Ellen Pearce/Pierce and the Cooneys

So Ellen Pierce is born in 1843 in the Kinsale area. We don't know anything about her young life, but we do know that Reverend J. Keleher marries Patrick Cooney and our Ellen Pierce in Kinsale on 18 September 1859. Witnesses are a Cooney and Mary Pierce.  
www.irishgenealogy.ie lists the witness as Thomas Cooney.

I also found what must be the civil registration on www.familysearch.org -  

18 Sep 1864 in Kinsale, Co. Cork - Patrick Cooney born in 1842, age 22, marries Ellen Pierce born in 1943, age 21. Both are single. Groom's father is Bartholomew Cooney; bride's father is Charles Pierce.
"LDS Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M70231-5 , System Origin: Ireland-EASy , GS Film number: 101465 , Reference ID: 241"

I searched for Patrick's father, Bartholomew Cooney, on www.irishgenealogy.ie.  On 1 December 1838 Bat Cooney of Lefany married Mary Collins. Witnesses are John Collins and Mary Hagerty.

According to the book "Church and Parish Records of the United Diocese of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross" by the Reverend J. H. Cole, Lefany is the townland Leighmoney which means a grey shubbery. It has also been spelt Leofoney and Liffany. It is a parish on the road from Kinsale to Innishannon. I stayed at a B&B there on a trip with my sister Patty and her husband Richie Schiavoni - I think my sister Jody and nephew Rick Schiavoni were also with us.  

The above page is interesting in that it lists 70 marriages performed in Kinsale Parish in 1838. There is also a listing of the number of marriages each year from 1828 to 1839 - they range from 57 in 1828 to 95 in 1832.

So Bat Cooney and Mary Collins have at least four children - Mary Cooney born in 1839, our Pat Cooney born in 1841, Thomas in 1844, and Judith Cooney in 1850.

Here is Pat Cooney's baptismal record:

Pat Cooney of D Derra (Dun Derra) is baptized 27 December 1841 in Kinsale - parents are Bat Cooney and Mary Collins. Sponsors are David Downey and Ellen Collins.

The bottom of the page shows that 303 babies were born in Kinsale in 1841. Then there is a listing of all the births in the years 1828 to 1841 - the low was 118 in 1828; the high was 374 in 1833 - this corresponds to the low number of marriages in 1828 (57) and the high in 1832 (95.)

So Ellen Pearce, daughter of Charles Pearce and Mary Leary, marries Patrick Cooney, son of Bat Cooney and Mary Collins. They have at least one son – I could not find any other children. Patrick Cooney of Dunderrow is born 7 July 1865. Reverend D Dunlea baptizes him the same day. Parents are Patrick Cooney and Ellen Pierce; sponsors are Thomas Cooney and Cathleen Desmond.

I don't know much about the Cooneys, but I do know that this Patrick Cooney has a son Timmy/Timsy who lived in Tisasson. I met Timmy with my aunt Nellie Keohane in 1981.

"From A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837

TEIGHSASSON, TY-SASSION, or TAXAX, also called TISASSON, a parish, in the barony of KINSALE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 2 ½ miles (W. N. W.) from Kinsale, on the north side of the river Bandon; containing 535 inhabitants. This parish, the name of which signifies "the Englishman's House," comprises 1320 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the soil is extremely light, and, under a good system of cultivation and by the constant application of large quantities of sea sand brought hither from the bay of Kinsale and landed at the small quays in the parish made for that purpose, produces good crops: the land is deemed valuable in consequence of its proximity to Kinsale and the facilities for procuring manure.

"The principal seats are Teighsasson House, the residence of J. Cummins, Esq.; Ballywilliam, of B. Barter, Esq.; Hollyhill, of C. Newman, Esq.; Ballinvolig, of Mrs. Collis; and Ballinacurra House, of J. Bleazby, Esq.

"The living (Wilkipedia describes Living or Benefice, in canon law, as a position in a church that has attached to it a source of income) is a rectory, in the diocese of Cork, and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £105.

"In the R. C. (Roman Catholic) divisions the parish is part of the union of Kinsale. A small creek, which separates this parish from that of Clontead, penetrates a considerable distance into the land: on its southern bank are the ruins of the ancient church; and not far distant are those of White castle, which was built by the Roches in 1497, to command the landing-place, and gives name to the creek and the small village adjoining."

I couldn't find a marriage certificate for the younger Patrick Cooney - they only go to the 1880s on www.irishgenealogy.ie.

I wonder if I have found him in the 1901 Irish Census. The only  Patrick Cooney listed in Cork that matches the correct age is in house 6 in a part of Tisasson - maybe Winst Mills  - (Kinsale Rural) - the page is torn and wrinkled.  34 year old Patrick Cooney is an agricultural laborer - he cannot read or write. His 33 year old wife Ellen does read and write. Their children are 12 year old Mary and 10 year old Patrick who go to school,  and 3 year old Julia and 1 year old Timothy. 

The 1911 Irish Census adds little more to the story. The Cooneys are listed in house 7 in Tisaxon More. By this time 46 year old Patrick's young wife has died. He is still a laborer -  cannot read or write and speaks only English.

I presume the older children have left home and are working. 13 year old Julia is probably home keeping house since she is not listed as a scholar, while 11 year old Timothy is still going to school. They both speak Irish and English which I find interesting because no one in the family spoke Irish in the 1901 Irish Census so Julia and Timmy must have learned Irish at school.

The following lists the families living in this neighborhood and the kind of houses they have. The Cooneys live in a 2nd class house - walls are probably made of stone; the roof is likely slate. The family has 4 rooms with 3 windows in the front of the house.  The Cooneys are the only family living in the house.

Timmy Cooney goes on to marry a cousin, Julia Keohane, of Ballythomas, Dunderrow. But we will pick up that part of the story a little later.

Tim Cooney, Aunt Nellie Keohane, my father, and Jim Keohane.