Captain Carl Elliotson : MGs at the Shelbourne

[doyle3]

One for @corisandereally.

A number of books refer to Captain Carl Elliotson of the Curragh Mobile Column being in charge of the machine guns at the Shelbourne Hotel during the Easter Rising.

In the write up re your grandfather, no name is given but there is a reference to a Major

https://www.grantonline.com/grant-family-individuals/grant-charles-1881/CW-Grant.htm

I cannot find an Elliotson in the London Gazette or any of the usual sources. I was beginning to think that it might have been a mix up with a Captain Carr-Ellison but this may be a red herring.

Wondering if you have come across a Captain Carl Elliotson in your research or if there is any more info re the Major?

The earliest reference I've found to the name is a 1964  2 part article in the Liverpool Echo by Max Caulfield.

 

 

[corisande]

Thanks for that

i need to do more work on the events at the Shelbourne Hotel. All I have done to date was transcribe my grandfather’s diary

I went into the Shelbourne a few years ago, and they claimed to have no knowledge of machine guns there

Bottom line I am afraid is that I cannot help with Elliotson. As you know, cut and paste is a recurring problem, and it is presumably a repeated mistake

[doyle3]

thanks for the speedy response there @corisande.

Yes, I think most books are repeating info from elsewhere (I suspect from Max Caulfield but no idea where he got the name from)

I'll keep delving in to see if anything crops up.

 

 

[Airshipped]

I suspect it's a member of the Carr-Ellison family. 

Bear in mind that the Curragh Mobile Column was comprised mainly of dismounted cavalry. The Carr-Ellisons of Hedglely Hall are most closely associated with the Royal Dragoons. 

Re 1916 there's a potential overlap in generations? But you could probably trawl the Army Lists.

According to WO 35/153B (courtesy of FMP) there was still a Carr-Ellison serving in Ireland with the 1st Royal Dragoons in 1920. (Looks like 'J.C. Carr-Ellison' but you might have better eyesight than me).

[doyle3]

I was edging towards Captain Herbert Carr-Ellison as an older man with cavalry experience (Northumberland Hussars/Imperial Yeomanry in the Boer War) possibly posted to the Curragh for training new troops. Nothing to confirm his presence in Ireland though (a few newspaper clippings pre-Rising with him in England). He seems to have gone to the North West Frontier/Afghanistan later.

Lt Col Ralph Carr-Ellison was AQM in Dublin in the Army List pre -Rising and has a claim in to the Property Losses Committee, with an address as the Shelbourne.

http://centenaries.nationalarchives.ie/reels/plic/PLIC_1_6470.pdf

I discounted John Campbell Carr-Ellison as too young.

 

 

 

 

[doyle3]

thanks for the document @Airshipped

At this stage, I'm doubting Max Caulfield - much as I like his book, it has quite a few errors and this definitely looks to be one.