Count Joseph O'Rourke - A Russian Irish Man
A Russian Irish man
By Ben Hurst (extracted from the review "America" of October 29th 1910)
There is scarcely a country in the world where some Irish name of
distinction does not call to mind the exiles who formerly sought
freedom of worship far from their own sad isle. France, Spain, Italy,
Austria welcomed the O’Briens, O’Connors, O Keefes, Taaffes, MacMahons
or Fitzgeralds. But the Irish pushed still further afield, and we find
many citizens of Irish descent in Russia. The name O’Rourke has been
recently much in evidence in the Slav press on the occasion of the
centenary of the battle of Varvarin. In this and many other engagements
an O’Rourke led the Russian and Serb battalions to victory and a monument
to him has just been erected on the plain where the Turks were routed in
1810. Of the many unequal combats in which the numerically inferior
Christian forces defeated the Muslims, none has been more glorious than
that of Varvarin. Therefore there is none in which the younger Serb
generations take more pride; and the commemorations were carried out
with great pomp. Russia was officially represented and the family of
the heroic Count Joseph Cornelius O’Rourke were specially invited by
the Serb government to attend. Count Nicholas O’Rourke grandson of the
lainers general, although over 76 years of age, responded to the
invitation and travelled from his estate in the centre of Russia to
witness the unveiling of the monument dedicated to his brave ancestor. In
the presence of church and state dignitaries a solemn requiem mass was
said for the souls of those who had fallen in battle, and an immense
concourse then defiled before the stone on which the names of the most
distinguished combatants are engraved. That of O’Rourke is first on the
list of honour. The family of O’Rourke had left Ireland after the Battle
of the Boyne and settled in France. In the reign of the Russian Empress
Elisabeth a branch emigrated to the Baltic provinces and became definitely
acclimatised. The future of the oppressed Christian masses, was born in
Dorpat in 1772, and received in baptism the characteristically Irish name
Joseph Cornelius. He was early destined to the career of arms, for in
accordance to the prevailing custom for sons of nobility he was while
yet an infant inscribed in the ranks of the Imperial Guard. That he took
kindly to his calling is evident from his participation in all Russia’s
wars of that time. As a young Lieutenant he was appointed to the French
Emigrant Corps and fought with them at Zurich against the Republican
Government. He returned to Russia as colonel and took a command under
the famous General Kutussoff. In this campaign of 1805 he was decorated
for signal bravery with the order of Saint George. In the terrible battle
of Eylau O’Rourke again distinguished himself and at the proclamation of
peace was entrusted with the formation of the Uhlan regiment, "Vo lin sky".
This was the regiment he led against the Turks at Varvarin. He had equipped
it at his own expense and marched with it to the Balkan Peninsula as part
of the Moldavian contingent told to assist the Christian races struggling
for freedom. O’Rourke assisted in the deliverance of Prahavo, and took part
in the stiff combat of Bela Palanka. He next drove the enemy from Soko
Gania and defeated them in the pitched battle of Jassika. An Imperial
Rescript was forwarded to him on this occasion to express appreciation of
his valour.
But it was at Varvarin that Count Joseph won his brightest laurels
together with the prized Decoration of Saint Anne. In the face of great
odds he decided to hold his ground, and threw up trenches to
shelter his men and cannon. Under his inspiriting command, Serbs and
Russians, repulsed during four days repeated furious onslaughts of the
Turks, treble their number. In a final desperate encounter O’Rourke not
only beat the attacking forces, but chased them over the Morava River
into the wilds of Albania. He now took the offensive and started to
storm Gurgusovats (the present thriving town of Knajevats) which he
conquered and kept. By obliging the Muslims to evacuate this stronghold
he secured the freedom of eighty Serb villages hitherto under tribute. At
the close of the war a gold sabre with jewel encrusted hilt was presented
to O’Rourke by the Christian populations he had delivered. The career of a
soldier- and more especially of a Russian soldier sinecure in those days.
O’Rourke withdrew from one battle-field only to enter another. He was an
active combatant in the repulse of the French invasion, assisted at the
siege of Magdeburg, and in the Cavalry charge of the First Leipzig. Here
it was that he won the rank of Lieutenant General. With the Northern Army,
he fought at Gross Beern, Dunewits, Wittemberg and the second Leipzig. At
Witzengerode he performed feats of valour that were awarded with the Order
of St.Alexander Nevsky. General Count Joseph O’Rourke died in 1849 at his
country estate of Wsielub in the province of Minsk, leaving six sons to
perpetuate his name. Count Nicholas, his grandson, chose the Navy as his
profession. On the frigate Aurore he sailed round the world and served
with the squadron that so gloriously defeated the Anglo French fleet in
the Crimean War. He married a princess of the royal native line of Romania.
Two of his sons are in the army so that the taste for soldiering is not
extinct in the chivalrous line of the Russian O’Rourke.
(*Count Nicholas who was present at the unveiling of the monument was not
the grandson of General Count Joseph O’Rourke, but the son of his nephew
Count Moritz O’Rourke)
* Information contributed by Patrick J. O'Rourke -- orourkepj@tinet.ie
The Memorial on the Title of Count
in the O’Rourke Family
25th July 1847
Affirmation by the Senate
(reprinted from the official Senate publication)
List of papers, out of which is compliled
1.The Reference attitude of the Inspectorate Department of the Defense Ministry of 30 June 1846, No 6144
2.Report of the General of Cavalry Count Osip O’Rourke to the Defense Ministry of 27 May 1846
3.The original Genealogy of the Counts O’Rourke in the English language and translation.
4.Translation of a copy of the decree for admission to Russian service of the Irsih Counts John and Cornelius O’Rourke, the first as Major and the second as Captain.
5.Such as about the retirement of first Major Count John O’Rourke.
6.Translation of a copy(*reverse),given in the national war collegium by First Major Count Ivan O’Rourke. Copies of formal rolls of service.
7.Major-General Count Cornelius O’Rourke.
8.Lieutenant-General Count Joseph Cornelecich O’Rourke.
9.Major-General Vladimir Yegorovich O’Rourke.
10.Lieutenant Colonel Moritz Yegorovich O’Rourke.
11.Staff-company("Mistr")Alexander Josephich O’Rourke
(Names ending in-ich or -evich are patronymics, eg, Vladimir Yegorovich (=son of Yegor(Igor) O’Rourke)
* Information contributed by Patrick J. O'Rourke -- orourkepj@tinet.ie
Lieutenant Count Michael O’Rourke
By decree of his sovereign majesty the emperor
Nikolai Pavlovich
Autocrat of all Russia etc etc etc.
The bearer of this, serving in the 15th naval complement,Lieutenant
Michael, son of Joseph, Count O’Rourke;aged 25;a nobleman;of the Catholic
faith;unmarried;his father in Minsk region of Nowogrodek has 1000 serfs;
he was educated in the marine cadet corps in which he became a cadet on 16
August 1838; was commissioned junior officer on 10 January 1840; as
feldwebel 9 January 1842; as midshipman the same year on 10 January; as
Warrant Officer on 9 August 1844; as Lieutenant on 6 December 1849.
In the campaigns he was in the Baltic and Black seas, serving in
accordance to the highest ordinance of 1836. After he graduated from
the corps as Michman(Mid-shipman)his name was put into a special "Book of
the firsts" in 1845.
On 13 September 1845, in accordance with the highest ordinance, he
received a half-yearly salary as wages for the distinguished zeal and
dedicated service. He was never penalised or before a court. His service
record was good. He was on leave from the 23 August 1844 for 3 months and
from 17 October 1848 for 4 months and he reported back for duty on time.
On 14 December 1849, by the highest order given to the fleet, he was
discharged from service for domestic reasons according to his position.
In testimony of which is given this decree to Lieutenant Count O’Rourke
from the Inspectorate Department of the Admiralty under the signature and
stamp affixed. In the decree 7 erasures, amendments and corrections
between paragraphs are not included.
St Petersburg, 21 February 1850 Duty General Count Gayden Vice-Director
Lutovski Chief of Department (signed) a) 1ceL) Baaa
* Information contributed by Patrick J. O'Rourke -- orourkepj@tinet.ie
Lt General Count Ioseph (Joseph) Kornilovich O’Rourke
1770 – 1849 (1845?)
The following information was obtained from a Russian friend of a
neighbour of Frank O’Rourke in Canberra who visited The Hermitage in
St Petersburg during a holiday in 1996. (The General’s portrait hangs
in The Hermitage).
The Russian friend translated as best he could to English a document that
he obtained in The Hermitage or from another source, as follows:
Source: Frank O’Rourke, Canberra, Australia, 16 June 1998
“…Count I K O’Rourke 1770-1849 (1845?)
During the reign of Elisabeth (1740-1761?) his father arrived in
Russia and became a general-major. His mother was born in Stuart
family.
1790 IKO’R (as Rotmistz) took part in a Finnish (Army) Company
1794 in a Polish (Army) Company – he was in Pskov Dragoon Regiment
1797 he was transferred in famous Pavlograd Houssar Regiment
1798 a Major of same
Became a Colonel during Italian (Army) Company of Souvorov
1805 Decorated with St George Order (the 1st level)
Was very brave by Austerlitz and Preisisik-Eilay
1809-1812 Member or Russia-Turkish war – decorated with 3 Orders
That is why he took part in the war with Napoleon only
after Napoleon’s occupation of Moscow at the end of Russian
period of this war in Germany. For his part in the battle
near Leipzig he was made general –lieutenant. Decorated
with Order of Alexandz Nevsky. During the Congress in
Vienna was among the Russian generals 1819 decided to
leave the Army – lived in Belorussia (not far from Minsk)…”
OTHER REFERENCES TO MILITARY O’ROURKE’s
Other references to the O’Rourke surname indicate European military
involvement of a number of O’Rourke’s – some extracts below:
“…Because of his princely origin, John O’Rourke, formerly of Leitrim,
was given a commission in the Royal Scotch Regiment by Louis XV. His
French Colleagues did not like this so he transferred to Russia where,
a major in the Czar’s regiment of bodyguards, he fought against Prussia
and was presented by Frederick the Great with a diamond-studded sword.
He later returned to France where he served with the cavalry and was
created a Count. He died in Vienna in 1786, aged 76. Interesting
papers relating to Count O’Rourke and his family were not long ago
discovered in the Record Office at Vienna…”
(Could this be I K O’Rourke’s father???)
“…Russian army lists of Czarist days record many O’Rourke names.
They were also in Poland…”
“…Joseph O’Rourke, Prince O’Rourke in the Russian aristocracy, was
General-in-Chief of the Russian Empire in 1700 and Patrick Count O’Rourke
was a distinguished member of the same service in the middle of the last
century…”
“…Of those who went to France the most noteworthy was Colonel Count John
O’Rourke (c.1705-1786)…” (presumably the same as the above mentioned??)
Source: Frank O’Rourke, Canberra, Australia, 16 June 1998
O'ROURKE - Ireland
Descended from the sovereign princes of Brien and the kings of Connaught, subsequently reigning counts of County Leitrim. Russia (Irish counts): (IU) 15 Feb. 1760 for John and Cornelius O'Rourke; confirmations: 24 Nov. 1848, 17 Dec. 1851, 15 July 1857, 3 Oct. 1873, 5 Sept. 1883, and 7 Oct. 1885.
Sources: NAB, NdR, STRL, TN, TRRI I
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