My great grandfather, James Joseph McEntyre was the first male McIntyre, McEntyre (McAteer) in my paternal line to leave Ireland. After reading all of this, you’ll agree with me that he should have stayed home. However, due to his struggles I am here today to honour his hard life.
1859
On the 25th or February 1859, James Joseph McEntyre was born to Thomas a government empoyee and Rose (Egan) McEntyre.
At the time he had an older sister Mary and they were living in Ranelagh Rd. Dublin. He had grandparents James and Elizabeth living not too far away at 18 Wood Street a little further north near the grand St Patrick’s Cathedral.
James’ father Thomas worked for the Griffith’s Valuation Office as a 3rd class officer which would have been a good job at the time, and probably the main reason the family had stayed on in Ireland during the famine when his cousins made their way to Gerringong Australia in 1848.
Grandfather James had 3 tenements in Wood street and another at 3 Dawson Court that he rented out. His father Thomas had in 1854 three premises in the same Wood St, 6, 7, & 8. Prior to Dublin I’ve found they came from Gallen in Offaly.
Would love to get one of these old coins with the address 8 Wood Street someday.
1861
In 1861 James got a little sister Henrietta born the 8th of March.
Around this time they moved a few blocks west to nicer Leinster Rd and lived at number 20.
1865
There was a lot of tuberculosis around these times and James’ mother died 3rd of April 1865. 10,000 people were dying each year in Dublin and it would move through the family, friends, street, town, taking any who would succumb to it. They called it consumption as it would consume the person, making them weak and thin. The aids of the 1800s.
James was just 6 years old.
James’ father now single with a job and three young children without much time to waste, married another widow Honoria (Corcoran) Dowling. This happened just over a month after Rose’ death on the 28th of May 1865. James would later list Honoria as his mother when he boarded the ship to Australia. His older sister Mary however still called Rose her mum on the same ship’s list.
This threw me a curve ball for a while as I couldn’t figure out that all this had happened when I first discovered the ship’s list to Australia later in 1878.
1866
James now 7 years old learns of his grandmother’s death 13th of June. Elizabeth (82) managed to live a long life and was still at 18 Wood Street.
1872
I don’t know too much about the following decade or so. I did manage to get a payroll copy of employees from Griffith’s Valuation dated 1872 when father Thomas was 48.
I had an old copy of family history from James’ daughter another Mary who became a nun in Australia. It mentioned that James had a teacher Fr. Isaac Moore S.J , but I’ve been unable to find any record of him at any schools in Dublin.
From Belvedere College Dublin I got this response.
Hi Peter,
I have done another bit of digging for you and I still can’t find any record of him here at Belvedere. What I did find was that there was a Fr Isaac Moore SJ (1829-1899) who taught at Clongowes in the 1850s, Crescent College from 1871-1876 and was involved in University College Dublin in the mid 1880s. This priest was not in Belvedere at all though. I would suggest that you get in touch with Clongowes to see if he was a student there – they would be the closest of the 2 Jesuit schools to us and the fact that they have boarders might tie in with his mother passing away.
I would love to hear if you have any success with your search,
Hope this helps,
Sheron.
This priest was also in Melbourne Australia at the same time James was in Melbourne after he left Dublin, so possibly they got to know each other there. It’s a mystery.
How did James end up in Melbourne and why?
1878.
James now 19. No famine, the Irish economy was starting to pick up. His father was still working. What reason would James and his sister have to leave Ireland?
James and his sister Mary left their family and headed off to Australia aboard The Pericles from Plymouth England. (Details here)
The Pericles pictured below in Sydney harbour. This could be where James alighted. The Pericles came to Sydney 1877, 78 and I think 79.
I can imagine the possibility that James’ and Mary’s father may have prompted them to leave. Maybe Mary was showing symptoms of TB and thought the weather in Australia may have been her only chance of survival.
‘James, I want you to go with Mary to your uncle’s in Australia….
they’re expecting you….’
–
I believe this photo above to be James McEntyre but it’s not like his wedding photo. Maybe he lost a lot of weight? Could it be somebody else?
I’m not sure when James went to Melbourne or exactly when he left. I imagine that after his sister Mary died in Gerringong he possibly stayed on a bit and learnt how to become a butcher on the cousin’s cattle farm. Did he get on with his cousins or was he bullied? Did he blame the death of his sister on them? For whatever reason he made his way to Melbourne. The Gold rush?
In Melbourne he may have found solace with Fr. Isaac Moore S.J who was mentioned as being his teacher by my great aunt, James’ daughter who became a nun and also moved form Sydney to Melbourne.
1879
1887
James marries Alicia (Alice Murphy) from Wexford 24 May 1887 • St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, Victoria , Australia. My great Aunt Mary the nun said that James was the meat delivery man to Mary’s residence and that’s how they met. Alice would have been working as a servant.
1888 Birth of daughter Mary Agnes McEntyre 25 Mar 1888 Windsor, Vic, Australia,
1890 Birth of son Thomas Joseph McEntyre Birth Cert, 34510 South Melbourne
1891 Birth of son Patrick William McEntyre alias William (Billy)P, McEntyre
7th Dec 1891 (my grandfather)
1893 Death of father Thomas McEntyre back in Dublin, 1824-9
1898 The downfall!
James arrested for embezzlement and spends 2 weeks in the slammer.
1903
1904 20 Dec 1904 • died of Stomach ulcer haemorrhage
Now these two newspaper articles list a James McAteer alias James McEntyre. I’m not exactly sure this is my James as the death date is out by 2 weeks. A John McIntyre is listed who I don’t know. So, this may be just a coincidence.
