Tracing your ancestors in the Irish Constabulary – Thomas Carroll

Thomas Carroll, or O’Carroll as he became known in Maungakaramea, New Zealand, is the first member of my family found to have served in the Irish Constabulary. The Irish Constabulary, granted the ‘Royal’ prefix in 1867, was the military-like force policing in Ireland, under British rule. Initially, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Thomas’s involvement in a police force often viewed with suspicion by the general population and disbanded as soon as the Irish Free State was established in 1922. Nonetheless, genealogically speaking, the opportunity to explore a new-to-me record set was pretty exciting. And, while the senior ranks of the force were predominantly made up of Anglo-Irish Protestants, the rank and file mirrored the Irish population in terms of religion and social class.

The entire General Register for the force is now online and includes Thomas Carroll's service record. Starting with his registered number, 21814, the Register reveals he was appointed on 18 May 1857, aged 20 years, indicating he was born between 19 May 1836 and 18 May 1837. Thomas claimed Tipperary as his native county.

This fits nicely with what we already know. My great-great-grandfather Maurice Carroll claimed he too was born in Co. Tipperary, about 1838, and the baptisms of their siblings, Mary Carroll in 1841 and David Carroll in 1847, were found in the registers of the RC church, in Fethard, Co. Tipperary.The Register confirms SI Heard, i.e. Sub-Inspector Heard, recommended Thomas for the post, meaning they knew each other personally. So, if we can trace where SI Heard was in 1857, we'd probably learn where Thomas lived too. The Register only names the county, and not the specific parish where each man was stationed.

SI Heard was appointed in 1837 and initially spent two years in Kilkenny, followed by over five years in Clare and then nearly ten years in Limerick. On 1 March 1857, he was transferred to Clare for a further five years, and on 1 March 1862, by which time Thomas was settling into his new home in New Zealand, SI Heard commenced a stint in Tipperary.

References to SI Heard in the newspapers place him in the station in Castleconnell, Co. Limerick in 1847 and in Carrick on Suir, Co. Tipperary in 1863. And, we already know Thomas Carroll's parents, David and Catherine (Cummins) Carroll, had moved to Castleconnell by 1859, so we can now be reasonably sure this was where Thomas lived when he joined the Constabulary in 1857.

Thom's Irish Almanac, 1857

After four months training, Thomas was allocated to a barracks in Co. Clare. On joining, he would have held the lowest rank in the force, that of Second Sub-Constable. No mention of him was found in the newspapers, nor in the Petty Session court records, where he might have been named, had he charged someone with an offence. So we don't know where exactly in Co. Clare Thomas was stationed. We do know SI Heard also served in Clare at this time, and in 1858, trade directories place him in Ennis. Perhaps Thomas served with him in Ennis too. We'll probably never know for sure.

Thomas stood 5 feet, 8¾ inches tall when he joined the Irish Constabulary, a ¼ inch short of the standard height requirement. This condition was sometimes relaxed when the force was under-staffed. Thomas worked as a labourer before his appointment, although we know he was literate, as this was a condition of joining.

Thomas resigned his position on 8 January 1861, with a gratuity of £6 15 shillings and 5 pence. This fits with him settling in New Zealand in 1862, having first 'travelled a great deal'. And, it clarifies how he funded his trip. Unusually, the reason for his resignation was not documented, although the record clearly shows the man joining immediately after him left 'to emigrate' and the man who joined immediately before him left 'to join the Pope's army'.

Sources:

1. Thomas O'Carroll, Obituary, 1918, Northern Advocate, 21 October 1918, p. 2, Past Papers.
2. Ireland, Royal Irish Constabulary Service Records 1816-1922, $ FindmyPast.
3. Kerry Examiner, 5 November 1847, p. 3; Freemans Journal, 10 January 1863, p. 1.
4. Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI, Mary Carroll 21 November 1841, David Carroll 6 January 1847, Fethard, Baptisms 1 March 1836 - 30 January 1847, Microfilm 02504 / 06.
5. Thom's Irish Almanac 1857 and 1858, Government Departments of Ireland, Thom's Directory, 1844-1900, $ FindmyPast.

Traditional genealogy verifies genetic genealogy find

It is perhaps one of the great ironies of traditional genealogy that we often learn more about a man's life in the records created upon his death. This is certainly true for my newly discovered great-great-granduncle Thomas O'Carroll, a father of four, whose descendants were recently linked to my extended Carroll family through genetic genealogy.

The details concerning Thomas's life in Ireland, before his emigration to New Zealand, are of primary interest at this stage, given the goal is to first confirm Thomas O'Carroll was the brother of my great-great-grandfather, Maurice Carroll. With that in mind, let's examine his probate file, his obituary, and the civil register of his death:-

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ONE THOMAS O'CARROLL
This is the last will and testament of Thomas O'Carroll, the elder, of Maungakaramea in the Provincial District of Auckland in New Zealand, settler, made the twenty-ninth day of June, one thousand nine hundred and nine. I revoke all wills and other testamentary dispositions by me hitherto made and declare this to be my last will. To my son Thomas O'Carroll, the younger, I leave and devise the whole of the real property, which I may own at the time of my decease, for his use during his life and after his decease, to his son David James O'Carroll absolutely, provided however in case my grandson David James O'Carroll should die without leaving issue him surviving, then I wish all my real property to go to his brother, my grandson Thomas Emmet O'Carroll absolutely. All my personal property, after the payment of my just debts and my funeral and testamentary expenses, I wish to have divided equally amongst my daughter-in-law, Anastatia O'Carroll, wife of my son Thomas O'Carroll, Mary O'Shea, my daughter, the wife of Michael O'Shea, and my daughter-in-law Nellie O'Carroll, the wife of my son Francis O'Carroll. And I appoint my son Thomas O'Carroll and my friend Francis Henry Sloane executors and trustees under this my will. In witness whereof I have hereto subscribed my name, the day and year above mentioned.

Signed by Thomas O'Carroll, the elder, as and for his last will in our presence, who at his request, in his presence and in the presence of each other, all of us being present at the same time, have hereto subscribed our names as witnesses.

[Signature of] Thomas O'Carroll,
J. M. Killen, Solicitor, Whangarei,
Jas. I. Wilson, Solicitor, Whangarei.

Signature Silhouette: Thomas O'Carroll, 1909

Excerpt from the Oath of the executors to the will, filed in the Supreme court of New Zealand, in 1919:-

OBITUARY: MR THOMAS O'CARROLL
Many old residents of this district will sincerely regret to learn of the death of Mr. Thomas O'Carroll, Maungakaramea, at the age of 81 years. The deceased gentleman, though not suffering seriously, felt that a change in town might do him good and he therefore paid a visit to Whangarei on Sunday 13th, inst. On the following Tuesday he went up to the hospital and consulted Dr. Frazerhurst, who advised him to stay in the institution, and this course Mr. O'Carroll followed. Unfortunately, however, the old gentleman did not rally and passed away during the early hours of yesterday morning. Mr. O'Carroll had been in rather indifferent health for the last three years, and had recently lost weight considerably, therefore his demise did not come as a surprise to his relatives and friends.

During his early days Mr. O'Carroll travelled a great deal, but 56 years ago he decided to stay in New Zealand and finally, four years later, he became a farmer at Maungakaramea, where he lived continuously until the time of his death. Before coming to New Zealand the deceased was a member of the Irish Constabulary and on arrival in Auckland he sought the old calling and became a policeman. The early training and discipline is held to be, in no small measure, responsible for the excellent health he enjoyed throughout his life. He took a keen interest in local affairs and was a prominent member of the Catholic Church. His wife predeceased him four years ago at the age of 84. He leaves three sons and one daughter (Mrs O'Shea) and no fewer than 25 grandchildren. The internment is to take place at Maungakaramea on Wednesday.

Northern Advocate, 21 October 1918.

So, what do these documents tell us about Thomas's life in Ireland?

• Thomas was born about 1837, in Co. Limerick, Ireland.
• His parents were Irish.
• Thomas was literate.
• Thomas was a member of the Irish Constabulary, in Ireland. (Update 31 January 2021: Thomas Carroll's service in the Irish Constabulary - here.)
• Thomas left Ireland in or before 1862 (1918-56 years), when he settled in New Zealand.
• Thomas spent some time travelling, before settling in New Zealand.
  
  

Thomas O'Carroll's last will does not tell us anything of his origins, but it confirms we are looking at the right man. The Oath of his executors however confirms Thomas's birthplace as Co. Limerick. But remember last week, we read a newspaper announcement of his daughter's marriage to Michael O'Shea, published during Thomas's lifetime in 1889, which states he was born in Co. Tipperary. This was where my great-great-grandfather, Maurice Carroll, claimed to have been born. But, even this apparent contradiction provides helpful evidence.

Obviously, his executors were not witnesses at Thomas's birth, so their belief stands some chance of being inaccurate. But, if Thomas and Maurice were brothers, his son would have had good reason to suspect Thomas was from Co. Limerick. We know my third-great-grandparents moved from their home near Fethard in Co. Tipperary to Castleconnell, Co. Limerick, before 1859. This was probably before Thomas went to New Zealand, so his son may have remembered that his father and/or his grandparents lived in Co. Limerick.

These documents help pin-point Thomas's death in the civil death registrations of New Zealand. Death registrations there, at this time, include place of birth, as well as parental details. A printout of Thomas O'Carroll's register was obtained to confirm, one way or the other, if Thomas and Maurice were brothers. And it seems they were.

Excerpts, death register, Thomas O'Carroll, 1918

The death register shows Thomas was born in Limerick, Ireland, to parents David O'Carroll, a house carpenter, and Katherine Cummins.

Eureka!

My third-great-grandparents were known in Ireland as David Carroll (without the 'O' prefix), a carpenter, and Catherine Cummins.

It's a match!

Sources:
1. Thomas O'Carroll, Probate, 1919, Archives New Zealand Probate Records (1843-1998), FamilySearch.
2. Thomas O'Carroll, Obituary, 1918, Northern Advocate, 21 October 1918, p. 2, Past Papers.
3. 1859. Maurice Carroll and Mary Anne Frazer, Marriage register, Parish of St Nicholas, IrishGenealogy.ie.
4. Death, Thomas O'Carroll, 1918, Printout from death register, $ Births, Deaths & Marriages Online.

Roots in Tipperary

In a recent post, I mentioned the potential discovery of my Carroll family in county Tipperary, the same county Maurice Carroll claimed as his birthplace. The actual record of my great-great-grandfather’s baptism is still ‘missing’, but it seems his younger sister Mary was christened in the parish of Fethard, in South Tipperary, in November 1841. Her parents were David Carroll and Catherine Cummins, the same names Maurice gave for his parents.[1] 

Coolmoyne, Co. Tipperary on Google Maps

When Mary was baptised, the family lived in Coolmoyne, a rural townland situated between the towns of Cashel and Fethard. The family was still there in August 1850, when, according to a mid-nineteenth-century taxation survey, David Carroll leased a small house and a tiny garden. For tax purposes, the rateable valuation of the property amounted to only eleven shillings a year, a sure sign the family was poor.[2]

Although there were Carroll households in Fethard town in 1850, David’s was the only one in Coolmoyne or its adjoining townlands. Apart from an unknown Ellen Carroll acting as Mary’s Godmother, there is no indication they had Carroll relatives in the area.

David Carroll’s holding was supposedly situated at plot ‘5b’ on the below map of Coolmoyne, but '5b' is not apparent. Probably, the map was re-drawn after the tax survey was published and after David Carroll had left the area. Perhaps properties were renumbered and plot ‘4b’ marks the spot where the family once lived. A future visit the Valuation Office in Dublin may clarify this. [see update below] I do know David Carroll moved to Limerick before February 1859, by which time Maurice Carroll was in Dublin city, marrying Mary Anne Frazer. 

Coolmoyne, Co. Tipperary, 1850 (Griffith’s Valuation Map) ^[2]

Identifying a couple named David Carroll and Catherine Cummins living in the right place at the right time, is surely a step in the right direction. Yet, the possibility of it all being a big coincidence also crossed my mind. I wanted to find something directly linking my great-great-grandfather, the man living in Dublin, back to Fethard. 

Then, I discovered the baptism of his first wife, Mary Anne Frazer - she was born in Fethard too. It’s unlikely this was another chance occurrence. I'd found a link.

Robert Fraser and Mary Mara christened their daughter Mary in Fethard parish, in March 1829.[3] When she married Maurice Carroll, she went by the name Mary Anne and her parents were named as Robert Frazer and Mary Meagher (pronounced Mar), of Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.[4] The surname Frazer was not at all common in Tipperary. Plus, Mary Anne was said to have been forty years old when she died in March 1868, a variance of only one year.[5] So, chances are good these were Maurice’s in-laws.  

Robert Frazer had a small taxable holding in Fethard in 1828 and a trade directory shows he operated as a boot and shoe maker in Main Street in the town, in 1846.[6] However, no further mention of my David Carroll was found anywhere, apart from the baptism record of his son David, in 1847.[7] No one with the Carroll surname held taxable property in Fethard in 1828. Perhaps our Carroll family was poor enough to fall outside the tax net, or maybe they were living elsewhere.

Update 4 May 2016 - The first Cancelled Valuation Book in the Valuation Office is dated 1860, after David Carroll had left Coolmoyne. Mary Daly was named as the occupier of his house and garden of 38 perches. She was listed at plot 6b in the new book, but this plot is not immediately obvious on the map, either.

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[1] Mary Carroll, Baptisms (1 Mar 1835 to 30 Jan 1847), Parish of Fethard, p. 73, Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI. 

[2] David Carroll, Tullamain, Tipperary South, Griffith’s Valuation, Ask About Ireland. 

[3] Mary Fraser, Baptisms (1 Jun 1828 to 27 Feb 1835), Parish of Fethard, p. 16, Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI. 

[4] Marriage register, Parish of St Nicholas, 1859, IrishGenealogy.ie. 

[5] Copy death register, Balrothery, 1868, General Register Office.

[6] Robert Frazier, Tipperary, Tithe Applotment Books 1823-37, National Archives of Ireland; Robert Frazer, Munster, Fethard, Slater's Commercial Directory of Ireland, 1846, FailteRomhat. 

[7] David Carroll, Baptisms (1 Mar 1835 to 30 Jan 1847), Parish of Fethard, p. 129, Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI. 

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© Black Raven Genealogy

Genealogy brickwall busting with Catholic parish registers

Last July, the National Library published copy images of Catholic parish registers from all across Ireland. More recently, commercial genealogy companies built an index to these registers, thus allowing the whole country, or at least all the parishes in the collection, to be searched at once.  So, if you know your ancestors’ names, even if you don’t know where exactly they came from, you might still be able to find them.

That was my plan this week anyway.

I already ‘knew’ quite a bit about Maurice Carroll, my great-great-grandfather. I traced his life in Dublin from 1857, when his first son was baptised, until 1906 when he died. He said he was born in Co. Tipperary about 1838, though I've never been able to 'prove' this.[1] 

I did know the family’s association with Tipperary was strong. Maurice’s son Robert, born to his first wife Mary Anne Frazer, also claimed Tipperary as his birthplace.[2] Yet, he was baptised in Donabate, Co. Dublin and likely born nearby at Balheary, where Maurice worked as a coachman.[3]  Mary Anne’s parents lived in Clonmel, the largest town in Tipperary, so it’s feasible Maurice originated somewhere near there.

  

At some stage, presumably after Maurice Carroll’s formative years, his parents moved to Co. Limerick. They lived there in 1859 when Maurice married Maryanne Frazer. At the time of his marriage, Maurice named his parents as David Carroll and Catherine Cummins, but they have remained elusive. Limerick was a big place.[4]

Excerpt, Marriage of Maurice Carroll & Mary Anne Frazer, 1859, St Nicholas

Sadly, there is still no sign of Maurice's baptism in the newly indexed Catholic parish registers, so I had to keep digging.

Mary Anne died young and Maurice married my great-great-grandmother, Anne Radcliffe, on 22 August 1869. This marriage helpfully narrowed down his parent’s address to Castleconnell, Co. Limerick.[5]

Excerpt, Marriage of Maurice Carroll & Anne Radclife, 1869, Swords Parish

In February 1852, a taxation survey found five men named David Carroll in Co. Limerick. Two of these were in Castleconnell. What are the chances? One leased a fairly sizable ‘house, office and garden’ on Castle Street and sublet four adjacent properties to tenants. Another, or perhaps the same man, leased over seven acres of land nearby. Our David Carroll was a carpenter and probably not quite so ‘well-to-do.’ Plus, a carpenter would hardly have needed so much land. Still, they were worthy of further investigation.[6]

Castleconnell Castle, Co. Limerick, 1833.

Tithe (taxation) records dating to the 1820s and 1830s show David Carroll had property in Castleconnell village, as well as in the wider townland, as far back as then. So, the man, or men, I’ve found in Castleconnell probably lived there before Maurice Carroll was even born and likely earlier than our family arrived in the area.[7]

Yet another doubt crept in when an 1846 trade directory, covering the town of Castleconnell, revealed the David Carroll in Castle Street was a baker. The daily car to Limerick picked up passengers outside his shop each morning at nine, and returned there each evening at six. My third great-grandfather was not a baker. He worked as a carpenter, supposedly.[8]

And, I ruled out the second candidate too. According to the town's Protestant church registers, a lady named Mary Carroll married Stephen Hall, in 1852. Her father was David Carroll of Castleconnell. Theirs was presumably a mixed marriage as they baptised their first son in the Roman Catholic faith. However, her father turned out to have been a farmer, and maybe the man leasing the seven acres.[9]

So, it seems our David Carroll arrived in Castleconnell after 1852 and did not appear in the Limerick taxation survey.

I'm not finished yet though. Thanks to the newly released index of Catholic parish records, I may have just found our man, and in Co. Tipperary too. Seeking all Carroll baptisms, with Catherine Cummins as the named mother, two entries caught my attention. On 21 November 1841, Mary Carroll from the townland of Coolmoyne was christened in Fethard parish, in South Tipperary. Mary’s parents, David Carroll and Cath Cummins, shared the same names as my third great-grandparents. Mary had a little brother named David, baptised in Fethard, five years later. 

Chances are this was my family. Maurice is still AWOL, but I’m off to see what else I can find out.[10]

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[1] Census of Ireland, 1901, Maurice Carroll, Mountjoy, Dublin, National Archives.

[2] Census of Ireland, 1901, Robert Carroll, Royal Exchange, Dublin, same.
[3] Robert Carroll, baptism, 1860, Swords parish register, National Library.

[4] Carroll-Frazer marriage, 1859, St Nicholas parish register, IrishGenealogy.ie.

[5] Carroll-Radcliffe marriage, 1869, Swords parish register, National Library.

[6] David Carroll, Limerick, Griffith's Valuation, Ask about Ireland.

[7] David Carroll, Limerick, Tithe Applotment Books, National Archives.

[8] David Carroll, Munster, Slater's Commercial Directory of Ireland, 1846, Failte Romhat.

[9] Hall-Carroll marriage, 1852, Stradbally parish register, RootsIreland.ie (subscription site); Copy marriage register, General Register Office.

[10] Ireland Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms, Fethard parish, FindMyPast, courtesy of the National Library. 

Image credits: Except from marriage registers courtesy of the National Library of Ireland; Castleconnell Castle, The Irish Penny Magazine, no. 24, v. 1, 15 June 1833, p. 1, JSTOR.

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© Black Raven Genealogy

Of times past ~ Maurice Carroll

Coachman

The very earliest written record found, relating to my great-great-grandfather, Maurice Carroll, was apparently dated 1857. In this transcript, he was named as the father of David Carroll, a child born on 26 December, at Bow Bridge, and baptised in the parish of St James, in Dublin city. David’s mother was named as Mary Anne Frayer.[1]

Little David would surely have been a welcome Christmas addition in any family, except, in this case, his birth may have been a mixed blessing. In 1857, his parents were not married. It was thirteen months later, on 9 February 1859, when Maurice Carroll married Mary Anne Frazer. Maurice’s parents, my third-great-grandparents, were recorded in the register as David Carroll and Catherine Cummins. So, the baby boy was seemingly named after his paternal grandfather.[1]

The deferral of Maurice and Mary Anne’s marriage is curious, not that pre-marital conception was rare in Catholic Ireland, but couples were normally compelled to marry prior to their child’s birth, if they were going to marry at all. Public condemnation by the priest, the families and the community at large generally saw to that. The reason for the delay is therefore intriguing, but, the exact circumstances of Maurice and Mary Anne’s courtship are probably now lost forever.

By the time their second son Robert was born in July 1860, Maurice and Mary Anne had moved out of the city, and set up home in Balheary, a rural district near Swords, in north county Dublin.[2] Neither Maurice nor Mary Anne had any apparent ties to the area. Maurice was supposedly born in county Tipperary.[3] According to their 1859 marriage register, his parents had an address in Limerick and Mary Anne’s parents hailed from Clonmel in county Tipperary. So, Maurice probably only moved to Balheary for work. He was seemingly employed by the Baker family at Balheary House, initially as a domestic servant and later as their coachman.

Balheary House was then owned by Henry and Belinda Baker. Although it no longer survives today, at that time, the house and demesne had probably changed little since 1837, when it was described as: 

‘a large square structure with several apartments of ample dimensions; in the saloon and dining-rooms are some fine pieces of tapestry, formerly the property of the Earl of Ormonde: the surrounding demesne, through which flow the small rivers of Fieldstown and Knocksedan, is well laid out, and commands a fine view of Howth and the Dublin mountains, with the town and environs of Swords, which, with its church, round tower, ruins of the monastery, and other interesting objects, presents a varied and picturesque scene in the foreground.’ [Swords,  Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837]

Swords, from Robert Walsh, Fingal and its Churches, Dublin, 1888

It sounds like the family lived in beautiful surroundings. Their subsequent children were baptised in the parish of Donabate, close to Balheary: Catherine Carroll in May 1862; Thomas Carroll in December 1863 and James Carroll in November 1865.[2]

Then, in March 1868, tragedy struck the young family and Mary Anne died of phthisis (tuberculosis), leaving Maurice a widower. James was only two years of age.[4]

Old Mr. Baker died on 31 December 1876, a widower, with no surviving children. His estate went to his nephew in England and Maurice’s sixteen-year employment at Balheary came to an abrupt end.  By this time, he had married Anne Radcliffe, my great-great-grandmother and my great-grandaunts, Mary and Annie Carroll were born.[5]

Throughout the following decade, Maurice and Anne appeared to have moved all over Dublin, in search of work.  In 1878, when their son John Carroll was born, Maurice worked as a coachman in Ballybrack. Ballybrack is situated to the very south of county Dublin. In 1882, he was still a coachman, but back living in north county Dublin, at the Baskin, in Cloghran, near Swords, and their son Maurice Carroll was born there. They were at Middleton, in Cloghran, in 1884, when their son Peter Carroll came along. By 1888, when my great-grandmother, Teresa Carroll, was born, the family had moved back to Dublin city.[2] [4]

In the mid-1890s, Maurice and Anne were thought to have purchased, or at least acted as the (slum) landlord for, a property at 20 North Gloucester Place, Mountjoy. Here, they both saw out their days. The house was in 'tenements' in 1901, when the Carrolls shared it with two other families, and they were the 'rated occupiers' there in 1909.[6][7] The majority of my ancestors did not own their homes at the end of the nineteenth century, so, it would be interesting to find out the truth of this. There is probably more information available in the Valuation Office in Dublin – a mission for another day.

  

[1] Church registers on IrishGenealogy.ie. 

[2] Church registers on RootsIreland.ie.

[3] Household Return (Form A), 1901 Census, National Archives of Ireland.

[4] Copy BMD registers, General Register Office.

[5] Will and Grant of Henry Baker, 1887, Ms. T1612, National Archives of Ireland.

[6] House and Building Return (Form B), 1901 Census.
[7] Dublin City Electoral List 1909, Dublinheritage.ie.

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© 2015 Black Raven Genealogy