Dates
Edward
1795 to 1858
Ellen
1795 to ?
Parents
Thomas and Honora England
Children
Edward had John, Philip Joseph and Thomas [twins] Hannah Mary, Honora, Honora, Thomas, Edward Francis, Edward Joseph and Emily Mary.
Ellen - we don't know if she married or if she had any children.
Facts known
Edward and Ellen were twins.
Their baptisms were sponsored by Thomas Walch [unclear] and Mary Walsh [unclear] and Patrick Lemn [unclear] and Joanna Lane [unclear]
Edward England married
Amelia (Emily) Nunan on the 19-7-1819 at St Mary’s Cork. Michael Barry and Honora? Thomas? England were witnesses. [unclear]
In 1824, Edward England, a tobacco and snuff manufacturer, was living in
Blarney Lane, Cork.
[1]
 |
| Blarney Street (previous Blarney Lane) towards Shandon [via www.corkcity.ie] |
In 1839 the District Committee for the Lee Ward was collecting money for a tribute to
Daniel O’Connell. Two of its members were Edward England and Edward Barry.
[2]
In 1841 Edward England with 140 votes was elected a town councillor of Lee Ward.
[3]
In 1842 he was the chairman of the Cork Rate Payers. They held their meetings in the city court house.
[4] At an important meeting of rate payers, emigration was discussed and a unanimous decision was reached.
"To raise a rate for the purpose of enabling the distressed trades people and rate payers of the city of Cork electoral division to emigrate to British colonies."
Edward England was chairing that meeting.[5]
In the same year Edward England, of
Winter’s Hill, was at a meeting that determined that there would be no additional City Guardians.
[6] According to the 1842
Jackson Directory, Cork, Edward England, tobacconist and tanner had premises at Cattle Market St, 305, Blarney Lane and Winters Hill.
In 1843 Edward England was a Councillor of Lee Ward.
[7]
The following year brought a tragedy. His youngest daughter,
Emily Mary died. She was seven. Was this another case of cholera?
In 1845 Edward England, a tobacconist and tanner was at 395, Blarney St.
In the same year, at a council meeting, Edward drew attention to the problem of prostitutes in the city of Cork arguing that:"The present disgraceful conditions of the streets at night are caused by the numbers of abandoned females who traverse the city."
[8]
The great
Irish famine happening at this time might have had a bearing on the disgraceful streets of Cork but it wasn't mentioned. Yet, Edward was living through one of the worst periods in Irish history in one of the main towns in Ireland and representing the people of his ward.
Edward wrote a letter of resignation from the Town Council in 1846.
[9] He had been given a hard time, as chairman, by some members of the general public at a meeting a week before concerning the election of Harbour Commissioners. The resignation was not accepted.
In 1846 Edward, a tobacco and snuff manufacturer was at 395, Blarney Lane.
[10]
In 1847 Edward, while at a Cork Union meeting learned of the death of his brother, Fr Thomas, the second child, at
Passage. He left. The meeting extended their sympathies.
[11]
In May of the following year a John O’Connell died at the residence of his uncle Edward England of Winter’s Hill, Cork city.
The Southern Reporter of the 28-12-1854 informed its readers that Edward England had been disqualified as a councillor. No reason was given and other councillors concluded, "to save law expenses and law proceedings that gentleman should be requested to resign his seat at the Council."
A few days later Edward resigned. A few days after this the Cork Examiner was writing about the retirement of Edward England!
Edward died in 1858 at Winter’s Hill, Cork.
"After a short illness, Mr. Edward England in the 63rd year at Winter’s Hill, universally regretted all who knew his upright character and sterling worth."
[12]
Also,
"Mr England, though latterly retired from public life was well known for a long period of years as one of our leading public men."[13]
Other possible/probable links to Edward
In 1842 an Edward England, a tanner, of Winter’s Hill, died
[14]
On the 26-1-1842 under the headline: Awful Hurricane and Loss of Life,
The Cork Examiner reported.
Never... was there a more fearful hurricane than that which raged during the whole of last night... We were near to forgetting to mention that one of our most respectable citizens, Edward England Esq ran the most imminent risk of his life. He was purchasing fowl... and was struck on the mouth by a portion of the falling ruin. We sincerely rejoice in his safety.
There was also an Edward England, tobacconist and tanner at
Nicholas Well Lane, Cork.
An Edward England, tobacconist and tanner was also at 106, Sunday’s Well Rd, Cork.
[15]
So, had Edward England got three properties?
In 1850, an Edward England, Cork, was fined £50 for the adulteration of snuff.
[16]
An Edward England was the landlord of property on Main Street,
Macroom, County Cork.
By 1853
The Griffiths Valuation had completed its work in Cork and County Cork and Edward England was the landlord of property in Patrick St, Old Market Place and Winters Hill, off Blarney Lane.
An Edward England was a tenant and the landlord was John Cave at a property in Blarney Lane.
An Edward England was a tenant and Mary Moylan was the landlord at a property at Winter’s Hill, off Blarney Lane. (Remember that Edward had two sons also called Edward.)
In 1853
The Southern Reporter noted that “The Englands have a tobacconists at 1,
St. Patrick St, Cork and live at 406 Blarney Lane, Cork.
[17]
In 1854 there was an England living at 1, Blarney Lane, Cork. He was a tobacco and snuff manufacturer
.[18]
In the 1856
Cork Directory there was an Edward England, 1, St. Patrick St –
tobacco and snuff manufacturer.
Edward died in 1858 and
Amelia Maria England, formerly Amelia (Emily) Nunan, was his wife.
Edward England and Amelia Nunan had ten children.
Historical context
In 1825,
Richard John Griffith was appointed by the British Government to carry out a boundary survey of Ireland. This was completed in 1844. He then conducted two valuation surveys of property. The second valued individual property for the first time. Both Cork city and Cork County were completed in 1853.
Daniel O’Connell: (1775-1847) was an Irish political leader. He campaigned for Catholic Emancipation including the right for Catholics to sit in Westminster, the home of the British Parliament. He also wanted the repeal of The Act of Union which combined Great Britain and Ireland. He was a barrister and despite his opposition to the use of violence he was willing to defend those accused of political crimes.
 |
| GF Watts: The Irish Famine [via viewsofthefamine.wordpress.com] |
The Irish Famine was linked to
the failure of potato crops because of potato blight in 1845-52 that caused starvation and destitution as well as roughly one million deaths across Ireland. This period saw the rise in emigration to new levels. Although the blight in the crop was a factor, the heavy dependence of the Irish on this crop was linked to the wider Irish historical context of religious, political, social and economic factors. The strained relations between Britain and Ireland over land acquisitions, absentee landlords and the Corn Laws were intensified at this turbulent time and Irish Nationalism and republicanism grew stronger.
Tobacco and snuff manufacturer: The manufacture of tobacco and snuff was one of the oldest industries in Cork city. The first tobacco factory in Ireland was in Dublin and the second was in Cork. Snuff was manufactured in Cork towards the end of the eighteenth century when the Lambkin brothers set up a business at Cork Quay. It was so successful that they extended their activities to include tobacco sales. Where did they do this? On Patrick Street where the England family had premises selling tobacco. Apparently a cousin of the Englands, Grace Seymour married a Lambkin and became Grace Lambkin. Also in 1851 a J. Lambkin was the Mayor of Cork.
Footnotes
[1] Pigot’s Cork City Directory, 1824
[2] Southern Reporter, 7-12-1839
[3] Cork Examiner, 27-10-1841.
[4] Cork Examiner, 15-7-1842
[5] Dublin Evening Post, 7-7-1842
[6] Cork Examiner, 3-8-1842
[7] Cork Almanac 1843 list of town councillors.
[8] The Cork Constitution, 4-9-1845
[9] Southern Reporter, 2-7-1846
[10] Slaters National Commercial Directory of Ireland – Cork and Cobh sections, 1846
[11] Cork Examiner,19-3-1847
[12] Waterford Mail, 21-9-1858
[13] Southern Reporter, 20-9-1858
[14] Cork Examiner, 22-6-1842. Who was this Edward England? He certainly lived in the right area of Cork city.
[15] Aldwells General Post Office Directory of Cork, 1845
[16] Athlone Sentinel, 24-7-1850. Did he have a shop in Athlone as this offence does not seem to be mentioned in the Cork papers? Perhaps, as a town councillor, he had some influence! Athlone is more than 150 miles away from Cork. More likely, perhaps, it is a relation that has moved from Cork to Athlone. However, it was also reported in the Galway Mercury, 20-7-1850.
[17] Southern Reporter, 12-11-1853. So we have mention of 1, 305, 395 and 406 Blarney Lane.
[18] Southern Reporter, 9-12-1854
Place Names
Blarney Lane: in the Sunday Well area of North West Cork.
Winter’s Hill: situated in the district of Sunday’s Well, Cork. It is off Blarney Lane. These three names appear frequently and sometimes in a confusing manner!
Passage West: a port town ten miles south east of Cork City
.
Nicholas Well Lane: off Blarney Lane, Cork.
Macroom: a market town in County Cork halfway between Cork city, twenty four miles away, and Killarney.
St.Patrick St: the main shopping street of the city of Cork.
........................................................................................................
Edward England and Amelia (Emily?) Nunan's children
John:
John was baptised on the 21-9-1820 at St Mary’s, Cork. The sponsors were ? [unclear] Noonan and Joanna? England. The Rev. Dr England was the celebrant. Thus John was baptized by John England on the same day as his consecration as bishop.
He took over his father’s business but in 1870 a John England, “late of Patrick St in the city of Cork trading as England and Co. Tobacco and Snuff Manufacturers” was declared an insolvent.
The following property was to be sold:
“Lot 1: Dwelling House and Garden Lodge and premises situated in Blarney Lane.” There followed a description of how Bishop John, presumably the former owner, named three people as tenants.
“Edward is dead, Amelia Maria England, now aged about 80, and John England, the insolvent, now aged about 50."
"The premises are in the Parish of St. Mary’s, Shandon and are commonly called and known as Winter’s Hill."[1]
When the property was auctioned it was bought by a Mr W. O’Keefe junior for £130. The two other bidders were a Mr Carol and Mr Waters.
Lot 2: which comprised, "the dwelling house and concerns at the corner of Patrick St, adjoining Merchant’s quay, where the insolvent carried on the snuff and tobacco business."
This went to a Mr Bass for £1100.
Lot 3: a policy of Insurance for £300 on John’s life sold for £40 to a Mr Carrol.
A John England and his wife Betty
[Keefe] had a Michael England baptised on the 20-12-1791 at St Finbarr’s, Cork.
Joanna England and Thomas
O’Keefe were witnesses at the marriage of John Seymour and Grace Bransfield, 11-1-1819 at St Mary’s, Cork.
Footnotes
[1] Southern Reporter, 25-11-1870 and the Cork Examiner, 18-11-1870
Philip Joseph and Thomas
These were twins and baptised on the 21-12-1821. St Mary’s, Cork. The sponsors were Grace Newman, M. Barry, John Walsh and M. Nunan. It is likely that this Thomas died young as another child is named Thomas in 1827 maybe both named after their Grandfather, Thomas.
In 1868 we find this death notice in The Cork Examiner, 4-2-1868:
“Deaths: Joseph England, Esq, son of Edward England, Esq, late of Winter’s Hill, in this city.”
Hannah Mary
She was baptised on the 20-5-1823. The sponsors were John Murphy and Catherine Walsh. Is this the Mary who wrote to her Aunt, Honora England, sister of Thomas the Architect and living with her brother, the Professor? A 'Mary' wrote from
Killavullen on the 22-11-1869. The letter was about the death of Thomas the architect and mentioned a Father Tom. We know nothing else about Hannah Mary.
Honora
She was baptised on the 8-8-1824 at St Mary’s. The sponsors were Michael England and Catherine ? [unclear]. It is very likely that this Honora died young and that is why they called the next one the same name. Also, as Irish names often followed a pattern in these years, it is possible that this child was named 'Honora' after the death of her grandmother, Honora (Lordan).
Honora:
This second Honora was born and baptised on the 19-10-1825. The sponsors were William Connell and Ann Barry.
Possible links to Honora
A Nora T. England, a convent student aged sixteen, arrived in Philadelphia, from Liverpool, on the
Goodwin – 13-11-1841. Her place of origin was Ireland and her birth date “is about 1825.”
[1]
The Cork Examiner also noted
We are gratified to learn that the Right Rev. Bishop England has arrived in safety, in the ship Goodwin at Philadelphia. He is accompanied by the Rev. Andrew Doyle and the following religious ladies ... Nora T. England and Mary Ann Barry, students in the Ursuline seminary. [2]
Nora became Sister Mary Augustine in Charleston.
Nearly four years later
The Very Rev. Richard S. Baker, V. G. [Vicar General] of Charleston arrived in Philadelphia from Liverpool on the 14th of September. Mrs Borgia McCarthy of the Ursuline Community and Miss Nora England, of Cork, niece of the late lamented Bishop of Charleston and several candidates for the religious state were passengers in the same vessel.[3]
Was this Nora the daughter of Michael, ‘The Third Child' brother to the Bishop and to Edward?
Footnotes
[1] Passenger records.
[2] Cork Examiner, 20-12-1841
[3] The Dublin Weekly nation, 25-10-1845
Thomas England:
He was baptised 8-4-1827 at St Mary’s, Cork. The sponsors were Michael Joseph Barry and Julia Pickley. This Thomas was the second child of Edward's called Thomas as we presume the first had died within the 5 years difference between the baptism dates.
Edward Francis:
Edward was baptised 23-10-1828 at St Mary’s. The sponsors were Thomas B. England and Mary Walsh.
It is also likely that this Edward England died young and that is why the next child was called Edward.
Edward Joseph:
Facts Known
Edward Joseph was baptised on the 17-2-1833. The sponsors were William O’Connell and Mary England. The Rev. Thomas England was the celebrant.
In the 1871 Census Edward Joseph was a lodger, living at 75, Berkley St, North
Toxteth. His occupation was given as reporter and accountant.
On the 26-11-1879 at St Peter’s chapel, Liverpool, Edward Joseph aged forty six, a journalist, whose father Edward was a deceased tobacco manufacturer, married Charlotte Adelaide Shaw aged thirty eight, whose deceased father, William Shaw, was a newspaper proprietor.
[1]
In the 1881 Census, Edward J. England forty seven, born Cork, was living at 83, Mulgrave St, Toxteth Park, Lancs. He was a journalist reporter. He was admitted to the
Prestwich Asylum, Manchester on the 8-7- 1884.
[2]
Fifteen days after being admitted Edward Joseph died on 23-7-1884 and was buried on the 26-7-1884 at Prestwich, Lancs, aged fifty three. [In the 1881 census he was forty seven?] His ‘abode’ was given as Prestwich Asylum. He was a journalist and a Roman Catholic but no ceremony was undertaken.
[3]
Death of a Liverpool Journalist.
The numerous friends and acquaintances of Mr. Edward Joseph England, for many years connected with journalism in this city, will regret to learn of his death on Wednesday after severe illness of several weeks duration. Mr. England at the time of his decease was over 50 years of age. He was a native of Cork and when he first came to this city became attached to the reporting staff of the Northern Daily Times. [4]
In the same paper on the following day under:
Deaths.
"England – July 23, aged 52, Edward Joseph England of 91, Mulgrave street."
In 1885 a Charlotte Adelaide England married Evan Davies in Liverpool.
She died on the 12-12-1917 at 'The Willows, Kings Gap, Hoylake.'
Other possible/probable links to Edward
In 1851
The Dublin Evening Post had a headline:
Clongowes Wood College. In the article it described the college as one that delivered “a full classical course suitable for those destined for the universities and learned professions.”
It went on to say that a special train was laid on from Dublin to
Clane bringing parents and relations to witness a day of ‘academic offerings’ from the students. One of these students was an Edward England who was, “the nephew of the late Rev. Dr England.” Edward was speaking in a debate concerning the foreign policy of William Pitt. – “whether the foreign policy pursued by Mr Pitt from 1793-1801 deserves the praise or censure of the historians.”
The paper described Edward as, “a highly talented youth,” who was greeted, “with several rounds of applause.”
[5]
Edward Joseph would have been eighteen in 1851 and his brother Edward Francis, if he was still alive, would have been twenty three.
At the Young Men’s Society in 1863,
"A brilliant and effective lecture was delivered last evening by Mr Edward England on The Life and Times of Edmund Burke – the lecturer scarcely used his notes and spoke with unfaltering fluency and considerable rhetorical power."[6]Earlier in the year he had given a lecture on Cortes.
History context of the time and earlier.
Edmund Burke was born in Dublin in 1729. He was an Irish statesman, author, orator and philosopher. His mother was a Roman Catholic from County Cork and a cousin of Nano Nagle the founder of the Presentation Sisters. In 1750 he moved to London and he became an MP for Wendover, Bucks in 1765. He is remembered for his support of the cause of the American Revolutionaries and Catholic Emancipation. He became widely regarded as the philosophical founder of modern Conservatism. He died in 1797.
Hernan Cortes was born in Medellin, Spain in 1485. He led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castille. He died in 1547.
Prestwich asylum opened in January 1857 and by 1900 it had become one of the largest of its kind in Europe. By 1903 there were over 3,000 patients there. It closed in the 1990s.
Footnotes
[1] Marriage Certificate.
[2] UK Lunacy Patients Admission Registers 1846-1912
[3] Archive ref QAM6/6/22 in Find my Past. [Manchester, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials 1813-1885]
[4] Liverpool Mercury, 25-7-1884
[5] Dublin Evening Post, 29-7-1851
[6] Cork Examiner, 21-1-1863
Place names
Toxteth: an inner city area of Liverpool. It is located to the south of the city
Clane: a town in County Kildare twenty miles from Dublin.
Clongowes Wood College: just outside Clane, is a secondary boarding school founded in 1814 and run by the Jesuits. It has educated many pupils who have gone on to play important roles in Irish political, social, sporting and literary life: James Joyce, John Bruton, former Taoiseach of Ireland, Rob Kearney and Gordon D’Arcy, Irish Rugby and British Lions players, Oliver St. John Gogarty, surgeon, writer and critic, Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, Pat Reid, British officer who escaped from Colditz and Paul McGuiness former manager of Irish rock band U2.
Prestwich: a small town three and a half miles north of Manchester and five miles south of Bury.
Emily Mary:
Emily was baptised on the 8-9-1837. The sponsors were John Lyons and Elizabeth Goold.
Seven years later:
Deaths: On Sunday the 25th ult, Emily Mary, the highly talented and darling daughter of Edward England, Esq of Winter's Hill,[Cork Examiner, 2-9-1844]
..................................................................................................................
Thomas and Honora's Sixth Child: Ellen Mary 1795 -
 |
| Grand Parade and South Mall Cork as Ellen may have known it [by Alphonse Dousseau] |
Ellen was the twin sister of Edward and sister-in-law to Emily Nunan. Apart from her baptism where it appears her sponsors were Patrick Lemn [unclear] and Joanna Lane [unclear], we have no other records.
Possible links to Ellen
A Mary England was baptised on 24-4-1813 at St Finbarr’s, Cork and an Ellen England was a sponsor. If this was our Ellen, she would have been 17.
An Ellen England in 1827 is listed in the Ireland Tithe Applotment Books as being eligible for tax for a property at the 'Back of the Green, St Finbarr's, Cork'. Given the Cork England's affiliation with St Finbarr's church, this seems an interesting possible link.
A Mary England married Cornelius Hierlihy on the 26-4-1828. The witnesses were Pat Hierlihy and ? England. [not clear]
An Ellen, Edward and Richard England were mentioned together in The Primary Valuation Of Tenants Residence 1853 in Bonagortbaun which is in the parish of
Bourney, Tipperary. Were these the children of Thomas and Honora?
[1]
Place name
Bourney: a parish in county Tipperary, four and a half miles from Rosecrea.
Footnotes
1 More information about this possible link:
