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London and Middlesex / Re: Edmund Keane BYRNE, born 1833-1838, Middlesex
« on: Tuesday 30 November 21 09:05 GMT (UK) »
Regarding the marriage of Francis and Anne, the parish register that makes the most sense to me, being prior to the date of their oldest known child Francis Joseph Byrne (born 1818) is Francis Byrne marrying Ann Alcock in 1815 in St Paul's Dublin. Another possibility is Francis Byrne marrying Ann Cullin in 1813 in Killaveny Ireland. Otherwise, if they chose to get married under pseudonyms, then the marriage of Edward Byrne esquire and Ann Scruggal Pattin in 1813 in St Martin in the Fields London is possible, however why would they use a pseudonym in marriage but then their full name for their children's baptisms?
Following the Alcock option, a baptism for Ann Alcock in 1791 in St Andrew's Dublin shows Joseph and Catherine Alcock as parents. It looks like they also had a daughter Elenor baptised in 1781 St Michan's Dublin. It's possible that prior to that, Joseph Alcock was in the 29th Regiment on foot, and possibly in Kilkenny in 1759 he was a founder of the travelling Glittering Star Lodge No 322. In Thomastown Ireland in 1769 he was discharged as 'worn out', and after establishing a family in Ireland, he may have later moved to England and died in 1817 in Staffordshire. Fair bit of work to do here with confirming all the details.
Back to Edmund… A family story passed down from Edmund himself explains that his mother was related to Edmund Kean the Shakespearean actor, which is why Edmund's middle name is Kean. I intentionally use the spelling Kean to align with this story. In the biographies for Edmund Kean (the actor), there is a mention of a Mrs Byrne present at the actor's birth circa ~1787-9, and I have read that this is Charlotte Tidswell's aunt. I have also read that the actor occasionally referred to Charlotte Tidswell as 'Aunt Tid', although it is up for debate whether she was his aunt. Other than that, nothing can be found to directly support the family story. Indeed, the actor was in the spotlight from a young age and he lived a debauched life, so he may have any number of illegitimate children. It is also possible that Francis Michael Edward Byrne and Edmund Kean the actor became acquainted while playing the provincial theatre circuit in his early years, so they may have been family friends and perhaps Edmund Kean Byrne was so named as a homage to the actor who died in 1833 - which is around the time Edmund Kean Byrne was born.
Assuming that a birth/baptism record exists (and that it has been digitised), I can only match loosely fitting theories with circumstantial evidence...
There is a baptism for Edmundus Byrns in 1834 in the Isleworth Roman Catholic Chapel, with parents Danielis Byrne and Alliciae Hunt. I investigated this one, and Isleworth is not far from Richmond, where Edmund Kean was buried a year prior. Interestingly I can also find a Daniel Byrne baptised 1815 in St Andrew RC church in Dublin, and Daniel's parents are Michs and Anna Byrne. In the 1841 UK Census, I find a Daniel Byrne born in Ireland aged 25 working as an artist, living in Southampton St in St Pancras, with a music seller named William Ebblewhite and 2 other artists aged 25. So there are snippets of circumstantial evidence here, but there are so many questions that I can't answer.
There is an Edmund Byrne born 1833 in Leek Staffordshire, but the parents and siblings all bear unfamiliar names. I haven't seen the image of the baptism register, but the mother's name Susannah is coincidentally similar to Susan, which is the name of the sister of Mary Chambers (the wife of Edmund Kean the actor). This would have Edmund Kean the actor be his uncle, but this can only be considered as part of a very creative theory, which I haven't invested any time into researching.
Thanks!
Following the Alcock option, a baptism for Ann Alcock in 1791 in St Andrew's Dublin shows Joseph and Catherine Alcock as parents. It looks like they also had a daughter Elenor baptised in 1781 St Michan's Dublin. It's possible that prior to that, Joseph Alcock was in the 29th Regiment on foot, and possibly in Kilkenny in 1759 he was a founder of the travelling Glittering Star Lodge No 322. In Thomastown Ireland in 1769 he was discharged as 'worn out', and after establishing a family in Ireland, he may have later moved to England and died in 1817 in Staffordshire. Fair bit of work to do here with confirming all the details.
Back to Edmund… A family story passed down from Edmund himself explains that his mother was related to Edmund Kean the Shakespearean actor, which is why Edmund's middle name is Kean. I intentionally use the spelling Kean to align with this story. In the biographies for Edmund Kean (the actor), there is a mention of a Mrs Byrne present at the actor's birth circa ~1787-9, and I have read that this is Charlotte Tidswell's aunt. I have also read that the actor occasionally referred to Charlotte Tidswell as 'Aunt Tid', although it is up for debate whether she was his aunt. Other than that, nothing can be found to directly support the family story. Indeed, the actor was in the spotlight from a young age and he lived a debauched life, so he may have any number of illegitimate children. It is also possible that Francis Michael Edward Byrne and Edmund Kean the actor became acquainted while playing the provincial theatre circuit in his early years, so they may have been family friends and perhaps Edmund Kean Byrne was so named as a homage to the actor who died in 1833 - which is around the time Edmund Kean Byrne was born.
Assuming that a birth/baptism record exists (and that it has been digitised), I can only match loosely fitting theories with circumstantial evidence...
There is a baptism for Edmundus Byrns in 1834 in the Isleworth Roman Catholic Chapel, with parents Danielis Byrne and Alliciae Hunt. I investigated this one, and Isleworth is not far from Richmond, where Edmund Kean was buried a year prior. Interestingly I can also find a Daniel Byrne baptised 1815 in St Andrew RC church in Dublin, and Daniel's parents are Michs and Anna Byrne. In the 1841 UK Census, I find a Daniel Byrne born in Ireland aged 25 working as an artist, living in Southampton St in St Pancras, with a music seller named William Ebblewhite and 2 other artists aged 25. So there are snippets of circumstantial evidence here, but there are so many questions that I can't answer.
There is an Edmund Byrne born 1833 in Leek Staffordshire, but the parents and siblings all bear unfamiliar names. I haven't seen the image of the baptism register, but the mother's name Susannah is coincidentally similar to Susan, which is the name of the sister of Mary Chambers (the wife of Edmund Kean the actor). This would have Edmund Kean the actor be his uncle, but this can only be considered as part of a very creative theory, which I haven't invested any time into researching.
Thanks!
