Cornelius Sporle 1814-1879

Born near Ipswich, Suffolk to a single mother.

In the Army by 1834, sergeant by 1850. Then a prison warder and a Workhouse master . Then Governor of Spike Island prison , Cork

1814. Cornelius Sporle was baptised to Catharine Sporle on 27/5/1814 in Nacton, Suffolk - Ancestry Select Births & Christenings. Nacton SE of Ipswich

Cornelius Sporle was the son of Catherine Sporle, 1771 - 1832, who also had John Sporle and Jane Sporle

1828. Cornelius Sporle was jailed?- http://alison-stewart.blogspot.com.es/2013/06/- think this is spurious!

1828-1850. Cornelious Sporle, born Nacton 1810, was a member of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, a Sergeant Major in the 7th Battn by 1850, when he was pensioned - Ancestry

~1837?? Cornelius Sporle likely married Mary Anne Rose whilst he was stationed in Cork

1841. Cornelius Sporle a Company Sergeant 7th Bttn Royal Artillery, 6th Company in Woolwich - FMP & N.A. ref: WO 10/1820

1841C. mistranscribed on Ancestry as 39!, army, not born Kent, is living at the Woolwich Arsenal, Kent with his wife Mary, 30, born Ireland, 2 children, also not born Kent but does not state Ireland! , and William Rose, his father in law, 55, tailor, b. Ireland . Have not found on FMP

I cannot find the birth of son George in England ( Catherine would have been born pre State records) but there is a death of a George in 1849 Ipswich: he might well have been born in Cork, Ireland. No death for Catherine

1849. Elizabeth Jane Sporle was born Greenwich Jun 1849

. In 1850 he was a sergeant major when he was discharged from the army, being unfit for further service due to chronic rheumatism .- see his exemplary army record at end of page : he had served in the West Indies for 6 years and in HongKong for 1 year

1850. On his pension record, he transferred from Oxford - FMP

1851C. Cornelius Sporle, 41, Chief Warder Portland Prison - Chelsea pensioner, b.Kirton, Ipswich, is living 4D Cottage Score?, Portland, Dorset. with his wife Mary Anne ,40, b. Ireland, & daughter, Elizabeth, 2, b. Woolwich, Kent. Kirton~10k SE Ipswich , 5k SE of Nacton

1854. On his army pension record, he transferred from Oxford to Ipswich -FMP

 In 1854, he was the Master of Farringdon Union Workhouse;  his wife, Mary Ann Sporle was the Mistress -Fi, I have not found this

Sometime between 1855 and 1869- do not know for how long( he would appear to have left England by 18611 and was definitely Chief Warder at Spike in 1864 when his daughter married Joseph Rainsbury) - Governor of Spike Island ; this guarded by the Military. Apart from prisoners they kept gunpowder there [ Cobh Queenstown Museum /Kew Military records?]

1861C. Cannot find the family in 1861C- maybe in Cork, Ireland? Daughter Elizabeth marries there, very young!, in 1864

1864: Elizabeth Jane Sporle, 15, married Joseph Rainsbury on 27/4/1864 in Clonmel Parish Church , Queenstown. Her father, Cornelius Sporle, was chief Warder of Spike Island

Clonmel Parish Church Saint Mary's was built 1812 : it was demolished in 196

The Causeway from Spike Island to Haulbowline Island maybe allowed his daughter to get to know Joseph Rainsbury, whose father, William, had the Canteen License there .

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Causeway .... Spike island

1869. He appled, unsuccessfully, for the post of Governor of Clonmel Gaol - this Clonmel in Tipperary!

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1869. A Cornelius Sporle appears in the Irish Examineron 25/3/1869 as a witness in a fatal boat collision. He lived in Queenstown and was in command of the 'innocent' boat journeying from Spike Island . But he was not still still the Chief Governor at this time

Chair used for weighing prisoners on Spike Island

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An old view of Spike Island . .. and more recently!. A Causeway was constructed to link it with Haulbowline Island, and prisoners would cross this to work on the construction of Haulbowline, its armoury and service quarters.

1871C. Cornelius Sporle, 60, Superannuated from her Majesty's Civil Service, is living Cauldwell Hill Road, Poplar Villa, St Margarets Ipswich with his wife. Hiis birthplace, Nacton, just 5 miles SE from Ipswich

1871-1875. He and his wife must move back to Cork, to live with/be near to, their daughter, she now Elizabeth Jane Rainsbury . Will written 1875 says he is of Queenstown

Will written 3/6/1875: he leaves all to his wife, Mary Anne Sporle, and, on her death, to his daughter, Elizabeth Jane Rainsbury, for her own use, free from the control of her husband.

He did not die until 1879

1879 Cornelius Sporle, pensioner/ gentleman, 69, died 16/3/1879 of pneumonia at White Point Queenstown Cork. Probate 25/8/1879 - Personal Estate in England £100. -Ancestry..

He is buried in Plot  J   9  61 Clonmel Old cemetery, Cobh, next to the 1871 grave of William Rainbury, his daughter's father in law

Inscription transribed as "In loving remembrance of Cornelius Sporle of Suffolk England who died at Whitepoint March 16th 1879 aged 69 years. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.", but surely headstone clearly says aged 60!.  

Whitepoint - is a little bay north of Haulbowline , it is a charming little place.

Entrance to the Clonmel Old Church Cemetery

1885. His widow, Mary Anne Sporle, died 23/1/1885 -FMP Irish newspapers,'funeral from Whitepoint', no further details . Surprisingly?, not in the online Cobh/Queenstown Cemetery Records that start May 1879 and run to 1907. Civil death record of Mary Sporle, 76, of Queenstown, died 23/1/1885, say she is the widow of Nicholas Sporle, soldier- pretty sure this is our Mary Anne Sporle. No family member signed the d.c. She died as a result of a thigh fracture in the Incurable Home.

Modern Whitepoint

1850 Discharge form for Serjeant Major Cornelius Sporle

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