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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Dublin => Topic started by: dermo on Thursday 06 June 13 11:06 BST (UK)
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A lot of the basic information I had at the start of my family research came from newspaper cuttings, mostly death notices, kept by my grandmother. Some seemed obscure but family connections emerged when they were pursued. One cutting, however, has eluded explanation as to the reason for its presence in the collection. It reads as follows:
"Dalkey servant missing - Mary A Quinn a servant at Atlanta, Coliemore road, Dalkey is reported missing. Her mistress found a note from the girl bidding farewell to her parents, who live in Co. Wexford."
The cutting is undated but from its placement in the collection I reckon it was from November or December 1918. The import of the cutting is obviously tragic, which is partly why I would like to know more. However, as far as I know my family has no Quinn or Wexford connections nor have I come across any connection with Dalkey. So I'm intrigued.
I am wondering if anyone with access to old newspaper archives can throw light on this.
Dermo
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dont remember where you are based and dont see a location in your profile, but probably the best place to check historic newspapers is the National Library in Dublin, as they have great collection. Last time I checked they also had access to some online newspapers normally only on subscription websites, e.g. using IrishNewsArchive and I think also the Times...
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might help with searches for the address - 'Atlanta' was at no. 37 Coliemore Road and the householder for much of the early 20thC was a Miss. Carte. Her husband was a surgeon named William Carte and he died sometime before 1901.
here's the household on the census in 1901 (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Dublin/Dalkey/Coliemore_Road/1316989/) and 1911 (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/Dalkey/Coliemore_Road/98033/)
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Shane
Thank you for the information. The census returns confirm that there is no obvious connection between my family and the Dalkey address so there must have been some connection with the unfortunate servant though I can't figure what that might have been.
I'm based mainly in Kerry but get to Dublin from time to time. Apart from the Irish Times and Irish Independent, do you know what other papers might there have been in Dublin in 1918? Was the Freeman's Journal still in circulation?
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As far as I know Freeman's was published up to the mid 1920s at least. There would have been other local newspapers published in Dublin city and county at the time, but dont think these would be online anywhere at the moment....
Given the origins of Ms. Quinn it might be worth checking Co. Wexford papers
I think without more exact date a keyword search online of one of the resources mentioned is the most practical way to proceed.. otherwise you are in for a time consuming manual search of microfilms.
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I think I can narrow the date down somewhat since the clipping pasted in before the report of the missing servant relates to a death on 30 November 1918 and the cutting following the report is a death notice of 13 December 1918. As far as I can see the cuttings, at least at that stage of the collection, are sequential. I'm not sure I want to take out a subscription to an online archive for one press report so I may wait until I'm next in Dublin or until I have more press queries to follow up. In the meantime, if anyone happens to be searching old newspapers in 1918......
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not sure which other papers you would have access to locally, but worth watching out for local papers like those published in Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) and Bray.
There's a catalogue on the NLI website.
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Thanks Shane. I'll check that out before my next trip to Dublin.
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Hi Dermo,
Not much help to you but that article referring to Mary A Quinns’ disappearance seems to appear on the index for an April 1918 Irish Independent.
I will try get down to the BMD over the next few days and check out the death of a Mary Anne Quinn aged 26 from the Rathdown area which was recorded in the 2nd quarter of 1918 Volume 2 Page 666.
John
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That's actually a great help, Colur. I would have been looking at the wrong end of the year. It will be much easier to follow up with the exact date. Thank you very much.
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I assume the poor girl committed suicide, would a death cert be in existence if she was missing?
maybe drowned, im assuming this because of the Colimore Harbour/Dalkey address.
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Sad news I am afraid Dermo,
The BMD records show that 26 year old Mary Anne Quinn was drowned on Easter Saturday 30th March 1918. Her body having been recovered off the Dalkey coast at Colimore Road.
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Hi Colur
Well, that certainly is tragic. One wonders what could have driven a young woman to such extremes.
I think I may have found her in the 1901 census, a 10-year old living with her parents and siblings on a farm in Tullerstown, Co. Wexford. Sad to think what lay before her.
Unfortunately, despite all the kind help, I am no nearer understanding why my grandmother preserved the press cutting. I noticed, from the census links Shane provided, that the Carte household employed two servants - a cook and a maid. Perhaps my grandmother knew whoever was the second servant in the house when Mary Quinn was employed there.
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Hi Dermo
Such a tragic story.
I have Quinns from Carlow in my family genealogy but have not followed them up as yet .
My grandmother was born in Wexford and came to Dublin and was a domestic cook/servant in Dalkey and Glasthule area. The Family she worked for it appeared they were extremely good to her even after she left and married.
Thanks for sharing
Regards
Genseacher
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Hi Dermo and Gensearcher,
I have continued to follow up on this sad story and to date can find no record of Mary Anne’s funeral having taken place to any of the three Dublin cemeteries, Deansgrange, Glasnevin or Mount Jerome. I live in hope that Mary’s parents were in a position to have her interred in her own parish or that the Cartes covered the expenses. I was surprised to discover that there was no mention of her disappearance or indeed her inquest in any other newspapers of the time other than the initial request for information of her whereabouts as posted in the Independent..
Atlanta still stands and backs onto the sea at Dalkey Island. There is no beach as such but there is a steep jetty leading from the rear of the house to the sea and there are traces remaining on the rear garden wall of a derrick used for lowering boats.