Sergeant Pritchard, Royal Engineers, 1901, Probable Re-survey Ordnance Survey, Durrus, West Cork, Chainmen, Surveyors, Sappers, Other Chain Men, Charles Mccarthy Fawnmore, Kilcrohane, Jeremiah O’Donovan Gortnakilla, George O’Mahony, Rosskerig.
In the Carrigboy Girls School record there are entries for Beatrice and Dorothy Pritchard their father a Sergeant Royal Engineers for 1901, they seem to have been in the school for a about a year.
At the time local young men were employed as chain men or surveyors probably in connection with a re survey by the Ordnance Survey. It is likely that they operated under the supervision of someone like Sergeant Pritchard. There are quite a number of such men and include one of the Skuses of Clashadoo who when the period of local employment ceased joined the Royal Engineer as a sapper. Looking at some of the RE records this was a common form of entry.
Charles McCarthy (born approx 1880) from Fawnmore, Kilcrohane, later joined the Royal Engineers and went overseas (reported missing in action missing for a few weeks but pulled himself out of some hole and was decorated for bravery and engineering skill, buried in South Hampton)
His brother in law Jerhmiah O’Donovan, Gortnakilla was also a sapper, as was George O Mahony from Rosskerrig
His neighbour Jeremiah Crowley, Ahagouna was also so employed and in his Ellis Island entry to the USA c 1904 he is described as surveyor. He went on to run a very sucessful business in San Francisco. Even in National School he was doing book keepin at the age of 9.
West Cork History 