Author Topic: Another newcomer to Irish family research - does Cork City have good resources?  (Read 9609 times)

Offline Keith Sherwood

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Hi, Everyone,
In the first week in July I shall be on holiday with my family just north of Cork City, and naturally I am hoping that during that time I may be allowed to escape to the archives/libraries of this place.  Could anyone with local knowledge or someone who has recently visited Cork give me the lowdown on what might be available.
I'm hoping to find traces of an ancestor Francis NOTT, cabinet maker of Cork City in one of those early directories at 27, Duncan Street.  Also perhaps of his son John, b. circa 1805 and who was involved in early photographs by the daguerrotype (spelling?) method.
Have already pursued questions here on another thread re these two, but I'm just wanting to know where I could myself a nice dusty old record repository/museum/library where I could while away a few contented hours with my nose in a document, directory, old newspaper, you know the kind of experience I mean...
Very best wishes,
keith
NB Does Duncan Street still contain buildings from the early 19thC?

Offline Neptune

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Hi Keith
Irish research can be a little more difficult sometimes as the earliest surviving census records is for 1901. The 1911 has also been released.(All previous censuses were destroyed in a fire.)
Not alphabetical-you have to know which county you are searching.Each county is then divided into baronies,townlands.poor law unions and parishes.The 1901 is supposed to be going on line(free)starting later this year.
Civil registration for births,marriages and deaths began in 1864-except for Church of Ireland marriages which go back to 1845 - before that you have to try parish records.
I went to Cork city for a few hours when visiting my family a few miles away.
Cork city library is within walking distance from the main shopping/bus station/parking area.
The library holds the 1911 census for county Cork. I think they also have old street and trade directories plus maps and copies of old newspapers and old photographs.
The local studies dept is upstairs and they were very helpful when I went last year.
I'm sure they would be able to direct you to certain areas or streets-they gave me a map of the streets when I went. Some of the old churches are still there too.
Their e-mail address is on the link(I've e-mailed them with enquiries and they do reply ).

There's also Cork county library which holds the 1901 census.

It' a lovely city with lots of character - I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/

http://www.library.ie/public/corkco.shtml

Hope this helps

Regards

Neptune
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Keith Sherwood

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Neptune,
This is all a huge help to me, thank you so much.  I think I'll spend quite a bit of time in that Library.  Plus I'm looking forward to seeing Cork for itself - the City as well as the County...
keith

Offline Neptune

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Hi again Keith

I hope you found the links useful.

My ancestors were from Paul Street in Cork and we were able to wander around there last year.All the small shops were still there so you might be lucky.
St Pauls church where they were married was also there(in Paul Street)but the builders were there turning it (the church)into some sort of shopping centre!!One of the builders let me inside the barrier to take some photos before it changed forever.
There were some headstones in the corner which he said were being kept but I never got to have a look. Such a shame-so I would advise you to take photos if you find anything!!
I've attached a few links-one is a map  so you could see if Duncan Street is still there. Also a few directories that are on line.
In Slater's Directory you relative John Nott is mentioned- (p201 +p 210 alphabetical then under cabinet makers).

I know your ancestors were born before 1864(civil registration but 1845 for Church of Ireland marriages only)but if you need any later certificates the registrar is in Adelaide St in the city.If you click on the link and select 'fees'
you should see the addresses.

The coach station is literally next to the shops if you don't wasn to drive in and all the old streets are around there too. The library is about 5-10 minutes walk away.

Hope you are able to find something.

http://myhome.ispdr.net.au/~mgrogan/cork/cork_city_pigot_merch.htm

http://www.failteromhat.com/slaterm.htm

http://www.failteromhat.com/guy1914.php

http://www.corkkerry.ie/upload/documents/CORK_Guide.pdf

http://www.groireland.ie/

Regards

Neptune
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Offline Keith Sherwood

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Neptune,
Wow!  More lovely links and advice that should help me from just blundering into Cork City and not knowing where to start and where to go.
Interesting with that John NOTT at 57, Duncan Street in 1846.  I don't think it's a very common name in Ireland (though I could well be wrong), but if that is indeed my man, it was his expertise as an innovator/engineer/inventor that made his name.  In the 1851 London  his occupation is "Inventor", or "Maestro of Telegraphy", depending on which Rootschatter deciphered which entry index.  He also married in London in 1846...
Also, the previous Cork City entry for his father Francis, cabinet maker gave an address as 27, not 57 - but I've often myself come across addresses on microfilmed entries with the first digit mysteriously at odds with another entry, supposedly for the same family.
Anyway, I'm thinking aloud here, the real point is that you've opened up a whole area of new places to look when I get to the library in Cork in a few short weeks.
Thanks again,
keith

Offline Sean O Callaghan

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Neptune, just saw your post from June.  It is a terrible shame that the Paul St Church is more or less disappearing.  It was, to my knowledge, known as 'The Sailor's Church' and many seamen were interred there.  I have a book with some info, but can't lay my hands on it right now, but will do!

Keith- how did you get on in Cork?

Ceallachain

Offline Keith Sherwood

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Ceallachain,
Had a lovely time near Cork, with the highlight being a Christie Moore concert in the City on the last night.  However, though they couldn't have been more helpful in the library itself - where I was able to read a great deal of new material about Daniel O'CONNELL and his descendants (another line of family enquiry!), when I went upstairs to the Local Studies Centre I must have been unlucky as the woman in charge of the desk at the time seem rather disinterested and I made no sort of progress whatsoever with any kind of old reference to Duncan Street.
But I did convince myself that the street does not exist today...
keith

Offline Sean O Callaghan

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Keith,

Do you have any info on whereabouts the street was originally- what part of the city?

Offline Neptune

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Hi Ceallachain -
Yes - it's a pity about the church. I have been to Cork city a few times before- when staying with my family a few miles away. If only I had known about St Paul's (I only recently found out my ancestors were married there) I could have maybe gone inside or at least had a look at the graveyard.
I did manage to take some photos as the builder man was very nice and let me inside the six foot barriers so at least I could see it. The headstones were still there but had all been placed against a wall - the man said they were to be kept.
It was lovely to walk along Paul Street which is the address of both of my  gggrandparents on their marriage certificate(no number so I didn't know exactly where they lived.)
It's interesting you think St Pauls might have been known as the Sailor's church.I'll bear it in mind although as far as I know the family had a business-they were ironmongers . I think my gggrandfather Edward Eames might have worked for the family but I'm not certain.
However his son did join the navy.
Also a relative Sir William Eames from Cork -(possibly a cousin) was in the navy too and became chief engineerat Chatham dockyard -his sons also joined the navy.
They (Eames)were Church of Ireland but I believe his wife -my gggrandmother was Catholic as were her children so I don't think they were baptised in St Paul's but a nearby Catholic church.

Thanks again for the info about the church.

Keith - glad you enjoyed Cork .

Regards

Neptune
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk