Masonic School Ballsbridge

[t_creaney]

I have a 1908 marriage certificate with the wife’s address shown as Masonic Schools Ballsbridge, her occupation is not shown, she was 23 at the time. Just wondering what sort of school it was. I thought she might be a teacher or a domestic, or could she have been an inmate or suchlike? By 1911 she is a mother so no clues to her profession there.

She originates from Boyle, Roscommon so obviously travelled some way to get to Dublin.

tc

[shanew147]

Thom's 1914 seems to list the school :

 Masonic Female Orphan School,
   Ball's Bridge (founded A.D. 1792)

It was located on Merrion Road near the junction with Simmonscourt Road.   

there is a short list of senior staff mentioned - e.g. President, matron, governess etc I'll see if there the school is listed in the 1904 edition.

The boy's section of the school was in Richview, Clonskeagh




Shane

[t_creaney]

Thanks for the insight Shane. Her name was Elizabeth Cox, I am pretty sure she was not an orphan.

[shanew147]

I had a look at the school on the 1911 census but no sign on any Cox staff members, I was wondering if maybe another family member worked here. I presume that Elizabeth must have worked there for a while after she moved to Dublin.

  Census return : Part 1  Part 2


Shane

[t_creaney]

Shane.... she married in 1908 to William Healy so was Elizabeth Healy in 1911 living at Villa Park, Arran Quay with husband & year old daughter. Yes it looks like she came to Dublin & worked at the school, nothing unusual I guess. I just thought it was a bit strange she gave no employment on her marriage cert though gave the school as her address.

Thanks for looking.

Kind regards

tc

[t_creaney]

Just looked at the 1911 census for the school from your links...... at 23 she was too old to be a pupil...... all the pupils & teaching staff were Protestant..... the only Catholics there were the domestics so I guess that answers my question.

tc

[shanew147]

because of the lack of occupation on her marriage cert I thought it may be possible that her mother or parents worked there.. and she just lived on the premises for a time. But I think being an employee is a more likely option..and for some reason she left that off the cert. I have seen cases of that before where bride's did have employment but didn't record the details at marriage

p.s. might be worth keeping any eye out for 1901 census update, as this would show where Elizabeth and her parents were at that time.


Shane

[CBGenealogy]

The Masons have an archivist working for them in Molesworth St.  It would be worth an email to ask her to check into the name.  They did it for me regarding a family rumour, which sadly remains a rumour!

[annieoburns]

The school building was redeveloped as an hotel in recent years and some of the original features retained... it is called Bewleys, Dublin 4.  The Boys section is now part of the University of Dublin campus, housing the department of Architecture.