Treston Family

As far as I am aware William Treston was a false name, the likelihood being that he was either Joseph or William Keran, both sons of Elizabeth and James Keran, Both men were killed in WW1, They are both listed as having lived in George's st Gort in the 1901 census, in the 1911 census the Keran family had moved to Kilmacduagh but as far as I can remember both William and Joseph could have moved out at this stage or been away at boarding school or apprenticed, I cannot find a record of where they were resident in 1911.

From my own research I am not sure whether it was William or Joseph Keran who took the name William Treston, as the age 27 seems to correspond with what Joseph's age in 1916. I myself have speculated that it must have been William as it would be easier to keep up the pretence if you kept your own first name.

In my family folklore they have always maintained that the 2 boys were in the Connacht Rangers and the Royal Artillery never got a mention.

I have not been able to find the military record of either brother in their own names. They may have changed their names for a number of reasons, Maybe he was invalided out of the army from a previous wound and therefore in order to re join would have had to change his name, I have also heard from a cousin that one of the boys worked as a Clerk in the railway, some occupations were seen as vital to the war effort and those working in them may have been discouraged from joining up, maybe this was the reason for the name change. Or maybe he wanted to be able to hide the fact that he was enlisted in crown forces after the war. Perhaps even the change of regiment was the reason for the change in  name. Anyway both WIlliam and Joseph would have been grand-uncles of mine had they survived the war. Elizabeth Treston would have been my great grandmother

I hope this is of help to you

Seamus Kerans

Dear Sr. de Lourdes,

Many thanks for your email and good to hear from you

I do indeed have all the material you mention about Peter's family in Kentucky - and a good deal more besides.

However ther aer a number of inconsistencies that I am wrestling with.

While the 1910 census does indeed give Katherine's year of immigration to the U.S. as 1866, the same census gives her son James's year of immigration as 1872.   Could she have emigrated without him?   Possible but unlikely.

However the 1900 census gives Katherine's year of immigration as beig 1859 - and I have a record of a Catherine McAllen going to the U.S. from Ireland on the ship Victory in 1859.  But that would indicate that she was not married then.  James's yera of immigration is given as 1872 - the same as the 1910 census

Also James's death record and all the press reports thereon report him as having been born in Co. Clare in 1858, but Peter's RIC Record shows him as resigning from the force in 1862 "by rumour to go home to get married" .

I am trying to establish a marriage record for Peter and Katherine - I think, but am not sure, that she came from Killenana in Clare.  That may establish Peter's parents and date and place of birth.

I also have no firm evidence that Peter ever was in the U.S. - Katherine is shown as Peter's widow in a Louisville Street Directory as early as 1873.

Meanwhile, I would love if you could send me the Treston tree you got from the Dolans.   Even though they would be second cousins of mine I have bever met them.   I dont know if you can email the tree - if not I will try to contact you when I am mext going to Gort.

My email address is trestonb@iol.ie

Many thanks and kind regards

Brian

My great great grandmother was Elizabeth Treston married to James Kerans.

I have photos of both of them. Message me.

Martin Kerans

Hi Martin,

Good to hear from you and very interested to hear you have a photograph of your great-grandparents Elizabeth and James.

I would love to have a copy of it and would be happy to have a copy made if you could lend me the original.

What relation are you to Seamus Kerans - I was in touch with him a month or so ago also through this message-board.

I have been reseraching Elizabeth's first cousins in America over recent weeks and have made considerable progress.

However, I still have one or two puzzles regarding some of Elizabeth and James's children - specifically Thomas William and Joseph.   I would love to gte more information on both of them - especially Thomas William who, as you may have seen from my earlieremail, was killed in Iraq during World War 1 - but who, intrigueingly is listed as Gunner William Treston with his mother as Elizabeth Treston and his step-father as James Keran and even though I ma certain was born after their marriage date of 23 April 1884.

After many years of sporadically trying to complete the Treston family history, I am determined to complete it this time as far back as I can go so I wold greatly appreciate any help you can give me.

Maybe we can meet up at some stage.

Incidentally my emial address is trestonb@iol.ie

Kind regards

Brian Treston

Elizabeth Treston and James Kerans were my great grandparents and, through my grandmother, know a lots of random facts about the family,  Stuff I don't know I should be able to find out from my uncle (their grandson)

i would REALLY welcome having a pho graph of them.

I also have info regarding Gunner William Kerans (alias Treton) and  also his older brothers.

So where do I fit in?  I am the granddaughter of Bridget McNamee(nee Kerans) , who I think is the youngest daughter of  Elizabeth Treston and James Kerans. When a child, I spent a significant amount  of time with her and she used to tell me lots about her family. 

I  Obviously know lots about Bridget, her children, husband, and her early life (e.g boarding school in Manchester and at college in Teddington, London) if anyone is interested.

Of the other children of Elizabeth and James, I know most about Charles Kerans,  their youngest son who attended All Hallows' College in Dublin, became a priest and served in New Zealand. he died of  TB I think in March 1949 ? I have visited his grave near Auckland and have a copy of a All Hallows' magazine  1927-28 giving him a fantastic review -he was a wonderful actor and played Lady Macbeth in the annual drama production.  Much more anecdotes about him available via my mother, his niece.

2 older boys of the  family were Waltie (Walter) and Alfie (Alfred) . When young, both were put up against a wall to be shot by the British Army ( time of the Black and Tans I think ) but were saved by their mother pleading with the soldiers.  I think that Waltie was Ian prison for a time and as a consequence had a weak chest. He became a member of the Dublin police force. Alfie inherited the Kilmacduagh farm. 

Most interesting to me is William Kerans and maybe his older brother, both involved with the British Army. Since early childhood, I have heard lots of snippets, initially thought that they were about the same person but now think that they were about William and Joseph.

William( Willie) was always to be a romantic figure. my grandmother told me that her was in the First World War (Connaught Rangers)  but early on, turned up back home with a dog called Mons. Which makes me think that he was in the Battle of Mons 1914. Was he invalided out? Also heard that he then worked in a Railway office, but got restless and rejoined the army under a false name, then was killed in Iraq. 

Until I read Brian and Seamus's messages, this always perplexed me. If he had a false name, how did the family find out of his death?  Now that I know that he enrolled for the second time as William Treston, giving the same Kilmacduagh address, this now makes sense.  I had also never understood why William Kerans never showed up on the Commonaealth Graves Commission Iraq lists and now know why ( I've now seen him as William Treston in the Kut records)  Way back before Sadaam Hussein,  I even travelled in Iraq and unsuccessfully tried to find details of him Now I know why I was unsuccessful.

Since reading the messages, I have been reading about the Seige of Kut Al Almara and it seems highly likely that he served there with the Royal Field Artillery and was killed on the day that the seige ended ( "the mist abject capitulation in Britain's military history" )

As a child, I found  box of dead and mounted butterflies in my gransmother's cupboard and she told me that they were a present from India from her older brother who was in the British Army. on't think that this could be William so it must have been Joseph. Also heard my uncle talk about his uncle who had been injured in India and sent to Simla to recuperate. Think that this must also be Joseph. I also went to Simla ( I'm well travelled! ) and tried unsuccessfully to find details.

if any of my distant or not so distant relatives are interested in all this and would like to know more. I am really happy for you to get in touch.  I live in England but travel to England regularly. my email address is Sandra.kiely@orange.net

if you reply to this under messages, please copy to my email also.

looking forward to rreplies 

Sandra.Kiely

Seamus

Thank you for your n formation regarding  William Kearns.

Over the past few days, Brian Treston, Martin Kearns and myself have been in email contact, working together  on the family tree.

It would be great if you could join in.

SeamusK suggests that you are a Kearns. Would be interesting o see where you fit into the tree.

My email address is. Sandra.kiely@orange.net

Looking forward to hearing from you

Regards

Sandra Kiely

( great grand daughter of Elizabeth Treston and James Kearns)

Seamus

Thank you for your n formation regarding  William Kearns.

Over the past few days, Brian Treston, Martin Kearns and myself have been in email contact, working together  on the family tree.

It would be great if you could join in.

SeamusK suggests that you are a Kearns. Would be interesting o see where you fit into the tree.

My email address is. Sandra.kiely@orange.net

Looking forward to hearing from you

Regards

Sandra Kiely

( great grand daughter of Elizabeth Treston and James Kearns)

After giving my family history a rest for a while I came upon these posts and was delighted to find others researching the same families.

Elizabeth Treston and James Kerans were my maternal great grandparents.   Joseph Keran (notice spelling difference - I have come across many variations in the same family).   Joseph James Keran was born 21st April 1889.  He served with the Connaught Rangers in WW1.  From my research it seems he was already in the army when war broke out, probably serving in India, and his regiment would have been one of the first to land in France at the outbreak of war in 1914.   He won the Mons Star -  only one soldier in 7 received this clasp.  

William was his older brother born 1884.  My mother and aunt remembered him as Uncle Willie. I knew he had been killed in WW1 but could not find any medal roll card for him or anything in the War Graves Commission.  Then I found a book called 'Forgotten Heroes-Galway soldiers in the Great War' and looked up all the Trestons and there he was listed as son of Elizabeth Keran nee Treston and stepson of James Kerans.    I also found his medal roll card - the name William had been transcribed incorrectly as Nichan from the original handwriting.   The name change is a mystery alright and the re-enlistment under a false name might explain it.  His baptism certificate dated 6th Dec 1884 shows him as William Thomas Kerins -as spelt - perhaps born a little early as Elizabeth and James were married on 23rd April 1884!

My mother always said that the brothers were serving in Mesopotamia together when Willie died.  From the date 29/4/16 it was as the garrison  was defeated.  Joseph Keran married in Dublin in 1921 just after the Connaught Rangers were disbanded.and raised 10 children in Westmeath - one of them being my mother.

I have other snippets relating to the Keran family and would like to share them if they are of interest and am very interested in the Treston family tree and any photos that anyone has ...I have a few also of the Kerans family and Elizabeth Treston and her youngest son Fr Charles Kerans who was a PP n Ngarawahia in New Zealand.

My email is:  marybaron47@hotmail.com

I would to hear from you all.    I live in Cambridge, England and this year will be in Gort visiting my aunt late October if any of you live there?!

Kind regards

Mary

Hi Brian,

I am replying on behalf of your cousin Peter Treston, who shares Richard as a Great-Great-Grandfather.  We don't have a whole pile of extra info on ye're Great-Great-Granduncle Peter except that on leaving the RIC in 1862 he joined Richard as a shoemaker in Gort for a time.  As you say it is unclear whether he emigrated to America but he did marry and have at least one son.  Most of this info comes from an excellent book, The Treston Family by Denis James Treston (2000).

Best of luck with your research and if we get any extra info we will keep you in the loop.

Regards,

Donal

Hi, Brian- re William Treston.

In reference to William Treston, the name is not now known in the Abbeyfeale area.

However, I have discovered a reference that, on 7th October, 1868, one L. A, Treston, Magistrate, signed an order for a contractor to carry out works on Wellesley Bridge over the River Feale,  which is near Abbeyfeale. It appears that Mr. Treston may was a Magistrate in the Abbeyfeale area. I have not come across him, or the Treston  name, in the Abbeyfeale area apart from this reference and your query.

However, there  is good evidence that the name Treston was known here in the 1860s.

Nicholas Leonard.

Hi,

Re/- Wm Treston.

Does this snippet mean anything to you?

It is taken from Knockanure Notes of 10 August 2014- commemorating WW1 dead.

Best wishes,

Nicholas Leonard.

Hi Nicholas, Thanks for posting your message, however I couldn’t find the ‘snippet’ you mentioned. Could you send me a fresh link as I would love to see what it is. Kind regards. Brian Treston

Hi, Brian,

Below,  find a copy of the list of WW1 dead, including William Treston.  It seems that his Mother, Elizabeth, was from Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick. Little else is known. If I come across further info., I will email you with same,

Regards,

Nicholas Leonard

Name: Rev. Cornelius McAuliffe OFM, Army Chaplain's Department, Meenoline North, Templeglantine, Co. Limerick.

Name: Edward Guina, Regiment: 1st Bn. Irish Guards Died: 06/11/1914, Son of Edward & Bridget Guina, Athea, Co. Limerick.

Name: John Lynch, Regiment: 1st Bn. Royal Irish Rifles

Died: 11/03/1915, Son of Patrick & Johanna Lynch, Athea, Ardagh.

Name: William Lynch, Regiment: 8th Bn. Royal Munster Fusiliers

Died: 26/05/1916, Son of Patrick and Johanna Lynch, Athea, Ardagh, Brother of John above.

Staff Nurse Mary Danaher, Regiment: Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve, Died: 12/10/1918, Daughter of Mrs. A. Danaher, Glenagower, Athea.

Name: John Lane, Regiment: 2nd Bn. Royal Munster Fusiliers

Died: 24/12/1916, Born in Abbeyfeale.

Name: Thomas O’Connor, Regiment: 1st Bn. Royal Munster Fusiliers

Died: 29/11/1915.

Name: Michael Sexton, Regiment: 1st Bn. Royal Munster Fusiliers

Died: 30/09/1918, Born in Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick. Father was Denis Sexton, Newcastle West.

Name: Daniel Sheehan, Regiment: 8th Bn. Royal Munster Fusiliers,

Son of Mortimer and Bridget Sheehan, Mountcollins, Abbeyfeale.

Name: William Treston, Regiment: Royal Field Artillery, Died: 29/04/1916, Son of Elizabeth Treston, originally from Abbeyfeale. Now Elizabeth Keran (formerly Treston), of Kilmacduagh, Gort, Co. Galway.

Name: Michael Woulfe, Regiment: 1st Bn. Irish Guards

Died: 01/11/1914, Born in Abbeyfeale.

Name: Alfred Falkiner Broderick, Regiment: ‘D’ Bty. 38th Bde. Royal Field Artillery, Died: 02/04/1918, Son of John P. and Matilda Creagh Broderick, Feale View Lodge, Abbeyfeale.

Name: Michael Broderick, Regiment: 85th Siege Bty. Royal Army Service Corps. Died: 02/11/1918, Son of Cornelius and Hanora Broderick, Abbeyfeale.

Name: Michael Broderick, Regiment: 2nd Bn. Royal Munster Fusiliers

Died: 24/08/1916, Son of John and Mary Broderick, Abbeyfeale.

Name: Michael Cullinane, Regiment: 1st Garrison Bn. Royal Irish Fusiliers, Died: 29/05/1916, Husband of Mary Cullinane, Abbeyfeale,

Name: John Curtin, Regiment: 2nd Bn. Royal Munster Fusiliers

Died: 04/10/1918, Son of Timothy & Mary Curtin, Mountcollins.

Name: David Hartnett, Regiment: 3rd Bn. N.Z. Rifle Brigade

Died: 15/09/1916, Son of Maurice and Ellen Hartnett, Dromtrasna Collins.

Name: William Hartnett, Regiment: 19th Bn. Australian Infantry

Died: 25/08/1916, Born in Knockadireen, Abbeyfeale.

My guess is that the Abbeyfeale address was part of the subterfuge in order to re join the Army, as well as changing his name, as we think Elizabeth Treston was from Gort originally, but she could have been born there I suppose or maybe there was a cousin or uncle or someone he knew living in Abbeyfeale or maybe he lived there for a while. Im in Limerick regularly for work I must have a look at that memorial

Hi Nicholas, Yes, I was aware I this entry and the Abbeyfeale reference is certainly odd. William was born in Peterswell outside Gort in Dec 1884 to James Keran and Elizabeth Treston who were married in April 1884. His birth record and the 1901 census has him correctly described as William Keran. However, for some reason, as yet unexplained, he enlisted in the RFA in 1914 as William Treston and was recorded as being killed under that name in 1916, as has been described. Elizabeth Treston was born in Peterswell in 1861 and, as far as I know lived in Gort town with her parents from 1864 onwards. After her marriage to James she lived either in or just outside Gort until her death. She was my grand-aunt and as far as I know had no connection whatever with Abbeyfeale, nor had we any relatives from there as I have extensively researched our family tree. I suppose there may be a possibility that she worked in Abbeyfeale at some stage before her marriage, but there is no evidence of this. So it seems as if this may have been part of the false identity created, for some reason, by William. I would love to know if you come across any evidence of a real Abbeyfeale connection as the mystery of William has been puzzling for some years.  Kind regards  Brian Treston

To all that have written before me.

Firstly hello to all my extended familly all of whom you are, some closer than others it seems. 

I have stumbled across you all today and I am very excited about adding to the conversation and hope that I can join the group in accessing any info you have on this amazing familly. I am the son of Fintan Keran of Dalkey Co Dublin, he was the son of Walter keran, son to Elizabeth (Treston) Keran and James Keran , Kilmacduagh Co Galway. 

Just to add the little that I know of intersting facts particularaly around William I was told by Vincent Maloney (Deseased a few years ago, related to us all somehow.....)  of main street Gort that William had changed his name as he was under age to join the army however this may not add up with the year hes was born as my Granfather, his brother,  was born in 1899......, not sure where he was in the line of children born. However one of you mentioned the older of the boys being Walter and Alfred suggesting the William and Joesph were born into the 1900 making them close to under age for the military.

Father Charles Keran, died 1949 in Aukland, buried at the priest only graveyard was PP of  Ngarawahia NZ was also the spiritual home of the Maorie tribe, I met five people who knew him personally in the one day I was there, one was his Altar boy!  There was a photo of him at the back of the church and I later discovered that Eamon De Velera (Long time friend of James and Elizabeth) had visited Charles in an Aukland Hospital in 1948 before his death of cancer in 1949.  Dev was on a world tour at the time drumming up support for a united Ireland. 

Another interesting character in the Famillt was James Kerans brother Fr Charles Keran of Gort PP of Ballyvaughn Co Clare, a staunch republican figure well know for his commitment to the irish language and refusal to speak the kings English. He was alos written about in the local papers as the romantical black capped man that rode from town to town warning of Brtiish garrisons approaching looking for disadents.  Unfortunatley for him a book was written years later known as the Fanor School Case based on his involvement in the scandal of a school principle and school teacher who refused to marry under order of the PP and were subsequently sacked for their jobs by the staunch priest!!          

Love to catch up with you all soon.  I live in Australia and im contactable on keran7402@yahoo.com.  Love to see a completed tree some day!!

Cheers,

Trevor 

Welcome to the discussion Trevor, I havent added anything to this in years, I am the grandson of Alfie your grandfathers brother, and I met your late father when I was very young.