Mystery of a prize and a grandfather.

[ABoyd]

In an obituary from December 1930, it was stated that the deceased, Eleanor Boyd nee Carden,  of Moyville Balysokerry, Ballina had in 1876 won the Arran Prize for English Literature  contested by girls from the 32 counties. I wonder if anyone has any info about this competiton?

The obit says that Eleanor, born 1861  was the 7th daughter of the late Thomas Cardin and granddaughter of the late Captain John Carden of Templemore Tipperary, the land agent to Sir Arthur Gore. Her marriage children and grandchildren have all been well researched, so two questions:

What was the Arran Prize?
Who was  Capt. John Carden of Templemore?

Any help with these two questions most appreciated.
ABoyd.

[crisane]

There is a 6 page letter written by John Carden in the Ireland Famine Relief Commission Papers 1844 -1847 It is handwritten by him.
Location Eliogarty, Tipperary North Riding, Ireland
Barony of Eliogarty  Tipperary
  John Carden of Templemore is deploring the inadequacies of the relief committee for the barony of Ikerrin and expressing the hope that the government would appoint an official to select the most suitable public works and enquire into the real extent of distress.

 John Carden chairman, requesting the books and papers necessary for a committee. The document date is 12 Oct 1846
And
John Carden JP, chairman of the Borrisnafarney electoral division committee, recommending T Abbott, a member of the committee, for the post of inspector of poor law unions and it has a draft reply.
He writes his address as Templemore.

[crisane]

Tithe Appointment Books 1825
John Carden Esquire
County of Tipperary
Parish of Templemore
Townland Killough

Tithe Appontments Books 1826
Sir John Carden
County of Tipperary
Parish of Templeree
Townland of  Coppice

These are records I can find but they don't explain who he is. There will be someone along who has more expertise on Irish research I am sure

[ABoyd]

Thank you so much! Plenty there to get me started!
ABoyd.

[heywood]

Hello again,

do you have Eleanor's marriage certificate? I wondered if it mentions an occupation for her father, or her residence.

regards
heywood

[ABoyd]

Hello again Heywood! No, I don't have the marriage cert - will have to get it.
This is what is in the Mayo family History  Report of 1999. It says:

Her father was Thomas Carden, b.1816, of Bullock's Park in the parish of Ballysakerry. as per age at time of death, mother Honour O'Donnell, married John Boyd in Ballysakeerry  RC Church on the 23rd of Feb 1878. I believe he was a farmer, but can check that.

I will have to get that cert,as there is no citation for it in the report.

Of grandfather Capt. John Carden, who I am trying to trace, Eleanor's obit says that he was of Templemore, moved west to become estate agent to Arthur Gore of Bellek Manor Ballina.

I have no idea what regiment he was in, or how to find that out, or why he became a land agent.

(It also says she was the grandaughter of Alexander O' Donnell of Moyne, an extensive farmer who was educated in France and one of the rebels who met General Humbert at Killala - more to be found out there!
It says in her obit that she was a member of on of the oldest and most respected families of the West, and the last chain the alliance of the Carden- O'Donnell family. - just for backround, in case it turns out to be relevant)

Thanks again!

[heywood]

I say this with great hesitation and absolutely no evidence but I am a bit bothered about the Tipperary connections - in that searching on the web, the Cardens are established around Mayo and Sligo and it does say that there is no connection with the Cardens of Tipperary. It is a name in the wider Killala area.

However - that is just me and Mayo FH are much more experienced than me and know the area much better

Marriage:
Ballina district: Jan-March 1878 Volume 4 pg 12
Eleanor Carden and John Boyd

The O-Donnell -Carden alliance sounds very exciting and the links with Humbert 

I'll try to come back to this tomorrow.
Goodnight 

Added: I wonder if 'Bullocks Park' is a corruption of Belleek?

[ABoyd]

Thanks for that, Heywood, very interesting, you are so kind to take such an interest! I would love to find out more about the Humbert connection for sure, I suppose they could have got it wrong about the Tipp connection in the obit - which is a press cutting from a paper and no one put the date or name of the paper on it.

I have been search for Eleanor's mysterious prize on line too - no joy there! 

Thank you! 

[ABoyd]

No its not Mayo FH  this time.. 'nough said....  the Obit was not mentioned by them, it was in family papers!
ABoyd