Edward Murphy Family History
Edward’s Maternal Grandparents
Edward’s maternal grandparents are identified on the church marriage records of Edward’s uncle Peter and aunt Margaret, as James Tierney, labourer and Anne Tierney. James is recorded as deceased on Peter’s second marriage record in 1906.
Census returns for some of Edward’s siblings indicate that they were born in the Scotstown area. No birth or baptism records have been found in this area for any of the family. There is one baptism record for a James Tierney, born 1836 in Tydavnet parish, but his address is in the townland of Stramackilroy which is some distance west of Scotstown. Without some birth or baptism records it is very difficult to trace Edward’s maternal grandparents.
James and Anne Tierney had seven children, as documented in the tree below.
Catherine
c. 1870 - 1919
Elizabeth Tierney
c. 1863 - 1927
James
c. 1861 - 1896
Peter
c. 1875 - 1941
Mary?
James Tierney
???? - pre 1906
Anne Tierney
Catherine
c. 1870 - 1919
James
c. 1861 - 1896
Peter
c. 1875 - 1941
Mary?
Margaret
c. 1856 - 1915
Sarah?
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”.
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 married Mary Grennan on 8th July 1906 and they had four children by 1911, Catherine born 1907, James 1908, Sarah 1909 and Mary 1910. His daughter Maggie was living in Belfast with his sister Margaret. No record of 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.
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.
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.
Other potential family members
Mary Tierney is listed at the birth of Edward’s sisters Sarah and Mary Kate in Belfast in 1892. She may be another aunt.
Sarah Tierney is listed as a sponsor for Anne Murphy in 1898 and may be another aunt.
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.