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Lt General Count Ioseph (Joseph?) Kornilovich O'Rourke 1770 – 1849 (1845?)The following information was obtained from a Russian friend of a neighbour of Frank O'Rourke in Canberra who visited The Hermitage in St Petersburg during a holiday in1996. (The General's portrait hangs in The Hermitage).
The Russian friend translated as best he could to English a document that he obtained in The Hermitage or from another source, as follows:
``…Count I K O'Rourke 1770-1849 (1845?)
During the reign of Elisabeth (1740-1761?) his father arrived in Russia and became a general-major. His mother was born in Stuart family.
1790IKO'R (as Rotmistz) took part in a Finnish (Army) Company
1794 in a Polish (Army) Company – he was in Pskov Dragoon Regiment
1797 he was transferred in famous Pavlograd Houssar Regiment
1798a Major of same regiment, became a Colonel during Italian (Army) Company of Souvorov
1805 Decorated with St George Order (the 1st level)
Was very brave by Austerlitz and Preisisik-Eilay
1809-1812 Member or Russia-Turkish war – decorated with 3 Orders
That is why he took part in the war with Napoleon only after Napoleon's occupation of Moscow at the end of Russian period of this war in Germany.
For his part in the battle near Leipzig he was made general –lieutenant.
Decorated with Order of Alexandz Nevsky.
During the Congress in Vienna was among the Russian generals
1819 decided to leave the Army – lived in Belorussia (not far from Minsk)…"
OTHER REFERENCES TO MILITARY O'ROURKE's
Other references to the O'Rourke surname indicate European military involvement of a number of O'Rourke's – some extracts below:
``…Because of his princely origin, John O'Rourke, formerly of Leitrim, was given a commission in the Royal Scotch Regiment by Louis XV. His French Colleagues did not like this so he transferred to Russia where, a major in the Czar's regiment of bodyguards, he fought against Prussia and was presented by Frederick the Great with a diamond-studded sword. He later returned to France where he served with the cavalry and was created a Count. He died in Vienna in 1786, aged 76. Interesting papers relating to Count O'Rourke and his family were not long ago discovered in the Record Office at Vienna…" (Could this be I K O'Rourke's father???)
``…Russian army lists of Czarist days record many O'Rourke names. They were also in Poland…"
``…Joseph O'Rourke, Prince O'Rourke in the Russian aristocracy, was General-in-Chief of the Russian Empire in 1700 and Patrick Count O'Rourke was a distinguished member of the same service in the middle of the last century…"
``…Of those who went to France the most noteworthy was Colonel Count John O'Rourke (c.1705-1786)…" (presumably the same as the above mentioned??)
Article written by Frank O'Rouke
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