Maria Radcliffe - a farmer at Yellow Walls

Is a family tree ever finished? Even when you think you have found all there is to find for a branch of the family tree, someone or something else always crops up, eventually.

This week, I came across a record for a Maria Radcliffe.[1] Maria died in Yellow Walls, the same townland in Malahide, Co. Dublin, where my Radcliffe ancestors lived. She was 56 years old when she died on 2 February 1888, indicating she was born about 1831-32.

Death of Maria Radcliffe, Balrothery, 1888

My family tree shows a great-great-great-grandaunt, Mary Ratty, baptised on 9 July 1831.[2] She was the only daughter of Peter Radcliffe and Anne Sarsfield. Mary is the English spelling of Maria and Ratty was a nickname commonly used in my Radcliffe family, so presumably Maria and Mary were one and the same person. Also, Peter Radcliffe, Maria's brother, and my great-great-great-granduncle, registered her death.

Baptism of Mary Ratty, Swords, 9 July 1831

Maria never married. She worked as a farmer. Isn't it unusual in Ireland for a woman's occupation to be mentioned! Most of my female relatives of the nineteenth century were described as 'wife of a carter', or 'daughter of a labourer', etc. But, Maria farmed.

Do you think she rented her own land, or did she live most of her life in her parents home and farm land rented by her father? Probably the latter. Her father died on 17 March 1887, less than a year before Maria. She is not recorded in Griffith's Valuation, created about 1850 in Malahide, but this was before Maria reached adulthood. It would be interesting to check the succeeding Cancelled Books, at the Valuation Office in Dublin, to see if she ever did lease land in her own name. 

During the last year of her life, following the death of their father, relations between Maria and her brother Joseph were seemingly quite strained. She even took him to court.[3]

Petty Sessions registers, Maria Radcliffe, Swords court, 1887

On 26 November 1887, at Swords petty sessions court, Maria gave evidence against Joseph to the effect that he:

'did unlawfully, willfully and maliciously damage, injure and destroy a lock on an out-office at Yelow Wallls, the property of [Maria], in the month of June 1887 under the value of £5'.

What had Maria got in that shed? We never had locks on the sheds at home when I was growing up in Yellow Walls, one hundred years later. We didn't even always lock the front door. Maybe the sheds had belonged to their father, and Joseph was seeking whatever he thought was rightly his inheritance.

The court concluded it had no jurisdiction in the case.

And Maria died of pulmonary congestion, as a result of valvular heart disease, barely two months later. And Joseph probably got whatever he was looking for.

Relationship Chart - Maria Radcliffe and my Grandfather

Sources:
[1] Death, Maria Radcliffe, Balrothery, 1888, Group Registration ID 6320631, IrishGenealogy.ie.
[2] Baptism, Mary Ratty, Swords, 9 July 1831, National Library of Ireland.
[3] Petty Sessions registers, Maria Ratcliffe, Swords court, 1887, FindMyPast.

A to Z April Challenge: X marks the spot - Peter Radcliffe

Genealogists always want to know where their ancestors are buried. It’s not just to see what else they might learn from their gravesites. It’s more than that. It’s a need to connect with them, to know they’re ‘at peace’. Many countless hours are spent seeking out their final resting place, so to help ensure they're not forgotten again, I'm creating a virtual graveyard, incorporating a memorial for each one. X marks the spot, i.e. the position of the grave of Peter Radcliffe, my maternal fourth-great-grandfather.

Peter Radcliffe

Birth:	November 1798
	Baldoyle, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Death:	17 March 1887, (aged 89 years)
	Yellow Walls, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Burial:	March 1887
	Abbey Graveyard (probably)
	Malahide Castle, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Plot:	See below - X marks the spot
Link to:	Memorial at Find A Grave

Headstone:
There was a headstone erected on this grave in 1996, when Michael Egan published a volume of the Memorials of the Dead, transcribing the memorials on the headstones in the Abbey Graveyard, Malahide. His transcription of the Radcliffe headstone reads:

‘IHS | Erected | by | Peter Radcliffe | of Malahide | in memory of his beloved wife | Anne, who departed this life | Decr 18th 1866 | Aged 67 years.’

Egan also describes the condition of the headstone in the mid-1990s, as:

made of limestone with a granite base, in good condition, but lying on its face. At the top, above the inscription, there was a Maltese cross on the IHS, with a ‘large sunburst’.

Map of Graveyard - X marks the Radcliffe Grave:

Adapted excerpt - Michael Egan, Memorials of the Dead,
showing Radcliffe Gravesite

No evidence Peter shares his wife's grave has so far come to light, however he fought long and hard through the courts to preserve his burial rights there, so it would be great to think he got his wish.

Links to memorials of immediate family members:

Spouse:	Anne (Sarsfield) Radcliffe (Abt. 1799-1866, m. 1825)
Son:	John Radcliffe (1827-1866)
Son:	Thomas Radcliffe (1829-1905)
Son:	Peter Radcliffe (1833-1891)
Son:	Joseph Radcliffe (1835-1918)
Son:	Christopher Radcliffe (1844-1872)

Father:	Thomas Ratty/Radcliffe (died after 1841)
Mother:	Mary Cullen
Brother:	Mark Radcliffe (1797-1865)

My intention is to create a virtual graveyard with a memorial for each of my ancestors. The category 'Theme: Virtual Graveyard', seen on the right, is the graveyard gate. Clicking here, you enter my graveyard. You can visit each grave, irrespective of where in the world they are physically located.

Links for my direct ancestors above are, or will be, to their memorial in the 'virtual graveyard' at Black Raven Genealogy. Links for members of their immediate family are to a memorial at Find A Grave, if one has been created. Find A Grave is an online collection of gravesites and memorials from around the world.



The 'A to Z April Challenge' - 26 blog posts, in 26 days, with 26 letters of the alphabet, and one post dedicated to each letter.

A to Z April Challenge: S is for Anne (Sarsfield) Radcliffe

Genealogists always want to know where their ancestors are buried. It’s not just to see what else they might learn from their gravesites. It’s more than that. It’s a need to connect with them, to know they’re ‘at peace’. Many countless hours are spent seeking out their final resting place, so to help ensure they're not forgotten again, I'm creating a virtual graveyard, incorporating a memorial for each one. S is for Sarsfield - Anne (Sarsfield) Radcliffe, my maternal fourth-great-grandmother.

Anne (Sarsfield) Radcliffe

Birth:	Abt. 1799
	Ireland
Death:	18 December 1866 (aged 67 years)
	Yellow Walls, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Burial:	December 1866
	Abbey Graveyard
	Malahide Castle, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Plot:	See below - X marks the spot
Link to:	Memorial at Find A Grave

Headstone:
In 1996, Michael Egan visited this grave and published a volume of the Memorials of the Dead, transcribing the memorials on the headstones in the Abbey Graveyard, Malahide. His transcription of the Radcliffe headstone reads:

‘IHS | Erected | by | Peter Radcliffe | of Malahide | in memory of his beloved wife | Anne, who departed this life | Decr 18th 1866 | Aged 67 years.’

Egan also describes the condition of the headstone in the mid-1990s, as:

made of limestone with a granite base, in good condition, but lying on its face. At the top, above the inscription, there was a Maltese cross on the IHS, with a ‘large sunburst’.

Map of Graveyard - X marks the Radcliffe Grave:

Adapted excerpt - Michael Egan, Memorials of the Dead,
showing Radcliffe Gravesite

Links to memorials of immediate family members:

Spouse:	Peter Radcliffe (1798-1887), m. 1825)
Son:	John Radcliffe (1827-1866)
Son:	Thomas Radcliffe (1829-1905)
Son:	Peter Radcliffe (1833-1891)
Son:	Joseph Radcliffe (1835-1918)
Son:	Christopher Radcliffe (1844-1872)

My intention is to create a virtual graveyard with a memorial for each of my ancestors. The category 'Theme: Virtual Graveyard', seen on the right, is the graveyard gate. Clicking here, you enter my graveyard. You can visit each grave, irrespective of where in the world they are physically located.

Links for my direct ancestors above are, or will be, to their memorial in the 'virtual graveyard' at Black Raven Genealogy. Links for members of their immediate family are to a memorial at Find A Grave, if one has been created. Find A Grave is an online collection of gravesites and memorials from around the world.



The 'A to Z April Challenge' - 26 blog posts, in 26 days, with 26 letters of the alphabet, and one post dedicated to each letter.

A to Z April Challenge: R is for John Radcliffe

Genealogists always want to know where their ancestors are buried. It’s not just to see what else they might learn from their gravesites. It’s more than that. It’s a need to connect with them, to know they’re ‘at peace’. Many countless hours are spent seeking out their final resting place, so to help ensure they're not forgotten again, I'm creating a virtual graveyard, incorporating a memorial for each one. R is for Radcliffe - John Radcliffe, my maternal third-great-grandfather.

John Radcliffe

Birth:	15 June 1827
	Yellow Walls, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Death:	30 October 1866, (aged 39 years)
	Bay Street, Sandridge, Victoria, Australia
Burial:	1 November 1866
	Melbourne General Cemetery
	Carlton North, Melbourne City, Victoria, Australia
Plot:	Roman Catholic, Monumental, Compartment Q 807, Grave 240
Link to:	Memorial at Find A Grave

Headstone:
John was buried in a double grave, near the Catholic Chapel. There is a photograph of it on Find A Grave. The grave is now in poor repair. The headstone has fallen over and it is covered with dirt.

John is buried with his second wife Bridget and his mother-in-law Bridget Flannagan, who died on 15 July 1870.

Funeral notice:

Argus, 1 November 1866, p. 8

The Friends of the late Mr. JOHN RADCLIFFE, builder, are respectfully invited to follow his remains to the place of interment, Melbourne General Cemetery. The funeral to move from his late residence, Bay-street, Sandridge, near the President Lincoln Hotel, THIS DAY (Thursday), November 1, at 2 o'clock p.m. JOHN DALEY, undertaker, Labrobe and Spring streets, Melbourne.

Links to memorials of immediate family members:

Spouse 1:	Mary Leonard (Abt. 1825-1853, m. 1848)
Spouse 2:	Bridget Flanagan (Abt. 1842-1869, m. 1861)
Daughter:	Anne (Radcliffe) Carroll (1849-1918)

Father:	Peter Radcliffe (1798-1887)
Mother:	Anne (Sarsfield) Radcliffe (Abt. 1799-1866)
Brother:	Thomas Radcliffe (1829-1905)
Brother:	Peter Radcliffe (1833-1891)
Brother:	Joseph Radcliffe (1835-1918)
Brother:	Christopher Radcliffe (1844-1872)

My intention is to create a virtual graveyard with a memorial for each of my ancestors. The category 'Theme: Virtual Graveyard', seen on the right, is the graveyard gate. Clicking here, you enter my graveyard. You can visit each grave, irrespective of where in the world they are physically located.

Links for my direct ancestors above are, or will be, to their memorial in the 'virtual graveyard' at Black Raven Genealogy. Links for members of their immediate family are to a memorial at Find A Grave, if one has been created. Find A Grave is an online collection of gravesites and memorials from around the world.



The 'A to Z April Challenge' - 26 blog posts, in 26 days, with 26 letters of the alphabet, and one post dedicated to each letter.

On the far side of a brick wall #7 ~ Conclusions

After much searching, no further sign of Rosanna (Slattery) Corcoran / Cochrane's family has been uncovered, not since they were all together in Manchester, England, in 1881. You'd think some of her six children would have left a trail of breadcrumbs for me to follow. None of them did. Maybe someday one of their descendants will turn up among our DNA matches. 🙏

Circumstantial evidence suggests Rosanna was a half-sister to Mary Anne Leonard, and both were daughters of Mary (Riley, Leonard) Slattery. Chances are Mary Leonard was my third-great-grandmother, who married John Radcliffe in Liverpool in 1848. My goals have been 1) to find documentary evidence definitively stating Mary Leonard was a daughter of Mary [Riley] Slattery; 2) to confirm this Mary Leonard was the one who married John Radcliffe; and 3) to 'prove' John Radcliffe and Mary Leonard were my third-great-grandparents.

Confirming Mary Leonard as the daughter of Mary (Riley) Slattery
Prior to the COVID-19 lock-down, I ordered the copy death register for Mary Slattery, aged forty, who died in Liverpool, in the second quarter of 1847. The hope was it would show the informant as 'Mary Leonard, daughter.' But the record arrived in my in-box recently, with no such luck!

Copy death register, Mary Slattery, 1847, Liverpool, General Register Office

Mary Slattery died of phythisis (tuberculosis) at home in Sawney Pope Street. As a bonus, her occupation was shown as the 'widow of Thomas Slattery, labourer'. So the record is for the right woman. But the informant was 'Mary Slattery, present at death, Sawney Pope Street', not 'Mary Leonard, daughter'. Who was this other Mary Slattery? Was she Mary Leonard using her step-father's name - nothing unusual in that - but if so, it is unusual her relationship to the deceased was not stated (going by the practice in Ireland, anyway).

There was a death of a another Mary Slattery, aged forty, in Liverpool, in the same quarter of 1847 - too much of a coincidence to be ignored. This copy register will be obtained when the General Registry Office staff get back to normal after the lock-down. It may possibly throw further light on the situation.

Confirming it was this Mary Leonard that married John Radcliffe
It's now apparent, documentation likely never existed directly connecting the Slatterys to the Radcliffes (other than John and Mary's marriage record, that is). Mary and Thomas Slattery died in the Spring of 1847, while Mary Leonard and John Radcliffe did not marry until January 1848, and Mary [Leonard] Radcliffe supposedly died in April 1853, four years before Rosanna Slattery married James Corcoran.

The circumstantial evidence collected, including the census listing Mary Leonard among the children of Mary and Thomas Slattery, in Liverpool, in 1841, and the records confirming the Slatterys, Mary Leonard and John Radcliffe all lived in Sawney Pope Street, Liverpool in 1847/1848, will have to suffice.

'Proving' Mary (Leonard) Radcliffe was my third-great-grandmother
A final objective of this research has been to find further evidence confirming John and Mary (Leonard) Radcliffe were my John and Mary. Much available evidence suggests they were (discussed previously here and here), bar two minor conflicts.

First, their daughter, Anne Radcliffe, was born in Liverpool, in 1849. My great-great-grandmother, Anne Radcliffe, daughter of John and Mary (maiden name not documented) Radcliffe, was born about 1849, but both surviving Irish census returns say she was born in Co. Dublin, Ireland. Granted, she grew up with her father's family in Malahide, Co. Dublin. Her mother died when she was a toddler and her father emigrated to Australia in 1858. Probably, she didn't remember her time in Liverpool. Maybe she did not know she was born in England, or just felt no connection to the country.

Secondly, the marriage of John Radcliffe and Mary Radcliffe was held in the Church of St Nicholas, according to the rites of the Established Church in Liverpool, i.e. a Protestant church. My John Radcliffe was from a Catholic family. He was baptised in 1827 and his father in 1798. But the fact that Anne, daughter of John and Mary (Leonard) Radcliffe, was baptised in St Anthony's Roman Catholic church, in Liverpool, suggests theirs was a mixed marriage. If Mary Leonard was my third-great-grandmother, she was probably Protestant.

Thomas and Mary (Riley) Slattery's children (Ellen, Thomas and Francis) were baptised in St Anthony's RC Church. Infants, Thomas and Francis, were buried in St Anthony's RC graveyard, as was Thomas Slattery himself - all in paupers graves. But when Mary (Riley) Slattery died, within weeks of her husband death, she was not buried in the same graveyard as her family. Why not? Was she buried in a Protestant graveyard instead? Is this another hint to seek out Protestant records to further the research on this branch of the family?

But where?

Sources: Copy death register, Mary Slattery, Apr-Jun 1847, Liverpool, General Register Office. All other sources referred to have been cited in previous posts in the 'On the far side of a brick wall' series:

• #1 ~ Just Mary;
• #2 ~ Mary Leonard and the Slatterys;
• #3 ~ but is it the right Mary Leonard?;
• #4 ~ Death of Thomas and Mary Slattery;
• #5 ~ Rosanna and Ellen Slattery;
• #6 ~ The hunt for DNA cousins.

Signature Silhouette #6 ~ John Radcliffe

For many of my ancestors, there are no photographs, no treasured heirlooms, not even a funeral card to remember them by. But of those who could read and write, a few left their signatures behind. They often signed historical census returns, for example, copies of which still survive. Apart from descendants, their signature may be all that remains of them today. So, it's my intention to feature a Signature Silhouette for each of my ancestors, until they are all are preserved.

Here's one for my maternal third great grandfather, John Radcliffe (1827-1866). It's from the register of his second marriage, in Melbourne, Australia. It's dated 1861, and just might be the oldest signature so far found, of all my ancestors.

Sources:
Idea for post courtesy of Cathy Meder-Dempsey at Opening Doors in Brick Walls.

Source of signature: Copy marriage register, John Radcliffe and Bridget Flanagan, 1861, no. 486, purchased from Births, marriages and deaths, Victoria, Australia.

On the far side of a brick wall #6 ~ The hunt for DNA cousins

Probably the only greatest chance of finding 'proof' of the relationship between my known Radcliffe family and the Radcliffe/Leonard-Riley-Slatterys in Liverpool/Manchester is with DNA. But first, there'll need to be living descendants on both sides to test.

On the far side of a brick wall #5 ~ Rosanna and Ellen Slattery

So, if both Thomas and Mary Slattery died in Liverpool in 1847, what happened to their children, Rosanna and Ellen, my would-be half third great-grandaunts? In 1841, they had lived with their parents and their older stepsister Mary Leonard in Liverpool, England, but they were not found in the city in the 1851 census.

There is no trace of them in the marriage, or civil death records for Liverpool either, certainly not in the decade before 1851. And, neither were they found in the burial register for St Anthony’s RC graveyard, where their baby brothers Thomas and Francis Slattery were buried. Presumably, they had left the city.

Rosanna was about eleven years old when she was orphaned, and Ellen only eight. Their half-sister Mary was about twenty-one, so presumably she took care of them. She married John Radcliffe in Liverpool in 1848 (if I've identified the right Mary Leonard) and their daughter Anne Radcliffe was born there in 1849. The Radcliffe family then moved to Rainhill, not far from Liverpool, and my preferred theory has the Ellen Slantey living with them there in 1851 was actually Ellen Slattery. But there was no sign of Rosanna. By then, she would have been fifteen years old and probably working, in service perhaps, someplace else.

The only potential subsequent record of Rosanna was found in Manchester, about thirty-five miles from Liverpool. The England civil marriage index has a Rosa Ann Slattery marrying either James Corcoran or James Kennedy in the second quarter of 1857, in the Chorlton registration district, not far from Manchester city.

It's easy to conclude she married James Corcoran, as the civil birth registers then show James Corcoran born in the fourth quarter of 1857 and Mary Corcoran in the third quarter of 1859. And, the mother's maiden name for both was Slattery. I'll order Rosa Ann's marriage certificate when the COVID 19 restrictions are lifted.

Corcoran family in the 1861 England census, 10 Smith Street, Manchester

In 1861, the Corcoran family lived at 10 Smith Street, Manchester. James was twenty-one years old, and born in Ireland. He worked as a labourer in a sugar works. His wife Rose Ann was also said to have been twenty-one years old, so born about 1840, and not 1836, but she was born in Liverpool, like my 'aunt'. Their children James, aged four, and Mary, aged two, born in Manchester, lived with them.

Another child, Rosanna Corcoran was born in Manchester in 1864, mother's maiden name Slattery. She seemingly died as an infant in Manchester that same year. This is the last potential record of the Corcoran family so far found in Manchester. 

And, no confirmed record of Ellen Slattery has been found since 1851.

Other evidence suggests my third-great-grandmother Mary (theoretically Leonard) Radcliffe died in April 1853, though the register of her death was not found in England. Perhaps she had returned home to Ireland beforehand, as death registrations only commenced there in 1864. We know John Radcliffe emigrated to Australia in 1858, without his daughter Anne, who was left with John's family, in Co. Dublin.

So, what became of the Slattery girls? Another family that seemingly just upped and vanished!

Continued, here.

Sources:

1. Slattery household, Ellen Place, Liverpool, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1841 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
2. Burial of Thomas Slattery, 16 September 1841 and burial of Francis Slattery, 18 March 1846, St Anthony's 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Burials, 1813-1985', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
3. Church of England marriage register, Radcliffe-Leonard marriage, 1848, St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
4. Baptism register, Ann Radcliffe, 28 October 1849, St Anthony's RC Church, Liverpool, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1802-1906', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
5. Ratcliffe household, Rainhill, Prescot, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1851 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
6. Marriage of Rosa Ann Slattery, Apr-May-Jun 1857,  Chrolton, Lancashire, 'England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
7. Birth of James Corcoran, 1857, D Quarter and birth of Mary Corcoran, 1859, S Quarter, Manchester, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.
8. Corcoran household, Deansgate, Manchester, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1861, England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
9. Birth of Rosanna Corcoran, 1864, M Quarter, Mother's maiden name Slattery, and death of Rose Ann Corcoran, 1864, S Quarter, Manchester, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.
10. Marriage certificate, John Radcliffle and Bridget Flanagan, no. 486, 1861, purchased at $ Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria (John Radcliffe, a 'widower from April 1853').

On the far side of a brick Wall #4 ~ Death of Thomas and Mary Slattery

Mary Leonard, potentially my third great-grandmother, was living with the Slattery family, in Liverpool, England, in 1841, probably with her mother Mary (Riley) Slattery, but the Slattery family were not found in the 1851 census.

The question this week remains the same - was Mary the same Mary Leonard who married John Radcliffe in Liverpool in 1848?

I do believe she was, as examined last week here. She was certainly the only woman found with that name who married in Liverpool in the decade prior to 1851, though further evidence supporting my theory could only be welcome.

So, this week I set out to ascertain what became of the Slattery family (Thomas, Mary and daughters Rosanna and Ellen) after 1846, when the infant Francis Slattery was buried. In particular, I hoped to discover what happened to my would-be fourth great-grandmother, Mary (Riley) Slattery.

And, death records in Liverpool support the possible deaths of both Thomas and Mary in 1847. There was no mention of Rosanna or Ellen, at least not during the decade in question.

Excerpts from deaths index, GRO for England & Wales online ordering service

Thomas Slattery
The death of Thomas Slattery, aged forty-nine years, was registered in the second quarter of 1847 in Liverpool. Given 'our' Thomas was thirty five years old in 1841, and based on the age rounding rules of that year's census, he would have been between forty-one and forty-five years old in 1847 - not forty-nine. But, the ages quoted by my Irish ancestors in census returns were often completely unreliable, though they were more usually understated.

A man named Thomas Slattery, aged forty-five years, was buried in St Anthony's parish on 19 March 1847. He may have been the same man that died aged forty-nine above, as only one potential death was reported in Liverpool in the year. In any case, this one was probably the Thomas we are seeking. His home address was in Sawney Pope Street, Liverpool, the same address 'our' Slattery family lived. And notably, it was where Mary Leonard lived when she married John Radcliffe ten months later. St Anthony's was also the parish where the Slatterys had buried their infant sons, Thomas and Francis.

The copy death register for Thomas Slattery likely does not contain any further family information - not unless the informant was a known or stated relative. And, at £7 a pop, a somewhat selective approach to purchasing English 'certificates' is required. So moving on...

Mary Slattery
Two women named Mary Slattery died in Liverpool in 1847, both deaths were recorded in the second quarter, and both women were forty years old. Our Mary would have been between about thirty-six and forty years of age in 1847, based on being thirty years old in the 1841 census, though probably at the upper age. So, either one of these death records, or both, may have been for Mary (Riley) Slattery. Which one should I check first?  Neither deaths were found in the records of St Anthony's parish, Liverpool, surprising perhaps, given her would-be husband was buried there around the same time. But a line by line search of its burial register revealed nothing.

The only thing I can think to do now is to pick one, order the copy death register and see what gives. It may have to wait until the Covid 19 restrictions are lifted, but I can follow up on Rosanna and Ellen Slattery, in the meantime.

Continued, here.

Sources:

1. Slattery household, Ellen Place, Liverpool city, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1841 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
2. Church of England marriage register, Radcliffe-Leonard marriage, 1848, St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
3. Death of Thomas Slattery, 1847, J Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office. 
4. Burial of Thomas Slattery, 19 March 1847, St Anthony's, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Burials, 1813-1985', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
5. Death of Mary Slattery, 1847, J Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.

On the far side of a brick Wall #3 ~ but is it the right Mary Leonard?

Mary Leonard, potentially my third great-grandmother, was found living with the Slattery family, in Liverpool, England, in 1841, probably with her mother, Mary (Riley) Slattery. So, Mary (Riley) Slattery was potentially my fourth great-grandmother.

This week, I set out to further investigate the Slattery family, hoping to link this Mary Leonard to the Mary Leonard that married John Radcliffe in 1848.

And, some progress was made in this regard, perhaps : -

Thomas Slattery, son of Thomas and Mary Slattery, was born on 13 September 1841 and baptised the following day in St Peter's Priory, Liverpool. This poor little mite only lived a few days and died at home in Sawney Pope Street, on 16 September 1841. He was buried in St Anthony's graveyard in Liverpool that same day. While his birth was seemingly not registered with the authorities, his name does appear in the death index during the third quarter of 1841.

Francis Slattery, son of Francis (not Thomas) Slattery and Mary Reily, was baptised in St Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool, on 25 September 1842, with his date of birth given as 14 September 1842. Chances are his father's name was actually Thomas, but recorded incorrectly. His birth was registered in the third quarter of 1842 with the surname Slatry, and mother's maiden name Riley. The original copy birth register would confirm his father's name. Little Francis died at home in Liverpool in March 1846, aged three years and six months. His home address was listed as Addison Street. He was buried in the graveyard for St Anthony's parish on 18 March 1846.

Francis Slattery's burial register is the last record so far found for this family.

So, what if anything ties this family to the Mary Leonard that married John Radcliffe?

Marriage of John Radcliffe & Mary Leonard, 1848, St Nicholas Church

• When Mary Leonard and John Radcliffe married in 1848, they lived in Sawney Pope Street, and when their baby Anne was born in 1849, they lived in Addison Street. These are the same streets, in the same tiny corner of Liverpool city (shown on a historical map of Liverpool,here), where the Slattery family had lived with babies Thomas and probably Francis.
• A witness to John Radcliffe and Mary Leonard's marriage in 1848, as seen above, was Charles Riley, i.e. Mary Slattery's maiden name. He signed the marriage register, with his mark.
• If the rest of the Slattery family had died, and no longer lived in Liverpool city in 1851, explaining why they did not appear in the English census that year, it might also explain why the child Ellen Slanety (an invalid surname, which may in fact have been Slattery) was living with the Radcliffes, at that time. i.e. with her half-sister Mary (Leonard) Radcliffe.

How many coincidences does it take before they become 'evidence'? I'm now nearly sure the Mary Leonard living with the Slattery family in 1841 was the same girl that married John Radcliffe in 1848. Definitely worth pursuing further!

What happened to the Slatterys after 1846? Did they emigrate? Did they perish? Or, have I just not located them yet?  Tune in next week and hopefully we'll find out.

Continued, here.

Sources:

1. Slattery household, Ellen Place, Liverpool, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1841 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
2. Baptism of Thomas Slattery, St Peter's Priory, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1741-1916', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
3. Death of Thomas Slattry, 1841 S Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.
4. Burial of Thomas Slattery, 16 September 1841, St Anthony's 1840-46, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Burials, 1813-1985', accessed Ancestry.co.uk.
5. Birth of Francis Slatry, 1842 S Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.
6. Baptism of Francis Slattery, St Anthony's, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1741-1916', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
7. Death of Francis Slattery, 1846, M Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office. 
8. Burial of Francis Slattery, 18 March 1846, St Anthony's 1840-46, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Burials, 1813-1985', accessed Ancestry.co.uk.
9. Church of England marriage register, Radcliffe-Leonard marriage, 1848, St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
10. Baptism register, Ann Radcliffe, 28 October 1849, St Anthony's RC Church, Liverpool, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1802-1906', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
11. Ratcliffe household, Rainhill, Prescot, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1851 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.

On the far side of a brick Wall #2 ~ Mary Leonard and the Slatterys

On Saturday, I mentioned a girl named Mary Leonard, aged fifteen years, living in Liverpool, on the night of the English census, 6 June 1841. She was living with the Slattery family, at Emma Place, Liverpool city. Mary may have been my third-great-grandmother. That's my current ancestral hypothesis anyway.

The 1841 census didn't specify relationships between household members. So, it's not confirmed where exactly Mary fit in. The household head, Thomas Slattery, was thirty-five years old, born in Ireland, and worked as a labourer. Next listed was Mary Slattery, aged thirty years, also born in Ireland. Then came Mary Leonard, aged fifteen and born in Ireland. She was followed by Rosanna Slattery, aged five and Ellen Slattery, aged two, both born in Lancashire, and then John Slafferra, aged fifty and born in Ireland. He may have been a Slattery too, with his name either misheard, or mangled in the transcription to the census enumerators' book.

Slattery household, 1841 Census, Liverpool, Lancashire, England

It's easy to imagine that Thomas and Mary Slattery were husband and wife, that Mary Leonard was Thomas Slattery's stepdaughter and Mary's daughter from a previous marriage, and that Rosanna and Ellen were Thomas and Mary's children. It looks like Mary Slattery was only fifteen years old when Mary Leonard was born, except in this census, adults' ages were normally rounded down at five year intervals, e.g. 34 became 30, 38 became 35, etc. So, she was probably a few years older.

Rosanna Slattery was born about 1836, just too late for her birth to have been registered. Recording civil births, marriages and deaths commenced in 1837 in England. But, if she was born in Liverpool, a record of her baptism might have reasonably been expected, except no Rosanna Slattery was found.

Ellen Slattery's birth, in the first quarter of 1839, was registered in Liverpool, with her mother's maiden name recorded as Riley. She was baptised shortly thereafter, on 17 February 1839, in St Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool. The baptism register confirms she was the daughter of Thomas Slattery and Mary Rielly, born on 12 February 1839.

Have I really just discovered the name of my fourth great-grandmother ~ Mary Riley (a variant of Reilly) 💛.  That would be so cool, even if she was another Mary!!!

But, will I ever be able to prove, or even disprove, it? Tune in next week to see how I get on.

Continued, here.

Sources:

1. Slattery household, Ellen Place, Liverpool, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1841 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
2. Birth of Ellen, 1839 M Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.
3. Baptism of Ellen Slattery, St Anthony's Church, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1802-1906', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.

Just Mary

We know very little for sure about my third great-grandmother, Mary.

It's true, her husband was John Radcliffe, the eldest surviving son of Peter Radcliffe, born in 1827. John started out work as a plasterer, while his father worked as a painter and plasterer at Malahide Castle, in Co. Dublin. The couple probably married about 1848, and their first daughter, Anne Radcliffe, my great-great-grandmother, was born about 1849.

Mary's christian name was recorded in the church marriage register when Anne married Maurice Carroll, in 1869. She supposedly died shortly after Anne was born, in April 1853 (where, we don't know). Anne was raised in Malahide, presumably by her grandparents and uncle(s), after her father emigrated to Australia in 1858. And that's it - everything we 'know' about Mary's life and death - not much to go on, you'll agree. Just the name, Mary, by far the most common christian name in all Ireland.

A couple found living in Liverpool, England between 1847 and 1851 match nearly all the criteria known about my ancestors and, despite an odd reservation or two, there's a good chance they were my Radcliffe family.

John Radcliffe married Mary Leonard in St Nicholas Church Liverpool on 25 January 1848. This was an Anglican church, when my John Radcliffe was most certainly Catholic. However, their daughter Anne was baptised in St Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool on 28 October 1849. So, maybe there's a reasonable explanation for the protestant marriage.

The family had moved to Rainhill, ten miles from Liverpool city, by 30 March 1851, when the English census was enumerated. They lived at Kendrick's Cross, in the Village. The census shows Mary Ratcliffe* was a little older than John, born about 1825. Additionally, John’s sister-in-law, Ellen Slanety, aged ten years, lived with them - another clue maybe - if this was our family.

Ratcliffe household, 1851 Census, Rainhill, Lancashire, England

So what else would we now 'know' about Mary? In the marriage register, Mary Leonard's father was named as John Leonard, a labourer. John Leonard was probably dead before about 1840, as Mary's mother had presumably remarried, and had a ten year old child, Ellen Slanety, by 1851.

Except, Slanety was most likely not Ellen's actual surname. It may sound fairly Irish, but I've never heard of the name. And there was not one single person named 'Slanety' listed in the birth, marriage and death indexes for all England, nor indeed in the indexes for all Ireland. It's times like these when it would be handy to have the original census schedules, i.e. the ones completed by each household, rather than these copy enumerators' books. Maybe Ellen's surname was somewhat illegible and merely mistranscribed.

Perhaps her name was actually Ellen Slattery, for example, a valid Irish surname originating in the east Co. Clare area.

I say that based on this record found in the English census taken in Liverpool on the night of 6 June 1841:-

Slattery household, 1841 Census, Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Here, Mary Leonard, aged fifteen years, so born about 1826, lived in the same household as an Ellen Slattery, aged two years, which would have made her twelve in 1851, not ten as stated, but who's counting! Reported ages are notoriously unreliable in census returns anyway. They lived at Emma Place, in Liverpool city.

Maybe it's a long shot! But, as it's the only shot currently available, it's worth investigating this Slattery family a little further. Sure what else would I be doing anyway, in lockdown!

Continued here.

* The surnames Ratcliff(e) and Radcliff(e) were used by my family nearly interchangeably in the early nineteenth century. John seemingly favoured the name Radcliffe, given the opportunity, though his daughter finally settled on Ratcliffe.

Sources:

1. Baptism register for Swords Parish, John Ratcliff, 15 June 1827, Catholic Parish Registers, accessed National Library of Ireland.
2. Copy marriage register, Maurice Carroll and Anne Ratcliffe, 22 August 1869, General Register Office (stated age of Anne Ratcliffe '20 years', so born c. 1849).
3. Marriage register for Swords Parish, Maurice Carroll and Anne Radcliffe, 22 August 1869, Catholic Parish Registers, accessed National Library of Ireland.
4. Marriage certificate, John Radcliffle and Bridget Flanagan, no. 486, 1861, ordered at $ Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria (John Radcliffe, a 'widower from April 1853').
5. Passenger list, John Radcliffe, Liverpool to Melbourne, 2 November 1858, 'Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839–1923', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
6. Church of England marriage register, Radcliffe-Leonard marriage, 1848, St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
7. Baptism register, Ann Radcliffe, 28 October 1849, St Anthony's RC Church, Liverpool, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1802-1906', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
8. Ratcliffe household, Rainhill, Prescot, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1851 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
9. BMD register indexes, accessed at Free BMD and IrishGenealogy.ie.
10. Slattery household, Howard Street, Liverpool city, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1841 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.

Historic Liverpool ~ Mapping John Radcliffe

John Radcliffe has always been an enigma to me, ever since I commenced this genealogy journey. I’m especially drawn to his ‘missing years’ now – that decade between about 1848 when he married Mary  (maiden name not confirmed), and 1858 when he emigrated to Melbourne, Australia. I suspect he was in Liverpool, England, for at least part of this time. His probable marriage to Mary Leonard in St Nicholas Church, in 1848, has been noted, as well as the birth of their daughter Ann(e), my would-be great-great-grandmother, in October 1849.

'John Ratcliffe, plasterer' was listed in Gore's Directory of Liverpool in 1848 and 1849, when he lived at 66 Bispham Street, Marybone. I'd say these records both refer to my third great-grandfather. His name was not mentioned in the 1847 directory, the directory for 1850 is unavailable, and he was not listed in 1851.

John Radcliffe's residences in Liverpool
John Radcliffe resided at Sawney Pope Street on 25 January 1848 when he got married, then at 66 Bispham Street in 1848 and 1849, and at Addison Street by the time Anne’s birth was registered on 2 November 1849. It turns out, these three little streets all ran parallel to each other, off Marybone, in the same small area in Liverpool city.

MA Gage’s Trigonometrical plan of Liverpool, 1836

During this period, Liverpool city saw a massive influx of impoverished immigrants, mostly destitute Irish fleeing the potato famine back home. The whole neighbourhood was densely overcrowded. Sadly, people lived in squalid, disease-ridden conditions. The following map, with the relevant street names added, provides a better indication of the buildings involved. The family probably rented just one room of the house.

Ackermann’s Panoramic view of Liverpool, 1847

What would bring John Radcliffe here, from the relative comfort of his birthplace, at Malahide, Co. Dublin? Malahide is situated on the east coast of Ireland, and certainly did not experience the worst effects of the potato famine.

It now makes a little more sense why John would move the family to Rainhill, a smaller village, more like Malahide, less than ten miles from Liverpool city. This is where my Radcliffe family were found in the 1851 (30 March) Census of England, explaining why John Radcliffe was not listed in the Liverpool city directory from 1851 onward.

Sources:

1. Church of England marriage register, Radcliffe-Leonard marriage, 1848, St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, accessed ($) Ancestry.com.
2. Copy birth register, Ann Radcliffe, 1849, General Register Office, England & Wales.
3. Gore's Directory of Liverpool and its environs, 1848 and 1849, accessed FamilySearch.
4. MA Gage, Trigonometrical plan of the town and port of Liverpool, 1836; Ackermann’s panoramic view of Liverpool, 1847, accessed Old maps of Liverpool, Historic Liverpool.
5. Ratcliffe household, Rainhill, Prescot, Lancashire, 1851 Census of England and Wales, accessed ($) Ancestry.com.

Signature Silhouette #5 ~ Anne (Radcliffe) Carroll

For many of my ancestors, we have no photographs, no treasured heirlooms, not even a funeral card to remember them by. But of those who could read and write, a few left their signatures behind. They often signed historical census returns, etc, copies of which still survive. Their signature may be all that remains of them today. So, it's my intention to feature a Signature Silhouette, for each ancestor, where ever possible, until all are preserved.

Here's one for my maternal great-great-grandmother, Anne (Radcliffe) Carroll:-

Anne (Radcliffe) Carroll (1849-1918)

Anne's parents were named as John and Mary Ratcliffe when she married Maurice Carroll in Co. Dublin, in 1869. I know quite a lot about John Radcliffe, where he came from and where he ended up, but practically nothing is known about Mary. John and Mary may have married in Liverpool, England and Anne may have been born there, even though the Irish census records of 1901 and 1911 give no indication she was born outside of Ireland. Still...

During this pandemic 'lock-down', I intend to follow up on my theory that the family spent time in Liverpool, and see what else I can find out about them there. Maybe I'll unearth something else confirming them, beyond all doubt, as MY ancestors.  It may be a short experiment.😄

Signature Silhouette sources:
Idea courtesy of Cathy Meder-Dempsey at Opening Doors in Brick Walls.

Source of signature: 1911 Census of Ireland, Carroll household, Gloucester Place North, Mountjoy, Dublin, The National Archives of Ireland.

Other sources:
Marriage register for Swords Parish, Maurice Carroll and Anne Radcliffe, 22 August 1869, accessed Catholic Parish Registers, accessed National Library of Ireland.

Church of England marriage register, John Radcliffe & Mary Leonard marriage, 1848, St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.

Baptism register, Ann Radcliffe, 28 October 1849, St Anthony's RC Church, Liverpool, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1802-1906', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.

Buried in Fingal

Last month, Fingal County Council released a superb new FREE online database called ‘Buried in Fingal’. It contains the details of 65,000 people buried in graveyards across north county Dublin, from the late nineteenth century onward. It was exciting to think these registers might contain the answers to many of my open questions! 

Yellow Walls Cemetery, Malahide, 2016

First off, I found my paternal grandfather, James Byrne. He died at his residence in ‘Far Yellow Walls’ on 22 December 1964. He was buried that Christmas Eve in the graveyard at Yellow Walls, Malahide.[1] 

Burial of James Byrne, Yellow Walls Cemetery (click on image to enlarge)

We always knew James shared a grave with his wife Lena (O’Neill) Byrne. I cannot show you the page with her details unfortunately, as it failed to load fully to the website. But, by downloading the register for the entire cemetery, I could scroll to the relevant page and see her entry. It confirms she died at her residence on 27 October 1956 and that James organised her funeral the following day. He paid a £5 burial fee, or maybe that was the cost of the plot.[2] 

James Byrne’s father, Michael Byrne, died in Yellow Walls on 22 December 1927 and by unhappy coincidence he too was buried on a Christmas Eve.[3] I had hoped these registers would confirm where exactly he was buried. The Yellow Walls Cemetery opened in 1918, but he’s not there. So, he was probably interred in the Abbey Graveyard at Malahide Castle, the original burial ground for the area. If he is there, no tombstone was ever erected on his grave. 

Fingal County Council maintains the Abbey Graveyard, as well as its records, but they have not been published on their new website. ☹

                  

This also scuppers my chance of answering a second burning question - Was

Peter Radcliffe, my fourth great-grandfather on Mam’s side, buried at the Castle, too? Peter died in Yellow Walls in March 1887, more than twenty years after his wife, Anne.[4] We know Anne was buried at the Castle, because Peter erected a tombstone there, in her memory.[5] Peter also fought through the courts for many years to protect his right to be buried beside her, so it would be nice to know, for sure, if he realised this goal.[6]

Anne Radcliffe (c.1799 – 1866)

Transcript of tombstone, Castle Abbey Graveyard

My final question relates to my granduncle Michael Byrne - James Byrne’s youngest brother. Where was he buried?  He is said to have died in England about 1962 or 1963, so his death isn't registered here. I cannot find a record of it in England either.  Dad remembered his uncle's body was brought home for burial, as he attended the funeral with his father, but he could not remember where exactly it took place. They were planting the winter cabbage at the time and could only spare one day off work, so Michael must have died around August.

I found the burial of Michael’s son, Patrick Byrne. Patrick was fatally injured in a tragic accident in February 1960, when he was crushed between two oil tankers at a depot in Co. Cork.[7] He was buried in Balgriffin Cemetery, but there is no sign of his father there.[8] He’s not in Kinsealy Cemetery either. I suspect Michael was buried in St Colmcille’s, in Swords – their records are not managed by the Council. If he was, it would seem no tombstone was ever erected on his grave either.[9]

So, while ‘Buried in Fingal’ is a great new resource for Dublin genealogy, and I hope other councils and parishes (i.e. Swords!!!) across Ireland quickly follow their example, unluckily for me, my questions weren’t answered this time.

………………

© Black Raven Genealogy

Sources:

[1] Burial of James Byrne, 1964, Yellow Walls Cemetery, ‘Buried in Fingal’, Fingal County Council. 

[2] Burial of Lena Byrne, 1956, Yellow Walls Cemetery, ‘Buried in Fingal’.

[3] Death of Michael Byrne, 1927, Balrothery, Civil Records, IrishGenealogy.ie. 

[4] Death of Peter Radcliffe, 1887, Balrothery, Civil Records, IrishGenealogy.ie.

[5] Black Raven Genealogy, ‘Abbey Graveyard at Malahide Castle’; Michael Egan, Memorials of the Dead, no. 9, 1996, p. 153. 

[6] Black Raven Genealogy, ‘Peter Radcliffe and the Abbey Graveyard, Malahide’. 

[7] Irish Times, 18 February 1960, p. 6.

[8] Burial of Patrick Byrne, 1960, Balgriffin Cemetery, ‘Buried in Fingal’.

[9] Fingal Heritage Group, “Rest in Peace”, no. 1 - Fingal Cemeteries, St Colmcille's, Swords.