Granny’s favourite cousin

My grandmother had a first cousin named Margaret Byrne who grew up beside her at Jane Place in Dublin city.  Margaret is known to have married a man named Norton, in the mid-1930s. It’s also remembered she lived in Summerhill in Dublin, before moving to Clontarf. 

One day, I set out to find Margaret.

And, there was a likely couple, James and Margaret Norton, listed in the Dublin electoral rolls. They lived with the Burke family in North Summer Street, Summerhill in 1939 and 1940. Between 1941 and 1950 they lived at Larkhill Road, Whitehall. From there, they moved to Seapark Drive, Clontarf. Seems like a good match!

Margaret was Granny’s favourite cousin. But, as her father's name was forgotten, her place in the family tree was unclear. She was initially thought to have been the daughter of Benjamin Byrne, Granny’s youngest uncle. But, that didn’t pan out. Benjamin became a sailor, eloped with his Protestant bride in 1918, and lived happily ever after in Liverpool, England. So, he’s been ruled out as Margaret’s father. 

Next, I got a copy of her marriage register, as that would show her father’s name. And, in January 1935, at the time of her marriage to James Norton, Margaret lived at 31 Lower Jane Place - the same tiny row of cottages where my grandmother lived. It was all going swimmingly well. Her father was down as John Byrne, a labourer by occupation.

Marriage, James Norton & Margaret Byrne, 1935, General Register Office

And, my grandmother had an Uncle John - one of the gaps on the Byrne family tree I’m trying to plug. When last seen, at the time of the 1901 census, he was a fifteen-year-old factory worker, still living with his parents. He probably got married in Dublin North between then and the next decennial census, except so too did over forty other men sharing his name. 

But, of all those forty-odd men, one of them married a lady called Margaret Burke. Remember, in the aftermath of their marriage, James and Margaret Norton lived with the Burke family in Summerhill. I thought I had it nailed.

All that remained to do was connect Margaret’s father John, with my great-great-grandparents - Francis Byrne and Margaret McGrane.  So, I ordered the marriage certificate for John Byrne and Margaret Burke, hoping it would confirm John’s father was Francis. And, that’s where the trouble started.

At the time of their marriage, in September 1910, John Byrne was a sailor living at 9 Lower Jane Place. Margaret Burke lived at 15 North Summer Street. Despite being a sailor and not a labourer, it still seemed likely John was my great-granduncle. Others in the family went to sea, including John’s paternal grandfather and, of course, his brother Benjamin.

Except, according to this marriage certificate, John’s father was Thomas, not Francis!

Marriage, John Byrne and Margaret Burke, 1910, General Register Office

Was this a simple error? It might have been easy to mistake Francis for Thomas if the source handwriting was unclear. Or, maybe the confusion arose because the bride’s father was Thomas - Thomas Burke.

Still, this raised a niggling doubt. And, to make matters worse, the electoral rolls revealed there was a man called Thomas Byrne living at 9 Lower Jane Place, in 1909 - just a year before the wedding.  Who was this Thomas? Bizarrely, Francis Byrne was missing from the rolls in 1909.

I didn’t know what to think. So I parked it for a while.

Then, recently, I met a daughter of the James and Margaret Norton online.  She is planning a trip to Ireland later this year and hopes to meet her extended family. She confirmed her grandparents were John Byrne and Margaret Burke. My mother even remembers her from school in Clontarf.

Now, there is little doubt I've found Granny's cousin, and her father John Byrne, even with his father’s name wrongly recorded on the marriage register.

But, if this error had occurred at a time when no one still living remembered the family, it would be far more difficult to reach any conclusion.

See: More about my great-granduncle, John Byrne

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© Black Raven Genealogy

Locating all the Byrnes of Jane Place

One of my genealogy goals for this year is to find all the children born to my second great-grandparents, Francis Byrne and Margaret McGrane. They got married in Dublin city in 1871. From the census, we know they had fourteen children altogether, although three of them died before 1911. 

The baptism records of St Laurence O’Tooles church in Seville Place confirmed the names of the five eldest – Myles, James (my great-grandfather), Francis, Charles and Margaret. Their younger children, Mary Anne, Jane, John, Patrick, Paul, Kate and Benjamin, were living at home when the 1901 census was enumerated. And, since I began this quest, I’ve also discovered little Michael, born in 1887, who died of Bronchitis as an infant in 1889. Sadly, though, the name of one child remains unknown still. 

The difficulty tracing some of the others started after they left home. With a surname as common as ‘Byrne’, keeping tabs on them was never going to be easy, especially as they were relatively poor and living among the labouring classes of the city. See all the blanks I’ve left to fill!

	Child’s Name	Birth date	Death date	Spouse, marriage year
1	Myles Byrne	15 Jan 1873	2 Nov 1928	Elizabeth Bethel, 1897
2	James Byrne	18 May 1874	29 Jul 1948	Christina Devine, 1897
3	Francis Byrne	21 Feb 1876		Maryanne Drennan, 1896
4	Charles Byrne	6 Mar 1878	12 Apr 1879	None
5	Margaret Byrne	15 Nov 1879	25 Jul 1932	James Fay, 1920
6	Mary Anne Byrne	about 1882	After 1959	William Vickers, 1901
7	Jane Byrne	about 1884	17 Mar 1919	James Fay, 1916
8	John Byrne	about 1885	15 Jan 1930	Margaret Burke, 1910
9	Michael Byrne	21 Oct 1887	10 Jan 1889	None
10	Patrick Byrne	about 1890	26 Jul 1923
11	Paul Byrne	18 Sep 1891	1959	Kathleen McDuff, 1916
12	Kate Byrne	about 1893
13	Ben Byrne	21 May 1896	1966	Annie Porter, 1918
14			before 1911	None

Here’s what I currently ‘know’ about those with blanks: 

Francis Byrne and Maryanne Drennan got married in St Agatha’s Church on 18 May 1896. In 1901, they lived at Common Street, Dublin, not far from Francis and Margaret. They had two young children at that point - Francis and James Joseph. The census enumerators seemingly missed them in 1911, but they remained in the area. They lived in Newfoundland Street in 1914 and 1915 when Francis registered to vote. Then, I lost them again.

Mary Anne Byrne married William Vickers, on 18 August 1901, in St Laurence O’Toole’s parish. The couple were living in Lower Oriel Street in 1911, with their son Patrick. Mary A. Vickers was still living there in December 1912 when she registered her father’s death. And, by 1930, when her mother died, she had moved out to Ellenfield in Drumcondra.

John Byrne, aged fifteen years, was living with his parents in 1901 but had left home by 1911.  Chances are he married in the intervening ten years. But, so too did forty-odd other men in the area who shared his name. I’m now fairly sure what happened to him, a story I’ll share on another day, soon. 

Update: See further information on John Byrne in the following posts:
13 Aug 2016 - Granny's Favourite Cousin 
20 Aug 2016 - More about my great-granduncle, John Byrne 

Patrick Byrne, a married man, died at 5 Upper Rutland Street on 26 July 1923. He shares a grave with his parents at Glasnevin Cemetery. On 2 April 1911, he was single and still living at home, so his marriage took place after this date. But, like John, there are too many potential marriage records in this name to ascertain the name of his bride.

In 1911, Kate Byrne was seventeen years old, single, and earning her keep as a paper bag maker. In October 1920, she witnessed the marriage of her sister Margaret to James Fay. The use of her maiden name suggests she was still single at this time. Then, she too disappeared among the many others named Kate (or Katie, Kathleen, etc.) Byrne, in Dublin city. 

So, if you descend from any of these Byrnes, or if you think you can fill in the missing details, please do let me know.  All hints, gladly accepted! 

Updated 17 Sep 2016 at:   Filling in the blanks just got way easier

Sources: Research certificates, General Register Office; 1901 and 1911 census, National Archives of Ireland;  Church registers, Irishgenealogy.ie; Burial register, Glasnevin Trust; Dublin city electoral rolls, Dublin City Library & Archive. 

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© Black Raven Genealogy

Granny and the Celtic Camogie Team

Annie Byrne and the Celtic Camogie Team, Coolock (c. 1929-36)

Before she got married, my maternal grandmother, Annie (Byrne) Wynne, played camogie. This is a picture of her taken with the Celtic camogie team. Granny is the first girl on the left, kneeling in the front row. In this picture, she was probably about twenty years old, or maybe a year or two older.

In those days, camogie players wore gym-frocks to their knees, long-sleeved blouses, and a belt around their waists. It certainly does not look like the most comfortable attire for playing in. Granny also wore a polo-neck jumper. She was the goalkeeper, maybe explaining the variation in her uniform.

The Celtic camogie club was established in Coolock, in Co. Dublin, in 1929. Granny was their first captain. She played with the team until she married my grandfather in August 1936. Once she was married, she had to give it up. It was not socially acceptable for married women to play sports in public in Ireland then.

At the time, Coolock was a small village in the countryside, situated on the north side of Dublin. Granny cycled to practice from Jane Place in Dublin city. They practised in a field where the Odeon Cinema now stands. The club did not own the pitch, but the owner gave them permission to play there. There was little funding available for women’s games back then.

Like hurling, which is played by men, camogie is a fast and skilful field sport. Players use a curved wooden stick known as a hurley, and a hard leather ball called a sliothar (pronounced shlit-her).  Both hurling and camogie evolved from ancient Gaelic games played for more than 3,000 years.

Image credit: ‘Granny with her camogie team’, from my cousin Aileen’s collection.

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© Black Raven Genealogy

Succession rights

In nineteenth-century Ireland, many people rented their property on a week-by-week basis. They had limited tenancy rights and faced eviction at any time, on the whim of their landlord. Despite this, or maybe because of it, Irish people formed a unique attachment to the land. It often passed from one generation to the next and remained in the same family for centuries.

As they had no legal rights to the property, this ‘inheritance’ was rarely subject to a written will. So, probate records, much used by genealogists abroad, are often of limited use in Ireland.

But, there is another way to trace the occupiers of a property over time – the Cancelled Books. These books record changes in landlord and occupier, as well as in the size and value of their holding. When the number of amendments made a book difficult to read, it was cancelled, and a new one opened. Hence the name. Unfortunately, the books covering the Republic of Ireland are not available online. A recent visit to the Valuation Office provided an insight into the fortunes of my paternal Byrne family from Co. Kildare.

Griffith published his Primary Valuation for Co. Kildare in 1853. It showed my third great-grandfather, Andrew Byrne, at his rented property in Athgarvan. At the time, Andrew had a cottage with an annual valuation of just ten shillings - as shown at plot 2e on the below map. His garden measured only fifteen perches in size. Bear in mind there were 160 perches in a single acre of land – this was a tiny garden for a man who worked as a gardener.

Excerpt Griffith’s Valuation, Athgarvan, Co. Kildare, 1853

The earliest Cancelled Book for Athgarvan began a few years after 1853. In that short time, Andrew Byrne had already replaced Patrick Clynch as the occupier of the property at 2a. His new holding included a cottage and sheds, with a combined value of fifteen shillings a year. It's unlikely the house was any better than his previous one, but the new garden was over an acre in size. It was valued at an extra fifteen shillings a year. Andrew finally had a decent garden to call his own.

Andrew remained at this property and likely cultivated his garden for many years. Then, the Cancelled Books show Edward Byrne replaced him as the occupier of 2a. This revision was dated 1877, five years after Andrew had passed away. Andrew died of bronchitis on 26 October 1872, at the age of sixty-eight years, leaving his wife, Anne, behind.

Edward Byrne was Andrew’s son, born in Athgarvan, in 1850. He was the second youngest son - the youngest, Andrew, was still a minor in 1872. In June 1878, Edward married Margaret Mullins. If his mother was still alive, she probably continued to live with them. But, within ten years, Edward’s name was also removed as the occupier of 2a. The change dates to 1887 and suggests he passed away at a young age.

Owen Doran, Edward’s brother-in-law, replaced him as the ratepayer on record. Owen had married Edward’s sister Mary Byrne in May 1878. The Dorans had seven children, all baptised in the parish. They lived in Rosetown, the townland adjoining Athgarvan, before moving into the Byrne cottage. Then, in 1891, the family moved to New York. The cottage passed to a William Dowling, and most likely out of my family for good.

Looking back to the mid-1850s when Andrew Byrne replaced Patrick Clynch at 2a. Andrew's wife was born Anne Clynch. Chances are she was related to Patrick, especially now we know she moved into his home. But, it might take some work to figure out their precise relationship.

See further reflection on where Andrew Byrne was living in 1853, here.

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© Black Raven Genealogy

Moving on

What makes someone up sticks and move to a different location?

In nineteenth-century Ireland, more often than not, the answer was hunger. But, in the case of my third great-grandfather, David Carroll, he stuck it out in Co. Tipperary for the whole duration of the Great Famine (1845 to about 1850). Then, in its immediate aftermath, he up and left the county.

That much I knew already. Griffith’s Valuation showed David Carroll in the townland of Coolmoyne, Co. Tipperary, in 1850. His son placed him in Co. Limerick by 1859. Now, it's time to carry out a more thorough search of the property tax records, to see what else can be discovered. 

First, I checked the House and Field Books.[1] Griffith’s team used these notebooks in the years before the published Valuation. They start about 1844 for southern counties and record the names of those paying the property rates. The House Books were the most interesting for my purpose.

The book for Coolmoyne was ‘copied’ on 21 May 1847. And, although I already knew David lived there from at least 1841, this book provided a description of his home. He lived in a house, 31.6 feet long, 15.6 feet wide, with ceilings 8 feet high. It sounds like a two-roomed cottage to me, especially as both other houses on the page were only 15 feet long.

David Carroll, House Book, Coolmoyne (v. 1641 - v. 1692)

It was even more interesting to learn that a man named Richard Carroll had property in Coolmoyne too. Richard leased a forge of some kind. He was not mentioned in the Field Book, meaning he had no garden.  And, nearly everyone in rural Ireland had a garden then. It was necessary to grow the potatoes, the staple diet for much of the population. So, perhaps Richard resided elsewhere, maybe even with my Carroll family. According to Griffith’s Valuation, he no longer leased the property in 1850. I do wonder who he was and if or how he was related to David Carroll. More food for thought!

Richard Carroll, House Book, Coolmoyne (v. 1641 - v. 1692)

Next, I visited the Valuation Office in Dublin and inspected their original Cancelled Land Books. These books record changes in holdings, post Griffith’s. The earliest book for Coolmoyne was dated 1860, ten years after the Valuation. All it confirms is, by then, David Carroll no longer leased the house in Coolmoyne. He had been replaced by a woman, probably a widow, called Mary Daly. David's absence supports his son’s assertion he was in ‘Co. Limerick’ by February 1859. It would have been nice to learn the year he left. Still, this increases the likelihood I have located the right David Carroll. 

The book also shows David’s immediate landlord, Thomas Cahill, left Coolmoyne by 1860 too. Thomas Cahill was a farmer, leasing seven acres of land from John Maunsell in Coolmoyne. He also leased thirty-nine acres from George Fennell at Coolmoyne (Fennell), where he lived. I decided to find out what happened to Thomas Cahill, hoping it would shed light on why David left Coolmoyne. It was not a happy story.

By October 1859, Cahill was struggling to make ends meet. He was ten pounds short when he went to the fair in Killenaule to pay the annual rent. His landlord was not at all impressed and refused to accept the amount offered. And you know what that meant. Eviction!

The next morning Cahill got up early and told his wife he was going to check on his animals. He left all his money on the table beside his bed and went out. That was the last time she saw him alive. They later found his body in a pond near his home.[2] Presumably, poor Cahill could not face such an uncertain future.

Perhaps, Cahill, in his attempts to survive, had increased David's rent beyond sustainable levels. David had probably already left Coolmoyne when Cahill died. But, his landlord's financial struggles, coupled with an unsympathetic landowner, was probably enough to have prompted anyone to move on.

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[1] The original House and Field Book manuscripts are held at the National Archives of Ireland, Dublin. FamilySearch had copies freely available online until recently, but unfortunately, they have since been taken down.

[2] Cork Examiner, 19 October 1859, p.4.

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© Black Raven Genealogy

Q.E.D.

If I'd any lingering doubts that Michael Byrne was a nephew of Mary Power, here it is confirmed it in writing.

Mary Power, 1919, Death certificate, General Register Office

Michael Byrne – nephew - registered Mary Power’s death in 1919.

Q.E.D.!

You may be wondering why this is significant. Well, until recently, my great-grandfather Michael Byrne was my longest standing genealogy brick wall. The search for him has been an ongoing saga here at Black Raven. And, discovering his relationship with Mary (Leahy) Power was crucial to uncovering his past.  You can catch up on how this brick wall finally collapsed, by reading:  

• Another attempt to outfox an elusive great-grandfather
• A glimpse over the brick wall
• Chasing the elusive Michael Byrne, again
• The brick wall crumbles 

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© Black Raven Genealogy