When I discovered the surname of my 2x great grandmother, I was fascinated. 'Joy' seemed a little unusual and whimsical, even for Ireland. According to the research I've done so far, the origin of the surname 'Joy' is English, but was derived from the old French word "joie". It is apparently one of the oldest of all surnames, found in English records dated 1166. There have been a few variations in spelling over time ... Joie, Joye, Joy. Given that my ancestor was Irish, I've wondered about the first instance of this surname in Irish records.
Her parents were Richard Joye and Eleanor (Ellen) Knox, and her sponsors were Michael Walsh and Catherine Murray.
My research on Catherine has produced rather sketchy details of her childhood unfortunately, so that's a chunk of her story that will be forever shrouded in mystery.
I know that when Catherine was born, she already had one sibling John, who had been born in 1826.
Sometime around 1830 Catherine's father and mother, along with the two children who had been born by that time, older brother John and Catherine herself; moved to a farm in Tybroughney (spelt Tibberaghny on the Tithe Applotment record at that time), in County Kilkenny.
Unfortunately, there is a large gap in my family research between the birth of my 2x great grandmother Catherine and the next sibling I found in the Register of Births for the Owning and Templeorum Parish. There are many missing records during this period in the birth registers, so that makes the research difficult. Anyway ... other siblings that I could find a baptism record for include:
Mary was born in 1835, when Catherine was 7 years old.
William was born in 1839, when Catherine was 11 years old.
Richard was born in 1841, when Catherine was 14.
Ellen was born in 1844, when Catherine was 16.
Richard was born in 1841, when Catherine was 14.
Ellen was born in 1844, when Catherine was 16.
Alice (known as Ally) was born in 1847, when Catherine was
I'm sure there must have been more children born between 1828, when my 2x great grandmother was born, and 1835 when her sister Mary was born! I wonder if I'll ever find out?
The next important event in Catherine's life that I found evidence of was her marriage. On the 23rd of May 1853, Catherine married John O'Donnell. His family surname had been anglicized to 'Daniel' many years before. On her wedding day Catherine was aged 25, while John was 40. The transcript of the original church record has Catherine's maiden name spelt incorrectly as 'Jay'.
Soon after their marriage, Catherine and John moved into a farmhouse that sat on farmland of around 30 acres in Killonerry, County Kilkenny. Many, many years later, in the 1901 census, the house was listed as 'first class', as it had substantial stone walls, a slate tile roof, 6 rooms, and seven windows at the front of the house. It would have been a rather impressive home at the time Catherine moved in with her husband.
Catherine and John went on to have 13 children over the next 18 years.
Patrick was born in 1854, when Catherine was 26.
Richard was born in 1855.
Margaret came along in 1856.
Michael was born in 1857.
William in 1859. Catherine was now aged 31.
John in 1861.
Edmond (my great grandfather) was born in 1862.
Peter was born in 1864.
Ellen came along in 1865.
James was born in 1867.
Thomas was born in 1870, but sadly died that same year.
Catherine came along in 1871.
Mary came along in 1872, when Catherine was 44 years old.
I would imagine that Catherine's life would have been a very, very busy life. She was giving birth every year or two, raising more and more children, keeping house and working as a farmer's wife as well, with all that entailed. I have visions of her rising before the sun came up, working non-stop all day long and putting her exhausted body to bed late at night.
By the time Catherine was in her mid-40s, there were 15 people in the farmhouse. Her children ranged in age from 19 to 1 year old. I wonder where she found the energy for her day-to-day life, and where was the joy in her life ... no pun intended!
Catherine's husband was aged 60 when Catherine turned 45. You would think that it would be likely for John to pass away before Catherine, given the age difference. But that was not to be!
Sadly, Catherine died in 1882 aged just 54. She had been suffering from tuberculosis, as had her daughter Ellen who had died just two years earlier at the age of 14.
For much of the late 19th century in Ireland, tuberculosis (TB, or consumption as it was commonly known) was a scourge that ravaged the country. For many of Ireland's population, including Catherine and her daughter Ellen, it was left untreated and the victims often died a terrible death with their bodies literally being "consumed" by weight loss and breathlessness.
Catherine's husband John was the informant for the civil death record and if Catherine had been born the same year that she was baptised, then the detail of her age would be slightly incorrect.
I will make mention now of Week 27's prompt for the '52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge' at this point. The prompt is: Independence. I immediately thought of Catherine's and John's children when reading this prompt.
At the time of Catherine's death (February) her son Richard was 26, her daughter Margaret was 25, her son Michael was 24, William was 23, John was aged 20, Edmond (my great grandfather) was 19 years old, Peter was 17, James was 14, Catherine was10 and Mary was 9 years old.
My great great grandmother's death seems to have acted as a catalyst for most of her children to make the decision to leave Ireland and emigrate. By that time in Irish history, over 3 million Irish had emigrated in the 40-year period between 1841 and 1881.
Most of Catherine's offspring became part of the Irish diaspora, in the ten-year period after her death. The family farm was unable to support all of Catherine's children in their adult years, so the majority of them were destined to leave home and build independent lives for themselves in far-away countries
Richard left the year his mother died, 1882. Edmond (my great grandfather) left the following year, 1883. Michael left 3 years later in 1885. William left around the same time.
I'm not entirely sure when Peter left Ireland, but it seems James, Kathleen and Mary all emigrated in the late 1890s. So, eight years after Catherine's death, eight of her ten surviving children had left the family farm.
Only Margaret and John Jnr. stayed at home with their father. William, who had emigrated around 1885, came back to the farm around the early 1890s.
Some of Catherine and John's children who emigrated:
Top row: William was the one who emigrated to the U.S.A. for a while, but returned to the ancestral family farm in Ireland. Edmond, my great grandfather, emigrated to Australia, but died ten years later. Mary and Michael both emigrated to the U.S.A., married and had families of their own.
Special Note to any family members: If you have photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so. Please use the comments box below or email me. It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.
Extra note: I'm joining Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project / challenge.
The prompt for Week 27 is 'Independence'.
You can join by blogging or posting on social media with the tag #52ancestors.
I'm sure there must have been more children born between 1828, when my 2x great grandmother was born, and 1835 when her sister Mary was born! I wonder if I'll ever find out?
The next important event in Catherine's life that I found evidence of was her marriage. On the 23rd of May 1853, Catherine married John O'Donnell. His family surname had been anglicized to 'Daniel' many years before. On her wedding day Catherine was aged 25, while John was 40. The transcript of the original church record has Catherine's maiden name spelt incorrectly as 'Jay'.
Soon after their marriage, Catherine and John moved into a farmhouse that sat on farmland of around 30 acres in Killonerry, County Kilkenny. Many, many years later, in the 1901 census, the house was listed as 'first class', as it had substantial stone walls, a slate tile roof, 6 rooms, and seven windows at the front of the house. It would have been a rather impressive home at the time Catherine moved in with her husband.
Catherine and John went on to have 13 children over the next 18 years.
Patrick was born in 1854, when Catherine was 26.
Richard was born in 1855.
Margaret came along in 1856.
Michael was born in 1857.
William in 1859. Catherine was now aged 31.
John in 1861.
Edmond (my great grandfather) was born in 1862.
Peter was born in 1864.
Ellen came along in 1865.
James was born in 1867.
Thomas was born in 1870, but sadly died that same year.
Catherine came along in 1871.
Mary came along in 1872, when Catherine was 44 years old.
I would imagine that Catherine's life would have been a very, very busy life. She was giving birth every year or two, raising more and more children, keeping house and working as a farmer's wife as well, with all that entailed. I have visions of her rising before the sun came up, working non-stop all day long and putting her exhausted body to bed late at night.
By the time Catherine was in her mid-40s, there were 15 people in the farmhouse. Her children ranged in age from 19 to 1 year old. I wonder where she found the energy for her day-to-day life, and where was the joy in her life ... no pun intended!
Catherine's husband was aged 60 when Catherine turned 45. You would think that it would be likely for John to pass away before Catherine, given the age difference. But that was not to be!
Sadly, Catherine died in 1882 aged just 54. She had been suffering from tuberculosis, as had her daughter Ellen who had died just two years earlier at the age of 14.
For much of the late 19th century in Ireland, tuberculosis (TB, or consumption as it was commonly known) was a scourge that ravaged the country. For many of Ireland's population, including Catherine and her daughter Ellen, it was left untreated and the victims often died a terrible death with their bodies literally being "consumed" by weight loss and breathlessness.
Catherine's husband John was the informant for the civil death record and if Catherine had been born the same year that she was baptised, then the detail of her age would be slightly incorrect.
I will make mention now of Week 27's prompt for the '52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge' at this point. The prompt is: Independence. I immediately thought of Catherine's and John's children when reading this prompt.
At the time of Catherine's death (February) her son Richard was 26, her daughter Margaret was 25, her son Michael was 24, William was 23, John was aged 20, Edmond (my great grandfather) was 19 years old, Peter was 17, James was 14, Catherine was10 and Mary was 9 years old.
My great great grandmother's death seems to have acted as a catalyst for most of her children to make the decision to leave Ireland and emigrate. By that time in Irish history, over 3 million Irish had emigrated in the 40-year period between 1841 and 1881.
Most of Catherine's offspring became part of the Irish diaspora, in the ten-year period after her death. The family farm was unable to support all of Catherine's children in their adult years, so the majority of them were destined to leave home and build independent lives for themselves in far-away countries
Richard left the year his mother died, 1882. Edmond (my great grandfather) left the following year, 1883. Michael left 3 years later in 1885. William left around the same time.
I'm not entirely sure when Peter left Ireland, but it seems James, Kathleen and Mary all emigrated in the late 1890s. So, eight years after Catherine's death, eight of her ten surviving children had left the family farm.
Only Margaret and John Jnr. stayed at home with their father. William, who had emigrated around 1885, came back to the farm around the early 1890s.
Some of Catherine and John's children who emigrated:
Top row: William was the one who emigrated to the U.S.A. for a while, but returned to the ancestral family farm in Ireland. Edmond, my great grandfather, emigrated to Australia, but died ten years later. Mary and Michael both emigrated to the U.S.A., married and had families of their own.
Special Note to any family members: If you have photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so. Please use the comments box below or email me. It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.
Extra note: I'm joining Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project / challenge.
The prompt for Week 27 is 'Independence'.
You can join by blogging or posting on social media with the tag #52ancestors.
Check out this FB page: Amy Johnson Crow
