James Sillery

[maggiemae45]

My paternal grandparents were James Sillery and Catherine Davis of Wicklow Town.  I am trying to trace back on James's family.  In the 1901 Census he states that he was born in Co Louth and he worked as a tailor.  On James and Catherine's marriage certificate (1898) his father is stated as John Sillery, deceased, occupation gardener.  I know that there was a large number of Sillery's in the Co Louth, Co Meath area and that Drogheda was a stronghold in the late 1800's.  The names John and James are repeated a lot unfortunately and I am having difficulty identifying my James's family.  It would help if I knew John's wife's name but I don't. From the census information, James was born around 1870 and I suppose I could guess that his father John might have been in his 20's or 30's at that time and perhaps married in the 1840/50's. But it is a guess.
Anybody got any ideas?

[shanew147]

link to the census returns for reference :

  1901 - Sillery household, Castle St., Wicklow town

and 1911 - Sillery household, Bond St., Wicklow town

in 1911 James gives his place of birth as 'Wicklow'....

His age is consistent on the returns at 30 and 40, but there are no likely matches for his birth showing up on the BMD Index between 1868 and 1872 under the spelling Sillery or Sllary - anywhere in Ireland...

the closest match is a William James Sillers in 1872 in Belfast district.


Shane

[taramcdsmall]

Hi there,

I'm not sure if this is the same family BUT a John Sillery and Anne Fagan had a daughter called Anne in County Louth in 1870.
anne sillery birth

They also had a daughter called Elizabeth whose birth I can't find but I did see a death for her in Massachusettes

elizabeth sillery kelly death

At the moment I can't connect James to this family but I shall keep looking !

Tara

[taramcdsmall]

I can't see a suitable death for a John Sillery anywhere in Ireland

But working on the chance that the Anne Fagan Sillery may the woman we are looking (and yes I know this is a big presumption at this stage)...........there is the death of an Anne Sillery in 1882 in Ardee County Louth

anne sillery death

Tara

[taramcdsmall]

In 1796 a John Sillery was a flax grower in Kildemuck which is just outside Ardee County Louth.

john sillery flax grower

WAYYYY before your John but it might help a later stage !

Tara

[maggiemae45]

Thank you Tara for your interest.  I do agree with you that Ardee is a possible.  I too had found that Flax Grower ireference and the fact that James's father John was stated as a gardener does kind of support that because it might have been a family 'business' that was then passed on.  Lets face it, I might be looking at John the gardener, son of John the flax grower, son of John the .................... !!!!

I am still hopeful of getting James's mother's maiden name from my contacts in Wicklow so maybe that will help.

[J.M. Flannery]

c1911 occupation should read  'Sailor' not tailor. I can bring you up to date with some of their  Wicklow descendants , but not back to the Louth family.

JMF

[maggiemae45]

That sounds very interesting!  What do we do now?  How do you intend bringing me up to date?

[maggiemae45]

I am still very interested in hearing from J M Flannery or anyone else regarding information on the Sillery clan of Wicklow pre 1901.  I do know that the term Tailor in the census is correct though J M Flannery seems to think it should be Sailor.  One of his sons also trained as a tailor in the town but did not complete that training.