Michael Canavan - Dublin 1800s

[shanew147]

I dont think Dublin City was hit that hard by the famine - so not sure if that would have been a reason to convert. The worst hit areas were in west and south west of Ireland. In earlier years before Catholic emancipation  (1824), the penal laws were in operation and these would have put pressure on families to convert. These included a provision where, on inheritance, property belonging to a Catholic had to be divided up between all sons - thereby gradually breaking up property and farms.

I presume this is the Silthorpe's being referred to in Michael's letter.

Thom's 1877 :

 H. Sibthorpe & son, painters, importers of windows & plate glass,
  agents of the Union Plate Glass Company,
  Maw and Co's encaustic tiles, and Pooley and Son's
  weighing machines. 18 Castle Street, 11 & 12 Cork Hill,
  marble & stone works at 113 to 121 Gt. Brunswick St.


Shane

[nilbud]

Your information regarding the early laws makes more sense for the family converting.

Was it usual for RC families in the early 1800s to be educated? Michael was obviously able to read and write well and so were his children. I'm not sure about Michael's wife Catherine (Mulvaney).

I have not found anything on Catherine except a possible link to a Mary Mulvaney who came to Australia on the same ship as Jane Canavan. They could be cousins or Mary could be an aunt.

Jenni

[nilbud]

I just checked the source I found the three Canavan children who died. It was the Irish Genealogy website. It states they were CofI.

Do you know how I can purchase copies of their death/burial certificates? Would there be any further information on the certificates?

Jenni

[shanew147]

The dates you are looking for are too early (1843-45) for civil certs - Civil registration only started in 1864 ..

see

 Introduction to Irish Records

 Details included on a Death Cert

 Ordering Certs from GRO Roscommon



Shane

[shanew147]

I presume you've seen this marriage

 Parish : St. George - CofI
 Date : 11 September 1871
 Groom : Michael Canavan, House painter of 4 Johnstons Court
 Bride:  Mary Osbourne  of 4 Johnstons Court
 Groom's Father: Michael
 Bride's Father John

With the same surname and occupation, it seems likely there could be a connection. Michael is a widower - so 2nd marriage for him.


Shane

[nilbud]

Really intriguing!

I had come across the marriage record but never looked into it because of the brides name. I hadn't thought that perhaps Catherine had died as I found no records of her death.
The address is different than the address I was given from the 1851 Census. I assumed if they had been living in the tenements it would be very difficult to get out.


It's so exciting! This could be a link to much more information.

Thank you so much!!
Jenni

[shanew147]

people moved around quite a bit - especially people living in rentals (e.g. tenements).  I think that most of people who stayed in one place were the slightly better off, or those who owned their property or had long leases.

There's more than one Johnston's court in Dublin, but based in the Parish Of St. George this would relates to the one in the North City. The parish church is off Hardwicke St near to Dorset St.

I'll check for details of this Johnston's court later on to see what's listed.


Shane

[nilbud]

Thank you so much! It's almost 1am here, so I'll be off but will check first thing in the morning to see if there is anymore news.
Jenni

[shanew147]

There were three Johnston's Court and at least two Dignam Court addresses in Dublin city, but I think the two off Gt. Britian St (now Parnell St) are most likely.

Thoms 1848
 Dignam's Court, off Gt. Britain St, Civil Parish - St. George
  5 Old Houses in Tenements
 
 Johnson's Court,  off Gt. Britain St, Civil Parish - St. George
  1 to 4 Tenements... entire street (1 to 12) is tenements is 1863

(all the addresses later known as Johnston's are referred to as Johnson's in the edition )

Details or occupants are not given for any of the above in any other Thom's I checked -  1868, '72 or '79 etc

Both the streets appear to have been to the north of the Gt. Britain street, close to each other, and not far from Rutland/Parnell Square.

The Painter's Union Hall that Michael mentioned, survived for about 90 years at the same address, and was close to the jct with York st and nearly opposite St. Peters Church :

27  Aungier St.

1868 - Sarah Humphrey, straw bonnet & millinery warehouse
1872 - Painter's Hall
1879 - Painter's Hall, James Cassidy, secretary
...
1904 - Painters Trade Hall
1927 - Irish National Painters, Decorators, and Allied Trade Unions - Patrick Mulhall General Organiser.
1949 - (similar details)
1958 - 27 to 30 demolished
The address was a car park in 1972

Sibthorpe painting business is listed as early as 1848 and still listed in 1904 ... maybe they were his employer, or he was a contractor for them ?
 

Shane