Spike Island, Cork. 1849

[Guidingspirit]

Hi everyone,
                    My great grandfather Edward Stephen Tomney was born on Spike Island in 1849. His parents were John Tomney 1821 and Mary 1817. They had three other children at the time of Edwards birth - Mary 1836 Elizabeth 1840 and John 1848, all were born in Ireland.
I believe that John Tomney must have been serving in the British Army at the time of Edwards birth and that only high ranking officers were allowed to have their families living on the island due to cramped living conditions.
I would love to find out about John Tomney's military career and also wether the children were baptised on the island but really have no idea how or where to access such records.
Can anyone help please ? I never new until recently that I had Irish ancestry and it has filled me with such joy that I would love to trace them.
They are all on the U.K. census forms from 1851 when they moved to Manchester, Lancashire and my great great grandfathers occupation is listed as "Broker". 

[gortonboy]

Edward Stephen Tomney was born in 1849 at Spike Island, Cork, and enlisted as a Boy, aged 14, into the 14th The King’s Hussars on 15 January 1863.He was appointed Trumpeter in December 1868 and transferred to the 2nd Life Guards in 1875. He served with the 2nd Life Guards, as Corporal of Horse, in the Egyptian campaign of 1882, including the infamous ‘moonlight charge’ of the Household cavalry at Kassassin and at the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, where he had his horse shot under him, and at the capture of Cairo. In 1883 he transferred to the Permanent Staff of the Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry and was appointed Trumpet-Major of that unit upon his discharge from the Life Guards in September 1895. Tomney was appointed to Her Majesty’s Yeomen of the Guard on 5 January 1899, and received his M.S.M. whilst still holding that appointement in 1922.

[gortonboy]

looks like his medals were sold at auction

http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:P-tNIq8dvSYJ:www.dnw.co.uk/medals/auctionarchive/viewspecialcollections/itemdetail.lasso%3Fitemid%3D64334+spike+island,tomney&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

[Guidingspirit]

Hi there,
              Yes I know my great grandfathers military history - he also founded Torquay United football club in 1899. But thank you for your reply.
It is his father John Tomney 1821 born in Ireland that I am trying to trace and which is evading me and any information on how I can access records from Spike Island around the time of Edwards birth in 1849 would be greatly appreciated.
I read somewhere that there are barrack returns from Spike Island in the National Archives at Kew but I have not been able to locate them as yet.
Thank you again.

[celtic liberty]

Hi,
There is a book called Spike Isaldn, Saints, Felons & Famine by a local Cobh Historian named Michael Martin.  It is very good on the history of Spike Island.  However you might not get what you are looking for in it.  If you wanted to contact Michael Martin who did brilliant research for the book and is trying to make Spike Island a National Heritage site look at www.cobh.ie/news.php and go into contact details.  He would be able to point you in the right direction.

I attended a lecture given by him on Spike Island which was superb.
Mary

[celtic liberty]

I must have a problem with my spelling!! Island!!!

Mary

[Guidingspirit]

Hi Mary,
             Thank you so much for that. I shall certainly purchase this book as it sounds fascinating. I have never been to Ireland (except to visit it on Google world and view the photographs which I felt a curious familiarity with) but I am increasingly longing to visit, especially Spike Island. As a sometime psychic, who knows what I may pick up? The energies in that place must be interesting to put it mildly and I would just love to find out more about the birth place of my great grandfather and the home of my great great grandparents.
I am told that Ireland is like England was 50 years ago, if that is true then I can't wait.
Thank you again, Jean.
P.S. Don't worry about the spelling - I knew what you meant.

[celtic liberty]

Hi again,

I meant to say to look up http://www.rte.ie/tv/oilean/spike.html
where there is a small write up on Spike and a nice photo.
RTE is the Irish national broadcaster for TV and radio, and they did a programme on Spike.

Good luck

Mary

[Guidingspirit]

Thank you, Mary, the pictures on this site are beautiful and very moving. I was right when I said that the energies on Spike Island would be interesting to say the least - all those poor tormented souls - what a tragedy.
Seeing the gates of the prison makes one wonder what must have been going through the minds of prisoners facing an uncertain future as they passed through them.
By the way, I have sent for the book, Spike Island, Saints, Felons and Famine by Michael Martin already and hope to receive it on Saturday. I don't suppose I will get much work done on Saturday. Oh! well.
Thank you again for all your help.
Regards, Jean.