John Cryan : Short Biography

THE FAMILY OF JOHN CRYAN

John and Margaret (Dolan) married in 1858 in Boyle, Co. Roscommon and then lived and worked in Croghan (townland-Killapogue; parish-Killommod) living in a house with stone walls and a slate roof and four rooms - a good house for its time considering most people lived in a two-roomed thatched cottage. The house was rented from the local big landlord Guy Lloyd (DL). Croghan National School, where John worked, was small having one school room (27 ft. by 12ft.). He taught an average daily attendance of 43 boys and 20 females although there was officially a lot more on the roll. John started getting paid on the 18th. August 1856 and received 3 pounds and 10 shillings per quarter year. By the 23rd. of February 1861 Margaret Cryan, then aged 23, had applied to the Commissioners of Education to be paid for her work as a Work Mistress which she had started unpaid on 7th. January 1861. She taught Dressmaking, Shirt Making, Plain Sewing, Knitting and Cutting-Out and was described as "very competent, good character" by the Inspector of National Schools - "I recommend that the aid sought for be granted, the number of girls attending being considerable and the individual instruction being of great importance to them and calculated to promote their regular attendance". Date of visit 16th. April 1861 and it was recommended she be paid 8 pounds per year. They had 9 children and all were born in Croghan.

By the 1901 Census, John had retired and was still living in Croghan. He died there on 27th. November 1905 having written his Will three years earlier in 1902 -

I, the said John Cryan, being of sound mind do solemnly bequeath this 12th. day of July 1902, to my wife Margaret Cryan of the above mentioned place the policy of Assurance of £100 (one hundred) with Profit in the Patriotic Assurance Coy. 9 College Green, Dublin, contracted on the 7th. day of June 1892, also four shares of one pound each in Croghan Co-Op Agric. Dairy Society Ltd. together with my household effects, to be disposed by her in whatever manner she considers best. Given this 12th. day of July 1902 from under my hand. Signed - John Cryan.

John died on the 27th of November 1905 of an Apoplexy (one year cert) in the townland of Killappogue, Croghan aged 70 years and the death was witnessed by Patrick Beirne.

After Johns' death Margaret moved to Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, where she was present for the 1911 Census. She lived with her daughter Maggie in the parish of Killtoghert. They had a fairly big house being of brick or stone, a slate roof, five or six rooms and four windows in the front of the house. Her next door neighbour was a Mary A. Dolan, possibly a relative and the reason why she moved to Killtoghert.

They had nine children -

Mary Jane (b.1859, bap.9th.Oct, d.1902)
Mary Jane also became a national teacher. She applied at the age of 16 to be a teacher in Croghan National School. She had been appointed a 2nd. Class Monitress on 1st. April 1873 and acted the part of Assistant since April 1876. She was described by the inspector as "competent, good character" and was granted £25 per year. The inspector made the following report - "I recommend that the application be granted, the attendance for the year was 84. The Work Mistress will resign if the salary be granted to this teacher who is her daughter". Signed R.C. Mc Kell, District Inspector of National Schools, 24th. January 1877. Mary Jane died of Influenza (2 months certified); Phthisis (2 years certified) on 13th. March 1902 aged 43 years and had never married. Her sister Maggie Ann witnessed and registered the death  on 7th. May 1902 in Croghan.

John (b.1861, bap.15th.Nov)
John must have died at birth as a second son was also called John (Johnnie).

Joseph (b.9th.Feb.1864, bap.15th.Nov. d.1932)
Joseph joined the Royal Irish Constabulary at the age of 18. He moved away from home and worked around the country. He married Johanna Shanahan from Valentia Island in Co. Kerry in 1890 and they had nine children William John, Stephen, Mary Elizabeth, Margaret, Catherine, John Joseph, Annie, Patrick, and Joseph.

James (b.1866, bap.19th.May)
The R.I.C. Records record a James Cryan born in Co. Roscommon, aged 21 when appointed on 7th. June 1887, (height 5'8'') and sent to Kerry for temporary duty and pensioned on 1st. March 1906. The age and county fit perfectly, so if this is the same James Cryan he would apparently never have married.

Catherine (Kate) (b.1868, bap.8th.Aug.)
Although it states on the 1901 Census in Croghan that she was 25 years and living at home, she was actually 33 years old. It is possible that she married though I have not as yet found a Marriage Certificate which is made more difficult by the fact that she would thereafter gone by husbands name.

Stephen (b.1870, bap.27th. d.1892)
Stephen died of Cardiac disease (1 year cert.) in 1892 at the age of 21. His brother Johnnie was present at the death on 23rd. January and registered it on 14th. March 1892. Stephen died a bachelor.

Margaret Ann (Maggie A.) (b.1874, bap.17th.March d.1911)
Maggie A. was present for the 1901 Census in Croghan where she lived at home. After her fathers death she moved to Carrick-on-Shannon with her mother, now elderly , and was present for the 1911 Census there. She died a spinster on 17th. April 1911 of Peritonitis (7 years Cert.) aged 37. The death was witnessed and registered by Brigid J. Cryan, her sister, on 24th. April 1911.

John (Johnnie) (b.1876, bap.15th.June. d.1907)
Johnnie was present for the 1901 Census where he was living at home. He died at the age of 26 on 17th. January 1907 of Phthisis (2 years Cert.), a bachelor, and the death was witnessed and registered by Maggie A. on 7th. May 1902.

Brigid J. (b.1882, bap.10th.Aug. d.1933)
Brigid was present at home for the 1901 Census where she is described as a "Scholar" i.e. attending school. According to Teda Cryan, Brigid became a teacher in Athlone and met two of her nephews who were stationed at the Army Barracks nearby. She died on the 2nd September 1933, a spinster, at Summerhill Convent, Athlone aged 45 years of Amicular Fibrelahan (3 months cert.) and Syncope (quarter hour cert) witnessed by Rosanna Murray an occupier of Summerhill Convent, according to her death certificate.