Also in the Limerick and Clare Examiner February 1849 an announcement of the death of Richard O'Keeffe Esquire of Rathronan Mills Tipperary.
It's the best we've got so far.
But after this, no leads.
Rathronan Mills, according to William P. Burke in a History of Clonmel, was built by a Quaker Samuel Grubb as a bolting mill in 1791 at Rathronan 3 kms north of Clonmel. In 1793 it was leased to Robert Thompson and laster to someone called Chaytor. There is a full description of the mill in the above book, how many stones and other technical information. It certainly was "a thing". In Griffiths Valuation a mill in Rathronan was leased to John O'Connor. It may be that it was a late Valuation. I shall check that out.
There is nothing about any Keefe's at all in the Tithe Applotments or in Griffiths Valuation for Rathronan and in the 1901 Census there are four Keefe's in Rathronan who are servants. The same for Clonmel with very few families of the Keefe sort in the Census and no Tithe Applotment or Griffiths mentions. The only thing I have found is an O'Keeffe and Co, Grocers and Hotel Proprietors (Bassets Directory of Tipperary 1889). But I am sure I have found more Clonmel Keefes in the past so I will look again.
A bit of background about Rathronan. It is not the resting place of William Smith O'Brien because unfortunately there is also a place called Rathronan in Limerick and he is buried there. My mistake.
Rathronan House is the residence of General Gough and various JPs and so on live there when he is on service in 1835 to 1850. He rents out his mansion house with its orchards, greenhouses what have you to James Scully and others. In 1827 some lands part of Rathronan are to rent with a good slated house which I don't think is Rathronan House and maybe this is where Richard O'Keeffe comes in but that is just speculation. As if this person just missed the Tithe Applotments and Griffiths too, thus leaving very little record. But no, an obituary of 1832 laments the death of Catherine, wife of JOhn Thomas Young Esq of Bantry and daughter of Robert Thompson Esq. late of Rathronan Mills, who died aboard the Lavinia en route to Van Diemen's Land. We perhaps need the date of Robert Thompson's death to see how this fits in.
So that's not much.
If it is our Richard then he died 1849 and we need a Richard who dies pre 1867 as on John and Elizabeth's marriage certificate.
I wonder if being know as of "Rathronan Mills" is a courtesy title thing, and perhaps, this Richard did not live in the area at all, or maybe in Waterford, Clonmel, Dungarvan... perhaps even over in Ballymacoda. Or Cork City.
!852
Clearly two Richards in Rathronan Tipperary - one has left a Will and one died intestate. Family are connected to Charles O'Keeffe and Charleville.
