Halpins of Wicklow - Part 3

[Broker Bill]

Diane: Can you tell me where you found the information about Louisa Deck and her sister Lucy? I haven't been able to find much at all about Louisa (or Lucy), other than the juicy NY Times articles you refer to about Isaiah Deck.

[tompion]

Dear Bill - No, she was the Mary Anne Halpin who married William David Bradley, a solicitor in Dub lin. I think I should ha ve said she was a daugjher of Nicholas and Re becca Halpin - on train and cannot check tree.  Anyway see my earlier posts. Yours Brian

[Shanachai]

     Delighted to have you on board, BrokerB.  Great to see new sources of information come out of left-field, so to speak.  It can only help clarify the things I try my best to muddy. 

     Tavern's contribution is invaluable.  Old James's bones are aquiring flesh - he was a man of substantial means, it seems. 

     We know the Greggs (who also had property in Wicklow town) married into the Wicklow Halpins (ie married Richard Halpin), and that another Richard Halpin was a Custom House surveyor, living in Howth (1850s), with a few Greggs located in his neighbourhood.  Also employed by Custom House, Dublin, was one N J Halpin, son of the Rev. N J Halpin.  So both Richard and N J Halpin were working as surveyors for the same employer at the same time.  This may be evidence of a social circle at play - uncles pulling strings on behalf of talented nephews, that sort of thing.  I also have a James and Richard Halpin living and working in Dublin one generation earlier - from the early 1800s on.  I know this is a little confusing, so I'll come back to the discussion when I have something of substance to share.  A visit to the archives to recheck what exists there on the Greggs may bear fruit.  Cheers.   

[BillW]

Bill, I have entered up your information and attach a brief chart of just Louisa's family down to 4 generations, which is all that will fit on the width of one page, although I have recorded the rest.

Do we think the Lucy that I have recorded as Louisa's sister is actually Louisa?  Was she called Lucy?  I have seen nothing more about a Lucy.  Perhaps I should remove Lucy as a separate child of NJH.  Or perhaps she has been confused with the Lucy Halpin who was a daughter of the younger NJH and who married a Richard Allen.  In either event I think I will remove her.

There were quite few Louisa Halpins in the James and George families but yours is the only one that I have noted in the Nicholas John Families.

Diane and Bill W: Your tree, Bill, is very helpful to me. It seems there are at least two Louisas. One, my great-grandmother died in 1904 in Montclair, NJ (the other died in 1934). Louisa, briefly, was married to Isaiah Deck, and ended up keeping her maiden name. Diane, yes, I have read Deck's account of his marriages and also a correction to some of his assertions, also printed in the NY Times. What a guy!!

Louisa and Isaiah Deck's only child, was my grandfather, Francis Halpin. He married F. Rosalie Tomes. They had three children: F. Murray, Eleanor, and John Hadden (my father). F. Murray married Margaret Merrick and had one child, Tucker, who died as a teen-ager. Eleanor married Stuart Stearns and also had one child, Murray S. Stearns who is still living. John Hadden Halpin married Josephine Roll. They had four children: John H. Jr.; Robert T.; William C. (me), and Sally. John H. Jr., Robert and William are all alive. John Jr. is father to John Hadden Halpin, III who in turn is father to John Hadden Halpin IV, and HE has a son, Austin Halpin.

So, long story short, for me, is that the Rev. Nicholas J. Halpin and Anne Grehem (also Graham) were my great-great grandparents.

[Diane Carruthers]

Hi,
Nicholas John Halpin and Ann Greham had both a daughter Louisa and a daughter Lucy.

Louisa is on the 1860 census for Ossining, New York, she is a governess with the Brinkerhoff family.  A. Halpin (62), Lucy Halpin(29) and Frank Halpin(6) are together on the 1860 census for Brooklyn, New York.

On the 1870 census for New York, New York Louisa, Frank and Lucy Halpin are all living together. One of the Brinkerhoff children are also lodging with them.

In the Feb 8, 1880  issue of the New York Times there is an obituary for Lucy:
Halpin- On Thursday, Feb 5 at the residence of her brother- in- law J. Wright Esq, Richmond Va. Lucy, eldest daughter of the late Rev Nicholas John Halpin of Dublin Ireland.

On the 1900 census for Montclair, New Jersey ( you can view it on the record search pilot on Family Search) you find Francis Halpin, Rosalie, Eleanor, John H and Mrs Halpin (Louisa) relationship mother.

Many of the names, relationships and places were also referred to it Charles G Halpine's obituary.

Diane

[Broker Bill]

Bill W: Thank you so much for bringing the tree up-to-date. I can add the generations from there on. Very helpful.

Re Lucy: I have a handwritten tree made up some years ago by my Aunt, Eleanor Halpin Stearns. She wrote as follows as to the off-spring of Nicholas John and Ann Grehem (Graham): John; William; son?; son?: Lucy (and here is a note from another cousin which says "where did you dig her up?"); Anne; Louisa; Marianne; Charles Graham.

So, Lucy remains a mystery. Diane, however, refers to her in one of her posts here, and, although I have been unable to find it, says Lucy's obituary appeared in the NY Times. She also seems to have some evidence that Louisa and Lucy lived together at some point. Maybe Diane can help us out here.

[Shanachai]

Bill - I was reading your speculative list of "IFs"...the lore recalls distillers, engravers, etc.  I've mentioned them all before.  But the more I find out about the various Halpin families the less sure I am of what I've been told.  There really are so many confusing variables that I wonder if we could ever rest satisfied that the links connecting the families were safely proved.  I can certainly produce a few Halpin distillers who are contemporaries of Nicholas, and when those sources are placed alongside others they can be very suggestive.  The lore is fruitful in one respect, and a real distraction in another.  Still'n all - it was right about the connection between your George and the Wicklow Halpins, and many of our recent findings offer tantalising possibilities in regard to the Portarlington link.  Scratch away at the surface, however, and other possibilities soon arise.  It's all a bit frustrating, I'm afraid, and will remain so until I really stack all the references up side by side and have a hard look at them in the cold light of day.  I spoke to an old aunt about the lore - she's been the most level-headed authority I have.  What she said was interesting: she had no idea, of course, if the lore was true.  Our research excited her.  But she urged me to remember that when the revolutionary period in modern Irish history began - roughly from the 1916 Rising through to the Civil War ten years later - many supporters of the Republicans were anxious to acquire some kind of heroic lineage, to give themselves a kudos, I suppose, that others would envy.  The aunt believes that Edwin was very sociable and well liked by young buck Fenians, and there were occasions, she thought, when he must have become a bit of a story-telling braggart, impressing upon his younger listeners his "family's" Republican traditions.  Academics would often attend these get-togethers of would-be revolutionaries, and it is suggested that Edwin might have found out from them at least some of the things that were passed down to us as lore.  So the provenance of some of the stories we were told may have to be taken with a grain of salt.  I only found this out a couple of months ago, and while it doesn't alter our quest for information on our respective relatives, it does introduce a note of caution into the discussion regarding the familial links between all three families.  I'll work harder on getting relevant information to all of you which may help us nail the issue one way or another once and for all.  But it may be the sort of issue we never definitively resolve.

[tavern]

Some of the properties mentioned in the Will of James Halpin 1847.

CONTEXT: I’m assuming that not all contributors to your site are familiar with Wicklow so the detail here might be a little boring for some of you who do know the town.

1.   The Bridge
The Bridge Hotel (now the Bridge Tavern) is situated in Bridge Street, at the bridge which crosses the river Leitrim, just before the river enters the sea.

2.   The two houses in Church Lane
Where James refers to Church Lane we know it as Church Street. The two houses he mentions were houses number 7 and 8 (In Griffith's Valuation). These are the two houses on the corner of Church Street and Woodenbridge Row/Bachelors Walk. Those familiar with the area would recall J. H. McCarroll &Co, Solicitors in number 7 and names such as Staffords, ESB in number 8. Both these houses have undergone many changes in size and use since James’s day but houses numbers 1 to 5 look quite original even today and probably what #7 & 8 would have looked like when built by James.
In Griffith’s valuation (about 1854) both these houses were “Unoccupied” and the Landlord was “Reps of James Halpin”.
Word of caution: It should be pointed out that while Griffith’s documented date might be 1854 the data more than likely was collected much earlier.
Around 1858 the Tenant of #7 was a Rev. John Williams and the Landlord was Frederick Halpin. In #8 was a Mary Roath and the Landlord was also Frederick Halpin.
After Frederick died the new Landlords of #7 became Frances and Louisa Halpin (daughters of James) and a new Tenant , Anne Byrne replaces Rev.Williams, and  Frances and Louisa Halpin moved into  #8.
Frances married David Crawford 16Th June 1862 and records around that time show Louisa living at #8 and  the Tenant of #7 as Brooks Priestley BILBROUGH.
Louisa married William H.H. Kennedy 25 April 1867 and records show around 1882 that #7 had a tenant by the name of Elizabeth Taylor and the Landlords Frances Crawford and Louisa Kennedy.
#8 is now (1882) occupied by William H.H.Kennedy and the landlord is recorded as William H.H.Kennedy
By 1901 the tenant of #7 is a Mrs. Kennedy, tenant of #8 is a Francis Kennedy  and  landlord of both houses is a Mrs.Kennedy.

3.   Island from the Corporation
The area where the river Vartry and river Leitrim meet is called Broad lough or Lake and is now a preserved wildlife sanctuary. The river Leitrim is tidal. In the lake there used to be an island owned by the Town Commissioners of Wicklow .  This Island was leased to James Halpin at the time of his will. In Griffith’s Valuation (about 1854) the Tenant of the Island was George Halpin (James’s son) and the Landlord was The Town Commissioners of Wicklow. It is now no longer an Island and forms part of the general land around Broad Lough north of the new bridge. 
Let me know if this kind of material is of interest and I will follow up on the other properties.

Regards,
Tavern

[Shanachai]

     Can't praise you're contribution enough, Tavern.  I suppose people can "Google Earth" Wicklow town and view the sites you describe - that might be possible with Dublin's Mecklenburgh street (now Railway st) too, a street that features centrally in the lives of George Halpin (of Light house fame) and the Rev. N J Halpin - not forgetting the Bradleys, of course.

     On another matter - in the will of James Halpin, you record a name that interests me: "Josiah Hayle", and you have a question mark after it, as if you're not quite sure of the spelling.  Have a look at the following, and tell me if you think the "Josiah Heale" mentioned in the document could be the name you had trouble with in J Halpin's will:

1846 (504) Return of Joint Stock Companies registered under Act 7 & 8 Victoria, chapter 110 Page 108 of 178.

294 - North Metropolitan Junction Railway Company.

  Registered Directors: James Oliver Lindham, Alexander Prince, William Henry Halpin, Henry Berkley Richardson, Charles Edmund Green, The Hon. Francis Henry Fitzhardinge Berkeley, Rowland Hill Mackenzie, Josiah Heale, Peter Graham, Robert Wright Wood, George Godfrey, Richard Cowley Polhill, Thomas Reginald Kemp.
(HCPP).

If the names are the same, the people they belong to could be the same too - and yet further tantalising evidence of the connection between the Wicklow and Portarlington Halpins, as W H Halpin - if you recall - was the younger brother of the Rev. N J Halpin and the much admired (and emulated?) uncle of Charles G Halpine.  Note the dates, too - only a year apart, and just prior to the collapse of the Railway bubble that ultimately bankrupted W H Halpin.  Cheers for now - and please give me the answer I'm looking for.