The story that has come down to me from my distant American cousins is that 1847 was a significant year for the Kelly family. John, Catherine, Susan and Mary arrived in America in that year following the death of their parents in the Great Famine. Census and marriage records provide some information on the ages…
All posts in Geography
Jessie – early days
On the 1880 census for Marshall, Calhoun County, Michigan, Jessie Kelly appears as a ten year old child. She is living with her Aunt Susan (born around 1840, in Ireland), Uncle Jeremiah Cronin (born around 1831 in New York) and their six children. Also in the household is Anna McHugh, the eldest daughter of John…
Jessie and Jesse
According to a correspondent in America, John McHugh and his wife Catherine (nee Kelly) moved from Michigan to Missouri in March 1873. Initially, they stayed with Catherine’s brother John on his farm. In the 1960s this farm was owned by John’s grandson Jesse East. I found an obituary for Jesse Clarence East who died in…
Back to backs
It can be difficult to comprehend the level of overcrowding in Daw Green, Dewsbury at the end of the 19th century. The distance between the two circles on Princess Street is about 120 yards (110m). This was an area of very high density housing. The National Library of Scotland website offers a useful facility to…
War or Peace
In July 1914, the national newspapers in England were worried about the prospect of a looming conflict. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand (pictured) had taken place in Sarajevo on 28th June. Whether through deliberation on the part of some, or neglect on the part of others, this event led to the Great War. But the…
Contribution of Ireland in the Great War
Many years ago, I asked a work colleague what prompted his interest in the Great War. He said that he had become aware of how much the world had changed in those four years. The map of Europe had been redrawn. The social changes were even more dramatic. Things could never return to the old…
Education
I know nothing about Patrick’s life between his birth in Roscommon in March 1883 and August 1902, when he joined the Militia in Dewsbury. I cannot find him on any of the census returns for 1901. My Father relayed a vague story about Patrick being a cabin boy at some point. This is perfectly possible.…
Name mutations
Mary Cannan first appeared as a visitor in ‘Room at the Inn’. A subsequent blog (Mary Cannan) explored her story in more detail. At the time there were gaps in the story: she seems to disappear. I have investigated in more detail and now have a reasonably complete story. The key was looking for sufficiently…
More Indians
As covered in ‘Late 1915’, there were many hospitals treating wounded servicemen in Brighton. From an architectural point of view, the most interesting building pressed into medical service was the Royal Pavilion. Started in 1787 as a seaside retreat for the Prince of Wales (later King George IV), it features an astonishing mix of styles:…
Late 1915
When Patrick returned from service in India in October 1910 he went back to Dewsbury. So where did he go after insisting on his discharge in October 1915? He headed south. He went back to the town that he first saw almost exactly a year before: Brighton. Originally, he arrived on a stretcher. His recuperation…