William Walsh and Bridget Gallagher living Irish Green Drumachose, Limavady

[aghadowey]

Lots of articles coming up in the local newspapers- none of them good I'm afraid. Here are a few-

Derry Journal, 4 Mar.1903: … Guardians. Charles MCaughey, Limavady, was summoned at the suit of the police for that the _0th February he did unlawfully assault, wound, and stab William Walshe, a chimneysweep, and inflict grievous bodily harm. William Walshe said on this evening he was ...

Northern Constitution, 4 July 1908: … Wm. Walshe, Limavady, was charged with drunkenness on two different occasions, and also with drunkenness and disorderly conduct. Fines of ...

Coleraine Chronicle, 12 Mar.1910: … Prevention of Cruelty to Children, at the request, and by authority of Elizabeth Holmes, Limavady, prosecuted William Walsh, an elderly man, a chimney-sweep, of Limavady, for committing an offence upon Amelia Holmes, a young girl of sixteen years (daughter …

Derry Journal, 20 Nov.1914: … William Walsh, an elderly chimney sweep, residing Limavady, was brought up on remand charged the Crown at the prosecution of District Inspector ...

[Westfrem]

So much information. Thanks again but I think I may be getting carried away.
I think I need to get back to finding evidence that Catherine Walsh born sometime around 1855 was the daughter of William and Bridget née Gallagher.
To recap: Catherine married in Christchurch New Zealand in 1880. No parents are on the certificate but it states she had been in New Zealand for 2 years.
She moved to Victoria Australia with her husband Thomas West and their children. Their final child was born in Australia. Thomas died in 1901 and Catherine remarried. It is on her 2nd and 3rd marriage certificates that she named William Walsh and Bridget Gallagher as her parents.
The birth certificates of her children give her place of birth as Londonderry.
From the pension claim form extract of the 1851 census it names her supposed parents and older siblings.
A later sibling, Bridget was baptised in 1860 with same parents and address. I have no children between James (1849) and Bridget (1860) so I am hoping my Catherine will slot in between!
Your thoughts would be much appreciated x

[Westfrem]

Love the newspaper articles. I did see some of the headlines from search results on a certain website so I'm not surprised! I don't have access to the full articles but I'm sure it is William junior! A bad lad.

[lianne32]

I'm not sure if I should comment really, somehow it doesn't feel appropriate but I've started now lol. My grandfather was the product of that rape against the girl amelia Holmes. He was a remarkable man and didn't have a bit of badness in him I am extremely proud to call him grandad. He had a very hard life and im sure Amelia found it hard as well it was a tough time to be a mother out of wedlock. She placed him with the nuns of Nazareth in the end and all I know was it was a horrific existence for him as a child. He then moved to Scotland and married and had 7 children but his wife died at a young age and that remarkable man with no family experience of his own brought up all 7 children single handedly and did a fantastic job. Most still live in Scotland today and have good jobs and happy families of their own so a happy ending after a terrible start. I'm happy to say my grandad may have come from a 'bad lad' but he turned it around and is still remembered with respect and love by all who knew him after he's been dead 30+ years. If anyone knows when William Walsh died or where he went to prison or when he was released I would love to know as I hit a brick wall with research quite a while ago. Many thanks

[aghadowey]

Welcome to Rootschat  It is a very sad story but nice to hear that there was a happy ending for your family.

Since I read your post yesterday I've been doing a bit more searching and have found lots of details on the Holmes family (the thread was originally about William Walsh), including Amelia's mother, and father.

William Walsh was found guilty in July 1910 and sentenced to 15 months in prison according to newspaper reports. If he served the full time then he should be listed in prison (under initials) in the census (2 Apr.1911). Haven't had a chance to look for him yet-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

You need at least 2 posts to send & receive PMs (Personal Messages) so if you'd like the information I found so far (too extensive to post here) just reply again on this thread so I can then message you.

[aghadowey]

1911 census- William Walsh in Derry Gaol- 3rd from bottom of page-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002835664/

http://archiseek.com/2016/1824-derry-gaol-co-derry/

Added- Jeremiah Askin married Sarah McVicker not a Sarah Holmes.

[lianne32]

That is so helpful of you thank you. You found Amelia's father? On her birth certificate and on her siblings birth certificates it has the workhouse master as she was born in the workhouse I believe, and I'm told that was normal to put the master on the birth certificate back then. As a child I always felt resentment towards Amelia for putting my grandad with the nuns but since I've researched a bit I realise just how hard things must have been in Ireland back then. Truly remarkable women with such strength (and men of course)
I read in one newspaper that William Walsh would take Amelia gifts to the workhouse such as sugar ect, not easy during a famine so I think in many ways he was the only one showing her kindness in a very harsh existence.
Thanks again for the info that's very much appreciated.

[aghadowey]

For births and deaths in the Workhouse it was usually the Master or a member of staff who registered the event thus they'd be listed as the informant (but not the father of a child)- illegitimate children weren't registered with the father's name unless he attended the Registrar with the mother to confirm he was the father.
The Great Famine in Ireland was at a much earlier period (1845-1849) and North Derry wasn't as badly hit as other parts of Ireland such as the West. However, that's not to say that there wasn't great poverty here.
Amelia's mother Elizabeth had at least 6 illegitimate children so when Amelia got pregnant it probably was the circumstances rather than the pregnancy that was the problem. Through the years Elizabeth certain had support from her family but difficult to say whether Amelia would have had the same family help. Amelia may have felt her child was better off with the Sisters than at home. However, her son William was boarding with a local family when he was a year old so it would be nice to think that he was at least well looked after when very young.

Will send you PM now to arrange forwarding file to you.