The
Family History of TIMOTHY HURLEY
This
is the Timothy Hurley who was the father of the Catherine Hurley who married a
John Hickey in London in 1869, then emigrated to South Australia in 1876, as
his name is on her marriage certificate under “Father”, and as being still
alive.
While
Timothy would have had to descend from one of the old Hurley family groups that
had multiplied and scattered through West Cork between about 1700 and 1800 (say
4 generations), there is no clear records that link “this” Timothy Hurley back
to any of them. But the historical records that do exist at least provide some
possibilities for his personal life story...
Some
facts and some reasonable guesses
First,
his daughter’s date of birth...
Using
the only 4 dated records that carry (what is said to be) her age, his daughter
Catherine was variously born...
11/7/1842
to 10/7/1843 – a Catholic, in Co Cork, Ireland (from her death certificate).
8/4/1844
to 7/4/1845 - in Co Cork, Ireland, at a place written down as
"Hairech" (as heard, as she was illiterate) by the English 1871
census-taker in Kent.
8/10/1846
to 7/10/1847 – but with no added relevant data (on the South Aust Ship Arrivals
records).
4/10/1847
to 3/10/1848 – When Catherine Hurley married John Hickey on 3/10/1869 in St
Mary of the Crays Catholic church in Dartford District, Kent, Catherine was
"21" (spinster), and John was "25" (bachelor, labourer),
both shown as living in "Northumberland Heath, Erith" (two parishes
away). Her father is shown as Timothy Hurley (labourer), and his father as
Andrew Hickey (deceased, labourer). The couple, and the witnesses Dennis
Driscoll and Ellen Dant, only "made their mark" (from her marriage
certificate).
Stated
ages are always rubbery, but Catherine’s last child was born in 1888 - 19 years
after her marriage - so in 1869 she could have been as old as 30, and she could
have been as young as say 16, making it somewhere between 1839 and 1853. So,
the above range of mid 1842 to late 1848 sounds okay.
One
of Catherine’s grandsons, who knew his grandfather John Hickey personally, said
that the old boy was born in 1839. If this is true, John would’ve been 30 at
his wedding, but “25” went on the certificate for whatever reason. But it’s
hard to believe that labouring class Irish born on the cusp of the famine, or
worse still during it, would have had any certainty about a birth year. The
“25” and “21” sound suspiciously like good guesses.
Sometimes
oral history helps...
Catherine
Hurley’s daughter Jane (born in Adelaide just after arrival in 1877) often said
that “...our family was important once, we had land and castles and
everything.” But this is probably true for any descendants of West Cork
Hurleys, as most would be from those “old” pre-1650 land-holding families.
 |
| Bantry Bay - "a little piece of Heaven" |
Jane
also said something about Bantry Bay, someone’s personal and clear observation
about hearing across the water, the home-coming fishermen singing when the
catch had been good. This would most likely have been told to Jane by her
mother Catherine, who either saw it first-hand, or was herself told it by
someone close. And this was NOT some piece of common “folk-lore” as no
reference can be found to it in old records. So, if Catherine never went to
Bantry and saw this for herself, someone she knew well must have.
So,
the hunt begins...
Birth
- Catherine’s father Timothy would’ve been born (if he married young, say 20)
as late as 1827, but (if he married late, say 30), could’ve been born as early
as 1797.
Marriage
– He would’ve married some time before her birth (variously 1842- 1848).
Assuming she was the last of a 20 year spread of children, then her father’s
marriage was say 1827. On the other hand, if she was first born, then he
would’ve married say 1847.
Death
– All we know for sure is that Timothy was still alive when Catherine married
in late 1869.
So
- born say 1797 to 1827.
- married say 1827 to 1847.
- died say 1869 to 1910. (Based on from
right after the wedding, or if he lived to say 90-odd. And going through the
Civil Records for Deaths, some of these old-timers did).
On
her marriage certificate her father is a “Labourer” and she only made her mark.
On average, going by marriage certificates (tested using Dunmanway parish for
the 1860-1880 period), it’s more likely that daughters of a “Farmer” signed,
but the daughters of a “Labourer” made her mark, but some exceptions can be
found both ways. Also, checking civil death certificates, widows are nearly
always described as “Farmer’s widow” or “Labourer’s widow”.
This
clear distinction between a “Farmer” and a “Labourer” on all of these civil
documents, suggests that a “Farmer” was at least a tenant land-holder, and a
“Labourer” just worked for one.
So,
assume Timothy was a labourer, probably with a tied cottage on a rural
property, and was most likely Co Cork born and Catholic the same as his
daughter. And there is no evidence in the England Census Returns, or Deaths,
that he emigrated there.
The
“Where Born” in the 1871 UK Census, shows Catherine as “Hairech, Co Cork”, a
place written down as heard phonetically by the English census-taker, as
neither Catherine nor John could read or write. A Cork City Librarian (local
history section), and a Kerry schoolteacher who has Irish as his first
language, both suggested that a two-syllable place like “Gearagh”, or “Derragh”
could sound like “Hairech” when spoken by an uneducated Irish country girl and
heard by an Englishman.
The
Contenders
From
the scant facts from her marriage certificate and that 1871 UK Census, 12
posibilities have been extracted from the “Church Records” section of the
website Irishgenealogy.ie, based only on...
[1] being Catherine (Cath, Cathn, Cate,
Kate, in records that still exist, as there are surely some missing, especially
during the ‘45-‘52 Famine) baptised to a Timothy Hurl(e)y in Co Cork,
[2] in the date range of 1842 to 1848 (with
a 4 year buffer each end for good measure).
One is clearly the most likely. (For the workup
notes to the other 11 contenders see the separate file “Hurley Contenders”).
3/6/46
– A Catherine Hurley was baptised to a Timothy Hurley & Kate Daly, in
“Cahcup” townland in Caharagh parish, Co Cork.
Caheragh
is a big parish in West Cork, SW of Drimoleague, between Bantry and Skibbereen
(see map below), and – checking the original church records - the transcribed
“Cahcup” is actually “Caheragh”, the townland.
Caheragh
– parish and townland - is pronounced “Ca-hair-ugh” or “Ca-heer-ugh”,
believably close to the “Hairech” that the Census-taker heard when he asked
Catherine Hurley where she was born. (He wrote down “Kilmene” for John,
implying his actual birth parish of Kilmeen).
Catherine’s
parents?
From
all of the scraps, the best bet for this Catherine’s parents would be...
7/2/1826
(it was a Tuesday) - a Timothy Hurley of Dunmanway married a Kate Daly
(servant) in Drimoleague par, witnesses John Daly and Tim Daly. (And this fits
well with the Daniel baptism below).
If
they were say 20-30, then they would’ve been born about 1795-1805, but there’s
no apparent baptism records for either of them.
 |
| The three parishes that seem to have been the territory of Timothy and Kate |
In
the background during their early days...
In
1816 there was a potato crop failure, with famine and typhus killing 50,000.
In
1821 there was another potato crop famine, the effects lasting for two years.
In
1823 the Tithe Applotment Survey began. This was a survey of all holders of
agricultural land (whether owner or tenant, Catholic or Protestant) for
payments to support the Protestant Church Of Ireland.
In
1826 the Irish weaving industry collapsed causing mass unemployment in the
cities and riots in Dublin. (The population was about 7 million and still
growing by then, but only 5% were qualified to vote).
So,
is this their family?
Searching
the Irish Church Records (nominating NO place) between 1826 and 1850, for any
children of a Timothy Hurley and Kate Daly, gives only these six hits, every
one a good possibility...
6/1/1827 – Daniel, in Mohony townland,
Dunmanway par, sp Corl Hurley, Biddy Horgan. (Mohona is in Fanlobbus par, just
below Dunmanway town).
31/1/1830 - Mary, Drimoleague par, sp Derby
Daly, Peggy Grace.
30/6/1833 – Tim, Drimoleague par, sp Denis
Leary, ??
23/10/1836 – John, Drimoleague par, sp
Jeremiah Daly, Peg Daly.
12/10/1839 – Mick, Drimoleague par, sp Tim
Daly, Kath Butler. (Drimoleague parish seems to be equal to the “Dromdaleague”
parish in some records).
3/6/1846 – Catherine, at Cahcup, Caharagh
par, sp Denis Daly, Nory Hurley (which is 7 years after the last one on record,
and Kate Daly would’ve been about 40).
Witnesses
and sponsors
Assuming
the marriage witnesses and the baptism sponsors above would’ve probably been
established adults (especially the baptism sponsors) at the time of the Tithes
Survey (mid 1820s), what can they add?...
1826
– Timothy and Kate’s marriage in Drimoleague
Witnesses
were John Daly and Tim Daly. There’s only four Daly hits in Timothy’s own
parish of Fanlobbus, including a John with a decent 111 acres in Clontaquirk,
right by Dunmanway town. There are NO Dalys at all in Drimoleague parish where
they married, but a few in Caheragh, in the next parish west, including a John
(with a Jeremiah) Daly in Dromoureen, and a Tim Daly in Garrane, each with
fairly decent properties.
1827
- Daniel’s baptism in Drimoleague
Sponsors
were Corl Hurley and Biddy Horgan. There’s no Cornelius Hurleys in Drimoleague,
but there is a few just north of Dunmanway. There’s no Horgans at all in
Fanlobbus, Drimoleague, or Caheragh. The biggest nearby concentration is in
Kilmichael, just north of Dunmanway.
1830
– Mary’s baptism in Drimoleague
Sponsors were Derby Daly and Peggy Grace.
There’s no Derby Dalys in all of Co Cork. The nearest significant Graces are in
Drinagh parish, a few in Fanlobbus, none Caharagh or Drimoleague.
1833
– Tim’s baptism in Drimoleague
Sponsors
were Denis Leary, but the other not recorded. There’s no Denis Leary in
Fanlobbus, Drimoleague, or Caheragh, the nearest are in Inchigeelagh and
Drinagh.
1836
– John’s baptism in Drimoleague
Sponsors
were Jeremiah Daly and Peg Daly. There’s a Jeremiah Daly (with John, refer the
marriage above) with a decent farm in Dromoureen in Caheragh, but nowhere else
close by. Peg surely belongs to either the Fanlobbus or Caheragh Dalys.
1839
– Mick’s baptism in Drimoleague
Sponsors
were Tim Daly and Kath Butler. This could be the same Tim Daly who was the
witness at their marriage. There’s quite a spread of Butler hits in Co Cork,
but none in Fanlobbus, Drimoleague, or Caheragh, the biggest being way over in
Inishannon.
1846
– Catherine’s baptism in Caheragh
Sponsors
were Denis Daly and Nory Hurley. There’s no Denis Dalys even vaguely close to
the action in the Tithes, but in Griffiths there’s Denis Dalys with land in
Glanaphuca and Cloonclugga in Caheragh parish. ‘Nory’ must be short for Noreen,
and she could be attached to any of the many local Hurleys.
Who
was Timothy?
The
Timothy Hurley above was from Dunmanway (in the middle of Fanlobbus parish),
and he married the servant girl Kate Daly in Drimoleague in 1826, which is the
adjoining parish west, the church being about 12kms away from Dunmanway. That’s
not unusual as there’s several other instances in the same period of Dunmanway
lads marrying in Drimoleague parish.
In
the Tithes (1826, probably immediately after this Timothy married), there are
ONLY four Hurley hits in Dunmanway townland (Fanlobbus par), all the same Timothy,
who’s holding 8 acres over two lots.
These
are valued at ₤12, which is in the small-to-modest range (the biggest holding
in the townland is 75 acres) and might just qualify him as “Farmer”. The bottom
of the heap is valued at ₤1, where you’d expect to see the “Labourers” with
only a cottage and a small garden plot.
So,
IF this is the Timothy who married Kate Daly, he would probably have been about
30, which is common in the records, as they didn’t have enough “prospects”
before this age. But maybe 8 acres was enough?
However,
he must’ve then lost this modest grip on “Farmer” status somewhere as, by 1869
when Catherine marries, he’s a “Labourer” – keeping in mind the devastating
effects of The Famine from 1845 to 1852 when more than rented acres were lost.
And
what’s the Daly connection?
No
idea if this has any bearing, but from “Irish Marriage Customs” (in the early
19th Century) online...
“Irish
marriage customs usually dictate that the marriage took place in the parish of
the bride, but this regulation allows the marriage to take place in the parish
in which the bride was residing, not necessarily the parish in which she was
born.
“A
servant maid continuing to reside in her master’s house or Parish, after the
expiration of her service, or who has obtained a release from her engagement
with a view to her being married, is at liberty to marry either in the house of
her parents, or in the Parish of her actual residence.”
In
the Tithes (1826) for Fanlobbus parish, the Dalys are thin on the ground, but
those that are there have biggish holdings - John Daly has a decent 111 acres
in Cloontaquick townland abutting Dunmaway to the west, Thos & Wm 210 acres
in Derrylahan (just to the north), and Danl “and 3 sons” 220 acres in
Lisheenleigh (well to the north). Hard to see Kate Daly working as a servant
girl in the next parish if she belongs to one of these, but possible.
While
there’s NO Dalys at all in the Tithes for Dromdaleague (Drimoleague) parish
where Kate and Timothy married (with a John and a Tim Daly in attendance -
surely close relatives of Kate), there are a few in Caheragh, the next parish
west...
Honoria
Daly has a cottage (looks like a widow) in Cullomane East (which is on the
north side of the R586 in the middle of the parish) - Jeremiah and John Daly
have 157 acres together in Dromoureen (immediately under Cullomane East, also
on the main road) - and Tim Daly has 132 acres with 3 partners in Garrane (down
in the centre of the parish), each fairly decent holdings. As there’s a John
and a Tim amongst them, it’s far more likely it’s these Dalys that Kate is
attached to. But possibly they’re related to the Dunmanway Dalys up the road,
which may have provided the “connector” between Timothy Hurley and Kate Daly in
the first place.
Then
the children start to arrive
The
Daniel bapt in Jan 1827, just 11 months after the marriage above, is believable
as their first born. But they’re living in Mohona townland at that time, 1km
south of Dunmanway township, implying they settled there soon after marriage,
even though there’s no Dalys or Hurleys amongst the neighbours. But without
land records, it’s hard to say if Timothy still had a few acres or not. One
thing seems obvious, Timothy didn’t stay on his modest 8 acres just above the
town (IF that was him), but right from marriage seems to be on the move
westwards, suggesting he either always was a “Labourer” for hire, or lost his
small grip on land tenure early.
From
Mohona, between 1827 and 1830, they moved one parish west into Drimoleague
(Dromdaleague) parish where they’d been married, and over the next 12 years
Mary, Tim, John, and Mick were all baptised there each 3 years apart. Again,
with no land records 1830-1839, it’s hard to say why they moved here, as
there’s NO Dalys at all in the Tithes (c.1825) for the whole parish. But there
are 3 or 4 Hurleys, with modest holdings of 7-27 acres.
In
the meantime, in the background
1831
– the so-called “Tithes War” began in Co Kilkenny and spread, with 17 policeman
killed.
1832
– A cholera epidemic.
1834
– The first Irish railway opened, between Dublin and Dun Laoghaire.
1836
- The English Poor Law Commissioner visited Ireland and recommended an Irish
Poor Law, allowing for the creation of workhouses... to help transition the
economy and 'shape the Irish character'.
1837
– The Commissioner visited Ireland again and admited that poverty was more
extensive than he had believed.
1838
– The Tithes were abolished and replaced with a “less onerous fixed rent”.
1839
- The “Big Wind” caused destruction all over the country.
1841
– The Census shows population is now over 8.1 million
1845
- The great potato blight arrived in Wexford and Waterford.
1845
- A (very small) extract from - “EVICTIONS IN KENNEIGH & BALLYMONEY - OPEN
LETTER TO THE EARL OF BANDON” - (signed by “AN OBSERVER – Kenneigh.”)
 |
| Typical eviction scene during the Famine |
“In
my last letter I informed your Lordship that I knew your Kenneigh and
Ballymoney tenantry well! – would to God! that you, their landlord, knew them
half so well; then would your undoubted good nature make you retain, endear to
you, not cast from your poor Catholics, whose only fault is their strong,
steady, unflinching attachment to the religion of their forefathers. ‘God help
the poor’ is often said nowadays. I particularize the phrase, and say – ‘God
help the poor Catholics of Munigane! – what will the Murphys, the Crowlys, the
Hurlys, the Sullivans and Nyhan that your Agents dispossed the other day, of lands
and dwellings, that they and their fathers have occupied longer than your
Lordship’s Castle Bernard, do now?”
And
this was what Catherine was born into
In
June 1846, after a 7 year break (which could have contained lost babies), and a
bit over 20 years after their marriage, Catherine was baptised in Caheragh
parish, where they were living in Caheragh townland, which is about 3kms
southwest of Drimoleague town.
But
this was one year into the disastrous potato crop failures that would create a
human and cultural tragedy. Clips taken from various sources too vividly paint
the picture of what Timothy and Kate and their first five children – aged 7 to
19 - were about to go through, and then the new baby Catherine.
"One
market day; September 12, 1846, in Skibbereen, County Cork, an agricultural
centre, there was not a single loaf of bread or pound of meal to be had in the
town."
“Nov
1846 - Demand for food relief rocketed and panic spread. Skibbereen became
internationally notorious for its death rate. The government refused to open
the food depots.”
 |
| Desperate times and mindless bureaucracy |
“An
average of 286,000 people were employed every week on the public works.”
“By
September 25 the people at Clashmore, County Waterford were living on
blackberries, and at Rathcormack County Cork, on cabbage leaves. Serious riots
took place at Youghal where the sight of food being exported was unbearable to
the starving people... an enraged crowd tried to hold up a boat about to sail
laden with oats. Police sent for troops, who, with difficult, stopped the crowd
at Youghal Bridge. It was serious enough for the Under Secretary at Dublin
Castle, Mr. T.N. Redington, to be sent over to London to explain to the British
Government what had happened.”
“As
autumn turned to the winter of 1846, the wild foods on which people had existed
such as nettles, blackberries and cabbage leaves began to wither and children
began to die. Fifty per cent of children admitted to the workhouses after
October, 1846 died of ‘diarrhoea acting on an exhausted constitution.’”
“By
November 1846 famine had reached such a point that disorganisation began to set
in. Starving mobs of men roamed the countryside like wolves hunting for food.”
“The
pay clerks in East Carbery gave up their jobs rather than face turbulent
inhabitants and at Clonakilty the pay clerk was attacked and beaten.”
 |
| The 'Relief Roads To Nowhere' |
“When
a man names Denis McKennedy died on October 24 1846 while working on Road No.
1, in the western division of West Carbery at Caheragh, it was alleged he had
not been paid since October 10. A post mortem examination was carried out by
Dr. Daniel Donovan and Dr. Patrick Due, and death was pronounced to be the
results of starvation. There was no food in the stomach or in the small
intestines, but in the large intestine was a ‘portion of undigested raw
cabbage, mixed with excrement.’ At the coroner's inquest a verdict was returned
that the deceased ‘died of starvation caused by the gross neglect of the Board
of Works.’
By
now surely just a “Labourer”, Timothy and his family would’ve been amongst the
most vulnerable, dependant on limited handouts and “Public Works”, or support
from family and friends around them. Somehow Timothy and his daughter at least
survived, but how did her mother Kate and her brothers and sister fare? Records
for any other time are patchy enough, but during these horror years there was
little time for such niceties as recording deaths, as the mass burial pits all
over West Cork testify.
The
possible post-Famine lives of the children?
Early
deaths of the children? – there’s no obvious deaths of any of them up to age 30
in the Church Burial or the Civil Death Records.
‘Emigration’
to UK? – sailing off to an English port wasn’t emigration at all, simply an
internal commute, as Ireland was then simply part of the UK, and there’s no
records. But the UK Census of ’51 and ’61, and the marriage and death
registers, don’t indicate this was an option taken by any of them (except
Catherine).
Emigration
to Aust, NZ, Canada, USA? – not closely studied.
While
there’s probably more data to be gleaned on these, the surface scraps that have
been put together suggest that at least one or two survived the famine and
stayed on in West Cork...
Daniel
(bapt 1827) -
The
only likely marriage of a Daniel is to an Anne Murray in Mohona, Dunmanway
parish 7/2/1863 (when he would’ve been 36), witns John Sullivan, Cath McCarthy.
Mohona is the townland where the 1827 baptism Daniel was born. “Nancy” – refer
1901 Census below - is a very uncommon first name, but “Anne” always assembles
for a “Nancy” request in the Church database.
On
7/7/1839 an Anne Murray was bapt in Dromleena townland (immediately west of
Dunmanway) in Dunmanway par, so she would’ve been 24 at the above marriage. The
nearest Murrays in the Tithes (mid 1820s) are in Kilbarry, a big townland that
goes west from the Dunmanway town outskirts, and abuts Dromleena to the north.
In
the Griffiths (done in the mid 1850s when Daniel would’ve been 30) there’s a
Daniel Hurley in Kilronane West (which abuts Mohona to the east) in a House
& Garden on a block only about 25m x 25m, valued at the bottom of the
scale. The primary Lessor of his property was Rev Thomas Tuckey of Dromdaleague
House (who’d been the Protestant minister of the parish from 1817, and a big
landholder all over) in Dromdaleague townland, which sits on top of Drimoleague
town. This may or may not have any connection to Kate Daly’s time there as a
servant girl before her marriage in the parish in 1826.
On
29/4/1894, in the RC church in Dunmanway, a John Crowley 29 Tailor of
Dunmanway, father Michael (dec) Labourer, married a Mary Hurley 27 (=bn 1867,
which fits as a daughter of this Daniel) Servant, Kilronan (Kilronane), father
Daniel (living) Labourer. Witns Cornelius Coakley, Mary Anne Delea.
In
the 1901 Census for Fanlobbus, there’s a Daniel Hurley, 75 (=bn 1826, spot on)
of Mohona, Ag Labr, illit, in a rented house, with wife Nancy, 60 (=bn 1841),
lit, and their son Denis, 30 (=bn 1871), ag lab, single, lit. The house is a
modest 3 room “2nd Class” with 2 front windows, and 2 outbuildings.
A
Daniel Hurley died 23/2/1904 at Mohona (Dunmanway RD), aged 82 (=bn 1822),
married, “labourer”, informant his son Denis Hurley (signed with a cross).
In
the 1911 Census for Fanlobbus, there’s an Anne Hurley, 78 (=bn 1833) of Mohona,
widow, illit. She is living in the house of her dau Mary Crowley (nee Hurley),
43, (=bn 1868), a widow (of John Crowley, Tailor of Dunmanway, who died 1906,
aged 42), and her 4 children (age 4-15), and her brother Denis, 38 (=bn 1873),
farm labr, unm. This is a modest 4 room “2nd Class”, with 2 front windows, and
2 outbuildings.
An
Anne Hurley (there’s NO Nancy’s ANYwhere!) died 12/7/1918 at Mohona (Dunmanway
RD), 84 (=bn 1834), Labourer’s widow, informant her grandson Michael Crowley.
The
“Anne” and “Nancy” thing aside (and her wobbly age) between 1901 and 1911, this
is convincing as the Daniel Hurley (and his own family) who was bapt in 1827 to
Timothy and Kate.
Mary
(bapt 1830) –
Mary
is more elusive. IF she survived the famine, one of these may, or may not, be
her because of date, place, and witnesses...
30/1/1855
– A Mary Hurley (25?) married a Jeremiah Driscoll, in Drimoleague par, witns
Patk Hurley (cousin? uncle??) and Timy Hurley (brother?).
23/8/1855
– A Mary Hurley (25?) married a James DeCourcey of Dunmanway, in Drimoleague
par, witns Timy Hurley (brother?) and Edward DeCourcey.
11/11/1856
- a Mary Hurley (26?) was a witness at a marriage in Caheragh par, where the
marriage couple’s townland is partially down as “Derin...”, which could be
Dereenavarrihy (right beside Caheragh townland). But if this is her it would
eliminate the top two.
24/1/1861
– A Mary Hurley (31?) married a Patrick Collins of Dunmanway, in Drimoleague
par, witns Timothy Daly (cousin? uncle?) and John Hurley (brother?).
In
the 1901 Census there’s a Mary Collins, husb Patrick, Farmer, in Derrylahan
Fanlobbus (just north of Dunmanway). But her age is “66” when it should be
closer to 71, but Patrick is also “66”.
This
Mary Collins seems to reappear in the 1911 Census in Main St Dunmanway town as
a widow (now “76”), having been married for “45 years” and has 5 living
children (including unmarried son James 30 who lives with her), when it should
be more like 50 years married, but maybe the 45 is as at the death of Patrick
(in 1906?). But there’s enough here to be moderately convincing.
Timothy
(1833) -
Also
a hard one to pin down with any certainty...
8/2/1853
- A Timothy Hurley (he would’ve been only 20, so not likely) married a Mary
Shinnick in Drimoleague par, witns Danl Hurley (brother?) and James Shinnick.
There’s a James Shinnick in Griffiths in Clodagh townland, just east of
Drimoleague.
But,
can’t see a Timothy/Mary in the 1901 Irish Census.
30/1/1858
- A Timothy Hurley (he would’ve been a more believable 25) married a Julia
Spillane in Drimoleague par, witnesses Corns Connolly and Danl Spillane.
But,
can’t see a Timothy/Julia in the 1901 Irish Census either.
And,
can’t clearly see a Timothy death from 1853 to 1900, but many possible Timothys
are not imaged.
John
(1836) –
A
few scraps...
In
the 1901 Census there’s a John Hurley 66 (=bn 1835) in Castle St Dunmanway,
labr, wife Margt 55 (=bn 1846), Domestic. But after study these look like
they’re attached to the Dromdrasdil Hurleys.
Also
in 1901 Census John Hurley “70”, retired farmer, in Derreenacno Caheragh
parish, with wife Catherine “70”. In 1911 Census they’re still there together,
he’s “80” but she’s now “84”, married 59 years, 10 children, only 5 still
living. Derreenacro townland is just below the main road in the middle-west of
the Caheragh parish. But married 59 years means 1842 – when John was 6 years
old!
So,
neither of these are him. Or maybe he never married. But with no clear-cut
death records as an older man, have to wonder if John survived the famine, or
emigrated.
Michael
(bapt 1839) -
He
could be either (or neither) of these two marriages...
7/2/1861
- A Michael Hurley (he would’ve been 22, too young?) married a Julia Donovan in
Drimoleague par, witnesses Danl Hurley (brother?) and Owen Donovan. Can’t see a
reasonable Michael/Julia in 1901 Census. If this witness is his brother Daniel,
he would’ve been 34, and believable.
18/2/1862
- A Michael Hurley (he would’ve been 23, too young?) married an Honora Swiney
(both of Inchafune, Ballymoney, just east of Dunmanway), witnesses Timothy
Hurley (brother?) and Ellen Swiney. If this witness is his brother Timothy he
would’ve been 26, which sounds okay.
He
could also be either (or neither) of these two as well...
In
the 1901 Census there’s a Michael Hurley, 66 (=bn 1835), labourer, in
Ballyhalwick Fanlobbus (just east of Dunmanway), with wife Mary 68, and 4
unmarried children aged 20-40. But can’t see a reasonable Michael/Mary marriage
in the records.
Also
in the 1901 Census there’s a Michael Hurley 60 (=bn 1841), farmer, illit, in
Garryglass Drinagh (south of Dunmanway halfway to the N71), and his wife Honora
59, and 4 unmarried children 18-24. This could be the 1862 marriage couple
above, but can’t see them in the 1911 Census.
Catherine
(1846) –
The
most important thing is that there’s NO marriages of a Catherine Hurley in
Caheragh parish 1862-1875, and nothing that looks like her in the nearby ones
either (but bear in mind there are no confirming father’s names recorded in any
of them anyway).
Assuming
this is the right Catherine, then she must have left home for England in about
the 1864-1866 period (in her mid-teens, when her siblings would’ve been aged
25-35 and already having independent lives) and settled in the Erith area of
Kent in time to hook up with John Hickey and marry in late 1869.
As
the last daughter at home, you’d half expect she’d hang on to look out for her
parents (by now probably only in their mid-late-forties), so assume they had
enough wherewithal at the time to not dete her from leaving for London, most
likely with a batch of similar aged single locals or close relatives.
Timothy
and Kate’s latter years?
In
Griffiths (mid 1850s) there are plenty of Hurleys in Caheragh parish (a John
and a James Hurley have lots of property in Cullomane West), but there’s NO
Timothys. And he had to show up somewhere in Griffiths (unless he was a widowed
Lodger) as he was still alive in 1869.
There’s
a Timothy Hurley in Clashduff (now “Newtown West”) in Kilmocomoge, about 1km
just SW of Bantry town off the N71. It’s a basic 2/- rating house only, shared
with another tenant, sounding something like what a “Labourer” would have
immediately after the Famine. Catherine would’ve been about 10 years old, but
her siblings about 17-30 and (if they all actually survived the Famine) would
be more or less independent.
 |
| Is this Catherine's lane? |
This
house would have been on a small lane that goes into the back edge of Bantry
(and today lined with a mix of older stuff and modern bungalows), but on the
high ground approaching the town there are glimpses of the bay.
If this was where Catherine lived for some
years as a girl, it would explain the origin of the vivid memory her daughter
(Jane Hickey) passed on down to her own grandchild in the late 1940s, about
Bantry Bay being like a piece of heaven, and about the sound of the fishermen
across the water, singing as they came home if the catch had been good.
There’s
no obvious record of Kate’s death (and neither of them look like they got all
the way through to the 1901 Census), but there is one death record (of those
with images up, as there are others that look possibilites) – on 13/3/1885, a
Timothy Hurley of Caherdaniel (north of east by Bantry), a widower, 88,
“Labourer”, inf Kate Cadogan, Caherdaniel (illit).
As
uncertain as all of this is, the truth is that Timothy Hurley, the father of
Catherne Hurley, was once born in Co Cork, married, had children, lived,
worked, and died. For my money, this is him. And Kate.
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