This Day in History: October 14

This Day in History presents story snippets across the world from different years on the fourteenth day of October.

A Push for Irish Independence

"Athenry Station in the Mid Nineteenth Century." Chetham's Library, via Wikimedia Commons

On this day in 1882 in Ireland, journalists reported on the proceedings of a county convention held in Athenry, Galway. The convention itself took place the day prior, but many residents, landowners, and businesses of the County of Galway had much to say on the matter of the future of their county and their people—even after the convention adjourned. Despite the wide array of industries and livelihood being represented during the convention, no members of the local clergy attended that day. Regardless of their absence, no known adjustments were made to the convention. Several disgruntled residents voiced their concerns over an alleged lack of proper representation and support for farmers and the agriculture industry as a whole within Galway. Some went far as to claim that "Captain Nolan and Mr. Mitchell Henry, members of Parliament for County Galway, had both forfeited the confidence of the electors."

In addition to agrarian representation, residents also focused on Irish national independence as a topic of discussion. While Ireland did not gain independence that year, residents of Galway County claimed a small victory in improving the freedoms of farmers. Certain laws imposed by Britain prevented numerous Irish farmers from cultivating anything other than grass, which perpetuated a cycle of poverty that occurred too commonly among rural Irish residents. The convention reached resolutions of focusing on "the land for the people," which allowed for a reduction in the number of grass farms and an increase in profitable crops.

Captain Hook in India

Thomas Daniell, via Wikimedia Commons

On this day in 1805, the Vice President and Deputy Governor of Fort William, Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, India, appointed Captain Lionel Hook as officiating Military Secretary to the Government of India. Captain Hook already worked as Secretary to the Government of India prior to this appointment, and this appointment as officiator primarily functioned as announcing other appointments by order of the Government. While this may not seem rather significant, it provides a look into the operations of the East India Company and their military influence in India.

Fort William, prior to Indian independence, served as not only a means of defending their trading interests from Indian and European belligerents, but also as a military base. During Captain Hook's appointment as Secretary to the Government of India, the East India Company's grip had tightened on local residents, which allowed for tax collection and thus more funds funneled for British interests and control.

Captain Hook himself served with the East India Company for several years, with many of those acting as Secretary. Outside of his appointment announcements in The Bengal Hurkaru, an English language newspaper covering the goings-on in Bengal and occasionally other parts of India and the world, Captain Hook and the majority of other officers and soldiers never received written gratitude for service via the Hurkaru. This "commendation" came in the form of paychecks.

Yellow Fever

"Yellow Fever Death List." Public Ledger, Library of Congress

On this day in 1878, consumers of the Public Ledger in Memphis, Tennessee on October 14 would have read a list of recent deaths that took place within the local area over the past few weeks. The culprit—Yellow Fever. An epidemic of Yellow Fever swept across the United States, claiming hundreds and possibly thousands of lives. Several cases all across the city and state appeared virtually at random, with one or two-sentence paragraphs reporting on individuals with new cases of "the fever." While not every town or possibly even every state reported of cases of Yellow Fever within their respected territories, the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878 certainly caused quite a stir and an unfortunate death toll.

Within the Ledger, we see reactions to the epidemic and how many individuals took precautions to prevent the spread of illness. One such example is the business of B. Lowenstein and Bros. To protect not only themselves but also their wholesale goods, they temporarily moved locations to Louisville, Kentucky, where cases of Yellow Fever were not so prevalent. An announcement of their temporary relocation was published in the October 14 edition of the Ledger. Soon the epidemic would die down and cases would drop, but this would not be the last Yellow Fever epidemic within the United States.

Sources:

"More Movements." The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo (Sedalia, MO), Oct. 17 1882. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn90061066/1882-10-17/ed-1/.

"The Men of Galway." Redpath's Illustrated Weekly (New York City, NY), Oct. 25 1882. https://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:222418#?c=&m=&s=&cv=1&xywh=968%2C249%2C3133%2C1348

Athenry Station in the Mid Nineteenth Century. Chathem's Library, Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Athenry_Station_in_the_mid_nineteenth_century.jpg.

University of London; London, England; Bengal Calendar - Hon'ble and United East India Company's Civil and Military Servants on the Bengal Establishment; Reference Number: B33516352

"General Orders." Bengal Hurkaru. (Calcutta, India), Nov. 5 1805. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn88063570/.

Daniell, Thomas. Fort William, River Face, in 1787, After Daniell. 1787, engraving, Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Fort_William_plate17.jpg

"Yellow Fever Death List." Public Ledger (Memphis, TN), Oct. 14 1878. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn85033673/1878-10-14/ed-1/.