Help please Ray vs Spotswood

Hi,

The surname - Spotwood" is to be found in various parts of the South of Ireland. They inlcude both Protestant and Roman Catholic religions.

I attach some detail in relation to County Kerry, some of which has already been covered by Ms Buckle-Smith.

There is a "Francis Spotwood" in Kerry and that name appears in the Dublin Gazette on July 12 - 14th 1767. This man may not have any association with County Kerry!

You can check Griffith's Valuation at www.askaboutireland.ie for land owners - 1840/50's - Free site

Credits: www,findmypast.ie

Hello

I have searched the newspaper archives and found just one record for Penelope

Penelope seemed to be in the Caherciveen courts a lot - would this be correct

Geraldine

Hi,

Further Information on Spotswood/Spotiiswood.  Three Kerry Families: Mahony's, Conway's, and Spotiswood. Author: McCarthty S. Trant 1923. 

Credit:  www.irishancestors.ie.

In regard to Penelope Spotswood, we do not know what her circumstances were. Wandering animals and difficulty with patrons in licensed premises has been a problem to the present day.

Regards,

Hello Bikebiddy,

I found Penelope Spottswood (sometimes spelled Spotiswood) was either a complainant or a defendant in at least 12 Petty Session Court cases in Caherciveen, County Kerry spanning the years from 1879 to 1894.

These cases were found at the subscription Ancestry.com collection called, “Ireland, Petty Session Court Registers, 1818-1919.”

None of the court cases shows a Charlotte Ray/Raye/Rea/Rae/Wray as a complainant or a defendant.

In addition, the attachments that Geraldine Buckley-Smith kindly provided do not show a Penelope Spottswood and Charlotte Ray/Rea together in a petty sessions court proceedings.

Most of the court cases involving Penelope have to do with the trespassing of people or trespassing of donkeys, broken windows, and in one case at least, the eviction of a tenant. It appears that Penelope was a hotel keeper in Caherciveen, as you’ll see.

The 12 cases below are arranged chronologically by trial date. In a few instances Penelope Spotswood was recorded twice in court cases on the same day.

All of the cases have the same dates that you provided in your message to Ireland Reaching Out, but again, none involve a Charlotte Ray/Rea. I’m not sure why the same court cases you found also record a Charlotte Ray or Rae.

I also looked for but didn’t find any complainants or defendants in the Petty Court Registers named Blackham in either Caherciveen, County Kerry, or Newry, County Down, in present day Northern Ireland. Newry is over 250 miles northeast of Caherciveen. See the Google Map at: https://is.gd/57nKMn

Northern Ireland did not exist for the dates of the Petty Session Court Register’s collection at Ancestry.com, which cover the years 1818 to 1919. During this time period all 32 counties of Ireland were one country under British rule.

All 12 cases below are transcriptions from the originals that Ancestry.com obtained from the National Archives of Ireland in Dublin.

Please see below:

Ireland, Petty Session Court Registers, 1818-1919

Trial Date: 12 April 1879
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen

Name: Mrs. Penelope Spotswood, Caherciveen
Role: Defendant

Name: Thomas English Sr.
Role: Complainant

Charge: ...defendant allowed a pig his property to wander on the public street.
____

Trial Date: 19 Jul 1879
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen, Caher

Name: Penelope Spottiswood, Caherciveen, Parish of Caher
Role: Complainant

Name: Patrick Sullivan, Caherciveen, Parish of Caher
Role: Defendant

Charge: ...defendant did wilfully trespass on complainants Meadow, and refused to leave when warned to do so.
____

Trial Date: 8 Nov 1879
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen

Name: Penelope Spottiswood, Caherciveen
Role: Defendant

Name: James Cleary, PC (Police Constable)
Role: Complainant

Charge: ...defendant allowed her donkey to wander on the public street
____

Trial Date: 19 Jun 1880
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen Caher

Name: Mrs. Penelope Spottiswood, Hotel Keeper, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Defendant

Name: David O'Connor, Shopkeeper, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Complainant

Charge: That on the 8th day of June 1880 4 head of cattle defendants property trespassed on Complainants pasture land

AND

Trial Date: 19 Jun 1880
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen Caher

Name: Mrs. Penelope Spottiswood, Hotel Keeper, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Defendant

Name: David O'Connor, Shopkeeper, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Complainant

Charge: Like cause on the 14th of June
____

Trial Date: 7 Aug 1880
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen Caher

Name: Mrs. Penelope Spottiswood, Farmer, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Defendant

Name: Thomas Webb, Farmer, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Complainant

Charge: one donkey defendants property trespassed on Complainants pasture land
____

Trial Date: 3 May 1884
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen Caher

Name: Mrs. Penelope Spotswood, Widow, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Defendant

Name: Patrick McInery, Constable, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Complainant

Charge: defendant allowed one donkey his property to wonder on the public road
____

Trial Date: 6 Feb 1886
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen Caher

Name: Penelope Spotswood
Role: Defendant

Name: John Dineen, Constable, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Complainant

Charge: ...defendant allowed her donkey to wander on the public street
___

Trial Date: 21 May 1892
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen Caher

Name: Penelope Spotswood Widow Lady, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Complainant

Name: Patrick Clifford, Carman, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Defendant

Charge: That the defendant continues to unlawfully overhold and neglect to deliver up to complainant possession of the room & premises...

Note: Defendant Patrick Clifford was ordered to be evicted from Penelope Spotswoods house.
____

Trial Date: 25 Aug 1894
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen Caher

Name: Mrs. Penelope Spotswood, Widow, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Complainant

Name: Mary Sullivan, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Defendant

Charge: That the defendant did commit certain damage ? and spoil maliciously and wilfully to and upon a certain glazed door the property of the complainant.

AND

Trial Date: 25 Aug 1894
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen Caher

Name: Mrs. Penelope Spotswood, Widow, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Complainant

Name: Mary Sullivan, Carpenters wife, Caherciveen Caher
Role: Defendant

Charge: Threatening language toward complainant
____

Trial Date: 8 Sep 1894
Court Name: Caherciveen
Court Place: Kerry, Ireland
Residence Place: Caherciveen Caher

Name: Penelope Spotswood
Role: Complainant

Name: Mary Sheehan, dyers daughter, Caherciveen
Role: Defendant

Charge: The defendant committed certain damage, injury, and spoil to and upon a glazed door the property of complainant at Caherciveen...

Source Citation
The National Archives of Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; CSPS 1/1485-1566

Source Information
Ancestry.com. Ireland, Petty Session Court Registers, 1818-1919 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2020.

Original data: Ireland Petty Session Court Registers: CSPS 1, National Archives of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
____

Kind Regards,

Dave Boylan

Sources:

Ancestry.com
National Archives of Ireland
Google Map

Hi,

A Richard Blackham, Book Binder of Boat Street, Ballynacraig maried Sarah Spotswood from Beech Hill, near Donaghmore, Co. Down in April 1816. Richard, his wife and family emigrated to Australia (Adelaide) in the Autumn of 1840.

 Sarah died at the home of her son - Richard - in Adelaide on February 23rd 1868, aged 77 years.

Children mentioned: Richard, Frederick, Henry, William George, Albert, Elizabeth.

Source: Crossle Genealogical Abstracts via Subscription site www.findmypast.ie

Unable to post the writtten abstract.

This may connect to your family?

Regards,

Hi,

Attached detail in relation to the Blackham's of County Down and the Spotswood's of County Kerry.

Reference to the marriage of Doctor Maurice Spotswood who was the Medical Officer for Cahirciveen area.

Credit; www.irishnewspaperarchives.com and www.findmypast.ie

Regards,

Hi, 

Further detail on the Spostwood's of County Kerry early 1800's.

(1) Land transaction which gives detail of the family of John Spotswood - c1834

(2) Baptism of James Spotswood 1828

Credit: www.findmypast.ie

Regards

Thank you both so much for going to all that trouble. It will take me a while to digest it all. Francis is indeed one of the Kerry Spotswoods, if I am right his brother is Theobald and their mother was Christina Lauder. There are some lovely juicy details which will join a few dots for me. 
it seems Penelope has sunk to the kind of brawling behaviour shared by the Dundalk Spotswoods. Perhaps more an indication of the societal problems at that time.

I must have confused the court case about Charlotte Rae, i will go back and search for her in the Kew archives.  I generally don't pay much attention to events after my family departed 1838&40 but it would have been an interesting link.

Thank you for the lease document it is such a lovely detailed account. 

This puzzle has kept me well occupied for years and taken me around the world (online). I just end up with more questions and find ever richer seams of complexity. Lately I have learned a great deal through listening to Scottish place name specialists talking about the medieval history of Galloway.

I have identified quite a number of Spotswoods who arrived in Ireland in the 1600s and have been piecing together their activities and associations but of course they all move around so much it is a confusing cobweb. I am amazed at how the descendants of the men who fought at Flodden have maintained association down the centuries even to the present day.
Thank you again for your kind assistance.

You're welcome Bikebiddy.

Dave

Well done everyone, great work done here - a lot to sort through.

Wish you well with your research

Geraldine