This is an intriguing question. There are written accounts for both saying they are nephews of Bishop England but we can't link them to any of the male siblings of the Bishop. Remember, we have very few facts about Richard, Joseph or James, the youngest three brothers of Bishop John. Then, these brothers, Thomas and Henry England, seem to have come from Cloyne, County Cork not Cork city and we haven't been able to link any other relatives to Cloyne.
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| Part of Cork County |
Thomas England was educated at Maynooth and ordained in September 1846.
In 1852, The Purcells Commercial Cork Almanac noted that The Rev. Thomas England was at Youghal - a seaside resort town thirty five miles from Cork city.
The following year a Rev. Thomas England was still residing in Mouse Street, Youghal- Land, Youghal, County Cork.[1] The Cork Examiner also noted that there was a Father Thomas England at the seaside town.[2]
In March 1868 Thomas came to Killavullen to the parish of Conna, Ballinoe and Lisnahrin.
"The Rev. Thomas England, late of Youghal, succeeds the Rev. Mr Green."[3]
He was living at Ballygriffin which lies three quarters of a mile north of Killavullen village.[4]
In October of the same year Thomas was at Killavullen presiding over a meeting, “for the purpose of selecting candidates for the representation of the county in the coming elections.”[5]
Mary, a cousin of Nora, wrote to her from Killavullen on the 22-11-1869 about the death of Thomas the architect and mentioned that Fr Tom was in England.[6] Was Mary Fr Tom’s sister?
Fr. Thomas died 8-7-1880.
Cork, Past and Present stated
There is a monument erected to the Rev. Thomas England PP in Killavullen church yard. He was cousin to Mr John England, Professor, Queens College Cork and nephew of the famous Dr England, Bishop of Charleston, USA, and of the well known Cork litterateur the Rev. Thomas England, PP of Passage West. [7]
So who was his father? Was it, perhaps, Richard, Joseph or James?
His younger brother was, supposedly, a Henry England, who also was a priest.
Footnotes
[1] Griffiths Valuation, 1853
[2] Cork Examiner, 20-2-1857
[3] The Cork Examiner, 4-3-1868
[4] Cork Past and Present website
[5] Cork Examiner, 27-10-1868
[6] England private collection.
[7] Cork Past and Present website
Place names
Maynooth: a university town in north County Kildare. Part of the university is Ireland’s main Roman Catholic Seminary.
Killavullen: a village 20 miles north of Cork City. Nano Nagle, founder of the Presentation Sisters, was born in Ballygriffin, near to Killavullen, in 1718.
Conna: a small village not far from the town of Fermoy. It is 26 miles north east of Cork City.
Henry England
Facts known
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| Bourke Street, Melbourne, mid C19th [Image ST Gill, via State Library of Victoria] |
In a letter from The Diocesan Historical Commission, in Melbourne, Australia, a summary of Henry England’s life was given.
Name: The Very Rev. Henry England
Title: Worthy First Pastor in West Melbourne.
Date and Place of Birth: County Cork about 1826.
Parents and Family: Nephew of Bishop John England of Charleston, USA and brother of Fr Thomas a PP in Killavullen in Cork who died 8-7-1880
Education: Maynooth. Mature. September 1846.
Ordination about 1850 3 for Cloyne. [The 0 seems to be crossed out and a 3 inserted]
Places stationed and Movements: Birkenhead, England and Lancashire.
Arrived Victoria 1859 or 1857. Cathedral – attending to Carlton and Collingwood.
He was overseas in 1869 and also in 1871 for twelve months.
1875 West Melbourne first PP.
Made a Dean in August 1876.
He introduced Christian brothers in 1876 or 1877.
Death, Place of Burial: 25-12-1888, Mortuary Chapel, Melbourne. General Cemetery, aged 62. [1]
A few more details can be added.
Henry, from Cloyne, was educated at Maynooth entering there in Sept 1846 and was ordained around 1853.
After his ordination he was stationed for a short time in Cork.
He then worked at St Werburgh’s chapel, Grange Lane, Birkenhead, near Liverpool. For example, he officiated at a marriage there in February 1855.[2] The following month there was a party in celebration of St Patrick’s day. Over two hundred people attended and the proceeds went towards the funds for a new catholic cathedral. Henry England, “delivered an interesting address on St Patrick.” [3]
Soon after, he became rector at the catholic chapel in Dukinfield, a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester. Two marriages he officiated at were in May and November 1857.[4]
Sometime after he went to Charleville, County Cork, Ireland. [5]
In 1859 an Archbishop Goold, first Bishop of Melbourne, visited Ireland on a recruitment campaign and convinced Henry that he was needed in Australia. [6]
He was at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne officiating at a marriage in 1863. [7]
Three years later at a dedication ceremony of a new church – St John the Evangelist in Hoddle St, East Collingwood, Melbourne - Henry received huge praise.
"To the Rev. Henry England untiring exertions is mainly due the erection of this beautiful and much needed church."[8]
In November of the same year Henry was present, as an assistant deacon, at the consecration of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Adelaide. [9]
He was appointed parish priest of St Mary Star of the Sea, Melbourne in 1873. [10]
Apparently, he was not a good preacher! [11]
Henry’s will gave no clue about his parents. [12]
The Dublin Weekly Nation of 9-2-1889 gave a brief obituary including the following:
Although not a pulpit orator of note, his discourses were always of a practical and effective character...He was a nephew of Bishop England and therefore a cousin of the Young Irelander, M. J. Barry.
Other possible links to Henry.
A clergyman, Henry England, (43) born in Ireland, departed Liverpool on the Scotia and arrived in New York on 14-1-1870.
Henry was overseas in 1869 and 1871.[See Ancestry - New York Passenger lists 1820-1957]
Footnotes
[1] A letter from The Diocesan Historical Commission, Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, 383 Albert St, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002 to Carol Jones giving a summary of Henry England’s life.
[2] Liverpool Mail, 10-2-1855
[3] Cheshire Observer, 24-3-1855
[4] Ashton Weekly Reporter and Stalybridge and Dukinfield Chronicle, 30-5-1857 and 14-11-1857
[5] The Argus, December 1888 [Australian]
[6] See ‘The Death of the very Rev. Dean England, headlined Catholic Intelligence, in ‘The Advocate’, 29-12-1888, an Australian newspaper
Also, see the website for St Mary’s Star of the Sea, Melbourne.
[7] Cork Examiner, 23-6-1863
[8] Dublin Evening Post, 27-3-1866
[9] Dublin Evening Post, 26-10-1866
[10] www.stmaryswestmelbourne.org/ and Wikipedia
[11] Dublin Weekly Nation, Saturday 9-2-1889
[12] Sydney Herald, 23-2-1889 page 12.
Place names
Cloyne: a small town to the south east of Middleton in eastern County Cork. The Diocese of Cloyne includes such places as Aghada, Fermoy, Killavullen, Macroom and Youghal.
Carlton and Collingwood are suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.
Charleville: a town in north County Cork near the border with County Limerick. It is in the diocese of Cloyne, County Cork.
So the mystery needs to be solved. Who were the parents of Thomas and Henry?
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