Kilnasoolagh Church, Newmarket-on-Fergus, An Appreciation

[Paddy Casey]

A short while ago Peter Beirne of the Local Studies Centre educated me on the parish vestry books* as a potentially rich source of parish information and then the topic just popped up in this forum under the heading "Bapt. Records for Church of Ireland, Kilrush & Kilkee" and so I started browsing the subject of vestry books again and stumbled on a meaty .PDF document entitled "Kilnasoolagh Church, Newmarket-on-Fergus, An Appreciation" at http://www.churchofirelandclare.com/img/PG000022.pdf

It's packed with material on the history of the church and contains long lists of local names, registers of burials, notes on important families in the parish, etc. etc

Paddy

* See, for example, http://www.proni.gov.uk/local_history_s ... ecords.pdf for a short description of the vestry books.

[miriam scahill]

Hello Paddy - that is a great link - I would say that Kilrush Church of Ireland once looked like this. I never saw it inside while being used for worship.
Re Important People in Parish - e.g. Hickman of Fenloe House - ''' Hugh & Henry Hickman of Ballykett. ''' Ballykett is a townland about mile and a half from Kilrush - just off the Ennis Road. There were ruins of a big house for years - but I think the area is now part of Golf Course - will check next week when I visit Kilrush.
Was there any reference to Studderts of Bunratty ??

[Paddy Casey]

Was there any reference to Studderts of Bunratty ??

I couldn't find any, Miriam.

Paddy

[smcarberry]

Miriam,

Is there a specific kind of information you are seeking on the Studderts of Bunratty ? With family who resided in Kilkishen,
under the sway of a Studdert brother/relative in the early to mid-1800s, I know of some online resources to consult.

Sharon Carberry

[smcarberry]

For those wishing to know of general resources for Church of Ireland matters:

A simplified guide to bishops’ transcripts and marriage licenses : their location and indexes in England, Wales, and Ireland / compiled by J.S.W. Gibson.
Published: Baltimore : Genealogical Pub. Co., 1982

Handlist of Church of Ireland vestry minutes books in the Representative Church Body Library / Church of Ireland.
Published: Dublin, Ireland : The Library, 1998.

A handlist of Church of Ireland parish registers in the Representative Church Body library, Dublin / Raymond Refaussé.
Published: Dublin, Ireland : Representative Church Body Library, 1997.

Raymond Refaussé wrote a chapter on C of I records, for the James G. Ryan Irish gen. guidebook, which is online at:
http://tiny.cc/loven


However, none of the above will have the beautiful drawings in the Kilnasoolagh Church book.

Sharon Carberry

[miriam scahill]

Hello Sharon - that is wonderful info - and I will tell a friend in U.S. to look it up.
Paddy - maybe the Studderts were buried in another cemetery. I think it was in 1994 - I met a descendent of the Studderts at a weekend at An Grianan - Irish Countrywomen's Assoc. up in Co. Louth. I was with my ICA and Helen was with a Ladies Club from Dublin city. It transpired that we had a lot of info for each another as her Dad had left Kilrush in 1904 - but had told her about lots of places. She had last visited Kilrush in 1924 aged 12 !! She visited relations in Clare - and got a book on the Studdert Family which was produced for private use only - I got a glance at it - the Studderts lived in Bunratty Castle and moved to Bunratty House (top of folk park) when repairs were being done to castle - and then decided to stay in new house.
Helen visited Bunratty Castle later that year - armed with her book - and she was Queen of the Castle. Her Great Grandmother was Eliz. Studdert from West Clare.
We had 6 years of friendship - she died in 2000.
I must pass some info to Paddy Waldron to do some more research.
Miriam.

[pwaldron]

Miriam - I've sent you an e-mail about the Studderts of Bunratty. \pw

[AlStaunton]

Connaught Journal
published Galway, Ireland
Monday, June 9, 1823

DEATHS
On Friday last, aged 34 years, at Ballyquin, near Broadford, in the County
of Clare, the Rev. Mr. STENSON, P.P. of Newmarket-on-Fergus.

This record I think could be my 3Xgreat Grand father Its frustrating that no given name is mentioned. Being Parish Priest of Newmarket on Fergus I have assumed is the church being discussed here but no mention of him in the PDF file Kilnasoolagh Church, Newmarket-on-Fergus, An Appreciation
I have emailed the current incumbent seeking information but have received no reply.
I guess the best hope is to find where he was buried and hopefully there is a burial register.
I'm digging here into my maternal grand fathers side of the family and a tradition I wasn't brought up in or are familiar with but I guess we have no contol over what begat us

[miriam scahill]

Hi Al - Kilnasoolagh Church is in fact Church of Ireland - not the Roman Catholic Church. I meant to get back to you - yes - the LDS site is now beta.familysearch.org/record search. Did you look at Census of 1901 - and put in 'search' for Staunton in Co. Limerick ?? Miriam.

[AlStaunton]

Hi Miriam,

Yes I did search Census of Ireland 1901 I posted the below info in another thread you must have missed it.

In rootsireland.ie I have found a possible baptism for Patrick Staunton 18/03/1827 Glenacurrane, Kilbehenny, Limerick. Father: William Staunton
and 2 baptism records for Anne O'Keeffe (1) 05/02/1832 (2) 07/05/1831 both events occurred at St John's Limerick
and a marriage record for Patrick Staunton and Anne O'Keeffe 07/05/1854, St Michael's, Limerick

Griffiths Valuation of Ireland - Kilbeheny, County Limerick I found 4 Stauntons :
Staunton Ellen Glenacurrane Kilbeheny Limerick
Staunton Honoria Glenacurrane Kilbeheny Limerick
Staunton William Glenacurrane Kilbeheny Limerick
Staunton William Lackendarragh Kilbeheny Limerick

The Margaret Staunton you mention is an interesting one. She being listed in the 1901 census as a farmer with a niece and nephew as farm servants, living at Castlequarter Knocknascrow, Limerick

Kilnasoolagh Church is Church of Ireland yes, and the line of Stenson's I am following had about 7 generations of Anglican ministers. Prior to my research on this line I had no idea of this all I knew was that my grandfather born in Limerick in 1872 was protestant but he died in Melbourne in 1824 when my mother was about 5 years of age and many years before I came along My grandfather and 4 of his siblings were all born in Limerick and baptised in the Presbyterian church which I thought odd considering my Great Grandmother was the daughter of a C of I minister One of the siblings died at 5 months of age and the burial was conducted in the C of I St Michaels, Limerick.
My maternal Grand Mother was Australian born but her parents were from Leitrim and Catholic so that's how my mother mother became catholic and why I don't have much idea about the Anglican faith.
cheers
Al

[smcarberry]

Totally out of the blue, I stumbled across what seems to be another piece of the Stenson puzzle. In a Google book (that is, a book digitized and available in the books section of Google.com), I found this publication:
Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, Volumes 31-39
by Public Record Office, Ireland

In Appendix II of the volume entitled Thirty-fourth Report, there is a section starting on p. 22, written by Herbert Wood, on Dublin marriage registers kept by unlicensed ministers. There were a considerable number of years in which such marriages took place at a location known as 9 Haymarket, with a succession of ministers. Very last on the list is Rev. John Stenson, formerly of Sixmilebridge.

Here are links for some of the pages in that section:
p. 24
http://tinyurl.com/2b6k5jg

p. 28, listing Stenson
http://tinyurl.com/2dlhllg

Sharon Carberry

Start of the marriages register list

Haymarket CofI marriages, p24.jpg (77.02 KiB) Viewed 27842 times

Beginning of the marriages section

Beginning of retained registers, p.jpg (29.05 KiB) Viewed 27842 times

List end, with Stenson named

End of retained registers list, p28.jpg (61.68 KiB) Viewed 27842 times

[AlStaunton]

Thanks for this Sharon, but I can only access Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records and of the Keeper of the State Papers in Ireland: presented to both houses of the Oireachtas, Volumes 1-10 (Google eBook)
Cheers
Al

[miriam scahill]

Happy New Year !! Great piece of det. work, Sharon !!
Al - have you found your connections in Limerick ??? There is a William Staunton living in Kilmallock area.
Connection with Sixmilebridge / Kilrush / St. Mary's Church, Dublin.
Vandeleur Family - of Dutch origin - lived at Sixmilebridge in 17th cent. Rev. John Vandeleur was appointed Rector of Kilrush in 1712 - he acquired thousands of acres in West Clare (lots of info on www.clarelibrary.ie - photos & evictions )
Col. Crofton Moore Vandeleur was M.P. for Clare in early 1800's - he stayed at 4 Parnell Sq. - and worshipped at St. Mary's Church which is on Mary St. - just beyond Henry St. Dublin. I think the Church is now a music venue.
Haymarket ws old area of Dublin - about a mile from St. Mary's - Hay sold by the cart load before tractors and balers !!!
Dublin City Council re-built the area about 20 years ago.
Miriam.

[AlStaunton]

Hi Miriam,
I have found some possible family connections in Limerick
I have a marriage record for Patrick Staunton and Anne O'Keeffe, 07 May 1854 St. Michael's, LimerickA baptism record for Patrick Staunton 18 Mar 1827 Glenacurrane, Kilbehenny, Limerick with his father William Staunton and mother Cath Doorty
I have also a Baptism record for William Staunton 05 Mar 1825, Glenacurrane, Kilbehenny, Limerick with same father and mother.
I found a fellow in England researching this William and contacted him to say that I thought his ancestor could be a brother to my Great Great Grandfather Patrick Staunton. He replied " Thanks for that information".
Patrick and Anne sailed from Liverpool aboard the ship Northern Lights departing 11th December 1854, arrived at Port Adelaide, South Australia 7th April 1855
Their first child, Mary Genevieve STAUNTON was born during the voyage on 01 Mar 1855
Mary's daughter Kathleen Annie become a member of the Sisters of St Joseph here in South Australia. She wrote a story on the Staunton family that was published in The Garland of St Joseph in Sept. 1962 this may shed further light on the Limerick connection. My Mother told me she read the story and pointed it out to dad but he wasn't that interested. Other family members have also confirmed the story and that the had kept it but with the passage of time it has become lost.
So I have contacted the Catholic archives in Adelaide, The Sisters of St Joseph archives here and in Melbourne and Sydney as well as New Zealand but none have a copy of that edition and it seems the whole years editions have been lost. Most recently I have had the archivist at Kensington Convent looking for me but she still was unable to find copies, nothing has turned up as yet. She has now been transferred to Peru so I am going to have get acquainted with here replacement and keep hoping

Here is the passenger list for the Northern Light
http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/austr ... ht1855.htm
There are a few from Clare and Limerick. The single women Mary CLANCEY, Bridget and Honora MEANY from Limerick were god parents to some of the children of Pat and Anne