Timothy Maxwell : Short Biography

Timothy Maxwell was born 8 May 1879 in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow to Roscommon born blacksmith Thomas Maxwell and his wife Brigid Farrell.

He had two older sisters, Mary Jane and Ellen, and two younger, Catherine and Thomas. He was baptised two days after his birth and godparented by Fergal O' Brien and Anne Whelan.

In November 1881, when he was just two, his family were evicted from their home. His mother Brigid had recently given borth to Thomas. Shortly after, she was sent to Richmond Lunatic Asylum in Dublin, possibly for post natal depression. A neighbour reported Thomas for being unable to care for his children and they were all split up and sent away. Mary Jane and Ellen were sent away to an industrial school in Wexford. Catherine and Thomas were taken in by the workhouse to be adopted out. It is unknown where Timothy was sent. His father was living in the workhouse around his time and was very poor. Hw got in legal trouble for disputes with neighbours and being unable to pay the 2 shillings a week to the nuns at the industrial school for caring for his daughters.

Thomas left Rathdrum Workhouse in 1891 and returned to Roscommon. He took Timothy with him. After a short stint at Castlerea Workhouse, his father was put in Castlerea Jail for unclear reasons. When he was released, he and Timothy (who he had trained in the blacksmith trade) began looking for work. In 1901, they were living at Carrownegeelaun, Ogulla with Thomas's widowed sister, Bridget Larkin.

By 1903 they had moved to Grange, Tulsk. Timothy became sick with tuberculosis of the lungs and suffered so bad his elderly father and aunt were unable to care for him. He died 8 April 1903 in Strokestown Workhouse.