Hi Sheila,
Thanks for pointing out the newspaper reporting that both John Maguire and John Burns, in order to secure their freedom, had agreed to go to America in March 1868.
John Byrnes, age 30, born in Ireland, arrived in New York on the
Helvetia on 4 April 1868, consistent with the
Clare Journal of 26 March 1868:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVPJ-YMSF
The
Clare Journal of 16 March 1868 didn't provide what ship John Maguire had taken to America, but he must have been the John Maguire, age 20, who arrived in New York on the
City of Baltimore on 24 March 1868.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVPJ-T2TZ
I had hoped that these two passengers listings would lead to other released Fenian prisoners, including Thomas Hogan of Reanahumana, but no such luck. Both released prisoners appear at the tail end of their respective passenger listings.
Sheila, I see now that while there was no official trial for many of the prisoners arrested under the Habeus Corpus Act, there was a "magisterial investigation" in Ennis over several days in late March 1867. The informer Simon Nevin (or Navin) gave evidence against over 30 men who had assembled in arms at Drumcliffe, including John Maguire, John Byrne, Private Quinn of the 74th, and an unnamed soldier of the 9th regiment. You had previously transcribed this very long "investigation" testimony, and defense attorney questioning from the
Clare Journal on the Fenian thread.
http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... e&start=15
The informer Simon Nevin/Navin, who was about twenty years old, goes missing from the newspaper archives after March 1867, except for references by defense attorneys that the Crown's only evidence was the prior testimony of Simon Nevin at the magisterial investigation (not a trial). In July 1867 when the trial of Robert Quinn and Richard Meade was delayed due to "an important witness had absconded within a short period prior to the opening of the Commission"; this witness was most surely the informer Simon Nevin.
Maguire or McGuire is not that common of a surname in Ennis, so the Fenian John Maguire is very likely the John McGuire in the Drumcliff parish register who was baptized on 19 January 1848, parents Luke McGuire and Margaret Powell; sponsors John McGuire and Ellon Powell. Luke McGuire and Margaret Powell had married on 8 February 1847; witnesses James Crowley, Margaret Kennedy (Ennis Catholic marriage register). There were no other baptisms recorded in the Ennis register for this couple.
A hand-written valuation book for "Islands, Clare" (source: ancestry) for High Street in Ennis has a John Maguire in House 4 and Luke Maguire in House 5. Not sure of the valuation date, on the first page of this 600+ page document was signed off with "compared 26 April 1848", as well as certified with dates in October 1850 and again in January 1851. By the 1855 Griffith Valuation for High Street in Ennis, John Maguire was in House 2, but Luke Maguire was not listed (or on any other GV report).
Initially, I thought that the land records indicated that Luke Maguire had died in the early 1850's (prior to civil death registration), when his son John Maguire was still a young boy. However, there is contradictory evidence. A Luke McGuire, widower, age 40, "assistant hardware", of Ennis, son of Lucas McGuire, shopkeeper, married Mary O'Brien, widow, age 38, housekeeper, of Ennis, daughter of Michael Lucas, "tayler", on 13 July 1867, at the Roman Catholic chapel at Ennis; witnesses James Morrissey and Ellen Morrissey.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 231296.pdf
Note: with search results at irishgenealogy.com, "Maguire" equals "McGuire" for baptism records, but not for marriage records. A few years ago, for a different surname, I pointed a similar inconsistency out to irishgenealogy on their feedback page, but their response was that I should use the "wildcard" in my search. Their search rules should be consistent for both baptism and marriage records. Sheila, you might have better luck in explaining this issue to irishgenealogy administrators.
The widower Lucas McGuire who married in 1867 at the age of 40, could possibly, and I reckon likely, be the Lucas McGuire who married Margaret Powell in 1847 since he would have been 20 years old at his first marriage. Although a bit odd that Lucas would get married in 1867 when his only son was in prison. The "disappearance" of the Lucas McGuire from the 1855 Griffith Valuation records could then be due to the death of his father, noted in the 1867 marriage record as another Lucas McGuire.
John Maguire, the godfather of accused Fenian John Maguire, I reckon was the "uncle" who received a special note of sympathy in this letter,
TO THE EDITOR OF THE IRISHMAN.
March 17, 1868
SIR—A general feeling of sympathy is felt for the uncle and family of John Maguire, a highly respectable young man who was arrested here last March under the Lord Lieutenant's warrant, and also charged with being concerned in the late rising. He was confined for about six months in our jail here, after which he was removed with John O'Byrne to Mountyjoy, where he has been for the last six months, and after twelve months' confinement he got indeed the merciful privilege of going to America. He had good prospects at home, as his family connections are most respectable in Clare, although being only about nineteen years of age he gained the respect and love of all who knew him, for some did not agree in his warm feeling of patriotism towards Ireland, still all admit he held those sentiments sincerely and disinterestedly.
TANTUS-LABOR-NOX-SIT-CASSUS *
The Irishman, Saturday, 21 March 1868, page 13
John Maguire, the Fenian, was described as being from Mill Street in Ennis in the testimony from March 1867.
In the Ennis marriage and baptism records, there was an Owen McGuire and Bridget Sullivan, who married in 1857, and had six children through 1870, and for the most part were living at Mill Street in Ennis. This Owen McGuire, a laborer, died in died in 1873 at the age of 40 at the Ennis workhouse:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 260743.pdf
Possibly the uncle of Fenian John Maguire? Yes, possibly. However, the "uncle" referred to in
The Irishman in 1868, as well as the "uncle's house, in Mill-street" noted in Fenian John Maguire's death announcement in 1872, was more likely the John Maguire of Mill Street who ran frequent advertisements in the
Clare Journal and appears to have been more prominent:
GARDEN AND FARM SEEDS FOR 1868.
JOHN MAGUIRE,
MILL STREET, ENNIS.
Begs to make known to his friends and the public generally, that he has just received his first supply of Garden and Farm Seeds for this Season, consisting of Peas, Beans, Turnips, Parsnips, Cabbages, Clovers, and Grasses; Spring Vetches, pure imported Seed Potatoes, some Seed Potato Onions.
Mill-street, January 30, 1868.
Clare Journal, and Ennis Advertiser, 6 February 1868
The last advertisement by John Maguire of Mill Street was on 9 May 1872. His (presumed) nephew, John Maguire, had returned to Ireland, and died on 13 May 1872 at the age of 24 years old at his uncle's home on Mill Street. And two months later, the (presumed) uncle John Maguire died at Mill Street at the age of 58 years old.
DEATH OF AN EX-FENIAN PRISONER.—This (Monday) afternoon John Maguire, who, it will be remembered, was arrested and imprisoned in Ennis in '67, and subsequently confined in Mountjoy, died at his uncle's house, in Mill-street, in this town. The deceased, who was in his twenty-fourth year, had but recently returned from America in ill health.
Clare Journal and Ennis Advertiser, Monday, 13 May 1872
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 273823.pdf
DEATH.
On the 12th inst after a long fit of illness, Mr. John Maguire, ironmonger, of this town, aged 58 years, deeply regretted by a numerous circle of friends. Through life he was respected by all who were acquainted with him. R.I.P.
Clare Journal, and Ennis Advertiser, Thursday, 18 July 1872, page 4
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 270918.pdf
The County Clare Library website has the headstone transcriptions for Drumcliff Old Graveyard by the Clare Roots Society, and the photo of John Maguire's headstone is here:
https://clarelibrary.fotoware.cloud/fot ... %3DMaguire
The transcription states "Sacred to the memory of Mr. John Maguire Jnr of Ennis, who died 13 Mar 1872 aged 24 years." Junior?? This was a final piece of evidence I discovered and it destroyed my theory that John Maguire was born in 1848, the son of Lucas Maguire and Mary O'Brien, and his uncle was John Maguire. Were all my great efforts in vain? Perhaps not, the transcription is only the top part of the headstone, there were another seven rows that were not transcribed. This part of the headstone is not very clear, but I can make out:
THIS MEMORIAL
HAS BEEN ERECTED
BY HIS FRIENDS FELLOW TOWNSMEN
AS A PROOF OF THEIR ESTEEM
FOR THE MANLY [many unclear words]
WHICH [unclear words]
THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER
Since the Maguire headstone was erected by John Maguire's friends, and not his relatives, could they have mistaken his uncle for his father? John McGuire, baptized in 1848, was the only child listed with parents Lucas McGuire and Margaret Powell in the Ennis baptism register. If Margaret Powell had died young, then it is very possible that John Maguire was raised by his uncle and godfather John Maguire of Mill Street (a married man according to his death record in 1872). Hence, the "uncle" reference of sympathy when the Fenian John Maguire was sent to America in 1868, and also why, when John Maguire died in 1872, he was at his uncle's house on Mill Street?
* May such great effort not be in vain.