During the reign of Elizabeth in Russia in the eighteenth century, one branch of the O'Rourkes moved to Livonia, a province of the Russian Empire at the time. Joseph Cornelius O'Rourke was born in Dorpat in 1772. By this time, the family had intermarried and had been completely absorbed into Russian high society. According to the custom of his class, O'Rourke was immediately enrolled at birth in the Russian Imperial Guard. His father was Count Cornelius O'Rourke, who retired in 1788 with the rank of Major-General.