The Gortmore Pilkingtons.....

I first encountered the Gortmore Pilkington family when I travelled to Ireland with my sister in 2007, visiting the Drumcliffe Old Cemetery in Ennis to locate Pilkington family graves. We successfully found the graves of our great grandfather Thomas Pilkington who died in 1884, his father Thomas Pilkington who died in 1838, his grandfather also Thomas Pilkington who died in 1817, 3x great uncle Francis who died in 1801 and 2x great uncle Francis who died in 1810. We knew who all these people were, but what about those other graves? The ones intermingled with ours, that also had the name Pilkington?  These headstones bore the location Gortmore.

Pilkington of Gortmore grave

                                                       

Drumcliffe Old Cemetery, Ennis, Clare, Ireland
© Kaypilk 2007

Thomas (died 1817), Francis (died 1801) and Francis (died 1810) were all resident at Cragleagh, just out of Ennis, at the times of their deaths. Further enquiry revealed Cragleagh and Gortmore were neighbouring townlands, but we didn't follow up any further at that time. 

* Cragleigh or Cragleagh, and Gortmore, Gurtmore or Gurthmore are interchangeable in the various records.

Drumcliffe parish showing location of Gortmore (20) & Cragleagh (12)

In 2014 I went to Ireland alone for the launch of the Waterpark book I had collaborated on. While there, I had been invited to address the Kilrush & District Historical Society about the history of my family in the west of Clare. This was on my last night in Ireland before flying back to England. After my presentation, I was approached by an elderly man who introduced himself as Tom Pilkington from near Ennis. He said his family were originally from Gortmore and he still farmed some land in the area. We exchanged contact details and promised to keep in touch. I deeply regretted not having a couple more days to explore the connection further.

A few months later I received a package from Tom's wife Peggy, containing a family tree, photos and notes from his family, most of whom had emigrated to America over the generations. We both have quite extensive trees going back to the late 1790's, but no obvious link between our two families.

Tom's family tree goes back from him for three generations to James Pilkington, born about 1796 & died 1833.  Mine goes back 5 generations from me to Thomas Pilkington, born about 1742 & died 1817. Tom's family has been Roman Catholic all the way back, mine is Protestant. Both our families have a Thomas in every generation. Both our families tend to have long generations, with the men mostly not marrying and having families until in their late 30's or 40's.

At my suggestion, Tom agreed to do a DNA test, both autosomal and Y-DNA, and his results showed an autosomal match to me, and to my brother on both tests. So the relationship was proven, but we still had no idea how.

I next visited Ireland in 2016 with my husband. Tom and Peggy picked us up from our accommodation in Ennis one day and took us for a lovely drive, pointing out locations of significance to the Pilkington family, including the original Gortmore House. Tom stated he didn't need a DNA test to prove we were related, because we both had the same eyes!

Ruins of original Gortmore House

© Kaypilk 2016

A couple of years later, I found a hand-written transcript of the 1821 Irish census for county Clare on the genealogy website Findmypast. This showed the household of my 2nd great grandfather Thomas Pilkington (1784-1838), living at Cragleigh. As well as Thomas, his wife Anne, their infant daughter Jane and a nurse, was 25 year old James Pilkington listed as a house servant.

In 1825, the Tithe Applotment Books show Thomas Pilkington holding 225 acres of land at Gortmore and an additional 160 acres at Cragleigh.  James Pilkington was the holder of just 7 3/4 acres at Cragleigh. 

Sometime in the later 1820's, James married Anne Lysaght. The couple had three children that have been identified - Charles born around 1828, Thomas born about 1829 and Ellen born in 1830. Charles remained in Ireland on the family farm, while Thomas emigrated to USA in 1848 and Ellen followed in 1850.

The Clare Journal newspaper of 9th May 1831 reports an attack on the home of James Pilkington at Gortmore by the Terry Alts, a local secret society pushing for agricultural reform. The article reports the house and furniture were damaged and James was ordered to quit the 24 acres he held.

According to the headstone erected on his grave at Drumcliffe Cemetery, James Pilkington died in August 1833.  His wife Anne died in 1866.

James was succeeded by his son Charles, who raised a family of 8 children at Gortmore with his wife Margaret Corry.  There is no record of Charles Pilkington or his mother Ann occupying land at Gortmore in the Griffith Valuations records during the 1850's. Thomas Pilkington from my family is still recorded as occupying 208 acres.

In 1877, The Freeman's Journal newspaper (June 27th 1877) carried a report of the bankruptcy of Charles Pilkington of Gurtmore near Ennis.  Charles was described as the brother of Thomas Pilkington (my great-grandfather), who was claiming the sum of £280 in rent arrears. The article stated Charles had acted as a steward for Thomas. A later newspaper report (July 11th 1877) corrected the relationship between the two Pilkington men, stating they were unrelated. 

Whatever the actual relationship was, and undoubtedly there was one, I have so far been unable to discover it. I have a couple of possible theories which I am continuing to explore, but it is difficult with the absence of so many records for that early time period in Ireland.

Tom and I share 11.4cM of DNA. My potential theories would make us either 4th cousins x1 removed, or half 3rd cousins. Both of these relationships are consistent with the amount of shared DNA.

My "cousin" Tom & me in 2016

© Kaypilk 2016

Tom passed away a few years ago, but I was very glad to have had the opportunity to know him. I will continue working to determine our exact relationship.

Ennis again...

While I had been in New Ross, I had received a call from Larry Brennan in Ennis.  He had been doing some detective work and told me he had obtained some information which pin-pointed the location of the little Beechpark burial ground which we had been unsuccessful in locating at our previous attempt.  We had arranged to meet in the evening, after my day in Kilrush.

We met at the agreed time, and set off - first stop was a visit to Glenard House at Clarecastle.  Glenard was the home of my grandfather's eldest brother, Thomas Henry Pilkington (1859-1916).  He was a Civil Engineer, and Assistant County Surveyor for East Clare.  Tom stayed on at Waterpark after his parents' death in 1884, until moving to Glenard in 1893.  The move came about because he had tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a reduced rental for Waterpark from Lord Inchiquin.

We were very warmly welcomed at Glenard by the present occupants, Mary and her daughter Lorraine.  It is a lovely old home, and I was delighted to be shown a big old cupboard in the bathroom in which my great-uncle Fred Pilkington had inscribed a message:

Fred W. Pilkington

putting things into this press

11-7-1881

 

and underneath:

Home again 1889  

 

 

 

The dates indicate that this huge old cupboard would originally have been located at Waterpark, and moved to Glenard with the family, although how they would have negotiated it up the narrow stairs and into the bathroom I do not know!

 

 

Tea and scones over a chat with Mary and Lorraine were very welcome, but Larry was anxious to move on to our next appointment.

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Glenard House c1904

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                         Glenard House 2014

Our next stop was to meet up with Father Tom, the  Ennis Parish Priest, who was going to come to Beechpark with us.  We drove to a farm a little further down the road from the old Beechpark entrance.  Larry had been able to access an old map on which the little burial ground was marked, and by comparing it to a modern map had been able to fairly accurately locate it.  There is still quite a bit of ill-feeling locally towards Marcus Keane, even today, so Larry was cautious about publicising the location, for fear of drawing unwanted attention for the family who own the land now.  I'm quite sure I wouldn't find the place again, unaided!

 

So we set off for some more cross-country mud tramping, dodging some cattle in the process, and eventually found the little fenced burial ground with rusted iron gate firmly in place.

 

 

I think it would be many years since anyone has gained access via this gate.   While Larry endangered himself climbing over the spiked iron railing, Fr. Tom & I walked around the side until we found a low stone wall to scramble over. 

The burial ground was on the top of a small escarpment overlooking a stream, and was fenced on 3 sides.  It was seriously overgrown, but would have been a beautiful outlook at the time it was made.  We pushed our way through the tangled undergrowth, and found 4 small headstones marking the grave locations.  Unfortunately, my camera didn't do the job in capturing the inscriptions, but Fr. Tom did an excellent job.  See the gallery at: http://www.ennisparish.com/gallery/?album=25&gallery=558

The headstones were quite readable with not too much effort.  Only that of Marcus Keane was slightly askew, and the reading was more difficult.

 

IHS

In Memory of

Margaret Mary Barnes

who died at Beechpark

31st May 1883

 

 

 

IHS

In Memory of

Marcus Keane

Beechpark

Born 7th Feb 1815

Died 29th Oct 1883

 

 

IHS

Here Lies

Louisa Isabella Keane

wife of Marcus Keane

and Third Daughter of

Nicholas Westby

Born 13th Mar 1821

Died 3rd Oct 1894

 

 

IHS

Here Lies

Perceval William Keane

Eldest Son of

Marcus &

Louisa Isabella Keane

Born 3rd Sept 1848

Died 28 Apr 1910

 

 

Margaret Barnes has been variously described as a Housekeeper, or a Companion, or possibly a family connection although I haven't found any evidence of this.

In 1883, when Margaret Barnes and Marcus Keane died, the Keane family vault at Kilmaley cemetery was apparently full.  The bodies were temporarily stored in another vault until the burial ground at Beechpark was ready to receive them.  However, when the vault was opened to retrieve the coffins, they were not there - had been stolen by persons unknown.

Edinburgh Evening News 18 September 1884
 

 

This is why the headstones in the Beechpark cemetery for Marcus & Margaret begin "In memory of...", while those of Louisa & Perceval begin "Here lie...".  However, the bodies turned up again 9 years later in a different vault in the Kilmaley cemetery, and were eventually re-interred at the Beechpark burial ground.

Derby Daily Telegraph 5 October 1891

Both events were widely reported in newspapers

across Great Britain & Ireland. 

 

Perceval is another interesting character.  The eldest of seven children of Marcus & Louisa, he married in 1873 to Mary Frances Ellis. The marriage produced one daughter, Isabella Louisa born in 1874, but did not last, probably due to Percy's partiality to alcohol.

 

Percy was sent to Australia twice in an attempt by the family to make something of himself.  The first time, he arrived in Melbourne in March of 1877 on board the ship "Mysore", but evidently he didn't find the young settlement of Melbourne to his liking, because just 2 months later he sailed for London on board the ship "Renown".

 

The second visit to Australia was in 1896, when he was sent out to his cousins, Tom & Charlie Griffin, and Fred & Dan Pilkington, possibly in the hope that some hard work in the Australian bush would dry him out.  Not too sure how long this visit lasted, but by 1901, he is back in Ireland, where the census records him living at Kiltrellig with his Pilkington cousins.  Family letters & diaries relate his life of alcoholism.  He died in Barrington's Hospital, Limerick in 1910 - cause of death given as "softening of the brain".

 

Back to the present, and we said goodbye to Father Tom, and set off on a drive to locate another old Pilkington family home - "Cragleigh".

Some of the Pilkington family lived at Cragleigh from possibly the late-1700's until my 2x great-grandfather Thomas Pilkington moved to Waterpark in the mid-1820's.  It then became the home of the Kenny family.

 

Cragleigh underwent a major restoration in recent years.  It took us some time driving around small country roads, backing up for passing traffic, and enquiring of joggers and dog-walkers, before we finally found the property.  It is set well back from the road, and not visible from the street, being hidden behind security gates.  I settled for a photo of the original gateposts, and a distant shot of the house from across the fields on the drive back.

 

Cragleigh House, Ennis

 

 

I'm so grateful to Larry for making all of this happen - there is no way I would have found any of tonight's locations without local assistance.

Back to Kilrush just in time for a late dinner at the pub, and then a reasonably early night in preparation for another big day - my last full day in Ireland - tomorrow. 

 

 



Dublin part 1...

The drive to Dublin was easy, as I took the motorway which has speed limit of 120klms. I had planned to take a more scenic route, but leaving later than intended, I took the most direct route instead.  Driving in Ireland is no problem at all, and the coding of the roads - M=motorway, N= national route, R= regional route, L=local road - with fairly standard speed restrictions for each, make it very stress-free.  Plus, unlike home, Irish drivers for the most part seem to be happy to share the road with everyone (and everything).

Only one small hiccup the next day - received a message from my husband at home telling me the bank wanted to speak to me about a possible fraudulent transaction on my credit card. They wouldn't give him any details, so I had to call them.  The item at issue was the €2.40 electronic toll fee which I had paid on-line.  So my short trip on the tollway into Dublin ended up costing me around $30!

I arrived in Dublin about 6.30 pm on Sunday, finding my accommodation at Botanic View B&B in Glasnevin, without too much difficulty.  This was a great location just north of the city, bus stop almost at the door and just 10 mins into O'Connell St.  Also not too far to walk, about 25 mins, which I did on a couple of mornings.  The area was also well-served with pubs, restaurants and take-away food outlets, so was very convenient for me as all within a few minutes walk.

My purpose in Dublin was to visit the National Library, National Archives and Church of Ireland library, looking for records relating to our family history.

Monday morning got off to a slow start due to difficulties with my Irish SIM card in my phone.  After only a few days, I couldn't make any calls - apparently out of credit even though the card I had purchased was for unlimited calls for a month.  After 2 hours of on-line chat help with O2, finally sorted - just needed to change a setting in my phone and I was back in touch with the world.  I then set about establishing some contacts in Dublin.

First was a coffee date with Margaret Gallery, with whom I had been in email contact.  Margaret and I have a mutual connection via the Stacpoole family.  Additionally, her Kenny family succeeded the Pilkington family at Cragleigh in the mid-1820's, so we have some shared research interests. We met up at a little coffee shop not far from the National Library, and Margaret had also invited Paddy Waldron and Colin Keane.  Colin is a 4th cousin of mine, a descendant of Francis Nathaniel Keane of Hermitage.  He is very knowledgeable on all Keane family matters and has a large collection of family memorabilia.

The following day I had lunch at the National Library café with Tom Pilkington's cousin Gail.  Gail is currently studying a genealogy course, and had offered me any help I needed negotiating the library and archives.  Her connection to Tom is via his mothers family, while mine is through his fathers side.

In the evening I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Tim and Aine Haier.  Tim is also a 4th cousin, or more correctly a half-4th cousin, if there is any such thing.  His great-grandmother, "Old Susie" who features in Fred Pilkington's diaries and family letters, was a half-sister of my great grandfather.

Tim and Aine had lots of information to share about Kilbaha, Kiltrellig and the connection between the Haiers and the Pilkingtons.  Tim has lots of memories of growing up in the area, where his dad ran the pub which was originally Susie's (c1867), and is now the Lighthouse Inn.  He recalls playing in the stables at Kiltrellig and being sent up to Miss Annie with messages, telegrams etc.  The Haier family purchased Kiltrellig after Aunt Annie died.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours spent with them.

Finished off the day in Hedigan's Brian Boru pub, just across the road from my B&B, enjoying a whiskey and some traditional Irish instrumental music.