Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria, 1850

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Lyn Coyne
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Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria, 1850

Post by Lyn Coyne » Wed Feb 25, 2015 12:10 pm

My great grandmother, Eliza Page, was born in 1833 on Page’s Island or Inisparran, in Lough Derg, Co.Clare. She came to Australia c.1850 and settled in the coastal town of Warrnambool in Victoria. We don’t know the name of the ship that brought her here, but family lore has it that she travelled as a nanny with a family and took about two years to get here, probably spending time in South Africa. Eliza’s father, John Page, had died and it seems that her mother, Catherine Page, nee Wall, had remarried. Eliza apparently had a brother but we do not know his name and she believed he went to America.

In the Tithe Applotment Books, 1823-1840, for the Diocese of Killaloe, Parish of Iniscaltra, County of Clare and Galway, John Page is an occupier in the townland of Mountshannon of two acres of second quality land. My source for this (the NAI) does not give a date. The same source for 1830 records John Page as the occupier of an island of 7 acres in the townland of Cloonoolia, Clonrush, Galway. Also in the Tithe Applotment Books for 1830 are James Page and Brien Page in the townland of Ballinagough, Parish of Clonrush, Galway, Henry Page in the townland of Dromane, Parish of Clonrush, Galway, and a Michael Page in the townland of Derrycon, Parish of Mountshannon, Galway.

I suspect that Henry and James may have been Eliza’s uncles as she called her only son Henry James Page Coakley.

We always believed that Eliza Page had once been a Roman Catholic but she married in the Church of England in 1858 and the children were brought up in that faith. The female witness at the wedding was Mary Anne Wall, presumbably Eliza’s cousin. I have found a Mary Wall on the Galway Emigrants’ List who came to New South Wales on the “Gloriana” in 1855. She came from Clonrush, was aged 19, and her parents are Martin Wall and Bridget Unknown. Unfortunately, I have not been able to trace her after 1858.

I have read some extracts of Professor Bruce Elliott’s book, “Irish Migrants in the Canadas: a New Approach” in which he states that by the late 17th century, the western portion of the parish of Clonrush, known as Ballinruane, had come into the hands of the Croasdaile family of Clogstoken, Co. Galway, and that subdivisions of Ballinruane were held by (among others) George Clarke.

Professor Elliott goes on to say that Clarke’s lease of 1746 describes him as of Ballyheige, Co. Clare, farmer, and that his lease connects with Co. Clare another family that soon appeared in Ballinruane, the Pages. The Croasdaile estate in Clonrush was thus planted with a small but socially and economically dominant class of Protestant freeholders.

I have corresponded with Professor Elliott who gave me some more information. He cited a petition to the Colonial Office (C.O. 384/0) at TNA, Kew, forwarding a list of prospective emigrants from Iniscaltra in 1823 looking for government assistance which was not forthcoming. The list includes:

#33 Michael Page, 1 m, 3 f
#46 Michael Page, 3 m, 4 f
#47 John Page, 2 m, 2f

I have found an Elizabeth Page who died in Perth, Australia, in 1907, who emigrated to Victoria on the “Kate” in 1853 with her husband (Laurence Sylvester Taylor) and several children. Her father on her death certificate is given as Michael Page of Galway.

Professor Elliott goes on to cite the Killaloe Diocese Marriage Licence Bonds Index, from “The Irish Ancestor” 5, No.6 (Nov 1979):

160 John Singleton, Mountshannon Daly, Co. Galway, chandler, and Jane Page, same place, spinster. Bond 1826. Security: James Page (his mark). This couple did marry and did not emigrate as I have found a later marriage for the widowed Jane (Page) Singleton to Stephen Ellis in 1846-1851 in Killaloe.

Professor Elliott also cites the Killaloe Marriage Licence Bonds Index, National Archives, Dublin:

PAGE

Eliza and Anthony Habrough 1830
Frances and James Brown 1821
#John and Elizabeth Blackall 1834
Mary and George Boucher 1834
Mary and Robert Bourchier 1815
Mary and John Boutcher 1815
Otherwise Ferrell, Mary and Thomas Winter 1838
Susanna and Thomas Talbot 1802

#John Page and Elizabeth Blackall emigrated to Australia on the “Elizabeth” in 1849 with four children. John Page was a baker from Mountshannon. Interestingly, the family of Laurence Sylvester Taylor and Elizabeth Page started their new life in Melbourne in the same suburb (Emerald Hill) as John Page and Elizabeth Blackall.

I have not yet seen Gerard Madden’s book: “For God or King: a History of Mountshannon”, but Professor Elliott has a typescript on the Clarke family which he believes comes from this source. The t.s. notes the 1746 Cloonoolia deed from the Croasdailes that mentions George Clarke, his wife Elizabeth, and his 17 y.o. nephew, John Page. His elder sister, Kathleen, christened in 1699, married a Thomas Page in 1722.

Professor Elliott has suggested I try a search of the Killaloe Church of Ireland Register. I have read an article on this website by Pat Guerin: “Some historical Notes on the Guerin Surname in Co. Clare” in which he mentions the Church of Ireland Register (1679-1845) held in the Library of the Representative Church Body in Dublin. Sadly, I don’t envisage a trip to Ireland anytime soon.

Professor Elliott notes that the island of Inisparran lying just off Clarke’s land at Cloonoolia is still known locally as Page’s Island and his reference for this when he published the first edition of his book in 1988 was Miss Marion Logan who was then resident in Mountshannon.

Professor Elliott has told me that there is a census of Protestants in the Parish of Iniscaltra in 1855 written into the cover of the Church of Ireland Register, but there are no Pages listed. Perhaps the Pages who stayed in the area died during the Famine. There are some Pages in Canadian and USA censuses but not much to go on when they are just recorded as from Ireland.

I have very much enjoyed reading the posts on this forum. There are some formidable contributors with a depth of knowledge of the sources available who, I hope, might be able to point me in the right direction to uncover some more information about my Page forebears.

Jimbo
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by Jimbo » Fri Feb 27, 2015 8:58 am

Hi Lyn,

Was curious about Inisparran Island so had a look on Google maps - see screen shot attached. It is actually spelt Inishparran and is a pretty small place indeed. What evidence did you have that Eliza Page was born on this island? Was it her marriage or death record or solely based on family lore? And I assume it was her marriage record in Australia that listed her father as John Page and that he had died prior to her marriage year of 1858? Does it provide a new surname for her mother Catherine Wall Page and this is why you assume she remarried?

I had a look a look at a newspaper archive for the Page surname in Galway and Killaloe. Most of the Pages were definitely middle class: in government, military pensioners, a few doctors, one priest etc. If you assume Eliza Page was a famine immigrant to Australia based on the year she left Ireland, none of them seemed like a good fit to be a relation.

Your post mentioned some information on the Page surname from the 17th and 18th century, but I think you should first take a look at the below link of the 1901 Irish census:

http://tinyurl.com/1901-Irish-Census-Page-Surname (check box "show all information")

In 1901, all 62 individuals with the Page surname living in Galway (there were none in Clare) were Catholics. Although Eliza had converted in Australia, it is probably not worth your time looking at Church of Ireland parish registers in Galway or Clare for this surname. Of the 62 Pages there were only two individuals who spoke English and Irish, farmer John Page (age 65) and his wife Wineford (age 60); they were also unique for the Page surname in that they could not read or write. Their family was living in the townland of Moorfield in the DED (district electoral division) of Island (but this townland is miles from a body of water).

The 65 year old John Page in the 1901 census would be a good candidate to be a brother of Eliza Page. His only son listed in 1901 was also named John. Perhaps the Irish speaker followed Irish tradition and named his first born after his father? It fits perfect - would be worth investigating further in the 1911 census and other records and you might get lucky and find a living descendant who has more information.

Your post also mentioned that Eliza Page may have spent time in South Africa. in the 1901 census there was a 65 year old "Martin Page" whose occupation states "Returned from Cape Town and Now Living on His Money". Very unique to read on a Irish census, but probably just a coincidence?

Good luck with your search.
James

P.S. Here is a link to a Clare Tourist website that has an article on the "Islands of Lough Derg". "Holy Island" looks interesting to visit on a next trip to Ireland. The article also included this blurb:

Inishparran - Pages Island
This island is situated at the mouth of Cloonoolia Bay, a large island of approx. 40 acres. It is closely wooded with Ash, Sycamore, Elder and Juniper trees on the perimeter and cattle are grazed there. It has a fishing hut and a private jetty and is connected to the land by a causeway.

http://www.visitclare.net/loughderg.php
Attachments
Google Map of Inishparran County Clare.jpg
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Last edited by Jimbo on Fri Feb 27, 2015 6:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Polycarp
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by Polycarp » Fri Feb 27, 2015 5:33 pm

Hi Lyn,

There was a Dr Thomas Page who reported on a typhus epidemic in Ennis in 1837. Dr Thomas Page is cited in Timothy P. O'Neill's article 'Clare and Irish poverty, 1815 - 1851' in Studia Hibernica, vol. 14, 1974, pp. 7 - 27 at page 22. The citation quotes 'Report on Ennis fever hospital 1837' in the Chief Secretary's Office, Registered Papers, 1837, no. 33). The CSORP are in the National Archives in Dublin.

Unfortunately there is no other mention of this Thomas Page in O'Neill's article.

O'Neill writes: 'Dr Thomas Page was sent by the Board of Health to examine the [typhus] situation.'

Polycarp

Lyn Coyne
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by Lyn Coyne » Sun Mar 01, 2015 7:08 am

Hi James,

Thank you for your response.

Eliza Page's marriage and death certificates both record her birthplace as Page's Island (as does family lore) and both certificates list her father as John Page and her mother as Catherine, m.n. Wall. The death of Eliza's father and her mother's remarriage before she left Ireland are based entirely on family lore.

Eliza's marriage certificate also records her father's profession as farmer. It does not record that he was deceased but these certificates often don't record this information.

I have looked at John Page, farmer, of Moorfield, Galway, in the 1901 census. He is dead by 1911 and his son John has married and had a daughter, Mary. I have not checked what information is given on Irish civil registration certificates. It might be worthwhile purchasing the marriage certificate of John Page to Winifred if the parents of the parties are specified.

The reference to the 65 y.o. Martin Page in the 1901 census living off his Cape Town earnings is indeed interesting. An uncle of my mother's, of Scottish ancestry but born in Australia, went to South Africa for a few years and never needed to work again when he returned. I've tried to look for South African shipping records but they appear to be a lost cause, unfortunately.

We don't know if Eliza Page left Ireland because of the famine or took the opportunity to go to South Africa as a land of promise. And I don't suppose we'll ever know what made her then decide to travel onto Australia. It was two years before gold fever hit the country. We also don't know why Eliza chose to settle in Warrnambool. I've looked at some of the surnames of the pioneers but none really stand out as coming from her part of Ireland.

Thank you for the great screen shot of Inishparran. By the way, when my mother's cousins visited Ireland in 1967 they made enquiries about visiting Inishparran and were greeted with: "Oh, you mean Page's Island"? So the name had certainly stuck.

Lyn

Lyn Coyne
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by Lyn Coyne » Sun Mar 01, 2015 7:13 am

Hi Polycarp,

Thank you for your response. I will take a look at the National Archives website for Dr Thomas Page but I would somehow doubt that there is a connection given that my John Page was a farmer.

Lyn

Paddy Casey
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by Paddy Casey » Sun Mar 01, 2015 7:25 pm

Lyn Coyne wrote:.....when my mother's cousins visited Ireland in 1967 they made enquiries about visiting Inishparran and were greeted with: "Oh, you mean Page's Island"? So the name had certainly stuck.
Lyn
The island is listed as"Page's island" in logainm (http://www.logainm.ie/en/204259) but, curiously, logainm says "Irish name to be confirmed". The logainm entry includes a most interesting image of a card index entry which says (among other things) "Prior to 1898 in Co.Galway.....the Tithe Applotment book has the entry "John Page island" indicating that the island was his titheable property.....Information got on phone from Ned Keane 6.10.1965".

Paddy

P.S. Did you see the Griffith's Valuation (ca. 1855) entry for John Page in Loughrea (only 20 miles -as the crow flies - from Page's Island) ?

Jimbo
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by Jimbo » Sun Mar 01, 2015 11:09 pm

Hello again,

Here is a follow-up on what I found of the Page surname in Galway in the Irish American Weekly (IAW) (genealogybank archive). None seemed very promising to a be a relative of Eliza Page, but here is the opportunity to make your own assessment:

IAW, Saturday, June 1, 1889
PAGE - May 1, at Barrack Street, Loughrea, in the 90th year of his age, John Page.

Paddy, this looks like your man from the Griffiths and might be promising as the father of Eliza Page, except for the following:

IAW, Saturday, October 28, 1871
Oct. 4 at the Catholic Church, Loughrea, by the Rev. John Sellars, Administrator, Mr. Patrick Egan, Clerk of the Union, to Clare, only daughter of Mr. John Page, Barrack Street, Loughrea, and niece to the Reverend Michael Joseph Page, Prior O.S.A., Ballyhaunis.

The Reverend Michael J. Page may have started the trend for Irish priests to go the United States on fundraising drives given his great success:

IAW, Saturday, April 1, 1854
The Rev. Michael J. Page, O.S.A., writes from Boston, that he has collected 1,000% in the United States, for the erection of a chapel and school of the Order of Galway.

There were also several references to a Michael Page in the Portumna area of Galway; this lot sound seriously rich:

IAW, Saturday, April 29, 1876 [similar article in 1878]
The Marquis of Clanricarde, Captain John Eyre, J.P., and Mr. Michael Page have been elected respectively Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Deputy Vice Chairman of the Portumna Union.

Captain John Eyre may possibly have been related to Lieut-Col. Thomas Page Eyre (obit for daughter in 1870 IAW newspaper) of Eyrecourt Castle, Galway.

And there was also a Michael Page living in New York City with Portumna roots. His youngest son was named Martin Page, born in Ireland about 1849.

New York Herald, July 29, 1881
Thursday, July 23, Catherine Page, the beloved wife of Michael Page [born in 1810 in 1860 census], a native of Portumna, County Galway, Ireland. The funeral will take place from her late residence, No. 38 Stanton St., Sunday, July 31 at 2 pm.

Lyn, regarding Martin Page you might want to contact the person who posted the below query at cousinconnect.com from 2003 as they could be a distant cousin.

My Great,Great Grandfather's brother Martin Page born approx. 1835 in Co. Galway, Ireland, Parish of Woodford, went to Cape Town, when or for how long I don't know. But he was back in Ireland by 1901 as he was recorded in the 1901 Census. In this Census he was recorded as a Widower, where he married is unknown. I would love to know why he went to Cape Town, had he family there etc.

http://www.cousinconnect.com/d/a/20799

Lyn Coyne
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by Lyn Coyne » Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:06 am

Hi Paddy,

Thank you for your response.

You wrote:

The island is listed as"Page's island" in logainm (http://www.logainm.ie/en/204259) but, curiously, logainm says "Irish name to be confirmed". The logainm entry includes a most interesting image of a card index entry which says (among other things) "Prior to 1898 in Co.Galway.....the Tithe Applotment book has the entry "John Page island" indicating that the island was his titheable property.....Information got on phone from Ned Keane 6.10.1965".

Paddy

This card index entry is certainly interesting. It stretches my memory but I do recall seeing a letter written by OSI to my mother's cousins before they set off to Ireland in 1967. It may well have been written by Ned Keane. I did get excited to think that the island was John Page's titheable property but I sobered up a bit when I saw other entries on the same page of the TAB, viz., "William Clarke mountain", "John Clarke part mountain", etc.

I had seen the reference to a John Page in Loughrea in the Griffiths Valuation but had already discounted it in view of my belief that Eliza's father was dead before she left Ireland in 1848. I had even briefly entertained the possibility that a Catherine Page in Lickmolassy may have been John Page's widow but also dropped the idea as I believe she remarried before Eliza left Ireland.

Lyn

Lyn Coyne
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by Lyn Coyne » Mon Mar 02, 2015 8:06 am

Hello again James,

Thank you for your follow-up.

You will have seen from my reply to Paddy that I had already discounted the possibility of John Page from Loughrea being Eliza's father. The marriage notice from IAW in 1871 leaves no doubt.

As you note, Michael Page of Portumna does sound seriously rich. In my research, I also came across an Anthony Page (on the Galway Emigrants List) who came out here in 1840, aged 29, a farmer. His parents are Daniel Page and Judy XX. The notes record: "Known in Portumna. Baptism certificate by Rev. Armstrong". I found what is probably a later reference to him for intestate estate papers, in 1849 at Barwon River, Mudgee, NSW.

I have also come across a Martin Page from Galway who died in Victoria aged 57 in 1872. His father was also Martin and his mother's m.n. was Connaughton. I have noticed there was a cluster of this surname in the Williamstown area, near Clonrush. Martin Page was a policeman who emigrated in 1853 with a contingent of fellow officers.

Another early reference I have found is a Mary Ford who died aged 88 in 1879, therefore born in 1791. She was from Galway and her parents were John Page and Jane Cummins.

I will definitely try to contact the man whose GG uncle was Martin Page who went to Cape Town. The link you provided did not get me to the posting.

Lyn

Lyn Coyne
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by Lyn Coyne » Mon Mar 09, 2015 10:58 pm

Hello again James,

Just letting you know that I followed up on John Page of Moorfield as a possible brother of Eliza Page. Unfortunately, the transcription of his marriage to Winifred gives his father's first name as Patrick, so we're not on the money.

Re Martin Page's sojourn in Cape Town, I have now successfully sent a message to the person who submitted the 2003 query on Cousin Connect. I found a Martin Page and a M. Page on passenger lists to South Africa on Find My Past but their ages don't fit. I also found a rather illuminating document on the Irish Emigration Database written by R. Gumbleton Daunt, Brazil, to the Editor of The Nation, Dublin, in 1848.

He wishes to direct the attention of his emigrant countrymen to the colony of the Cape of Good Hope which he describes as very slightly Anglicised and the demand for labourers is great. From his own personal experience, provisions of all sorts were abundant and cheap, and house servants, grooms, gardeners and all who have any useful capital-producing calling are in great demand, while a good number of agricultural labourers could also be annually absorbed.

Daunt trusts that he may induce some of his distressed countrymen to turn their steps towards South Africa, proceeding either to Cape Town, Algoa Bay, or Port Natal, where they may confidently reckon on employment and remuneration, and live until a better future dawns on their country.

Another modern source (Ciaran Reilly in “The Irish in South Africa: a Miscellany”) states that South Africa was bypassed by the great waves of post-famine Irish migrants. In 1904 there were about 20,000 Irish-born people living in South Africa, though there were many more of Irish descent. But those who did come to South Africa are of interest, for they tended to be either the better-off, hence the higher proportion of Irish Protestants than would be found either in Australia or the USA, or they were strong and adventurous.
Lyn

Regards,

Lyn

tomasmacgiolla
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by tomasmacgiolla » Tue Nov 24, 2015 10:36 pm

Lyn,
I posted long reply to your post -can't see it up yet -not sure if it goes up immediately.
Thomas

tomasmacgiolla
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by tomasmacgiolla » Tue Nov 24, 2015 10:45 pm

I submitted long post earlier and it seems to have disappeared
Thomas

Lyn Coyne
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by Lyn Coyne » Tue Nov 24, 2015 11:45 pm

Hi Tomas,

I wonder what has happened to your post which is usually instantaneous. I will be most interested to read it and will check again soon.

Lyn

tomasmacgiolla
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by tomasmacgiolla » Wed Nov 25, 2015 8:38 pm

Hello Lyn,
Hope I have better luck this time.I sent post last night but it seem to disappear. As I am very slow at typing that was annoying. I'll send shorter post this time and see how it goes. My name is Thomas Page and I was fascinated when I came across your post only a few days ago. By the way my user name is the gaelic version on my name-tomas mac giolla means son of the servant.
I live in Dublin but was born in Rossmore -a small townland on the shore of Lough Derg about 15/20 kms north of Mountshannon/Whitegate region where your great grandmother was born.I had been doing some family research in the past but with time constraints etc I hadn't got far. But for reasons which I will explain later I have got into it a bit more in the past few months.
You can imagine my joy then when I saw your post and the replies to it.
I have been especially interested in what I will call the Co Clare Page families -as you know the region you great grandmother was born in is now Co. Clare but was in Co. Galway up until 1899 or so. As you are probably aware the region of south east Galway has by far the highest concentration of Page families still today-there are at least ten families today in the general Woodford area.
Like you I have read Bruce Elliott's book and especially was interested in his statement that the Page families were introduced into the area in the 1740's. By the way their origin was probably Ballyteige rather than Ballyheige as Ballyheige is in Co Kerry but there is a townland called Ballyteige near Lisdoonvarna in west Clare and he wrote that they moved from west Clare. These Page families which you name based on the Tithe Applotments seem to have "disappeared" in the 1820 to 1850 period as there is no recorded Page families in Griffiths Valuation-a survey of all landlords and tenants in the 1850's. Of course they could have become landless labourers as that survey didn't include these but other records show no trace of them either. The famine and emigration is the obvious answer to this as they were very poor tenants in pre famine times but I have an idea ,perhaps a romantic one, that the Co Galway Pages, as I will call them, descended from these original families. It is only a short distant north and some christian names do match up.
I will send this post now but will give you my information in another post if this comes up ok.
Thomas

tomasmacgiolla
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Re: Eliza Page:Inisparran, Clare, to Warrnambool, Victoria,

Post by tomasmacgiolla » Wed Nov 25, 2015 9:49 pm

Lyn
I have done a family tree and will send you more info as soon as possible . Several of the names you mention come up in my research
and the details you give match up well with a few exceptions. Hopefully when we compare our knowledge we may find we are cousins!!!
I am descended from the Galway branch of the family many of whom can trace their origins to the Oghilly Pages-Oghilly or Ohilly is a small townland 10\12 kms north of Whitegate\Mountshannon region on main Ennis\Portumna road.
I will post more details later.
Thomas

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