The Story of Catherine Crotty.

It's time for the story of my maternal Great Great Grandmother, Catherine Crotty (1814 - 1873).  

It will be a rather brief story, with only a few details, as is the case for many Irish ancestor stories from the 1800s.

Unless you are privileged enough to have a first-hand account from family diaries or letters for example, or perhaps information passed down through the generations in that particular branch of the family, then you have to rely on the information you glean primarily from records such as Church Parish registers for baptisms and marriages, Griffith's Valuation records or Tithe Applotment records.

It's even more difficult to uncover details about my female ancestors of that time.  They lived out lives that left very little documentary evidence behind.  In this case, the details I've amassed are pretty much only from Church Parish records.

The Parish of Tramore in County Waterford

Catherine was baptised in the Parish of Tramore in County Waterford on the 11th of December in 1814.



Her parents were recorded as Thomas Crotty and Brigida Wyse.  Catherine's name was actually recorded as 'Catherina'.



At that time, there were three siblings ...
John had been born in 1806.
Richard came along in 1809.
Margaret was born in 1811.

When Catherine was aged 3, her brother Maurice was born in 1817.

When Catherine was almost 6 years old, a sister named Joanna was born in 1820.

Then, when Catherine was almost 10 years old, another sister name Brigid was born in 1824.

The surname 'Crotty' was recorded in a couple of different ways on the baptism register entries for two of the children of Thomas and Brigida (Bridget)

- Margaret, baptised in 1811, was identified as Margaret Crottey

- Maurice, baptised in 1817, was identified as Maurice Crothy.

County Waterford, Ireland

Crotty was a familiar surname in County Waterford and there were a number of Crotty families scattered across the county in the 1800s.

I have been unable to find out much more information about Catherine's parents so far, other than their marriage date in 1805; and very little information about the lives of her siblings.

At the age of 19, in 1833, Catherine married James Burke in the Parish of Newcastle, County Waterford.

A map of the Waterford and Lismore Diocese in County Waterford, around the 1830s
Parish of Tramore in blue, Parish of Newcastle in red.

As it was the usual custom then to marry in the parish where the bride's family was living, it seems that the Crotty family had moved sometime between Catherine's birth and her wedding.  They had moved from the Tramore Parish near the coast, to the Newcastle Parish which was further inland.

After her wedding though, Catherine went to live with her husband over near Carrick-on-Suir.  The birth record of her first born listed Three Bridges as the address Catherine was living at by then.


Over the next 19 years they went on to have seven children, and all but the last had Three Bridges listed on their birth record as their address.


I do suspect that Catherine and James might have lost one or more of their children along the way.  

In 1835, David was born.  Catherine was 21 years old.
William was born in 1841.
Tobias was born in 1843.
Maurice in 1846.
John came along in 1848.
Bridget, my great grandmother, was born in 1851.  Catherine was aged 37.
James was born in 1854.

Looking over the list of children born to Catherine and James, their first-born, David, came along, in 1835.  That does seem like a rather long period of time before Catherine became pregnant with her first child.  After David was born, there was a six-year break before it appears that Catherine was giving birth regularly every 2 to 3 years.  That leads me to believe that it's likely she had trouble in the early years of her marriage either carrying a baby long term or giving birth to a child that survived a lengthy period of time.

By the time Catherine was aged 41 though, she had a family of seven children - 6 boys and 1 girl (my great grandmother).  I wonder what it was like for Catherine having such a big brood of boys?  I can imagine too that her only daughter would have been the chief source of help with all the domestic duties in the house.

As previously mentioned, up until the birth of their last son James, my 2x great grandmother Catherine and her husband James, my 2x great grandfather, appear to have been living in the area around Three Bridges, close to Carrick-on-Suir in County Waterford - likely from when they were married, in 1833 to just before James was born in 1854.

By 1854 however, when Catherine had turned 40, the family had moved to Killonerry in County Kilkenny.  That's not all that far from Three Bridges really, but it appears they had moved to a substantially larger farm - close to 70 acres in size.

Catherine was to spend the rest of her life living, working and raising her children on that farm.

Catherine died in early 1873 at the age of 59.  She died at home on the farm, and was survived by her husband James and, to the best of my knowledge, all seven of her children.

Now for some extra interesting detail:

There is a well-known corrie lough in the Comeragh Mountains, County Waterford.  It's known as Crotty's Lough, but it's actual name is Lough Coum Gabhartha.  There you will also find Crotty's Rock.  Both are familiar landmarks to locals and tourists alike.

Apparently, Crotty's Rock and Lough (Lake) were the lair of an infamous 18th century highwayman named William Crotty.

The chances that my 2x great grandmother Catherine Crotty was directly related to William is not entirely unlikely!   If William was in Catherine's family tree, then she might have grown up feeling a little proud that she was related to Ireland's version of Robin Hood.  No doubt her family would have passed down stories of the legendary Irish highwayman, and Catherine would have been very familiar with the tale despite being born over half a century after William's demise.

The folklore around William is tinged with sadness and despair.  Unfortunately, William did not escape the long arm of the law and ended up appearing at the 'assizes' in the city of Waterford.  The courts of assize, or assizes as they were commonly called, were periodic courts where the more serious criminal cases were heard.

"William Crotty and his gang of highwaymen operated in the County Waterford area in the 1700s.  The stories about Ireland’s very own Robin Hood have been the source of many a Seanachie tale that have been handed down for over 250 years.

William Crotty’s life as a highway robber was not a solitary one. He was married and was the leader of a gang of highwaymen who operated in the County Waterford area and whose exploits took him into the heart of Waterford City, 20 miles away.  

William Crotty’s life as a highway robber was not a solitary one. He was married and was the leader of a gang of highwaymen who operated in the County Waterford area and whose exploits took him into the heart of Waterford City, 20 miles away.  

Crotty's Lough and Crotty's Rock

His hideout was said to be near the foot of a cliff overlooking a corrie lake; and access to it was gained only by a rope which was thrown over the cliff face.  The legend of William Crotty is so enduring that the corrie lake and the craggy pinnacle nearby, reputed to have been his lookout, were named after him. From the top of the pinnacle he was able to see far over the county and to Lemybrien and Waterford city. 

He often frequented a local tavern at Dá Rue's Cross, and descended from his mountain home to steal from rich passers-by. After he had kept some for himself, he would distribute the money to the impoverished people of the area. 

Crotty's demise is a famous one. After evading capture for many years with a sizeable bounty on his head, through shoeing his horse backwards and throwing the Redcoats off his routes, he was betrayed by one of his friends. His home, the cave in the cliff above the lake, was hidden away from the view of the soldiers who searched for him and so frustrated were the patrols charged with his capture that they gave up chasing him and employed the services of Crotty's long time companion, a man by the name of David Norris.  

After having a meeting with Crotty at the cave, Norris waited till Crotty was asleep and after wetting the highway man's gunpowder, betrayed Crotty to the Army who made their arrest on February 16th, 1742. When the Waterford Assizes opened on the 17th of March the most important case before them was that of William Crotty. The sentence of Crotty swiftly followed … he was hanged and quartered … his head was cut off and fixed to the County Goal as a warning to other highway robbers.
Crotty's wife is said to have composed a 'Caoine', a mournful song, and sang it at his wake. After Crotty's death, the authorities hunted his wife and she is reputed to have thrown herself off the top of this cliff that bore his name, to her death 

The legend goes that Crotty hid the loot he kept for himself under a rock on the mountain with a special mark but was unable to collect it because of his capture. The actual destiny of this bounty is still a mystery.  Reputedly, William Crotty's ghost is often seen in the Comeragh Mountains, on a white horse, guarding his hidden treasure ... or perhaps looking for his wife!"

One day I would love to find out whether or not there was a direct connection between William and my Great Great Grandmother!

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, 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.

The Story of Patrick Muckian (McCane)

It's time to tell the story of my maternal Great Great Grandfather, Patrick Muckian  (1817 - 1887).

Patrick's surname was written in a variety of ways on documents recorded during his lifetime, including McKean, Muckean, MacKian and Muckian, which made research efforts just a tad more difficult.  Within a generation, the surname of his Australian descendants (including my great grandfather) was mostly recorded as McCane. To this point in time, I have only a few concrete details about the life of Patrick.

I'm not entirely sure when he was born, but I have made a best guess.  Given that it appears (from distant relatives' information) he was slightly older than his bride when he married, then his birth date might have been around 1817.

I have found a record of his death which does indicate that Patrick was born around 1817.  Of course, to say that provides definitive proof is difficult as the information on that record was provided by his son and whether or not the information is accurate is difficult to say. 

Patrick was married in the townland of Ballintemple, in the Killeavy Parish and Barony of Orior Upper in County Armagh.  This may have also been his birthplace.

I have no idea who his parents were, or the names of his siblings.  I do know from Griffith's Valuation records however that between 1858 and 1864, there were at least 2 Muckian families living in Ballintemple, and it's highly likely they were closely related.

Whilst it's commonly known that the Irish appeared to follow a given pattern when naming their children, this was not always set in stone.  I could surmise however that, as Patrick's first born son was named Edward, then perhaps Patrick's father was an Edward; as first born sons were usually named after their paternal grandfathers.

Getting back to what I know for sure, my 2x great grandfather Patrick married Sarah McCann in December of 1853.  Patrick was supposedly slightly older than Sarah, so is likely to have been around the age of 36.  Given the social norms at that point in Irish history, it seems that Patrick married quite late in life.  I wonder why?

Perhaps the experiences both Patrick and Sarah had during the period known as The Great Hunger, the mid to late 1840s, meant they were simply trying to survive those times with their parents and siblings, and just were not in a position to entertain the thought of establishing a family and life of their own.  There may have been no choice in the matter at that time, as Patrick may have been waiting for a time when it would have been possible for him to rent a plot capable of supporting a family. This is all conjecture on my part!

Anyway, witnesses to the marriage in 1853 included an Edward Muckian.  Perhaps that was one of Patrick's brothers or an uncle!  In the following ten years or so, Patrick and Sarah went on to have five children.

Edward (known as Ned) was born almost a year later, in late 1854.
Mary was born in 1856.
Owen (my great grandfather) came along in 1859.
John was born in 1862,
Ann (known as Nancy) was born in 1864.  Patrick was 47 years old by this time.

My 2x great grandfather Patrick and his wife Sarah began their wedded life on a small farm in Ballintemple.

Patrick was a tenant farmer, renting from the Reverend Robert Henry.  He would have been obliged to pay rent to his landlord at least twice a year in order to keep living on his plot of land.

Griffith's Valuation records list Patrick's plot, just over 3 acres, in the 1864 record.  Interestingly there's an Owen Muckian on the plot right beside him.  Perhaps a brother or an uncle?  I'm not exactly sure.  Owen's farm is quite large compared to Patrick's farm however.

The 1864 ordnance map shows the exact locations of the Muckian farms, side by side, on the outskirts of the tiny village of Ballintemple.  Patrick's is shown with the number 9 and Owen's with number 10.

Patrick's is the smaller of the two Muckian farms.  Both were located in a small area of holdings just outside the township.

1864 Ordnance Map - plot no. 9 is my 2x grandparents, Sarah and Patrick's, plot
Green circle includes the plots of other McCann families (plots 7 & 8)
and another Muckian family (plot 10)

Interestingly, according to the Griffith's Valuation of 1864, on the other side of Patrick's plot - numbers 7 & 8 - lived two McCann families.  Were these relatives of Patrick's wife Sarah, whose maiden name was McCann?  Was there perhaps a little community of Muckians and McCanns living in this spot, eking out a life together?  Perhaps they had banded together, after the experience of The Great Hunger in an effort to move on with their lives by helping each other out?  More conjecture!

I imagine it would have been a hard life on the farm for Patrick.  It was no doubt subsistence living, growing crops and keeping animals in order to keep his family fed and pay the rent.  That would not have been easy on such a small plot.

The footprint of the family home can still be seen there today.

You can get an idea of the size of what was likely a simple, single-storey home that the family of seven lived in.

Example of a 3rd class house

Details garnered from the 1901 Census Record creates a clearer picture of the ancestral family home that stood on this plot.  It was listed as a 3rd class house.



The walls were made of mud, wood or other perishable material, the roof was wooden or thatched.  There were two rooms and two windows in the front.  It's likely there would have been a cow shed or piggery attached.



It may have looked something like the one in this picture.


Patrick passed away in 1887, when he was 70 years old.  He had worked his small farm for 34 years.

By the time he died, Edward (Ned) the eldest son was 33 years old, and was still living on the family farm.  Mary, the eldest daughter had married, moved away and was raising a family of her own.  Owen (my great grandfather) was 28 years old and appears to have moved to England in search of work.  John was 25 and had married, but was still living on the family farm.  He and his wife emigrated to the U.S. the following year.  Ann (known as Nancy) was 23 years old and appears to have been still living at home on the farm.

Patrick was survived by his wife Sarah (then aged 66) and all of his five children.  By that time he also had 3 grandchildren by his daughter Mary.

 In Remembrance

At the time of my initial post (2019), I had not yet uncovered the record of is death.  Since then however, I have come across a record that does match my great great grandfather.

Patrick died on the 27th of March, 1887 at Ballintemple.  It's highly likely he had died at his home.  His son John was listed as the informant.  It seems Patrick had been suffering bronchitis for around five days and did not recover from that.  Understandably, dealing with bronchitis at the age of 70 in the late 1880s would likely result in death.  It would be my guess that Patrick would have been buried at the site of the old Killeavy Church, which was nearby.

I'm adding this updated post to my 'Family Anniversaries' page as an  In Remembrance  post, as today is the anniversary of my great great grandfather's passing.

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, 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.

The Story of Sarah McCann

This is the story of my maternal Great Great Grandmother, Sarah McCann (1821? - 1907)

Sarah, aged 71,1892

I have not been fortunate in finding lots of detail about Sarah and her life, so the story I can create about her is going to be fairly brief.  I am extremely fortunate however to have come into possession of a photo of Sarah, albeit in her latter years.

It was an absolute surprise when a distant relative contacted me and was able to share this treasured item.  Whilst I have precious photos of my parents and grandparents on both my maternal and paternal sides, I have very, very few photos of any of my great grandparents, and very fewer of my great great grandparents!  So this photo came as a rather poignant surprise.

Map showing the Parish of Lower Killeavy, County Armagh

My 2x great grandmother Sarah was born in 1821 (working on the age listed on a census record from 1901).

I have not yet been successful in finding a birth / baptism record for Sarah, and I'm unlikely to find one, given the time period she would have been born in and the country.  It's extremely difficult to find Irish records of births, deaths and marriages in the early 1800s.



From information shared by distant relatives, it seems she was born in County Armagh, and baptised in the Lower Killeavy Parish (sometimes spelt Killevy).

Sarah was apparently known to close family as 'Sally' throughout her life.

It's likely she would have been baptised at one of the old Churches that can still be found (although in ruins) in the townland of Ballintemple, outside Newry.  The west church is the only surviving pre-Norman church in County Armagh, and the east church is medieval, probably dating from the 15th century.

Sarah married Patrick Muckian in December of 1853.  She was aged 32.  That does seem unusual for that time, as so many woman married around the age of 20.  I wonder why Sarah didn't marry until she was in her early 30s.  She would possibly have been considered an old maid in the townland of Ballintemple, and I would dearly love to know the circumstances around this!

Sarah's husband Patrick was also in his 30s, but slightly older.  He was aged 36 when he married.  They went on to have five children over the following ten years.

Edward was born in 1854.
Mary came along in 1856.
Owen (my great grandfather) was born in 1859.  Sarah was 38 years old.
John came along in 1862.
Ann (known as Nancy) was born in 1864.  By this time, Sarah was aged 43.

It seems that Sarah lived out the remainder of her life on the family farm.  The ancestral family home is no longer standing, but I know its location in Ballintemple, very close to the old churches, thanks to information passed on from my distant cousins.

Map of Ballintemple showing the ancestral family farm (red)
near the Killeavy Old Churches (yellow)

Photo courtesy of distant cousin Brian Rafferty

This photo shows the ancestral family farm, as it stands today, sadly no longer in the family.  Not much to see apart from the footprint of the family home.  It looks like it might have been quite an isolated spot for Sarah and her family back in the mid-to-late 1800s when they lived there.

Photo courtesy of distant cousin Brian Rafferty

This is the view from the ancestral family farm today.  I can only imagine how tough life would have been here during the long cold winter months, especially back then!  The life of a farmer's wife would have been tough and challenging.

It does appear though that Sarah might have had family, perhaps even close family members living close by.  According to the Griffith's Valuation of 1864 there were McCanns living on the land next to Sarah and Patrick's plot.

1864 Ordnance Map - plot no. 9 is my 2x grandparents, Sarah and Patrick's, plot
Green circle includes the plots of other McCann families (plots 7 & 8)
and another Muckian family (plot 10)

The Ordnance Map shows that m 2x great grandmother Sarah and my 2x great grandfather Patrick were living on the plot that's marked with a 9, whilst two McCann families were living on plots 7 & 8.  On plot 10 there was another Muckian family, possibly a close relative of Patrick's!  It seems feasible that the families were all eking out an existence side-by-side.

I have found out only a few other details about events in Sarah's life between her marriage and her death.

It seems her daughter Mary Elizabeth married Patrick McCabe in 1880 and left her childhood home to begin her married life.

Sarah's son John married Catherine Benett in 1887, and long afterwards it appears they both emigrated to the U.S.  According to family stories the family name Muckian became McKane for this branch of the family.

Sarah's husband passed away in mid 1887 at the age of 70.  They had been married for 33 years.

In the following year, 1888, her son Owen (my great grandfather) emigrated to Australia.  The family surname became McCane in Australia.  Owen married my great grandmother Margaret Farrell in 1892.

Sarah's daughter Ann (known as Nancy) had married in 1891.  She and her husband Patrick Barry began their married life close by in Ballynalack.

Sarah's eldest son Edward married Mary Anne Mallon in 1892.  The wedding photo passed down through the generations has been a godsend, as it shows Edward and his mother Sarah, who would have been aged about 71 at the time.  This photo is a rare gem.

Sarah Muckian (nee McCann) and her son Edward on his wedding day 1892

Apparently, according to my distant relatives, it was customary for the groom to be photographed with his mother on his wedding day, and of course his wife, although a photo of Edward and wife Mary Anne has not yet surfaced!

By 1901, Sarah was still living on the family farm, but with her son Edward, his wife Mary and their family of five children.  Sarah was listed as the 'head' of the family on the 1901 census, and owner of the farm.

At that time Sarah was 80 years old.  The record states that she was not able to read, and obviously not able to write her name either as evidenced by the note at the bottom of the page "her mark".

Sarah didn't make it to her 90s as she was not listed on the 1911 census alongside her son Edward on the family farm.  

This death record states that Sarah Muckian died on the 26th of March at Ballintemple, presumably at her home on the family farm.  The death was reported by her son Edward.  All these details certainly sound like a match for my great great grandmother, apart from the fact that her age was listed as 66!!!  

That would be twenty years out by my reckoning, if I use the 1901 Census Record as a guide.  It would also mean that she would have been only 12 on her wedding day and would have given birth to her eldest son Edward when she was 13!   All of this leads me to believe that Sarah's age on this record was most definitely incorrect!

Apart from that fact, I think there are enough matching details for me to say that the record is correct in stating that my great great grandmother died in 1907.  She was however 86 years old.  The cause of death was listed as 'influenza', which she had suffered for 21 days.  Sadly, this probably means the end was not lovely and peaceful for my 2x great grandmother.  It sounds as though she was probably very ill at the end and her passing might have been a godsend.

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, 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.

The Story of Michael Farrell

This post tells the story of my maternal Great Great Grandfather, Michael Farrell (1834 - 1917).  

Photo shared by Lawrie McCane

There are differences in the ages recorded on Michael's marriage record and his death record, but his baptism record showed that my great great grandfather was born in November of 1834.  

His father was Thomas Farrell and his mother was Anne Conoly.

Baptism Register Nov 4 1834 - Michael Farrell - Diocese of Ardagh - Kiltoghart Parish, County Leitrim

Michael's church baptism record shows he was baptised on the 4th of November in the Carrick-on-Shannon district of the Kiltoghert Parish in County Leitrim, Ireland.

I have not been able to track down any records that could provide the names of any siblings born either before or after Michael, nor do I have any information about the life of his parents (my 3x great grandparents). 

I did a bit of research about the Kiltoghert Parish though and found this little gem of a passage written in 1837, just a few years after the birth of Michael.

It gives a bit of a picture of the area itself and the size of the townlands at that time.

"KILTOGHART, a parish, in the barony and county of LEITRIM, and province of CONNAUGHT; containing, with part of the post-town of Carrick-on-Shannon, and the villages of Drumshambo, Leitrim, and Jamestown, 16,434 inhabitants.

It comprises 20,669 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £11,942 per annum: the land is chiefly under tillage, and there is much bog and mountain, also quarries of freestone and limestone.Part of the mountain Slieve-an-irin and several small lakes are in this parish, in which rise the hills of Sheemore, said to contain caves of considerable depth. There is a church at Carrick-on-Shannon, and one in Drumshambo. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms two unions or districts, one called Kiltoghart and Gowel, which has chapels at Carrick-on-Shannon, Jamestown, and Gowel; the other called Kiltoghart-Murhane, which has a chapel at Murhane.There are twelve public schools. About 1000 children are educated in these schools, and about 100 in three private schools. At Port are the remains of a monastery, which was converted into a castle to command the ford across the Shannon."
from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.

Not long after this description was published however, life for the majority of people living in this area was about to take a tragic turn!

Looking into the history of County Leitrim, and Carrick-upon-Shannon in particular, between 1845 to 1852  (the years of The Great Hunger). resulted in the creation of a vivid picture of the circumstances for most of the population living there at that time.  

Leitrim was one of the most underdeveloped and deprived parts of Ireland before the Great Hunger, and then it suffered a dreadful fate.  In 1845 County Leitrim experienced its first devastating potato blight.  Then in 1846, the potato crop failed completely in the area around Carrick-upon-Shannon.  This resulted in widespread illness, rampant starvation and death.  

The Carrick-upon-Shannon workhouse, planned as part of 1838's Poor Law and built in 1841, had become overcrowded very quickly by 1845.  Whilst it had the capacity for up to 800 inmates, scores of forlorn people would keep turning up every week and the situation became desperate, with up to 12 deaths or more every week.

In an excerpt taken from the Ireland Reaching Out website ...

"During the famine years, Carrick-on-Shannon suffered greatly. By the end of 1846, the workhouse was bursting at the seams, with the inmates lacking food, clothing, proper sanitation, and having only straw for bedding. Diseases such as dysentery and typhus were rife and a dozen deaths a week were occurring. At the end of 1846, the Quaker James Tuke visited a number of workhouses and reported:

I have already stated that owing to the want of funds, great difficulty exists in many Unions in providing for the inmates. The worst which I visited was that of Carrick-on-Shannon (which opened in 1842); it is in a miserable state and the doors were closed against further admissions; and although built for 700 had but 280 inmates; gates were besieged by seventy or eighty wretched beings who in vain implored for admission. Numbers of them were in various stages of fever, which was terribly prevalent in the neighbourhood, and the fever-shed overcrowded. Two months before my visit, the doors of the workhouse were opened and the inmates expelled, entailing upon them the most dire misery."

I can only assume that they Farrell family, along with so many others, probably ended up is quite dire circumstances when faced with the harsh reality of life in a famine-stricken land.  The family might have attempted to gain entry into the workhouse, perhaps successfully, or they might have ended up like many others living rough, outdoors under bridges or trees, wherever they could find shelter.  

Victims of the Irish Potato Famine arriving in Liverpool, Eng.;
illustration in the Illustrated London News, July 6, 1850.

Whilst soup kitchens were set up in Carrick-upon-Shannon around 1847, they went a very little way in alleviating some of the hunger.  

Disease was extremely difficult to eradicate in these circumstances as well, and so it was that leaving Ireland became a necessary option for so many.

It seems that Michael was one of those who made the decision to leave Ireland (at some point before he turned 30) and he never returned.

It appears he made his way to Scotland where, in January of 1865, Michael Farrell married Susan Downey (spelt Downie on the record of marriage).  They were married in the Parish of Hawick in the County of Roxburgh in Scotland.  

Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland

When I found this record, my immediate thoughts were  ... 

What was Michael doing in Scotland? 

How long had he been in Scotland?  

I have surmised that either Michael left Ireland with his parents and possibly siblings when he was young; or Michael left home as an adult and went to Scotland for work.  Either way, it seems he became one of the many millions of Irish who went off in search of a better life.  

Hawick was at that time the centre of a thriving textile industry.  As described in John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles, dated 1887, "Hawick is a manufacturing town ... an ancient place ... now the chief seat of the hosiery manufacturing and one of the chief seats of woollen manufacturing in Scotland."

Looking more closely at the information provided on the marriage record it appears that the parents of both Michael and his wife (my 2x great grandmother) Susan were deceased by 1865 and the witnesses did not appear to be family members.  Were Michael and Susan by themselves in Scotland by this stage?  

Whatever the circumstances, Michael was living and working in Scotland in 1865.  Interestingly, the age recorded on his marriage record appears to be wrong.  It states he was 24 years of age, but having been baptised in 1834 it's not possible he would have been in his early 20s in 1865!  He would have actually been 30 years of age when he married Susan.  

In November of that same year, Michael became a father for the first time.  

My great grandmother Margaret was born in 1865.  Her birthplace was recorded as Newcastle-Upon-Tyne though, so that means Michael and Susan had left the border town of Hawick in Scotland and moved to north-eastern England.  

Perhaps they had gone in search of a better-paying job or more permanent employment.  

Michael and his wife Susan stayed in north-eastern England for the next 22 years and went on to have eight more children.  

After Margaret's birth in 1865, Thomas was born in 1868.

Michael was born in 1870.

Helen Ann came along in 1872.

Elizabeth was born in 1873.

Sadly, that same year, Michael and Susan lost their second-born son Michael. He died at the age of 3.

Another son was born in 1876, and he was also named Michael.

Patrick Joseph was born in 1878.

James was born in 1880.

Then Matthew Felix came along in early 1887.

Census records of 1871 show that Michael, his wife Susan, and their first three children, Margaret, Thomas and Michal, were living in Hinde House in the township of Holmside, County Durham.  

This means the family had moved from Sandgate in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where their first child Margaret had been born.  They had also moved from the birthplace of the two other children, Thomas and Michal, who had both been born in East Field Cottage near Holmside.

Why was the family moving around so much? Was it because that's where work was to be found or was it because change in circumstances meant they need somewhere more affordable to live?  Or both?  In 1871 there was another family living with them - a Bridget Heamey, recorded as a lodger, and her three small children.  

That means there were 3 adults and 6 children under the age of 6 likely living in one or two rooms.  Obviously things were tough for Michael and his family, given that they had taken in a lodger with children in such a small house.  Was the lodger a relative?  Or was she just someone providing much needed extra income?

Michael's occupation at that time was listed as Coke Worker.  An interesting insight into the lives of the working Irish who moved to Durham comes from Robert Moore's book Pitmen, Preachers and Politics, published in 1974.  He stated that 

"With the sinking of the shafts in mid-Durham, new jobs were found for Irishmen, again the heavy labouring involved in shaft sinking.  Once the shafts were sunk, the Irish were employed in labouring and on the coke-ovens ... Only slowly were the Irish able to gain skilled, piece-rate jobs at the face."  

Michael was one of those labouring Irish, the poorest paid, and it doesn't appear as if Michael ever worked his way up the ranks to the lofty heights of coal-face coal miner.  

According to the census records of 1881, Michael was by then employed as a 'coke drawer - burner'.  Essentially his job would have been to draw out the finished coke from the retort in which coal was heated to produce coke.  

Coke drawer working at a coke oven

He would have scraped the scorching hot coke out of the coke oven using an iron rod (known as a scraper), fork it into a wheelbarrow, and then push the wheelbarrow to a railroad car and emptied the hot coke into the car.  It would have been strenuous and dangerous work.  The only saving grace would have been that he was working above ground and not in the dark depths of a coal shaft.

By 1881 Michael, his wife Susan, and family of  6 children were living at House No.140 in the hamlet of Havanna, near the village of Stanley.  The coke ovens of the Stanley Colliery were nearby.  The Farrell family also had a lodger living with them, probably paying a very small amount of rent for the privilege of having a roof over his head.  

It appears that Michael's eldest daughter Margaret (my great grandmother) had left home at this stage and was working as a live-in domestic servant at a house in the same street, but at the "posh end".

Example of miner's row housing

There were 160 houses in the hamlet of Havanna, and most of the residents worked for the coal mine nearby, living in pitrow or miner's row housing - long rows of one or two room houses on either side of a street.  Living conditions would have been cramped and unsanitary and the tenants would have been classed as "the working poor".

No surprise then that Michael and his family made the decision to emigrate to Australia.  No doubt they were convinced it would be their only chance to build a better life and the long journey offered the promise of a rosier future.

Looking at the immigration passenger list record, I once again have to question the age recorded for my 2x great grandfather.  If he was supposedly aged 38 when emigrating in 1887, then he would have been 16 when he got married in 1865, and 17 when his first child was born.  Whilst I know this is possible, it is not the reality.


Given that I tracked down the baptism record with the exact names of the parents who were listed on Michael's marriage record, then I think it's more correct to say that at the age of 52 Michael, his wife Susan and their children Thomas (aged 18), Elizabeth (aged 12), Michael (aged 10), Patrick (aged 8), James (aged 5) and baby Matthew (incorrectly listed as another Michael) only aged 4 months, left London on August the 10th 1887 headed for Australia. 

My great great grandfather's two eldest daughters, Margaret (my great grandmother) and Helen, had already emigrated in 1886.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find out any details about the trip of the 'Cheybassa' from London to Townsville in late 1887, other than the fact that the ship arrived safely in the port of Townsville on the 28th of September after a six-week voyage, and then sailed on to Brisbane.

Michael and his family disembarked in Townsville and would have taken a train out to Charters Towers where they met up with their two daughters who had been working there for over a year.  Charters Towers was to be Michael's home for the remainder of his life.

I don't have much more information about Michael's life after he settled in Charters Towers, apart from a few details gleamed from electoral roll records for the years 1903, 1908 and 1913.  Michael was living at Bridge Street in Charters Towers for each of those years - so it's safe to say that was probably the family home that Michael and Susan established not long after they arrived in the town.  

The 1895 City Directories record lists Michael Farrell and his occupation is recorded as: Miner.

Michael would have been 61 years old in 1895 so it appears that he began working in the mines soon after he arrived in Charters Towers and then worked in mining for at least nine years.

Information just recently gleaned from "The History of Queensland, its people & industries" Vol. 111, compiled by Matt. J. Fox (published 1919-1923) provides confirmation that Michael was employed in the mining industry.  

While researching the husband of Michael's daughter Elizabeth, Frank Shaw, I found mention of Michael as Elizabeth's father:

"In the year 1897, he (Frank Shaw) married Elizabeth, daughter of the late Michael Farrell, who was one of the oldest representatives of the mining industry of Charters Towers, where he was connected with Municipal affairs in the most flourishing days of the town."

On each of the 1903, 1908 and 1913 electoral roll records, Michael's occupation was listed as 'labourer', so he remained fairly active well into his early 80s.

Information found in the obituary for Michael provides more information about Michael's employment, for the years mentioned above - 1903, 1908 and 1913.

Extract from the obituary:

"He had resided on this field (meaning in Charters Towers) for 31 years, and for 14 years of that period he was employed at the waterworks."

So it sounds as if Michael worked as a miner during his 50s and early 60s, after arriving in Charters Towers, and then he changed to less physically demanding work when he reached his mid-60s.  In those days of course most men worked their entire lifetime, if possible.  That definitely seems to be the true in Michael's case.

Michael was very fortunate to have his family close while he lived.  

His sons remained in Charters Towers during Michael's lifetime, as evidenced in the 1913 electoral roll record - two worked as miners (Thomas and Patrick) and one (Michael Jnr.) was an auctioneer.  The second youngest son, James (known as Jim) had moved on and left Charters Towers to gain employment.  The youngest son Matthew was living at home with his parents as well.

Two of Michael's daughters also remained living in Charters Towers for many years after they had married, and Michael got to know many of his grandchildren.

Helen, the second eldest daughter, married in 1890, and remained in Charters Towers until around 1910.  She gave birth to nine children, although one passed away when only a few days old.

My great grandmother Margaret (Michael's eldest daughter) married in 1892, continued living and raising her family of seven children in Charters Towers until just after Michael died. 

Tragically, one of Margaret's children (Michael's grandson Edward) died as a result of a drowning accident when he was 8 years old. 

Elizabeth, Michael's youngest daughter, married in 1897, but moved away soon after with her husband to the Innisfail area.

Michael's oldest son, Thomas, lived with his parents up until they both passed.  He did not marry.

Michael's second oldest son, Michael (named after his father), married in 1901. He and his wife went on to have six children, and Michael Jnr. worked as an auctioneer for his lifetime.

I have been unable to find out much about the lives of the younger sons, James, Matthew and Patrick over this period of time, but all three enlisted to fight in First World War and their war records indicate their professions before the war.  Both James and Matthew had 'hairdresser' listed as their occupation, but I do know that Matthew had been working on a station named Bluff Downs, just outside Charters Towers for a while before he enlisted.  Patrick's occupation was listed as 'iron moulder' and he was living in Bundaberg at the time of his enlistment.

My great great grandfather Michael lived long enough to see these three sons enlist and sail off to fight in World War 1, but not for much longer after that.  His second youngest son James enlisted first, in January 1916.  His youngest son Matthew enlisted next, in July of 1916.  Then Patrick enlisted in November of that same year.  

Son, Patrick Farrell

Sadly, Michael's son Patrick was killed in action less than a year later in Belgium, in September of 1917.

Michael died just two months later in November of 1917.  His death was apparently the result of injuries caused by a fall.  I'm not sure what type of fall it was or of the circumstances around this event, despite endless searches of newspapers of the time.  

Michael Farrell died at the age of 83, just a few days after his birthday.  The cause of death on his death certificate is recorded as: accidental fractured neck of femur, pulmonary congestion and heart failure.  Falling at his age had a catastrophic effect.

Michael was buried at the Charters Towers Cemetery.

An obituary was published in the local newspaper on the 20th of November, but then the newspaper added an extra piece the following day to correct their error in recording the number of Michael's offspring.

The newspaper had stated that Michael was survived by two sons and three daughters, when in fact there were still four surviving sons.  

Two sons were listed as serving overseas.  They mentioned Patrick had been killed in action, but then listed the second son as "Matthew James".   This was basically a combination of the names of two other sons - Michael and James - who were both still serving overseas.  The newspaper had also neglected to mention the names of the other older sons, Michael (named after his father) and Thomas (the eldest son).

These errors were corrected the following day, so that all Michael's sons were correctly identified.

The newspaper also added more personal details, such as the name of Michael's wife, the number of grandchildren they had, and the fact that Michael was quite hail and hearty even in his 70s, when he was apparently walking the 8-mile journey from his workplace to his home on the weekends.    

Michael Farrell and Susan Farrell nee Downey
(Photo shared by Lawrie McCane)

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, 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.