Lily Mernin

[Pastmagic]

Moderator comment: topic split


Totally off topic, but Lily Mernin, cousin of Breaslai, friend of O' Donoughue, and supplying info to Collins after spending all the post  civil war years as a temporary civil servant, finally got a per minanent and pensionable post as a shorthand typist with the Department of Defence in 1933. The NLI have correspondence between her and Breaslai. He was English, so maybe she was too. he introduced her to collins, and published a paper some years later as an unsung heroine etc.

More relevant - if PRB and unknown were renting a flat from Caroline Thiery, rather than being lodgers,they may be recorded in the Valuations as leasers and leasees. This is a very simple look up to do in Abbey St. Long shot The Valuations often go floor by floor in a building, by lease. Did the castle sort out the jobs and accommodation for the spies, or did they have to find their own?

I realise that you have been researching this for aeon's, and some suggestions are probably roads you have gone down already. Is there any chance that an ordinary Irish death cert was issued? As he was found at 6.45 am, the date could have been the previous day. If so, it has to give cause of death. I would really like to nail this one, as I am quite puzzled as to why it was important for somebody  to have a natural causes death in the paper. Dublin is and was an information collender -so truth would out in 5 seconds. If he did die a natural death, why bury him as a war hero? I know propaganda is at work, but whose and why? Would it be very expensive to order up his file on-line from Kew? They are doing that now, but the one I got cost £15 - well worth it. I got 3 Prerogative wills from c. 1780 for £3 each, which was terrific value.

[Pastmagic]

 Off topic again - unless she was impicated in PRB's death......Just in case any future rootschatter is trying to find the Mernin family and discovers LILY
Here are the census records.

1911 census-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/North_City/Abbey_St__Middle/15565/

1901 census-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Waterford/Waterford_No__1_Urban/Patrick_Street/1760974/

Moderator's Comment: please do not cut & paste census information

[Pastmagic]

The death has occurred of Neddy Joe MERNIN of Mount Sion Avenue, Waterford City, Waterford
Removal from Thompson's Funeral Home, Barrack Street, tomorrow, Saturday, at 6.30pm to Ballybricken Church. Requiem Mass on Sunday at 11.30am. Burial afterwards In St. Otteran's Cemetery.

Date published: Friday, June 27, 2008
Date of death: Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The death has occurred of Ann MERNIN, (née Kent ) of Monvoy and Priests Road, Tramore, Waterford

Rosary today, Saturday, at 8pm at Carechoice Nursing Home, The Burgery, Abbeyside. Removal on Sunday at 10.30am to The Holy Cross Church, Tramore, for 12 noon Funeral Mass. Burial afterwards in St Patricks Cemetery Tramore.


Date published: Saturday, February 02, 2008
Date of death: Friday, February 01, 2008


There is only one Mernin family in Ireland in 1901 and 1911. Given the Waterford connection, these people are likley to be cousins of Lily. What is curious is that Dev was still in power in1933, so the perminancy was not a political reward. Maybe nobody realised she had been a spy, until Breaslai published his eulogy many years later. A single woman shorthand typist in her 40's at this stage...wonder what happened to her...

There are six listings for Mernin in Waterford in the Irish residential phone book......eircom.ie, so it looks like some of her family are still around.

They may have photos of the woman who may have ...done what exactly?

[corisande]

PM

Thanks for the input. I have asked a mod to move the stuff on Lily to a new thread. She is a very interesting woman, and deserves a new thread for people to add info. In addition, experience has taught me that if a thread like this on Parcell Bowen wanders, it itself loses value

[Pastmagic]

http://www.nli.ie/pdfs/mss%20lists/beaslai.pdf

See pages 124/125 for content of correspondance re Breaslai and Llily. She was still alive in 1950. It appears that a full account of her spying may be here, in relation to a pension claim?

(Also, off topic again, but Beaslai correspondence holds presonal papers of F.D. hardy, British Spy - is he one that Corisande is researching?)

[corisande]

I am sure that it would surprise you if I was not researching him   and a Rootschat thread here  

[Pastmagic]

Right1 No surprise and very interesting research.... Lily is also featured in the following, which i am sure you have thourougly investegetated anyway, but just in case:

http://www.military.ie/dfhq/archives/documents/The%20Bureau%20of%20Military%20History1913-1921%20Index%20to%20Contributors.pdf

pm

[corisande]

One of the (many) weaknesses of my research is that I have not been through the Bureau of Military History papers myself. The stuff I have on these papers is gleaned second hand (never a good thing) from others' writings

Down of my list of things to do next time I am in Dublin (long way from Spain)

[Pastmagic]

looking through that list, I realise I have to have a look at both the Beaslai papers and these ones, as some of my usual family suspects crop up in both.

When I do, I'll let you know in advance, and look up whatever is most important. perhaps Lily?

Might manage a day late september - very busy at present. PM You can have an hour of it, if it would help.