Price family of Drummartin Lodge
Henry Price married Emma Hall
born circa 1810 22 Mar 1838 born circa 1815
died 27 Mar 1874 St Mary’s died 8 Jan 1897
Kilmainham Foxrock
Henry Price born circa 1810 was a chemical manufacturer and turpentine distiller of 5 Lincoln Lane /
20 Arran Quay. He was possibly the son of James Price, a chemist who died in 1847 who lived at the
same address. Resident in the parish of St Paul he married Emma Hall on 22 Mar 1838 at St Mary’s.
Emma was the daughter of Robert Hall and Mary Ann Creathorn (Craythorne) and the sister of
Henry Hall.
He was a churchwarden of St Paul’s for numerous terms between 1837 and 1861. He was very
vocal on the state of Dublin city, complaining about the state of the river Liffey and the dirt of the
streets and was very successful in getting areas cleaned up. The couple lived at Riversdale (River
Dale) in Dundrum from 1846 to 1856 and moved to Drummartin Lodge until 1861. Henry price was
in partnership with John Brennan in the Watling Street Brewery with offices at 89 James’s Street from
1848. His partner was John Brennan and the partnership was dissolved in 1855. Henry was still
listed as a brewer of Watling Street in 1859. He was a poor law Guardian of both the North and
South Dublin Union from 1849 and Town Councillor of the Mansion House Ward from 1854. He was
appointed a magistrate of Dublin in 1858.
Henry applied to become governor and out of a panel of 33 he was chosen. He was appointed
Governor of Kilmainham in 1861 to replace the late Robert Allison and resigned as a town councillor.
He oversaw the incarceration of many famous Fenians including Octave Fariola who was particularly
critical of him and accused him of parading prominent prisoners like himself in front of visitors for
their amusement, and Augustine E Costello who travelled from America onboard the Jacmel
(renamed 'Erin's Hope' by the Fenians during their voyage to Ireland and kept a journal of the
events). In the journal he refers to Henry as the ‘Old Gorilla’ and described him as “alike a bummer
of a painter who had been on the batter for a month…… 5’6” with a fleshy complexion, bloodshot
eyes under grey eyebrows, broad shouldered with no neck.” He was also in charge when Jeremiah
O'Donovan Rossa and William Halpin were jailed.
He was an early advocate of prison photography for identification of re-offenders and future
surveillance particularly men awaiting trial for Fenian-related activity. Having taken up the role of
governor and living at the governors house he was appointed a church warden at St Jude’s,
Kilmainham and was reappointed a number of times, last serving in 1869 but remained on the
vestry until his death. Henry died 27 Mar 1874 at the Governor’s House, Kilmainham and was
buried at Mount Jerome. Mrs Kelly attended the funeral, her husband, convict Robert Kelly
(accused of the murder of James Talbot, spy and informer) who had been treated kindly by the
governor. He left £600 in personal estate and his nephew Thomas Hall of 5 Ulster Terrace,
Stillorgan, son of his brother-in-Law Henry Hall, was his executor. Emma died on 8 Jan 1897 at
Ardenza Foxrock and was buried with her husband.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - January 2023
Henry Price married Emma Hall
born circa 1810 22 Mar 1838 born circa 1815
died 27 Mar 1874 St Mary’s died 8 Jan 1897
Kilmainham Foxrock
Henry Price born circa 1810 was a chemical manufacturer and turpentine distiller of 5 Lincoln Lane /
20 Arran Quay. He was possibly the son of James Price, a chemist who died in 1847 who lived at the
same address. Resident in the parish of St Paul he married Emma Hall on 22 Mar 1838 at St Mary’s.
Emma was the daughter of Robert Hall and Mary Ann Creathorn (Craythorne) and the sister of
Henry Hall.
He was a churchwarden of St Paul’s for numerous terms between 1837 and 1861. He was very
vocal on the state of Dublin city, complaining about the state of the river Liffey and the dirt of the
streets and was very successful in getting areas cleaned up. The couple lived at Riversdale (River
Dale) in Dundrum from 1846 to 1856 and moved to Drummartin Lodge until 1861. Henry price was
in partnership with John Brennan in the Watling Street Brewery with offices at 89 James’s Street from
1848. His partner was John Brennan and the partnership was dissolved in 1855. Henry was still
listed as a brewer of Watling Street in 1859. He was a poor law Guardian of both the North and
South Dublin Union from 1849 and Town Councillor of the Mansion House Ward from 1854. He was
appointed a magistrate of Dublin in 1858.
Henry applied to become governor and out of a panel of 33 he was chosen. He was appointed
Governor of Kilmainham in 1861 to replace the late Robert Allison and resigned as a town councillor.
He oversaw the incarceration of many famous Fenians including Octave Fariola who was particularly
critical of him and accused him of parading prominent prisoners like himself in front of visitors for
their amusement, and Augustine E Costello who travelled from America onboard the Jacmel
(renamed 'Erin's Hope' by the Fenians during their voyage to Ireland and kept a journal of the
events). In the journal he refers to Henry as the ‘Old Gorilla’ and described him as “alike a bummer
of a painter who had been on the batter for a month…… 5’6” with a fleshy complexion, bloodshot
eyes under grey eyebrows, broad shouldered with no neck.” He was also in charge when Jeremiah
O'Donovan Rossa and William Halpin were jailed.
He was an early advocate of prison photography for identification of re-offenders and future
surveillance particularly men awaiting trial for Fenian-related activity. Having taken up the role of
governor and living at the governors house he was appointed a church warden at St Jude’s,
Kilmainham and was reappointed a number of times, last serving in 1869 but remained on the
vestry until his death. Henry died 27 Mar 1874 at the Governor’s House, Kilmainham and was
buried at Mount Jerome. Mrs Kelly attended the funeral, her husband, convict Robert Kelly
(accused of the murder of James Talbot, spy and informer) who had been treated kindly by the
governor. He left £600 in personal estate and his nephew Thomas Hall of 5 Ulster Terrace,
Stillorgan, son of his brother-in-Law Henry Hall, was his executor. Emma died on 8 Jan 1897 at
Ardenza Foxrock and was buried with her husband.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - January 2023