Nothing But Bad Times: Chapter Ten, Part Two
Bernard Hughes was Mary Ann's second son and fourth child, born in October 1900 in Craigneuk. From the age of twelve he was known affectionately as Barney to friends and family alike. He was especially close to his younger sister Nellie, and was the apple of his father's eye until his untimely death in 1911. After Patrick died at the end of the First Word War, Barney became the only male figure in the Hughes household in Nimmo's Row's. When he grew up, he moved to Stevenston Street, which was just around the corner from his mother, and resided at number 35 for a long period. In 1928 he met Catherine Healy, the daughter of a pub owner in New Stevenston. She was always known as Cissie, due to the fact that when very young, her mother died and as the eldest daughter it was her job to look after the rest of her younger siblings. Thus, they called her sis, which developed into Cissie.
Barney and Cissie married at Carfin in 1930 and soon after Cissie became pregnant. Nine months later, she gave birth to a daughter whom they called Agnes. It is Agnes who has, along with my granny, provided the ample and abundant treasure chest of information and stories, without which I could not possibly be telling this story. Four years after Agnes was born Cissie fell pregnant again, and this time she gave birth to a son. Cissie offered to call the boy Michael after Barney's father. Michael lived a relatively happy life too, making his own family of numerous daughter, five or six, but sadly died suddenly in the 1980's. He spent much of his life in Scunthorpe.
Barney is one of very few if not the only person in this story, to have what might be viewed as a happy life. He had a beautiful family and was well known in New Stevenston, and beyond. He was a keen gardener and steelworker, and in his spare time he helped to build swings and slides for the children to play on all over the village. He was what might be known today as a stalwart figure. He must have made his mother very proud indeed, not least of all when the miners went on strike during the 1920's. Whilst the mines were temporarily unworkable, Barney and his friends became involved in a project to build a pilgrimage grotto in Carfin. He was one of the leading members of the group and a key figure in the development of the site, which is now world famous. Barney has a bench dedicated to him in the grounds of the grotto, as well as his name being engraved on the walls of the Glass Chapel there too. It is something for the Hughes family and their descendants to be quite proud of.
In 1946 however, scandal hit the family. Barney's niece Letitia O'Hara became pregnant aged eighteen outside of marriage, and for a fervent Roman Catholic family, this was a disgrace. Letitia's father Jimmy had told her that she had brought shame on the family, and very soon after Letitia gave birth in February 1947, she fled Holytown, and left it for a nanny's job working with the world famous Taylor family, who ventured around much of Lanarkshire and Aberdeen with their fairground business. Jimmy and Maggie did not want to keep the baby, who was named Margaret Mary O'Hara (but would later become known as Mary). Therefore, Barney and Cissie offered to adopt their new great-niece, which they formally did in late 1947. Mary was now a Hughes, and Letitia disappeared, never to be seen again...but that is another story...
It is an extremely kind act, for one to adopt another relative who by no means of her own had been born into a world that was not the consequence of normal circumstances, at least at that time. Nevertheless though, Mary was raised by Barney and Cissie as if she was their own. We will never know who Mary's real father was, it is simply something that we have to accept. The only person who ever knew was Letitia, but like I said before that is part of a later story.
Barney and Cissie lived a relatively happy life. Given Barney's family history he must have seemed quite blessed. He was also very keen in researching his family's past, even at one point going over to Ireland to try and hunt down some cousins, which fills me with optimism that somewhere out there I will one day establish contact with maybe the descendant of one of Bernard Snr. or Eliza's siblings. He even found the remains of the farm in which his mother Mary was born in 1862. I only wish, given the connection and love I have for my great great granny Mary Ann, I am saddened that I will probably never be able to find that farm. Barney lost his wife Cissie in 1967, and he followed nine years later. They are both buried in St Patrick's Cemetery, in New Stevenston.
Next, we move back to Mary Ann, now in her 60's and a grandmother of many children. Her part in this story is not over yet...
Copyright © Matthew Reay, 2008
