John Arthur (c.1867-1951), photographer, Kilrush, Ennis, &c.

[pwaldron]

My greatuncle Willie Waldron (1899-1974) lived in Clonmel with his wife Addie, née Adelaide Teresa Arthur (1902-1991). Later in life, she used a different middle name, calling herself Adelaide Augustus Arthur.

I grew up presuming that Addie was a native of Clonmel, but have just discovered in the 1911 census that she was born in Clare.

I am not too surprised, having previously come across the names Adelaide, Augustus and Arthur in a completely different Clare/Limerick family:

On 16 July 1892, Thomas Frederick Keays made a will leaving his lands at Annaholty, county Limerick, `in trust for my son George Keays provided he will not marry Adelaide Frost daughter of Thomas Frost'. Adelaide Martha Charlotte Frost was born on 24 May 1866 at Meelick Fort, county Clare, to Thomas Arthur Frost and Elizabeth Martin (see http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Search/ ... 0047570250). George Augustus Keays was born on 3 August 1865 at Moroe, county Limerick to Thomas Keays and Ellen Frost (see http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Search/ ... 0049086988). I suspect that George and the forbidden Adelaide were in fact first cousins, as Ellen Frost was daughter of John Frost and Catherine Arthur of Meelick Fort.

Having found out from the censuses of 1901 (at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... st28_5.htm) and 1911 (at http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/p ... et/817413/) that Adelaide's father, John L Arthur, was a Clare man, I am now more curious than ever about his possible relationship to Mrs Catherine Frost née Arthur of Meelick Fort.

By profession, John L Arthur was a photographer, as was his son Joseph. John apparently carried out this trade in Kerry (where he had children born around 1889 and 1893); in Carmody Street in Ennis (he had children born in Clare around 1894 and 1905); and in Parnell Street in Clonmel (he had a child born in Tipperary in around 1910). Perhaps some readers of this forum have some of his photographs in their family archives.

I cannot find a marriage record for John L Arthur and his wife Margaret, whose mother's surname in 1901 was O'Dea. Perhaps O'Dea was a second husband's surname.

Any further information on this Arthur family would be most welcome.

Paddy W

[pwaldron]

I've learned a lot more about the Arthur family in the last year or so since I posted the message above.

Joseph W. Arthur of Ennistymon, also a photographer, married Catherine Cooney and had a large family born between 1860 and 1883 including John born on 13 Jun 1867. I suspect that this was the John discussed above who m. Margaret O'Donnell in Kilrush PLU in 1887 Q2, but I have to order a photocopy of the marriage record to confirm this. Margaret's mother must have remarried to an O'Dea before the 1901 census referred to above.

The Arthur boys attended Ennistymon CBS - see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... /index.htm for details.

Another son of Joseph W. Arthur, namely Joseph Francis Arthur, b. 17 May 1872, was also a photographer, in his home town of Ennistymon in the censuses of 1901 and 1911.

There are further details of this family in an old thread at http://genforum.com/arthur/messages/766.html

There is a photograph of Joseph Arthur jr. at http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Gri ... 015319.jpg

The Clare Library collection also has a number of early postcard-style photographs of Carrigaholt taken by `Arthur' (c.1900) - http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Gri ... iveId=5000.

[pwaldron]

Here is an example of John J. Arthur's work, unearthed by Tony McCarthy in Dublin. (The photographer's middle initial is J on these photos and in the marriage index but L in the 1901 census and in the subject line above.) We would love to know where and when the photographs were taken and who all the subjects are.

lisdoonv.jpg (189.96 KiB) Viewed 21888 times

[Michael]

Hi Paddy

My name is Michael Kelly andAddiewas my gran Aunt, May Arthur my grandmother was her sister. I know a littleabout the family but Catherine Frost nee Arthur has never come up. John L Arthur was married twice Margaret O Dea was his first wife and she died in 1926, Margaret was the mother of all his children . He later married a lady called Leonard from Meath. He died in 1951 and was buried with Margaret and Addie and Wally later were buried with them.

I knew both Uncle Billy as I knew him and Aunt Addie wnen I was grownig up.

I hope I have attached a photo you may never have seen of Uncle Billy, Aunt Addie and my great Uncle Charles Arthur outside Billy's shop in O'Connell Street inClonmel.

If you would like to know more you can e-mail me at info@kayletec.com.

Best Wishes,

Michael Kelly.

[miriamg]

Here is another photo by John J Arthur. On the back it says Mrs McNamara - Upper Jail Street.
I am trying to date this photo in order to identify who is in it. My mother told me the girl (with cross around head) was my great grandfather's (Michael McNamara - Upper Jail St,Ennis) first wife Kate Mulqueen - but Kate died in 1886 - and if John Arthur was born in 1868 he would have only been 18 with his own photography business which seems unlikely.

So I am now wondering if this could be Michael's second wife Margaret Crowley from Cloonakilla, Kilmihil with her parents, sisters and sisters in law. Just in case anyone else recognises the photo their names are:
Maria Crowley (nee Honan)
Maria O'Dea (nee Crowley)
Margaret Crowley (nee McMahon)
Bridget Brew (nee Crowley)
Ellie Griffey (nee Crowley)

[pwaldron]

This extract from the Limerick Chronicle of 29 Dec 1841 shows that there were Arthurs in Ennistymon long before photography:
http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/12%2029%2041.pdf

[mick o]

emailingarthurshouse2arthurshouse.zip

micko
photographs of the arthurs house ennistymon september 2012

[pwaldron]

Lots more information on the Arthur family of photographers in Ennistymon and elsewhere is now available at
http://thearthurfamilyoflimerickandclare.com/
thanks to Mick.