John James Towey 1862-1918

Teresa:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Can you send me the 1901 census record you found? Most of the Toweys are from near Ballaghaderreen. In fact there were 120 or so Towey households in the 1901 census near Ballaghaderreen. My great-aunt Anne McDonnell married a Michael Towey and they lived about 4 miles west of Ballaghaderreen.

Here is the link to the Ballaghaderreen parish register which you likely already have. http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0119 There is a gap in the early 1860s and a few other gaps which have tormented me in my own research.

There are two civil parishes in the area: Castlemore and a smaller parish Kilcolman. In fact, the RC parish is also know as Castlemore and Kilcolman.

Ballaghaderreen is now in Roscommon and has been since the 19th century, however, there is a close connection with Mayo. Players from the Ballaghaderreen Gaelic sports teams play for Mayo and not Roscommon. The Bishop for the Diocese of Achonry is resident at the Cathedral of the Annunication and St. Nathys in Ballaghaderreen. There is a picture of the cathedral on our parish page.

I can answer you questions in more detail once you let me know where they lived from the 1901 census.

As an aside, an emigrant would always say they were from the nearest large town or village near their townland. My grandmother, Nora Roddy, lived in Knockanaconny townland just outside Ballaghaderreen and always said she was from Ballaghaderreen rather than Knockanaconny. She left Ireland in 1906.

Let me know.

Roger McDonnell

Hello Roger,

Thank you very much for contacting me.

I am sorry I should have explained better.  I am on ancestry.co.uk and it was there that I found out about my late husband's Great Grandfather John James Towey. From there I found out that he was married in Birmingham to Mary Ann Parsons in 1892.  (Her Mother was Ada Fitzpatrick and came from Limirick.) The first sign of John James Towey that I have found is his wedding in 1892.  He then appears in the Birmingham 1901 and 1911 census.  It is in the 1911 census that it says he comes from Ballaghaderreen,Co Mayo. He doesnot appear in any other census except those so I think that he must have gone to the Uk not long before the wedding. There were censuses in 1881 and 1891 but I have not managed to find him in any of those.I am not very good at using a laptop so I am not sure how to send the census to you.

My late husband was a Roman Catholic as was his Mother and Grandmother so I would guess that John James Towey was too.

I am getting very confused about the parishes.  If I have got it right the RC parish for Ballaghaderreen is Castlemore and Kilcolman, the  diocese is  Achonry. There seem to be four civil parishes which cover the Ballaghaderreen area two Castlemore with different baroncies,and two Kilcoman with two different baroncies.

I hope to buy a copy of John James Towey's marriage certificate because it should have details about his address and his Father, it might give me some more clues or information..

I have tried looking on the Castlemore records but they are very hard to read and from what I can make out he is not in them.  Also details for when he was born- 1862 is missing.

.Do you have any other suggestions thatr might be helpful?  I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,

Teresa Kilby

Teresa:

There is only one Castlemore parish in Roscommon and one Kilcolman in Roscommon both in Costello barony. 

Any ideas of siblings for John James? Maybe we can find their baptismal records. Do you know the name of the oldest son of John James? That may give us a clue of the father's name.

Let me know.

Roger

Hello Roger,

Thank you very much for your email . I was not aware that I had had a reply from you until I received your email yesterday.

I have managed to find out abit more information which may be useful.

John James Towey moved to Birmingham from Ireland at some point and got married there. The first sign of him in the Uk is in the marriage records of 1892.  I have checked the other census information predating 1892 (1861,1871, 1881) and I can find no definite mention of him so probably  he was still living in Ireland  He never returned to Ireland to live as he is in all the later censuses until he dies..  I ordered his wedding certificate and this showed his father's name and trade.  His Father's  name was Hugh and he was listed as being a tailor and farmer but it doesn't say where he lived.

I do not have any names of John James siblings.

I hope this information might be useful.

Thank you for your time.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards from

Teresa Kilby

John James Towey had two children that died but four survived.  They were called Ada Agnes Towey 1900-?, John William Towey 1896-?, Mary Elizabeth Towey  1897-1970 and James Brian  Towey1906-1896.

Teresa:

It looks like John James was born in 1858 and baptized in the Ballaghaderreen church. Now it is possible that there was another John James with a father Hugh but probably not likely. I got this record from Roots Ireland but you can see the actual record on the parish register (I provided the link earlier). No address was shown. The mother was Brigid. I believe NG means not given.

I'm leaving tomorrow for four days in London and nine days in Ireland. I will be in Ballaghaderreen on the 24th and 25th.

Roger

Name:John James ToweyDate of Birth:08-Jan-1858
Date of Baptism:1-Jan-0Address:NgParish/District:BALLAGHADREENGender:MaleCountyCo. Roscommon
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Hugh ToweyMother:Brigid NgOccupation:Ng
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:John ToweySponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Brigid Ng

Ada Agnes Towey 1899

I am looking for information about Ada Agnes Towey who was born in Birmingham in 1899 although she did return to Ireland and may have married there.

Her parents were John James Towey1862 (Born in Ballaghaderreen) and Mary Ann Towey (nee Parsons)

Her siblings were:

John William Towey 1895 [Married Jessie Greenway in 1939]

Mary Elizabeth Towey 1897

Margaret Catherine Towey 1901

Patrick Thomas Towey 1904 - 1904

James Brian Towey 1905 [Married Elsie B Tarmey in 1944

Bob:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Hopefully Teresa sees your message and replies. Looks like you are closely connected.

I located the civil marriage record for Ada Agnes in 1929 in Ballaghaderreen. She was living in Edmondstown which is close to Ballaghaderreen.  https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1929/09062/5278447.pdf

Roger McDonnell

Roger

Unfortunately Ada gives her father's name as Daniel on her marrige certificate but her father appears to be John James TOWEY 1862.

Bob LOACH

Dear Bob,

Thank you for your messages.I am afraid that I do not know anything about ADA Agnes. I am not sure if we are talking about the same Ada Agnes.

My late husband's great grandfather was John James Towey born 8th Jan 1892 .At some point he came to Birmingham and married a Mary Ann Pasons in 1892 (she had a sister called Ada who had one point lived with them in 1939). John James died in 1918. His brother was Hugh born 10th April 1866. Their father was also called Hugh.

From looking at Ancestry UK I have found that he had a son John William Towey in 1895. I have been unable to find any information about him in any census.

Next they had a daughter Mary Elizabeth Towey ,my late husband's grandmother born 23rd June 1897. She owned a little cafe in Birmingham called the Slip in. She was not married but had a daughter called Mary Elizabeth junior born 22nd September 1916. She too had a baby while not married on 21st November 1939 called John M A Towey  (Who was my late husband). She later married a Leslie Kilby and had three children with him. My late husband took the name Kilby.

Next came Ada agnes I can't find anything about her that really matches up. It says she married a Joseph C boardman in 1955 but I do not think this can be right.

Next came Margaret Catherine. in 1901 but  I can't find anything about her.

Next came James Brian Towey in 1905 who died in 1986. I can't find any information about him either.

I can't find anything about Patrick Thomas Towey.. Where did you find the information about who John William married, Patrick Thomas Towey, James Brian and Ada agnes - could the one you found be the same?

Thank you for your help. I hope that some of this may be helpful to you.

I am still trying to find out more about John James Towey's roots. Where exactly he lived, his siblings and his Father Hugh and Mother Bridget.

Thank you.

Kind regards from

Teresa Kilby

Teresa,

My original information came from the family of James Joseph LOACH 1925 who was born James Joseph TOWEY 1925 in Liverpool to mother Ada Agnes TOWEY. No father was listed on the birth certificate but has bee added at a later date. His father is includuded however on his marriage certificate as William Edward LOACH.

James Joseph TOWEY is believed to have been taken to Ireland whe around 2 but returned to Birmingham at a later date.

The rest of the information is mostly from "Ancestry" plus the "1939 Register" [John W TOWEY 1895, Mary Elizabeth TOWEY 1897, Mary Elizabeth TOWEY 1916 and Edna A PARSONS 1897 lived in Birmingham.]

John William TOWEY 28861 1st Air Mec, C Flight, R.A.F. (absent voter) appears on the Birminghams Electoral Register from 1912 to 1945 living at 12 Terrace"A" Lawrence St, Duddeston and later at 52 Kathleen Road, Yardley.

James B TOWEY lived at 8 Lee Bank Squarre in 1945 and with Elsie B TOWEY from 1950 to 1955

James Brian TOWEY married Elsie B(ridget) TARMEY in 1940 in Birmingham.

Patrick Thomas TOWEY 1904 died as an infant as did Hubert TOWEY 1894.

I  am led to believe that Ada Agnes TOWEY married in Ireland and she showes up on the Birminham Electoral Roll in 1950 living with her husband Patrick J HOPKINS and Mary A HOPKINS plus Birdget BYRNE and James EARLY at 12 Lee Bank Square, Edgbaston

I haven't finished my research yet but some of the name and dates tie up too well to be concidence.

I have written to John L TOWEY who lives near Evesham, he has replied by email but I have not had chance to go through the email yet as I have only just returned from holiday.

I have files on the LOACH and TOWEY families in "pdf" and "Word" if you let me have an email address I will send you the information I have. This includes a number of baptisms including "12 Julii 1899 nata, 30 Julii 1899 baptizata est Ida Agnes TOWEY filia John et Mariae (olim PARSONS).

Regards

Bob LOACH

Teresa,

I have just looked at the 1911 census for John James TOWEY and his wife Mary Ann TOWEY (nee PARSONS) who were living at 12 Terreace A, Lawrence St, Birmingham and according to JJ TOWEY's return they had been married 18 years and had 7 children born alive of which 5 were still alive in 1911.

The two children (who died young) are buried in St Joseph's Roman Catholic Churvhyard, Thimblemill Lane, Nechells, Birmingham. Hugh (Hubert) was 15 months and Patrick Tomas TOWEY was 7 months old.

That leaves:

John William TOWEY 1895

Mary Elizabeth TOWEY 1897

Ada Agnes TOWEY 1899

Margaret (K) Catherine TOWEY 1901

James Brian TOWEY 1905

All 7 were baptized at St Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Moor S Birmingham to "filius Joannis et Mariae (olim PARSONS" which I hope means Father John and Mother Mary (nee PARSONS).

I have attempted to include a table with this information plus spouses and grand-children in this reply but failed miserably.

I have had an initial reply from the grand-son of James Brian TOWEY who seems to already be aware of the LOACH connection.

Regards

Bob LOACH

Dear Bob,

Thank you very much for all  the information you have posted.I did not find it despite looking on ancestry. I think I must have misread the 1939 census as well-I thought it was Ada but must have been Edna as you say. Yes, I would very much like to have all the information you have found send to my email address please. I have a couple of pictures of my late husband's Mother Mary Elizabeth Junior which I could send to you if you wish.I am very sorry that I do not know more. My email is tmitk@yahoo.com. Do you know where exactly John James Towey actually came from in Ireland , or anything about his parents etc? I do have a photo of my late husband at Lawrence Terrace. My late husband did not talk much about his family. He only mentioned Aunt Ada in passing. He did say that John James was very involved/important   in the train unions and was a  train driver. 

I hope to hear from you again.Thank you very much for your help.

Kind regards from

Teresa Kilby