Magee and Stuart Families

Dear Kerry:

Thank you for your query to the Ireland Reaching Out message board.

I have a copy of the death record for Sarah Magee that you refer to but it shows her age as 74.  It also noted that her son, George Magee was present at her death.

I also see a church marriage record for Sarah Magee and Samuel Parker in 1869 at St. Mark's Parish.   I attach that record also.  The marriage record for John Magee and Catherine Skelly is from the parish of St. Peter's.  

It would seem that some of the family remained in Dublin if your family visited them in the 1950s and 1960s. If you have other names, you could trace them in the 1901 and 1911 Census records.  The link for the Census is below:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/about/index.html

 A trade directory might be helpful and we have a Dublin volunteer who is well-versed on that as well as maps.  I'm going to ask him to reply to you also. 

If you have any further information, please feel free to share it.  You may also want to add your Ancestors to the Ancestor Profiles on the XO Chronicles tab at the right top of the page, and please feel free to do so.

Kind regards,

Jane  

Unfortunately both addresses, 30 Charlemont Street and 31 Mercer Street Upper are listed as tenements at the time, so no details of occupants are shown included in the directory listings.  The alphabetical listings also show no sign of either of the fathers shown on Catherine and John’s marriage with the occupations/trades indicated - John Magee bootmaker and Silvester Skelly - printer, so no details to help follow them up any further in directory listings - likely both fathers were employed by someone else rather than having their own businesses.

Neither of these two buildings survive - 30 Charlemont Street was located on the west side of the street not far from the Grand canal, and close to a small side-street named Fennell’s Lane - see attached map extract. Mercer Street Upper is not far to the west of Stephen’s Green and close to the college of Surgeons, number 31 was on the east side of the street close to the junction with Cuffe Street - see attached map extract.

I found some additional details for relatives remaining in Dublin - e.g. probable marriage of Catherine’s father and mother, their deaths, also a marriage and children to another of Catherine’s siblings… which I’ll follow up on and update here...

Are you certain that your John Magee’s mother was named Sarah Stuart ?
There’s a baptism for St. Peter’s Church of Ireland parish in May 1859 of a John Magee to parents John Magee and Elizabeth - residence is familiar, although for the Skelly side.. 31 Upper Mercer Street, and John’s occupation is Shoemaker as per John jnr’s marriage… there are also at least two earlier children baptised to the same couple also in St. Peters.

Other than Sarah I did not locate any definite marriage for any additional siblings of John jnr - marriages are often the best evidence as they civil marriages and Church of Ireland records after 1845 include fathers names and occupations.

Gorey is a town in Co. Wexford located a little inland from the coast, and the good news is that if your Stuart line came from the town then there does appear to be at least some early records held locally for the Church of Ireland parish of Corey, with records of baptisms and marriages going back to 1801. As far as I know there are no records for the parish online at present - the RCB Library is undertaking a register transcription project, but this will take quite some time to complete. Some earlier records for the parish were lost in the civil war. The RCB Library in Dublin hold some transcripts - baptisms 1878 onward, marriages 1818 to 1973.

A search for possible siblings to Catherine Skelly shows a very promising marriage in St. Peter’s CofI parish - William Joseph Elmes & Martha Mary Skelly on 24 January 1884, Martha’s residence is shown as 50 York Street which is right beside Upper Mercer Street, and her father is Sylvester Skelly with occupation Printer. Martha is shown as a minor, so under 21, which if accurate woudl put her year of birth around 1863 or 1864  - right at the start of civil registration, but I found no sign of a birth record for her, or a baptism in the Dublin church records online.

William and Martha had a number of children and had moved to the suburban North strand area of Dublin by the time of the 1901 at Hawthorne Terrace and 1911 census at Northbrook Ave. Lwr. The 1901 census listing for the Elmes household was filled in by William, and he recorded a ‘Harriet Skilly’ age 64 as ‘Other Relative’, William died in 1909 and the 1911 census form was filled in by Martha snr, and this time ‘Harriet Skelly’ age 78 is shown as Martha’s mother.  Maybe one or more of these children stayed in Ireland and could be the people your Aunt Sadie/Sarah visited with...

Based on the name of Martha’s mother we can also confirm a probable marriage for her parents, Sylvester Skelly & Harriet Stocker on the 8th June 1851 at St Audeon’s Church of Ireland in Dublin city, this parish is located to the north of St. Peter’s. Sylvester’s residence is shown as 42 Back Lane, which is adjacent to High Street, his occupation appears to be painter, Harriet gives the same residence.  Their father’s are Sylvester Skelly an upholsterer, and Edward Stocker a lightkeeper. The witnesses are a Daniel Twomey and Julia Hayden.

At the time of the marriage number 42 Back lane is listed as W. Scully brassfounder, so appears Sylvster & Harriet lived over this business.

Harriet Skelly nee Stocker died in 1915, at 8 Northbrook Avenue (same address as 1911 census) with reported age of 86, the informant is Alice Elmes (her granddaughter).

Martha Mary Elmes (nee Skelly) died at St. Stephen's Hospital Dublin City on the 21st July 1928, age given as 65, her occupation is shown as sorters widow (William is shown as G.P.O clerk on the 1901 census)

(all the links included above are to free websites - IrishGenealogy or the National Archives of Ireland)

Hi Everyone

I can't thank you enough for the research you have carried out for me, I have been struggling to find information about my Irish family.

Firstly Yes to Sarah Stuart being my 2nd Great Grandmother, we originally thought Elizabeth was also John Jnr's mother but on obtaining his death certificate in Australia it records his mother as being Sarah, and this fits as in a family bible is an Irish newspaper clipping of her death.  I had often wondered whom this woman was and what the connection was.  hence my grandfather being William Stuart Magee, my Dad Geoffrey John Stuart Magee and my brother Peter Stuart Magee, the Stuart name had been passed down through the family.

I have to go to work now but will reply in full tonight.  Thank you so much to both of you for all your assistance

Cheers. Kerry Jones (Magee)

Hi Again

Thought I would tell you a little about myself, I live in an amazing seaside township on the northern coast of NSW called Laurieton which is about 30 mins from Port Macquaire, my husband and myself retired here nearly 2 years ago from Sydney.  We have 3 grown up children and 4 grandchildren whom I adore and miss.

I am amazed at all the information you have kindly researched for me.  Martha Skelly is my Great Grandmother Catherine Magee's (Skelly) sister and funnily enough on DNA links the Elmes family has come up but as yet I hadn't been able to link them together.  I have Catherines Birth Certificate her DOB is 30th June 1859 and she was baptised at St Peters Church of England on 30th August 1859 in Lancashire UK . Sylvester is listed as being a printer and they lived in Arlington Street. I will now look for Martha's birth records to see where she was born.

My main aim is to find family hopefully before we arrive in Dublin in October or at least that is my dream.  We will be in Dublin for 2 days 15th Oct till 17th Oct and would love to meet with either or both of you for a chat and a coffee if either of you are available.

Hope to chat soon. Kerry Jones

Hi Kerry:  

Thank you for the additional information and I can arrange for one of our volunteers to meet you when you are visiting Dublin, if you wish--possibly Shane!  

Please keep us posted as to your plans and if you have any further questions, please let us know.  

All the best,

Jane