A break through -CofI parish records - Bray, OldConnaught 1859

[gazania]

I have recently made a mini breakthrough thanks to Google and GoogleBooks which have digitised a lot of Irish references/publications in the 1840s - highly recommended.

My (Irish born) g grandfather wrote in his bible that after he completed his apprenticeship as a nurseryman in Clifton, Bristol, he then worked for "Hutchinson Pale?mo Bray Co Dublin".  After years of searching, but thanks to GoogleBooks, I found mention of the villa of Palermo, belonging to the family of Synge Hutchinson, bart.

The estate has now been turned into a modern housing settlement, apart from some parkland which is listed on The National Inventory of Architectual Heritage at

http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/cgi-bin/viewsite.cgi?siteid=2570

The above site gives the following location for Palermo:

Barony/ Municipal Borough:  Rathdown
Parish:  Old Connaught
County: Dublin
Townland: Old Connaught

So I would like some help in locating a parish record that would cover this area, if possible.

I am looking for the baptism of Gertrude Annie LANE b about 1859 in the CofI or CofE religion.   Thank you, Gazania
 

[maryderry]

any idea who her parents were.


                       regards mary.

[gazania]

Hi Mary,

Thanks for your interest.  Parents were James & Caroline LANE (nee Hall).

Regards, Gazania

[LH]

Records for Bray Parish Church (Co Wicklow) have survived and are available for Baptisms between the years 1670-1903.  Marriage and Burial records have also survived.


Cheers

[gazania]

Hi LH,

Thank you so much for the Bray Parish Records information.  I now know never to give up on my Irish born relatives.  Best regards, Gazania

[Daisy77]

My mother lived in Palermo, Bray from the early 1920s for about 30 years.  Did your grandfather still work in Palermo during that time?  If so I would love to know his name and ask my mother (who is almost 90) if she remembers him.

My grandfather bought Palermo from the Synge Hutchinsons.

[gazania]

Dear Daisy77,

Thank you for your interest.  My g grandparents were James and Caroline (nee Hall) LANE.  I would think they were at Palermo in the years 1852-1854 and possibly 1857-1861 - more than likely a bit before your family's time.

But I would appreciate anything you can tell me about Palermo. When did your grand father buy the house?  What were the gardens like, where did the staff live.  Where was the closest church.  Regards to your mother and yourself.  Gazania

[Daisy77]

Hi Gazania

Palermo was a Georgian House set on almost 100 acres.  There were several smaller houses (mainly for staff) on the grounds.

As far as I know there were no formal gardens, but there were many beautiful trees, lawns and flower beds etc.

The house itself was a typical Georgian House with a large hallway and elegant reception rooms.  There was a ballroom too, with a minstrals' gallery. There were also the usual stables, outhouses, farm buildings, dairy etc.

My mother was brought to school in a pony and trap, while my aunt was taught at home by a governess!!   

The closest Church of Ireland church would probably have been Christ Church, Bray, although there is another Church of Ireland in Crinken, Shankill which was also close by.  In Bray there was also a Methodist and Presbyterian Church.  My mother's family were Methodists.

The nearest Roman Catholic church would be St. Paul's on the main street in Bray.

I am not sure exactly when my grandfather bought Palermo, but I think it was either 1922 or 1923.  If this is important I can certainly ask my mother.

In return, I would be interested to know where your own grandparents moved on to after leaving Palermo.  Did they move to the UK or somewhere else in Ireland.

Regards, Daisy77

[gazania]

Hi Daisy77,

Your personalised description of Palermo brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much. For many years we have tried to make sense of the hard to read bible notes with the mention of Palermo.

In the 1851 census, Caroline Hall was a servant in Dorset House, Litfield Place, Clifton, Bristol, where the head was Sophia Hely-Hutchinson.  Sophia was the daughter of Samuel Synge Hutchinson, bart.

John Lane (b ?1833 Cork) completed his apprenticeship as a nurseryman & probably worked on the gardens of the above house.  I can only assume that Sophia, as she was widowed with children, returned to her family home in Palermo taking Caroline & James with her - 1852-1854.

In 1854, James and Caroline married in Clifton (no address given) and they had two children baptised in Uley GLS, 1855-1857.  Their next child was born in Ireland in 1859 and they do not appear on the 1861 census in the UK.

Then from 1861- 1876 they lived at Manilla Cottage ( probably attached to Manilla Hall), Clifton.  James with Caroline's business acumen, established a thriving landscape/ nursery business employing staff. They had five more sons in this time.  William b 1861 went to Bristol Grammar school and showed prococious writing ability.  He was also born with a club foot.  Two other sons won Merchant Venturers scholarships to the Colston school.

Sadly Caroline died aged 49 and James fell apart; he drank heavily and the business declined.  The family then moved to St Leonards, Sussex. James married again. In the mid 1880s the whole family migrated to Brisbane where James worked as a grocer as gardening was so poorly paid - no big mansions like there were in Clifton.  Three of the sons hold prominent places in Australian history; two were journalists with William becoming the editor of The New Zealand Herald.

Thank you so much for your interest.  Please let me know if I can give you any more information.  Best wishes, Gazania