Blennerville Windmill - Passenger Lists

 

Took a trip to the Visitors Centre at the Blennerville Windmill to see if I could find a passenger list for those emigrating to Canada from the port circa 1847. Unfortunately the passenger list is not available, only a list of ships is available. The receptionist noted that partial passenger lists are available at the back of a book entitled 'Blennerville'. While I found a John Hennessey the age did not concur.

I then visited the county library, the librarian advised checking online sites for information from the Canadian side. These records were not available for the dates in question.
 

Kate Kennelly in the County Offices made a query on my behalf to Helen O'Carroll the Kerry County Musuem Curator. Helen was extremely helpful. She has explained the pattern of crossings to both the US and Canada, as well as provide a listing of all ships which left the port. She noted that only 20% of the passenger lists from the famine period have survived on this side of the atlantic. None have survived in Quebec due to a fire. Unfortunately John Hennesseys record does not exist on her lists. Helen has also noted activities at the Cork Port and the alternative action of taking a steamer to Liverpool prior to boarding a ship for the US.

Helen provided an essay she has written on the Jeanie Johnson ship (pictured above) and the life of passengers on board during the crossing. She also discussed the costs of the voyage (Canada was cheaper that the US) and noted the practice of workhouses to faciliate emigration abroad.

Hennessey Line Info

Thomas Hennessey's brother was Michael Hennessey

This is Michael's Line

Noted marriage between Michael Fisher Greggains and Sarah Hennessey. Seems to be on Michael Hennessey's line rather than Thomas' given age of bride. Married 1882. While Thomas Hennessey if a Witness, this could be a sibling of the bride rather than her uncle.

The Famine Years

It has become apparent that Elizabeth and Thomas were married and had four children in the parish of Causeway. Their last 2 children were baptised in Listowel. Elizabeth stood to Michael Hennesseys children (Thomas' brother) in Listowel. The question remains why the family moved from the townland of Ballyduff to Listowel. Given the dates between the third and fourth child I am considering the famine as a possible motive as well as tenant eviction. Kerry and Clare were the worst effected regions during the famine. A workhouse was set up in Listowel in 1844 (http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Listowel/). The pinnacle of this plight was 1845-47.  The question is whether crop failure forced them from the land into the town or perhaps their landlord evicted / re-settled them.

The Griffith Valuation shows 2 entries for George Pickford. The ancester in Rattoo lives in 19 acres while the Listowel entrant is leasing a house and garden. I wondered if the Rattoo George leased this on their behalf as there is no entry for Thomas Hennessey in this record. However, further investigation shows another George Hennessey living in Listowel who marries and has a kid (Indeed there is a later marriage to a George Pickford but am unsure is same person. 

There is no entry for a Thomas Hennessey in Listowel in Griffiths valuation. However, if the holding was valued at less than 5 pounds it would not have been taxed and therefore not included in Griffiths valuation.
Emigration continued in the aftermath of the famine. In order to stop the Irish emigrating to the States passage to Canada was posed at a cheaper rate and so it makes sense that John Hennessey would wish to leave Listowel and head to Ontario. Passage was from Tralee (Blennerville), Cork city or Cobh. (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlker/famemig.html). In some cases the landlord paid for passage. I have yet to research if this was the case here. The Lord of Listowel was an absentee landlord and so would have been organised by his agents.

The lack of death certificates for the Pickford Hennessey children is also suspicious and I wonder if more than 1 child emigrated.

Hennessey Home Listowel

Met with Vincent Carmody in Listowel today. He brought me to the site of the Hennesey home at Glounaphuca (Convent Street). The 1901 census shows a Michael Hennessey living here and a Thomas Hennessey living in 36 Upper William Street (formerly Pound Lane).

A quick search on the internet provided an image of what these houses have looked like in the past.

Convent Street leads onto Market Street seen here

In 1901 census there is another Michael Hennessey listed in Bridewell lane (next to the present Garda station). Patrick Hennessey had a public house at 49 Church Street. Fr Gaughan's book on Listowel states that a Julia Hennessey had a native school on Lower William street and later Market street but there is more of a probablity that she is related to the Patrick Hennessey's line (see marriage records).



Cul De Sac #1

Was given information from Richard Boyle re the Pickford link. Searched the genealogy archives to link George Pickford and Elisabeth Pickford, with no success. Researched each child of Georges to see if Elisabeth stood as a sponsor to his children or vice versa, but found no evidence.

Following up on searching local paper archives I have come across three short articles in relation to Mary Pickford's visit to Tralee.

The first notes when Mary Pickford concluded her Irish Search, the second and third were printed soon after she died.

Mary Pickford visit to Kerry

Read entry in relation to Mary Pickford in 'The Master, Bryan Mac Mahon' today. States that she arrived in Listowel to trace her roots in St. Mary's Church. This trip proved fruitless. I also found a photo of Mary in the Kennelly collection. Luckily this is dated. Her visit was 1955. The photo entered in the Kerry's Eye newspaper at that time states that she was researching her ancestry in the records of St. John's church Tralee. See www.kennellyarchive.com/sendtofriend/LBZ003/

The Pickford Link

A search for Pickfords in Kerry led me to a Charles Pickford in Knappogue, Ballyduff. Websites also mentioned that Mary Pickford's ancestral home was in this area. More information could be found from staff at the North Kerry Museum, Ballyduff http://www.kerrygems.com/kerry_places_of_interest.html

No phone contact could be made with the Museum. I started to suspect it was closed down. I decided to drive there myself and was assured this was correct!

 On advice from the local post man I called into neighbouring houses to see if they knew anything about the museum. They affirmed it was shut down. I then asked if they knew where the Pickford home was and luckily the grandfather of the family was able to let me know that it was Boyles down the road. This very welcoming and friendly family led the way in their car and left me at the gates.

I was greated at the Boyle home by the daughter of the house, who was looking after her 90 year old father. He told me how Mary Pickford had arrived at his house one day. He was busy in the fields on the same day and so when called by his wife to come and talk to the visitor he declined. Little did he know that he had refused a meeting with the star Mary Pickford. He received a lot of mocking from the local village for this!

He continued to tell me how his family had married into the Pickfords. That the land he lived and worked on once belonged to a Charles Pickford. Charles died the year that he was born (1923). He noted that Mary Pickford had visited the local cemetry to find Charles' headstone but was unsuccessful. From previous searches I was concerned that there was no direct connection to be found between Charles and John Pickford Hennessey. The daughter of the house also supported this. She then stated that further research into the family tree had been undertaken by her brother and a local neighbour and this had provided the evidence needed. A phonecall was made to her brother who was working and I have stated intent to follow up with him next week.

On leaving the house the daughter approved photos could be taken of the old house on the land where Charles Pickford lived.

Research showed that Charles Pickford was born around the same time as John Pickford Hennessey. It could be possible that Elizabeth was related to George Pickford (Charles' father). The answer to this assumption will hopefully be found next week.

I have also become aware of a historian in the Listowel area who has undertaken research into the Hennessey family and has indicated that they lived in Glounaphuca. A dvd has been made in which this historian delivers a speech on same outside the ancestral home. A colleague who lives in Listowel is following this up for me. I hope to receive the DVD next week and/or else make direct contact with the historian.

Outlining the Family Tree

This family tree was developed from info from ancestry.co.uk (and canada), Irish genealogy.com and internet websites.

Thomas Hennesey & Elisabeth Pickford seem to be from North Kerry. They had 6 children.

Their son John Pickford Hennesey travelled to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I was unable to find a birth cert for John Pickford, however his marriage certificate provides the names given. Denis Faeley has been noted as a milliner from Tralee. I have no current information. Catherine Faeley also travelled to Toronto where she met and married John. A death certificate was found for John Smith but no marriage cert. I am also finding it difficult to find certificates for Charlotte Pickford Hennessey. Some have noted she was born in Listowel but in 'The Master' by Brian McMahon, he states that Mary Pickford travelled to Listowel to find this record but was unable. It is also mentioned by an author that she could have been born in Queen st. Toronto but I cannot find a cert.  A birth cert is said not to exist for Gladys Smith (Mary Pickford). However I have found a census report that shows 3 generations living together, these include Catherine, Charlotte and Gladys.

Reason for Blog

Last week I started reading 'The Emeralds in Tinseltown' and was delighted to read about the Kalem silent movie studios that were based in Beaufort Kerry and the Tralee ancestry of the infamous Mary Pickford. Based in Kerry, I was surprised that I had not heard about this. On further investigation I uncovered that the University of Galway had researched the Kalem film company and a DVD had been released of their work in Ireland. However, while Mary Pickford claimed a Tralee heritage in a CBC radio interview, it was not as easy to clarify. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMfrwNQ_Ntk This link intrigued me, and others whom I spoke to, so I have started to search for this evidence myself.