William Larkin was a land surveyor, notable for creating county maps in the early nineteenth century. Not much is known about him, other than that he attended the Dublin Society’s drawing school in 1788. He was most prolific in the early 1800s when he created a series of remarkable maps, beginning with 1805 map of the post roads of Ireland (British Library Maps 10835 (2)). He followed with road surveys for the Post Office such as Dublin – Enniskillen (1806), Dublin – Ratoath and Curragha (1807), and several other routes which saw him work across a large part of southern and western Ireland (1807-1808). 1807 also saw him complete a set of estate maps for the earl of Leitrim’s Manorhamilton estate.
Aorund this time, Larkin began to produce county maps, beginning with County Westmeath. Between 1817- 1819 he had published Meath, Waterford, Galway, Leitrim and Sligo. He had also had drafted manuscript maps for Cavan, Louth, Monagahn and King’s County.
The map for King’s County was completed in 1807 for the Grand Jury for their rooms at Philipstown (now Daingean). The map was never engraved or published due to a lack of subscribers. The manuscript map is now presumed lost.
In 1809, however, the newly constituted Bogs Commissioners engaged Larkin to produce a map of King’s County exhibiting all the bogs of the county. This was based on the manuscript county map and is now held by the National Archives of Ireland.
Larkin died some time before 1824.
James Rogers set up his practice at High St., Tullamore in 1908 or 1909. Following his appointment to the post of county registrar for Offaly in 1926, his partner in the firm James A. Ennis took over its management. In a neat swap, Ennis succeeded Rogers as county registrar in 1943 and Rogers returned to private practice at Rogers & Co. Eugene Hunt took over the firm in 1967 following Rogers death but it was wound up by the Law Society in 1982 due to Hunt's bankruptcy.
James Rogers of 12 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin and Tullamore was admitted a solicitor in March 1907 and was from Aughamore near Knock, County Mayo. After a short period in the Ordnance Survey Office he took up law and served his apprenticeship with the firm of A & L Goodbody at their Tullamore office. He established the firm of Rogers & Company at High Street, Tullamore, a few doors from where he had been trained probably in 1908 or 1909. He was enthusiastic about the Irish language and culture and was prominent in the Gaelic League and was subsequently employed in defending Sinn Féin prisoners connected with the ‘affray’ at Tullamore in March 1916. Rogers was election agent for the Sinn Féin candidates in 1918 and supervised all funds of the republican loan in County Offaly. He was election agent for the ‘Free State party’ in April 1922 and in 1923 was appointed state solicitor for County Offaly, the position of crown solicitor having been disposed with. Rogers resigned in August 1926 on his being appointed first county registrar for County Offaly. He married in April 1944 Miss Mary J (Mollie) O’Donnell, a daughter of Mr J. Rodney O’Donnell OBE and Mrs O’Donnell of 4 Royal Marine Terrace, Bray and the best man was the circuit court judge, William Gleeson. James Rogers retired from the position of county registrar in 1943 and returned to private practice, conveniently switching place with his old colleague, James A. Ennis. The move may have been for economic reasons in view of his impending second marriage. He had taken a keen interest in local history and was the founder of the Offaly Archaeological and Historical Society in 1938. James Rogers died in June 1967 some sixty years after he qualified. His old firm was closed by the Law Society in 1982 following the difficulties experienced by his successor, Eugene Hunt.