, "The Palatines preserved their language,
but it is declining; they sleep between two beds
(probably a reference to the federbett),
they appoint a burgomaster to whom their appeal in all disputes.
They have by degrees left off their sourkraut.
They are industrious men and consequently
are better fed and clothed
that the generality of Irish peasants.
The women, too, are very industrious.
Besides their domestic employments and the care of their children
they reap the corn, plough the ground
and asssist the men in everything. In short the Palatines
have benefited the country
by increasing tillage."

In the little Methodist church
close by Ballingurrane railway station
may be seen the horn with Mr. Waugh mentioned.
It was used to call the Palatines to worship
during John Wesley's visits, too.
There may also be seen many gravestones bearing Palatine names.

The direct object behind the Irish Parliament's plantation
of these German refugees
could scarcely be deemed to have been realised.
Sociologically speaking they were immobile.They lived an
introversive life and few took up any
of the professions until recent times.
The preferred the satisfaction
of long, skilfully spent hours in the fields
and were frugal in their habits.
They were are are highly respected
by their neighbours for whom they set
excellent examples of good husbandry.

Perhaps their greatest single achievement
was wrought when Barbara Ruckle and Philip Embury
of Ballingurane went to America and opened the first
Methodist house of worship there.
The Methodists in America now number 15 million.

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
defines Palatine (among other things) as:
"a native or inhabitant of the Palatinate"
or "feudal lord having sovereign power
within his domains."It defines "Palatinate" as:
the territory of a Palatine". So much for dictionaries...
its no wonder the term is now misunderstood.

In the 18th and early 19th century, the term "Palatine"
was used in America to desribe immigrants from "The Palatinate"
and other adjoining German-speaking areas.
Finding an American reference to someone being from the "Palatinate"
may not point to a specific place of origin, but rather an apporximate
location in or near western or southern Germany.

Palatines to America is an organization for people researching
the origins of their German-speaking ancestors,
no matter where they originated.
Many of the German-speaking people that came to North America
did not come directly from what is now Germany.
Many of them came here after spending time
(from a few months to a few generations)
in other countries, such as Switzerland, England, Russia, Ireland,
France and other countries.
Our members are researching immigrants from many of these areas.

From the Irish Palatine Association

In 1709 several hundred families of German origin settled in Ireland.
Known as the Palatines, they established roots
mainly in counties Limerick, Kerry, Tipperary and Wexford
. From there they emigrated to many parts of the English-speaking
world including: Australia, Canada,
England, New Zealand and the United States of America.

The Irish Palatine Association has for the past eight years
endeavoured to preserve the rich hertitage
of Irish Palatine Culture,
encourage and develop a sense of identity
among Palatine families and their descendants
and re-kindle a relationship with their
ancestral homeland in Germany.

WHO ARE THE IRISH PALATINES?

Mass emigration took place from Southwestern Germany
in the year 1709, mainly because of hardship
and the prospect of a better life in America.
These people were called Palatines as the majority came from the
"Rheinland Palatinate" area.
As a result of circumstances several hundred
of these families settled in Ireland.
They established roots in Counties Kerry, Limerick,
Tipperary & Wexford but mainly in the Rathkeale area
of County Limerick. From Ireland many later emigrated
all over the English speaking world.
Those Palatines who settled in Ireland and those who later
emigrated from Ireland were called "Irish Palatines".

IRISH PALATINE CONTRIBUTIONS

They made innovative contributions
to Irish farming life and played a formative role

THE GERMAN PALINATE:
ANCESTRAL HOMELAND OF THE IRISH PALATINES

The minority group traces its 300 year-old origins
to the ancestral homeland of the Rheinland Pfalz (the Palatinate)
in Southwestern Germany. Today this region is one of the most prosperous
in that Country. It boasts some of Germany's finest vineyards,
is the birthplace of tennis champions Steffi Graf and Boris Becker
and is also the birth-place of the German chancellor,
Helmut Kohl,
who is immensely proud of his home Province.
The famous formula one racetrack at Hockenheim is also in the Palatinate.

IRISH PALATINE ASSOCIATION:
WORK AND ACHIEVEMENTS

* At Rathkeale in County Limerick,
a derelict station masters house
has been relocated and restored to house a Museum,
Library and Archive in the nucleus of the three original
Palatine colonies of the area.
Contained under one roof, these facets of the Association aid
in the preservation of Palatine
heritage for the the generations to come.
The Centre features an extensive display of artefacts,
photographs, graphics, etc. associated with the Palatine story.
It is set in landscaped surroundings and inludes
a tea-room gift selection and bus/car park.

* It has explored lines of activity to ensure the preservation
of Palatine-related sites [archaeological and other].

* It has succeeded in forging
strong links with the German Palatinate,
in particular with those in local authority,
museums/libraries around the world.
It also publishes other literature of Palatine interest.

* Our membership scheme which continues
to grow has been in operation since 1991.

* A patron scheme, open to
corporate bodies or individuals
has been in operation for a similar period of time.

* The Association has successfully organized tours
in Ireland and german:
- Back to the Hartland; An Irish Palatine Homecoming,
September 1992. (50 participants)
- Return to Roots [Tour of the German Palatinate],
April/May 1994. (50 participants)
- Palatines to Ireland, September 1995. (90 participants)
Participants from Australia, Canada, England,
Germany, New Zealand, USA and Ireland took part in these tours.

THE FUTURE

In order to meet the needs which will result from this growth
IPA directors are preparing an extensive plan for the
further development of the various facets within the Association.
These include:
* The completion of phases 2 & 3 of our Museum project
to include the renovation of the railway station
goods building which will house the main exhibion,
projected presentation and a mobile exhibition room.
* Comprehensive marketing of the Association
nationally and internationslly
* The preservation of Palatine sites and
archaelogicalentites therein
[i.e. site of an old Wesleyan Chapel and Palatine Well].
* Coninued sourcing of artefacts, documents and library material.