Well I have decided to adopt the Iffernock Keefe family, in County Meath. For the time being anyway.
County Meath has the most Richard Keeffe millers. So that gets my vote. What is apparent trying to piece together the various families, is that there are missing records everywhere. It has been hard to pad out the families.
The Iffernock Keefe's are gradually building into a clearer picture.
There was a patriarch name of John who seems to have been born around about 1781..
Yes, 1780 ish d. 1843 age 64 buried Rathmolyen, wife Mary b. c. 1781 bur 1837 Age 56 Rathmoylen.
Their children - Richard 1810-1872, Judith 1811 -1825, Michael Thomas 1825-1850, Richard 1826-1878.
they very likely connected to to Patrick b. 1837 Trim, bur 1916 Rome (where he was visiting for Xmas) according to info about him - Rev Dean O'Keefe - on Internet as priest at Yass Australia, who erects memorial in Rathmoylen churchyard, same headstone ref no as John, Mary and their children, but born too late to be son of Mary. He returns to home in Ireland 1906 & never returns. Is this him in corbalis townland, Rathmoylen 1901 - Patrick Keeffe age 74 , farmer living with 2 servants.
I doubt it. He was a Franciscan priest and would have maybe been in a Abbey of some sort. As a Catholic Priest there is not retirement, no truce - that he was in Rome when he died indicates he was still faithfull. I am not sure of his full name. Patrick but maybe John Patrick or something like that. He had the name John Corbalis when he first became a Franciscan. He was a senior Franciscan it says in the article. Richard 1826 to 1872 was one that married Alicia Synott. He must have been the grandson of John and Mary I think?
There are references to John Keefe of Knock Mills in trade directories - oats and meal I think it says. And then to a Richard Keefe and these records are from around 1843 and are in the newspapers of the time. But death records don't seem to match up with this date. However, we have a marriage. To Alicia Maria Synnott of Wexford in 1846. Alicia died in Summerhill in Wexford in 1885 according to an announcement in the newspapers, widow of the late Richard Keefe etc.
Have found the 1846 marriage in Rathmines, though Alice is "of Wexford". Oddly there is a baptism of John Keeffe 31 May 1844 in Trim Son of Richard and Alice nee Synott, wit John Flood and Mary Allen. Yes I saw that too. Also a son of Richard by not Alice in 1870 who seems to have died soon afterwards. There were two Richards at that time in Trim one was a miller and one was a tailor.
Then some children. One was John Patrick Keefe who has put a memorial in the Rathmolyon churchyard to his parents and siblings. He was the Very Reverend Dean Patrick Keefe O.S. F. Coulburn Australia. I'm not so sure now that this character is part of the immediate family but is certainly some relation.
There was also a William Joseph. He married Mathilda Fogarty and they lived in Wexford at a place called Faythe. He is described as a Maltster of a Merchant. He lost his son William Henry in the First World War and a stained glass window to William Henry's memory was installed in a church in Bride's Street. Another Joseph might have been in Trim where Iffernock Mill was situated and he might be referenced as a Water Bailiff in the Court Records for 1880. Another courts records is for a Joseph who was pinching fish from the river. Then there was Peter Joseph. Joseph seems to be the best name for everybody. But I can't get a handle on him at all. There were two daughters. Catherine born in 1865 I cannot trace but Mary Ellen might present at the Sisters of Mercy Convent in 1911 Census for Dublin and she was a teacher.
Yes, a possible son Richard b.c. 1850 in Wexford married to Maria Sinnott (poss cousin?) with children living in Wexford 1901 & 1911.
Then a Thomas J (poss Joseph) O'Keefe b.c. 1854 who dies 1893 Wexford, son of the late Richard O'Keefe of Rock Mills Trim.
Then Mary Ellen Teresa, b.c. 1855 Meath, married 1883 Trim to John Crean (day of the late Richrad no'Keefe Esq of Nock Mills), and living in Wexford 1901 (Townparks) & 1911 (Summerhill) with family.
Then William Joseph b.c. 1858 married matilda Fogarty lives Faythe Wexford 1901 & 1911, leaves will d. 1924 (descendant has tree on Ancestry).
And Catherine who married Joseph Delaney in 1891 Trim "youngest dau of the late Richard of Nock Mills, Trim".
Yes I found them last night. Thomas Joseph marriage Nannie Cullen dr of the late Garret Cullen of Tara Hall County Meath esquire in 1882. and niece of the late Cardinal Cullen. Annoyingly this Nannie Cullen O'Keeffe disappears. There are various mentions of Garrett Cullen and his family on the internet - some suggestion that Nannie was his grand daughter not his daughter which is backed by the newspaper announcement of her marriage where she is described as the niece of Cardinal Cullen. These internet references suggests Thomas J. and Nannie has two sons and a daughter, Catherine who died in Kildare but I cannot find any trace of them, not births, deaths etc.
Another son of John of 1780 ish was Michael Keefe Nursery and Seedsman. He had a market garden in Dublin - perhaps it was Swift's Vinery? Who knows. It was on Long Lane. He won prizes for his flowers. He did not marry. His brother I think was Christopher who was a florist but inherited the nursery and lived eventually at Rock Lodge which was the home of the Disney family but I don't think he lived there long or may be he just lived in the gatehouse or on the estate.
Another child of John Keefe was Teresa Keefe who married in 1849 to Sir John Edmond Barry - a corn merchant of Waterford. She was born about 1830 and they lived in Dublin.
So there you are. A wealthy family. Lots of names that resonate, teachers, education, links to the Catholic Church, joining religious orders etc. and mission work. Corn mills in Meath, and in Wexford and links to Waterford. No good systematic births, death and marriages. It's a bit piece meal with general Google searches throwing up the odd link to check up. They even do a bit of salmon poaching, I mean fishing, just like the Barkers. It's a patchwork. But if John was born in about 1836/7 he might have been the nephew of Richard Keefe of Knock Mill. He is not his son. Nor probably is he the son of John of 1780 and his wife Mary. Some other relative perhaps. But perhaps there was a Richard Keefe brother of John Keefe of 1780ish.
So if our John (O') Keefe/Keeffe was connected to this family then he would have some status. The birth date given in the 1861 Census is the least likely to be accurate. So he was about 24 years old, a young teacher and on sort of Mission. Nice Catholic teacher with good credentials. And perhaps he also had some kind of private income. He would not have been well paid at the Catholic School in Egton Bridge. And he was "out of employ" in 1871. Certainly if his father was a miller he would know about trade and commerce, book keeping and trading. That sort of thing.
I was pleased to just find that in Wexford Mssrs. O'Keefe Bros were donating to the Church of the Assumption October Collection. William Joseph O'Keeffe was part of this company. Their offices were in Faythe down by the harbour. In their offices too, a collection was made - Captain Green of the "Excellent" donated 2/6d and his crew gave 5 s. Captain Storey of "Spray" gave 5 s. and his crew gave 2/6d. So we have shipping in our family too. That's useful for family legends.
Rathmolyon Graveyard
Erected by Richard Keefe
of Knock Mills in memory of
his mother Mary Keefe who dept
this life 20th August 1837 aged 56 years
of his father John Keefe who dept this
life 8th May 1843 aged 64 years
and of his sister Judith Keefe who dept.
this life in 1825 Mi Thomas Keefe who
departed this life 23rd of January 1850
aged 35 years
requiescat in pace
As a tribute of sincere devotion to his parents brothers and sisters whose relics sleep here This monumnet is erected by the Very Rev Dean O'Keefe O. S. F. Coulburn Australia 1885http://staug-yass.org.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Memories-of-Yass-Mission-New.pdf
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