• Previous page
• Front page
• Contents
• Next page

Edward’s Maternal Grandparents

Edward’s maternal grandfather was James Tierney. His maternal grandmother’s surname is uncertain. Church marriage records for their son Peter and daughter Margaret identify the parents as James Tierney, labourer and Anne Tierney, most likely her married name. Other surviving records relating to her children list her with this name also.

James was born in the townland of Stramackilroy on 7th May 1836 and baptised the following day in Tydavnet church. In the absence of other documentation, the fact that this James is Edward’s grandparent is supported by the DNA records of his descendants.

James is recorded as deceased on his son Peter’s second marriage record in 1906. Based on census returns for some of Edward’s siblings the family appear to have lived in the Scotstown area, north of Monaghan town.

James and Anne Tierney had seven children, as documented in the tree below.

Edward’s Maternal Uncles and Aunts

Several of the Tierney family lived around the Old Cross Square area of Monaghan. The area featured in the 1900 postcard shown here, reproduced in “Old Monaghan”[2], with a reference to a contemporary text describing the properties as “typical of the Shambles-type houses of the late nineteenth century”.

Ann

Ann was identified through a DNA connection with a descendant. Based on census records she was born in the 1850s. She emigrated to Scotland and is first recorded in 1874 when she married Patrick Reynolds in Glasgow. Patrick was from Clones Co. Monaghan; he was a labourer with various jobs including iron worker, bleachfield fireman and bricklayer’s labourer. They had seven children between 1875 and 1891, six daughters and one son, all born in the Glasgow area. Ann died on 8th January 1893 of cardiac failure and Patrick survived until after 1901. The 1901 census of Scotland lists a Jane born in 1898, most likely a granddaughter.

Margaret

Margaret is first recorded on 16th June 1882 when she married John McNally in Larne chapel. Her father’s name on the marriage record is James Tierney, tradesman. She was a resident of Carrickfergus at the time and Eliza Jane Tierney was her witness – this is Edward’s mother.

By 1901 Margaret is living at Oranmore Street in West Belfast, and by 1911 she is in Thompson Place, Upper Castlereagh. Margaret and John had five children, with only two alive in 1911. Margaret reports her place of birth as Scotstown, Monaghan, and John McNally was born in Annyalty, a townland in the Scotstown area, so they probably met before they went to Belfast. Margaret’s reported age in the 1901 census is 42, and 56 in 1911, suggesting she was born between 1855 and 1858. Margaret died at Thompson Place on 15th June 1915.

James

James was a shoemaker who lived at The Shambles, Monaghan at the time of his death on 5th September 1896 from tuberculosis. The Shambles is another name for Old Cross Square. His brother Peter was present at his death. He was 35 years old when he died, indicating he was born about 1861. A James Tierney boot and shoemaker is listed in Meeting House Square in a town directory in 1894[3], presumably the same person.

Catherine

Catherine is first recorded living with her brother Peter in 1901 at Old Cross Square and acting as housekeeper, after his wife died. Presumably Catherine and the children moved out when Peter remarried. By 1911 Catherine is living with her sister Margaret in Belfast and Peter’s daughter Maggie is with her. In the 1911 census Catherine reports her place of birth as Scotstown, Monaghan. Catherine’s reported age in the 1901 census is 31, and in 1911 41, indicating she was born about 1870.

Catherine died on 1st November 1919 at 15 Clyde St Belfast from tuberculosis. Her niece Maggie was present at her death.

Peter

Peter Tierney lived in Old Cross Square in Monaghan and was a shoemaker. He married Alice McNally on 18th January 1898 in the Roman Catholic church in Monaghan. The parish register also includes his mother’s name – Anne Tierney. They had a daughter Maggie on 17th October 1898 at Rooskey Lane. The birth was witnessed by Catherine McDonald/McDonnell of Glaslough Street, Alice McNally’s mother. A second daughter Mary Catherine was born 12th June 1900 at Old Cross Square.

By the time of the 1901 census Peter was a widower, although no death record has been found for Alice between 1900 and 1901. The children were living with Peter in 1901, and his sister Catherine was living with him as housekeeper.

Peter remarried, to Mary Grennan on 8th July 1906. They had seven children in total, Catherine born 1906, James 1907, Sarah 1909, Mary 1911, Patrick 1914, Anne 1916 and Dympna 1922. His daughter Maggie by the first marriage was living in Belfast with his sister Margaret at the time of the 1911 census. No record of the second daughter Mary Catherine has been found after 1901.

Peter’s age in the 1901 census is 27, and 35 in 1911 suggesting he was born between 1874 and 1876. Peter died in the county hospital Monaghan on 26th July 1941, where he was recorded as being of age 62. He was a widower.

Sarah

Sarah is listed as a sponsor for Anne Murphy in 1898 and was also identified through a DNA link. She appears to have been the youngest daughter, born about 1875, based on census records. She lived all her life in Monaghan. Sarah seems to have had a long running dispute with one Catherine McKenna as they both appear on several occasions in court petty sessions during the 1890s in Monaghan accused of “using language calculated to provoke a breach of the peace”.

Sarah married Peter Dorris in 1903 and they had one son, John. John joined the London Irish Rifles during the Second World War and was killed in action in Cassino, Italy in 1944. He left a wife and one son. Peter Dorris died in 1930 and Sarah in 1934.

Other potential family members

In the 1901 Census there is a Patrick Tierney, unemployed shoemaker, single, in a lodging house in Meeting House Square, whose relationship to Edward’s family is not known.