1871 Glaisdale: 4 Carr End, Glaisdale. John Keefe 35, booking clerk, out of employ, Elizabeth Keefe 25, Mary Anna Keefe 3, Helen Keefe 1. John's age given as 35, wife is 25, whereas in 1861 his age is given as 28. Has he lowered his age slightly to narrow the gap a bit to only 10 years!
1881 Glaisdale: John Keeffe 46, Elizabeth Keeffe 36, Mary A. Keeffe 13, Helen Keeffe 11, George Keeffe 9, Joseph Keeffe 8, Eliza Keeffe 6, Elizabeth Keeffe 3, James Keeffe 1
1891 Glaisdale: 11 Aincliffe Terrace. John Keefe 55, block signalman, Elizabeth Keefe 45, Elizabeth Keefe 13, William Keefe 9, Frances Keefe 5, Agnes Keefe 2
1891 Blossom St, St Mary's Convent, York: Ellen O'Keefe 21 b. Glasidale is General Servant Domestic (1 of several), various staff and girls being educated. Was she a nun then?
1891 1 Broomfield Terrace, Ruswarp. Eliza is a domestic servant at the Private School of Miss Smurthwaite (born Stokesley) where her Aunt Hannah Mary Barker is a teacher of music, later the Principal. In 1915 Eliza marries Austin Dunwell (brickmaker born Egton Bridge), and moves to Darlington.
1891 - Mary - not found - maybe at Sisters of nazareth?
1895; Miss E O'Keefe of Glaisdale, in 1895, gains honours in the Intermediate Music Exams at Stockton (Trinity College London) and in 1896 she passes the Senior Division of Musical Theoretical Examination. I think that is Eliza, could be Elizabeth. I (Karen) think it's likelt to be Eliza too because of the music connection - see Aunt Hannah, teacher of music, above.
1901 Egton Bridge. John O keefe 64 railway Signalman, Elizabeth O keefe 54, Frances O keefe 15, Agnes O keefe, 12, Celia Glen 7 adopted daughter b. bradford, Norah Lundrigan 5 adopted dau b. Bradford. Next schedule is Station Hotel, then Leyburn Hall
1901 Mary Anna - not found
1901 Stokesley, Lancs - Rev John Conlan 43. Ellen Okeeffe 30 Servant - she is Housekeeper for a Catholic priest in Stokesley, John Conlan born Ireland aged 43.
1901 Eliza and Elizabeth are at Carr End/View and Eliza gives her occupation as "Dressmaker" In 1899 and in 1900 these Misses Keefe are having paying guests at Carr End Glaisdale.
Boarding houses in Manchester.
1911 Census we have Eliza, Helen and George Keeffe - The address was 4 Alexandra Road South. Eliza is head and Boarding House Keeper, helen is Assistant Borading House keeper, George is Boarder.
The house has 14 rooms and is opposite a plant nursery (Alfred James Downes, nurseryman and florist) and opposite the new English Martyrs Catholic Church. It is adjacent to the Methodist Training College and a little further down the road is a big Catholic boarding school and the home of the Bishop - St Bede's College/St Bede's Lodge, also a Convent and girl's school. There is also a house numbered 4a. On Scotland Old Maps you can see the area around 1911 or thereabouts and there are two semis opposite the church and nursery which I think might be the property. It is a very prestigious address and the other houses are great mansions with the Chief of Police adjacent and other professionals. The rooms at number 4 are taken by various lodgers all sounding most respectable. How did they get there? Were they renting? Obviously George has moved to Manchester -and the sisters have followed him to look after him and/or set up a little business? Did they just all move in renting and then by some fluke were asked to run the place? Perhaps it was a job that they saw advertised or something like that. It must have been after 1901 when George was already by himself lodging in Moss Side and Eliza and Helen were elsewhere. What happened to George's domestic service when Eliza married Austin Dunwell?
In 1911 Elizabeth O'Keefe is also keeping a Boarding House in Manchester at 8 Claremont Rd Alexandra Park (8 rooms) . Elizabeth Keefe 38 Boarding House Keeper, Cecila Glenn 16 boarder and variour other boarders. In 1924 she marries John grayson in Lanchester district, Co Durham. She dies Jan 1944. [In 1939 register I found 2 possible Elizabeth Graysons in Co Durham, one with spouse John on a farm and he is a Horse keeper, So I'm not sure this is very likely.]
Karen has just found the notes that tell of Mary Anna being a Sister of Nazareth.
In 1911 Sister Mildred (Mary Anna) is one of 4 nuns helping to run Nazareth House school for boys in Treforest Pontypool, Wales. In 1919-1922 a Sr Mildred is Superior at this school - probably our Mary.
1911 Frances O'Keefe in 1911, is working as a bar attendant/rest room at Central Station Hotel Newcastle but progresses to Book Keeper. I think I remember Aunty Kath telling me that the Dunwell's had a care of her since they had no children of their own. Aunty Kath told me (Karen) that Frances went with a friend - Miss race - to study book-keeping at evening classes in York.
1911 Agnes - not yet found. Also was a nun - same order as Mary Anna- died in Manchester. Apparently Elizabeth also spent some time in a convent but came out and later married.
1939 Register:
1939 Mary O'Keefe is living in Nazareth House, Cheltenham (which is listed in the census after the General Hospital, looks like special census returns for institutions) , one of several nuns, M Mildred Okeefe (Sr) Officer born. 04 Mar 1868 Sister Of Nazareth Single. Various nuns, then retired people & closed records probably children?
1939 Eliza (Dunwell) and Helen O'Keefe - 232 Carmel Rd, Darlington. Unusually Eliza is listed first, before Austen, then Helen. Eliza married Austen in 1915. Probably between 1911 & 1939 Helen had kept house for her brother George at Egerton Lodge, Manchester. I assume their brother George had died by 1939 but not sure when he died.
Agnes d. Manchester (can't find death registration record) Info from Aunty Kath: was a nun all her life and worked in Liverpool on the dockside. I was told the sailors built her and her fried a hut to shelter in. When she retired they gave her an umbrella and a shawl. She spent some of her last days in Crikieth, Wales. info from Anne Bailey Then she was moved to Nazareth House, Manchester, where she died and I went to her funeral, representing my parents who were in South Africa at the time. We entertained Sister Campion (Agnes) and a companion at our bungalow in Bramhall.
Deaths
1944 Mary A dies Cheltenham
1944 Elizabeth dies Co Durham
1945 Eliza dies at Darlington
1959 Frances dies at Darlington
Agnes at Manchester
Helen - Likely at Darlington or Manchester
Brothers: James 1880-1883, Joseph 1973-1958, William 1882-1959
All those women and not a baby among them! Eliza and apparently Elizabeth did marry but not til late in life and had no children. Their aunt Hannah Mary, the same, and their other aunt Esther Ann also remained single. I can see how being in and out of a convent might hamper your relationships but generally they are in domestic service - of a higher kind but still, domestic servitude. Frances escapes this by accountancy. COuld they not find young men of their own status maybe who would marry into an impoverished family. Were they just too good for the local talent. Or did they genuinely prefer to be independent in a way. Reading about Austin Dunwell's court case throws some light on the social expectations of the time. His first fiancee with whom he had a clear arrangement, was a teacher earning good money and because Austin was given only 29Shillings a week by his father, they could not marry, the girl was not willing to give up her income to live on less ...so they waited and eventually Miss Fitzgerald became a head teacher - she had £100 a year and Austin still no good income.. around this time he writes to let her go and Miss Fitzgerald also hears he has been seeing another girl (Eliza) which she is cross about. So she takes him to court for breach of promise and is awarded £60 damages.
ReplyDeleteI have discovered that Hannah Mary Barker and Isaac Lawson had a daughter Mary Agatha birth registered last quarter of 1900, sadly died a few weeks later in 1901.
Deleteoh how sad
DeleteElizabeth married John Grayson Lanchester Durham in 1924. John was born around Egton at one time working for the railways in Stockton on Tees. In 1911 he is in Ormesby Midddlesbrough married to and Isabel (Binks?) and they live with his sister Alice Ann Grayson and School Teacher. There is another marriage of a John Grayson in Ormesby to an Edith May Hardwick - don't know if it is the same man because in 1924 he marries Elizabeth. It seems to me that here is a man who likes his tea on the table but does not want to cook it himself. Oh, and in 1911 John Grayson is an iron worker.
ReplyDeleteNope wrong. There were 7 children born to John and Isabel - including twins in 1919. Some would have been living in 1924.
ReplyDeleteThe sisters of Nazareth have an archive from 1850 .. has anyone investigated this avenue? It might only tell things that are already known. I notice that the order had a house in Middlesbrough.
ReplyDeleteThere is a history of the Pontypool School online and indeed a Sister Mildred Keefe was senior in 1918 to 1921 or thereabouts.
ReplyDelete