RootsChat.Com
Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Sligo => Topic started by: gerardmathew on Sunday 04 October 09 14:19 BST (UK)
-
does anyone have any info on edward joseph o cooke I think the o stood for osmly he had a large shop in tubbercurry that was burned down by the black and tans in a reprisal raid around 1920 many thanks
-
hi gerard.
if you go to the national archives website you can see an image of the census form for 1911. this will give you some info on josephs family,occupation,and type of building they were living in at the time of the sensus.
good luck in your search. doch.
-
Here's the link to 1911 census-
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search
-
many thanks doch I have seen the census forms but it was some history about the family that you dont get on census I was hoping for I thought with his store and many others being burned down there would be some historical references It sounded a bad time for tubbercurry thank you anyway for your very quick reply gerard
-
Edward Ormsby Cooke was a very distant relative of mine through my paternal grand mother, Mary Kate Cooke Brennan. Edward was from Kilturra and he and his sister were buried in the grounds of the Marist Convent in Tubbercurry. You will find some information and photos of him in a book called, "The Cookes of the Cavaliers", written by Dr. Kieran Cooke of Dunmore, Galway which I think was published by the Galway Family Heritage Society.
-
There are a number of references to Edward J Cooke in the book 'Sligo 1914 - 1921 A Chronicle of Conflict' by Michael Farry which includes the incident at Tubbercurry when the Black and Tans ran riot setting many businesses premises on fire including the premises of E J Cooke, which was burned to the ground, the occupants including up to a dozen workers having to flee for their lives.
A letter has survived dated 5th October 1920 by a witness, Mrs Brigid Gilmartin of Tubbercurry to her daughter in New York giving a graphic account of the terrible night in which she describes the soldiers as "devils let loose from hell". This led to many compensation claims including one for £10,000 by E J Cooke being sent by the Tubbercurry Council to Lloyd George and the military authorities.
I'm sure you will find much more.
Good luck,
J.T.A.
-
In another local history 'Sligo Land of Yeats' Desire' by John Cowell the destruction of Tubbercurry by the Black and Tans in September 1920 is also mentioned which includes the following :
"A brilliant piece of descriptive writing of hell let loose is contained in a long letter dated 5th October 1920, written by Mrs Brigid Gilmartin of Tubbercurry to her daughter, Norah in New York. The letter is now in the Sligo Museum".
I'm sure this letter will contain information of interest to you.
J.T.A.
-
many nthanks to all who offered assistance it was most welcome and very helpful thank you all
-
I am related to the Cooke family of Kilturra, Killmactigue and Glenavoo. I am attaching a photo taken this year of Ormsby Cooke's store in Tubbercurry which is now used as a County Building. Also, a photo of the Church window at Kilturra praising the Cooke Family.
-
Mr Cooke: Not that many people could tell you who Edward J Ormsby-Cooke was, or might even care who he was or when he existed, but since a little bit of local history never goes astray with some people, let’s take a look at his story .
Mr Cooke, as he would have been called in those days, was an elected member of the Rural District Council representing Tubbercurry with a seat in the Sligo County Council between 1902 and 1911.
His daily work was running his extensive general merchants shop which also was reported to have the largest staff employed in Co. Sligo in those days. Everything from the manufacturing of clothes for ladies and gents was carried out on those premises. It is learned that it did a massive trade until 1920 and the arrival of the Black and Tans who set the premises on fire. Cookes was a prime target and many of the staff had Republican sympathy and some supported the IRA.
Rathscanlon Co-op Creamery was also destroyed at that time for the same reason. It is also learned that Duffy’s Circus arrived in town that day, but due to the troubles and the fires, decided to move on to Ballymote. Mrs Duffy, now deceased, told me of this experience and the fear they had of all this violence in the town way back then.
The fire was the end of Cooke’s. as he never raised a shilling in the town after then. Many of his workers then set out to make a way for themselves. Some remained as shop workers, a few emigrated and others managed to set up in business themselves.
The premises he owned was located where the flower shop, Credit Union, Bootlock and the Square China take away are now.
One of his former employees, Edward Masterson bought a section of that space and set up business and residence there.
Mr Cooke was to take refuge at the Marist Convent where he lived up to his death and donated many of his valuables to the Sisters there. He is buried along with his sister in the Marist Convent cemetery.
-
jmcooke:
I descend from John Cooke, born in 1855 and lived in Tullanaglug for his long life. Do you know if your branch of the family is directly related to him? Thx
Pat Meehan
-
Yes, I am certainly related to John Cooke.
-
jmcooke:
I descend from John Cooke, born in 1855 and lived in Tullanaglug for his long life. Do you know if your branch of the family is directly related to him? Thx
Pat Meehan
Hi Pat, one of my ggf's was James Cooke (1859-1922) of Carrigeenagowna, Tubbercurry. His parents were Patrick Cooke (c1820-1904) and Mary O'Hara. However, before they moved to Carrigeenagowna Patrick and Mary lived in Tullanaglug where their eldest daughter, Bridget was born in 1847. My grandmother, Mary Kate Brennan (1891-1968), daughter of James Cooke always insisted that she was related to the Tullanaglug Cooke's as well as the Kilturra Cooke's.
John Brennan