For the past few years much new material regarding Lowell'd early Irish past has been uncovered. Through the work of UMass Lowell, Queen's University and contributors to LowellIrish the story of the deeds and trials of our Irish pioneers are being recorded for the next generation. This entry is one of the most important as to its future repercussions as its results could be seen for decades. Many thanks to Walter for gathering this material and authoring the work.
The history of St. Patrick's parish, and the Irish community
in Lowell, ca. 1830-ca. 1868, was not always calm and peaceful. Disagreement and argument were rampant. There were conflicts among the Irish laity:
“Corkonians versus Far Downers”.
Something favoured by one group was automatically opposed by the
other. There were also 'differences of opinion' between priests
and laity, between priests and Bishop Fenwick, and between priests. One result was that there was a fairly
frequent turnover of priests. Indeed, it
seems that one or two could not wait to ”get out of Dodge”. Histories of the
church sometimes hint at disagreement, but that's as far as it goes. As a result of research in newspapers, court
records, and the Journals of Bishop Fenwick, we are beginning to gain new
insights into those sometimes turbulent years.
Indeed, it might not be too extreme to call the period 1830-ca. 1868,
the “Holy Wars”. This is the tale of one
episode.
Some months ago, while examining Record Books of the
Middlesex Court of Common Pleas, I
noticed the notation: “McCool vs. McDermott”.
I was immediately intrigued and turned to the cited page. WOW !!!
The case indeed was [Reverend] Edward J. McCool versus [Reverend] James
T. McDermott. What could this possibly
involve?
The Reverend Edward J. McCool was assigned to St. Patrick's
Church by Bishop Fenwick in 1836.
Sixteen carpet weavers (Lowell Manufacturing Company) took up a
collection and presented him a carpet and rug for his residence. Fr. McCool, however, had 'problems' including
an apparent over-fondness for alcohol, to the point that the Mayor advised
Fenwick that he would do well to remove McCool from Lowell and assign him
elsewhere. McCool was recalled in the summer of 1837 and Rev. James T.
McDermott was assigned as the new pastor of St. Patrick's Church.
Our story begins
with the gift of a carpet and rug in 1836.
“To the Revd. Mr.
McCool We the carpet weavers of
Lowell Make you a present of this Carpet & rug for your Exclusive Right (?)
While you Stop in Lowell.”
Note accompanying the carpet and rug gifts to McCool from the carpet
weavers, presented as evidence by McCool.
In November 1837, McCool demanded that McDermott give him
the carpet, which McDermott refused to
do. McCool then sought the assistance of Joseph Parker, Constable, whose
deposition reads:
“I Joseph Parker of Lowell in the County of Middlesex, of
lawful age depose and say, that on or about the twenty-eighth day of November
1837, I was requested to go to the house of the Reverend Edward J. McCool, the
Catholic minister of Lowell, the house was then or soon afterward, occupied by
the Rev. Mr. McDermott. I went in
company with an Irishman who name was Gallson or Gholson [most likely Thomas
Galston] he shewed me the carpet which belonged to Mr. McCool, as he said. I was ordered to take away the carpet by
Edward Short or Gholson [Galston], and to deliver the same to Mr. McCool.
Mr. McDermott came in shortly after & I told him I came
to get Mr. McCool's carpet. He forbid my
taking it and said it belonged to the house.
I came away without it. Soon
after I went to the same house with Mr. McCool and saw Mr. McDermott
there. McCool told him he had come to
get his carpet. This was in the
house. He refused to let McCool have it
& then after demanding of it we came away.
I was then requested to go to Mr. Fuller's by Mr. McCool. Mr. Fuller [Elisha Fuller, Justice of the
Peace] gave me a writ and I served it the same day on Mr. McDermott.”
Inter. By A. Locke, Esq., Counsel for Deft.
Did Mr. McDermott occupy that house at that time?
Ans.
That I don't know.
2nd Int. Was the
carpet on the floor?
Ans. It was.
3 Int. Did
McDermott appear to be at home in the house?
Ans. I
think he did.
4th Int. Did
McCool live in that house at that time?
Ans. I
dont know.
5th Int. Did
he appear to live there?
Ans. He
did not.
6th Int. Did
you find him elsewhere and leave him elsewhere?
Ans. I
did.
7th Int. Where
is McCool now?
Ans. I
don't know except by hearsay.
8th Int. Was he at
that time the officiating Catholic priest in Lowell?
Ans. I
can't say.
9th Int. Did
you ever see Mr. McCool drunk in the streets about that time?
(Objected
to by Ptff as improper and irrelevant to the case.)
Ans. I
never did.
10th Int. Who was
present at the time the demand was made before specified?
Ans.
There were two or three Irish men Caskin, Gholm, Short whose names I do not know.
11th Int. Did Mr.
McDermott demand of Mr. McCool to shew his right to have or take the carpet?
Ans. I
cant recollect. They had sharp words but
I dont remember the [word not clear].
Middlesex Ss. Dec 21, 1838
Subscribed and sworn to & agreed to be admitted in
evidence in case of McCool vs McDermott.
In rebuttal, Rev. McDermott presented the deposition of
Alexander Wright, Superintendent of the Lowell Manufacturing Company (the
Carpet Mill).
“I, Alex Wright of Lowell in the county of Middlesex on oath
I depose and say as follows. I was a
subscriber to the carpet procured by certain carpet weavers in the carpet
factory in 1836. It was procured for the
purpose of fitting up the house occupied by the Catholic priest Edward McCool
in Lowell. I subscribed on that ground I
should not have subscribed for the purpose of giving to an individual. There had been difficulty with the incumbent
priest just before that time about a rug, and it was talked of when I
subscribed. I never was notified of any
meeting of the subscribers in the cloth room of the carpet factory to determine
about the destination of the carpet and rug.
If I had been, should have noted against giving it to any
individual. What I gave, I gave with a
view to having the house furnished and not to the individual that occupied it,
for I knew that he might be removed at any moment by the order of their Bishop.
I am superintendent of the Lowell Manufr. Co. Mills”
1.
Int by
Ptff. What do you mean by saying
you were a subscriber? Did you subscribe
your name to any paper on this occasion?
Answer- There was a paper with names penciled on it
shown me. I told them they might put me
down two or three dollars I forget which.
2.
Who
requested you to give any thing towards a carpet?
Answer- Stephen Lanigan and Patrick Sherridan.
Alex
Wright (signature)
Middlesex Ss Dec 20, 1838
Sworn
to before me
Elisha
Fuller { Justice of the Peace
McCool's argument was based on the note signed by the carpet
weavers which accompanied the carpet as well as the deposition of Constable
Parker. McDermott's defence rested
solely on the deposition of Wright who clearly intended the carpet for the residence,
not the individual.
The Jury found “that the Deft. is guilty in manner &
form as the Ptff has alleged and assess damages at Seven dollars and eighty
cents.” McDermott lost. In his financial report of St. Patrick's
Church for 1838-1839, there is charge of $87.50 for “expenses on Carpet
Law-Suit.”
This case was first filed in the March Term, 1838 of the
Middlesex Court of Common Pleas and after continuances decided in the December
Term of 1838.
Rev. McCool was involved in another incident early in 1838
in which others were criminally charged in the Police Court and the Criminal
session of the Court of Common Pleas, but that is a tale for another day.
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