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2011 Annual
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Clann Chaomhánach 2011Annual Journal of the Caomhánach Families
ISSN 1393 - 1717
Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica.
The first to use our name was Domnall Caomhánach, a 12th Century King of Leinster. More than 55,000 families world-wide identify with one of over 200 different interpretations of our Irish name Caomhánach, including, but not limited to, the few following examples: Cavanagh Gabernach Cavana Kabina
Kavanagh Cavenna Kabna Caomhanaigh
Cavanaugh Cavnar Chabana Chabinaw
Kavanaugh Kavanaw Cavanna Cavagnaic
Cavenagh Chavinas Kavenagh Cavanogh
Kavner Cavinah Cavanah Cavino
No matter how you spell your name today, we are all descendents of the great Caomhánach family.
Chabiness Cavanacht Kavina Cavinaw
Jimmy Kavanagh
Mark R. Cavanaugh
Chief of the Clann, Co. Dublin, Ireland [email protected]
DNA Project Coordinator California, USA [email protected]
Cathal Cavanagh
Gary L. Cavanaugh
Fergus Kavanagh
New Zealand Research New Zealand [email protected]
Tánaiste, European Research Luxembourg [email protected] Treasurer Dublin, Ireland [email protected]
James J. Kavanagh
Herald Michigan, USA [email protected]
Celia Kavanagh Boylan
Genealogist England, UK [email protected]
John G. Kavanagh
Membership Secretary, Co. Wexford, Ireland [email protected]
Bridget Kavanagh-Dalton Historian Portlaoise, Ireland [email protected]
Ben H. Kavanaugh Jr. Alabama, USA [email protected]
US Research California, USA [email protected]
Patricia O’Shea
Patrick Cavanagh
Australian Research Queensland, Australia [email protected]
Terry Kavanagh
Australian Research Victoria, Australia [email protected]
Lorna Harris
South African Research South Africa [email protected]
Daniel J. Kavanaugh
Washington, USA [email protected]
Clann Chaomhánach 2011 Annual
From the Editor It would not be possible to produce this publication without the continuing support of a small group of interested and dedicated individuals. Readers will notice that the names under many of our articles are the same. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their efforts. Celia Kavanagh Boylan in the UK heads up our Family Research Team with very active participation by Cathal Cavanagh of Luxembourg, Patricia O’Shea of New Zealand, Dr. Gary Cavanaugh of California, John G. Kavanagh of Wexford and Patrick Cavanagh of Australia. Others are called in or volunteer for aspects that fall within their sphere of influence, and up to now they have never failed. The usual procedure is for someone to toss out a topic, premise or query, and then everyone goes to work. The main story in this issue, about William “Ginger” Kavanagh, happened just that way, and instead of realigning the events chronologically, these were deliberately left pretty much in the order that these were researched. Within this group we have support for several languages and expertise in records, information and resources in most areas of the globe where Caomhánachs have found a home or tried their luck. When stumped, we can usually find someone to help us out among our Clann (family). There is plenty of room for participation by others, and we need a continuing supply of fresh ideas and material, in order to maintain the quality of our publications. If you are interested in getting involved, or if you have family stories, diaries or alike, please contact us.
See you at the Gathering!
James J. Kavanagh Front Cover: Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica. Photograph by Richard Waitt, courtesy of the United States Geological Survey Please submit articles or suggestions for publication, comments and critiques to: Clann Chaomhánach Publications c/o James J. Kavanagh 12175 Hickory West Utica, Michigan 48315 U.S.A.
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Table of Contents Executive Committee Clans of Ireland Website Report Payments Membership Report Financial Report William “Ginger” Kavanagh Membership Form 2012 Clann Gathering Program 2012 Clann Gathering Registration 2012 Clann Gathering Accomodations Maurice Dennis Kavanagh, L.L.D. The White Goblin, St. Mullins Legend Waterloo (Waterloo Medals) Did You Know? Ancient War Club St Nicholas in Luxembourg Research Corner, Records in Britain Caomhánach DNA Project Status Customs Organizers St Mullins (Photographs)
2 4 4 4 5 5 6 20 21 22 23 24 27 28 34 35 37 45 46 47 48
Is your address current? Please ensure that you advise us of changes to your address. If the Annual is returned because it cannot be delivered as addressed, we will attempt to contact you for an update. This is why we ask for an email address and a phone number on your membership application. Please help us save postage and time, and keep your address information current.
When is your Membership Renewal Due? The mailing label on your Annual will resemble that shown below. Your membership number is in the upper left corner. The “e-m” means that Fergus has an email address on file for you. The date in the upper right-hand corner (Year/Month) gives the date, according to our records, when you last paid membership fees. Your membership fee is due one year after this date. 0999 e-m 2010/11
Charles Cavanagh Carrigduff, Co. Carlow Ireland
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Some have question the “other” logo that Fergus uses on receipts for membership fees.
Clans of Ireland Clans of Ireland is a governing body with limited liability established in 1989: * To organize the family clans of Ireland. * To authenticate and regulate Irish Clans. * To promote interests of Irish Clans and culture. * To provide authentic and scholarly information related to Irish Clans. * To maintain a register of organized Irish Clans. * To provide guidance in establishing and maintaining a successful Irish Clan society. * To support the activities of the Irish Clans. Clann Chaomhánach has been a registered member of Clans of Ireland since it's founding in 1993. Members of the Executive Committee of Clann Chaomhánach held and hold positions on the Board of Clans of Ireland - currently, Fergus L. Kavanagh, Treasurer of Clann Chaomhánach is also on the Board of Clans of Ireland. Membership in Clans of Ireland is a verification of authenticity, and is only granted to organizations that have complied with all of the eligibility requirements for registration by Clans of Ireland. The Patron of Clans of Ireland is Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland. This singular honour fully authenticates Clans of Ireland and its member Clans. Clans of Ireland is an incorporated legal entity in Ireland, with charitable (i.e. non-profit) status under CHY 11585. This means that the Irish Revenue Commissioners (income tax office) will not tax Clans of Ireland income or interest earned. This charity number may be extended to member clans. Applicant Clans must submit specific documentation, have a registered office (address) in Ireland, and assure that all funds collected or donated may only be used for educational and cultural purposes. No officer or member of a clan operating as a charity under Clans of Ireland may benefit personally from funds collected or donated to the clan. Up to now, the method of applying the system to the clans was vague and unsure. The process has now been clarified. Clann Chaomhánach has applied for, and has been granted status from Clans of Ireland under CHY 11585. Clans of Ireland is accredited, by the United Nations, as a Civil Society Non-Governmental Organisation (Irish culture and heritage) with authority to represent Irish Clans at the United Nations. Benefits of registration with Clans of Ireland: * Guidance in establishing and maintaining a thriving cultural society * Featured in the newsletter and the website of Clans of Ireland. * A contact point with fellow clans people. * Access to a Y-DNA support forum * Failte Ireland representation and worldwide public relations.
The Order of Clans of Ireland Clans of Ireland has instituted an order of merit with the purpose of honouring individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to Irish culture and heritage, or who have brought conspicuous honour to their clan. All clans registered with Clans of Ireland for three consecutive years, may nominate suitably qualified individuals. The successful nominees will be admitted as Companions of the Order of Clans of Ireland, and the insignia of membership of the Order will be presented at a ceremony adjacent to the annual general meeting of Clans of Ireland in Dublin.
Website Report 2011 In the past year we have attempted to update a few features of the website, and also added a link to the Clann Facebook page, which has proven popular, and a link to Clans of Ireland, of which we are a member. We have, as usual, also uploaded the registration and accommodation forms for the 2012 Gathering for the easy use of members. Owing to the illness of the temporary webmaster, the ongoing work on the site has halted in the meantime, and I would like to extend thanks to former webmaster Jimmy, for his help in attending to some of the more pressing matters – thank you Jimmy, you are, as always, a Clann treasure. Temporary webmaster hopes to be back in the saddle shortly, once she re-masters her web programme! Patricia O’Shea Temporary Webmaster
Payments to Clann Chaomhánach We have received queries from our membership regarding the best method for payment of membership fees. The simple answer is to use the web site. The website is straight forward, with step -by -step instructions to make payments using a credit card. The majority of our dues transactions are successfully completed with this system. In our experience, using the web site for payment is safe and reliable: to our knowledge, we have never lost a transaction, nor has anyone been defrauded. Some members do not wish to use the web site, do not have access to the internet, or do not wish to pay with a credit card. We accept personal cheques from all countries. Please make these payable to “Clann Chaomhánach”. The amount should be made out in the local currency to the value of € 25 (€ 250 for Life Membership) on the date that the cheque is written. It is totally unnecessary, time consuming, and costly, for our overseas members to get a Bankers Cheque, Cashiers Check or Money Order in Euros, because they will normally have to pay an additional fee for the draft, and another fee for money exchange. Our current account with Enniscorthy Bank of Ireland is not charged fees for cheque processing or money conversion of the foreign currency value into Euros. We ensure this “no fee processing” by maintaining a sufficient minimum balance in that account for that purpose. Upon lodgment or deposit with the bank, the value of the cheque/check is converted into Euro at the exchange rate for that day. This amount is then credited to our account.
Website at: http://ww.kavanaghfamily.com/
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Membership Report 2011
FINANCIAL REPORT 2011
We decided at the General Meeting of the 2010 Gathering in Bunclody, Co. Wexford, to publish future Newsletters on the Clann Chaomhánach website. Our first online edition will no doubt have some teething problems. As we go forward, we should realize further changes and developments, which will improve both the quality and content of the newsletter. We expect to considerably reduce the cost of our printed publications by going online, and production online will be much easier and less of a load on the shoulders of the publishing team. Because we are not printing and mailing the Newsletter, we will avoid those costs entirely. This saving will improve our bank balance and thus make it possible to progress with other Clann projects.
Current Account: 1 January to 31 December 2011
However, this will also mean that we must be more aware of, and take a more active roll in, the website. From now on, the Clann website will be the principle means of communication between the members and the Clann Chaomhánach Executive. We will no longer have both the newsletter and the annual regularly dropping through our letterboxes, reminding us that our membership dues are overdue. In the first instance, this has a direct influence on membership income. The payment of subscriptions is the responsibility of the member and must be paid on time. This point is clearly illustrated in the Statement of Accounts. Too many of our members neglect to inform us of postal, email and phone changes, and then fall into arrears. There is another cost due to members not advising us of changes in contact information. As mentioned, we will continue to print and publish our Annual Journal, and the postage for the Annual far exceeds the per copy cost of printing. We simply cannot afford to pay postage more than once to send annuals to members. Please ensure that you maintain current address, telephone and email information. Members’ subscriptions are used exclusively to pay for the publications and the everyday running of Clann Chaomhánach. No member of the Executive, or indeed any other person, is paid or receives any form of compensation for the work done for Clann Chaomhánach and its members. Finally, there are places in our publications for family information or history, obituaries, stories or articles involving family members, useful references, interesting facts/information, and alike. We are always looking for family oriented materials and stories to keep our publications interesting and informative. If you wish to take advantage of this opportunity, please contact our editor.
Income Income from Membership Fees are shown in Euro (Various currencies equated to € 21 and € 25) 41 Renewals (5 @ € 21 and 36 @ €25) 20 New Members (20 @ €25) 1 Life Member ( 1 @ €210)
€ 1,005.00 € 500.00 € 210.00
Membership Income
€ 1,715.00
Current Account in Bank of Ireland brought forward 01/01/2011
€ 5,162.47
Total Income
€ 6,877.47
Expenses Website Hosting 2011 Newsletter # 36, * Printing * Postage * Legal and Copyright postage 2010 Annual, * Print and delivery * Postage * Legal and Copyright postage 2011 Clans of Ireland Affiliation 21 Welcome Packs, postage Overdue Reminders, postage Ink cartridges, paper, A4 envelopes, address labels
€
107.59
€ € €
330.00 418.00 37.00
Total Expenses
€ 3,057.89
Balance after Expenses
€ 3,819.58
Bank Balance on 1st Jan. 2011 was Bank Balance on 31st Dec. 2011 was
€ 5,162.47 € 3,819.58
€ 857.00 € 1,019.00 € 67.90 € 30.00 € 58.75 € 58.65 €
74.00
Shows a loss over the 12 months of 2011 € 1,342.89 In the year 2011, for the first since the Clann Online Shop commenced operations, we have failed to sell a single item. The Online Shop is a simple way of helping the finances of our organization, and at the same time you can buy that special gift for your friends and family. Even small purchases combine to make all the difference to our financial bottom line.
Fergus Kavanagh 20th January 2012
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Clann Chaomhánach 2011 Annual
William “Ginger” Kavanagh Able Seaman and Soldier Family History Research Group (Celia, Cathal, Patricia, Patrick, & Jim)
As we approach the centenary anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, it seemed prudent to check to see if any of our kin were lost in that terrible disaster, which was made all the more memorable, as the ship was on its maiden voyage and considered to be of a new design, supposedly making her unsinkable. It is with great joy that we can say no, we do not know of any kin lost on that ship. Nevertheless, we did have kin aboard the Titanic. In that sense, perhaps one of the luckiest members of our family was William Kavanagh, who signed aboard the Titanic as an Able Seaman (1) on the Deck Crew for the delivery trip to Southampton. Records show that William, who embarked at Belfast on 29 March 1912, was 27 years old at that time, and his last ship was the “Eshinore”. Sources give his place of birth as “Wales”(2) or “New South Wales”(3). The 415-man Delivery Crew (4) from Harland & Wolff was employed to take the ship from dock in Belfast, and deliver her to the passenger terminal at Southampton in the south of England for the start of her maiden voyage to America. William was one of 216 people who left the Titanic at Southampton. His train fare back to Belfast was provided by the White Star Line, and he may have returned to Belfast in order to work on other ships being built by that yard. Contemporary sources indicate that there were berths available for qualified Able Seamen aboard the Titanic when she left Southampton, therefore William had some reason for leaving the vessel. Crewmembers who disembarked at Southampton were replaced on board the Titanic by White Star employees, and roughly 80% of the outgoing crew were from Southampton, with most of the remainder from Liverpool. We attempted to solve the apparent discrepancy in his place of birth, as this was given by the two sources, i.e. Wales (UK) or New South Wales (Australia). The most obvious approach to confirm this would be to seek the entry in the 1911 Census. Unfortunately, we were not able to locate a William Kavanagh, considering all possible spelling variations, in the 1911 Census, nor was there any entry for crewmembers at sea aboard a vessel called “Eshinore”, or anything that was phonetically similar. Based on information that comes later, we were confirmed in our assumption that “Wales” was an incomplete transcription, and he was born in Australia, in New South Wales. We then explored sources that might indicate why he was in Belfast, and where he went after he left the Titanic. Here again, he remained elusive until the name appeared roughly two years later in Australia, when Able Seaman William Kavanagh, approximately the same age, was signed on with the SY Aurora as part of the Ross Sea Party in Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition (5). Granted, it is certainly possible that William Kavanagh from the Titanic, and William Kavanagh aboard the Aurora, are two different individuals. However, circumstantial evidence is strongly in favour of this being the same individual (name, age, the acknowledged proficiency as a skilled able seaman, and a location consistent with his probable birth location), and we were unable to locate any other even remotely viable candidate. The Merchant Shipping Act of 1835 called for registration of seamen to facilitate identification of sailors to serve in reserve status for the Royal Navy. The Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen compiled indexed lists and issued each person the appropriate seaman’s or master’s ticket. Most of the existent records are held at the National Archives at Kew (6). Unfortunately, we were not able to locate William Kavanagh in these records (7). Attempts to locate his last vessel, the Eshinore, also proved fruitless. The name does not appear on any of the registry lists that could be checked, and attempts to backtrack all possible sources using just “Eshinore” as a search criteria
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indicated only a family name of German origin, therefore, we must assume a transcription error. There are likely two vessels from this period registered under a phonetically similar name: “Ashmore”, a steam driven ship of 2519 grt (8), built by W. Dobson & Co. Ltd., Low Walker, England, in 1899 (9) and registered to Adam SS Co. Ltd. of Aberdeen, which sailed regularly between Aberdeen and Scandinavia, and is known to have made voyages from the United Kingdom to Queensland (in 1901 and 1903) (10). The vessel was mined and sank in the North Sea on 12 September 1915 (11). “Elsinore”, a steam driven cargo ship of 980 grt , built at Smith’s Dock Co. Ltd., Middlesbrough, in 1889, and registered with Glen & Co. Ltd., Glasgow, from 1900 to 1910 (12). The Glen family started ship-owning in 1894 when they formed Glasgow Shipowners Co. Ltd., and traded mainly with coal to Sweden, returning with timber. Shortly afterwards, they formed Scottish Navigation Co., which operated deep sea tramps, and the Scandinavian Shipping Co. Ships were frequently transferred between the companies (13). It is noteworthy that the two named vessels were engaged in trade between Scotland or NE England and the Baltic, and that the Ashmore also is known to have made voyages between the United Kingdom and Australia (14). However, we were unable to locate crew lists for either vessel, and William Kavanagh is not listed on any other crew musters of that period. Based on the assumption that William of the Titanic and William of the Aurora are the same man, we attempted to locate any information that might support when he went to Australia. Harland & Wolff records do not contain any reference to a vessel named “Eshinore”, and so it must be assumed that William Kavanagh left some other company to take a berth with Harland & Wolff, meaning that the Titanic was his first assignment with the company. Also, we know that the union actually hired the delivery crew, suggesting that William was a union member. He had return tickets back to Belfast upon leaving the Titanic, and so one possible scenario is that he returned to Belfast to continue employment. It seems logical to assume that he would continue employment with Harland & Wolff, but again, we are stymied in our search by a lack of crew lists and supporting documents. The usual census records, trade directories, local newspapers and vital records for Belfast provide no information. There were other vessels under construction at Harland & Wolff at the time, including large ships for the White Star Line. For example, the Ceramic (pictured), an 18,400-ton ocean liner destined for the long Liverpool to Australia route, was launched for sea trials in December 1912 (15), and handed over on July 5, 1913. She made her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Sydney on July 24, 1913, and this was of great interest worldwide (16). The ship was welcomed with joy in Albany and in Port Melbourne, where the Persic (17), the existing White Star Liner on the Australian service, was in dock and was dwarfed by this gigantic new ship. Crew lists show that a variety of vessels made routine scheduled runs between Australia and Great Britain, usually via Cape Town, but again, William Kavanagh is not listed in those crew or muster lists that are available. Whether with the Ceramic, or with another vessel, it appears that William did make his way to Australia in time for his next great adventure. “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages.
Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.” (Ernest Shackleton) [18]
Just two years after being brought forward as an expert witness on the effects of ice at sea during the enquiry into the sinking of the Titanic, Irishman Ernest Shackleton, a former member of the Scott Antarctic expedition, undertook his second expedition to the South Pole. Since he had failed to be the first to reach the South Pole, he intended to be the
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first to cross Antarctica overland by way of the South Pole. This effort would be known as the Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Shackleton would employ two vessels for this expedition. He would sail with the “South Pole Party” (also known as the Weddell Sea Party) aboard the Endurance across the Atlantic to South Georgia, and from there, to Antarctica. Starting out with roughly half of the supplies that they would ultimately need, the South Pole Party would begin the approximately 1,700 mile trek across the continent via the South Pole using dogs and sledges. The second vessel, the Aurora (19), was to be the supply vessel for the expedition. It would carry the “Ross Sea party”, and sail from Hobart, Tasmania. The Ross Sea group would land on the opposite side of the continent, and set up supply stations at predetermined locations towards the Beardmore Glacier along a converging route. In this manner, the South Pole group, with Shackleton in charge, could substantially reduce the loads and bulk that they would have to carry. During roughly the last half of the trek, they would be able to recover and use supplies that had been pre-placed by the Ross Sea Party. The Aurora was a wooden hull (oak) steam yacht built in Glasgow in 1876, previously used by the Dundee Whaling, Sealing and Fishing Co. She had both sails and a steam engine. The hull was substantially reinforced to enable the vessel to cope with ice. Furthermore, she was no stranger to Antarctica, for she had been the ship used to supply the Douglas Mawson expedition, when he set up the Australian camp (20). When he left after his two years there, in February 1914, the Aurora returned to Sydney for a refit. Shackleton wanted the Aurora to leave Hobart for the Antarctic in November 1914. However, when Captain Macintosh arrived to take command of the vessel (21), he “was shocked to find that Aurora was in no condition for an Antarctic voyage, and required an extensive overhaul. Furthermore, Shackleton had apparently misunderstood the terms under which he had acquired the vessel from Mawson—even the registration of the ship in Shackleton's name had not been properly completed” (22). As the world prepared for World War I, some members withdrew from the expedition and were replaced by other volunteers. Captain Macintosh needed to complete his crew, and so he hired men off of the dock, where they had been engaged in refitting the Aurora, including William Kavanagh, “an able seaman listed as being of Windsor, aged 30” (23). Their departure was delayed roughly one month, and the Aurora did not start her voyage from Hobart, Tasmania, until 20 December 1914. According to his attestation papers, William Kavanagh was born 10 November 1885, in Windsor, New South Wales, to
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William and Mary Kavanagh (both parents born in Ireland). His description: Height 5’3”; Weight 158 lb.; Hair, Auburn; Eyes, Blue; Complexion, Florid, and Marital Status, Single. Religion: Roman Catholic (24). He stated that he had served 3½ years aboard the NSS Sobroan, which confirms that both of his parents were dead before ca. May 1889, three and one-half years before his eighteenth birthday (i.e. 10 November 1903) (25). "Under the watchful eye of “Scotty” Paton, just five sailors kept the ship in trim...The ringleader of the sailors was William "Ginger" Kavanagh, a goodnatured able seaman with scores of impossible yarns and (the) usual nautical knowledge of language. Kavanagh, Sydney Atkin, and "Shorty" Warren were the toughest and hardest working of the lot, seemingly insensible to the cold as they worked aloft" (26). The picture of William Kavanagh was cropped out of a Ross Sea Party photograph, that was taken aboard the Aurora just prior to her departure from Sydney for Hobart (27), and his signature was scanned from his military attestation papers. Due to the departure delay, when Aurora finally sailed into McMurdo Sound and began landing shore parties, stores and equipment on 16 January 1915, it was very late in the season for setting up depots. Yet Captain Mackintosh insisted that sledging work should begin without delay, and decided to lead a depotlaying party himself (28). Personnel searched for and surveyed penguin colonies and other potential food sources between ship movements. Several of the fishing and nesting surveys drafted by William Kavanagh survive in the expedition files. The ship was kept off Tent Island though there were continual problems with the pack breaking away, meaning that the ice anchors would not hold properly. Over the next month the ship moved around in the vicinity of Cape Evans before being able to anchor in Discovery Bay on March 12. More provisions were unloaded, and one of the earlier sledging parties was taken back aboard the ship. Several of the crewmen visited the hut at Cape Evans on 2 May: Spencer-Smith, the Chaplain, enjoyed the companionship and wrote in his diary: “Ginger (Kavanagh), Atkins, Glidden, and the Bo's'n each made several visits & there was much tobacco and talk round the fire” (29). Immediately afterwards the weather worsened, and about 9 p.m. on 6 May, “during a fierce storm, the men aboard heard two "explosive reports" (30) as the main hawsers parted from the anchors. The combined forces of the wind and the rapidly moving ice had torn Aurora from her berth and, encased in a large ice floe, the ship was adrift in the Sound. Stenhouse ordered that steam be raised in the hopes that, under engine power, Aurora might be able to work back to the shore when the gale abated. But the engines had been partly dismantled for winter repairs, and water inlets were frozen solid, so these could not be started (31). The roaring of the storm meant that the scientific party ashore at Cape Evans hut heard nothing, and it would be morning before they discovered that the ship had gone (32). They would not have been overly concerned at first, because it was not a new experience for the Aurora to be forced from her anchorage. Those ashore would have expected the Aurora to return. Four scientists were living in the Cape Evans hut, and six members of the first depot-laying parties, including Captain Mackintosh and Joyce, were stranded at Hut Point waiting an opportunity to cross the sea ice to reach Cape Evans” (33). Although rations for the depots had been landed, the Aurora still carried the greater part of the shore party’s fuel, food rations, clothing and equipment. To continue with its mission the stranded shore party had to re-supply and re-equip itself from the leftovers from earlier expeditions, notably Captain Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition, which had been based at Cape Evans a few years earlier. Due to the party's improvisations the second season’s depot-laying began on schedule, in September 1915 (34). For their part, those aboard the Aurora were very concerned for the ten members of their party who were left behind on land, but could do nothing about it as the ice swept them out to sea. Eighteen men were aboard when Aurora broke away, and although the ice immobilized the ship, it was too unstable for the crew to make their way across it to land. It was estimated that there was less than half of the supplies necessary to sustain the eighteen men until release from the ice could be expected, nearly 10 months away. Therefore, the crew constantly sought to supplement their rations by taking fish, seals and penguins. One time, Stenhouse, who was out walking on the ice inspecting the conditions and ship “in the
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midwinter gloom”, was even mistaken for an emperor penguin. “Kavanagh gave the penguin call... This is the first time that I have been hunted by man. Luckily Kavanagh had no gun”(35). The noise, grinding and groaning, as the pack ice compressed and worked against the hull of the vessel, would have been a threatening reminder of the possibility that the vessel and all hands could be lost. “Sulphuric acid was poured on the ice to try to break up the floe, but to no avail," Stenhouse wrote, “Ship jumping, straining and listing badly”(36). Stenhouse set up contingency plans for the event that the ship was crushed by the ice. From the Aurora’s log on May 26, "If the ship is nipped in the ice, the ship's company (eighteen hands) will take to four sledges with one month's rations and make for nearest land. Six men and one sledge will endeavour to make Cape Evans via the Western land, Butler Point, Hut Point, etc. The remaining twelve will come along with all possible speed, but no forced marches, killing and depoting penguins and seals for emergency retreats"(37). It was not at all encouraging that every attempt to contact Macquarie Island, or for that matter any other vessel or station by radio was unsuccessful. Later it was determined that none of the almost daily transmissions sent out from the Aurora had been received anywhere. "June 22.—To-day the sun has reached the limit of his northern declination and now he will start to come south. Observed this day as holiday, and in the evening had hands aft to drink to the health of the King and the Expedition. All hands are happy, but miss the others at Cape Evans. I pray to God we may soon be clear of this prison and in a position to help them. We can live now for sunlight and activity” (38). Even though short-handed, with the vessel immobilized in the ice the crew still had a great deal of free time. To maintain morale, it was necessary to keep them busy, and the seamen were assigned specific additional maintenance duties. Atkin was responsible for sails and canvas; Warren for tarpaulins, lead lines and stove fuel; Kavanagh for ropes, cordage and rigging stores; Downing for general stores, and Glidden for lamps, oils, paints and small stores (39). Finally, the ice broke up around her on 12 February 1916, allowing the Aurora to make her way back to sea. As shown on the map insert (40), during 281 days in the grip of the pack ice, the vessel had drifted roughly 1,600 miles (2,600 km). The Aurora was undermanned, the hull was severely strained, the rudder had been torn loose, they had lost their anchors, and they were low on fuel and provisions. The crew managed to jury-rig a rudder (41) and this allowed them to make slow headway, so that they could limp toward New Zealand. Radio communications were finally established with Wellington and Hobart on 23 March. Captain Stenhouse formally requested assistance during stormy weather on 31 March, “when the vessel was in danger of being driven on the rocks. Two days later a tug reached the ship and a towline was secured”(42). On the following morning, 3 April 1916, Aurora was brought into the harbor at Port Chalmers. The crew of the Aurora, and the ten men of the Ross Sea Party stranded ashore, were unaware that the Endurance was
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also ice-bound. The men for whom the supplies were being placed at such terrible cost, had never actually started their trek, and the supplies would never be used. The Endurance was crushed by ice and sank off of Elephant Island in November 1915, stranding the South Pole Party. Those who had been aboard the ship made their way onto the ice floes to get ashore, and used the ship’s lifeboats and supplies to make shelter to await the relief ship that they hoped would come to find them. On April 24, Shackleton, rather than wait any longer, took a small party in an open life boat from the Endurance (named the James Caird after an expedition sponsor), and risked the 800 miles to South Georgia with Worsley serving as his navigator. They arrived on South Georgia fourteen days later, and there they were able to raise the alarm and make arrangements for the rescue of the men of the Endurance left on Elephant Island. Once again, the rescue was hampered by pack ice, and it took three attempts to get through, so that the men on the island were not rescued until the Wendell Sea ice cleared sufficiently to get a vessel to the island on 30 August 1916. On his return to New Zealand, Stenhouse learned that nothing had been heard from Shackleton and the Weddell Sea party since their departure from South Georgia in December 1914. Therefore, it seemed probable that two groups from the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition would now need to be rescued. Stenhouse's personal priority was to get Aurora repaired as quickly as possible, and then take her back to McMurdo Sound to rescue the stranded men of the Ross Sea party. By then, they would have been marooned for almost a year without sufficient supplies. However, he was informed by the expedition offices in London, that funds had long since been exhausted, and the costs of refitting and provisioning a relief expedition were estimated at around £20,000. These funds would have to be found elsewhere (43). Shackleton's sudden reappearance in the Falkland Islands at the beginning of June (44) greatly simplified matters, for only one relief expedition would now be needed. The governments of Britain, Australia and New Zealand got together and agreed to finance the Ross Sea relief expedition. Repair work on the Aurora had begun in Port Chalmers on the 28th of June. At this point, Stenhouse still planned to lead the relief party. However, it soon became apparent, that the committee charged with overseeing the repairs “were critical of Shackleton's initial organisation of the Ross Sea expedition”(45). They announced the appointment of John King Davis as Captain on 4 October(46). Stenhouse S/Y Aurora with jury-rigged rudder was offered his former commission as First Officer, but when he declined this, was dismissed by King along with Thomson, Donnelly and Hooke (47). Most of the other Ross Sea Party had enlisted for active service, and when Shackleton returned to New Zealand, on 12 December 1916, he learned that several of the men had already been severely wounded or killed in action on the Western Front. Shackleton arrived too late to influence issues beyond arranging his own appointment as a supernumerary officer. He would accompany the expedition, and be responsible for operations ashore. The Australian Government agreed to hand the Aurora over to Shackleton, free and clear of debt upon return to New Zealand, after picking up the Ross Sea Party (48). Except for Bosun James Paton, and AB William Kavanagh, the Aurora was manned by a new crew (49) when she sailed for Cape Evans on 20 December 1916. Mount Sabine was sighted on 6 January 1917, and Cape Royds was reached on 10 January. Shackelton found a letter there, notifying him that the men had travelled to Cape Evans. Seven of the stranded members of the Ross Sea Party were soon embarked. Reverend Spencer-Smith had died of scurvy and had been buried in his sleeping bag (50). A cross made of bamboo was placed on the cairn at the gravesite (51). Shackelton conducted extensive searches for the two missing members of the party, Macintosh and Hayward, but neither they, nor their remains, were located. Shortly after Aurora returned to Wellington on 9 February 1917, several crewmembers, including William Kavanagh, enlisted for active service. At this point, we had sufficient information to request a copy of William’s service record (52).
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Accordingly, William joined the 3rd Canterbury Infantry Regiment NZ, and went through basic training at Trentham and Featherston (from 13 March 1917) with the 26th Reinforcements. He was transferred to the 25th Reinforcements, NZ Expeditionary Force, on 18 April, and shipped out aboard the “Turakina” (HMNZT- 84), in company with “Tofua” (HMNZT 83), on 26 April 1917 (53). The ships arrived at Plymouth, and troops disembarked at Devonport, on 20 July 1917. The troops then “made their way to ‘Sling’, the New Zealand military camp at Larkhill on Salisbury Plain” (54), where William was posted to the Canterbury Company, 4th Reserve Battalion. Following another period of intensive training, they were rushed to France, leaving England on 5 September, and marching in to the NZ infantry depot at Etaples (south of Boulogne), four days later. After another brief period of orientation training, William joined the Battalion at the Front, where he was posted to the 12th Company, Canterbury Infantry Regiment, on 16 September 1917. A short time later, William was wounded in action at the front, on 4 October 1917, according to entries in his service records. This would have been during action at Passchendale, probably when his company was digging trenches to consolidate gains and came under intense machine gun and sniper fire. As presented in the unit history: “The work of digging a trench on the "Blue Dotted Line" (three hundred and fifty yards behind the final objective) was completed by dusk, in spite of considerable interference by enemy machine-guns and snipers, which were active on Bellevue Spur; and the trench was successfully joined up with the trenches of the Australians and the 3rd Wellington Battalion on the two flanks.” (55). According to his service jacket, he received initial treatment at No. 3 Aid Station on 4 October 1917, and was sent back to No. 56 General Hospital at Etaples on 5 October. Called to Camiers, he was discharged to duty on 26 January, and attached to the Base Depot at Etaples on 27 January 1918. During a review conducted from 21 to 27 February 1918, he was reclassified “C” (unfit for wartime duty) by the Standing Medical Board at Etaples. During the course of this review, the Board also noted: “For some months serviceman states that he had not been feeling fit since an attack (of) malaria in South Africa.” He was sent to England, to Torquay, arriving there on 28 February 1918. His records show his next movement was when he embarked for New Zealand aboard the Hospital Ship Athenic at Glasgow on 1 April 1918. While enroute, on 2 May 1918, a Medical Board was assembled aboard ship “for the purpose of examining and reporting upon the present state of health of: No. 47673, Private W. Kavanagh, 3rd Canterbury Infantry Regiment” (56). The Board confirmed the earlier status of unfit for service and recommended discharge, and a disability pension of 25%, for “debility … shortness of breath, pain in chest on severe exertion”. The Athenic, using the route through the Panama Canal, arrived in Wellington, New Zealand, on 17 May 1918. Other than the hospital in Dunedin, we have not found any documentation that would indicate where he received any additional treatment, or even, where he actually lived from May until late November 1918. Scotty Paton of the Aurora, and Worsley of the Endurance, were considered too old to enlist, and so they stayed with the Aurora when she was sold by Shackleton. The Aurora arrived at Newcastle from Wellington on 11 April 1917, where she loaded a cargo of Seaham coal and sailed from Newcastle for Iquique, Chile, on 18 April. However, soon after leaving Newcastle, the hull sprung a leak and she put into Sydney for repairs. Following repairs, Aurora returned to Newcastle where she was reloaded: she left port on 20 June, and was never seen again. The only trace found was a lifebuoy that was picked up nearly six months later. Speculation is that the Aurora was a victim of the German raider Wolf, or of a sea mine laid by Wolf. This German auxiliary cruiser laid minefields off of North Cape, South Island and Gabo Island between 6 June and 6 July 1917 (57). Known as "Spanish Flu" or "La Grippe", the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 was a global disaster. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s total population was infected, and with an estimated 20 to 40 million deaths, the influenza pandemic of 19181919 killed more people than World War I. It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history, for more died of influenza in a single year, than in four-years of the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) from 1347 to 1351 (58). The first wave of the illness resembled typical flu epidemics, in that those most at risk were the sick and elderly, while younger, healthier people recovered easily (59). The first cases of the deadlier second wave of influenza emerged among British and French troops serving on the Western Front early in July 1918. Investigative work by a British team led by virologist John Oxford (60) of St Bartholomew's Hospital and the Royal London Hospital, suggested that a major British troop staging camp in Étaples, France, was at the center of the 1918 flu pandemic ,or was the location of a significant precursor virus (61). By mid-August the second wave, ‘a highly infectious flu, with sudden onset and an alarming propensity for pneumonic complications’, was spreading rapidly in France. The lethal nature of the second wave has been
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War (62).
attributed to the circumstances of the First World In civilian life, those who get very sick stay home, and those mildly ill continue with their lives, preferentially spreading the mild strain. In the trenches, soldiers with a mild strain remained where they were, while the severely ill were sent on crowded trains to crowded field hospitals, spreading the deadlier form of the virus (63). This lethal influenza pandemic, which struck between October and December 1918, was New Zealand's worst disease outbreak. In two months, New Zealand lost about half as many people to influenza, as it had in the whole of the First World War. No event has killed so many New Zealanders in such a short time. By the time the pandemic eased in December, the death toll had topped 8600. Some communities were decimated; others escaped largely unscathed. The only places struck with uniform severity were military camps (64). One of the pandemic’s victims was Private William Kavanagh, Serial 47673, who died of pneumonia and influenza at Dunedin Hospital on 29 November 1918 (65), and is buried at Andersons Bay Cemetery, Lot 32, in Dunedin (66). His will was made out in favor of Mr. E. Godfrey, Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers, however, in a notation dated 23 November 1921, “Mr. Godfrey disclaims any knowledge of will” (67). Based on his military service during WWI, William Kavanagh was entitled to the silver British War Medal and the WWI Victory Medal. His records show that these two decorations were never issued. In recognition of his service during the Trans-Antarctic Expedition, he received the bronze Polar Medal in 1918 for his participation with the Ross Sea Party, and was entitled to a bronze clasp (Antarctic 1917), awarded posthumously in 1921, for his participation in the Relief Expedition. In fact, the Polar Medal was issued, as there is a hand-written notation on his Medal Card: “Advise Mr. Godfrey if any relatives of [the] dead are found as he is holding a Bronze Medal for Polar Exp[loration] of [the] dead,” (68). There is no indication that the clasp was issued. He was also entitled to the Silver War Badge, issued to personnel honorably discharged due to wounds or sickness during World War I. The badge would normally be accompanied by an official certificate of entitlement. When worn, it showed that the individual had served. At that time, women presented white feathers to apparently fit young men they met, who were not wearing the King's uniform. The badge was to be worn on the right breast while in civilian dress. It was not authorized for wear on a military uniform. As stated previously, William Kavanagh listed his next of kin as Mr. Gafney (later corrected to Godfrey) at Chick’s Hotel, Port Chalmers, New Zealand, where he stayed as a friend after his return from the Antarctic,
British War Medal
WWI Victory Medal
Polar Medal in Bronze with Antarctic 1917 Clasp
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and presumably, while he was working on the Aurora in dock at Port Chalmers. Chicks Hotel still exists today, within easy walking distance of the docks. His enlistment papers give his last residence in New Zealand prior to enlistment (meaning after his return from the Aurora Relief Expedition), as the Seaman's Institute, in Lyttelton. This was most likely a mail collection and holding or forwarding address(69), but suggests his intention to settle in New Zealand after discharge. About this time, as we were finishing up this article, our research turned up a query that had been Silver War Badge submitted several years previously: “I am trying to trace a William Kavanagh … The only hard facts I have are as follows: April 1907 address, (at the) Exhibition Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland, listed as ship's steward. My father born April 1907, so my grandmother, Maggie Duff, born Cullen, Scotland, 1888, must have been intimate with William early 1906. In November 1906, I have her working in Edinburgh, Scotland, but know that she was returning to Aberdeen for Christmas. The info on my father's birth cert gave the Glasgow detail but family word of mouth suggests that William Senior was born in Ireland, but I rule nothing out!” We later received the information that Maggie Duff died on 9 Mar 1912, in 3 Dee Place, Aberdeen. This launched another intensive search. Are William from the Exhibition Hotel in Glasgow, William of the delivery crew for the Titanic, and William of the Aurora, the same William Kavanagh? We simply do not know absolutely, but the records that do exist, extensive circumstantial information, and logic, all strongly support reaching that conclusion. The occupation given in Glasgow in 1906 was ship’s steward, and there were several ships at that time making scheduled runs between England and Australia. One example is another “Ashmore”, 1099 grt, built by J. Reid and Co., Port Glasgow, in 1877, and registered to John Stewart and Co., London. This ship sailed the route London to Australia and New Zealand (70). It was converted to a barque in 1900 (1179 grt), and this particular vessel was sold ca. 1907 to Norwegian owners, and the name was changed (71). If he had a berth with this vessel, he may have lost his job in 1906-1907 when the new owners took over. It is easy to place William as a ship’s steward at this time. He was slightly undersize (Height 4' 91/2", Weight 90 lbs), and had not reached his full growth in April 1901, when he was “Discharged for Sea Service” to the ship Hawaian Isles, a 2097 ton, 4 masted steel bark built Port Glasgow in 1892, and owned by an American company (72). William was single, his parents were deceased, and there are absolutely no indications of siblings or relatives, so there was nothing to this point that would bind him to a specific location. Meeting a young woman and possibly thinking of setting up a household might be sufficient reason for him to seek to improve his status. He would earn more and have much better chances for advancement as an AB. Potentially, he could become the master of a vessel. The roughly 5 years time between April 1907, when he was listed as a ship’s steward, and 29 March 1912, when he embarked aboard the Titanic, were more than sufficient for him to complete requirements and gain the physical conditioning, experience and expertise necessary to become an Able Seaman. Records indicate that Titanic was his first berth as an AB with Harland & Wolff, and this allows us to surmise that he had been rated as an able seaman by some previous employer. We know that the union was given authority to select or hire the delivery crew, and therefore, we can assume that he was a member of a union in Belfast. We also know that he had a history of working at ports refitting ships - at Belfast, at Port Chalmers and at Sydney - and this would support his presence in Glasgow and Belfast. He could easily have stayed with the Titanic, but chose to return to Belfast. The death of Maggie about the same time as he disappears again, immediately after gaining steady employment, suggests that the two aspects may have been linked. His next documented appearance is roughly two and a half years later, when he was hired off of the docks at Sydney by Captain Mackintosh for the Aurora in the Fall of 1914. He was hired as an Able Seaman aboard a vessel equipped with
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both sails and an engine, and supported by a very small crew, that would be sailing into an extremely harsh and demanding environment. His contemporaries, in their diary entries, indicate that he was the leading seaman, therefore there is no doubt about his ability to “hand, reef and steer”. This suggests that he had continued to work but, other than the employment at the dockyard for the repair and refit of the Aurora, there is no indication of where he worked during the interim 2½ years. All considered, our conclusion is that William in Glasgow was the same as William of the Titanic and Aurora, William who fought and was wounded in France, and William who died during the influenza pandemic in New Zealand. We were unable to definitively answer the question of William’s parentage. Among other statements in his sworn Attestation, William says that he was born on 10 Nov 1885 in New South Wales, his Father, William Kavanagh (deceased), and his mother Mary Kavanagh (deceased), both parents born in Ireland. This is not supported by either Birth/Marriage/ Death (BMD) records for New South Wales accessible on the internet, nor was it substantiated by entries in the NSS Sobraon Entrance Book for William, made when he was registered aboard on 21 Dec 1897. The only birth record found for a William born in New South Wales in 1885/1886 is: William Cavanough born 1886 in NSW, father's name Cavanough, mother's name Ellen, registered in 1886 in Richmond NSW, Number 23657. Richmond is roughly 4 kilometers away from Windsor. We located two records for Ellen: *
Ellen Kavenagh born 17 Jan 1851 in NSW, father John Kavenagh, mother Rosen, registered in 1851 in Windsor NSW, Number V 185 1892 68.
*
Ellen Cavanough died 1887 in NSW, father’s name John, registered in 1887 in Windsor, NSW, Number 9282.
According to a published family tree (73), Ellen was the fifth and youngest child of John Cavanough [born 1799 in Longford, Ireland; died 2 September 1877 in Windsor, NSW], and Roshanna Gunshenon [born ca. 1814 in Longford, Ireland. Died 31 July 1883 in Windsor NSW]. Both parents are buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Windsor. Ellen would have been 35 when William was sired, going on 36 when he was born, and 37 when she died, slightly more than one year after his birth, and this suggests that the birth was (at least) a contributing cause. Both of her parents were dead when William was born, and thus it appears that William could have been under his mother’s care until her death in 1887. The next record is William’s entry in the Entrance Book for the NSS Sobraon (74), page 71, which shows his birth date as April 1886, but has no entry listed in the field for his parentage. Information on this page allows insight into his early life. He is listed as having attended public and convent schools. His relationship with the State Children’s Relief (SCR) Department changed with his appearance in court on 21 December 1894 for “illegally using a horse”. As a result, SCR Sydney boarded him out to a home in Mulgrave (near Windsor). He was apparently unhappy with this arrangement, for he ran away four or five times and otherwise became difficult, culminating in being arrested for breaking & entering and theft in Mulgrave in December 1897. This resulted in the warrant that placed him aboard the NSS Sobraon. There it appears that he progressed satisfactorily to the point where he was apprenticed out in about 1900. However, his performance in the apprenticeship was not acceptable, and he was returned to the NSS Sorbraon, from which he was “discharged for sea service to the ship Hawaiin Isles in April 1901. According to one newspaper clipping, “The barque Hawaiin Isles had a narrow escape during a hurricane on 31 March 1901, left Melbourne for Newcastle - lost all of her sails - 10 days in transit”, and this may explain how William came to be aboard a US registered vessel. A second newspaper clipping roughly three years later, may suggest why he would have left this vessel: “The American ship Hawaiin Isles has arrived from New York (May 5, 1904, Melbourne) One of the crew was washed overboard and two committed suicide”(75). William would not have known his mother, but he may have known his father. In his sworn response in his Attestation papers he gave his father’s name as William. Identification of his father is not possible with available records, but his response - William - allows us to speculate. One viable prospect came to light in a contemporary newspaper: “A jockey named W Cavanagh was thrown and fatally injured at Lillie bridge, near Sydney on Saturday” (Courier Mail, 2 Nov 1896). Here is a fine example of how our surname
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will change, even in the same record series of official documents - in this case: William J. Cavanough (Inquest) aka William Cavanaugh (Death Registry) aka W Cavanagh (Newspaper). His death is registered at Newtown, New South Wales (Registration 14521), and gives his father's name as William. The inquest was held at Camperdown on 2 November 1896, and estimates his age as 23, indicating that he was born in Queensland. The Coroner's Inquest established: William Cavanough, 23 years, Queensland, no autopsy, jockey. Prince Alfred Hospital. We find that the same William Cavanough at Prince Alfred Hospital Camperdown in the District of Sydney in the Colony aforesaid on the 1st day of November 1896 died from the effects of injuries accidentally sustained on the 31st day of October 1896 at Lillie Bridge Race Course [now known as Harold Park] in the District and Colony aforesaid through being thrown from a pony named Lady Alpha in a race at the time. It was also noted that he had 13s 8d cash on his person. The only birth registration found for Queensland for William or William J gives a birth date of 7 Dec 1868, making him 17 to 18 years old when William "Ginger" Kavanagh was sired. Although pure speculation, two aspects do speak in his favor for being the father. * There was a very popular racecourse for pony racing (76) near Windsor/Richmond at that time. * William "Ginger" Kavanagh may have inherited his small build from his father William, a jockey (77). Hopefully, there is sufficient material presented here to allow his descendents to resolve the open relationships.
May he rest in peace Bibliography Shackleton's Forgotten Men, Lennard Bickel (2001), London, Pimlico Original. Shackleton, Margery and James Fisher (1957), London, James Barrie Books. Ice Captain, Stephen Haddelsey (2008), Stroud, Gloucestershire, The History Press. Shackleton, Roland Huntford (1985), London, Hodder & Stoughton. Polar Castaways: The Ross Sea Party (1914-17) of Sir Ernest Shackleton, by Richard McElrea, David L. Harrowfield South, Ernest Shackleton, Century Publishing, London, 1983, ISBN 0-7126-0111-2. The Lost Men: The Harrowing Story of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party, by Kelly Tyler-Lewis (2007), London, Bloomsbury Publications "Aurora Sent Word By Wireless Freak" (PDF). New York Times. 14 May 1916. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html? res=9905EFDC1439E233A25757C1A9639C946796D6CF]. Retrieved 25 March 2009. "Marooned Men Have Food Supplies", New York Times edition 29 March 1916 (PDF) at http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html? res=9E01E1D71F38E633A2575AC2A9659C946796D6CF. Internet sites at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Sea_party http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Ceramic_(1913) http://www.oocities.org/White_Star_Liners/Ceramic.html http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=persi http://www.south-pole.com/p000098a.htm http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-biography/william-kavanagh.html http://www.plimsoll.org/Southampton/Titanic/titaniccrewlist/Default.asp http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/merchantseaman1858-1917.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SY_Aurora's_drift New Zealand Wargraves Project, specifically: http://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/william-kavanagh-19598 Excellent sources for contemporary news stories are: Papers Past, at: http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast, and Trove (National Library of Australia), at http://trove.nla.gov.au/
Endnotes: 1.
“An Able Seaman (AB, also called able bodied) was originally a seaman able to "hand, reef and steer". That is, he could handle sails and
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2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
8.
9. 10. 11.
12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
22. 21. 22. 23.
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ropes, reef sails in heavy weather and steer the ship accurately and safely. These skills implied the ability to work aloft in any weather and a fair degree of fitness. An Able Seaman on Titanic was paid £5 ($25) per month. The unskilled workers at Harland and Wolff were paid £1 ($5) per week. Most (seamen) had no allegiance to any particular line and moved freely from ship to ship as work became available. In 1911, White Star and other lines recognized the various unions involved in the shipping industry. The bulk of Titanic's crew were recruited by the unions at White Star's invitation. They carried a book called the Certificate of Continuous Discharge in which each seaman's history was kept. He would present this book to every prospective employer, who looked at his last captain's report therein. By 1912, the status of Able Seaman was attained by giving three year's satisfactory service as an Ordinary Seaman” [see http://www.titanicebook.com/ terminology.html]. A seaman with less than a year's experience was referred to as a Landman in the Royal Navy from the middle of the 18th century. The term Ordinary Seaman (OS) was used to refer to a seaman with between one and two years' experience at sea, who showed enough seamanship to be so rated by their captain. They are not trained in any special task. They are required to work at a great variety of physically difficult tasks. Later, the term was formalized as a rating for the lowest normal grade of seaman. [see http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordinary_seaman_(rating)]. See http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-biography/william-kavanagh.html See Titanic Crew List, K-L at http://www.plimsoll.org/images/Crew%20List%202009%20I-K_tcm4-253014.pdf) Particulars of Engagement for the delivery crew at http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/pog/crew_belfast-soton_pog_2A-45-381.php William Kavanagh, Able Seaman, is mentioned in the crew list of the Aurora, which was published many times in contemporary newspapers, for example, Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 72, 25 March 1916, Page 5, entitled “Shackleton’s Plans”. Finding Aid from P&O Heritage, P&O Steam Navigation Company According to the Finding Aid from the National Archives It is very difficult to find information about a particular merchant seaman … “because registration of seamen stopped between 1857 and 1913, and the entries for 1913 to 1917 have not survived.” They go on to state, “If you know the name of the ship you might be able to find the person on a crew list of crew members filed by ship's master with the Registrar General of Shipping.” Viewed at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/merchantseaman1858-1917.htm. “Passenger ships and some cargo ships were usually measured in Gross Register Tons. In this context a ton is a measure of 100 cubic feet (2.83 cubic metres). The measurement goes back centuries and was originally based on the number of barrels (tuns) a ship could hold. Gross Register Tons represents the internal volume of the ship, regardless of whether it is useful or accessible. This measurement gives a general idea of the size of the ship. Net Register Tons are sometimes given. This is the tonnage which remains after deducting unproductive parts of the ship, such as the crew's quarters, fuel tanks and similar necessary fixtures. It indicates the ship's earning potential and harbour dues and other fees are often based on it”. (http://www.titanicebook.com/terminology.html#watches) see http://www.ellisisland.org/shipping/Formatship.asp?shipid=7367 http://www.australiaforeveryone.com.au/discovery/names6.htm. chartered by Belgian Relief Commission, sailing Rosario for Rotterdam with maize. Mined (mine laid by UC.3, Erwin Weisbach) and sank 5 miles E½N of Kentish Knock LV (wi - in 51.40.39N, 01.47.47E); 4 crew lost. At the time, she was believed torpedoed, and only confirmed as mine later. See http://www.naval-history.net/ WW1NavyBritishBVLSMN1507.htm originally “Jura” with Dixon, Robson & Co, Newcastle. Sold to Glen & Co. Ltd., Glasgow and renamed “Elsinore” in 1900. Sold to Roucas & Caratzas, Spetsai in 1910 and renamed “Zoodohos”. Sold to Dertzekov Bros, Taganrog, in 1911 and renamed “Emmanuil”. Requisitioned by the Imperial Russian Navy in 1915, and sunk in a collision with an Italian warship at Constantinople on 21.7.1919. see http://mariners-list.com/site_pages.php?section=Shipping+Companies&category=Scottish&page_name=Glen+% 26+Co&PHPSESSID=ef52bc3e0066dee3235328f36a9f9f1e]. http://www.australiaforeveryone.com.au/discovery/names6.htm See Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Ceramic_(1913) In August 1914, she was taken over as troop transport. In May 1916 with 2,500 troops aboard in the Mediterranean, she was narrowly missed, at midnight, by a torpedo from an unidentified vessel. In 1917 she was used on the Liner Requisition Scheme, but mainly for refrigerated cargo. On June 9, 1917 she was missed by a torpedo in the English Channel, and on July 21st she was chased by a surfaced U-boat off the Canary Islands, but escaped by speed. In 1919 she was reverted to White Star and refurbished by Harland & Wolff. Source: http://www.oocities.org/White_Star_Liners/Ceramic.html. Built in 1899 by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, 11,973 grt. Call sign: BKGS. Registration #110620 (Lloyd’s Registry of Shipping). See: http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=persi. From a recruiting poster attributed to Ernest Shackleton for his 1914 Antarctica expedition, viewed at http:// davidappell.blogspot.com/2008/09/shackleton-recruiting-poster.html Plan and Section of the S.Y. Aurora from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SY_Aurora%27s_drift#cite_note-Hadd69-47. SY Aurora - Ships of the Polar Explorers, at: http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/antarctic_ships/aurora.htm Captain Mackintosh sailed from England on the Osterley and arrived in Australia on 8 October, in order to assume command of the Aurora and get her provisioned and ready for sea. He brought some of the crew with him from England, and the passenger list for the Osterley has Stenhouse, Mackintosh, Atkin, and Downing, who are all shown in a group photograph taken by Hurley in Australia about October - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Sea_party. Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Sea_party cites Tyler-Lewis, pp. 43–45 and Haddlesey, p. 25. See Shackleton, Margery and James Fisher (1957), London at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneas_Mackintosh See Shackleton, Margery and James Fisher (1957), London at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneas_Mackintosh “Mackintosh filled crew vacancies in Sydney with men who were employed as casual labourers during the refit. A (Shorty) Warren aged 34, from the Isle of Sheppey, William (Ginger) Kavanagh aged 30, from Windsor England (sic!) and Arthur (Jack) Downing 21, from Buffalo
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24. 25.
26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38 . 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53.
54. 55. 56. 57. 58.
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New York were signed as able bodied seamen at £6 per month”. See “The Polar Polar Castaways: The Ross Sea Party (1914-17) of Sir Ernest Shackleton by Richard McElrea, David L.Harrowfield. Note: the source for “Windsor, England” is not know, but this appears to be a transcription error that was repeatedly carried forward by this and other authors. When all other written records are considered, namely “Wales”, “NSW”, and “Australia”, it can only refer to Windsor NSW (near Sydney), not Windsor, England. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Personnel_of_the_Imperial_Trans-Antarctic_Expedition. This was later confirmed by William’s military service papers. Military Service Record, William Kavanagh, . Nautical School-ship (NSS) "Sobraon" (1892-1911). Starting in the 1860's, the government set up ‘nautical school ships’ (first the NSS Vernon, and then in 1892, the NSS Sobraon) as an industrial school and a reformatory for boys between 6 and 18 years of age. Located in the harbour near Cockatoo Island, it provided residential care for vagrant, destitute or neglected boys. On board, the boys were given nautical and industrial training and instruction, elementary schooling and ‘moral training’ - the curriculum was well-defined. A key aim was to provide sufficient training to give the boys an opportunity to obtain meaningful employment after they left the ship. At any one time, there were about 400 inmates of various ages aboard the NSS Sobraon. The boys were divided into six divisions, and each division was involved in a particular activity at a particular time. The rotating daily timetable ensured maximum utilization of all resources aboard the NSS Sobraon. Each inmate was able to choose the particular trade training he wished to undergo, either carpentry, tailoring or boot-making. A recreation field was set up for the boys on Cockatoo Island adjacent to the ship's moorage, and a saltwater tidal bath was erected beside it. See http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/childrens_institutions_in_nineteenth-century_sydney. The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party, Kelly Tyler-Lewis, Penguin Books, 2007, p. 124) Photograph in The Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 6 February 1917, p. 8, at http://trove.nla.gov.au Kelly Tyler-Lewis, : The Lost Men, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 2007, p. 67. Richard McElrea & David Harrowfield, Polar Castaways: The Ross Sea Party (1914-17) of Sir Ernest Shackleton, McGill-Queens University Press, 2004, page 114. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SY_Aurora's_drift Bickel, p. 218 cited at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SY_Aurora's_drift Haddelsey, pp. 51–52 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SY_Aurora's_drift The Hut Point party learned of Aurora's disappearance when they reached Cape Evans on 2 June. In his diary Mackintosh described the news as "a knock-out blow". Tyler-Lewis, p. 129, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SY_Aurora's_drift Kelly Tyler-Lewis, The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party, Penguin Books, 2007, p. 115. Richard McElrea & David Harrowfield, Polar Castaways: The Ross Sea Party (1914-17) of Sir Ernest Shackleton, McGill-Queens University Press, 2004, Page 121. Richard McElrea & David Harrowfield, Polar Castaways: The Ross Sea Party (1914-17) of Sir Ernest Shackleton, McGill-Queens University Press, 2004, Page 125. Stenhouse, Aurora’s Log, at http://www.south-pole.com/p000098a.htm). Stenhouse, Aurora’s Log, at http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/south/south_shackleton_chapter16.htm. Richard McElrea & David Harrowfield, Polar Castaways: The Ross Sea Party (1914-17) of Sir Ernest Shackleton, McGill-Queens University Press, 2004 Page 133) Cropped from the map at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SY_Aurora%27s_drift#cite_note-Hadd69-47. See photograph, taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_aurora.jpg). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SY_Aurora%27s_drift#cite_note-Hadd69-47. Some give the name as Plucky, while others cite Dunedin. Kelly Tyler-Lewis, The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party, Penguin Books, 2007, pp. 214–15 & 225. Kelly Tyler-Lewis, The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party, Penguin Books, 2007, p. 219. Haddelsey, p. 78; Tyler-Lewis, p. 224. Kelly Tyler-Lewis, pp. 227–30; Davis had considerable Antarctic experience, having been chief officer and later Captain of the Nimrod during the 1907–09 expedition, and captain of Aurora during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition. Béchervaise, John. "Davis, John King (1884–1967)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080262b.htm. Retrieved 5 April 2009. Kelly Tyler-Lewis, The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party, Penguin Books, 2007, pp. 227–30). see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SY_Aurora's_drift. Kelly Tyler-Lewis, The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party, Penguin Books, 2007, p. 231; see also Papers Past and Trove for contemporary news reports. He was buried at coordinates: Ereb. 184°--Obs. Hill 149°. Wikipedia, The Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1914-1917, SY AURORA, and The Ross Sea Party. Source for NZ military service record, see http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/default.htm “Turakina” (HMNZT- 84), 8210 gross tons, built by Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn for New Zealand Shipping Co Ltd, registered Plymouth Britain. Designed for passenger/cargo services between Great Britain and New Zealand. Requisitioned as a New Zealand Troop Transport vessel and given prefix HMNZT - 84. In company with SS Tofua (HMNZT 83), vessels departed New Zealand, carrying the 25th Reinforcements NZ Expeditionary Force, 17th Reinforcements Maori Contingent, and NZ Engineers Tunnelling Company's 5th Reinforcements. Bert’s War, at http://www.katikati.co.nz/kk_text/bert.html. The History of the Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F. 1914 - 1919, Chapter XI. — Passchendaele, pages 188-192, at http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/ tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Cant-t1-body-d11.html. Entries in his military service records showing assignments and authorities, including the proceedings of two medical boards. Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 151, 23 December 1921, Page 18, as viewed at Papers Past, at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz See http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/
Clann Chaomhánach 2011 Annual
59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68.
69.
70. 71. 72. 73. 74.
75. 76.
77.
19
See UK Parliament – http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldsctech/88/88.pdf. Accessed 2009-05-06. Archived 8 May 2009. See "EU Research Profile on Dr. John Oxford". Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. (http://ec.europa.eu/research/profiles/ index_en.cfm?p=1_oxford. Retrieved 9 May 2009. See Connor, Steve, "Flu epidemic traced to Great War transit camp", The Guardian (UK), Saturday, 8 January 2000. Accessed 2009-05-09. Archived 11 May 2009, and also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic. Gladwell, Malcolm. "The Dead Zone". The New Yorker (29 September 1997): 55. Gladwell, Malcolm. "The Dead Zone". The New Yorker (29 September 1997): 63. See http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/influenza-pandemic-1918, & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic. Military Service Files, William Kavanagh See New Zealand Wargraves Project, at http://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/william-kavanagh-19598. Military Service Files, William Kavanagh Military Service Files, William Kavanagh, Medal Card: Mr Godfrey, Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers, was listed as his next of kin. The Polar Medal was instituted in 1857 and while the rules for its award have changed over the years it is currently described as being awarded for extreme human endeavor against appalling weather and conditions that exist in the Arctic and Antarctic. As a broad distinction, the silver medal was awarded to officers and scientists and to those who went ashore and/or who overwintered, and the bronze medal was awarded to the crews of ships, especially of relief ships. In the early 1930s, King George V stated that he did not approve of this form of class distinction between officers and crew, and he wished to discontinue the award of the bronze medal. See: Exploring Polar Frontiers: A Historical Encyclopedia, Volume 1, by William James Mills, p. 420. To date some 800 medals in silver and 245 in Bronze have been awarded. See http://www.historicalrfa.org/news-about-the-royal-fleet-auxiliary/313-the-polar-medal. “the Seamen's Institute is located at Lyttelton (Christchurch), close to the railroad station and next door to the shipping office. Two large rooms for officers have lately been added to the institute, with a library and piano in the sitting room. The mission is a branch of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society. The institute is open on week days from 10 a. m. to 10 p. m., and on Sundays from 3 p. m. to 10 p. m. A bright Gospel service is held at 7 p. m., after which supper is provided for those who wish to stay. On other evenings friends join with the sailors in playing games, singing, Bible classes, short Gospel services, and first-aid lectures. The seamen are visited by the missioner in the hospital and prison, and whenever possible the seamen of all nations are taken away for the day, or part of a day, to the country, a treat which is much appreciated.” New Zealand pilot: including Kermadec Islands, Chatham Islands, by US Hydrographic Office, p. 328/329. See http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/StateLibQld_1_112572_Ashmore_%28ship%29.jpg. See http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-pa-http%253A%252F%252Fimages.slsa.sa.gov.au%252Fedwardes%252F07%252FPRG1373_7_61.htm. Entrance Books for the Vernon and the Sobraon, 1867-1911, pages 71 & 180, and Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 10040, 5 May 1904, Page 2. - see http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=p&p=home&e=-------100--1----0ship+hawaiin+isles-FTM at Genealogy.com, see http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/h/e/Terry-Sheens/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0053.html. Nautical School-ship "Sobraon" (1892-1911) Juvenile Justice Centre: "An Act for the relief of Destitute Children" [30 Victoria, Act No, 2, 1866] - the Industrial Schools Act of 1866- received assent on 12 September, 1866 and came into force on 1 January, 1867. This Act authorised the Governor to proclaim "any ship or vessel or any building or place together with any yards, enclosures grounds or lands attached thereto to be a 'Public Industrial School' ". Any vagrant or destitute child under the age of sixteen could be directed by two Justices of the Peace to attend an Industrial School and to remain the responsibility of the Superintendent until the age of eighteen, unless apprenticed out or discharged. A child could be apprenticed out from twelve years of age. Each child was to receive instruction in the religion of his family. The wooden sailing ship the "Vernon", moored in Sydney Harbour between the Government Domain and Garden Island, was declared a Public Industrial School on 6 May, 1867. On board the "Vernon", boys received a combination of moral training, nautical and industrial training and instruction, and elementary schooling - by 1881 the "Vernon" boys received an education in the same subjects as children received at any other Public School as prescribed by the Department of Public Instruction. From its commencement, the "Vernon" served as both an Industrial School and a Reformatory. After the passage of the State Children Relief Act, 1881 [44 Victoria, Act No. 24, 1881] the majority of destitute boys were boarded-out rather than being sent to industrial schools and those committed to the "Vernon" were increasingly boys with criminal charges. On 8 November, 1892 the "Vernon" was replaced by the "Sobraon", which was treble the size of its predecessor. [http://investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/Entity.aspx?Path=%5CAgency%5C411] Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 10040, 5 May 1904, Page 2. - see http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast? a=p&p=home&e=-------100--1----0ship+hawaiin+isles-Pony racing was "any meeting at which the conditions of any race included any condition relating to the height of any horse, mare or gelding eligible to compete". (http://megalong.cc/FamilyHistory/HorseRacing.htm) Between 1888 and 1942, unregistered pony racing broke away from and challenged registered horseracing to become one of Sydney’s most popular sporting industries. Most pony races were in fact contested by fully-grown thoroughbreds (http://www.wallawallapress.com/racing-pony-sydney.php). The Hawkesbury Racecourse is near Windsor (http://www.hawkesburyraceclub.com.au/hawkesbury/AboutUs.asp) William's height was 5' 3" at a time when the average height for an Australian male was 5' 6½". He grew from 4' ¼", 63 ¼ lbs on 21 Dec 1897 to 4' 9½", 90 lbs. when discharged to the SV "Hawaiin Isles" in April 1901. It was only after 8 years of regular diet and hard work as an Able Seaman, particularly with working aloft on sailing vessels, that he bulked up to 158 lbs and developed the barrel chest, heavy shoulders and strong arms shown in his photograph.
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Given Name:__________________________________ Middle Name:_____________________________ Surname:________________________________________________ Membership Number:___________ Address:______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ e-mail address:________________________________________________________________________ Telephone:___________________________ _____________Date:_________________________________ I enclose a cheque for _______________, made payable to Clann Chaomhánach. Note that there are over 200 different spelling interpretations of the Irish name “Caomhánach”, including Cavanagh, Kavanagh, Cavanaugh, Kavanaugh, Cavana, Cavenaugh, Cavannah, Kavna, etc. Please list your nearest ancestor with a Caomhánach surname.
Copy, fill out, and mail this completed application form together with your cheque to:
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Programme of Events for the 2012 Clann Chaomhánach Gathering Thursday, 13th September (Field Trip Day) 9:00am 12:30 pm
Conducted Field Trip to Historic Clan Sites Lunch Stop
6:00 pm
Approximate Return to Bunclody
8:00 pm
Relaxed, traditional entertainment with the group “Celtic Roots”
Friday, 14th September (Genealogy Day) 9:00 am 10:00 to 10:15 am
Historical Background Presentation Tea / Coffee break
10:15 am
Family Septs Presentation
12:00 pm
Biennial General Meeting
1:00 pm
Lunch
2:00 pm
Family Research Issues, including:
* *
What’s New? DNA – Current Position
3:15 pm
Genealogy Resources
4:30 pm
Part 1: Genealogy Consultation Workshop
8:00 pm
Céilí and Old Time with the group “Celtic Roots”
Saturday, 15th September (History, Inauguration and Banquet) 9:00 am
Coach departs the Carlton Millrace Hotel Travel to Ferns, Co Wexford, with stops for:
*
Wreath laying ceremony at Bunclody Cemetery
*
Wreath Laying ceremony at Ferns Cemetery
10:00 to 10:15 am
Tea / Coffee, Biscuits in Ferns
10:15 am
Inauguration of Chief Cathal Cavanagh at Ferns Castle
11:30 am
Tour of Ferns Castle
1:00 pm
Lunch at the “Courtyard” in Ferns
2:00 pm
Coach leaves Ferns for the return to Bunclody
3:00 pm
Part 2: Genealogy Consultation Workshop
4:00 pm
Tea / Coffee Biscuits
7:30 pm
Chief’s Banquet in the Carlton Millrace Hotel
*
Honors Awards
Sunday, 16th September (Farewell Day) Services (Catholic 9 am/12 pm) (C of I 11:30 am) 10:00 am
Tea / Coffee Biscuits
10:15 am
Open Panel Discussion on General Issues
*
Gathering Critique
*
Closing and Farewell
Clann Chaomhánach 2012 GATHERING
12th – 16th September 2012 Carlton Millrace Hotel, Carrigduff, Bunclody, Co. Wexford, Ireland.
Please print and fill out this Registration Attendance form and mail it together with your cheque (payable to Clann Chaomhánach) to: Fergus Kavanagh 514 Orwell Park Way, Templeogue, Dublin 6w, Ireland.
REGISTRATION FORM Please supply contact details of all those of your group who are attending the Gathering: ____________________________________________ Membership # ________ (Non-members may attend)
Name Address
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
e-mail address __________________________________________ Phone:_______________ How many persons are in your group? _____ How many of them will attend the gathering? ______ Please supply Name, Address, e-mail, and Phone # of all those of your group attending the gathering (please use the reverse). IMPORTANT: Will you have your own transport in Ireland? _______ Date of arrival in Ireland ________________ Date of departure from Ireland _________________
Full Attendance Registration Fees 2012 Clann Chaomhánach Gathering 12th to 16th September Attendee Type
Full Gathering th
Member Member’s Spouse Non-Member
No. of Attendees
th
12 to 16 Sept. 2012 12th to 16th Sept. 2012 12th to 16th Sept. 2012
Fees in Euros
Fee
€ 180 per person € 110 per spouse € 200 per person
Total Due
Day to Day Registration Fees Special Attendance fee per person per day for anyone attending on a day to day basis. Day to Day ( any person ) Wed.12th Sept. Registration / Reception th Thurs.13 Sept. Tour Day / Social Evening Fri. 14th Sept. Genealogy / Biennial G.M. / DNA / Céilí Sat. 15th Sept. History / Inauguration / Banquet Sun.16th Sept. Open Panel / Farewell Day
No. of Attendees
Fees in Euros
Fee
€ 20 per person € 80 per person € 60 per person € 60 per person € 20 per person
Total Due st
Fees must be paid in full by 1 July 2012. Registrations received after 2nd July, will incur a € 25 late surcharge per person. If you cancel before 12th August 2012, we will refund 50% of fee already paid. For currency conversion rate see website http://www.xe.com/ucc/ or check with your local bank. Cheques should be made payable to Clann Chaomhánach and mailed with this form to above address. If you need accommodations, Clann Chaomhánach can make your reservations and send you confirmation and payment instructions with further information, upon receipt of the Accommodation Reservation Form. This form is available on the Clann website at http://www.kavanaghfamily.com, or you can print copies of this and the next page.
Clann Chaomhánach 2012 GATHERING
12th – 16th September 2012 Carlton Millrace Hotel, Carrigduff, Bunclody, Co. Wexford, Ireland.
Please complete and mail this form to:
Fergus Kavanagh 514 Orwell Park Way, Templeogue Dublin 6W, Ireland. or, if you prefer, you can e-mail this as an attachment to: [email protected]
GATHERING ACCOMMODATIONS FORM (non-members may attend) Name ______________________________________ Membership # ____________ Address _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ e-mail address ______________________________
Phone: _________________________
Important : Will you have your own transportation in Ireland ? _________________________ Please mark (X) required Accommodation B&B 11th__, 12th__, 13th__, 14th__, 15th__, Sept. 2012 Other dates ______________________________________________________________________ How many people traveling with you will need Gathering Accommodations? How many bedrooms will you need? _____ Double beds ______ Single beds _______ Special Requirements / Comments : _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Please check your preference below: [ ] Carlton Millrace Hotel, 4 nights B&B = € 216 per person sharing @ €54 p.p. sharing per night [ ] Carlton Millrace Hotel, 4 nights B&B = € 276 per person single @ € 69 p.p. single rate per night [ ] Carlton Millrace Apartments (1 double & 2 single beds) B&B @ €54 per person sharing per night [ ] Moderate B&B
€ 40 - € 45 per person per night
[ ] Quality B&B
€ 45 - € 60 per person per night
Upon receipt of this Gathering Accommodations form, Clann Chaomhánach will make your reservations and send you confirmation, payment instructions and further information. Currency conversion rates are available at: http://www.xe.com/ucc/
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Clann Chaomhánach 2011 Annual
Maurice Dennis Kavanagh, LLD CKB Sometimes it is difficult to discover very much about the life of someone in the public eye, no matter how exceptional they may be, as they are outshone by their in-laws. Such was the case with a barrister, Dr Maurice Dennis Kavanagh LLB. His father Dennis was a civil servant from Dingle, Co Kerry, Ireland, the third son of the family, Maurice was born in Penzance, Cornwall, England in 1840. According to the census, the family must have moved shortly afterward, for they do not appear to have been resident there in 1841. Maurice was educated at St. Edmunds College, Ware, Hertfordshire, where he would have been a boarder at possibly one of the oldest Roman Catholic Public Schools in the country. Later he attended University College, London, where he took high honours. He then became a professor of Classics and Modern History at St John’s College, Waterford, Ireland. While at University in London, he wrote several text books which would be equally as educational today (1). *
A New Latin grammar, Maurice D. Kavanagh, The Catholic Bookselling and Publishing Co Ltd, London, 1859.
*
A New English Grammar, calculated to perfect Students in the Knowledge of Grammar, Parsing, Derivation, and the Principles of Composition, M. D. Kavanagh, The Catholic Bookselling and Publishing Co Ltd, London, 1859.
*
A New Latin Delectus, with the Rules of Syntax, M. D. Kavanagh, published by Oxford University press in 1868. This was reproduced in 2010 by BiblioBazaar, as they consider this book would be too terrible a loss not to be re-printed.
He studied Law with Professor Prideaux Q.C., and having successfully completed his examinations, he was recommended for the Bar by Lord Coleridge, and seconded by Sir Thomas Chambers. Dr Kavanagh is described in the book ‘Men at the Bar’, by Joseph Foster, as of the Oxford circuit, a student of the Middle Temple in 1866, and called to the bar in November 1871. He had achieved a Doctor of Law qualification (LLD), and became a barrister. It is believed that during this period of time, Maurice met Baroness Mary Constantia, the widow of Baron Vavasour. She was the daughter of Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, and a direct descendant of King James I of England and VI of Scotland. The Clifford family were one of few English aristocratic families to retain their Roman Catholic faith. Their large family estate, Ugbrook Park, is in Chudleigh, Devon. Maurice married Baroness Mary Constantia Clifford Vavasour in February, 1865 (2). She had five children from her previous marriage. Maurice appears to have had several business interests, and in 1867 (3) he is listed as a director of the Paraguassu Tramroad Co. Ltd., of Brazil. His address at that time is listed as Clifford Hall, Finchley, where his daughters Mary Constantia, and Blanche were born. In 1871 he tried his hand in political circles, not forgetting his Irish family home of Dingle Co Kerry. When he stood for election as the prospective member for Limerick, he made it clear he was Roman Catholic and in favour of Irish Home Rule (4). His canvassing must not have been successful. He is reported to have stood for election once again, running his campaign from London in January 1872, when vacancies occurred in Galway and Kerry. Again in 1885, from his then home in Ramsgate, Kent, he gave notification of his intentions to offer his Parliamentary services. He stated that he was from the southwest of Ireland, as he would be seeking election in Kerry (5), and would stand with the sanction and approval of Mr Parnell. At that time he was supported by his brother-in-law, Bishop William Clifford, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Clifton, Gloucestershire. Maurice practised law in England for several years and then he went to India, where he had a prominent position as counsel for the ex-Gaekwar of Baroda. This implies that Maurice travelled to India after the trial and deposition of the Indian Prince by the Viceroy of India, in 1875. The Prince (6) was accused of treason under
Dingle, 19th Century
Clann Chaomhánach 2011 Annual
25
British law, having allegedly attempted to poison Col. Phayre, who was new to the area. The trial went ahead as a hearing without a jury, but with a panel of six judges (three English and three Indian). The verdict was inconclusive, with 50% of the panel calling for acquittal. Weeks later, the Viceroy, Lord Northbrook, ignored the verdict and made the decision to depose and exile the prince to Madras. As as could be expected, it was the three Indian judges who favoured acquittal. It would appear that the Gaekwar may well have tried to clear his name and regain his position as the ruling Maharajah of Baroda, but it could easily be said, that his exile was a convenient situation for British rule at that particular time. His reputation having preceded him,the services of the eminent barrister, Dr Maurice D Kavanagh LLD, were called upon by the Indian prince. However, if appeals were made, they do not appear to have been successful (7). On the death of the Maharajah Gaekwar Mulmarrao, his widows continued to correspond with and use the counsel of Dr Kavanagh. The prince was succeeded by his son who died in 1939. On his return to England, Maurice and his wife lived in Warwick Terrace, Leamington Priors (8) in Warwickshire, with their children. Maurice was recommended by Sir William Harcourt for appointment as a magistrate in the London area, and was later recommended by Sir Richard Webster for judicial service in the colonies. This involved having a second home in the city, where he lived in Highbury. He became a guardian of the poor, and a member of the vestry for Wandsworth and Clapham, and he was highly respected. While his career and reputation as a barrister flourished, his marriage suffered , and in 1887 (9) he filed for divorce. This appears to be the point where everything started to go wrong for Maurice. By 1888 he was bankrupt - possibly due to supporting his wife and her seven children in a manner to which they were accustomed. Undeterred, he continued to work as a barrister in Wandsworth. He is listed in the 1891 census as living in Battersea. Things took an even worse turn for Maurice, when he was accused of obtaining £5 under false pretences, by Mrs O’Flynn, the wife of a barrister named John Dillon O’Flynn, who had just been released from prison on grounds of ill health. Dr. Kavanagh was found guilty in the August 1895 sessions at St Mary’s Newington, and then he spent two months in prison awaiting sentence. The sentence was reviewed at the next sessions in October. In view of his age (10) , his haggard and dejected appearance after two month’s in prison in comparison to his previously impeccable grooming, and his former exemplary conduct, character and social standing, a request for clemency was submitted by the defence counsel. Just as the judge was about to give a decision on the request for clemency, former barrister Mr. O’Flynn stood and asked to address the court, and requested that the sentence be postponed until such time as Kavanagh could collect documents from his home, which could be returned to Mrs O’Flynn. The judge postponed the sentence, in order to give such time so that a settlement might be arranged. However, the documents could not be produced, as these were in the hands of the Receivers, who had taken them along with all other items in possession of Dr Kavanagh at the time of his bankruptcy in 1888. This was some 8 years prior to this case, when documents in this current lawsuit were not an issue. The O’Flynns must have been well aware of the location of the documents long before the case was brought to court.
Gaekwar of Baroda
Dr. Kavanagh appealed. He understood the £ 5 to be a loan from Mrs O’Flynn, and having received money from India, he could easily repay that loan, and again claimed his innocence of obtaining the money by false pretences. In November 1895, he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment (11). As he was being removed from the dock, he was still protesting his innocence of the crime that ruined his career as a barrister, his reputation and his position in society.
It is worthy of note that a great amount of information about Dr Kavanagh used in this article was found in a New Zealand Maori newspaper (12). Such was the international interest in the case. This fall from grace was underscored, when Christopher Cavanagh of 5 Elm Court, Temple, placed an entry in The Times to state that he had no connection with the disgraced barrister Maurice Dennis Kavanagh(13). It seems a great pity, that the character of the plaintiffs does not appear to have been taken into consideration in the defence of Dr. Kavanagh. Mr John Dillon O’Flynn, Barrister, had received a
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five year sentence at the Old Bailey for receiving £ 500 by false pretences from three separate individuals, and for passing in the region of 100 dishonoured cheques from his account with the Bank of Agra, in 1894 . During his trial, O’Flynn denied that he was married to the lady in court, who was claiming to be his wife at that time. When questioned, she admitted she was aware that he was living with another woman with children in Houlgate, but explained that he had promised to marry her (14). What happened to Maurice Denis Kavanagh, after he was released from prison, is unknown. The publicity of his demise, and his appearance when in court for sentencing, seemed to show that life in prison was very difficult for him. A barrister incarcerated in cells with criminals he may have previously served against in court, would be far out of his comfort zone, and it raises concern for his mental and physical health, most especially as he constantly protested his innocence and considered circumstances to have been a miscarriage of justice. In 1898, an enquiry took place with regards to the services of Dr. Kavanagh, who had drawn up the will for the estate of a Mr Staunton of Notting Hill, London, where he was named as a joint executor (15). Kavanagh’s address was traced from the Law List of 1898 to Lavender Hill, Clapham Junction, London, and notification of the death of Mr Staunton was sent to that address. Mrs Staunton had no contact with Dr Kavanagh since her husband made his will, and was unaware whether the barrister was alive or dead. Having received no reply from the last known address, Dr. Kavanagh was replaced as an executor of the will by Mrs Staunton’s son. Efforts to find the barrister after this date have so far proved inconclusive. There is a death record for a Maurice Denis Kavanagh in Prestwich near Manchester, in the north of England, in 1899. This registration area covers a very large, highly populated area, and includes, Prestwich, Harpurhey, Moston, Great Heaton, Beswick, Blackley, Bradford (Lancs), Cheetham, Clayton, Crumpsall and parts of North Manchester. It also was the location of the largest Mental Hospital in Europe. This is most likely a namesake, as the age of the deceased is inconsistent with that given at the sessions hearings in London, and the barrister does not appear to have had any connections with Lancashire. More importantly, there were several Maurice Kavanaghs of varying spellings during that period, including an Irish parish priest and author, Fr. Maurice Dennis Kavanagh, whose book “Shemus Dhu, the black pedlar of Galway. A tale of the penal times” was published posthumously by publishers James Duffy in 1867 in Dublin. Baroness Mary Constantia died in 1898. In keeping with their faith, neither re-married. He does not appear in the 1901 census of England, and the Prestwich death is the only one listed for a Maurice Dennis Kavanagh. There is always the possibility that Dr. Kavanagh returned to friends or family in Ireland. He may have changed his name by deed poll, or he may even have returned to India, and the benevolence of his former clients, the Indian prince’s family. In these scenarios, a death would not have been registered under that name in England. Considering the general interest in the case, and the public humiliation he suffered, particularly as he claimed complete innocence, his disappearance is no surprise. Given the chance to do so, perhaps friends or family helped him get away from the public attention. We do not know the answer. Wherever it was, may he rest in peace, content that there are those even today who doubt his guilt.
Endnotes: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11)
These books are available at Google Books (http://books.google.com/). See The Peerage at www.thepeerage.com/ The Economist, Jan 1867 The Times, 1 Jun 1871 and 1 Jan 1872 The Times, 5 Oct 1885 This trial is explained in a journal by Judith Rowbottom in the Liverpool Law Review Book, Vol 28, no 3 (2007), Miscarriage of Justice? Post Colonial Reflections on the Trial of the Maharajah of Baroda, 1875. Hansard, HC Deb 10 August 1882, vol 273 cc 1370-1 1881 census of Warwickshire National Archives, Divorce Proceedings, 1887, J/77/385/1698 He was in his 57th year at that time (The Liverpool Mercury, Glasgow Herald, Birmingham Daily Post etc, who refer to him as a barrister Morris Denis
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(12) (13) (14) (15)
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Cavanagh formerly married to the daughter of a peer of the realm and Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper (London, England), Sunday, October 20, 1895; Issue 2761 who refer to him as Dr Morris Dennis Kavanagh.). The Tuapeka Times, Rōrahi XXVIII, Putanga 4309, 15 Kohitātea 1896, Page 5 The Times, 21 Oct 1895 The Old Bailey Online, Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey Proceedings 23 July 1894 Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser (Dublin, Ireland), Tuesday, 10 May 1898
Illustrations: Dingle Town illustration from Devonshire & Cornwall Illustrated, Kohn Britton, Edward Wiedlake Brayley, 1832, p. 13 Gaekwar of Baroda, see Victorian Calendar at http://victoriancalendar.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/april-23-1875-gaekwar-ofbaroda.html Many countries have legends about a white lady seen in rural areas, said to be a harbinger of death. Most are familiar with banshee legends in Ireland, but how many are familiar with the white lady of St Mullins? The following was taken from “The Poetical Works of Lageniensis” ( by John Canon O'Hanlon, James Duffy and Co. Ltd., Dublin, 1893, downloaded at Google Books). This is found under The Legend Lays of Ireland, on pages 271-272, No. XXIV - "Legend of St. Mullins",
THE WHITE GOBLIN Above the Barrow's banks 'mid clustered thorns A venerable chantry's walls are seen, And oft, 'tis said, a goblin lady warns Belated revelers. From her ivy screen Forth issuing through those boughs of darkest green, She sails on air, in white and floating train, With icy clasp her arm will slowly lean, And press with death's embrace the mounted swain, For worse than plague the touch of her most fatal strain.
"A venerable chantry's walls are seen."—Allusion is here made to that interesting group of ruins, situated as described, in the barony of Lower St. Mullins, county of Carlow. They crown a beautiful and romantically placed ridge, rising over the Barrow's bank, yet, at some little distance above its waters. Here, about the middle of the seventh century, St. Moling founded a monastic establishment. There is still extant an Irish poem, attributed to the celebrated Finn Mac Cool, and relating to the local features and future celebrity of Ros Broc, an ancient denomination for St. Mullins. Another name of this place had been Aghacainid; but, it was afterwards called TeghMoling, after the name of its patron saint. He is said to have governed this house for many years—part of which was spent at Glendalough—until he was elevated to the See of Ferns, A.D. 691. We find him styled Archbishop of that See. In the year 693, he induced Finnachta, monarch of Ireland, to exempt the Leinster province from a heavy tribute of oxen, with which it had long been burthened. Several prophecies have been attributed to St. Moling. He died on the 17th of June, A.D. 697. Soon after his death, the monastery was plundered by the Danes, A.D. 951, and it was destroyed by fire in 1158. Subsequently, the Canons Regular of St. Augustine here founded an abbey, the ruins of which are yet visible. St Mullins was the burial place of the Caomhánachs, Kings of Leinster. Within the old walls may be seen a tomb erected over General Cloney, so celebrated in connection with the Rebellion of 1798. A goblin lady.—From the old grave-yard at this place, a lady clothed in a long and flowing white dress has sometimes been known to proceed, when a solitary horseman may happen to be riding, at a late hour of the night, and along those roads, leading from St. Mullins in various directions. She seats herself behind the rider, and grasps him around the waist. He becomes chilled with this cold embrace; and then, after riding with him for some time, the goblin lady disappears. Soon afterwards, the rider begins to decline in health, until death ensues, when it is thought the white lady claims him as a future tenant of that ancient burial ground which she haunts. Photographs on the back cover of this annual show views of St. Mullins, including the Memorial to Art Caomhánach; three Caomhánach tombs in the enclosure; the Penal Altar with the grave of Brian na Stroake (Caomhánach), and three overviews of the graveyard, buildings and remains.
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Waterloo Celia, Cathal & Jim
Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812, and subsequent disastrous winter retreat, resulted in the virtual annihilation of his Grande Armée. French losses during the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815) were approximately 800,000 killed by weather and disease, primarily during the Russian campaign, in addition to over 350,000 killed in action or missing, and an estimated 600,000 civilian casualties(1). Under provisions of the Treaty of Fontainebleau, the "Sixth Coalition", composed of the United Kingdom, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Sicily, Sardinia and (after Leipzig) Saxony, Bavaria and Würtemberg, were able to force Napoleon to abdicate as Emperor of France in April 1814. King Louis XVIII assumed the throne. Napoleon was exiled to the French-owned Island of Elba, accompanied by a bodyguard of some 600 men. He remained there for 300 days, until early 1815, before escaping and returning to France. A large number of his former officers and veterans quickly mustered to his cause and he reassumed control for his famous "100 Days" in power. Napoleon’s European adversaries countered by forming a new "Seventh Coalition" to oppose him, with forces mobilized from the United Kingdom, the United Netherlands, Prussia and the lesser German States of Hanover, Nassau and Brunswick. Napoleon had been successful in the past by mounting very swift strikes against his opponents, before they could unite their forces against him, thus allowing him to pick them off individually. In keeping with this strategy, Napoleon formed and pushed his new army of volunteers over the border of France into what is now Belgium (then the Dutch Netherlands), where Napoleon in his study, 1812, an Anglo-Dutch army under the Duke of Wellington, and a Prussian army under Marshal by Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) von Blücher, were assembling. Napoleon had greater forces under his command than either of his opponents individually, and therefore, his objective was to engage and defeat each of these two major opponents separately, before they could unite and overwhelm him. He could rely on some sympathetic support from the local French-speaking Belgians. Moreover, since most of the seasoned British veterans of the Peninsular War in Spain and Portugal had been sent overseas to fight the 1812-15 War against the American Colonies, or to secure British interests in the Caribean, Mediterranean and Far East, the British troops in Belgium were regarded as less experienced, second line troops. Napoleon divided his forces into a left wing commanded by Marshal Ney, a right wing commanded by Marshal Grouchy, and a reserve under his own personal command. These elements would operate in sufficiently close proximity to provide mutual support if needed, yet still present the threat of three large forces spaced across a front. On the Allied side, the Anglo-Dutch commander was the Irish-born Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, who had distinguished himself during the Peninsular War. His ancestors were from Co. Meath and Co. Kildare. He was married to Kitty Pakenham, daughter of the 2nd Baron Longford, whose brother, General Edward Pakenham, was killed at the Battle of New Orleans during the 1812 War. The commander-in-chief of Prussia's Army of the Lower Rhine was Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. Referred to by his troops as “Marschall Vorwärts” (2), he began his military career as a 16-year old hussar in the Swedish army during the Pomeranian Campaign of 1760. He developed into a very seasoned, if controversial officer, as he subsequently fought for Prussia during campaigns in the Seven Years and Napoleonic Wars, in campaigns at Auerstadt, in Pomerania, Prenslau, Lübeck, Berlin, Königsberg, Lützen, Bautzen, Katzbach, Möckern, Leipzig, Brienne, La Rothière, Champaubert, Vauchamps, Château-Thierry, Montmirail, Laon and Montmartre.
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, 1814, by Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830)
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Napoleon first concentrated on the Prussians, and defeated them soundly at Ligny on June 16th. In this engagement, von Blücher was nearly killed, as he lay trapped under a dead horse while the battle surged around him. His chief-of-staff, Gneisenau, took command and was able to rally and withdraw the defeated army, and keep it in the field The column under Marshall Ney attacked toward Quatre Bras on the direct road between the Anglo-Dutch and Prussian forces. This junction was defended by the Dutch forces under the Prince of Orange. Wellington was just able to bring up sufficient strength to help stiffen the defense, and held Quatre Bras long enough to locate and develop a fallback defensible position. He expected that he would have to hold off a much larger French force until the Prussians could regroup and join him. From Quatre Bras, when threatened with being flanked, he withdrew to that position near Waterloo. This location offered three strong defensive features. The château of Hougoumont on the extreme right faced north along a sunken, covered lane. This was usually described by the British Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, (3) as "the hollow-way", and it allowed a sheltered route for resupply. On the extreme left was the hamlet of Papelotte, which securely anchored his flank, and also commanded the road to Wavre, that the Prussians would use to send reinforcements to Wellington's position. On the western side of the main road, and in front of the rest of Wellington's line, was the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte. The 95 th Rifles, with their longer ranged weapons (4), were posted as sharpshooters around a disused sand quarry on the opposite side of the road. This position presented a formidable challenge to an attacker. Any attempt to turn Wellington's right would entail taking the entrenched Hougoumont position. Any attack on his right centre would mean the attackers would have to march between enfilading fire from Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte. On the left, any attack would also be enfiladed by fire from La Haye Sainte and its adjoining sandpit. Any attempt at turning the left flank would entail fighting through the streets and hedgerows of Papelotte, on soft and soggy ground. Wellington received additional support from a heavy rain during the night, which delayed the onset of the battle by making it difficult for the French to emplace their guns and maneuver their cavalry. Napoleon delayed giving battle until noon on 18 June, in order to allow the ground to dry. Fighting raged around the strongpoints of Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte. Wellington's army, positioned across the Brussels road on the MontSt.Jean escarpment, repelled repeated attacks by the French. Marshal Ney mistakenly thought he detected a retreat, and wasted his cavalry in futile and costly attacks against the infantry formed into defensive squares. Even so, the situation was becoming dire and it seemed to be a question of “when”, not "if", the French would overrun
Battle of Waterloo by William Sadler (1782-1839)
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The 28th Regiment at Quatre Bras, 1875, Elizabeth Thompson (1846-1933)
them. Von Blücher was able to reassemble his army and, as he had promised Wellington, marched to join the AngloDutch forces. The Prussians arrived on the field in the late afternoon and broke through Napoleon's right flank. Wellington rallied the Anglo-Dutch force and launched a counter-attack. The combined forces drove the French army in disorder from the field. Pursuing Coalition forces entered France, seized Paris, and restored King Louis XVIII to the French throne. Napoleon abdicated, surrendered to the British, and was exiled to Saint Helena, where he died in 1821. There is broad disagreement regarding actual casualties. “The Battle of Waterloo, with those of Ligny and Quatre Bras” by George Jones, London, 1852, shows detailed results taken from official unit reports submitted 16-26 June 1815. Accordingly, the British Army had 11,084 casualties (5) of 38,815 effectives. No statistics are given for losses by Hannover, Brunswick and Nassau. Dutch casualties are listed as 4,136, but there is no indication whether these include Belgian casualties. The effective strength for forces of the British Army, Hannover, Brunswick, Nassau and Belgium is given as 74,040. This same source reports casualties for the four Prussian Corps during the month from 15 June to 23 July as 33,132 (1 Corps, 14,439; 2 Corps, 7,616; 3 Corps, 4,724, and 4 Corps, 6,353). These figures strongly disagree with other estimates (6), for example, the Coalition forces of 68,000 reporting 13,700 killed/wounded and 3,300 missing, or the Prussians as 50,000 reporting 5,600 killed/wounded and 1,400 missing. Most historians have noted that the “unit reports” were not consistently handled, and this would certainly account for even very large discrepancies in reporting. The casualty figures for French forces at Quatre Bras and Waterloo vary just as widely, with approximately 72,000 effectives suffering around 25,000 killed and wounded, 8,000 prisoners, and 15,000 missing. Waterloo marked the end of twenty-three (23) years of war that had begun with the French Revolutionary Wars in 1792, and continued with the Napoleonic Wars starting in 1803. The significance of Waterloo is clearly seen in the recognition, honors and awards granted by the United Kingdom.
Waterloo Medal: "Horse Guards, 10th of March, 1816. The Prince Regent has been graciously pleased, in the name
and on the behalf of his Majesty, to command, that in commemoration of the brilliant and decisive victory of Waterloo a medal shall be conferred upon every officer, noncommissioned officer, and soldier of the British Army present upon that memorable occasion. His Royal Highness has further been pleased to command that the ribbon issued with the medal shall never be worn but with the medal suspended to it. By command of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, Frederick, Commander-in-Chief. H. Torrent, Major-general and Military Secretary." (7) The Waterloo Medal was issued starting in 1816 to soldiers of the British Army who took part in one or more of the battles of Ligny (16 June 1815), Quatre Bras (16 June 1815), or Waterloo (18 June 1815). The obverse of this medal bears the effigy of the Prince Regent with the inscription 'GEORGE P. REGENT', while the reverse depicts the seated figure of Victory with the words 'WELLINGTON' and 'WATERLOO' below and the date 'JUNE 15 1815'. The ribbon passes through
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a large iron ring on top of the medal, which is made of silver and is 37mm wide. In addition to the command that the ribbon may not be worn without the medal suspended from it, this decoration has several distinctions (8): *
It is the first medal issued to all soldiers present at an action (The Military General Service Medal, which commemorates earlier battles, was not issued until 1848).
*
The Waterloo Medal was the first campaign medal awarded to the next-of-kin of men killed in action.
*
The Waterloo Medal was the first medal to be personalized by having the recipient's name impressed around the edge by machine.
Medals issued to Caomhánachs who participated in the Battle of Waterloo are listed below. That the list is not lengthier is no doubt due to the fact that the only "Irish" regiments that participated at Waterloo appear to be the 8 th Royal Irish Hussars and the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons. This was no doubt due to the suddenness of Napoleon’s 100Day Campaign, which made the Irish regiments stationed overseas unavailable. However, given the large proportion of Irish in the British army, it is inevitable that some Caomhánachs were dispersed in other regiments. The end of hostilities of the "War of 1812" in early 1815 resulted in the withdrawal of the Connacht Rangers from overseas, but they arrived back too late to participate at Waterloo. Unit casualties are also shown. J.G. Cavenagh, Surgeon, Royal Staff Corps was the only officer listed (9). Thomas Cavanagh, Private, 6th (or Inniskilling) Dragoons, Captain William F. Hadden's Troop. The regiment was part of the Union Brigade(10) at Waterloo. Casualties: 73 killed, 116 wounded, 27 missing, of 397 effectives (11). Charles Cavanagh, Private, 3rd Battalion, 14th Regiment of Foot, Captain Richard Adam's Company, fought at Waterloo. Casualties: 10 killed, 29 wounded, 26 missing of 572 effectives. (12). William Cavanagh, Private, 16th (Queens) Regiment of Light Dragoons, Captain Buchanan's Troop, fought at Waterloo. Casualties: 10 killed, 22 wounded, 18 missing of 387 effectives. (13). Lawrence Kavanagh, Private, Major Richard Crocker's Troop, and Thomas Cavanagh, Private, Captain J.R.L. Lloyd's Troop, 18th (King's Irish) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars) (14), fought at was at Quatre Bras and Waterloo. Casualties: 13 killed, 74 wounded, 17 missing of 396 effectives (15). Charles Cavanagh, Arm. Serjeant, 23rd Regiment of Foot, Captain Hawtyn's (Major) Company Grenadiers. 23rd Regiment of Foot, fought at Waterloo. Casualties: 18 killed, 86 wounded, of 641 effectives (16) Arthur Cavanagh, Corporal, 1st Battalion, 27th Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot fought at Waterloo. Casualties: 105 killed, 373 wounded, of 698 effectives (17) William Cavanagh, Private, 1st Battalion, 3rd Garrison Battalion, and William Cavanagh, Private, Captain Charles Tenlon's Company, and James Cavanagh, Private, Captain & Bt. Lieutenant Colonel Sir Fredk. Steven's Company, 28th Regiment of Foot fought at Quatre Bras (18). Casualties: 30 killed, 222 wounded of 567 effectives (19) Lawrence Cavanagh, Private, Captain David Davie's Company, 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot fought at Quatre Bras and Waterloo. Casualties: 50 killed, 320 wounded, of 689 effectives (20)
Shako Plate, 27th “Inniskilling” Regt.
David Cavanagh, Private, Captain John Shiddin's Company, and James Cavanagh, Private, Captain George Young's Company , 1st Battalion of the 52nd (Oxfordshire Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot fought at Waterloo. Casualties: 17 killed, 182 wounded, of 1032 effectives (21). William Cavanagh, Serjeant, Captain Chartre's Company, The 54th (West Norfolk) Regiment of Foot fought at Waterloo. Casualties: 2 killed, 2 wounded of 491 effectives (22) Patrick Cavanagh, Private, 1st Battalion, Captain J. Leach's Company, and
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William Cavanagh, Private, 1st Battalion, Captain E. Chawner's Company, and James Cavenagh, Serjeant, 2nd Battalion, Captain F. Le Blanc's Company , 95th Regiment of Foot (23) fought at Waterloo. Casualties, 1st Bn: 30 killed, 190 wounded of 571 effectives. 2nd Bn: 34 killed, 182 wounded, 20 missing, of 585 effectives. There is no agreement among sources, including official sources, regarding the number of Waterloo Medals issued. The number varies between 37,000 and 39,000. Misspelled names, mis-routed shipments, claims by unauthorized persons, incomplete or missing unit rosters, etc. all played a role, so that medals were still being processed in the 1830’s.
“Waterloo Men”: " War Office, July 31st, 1815. Sir, - The Prince Regent having taken into his most gracious
consideration the distinguished gallantry manifested upon all occasions by the Officers of the British army, and having more particularly adverted to the conspicuous valour displayed by them in the late glorious victory gained near Waterloo, by the army under the command of Field-marshal the Duke of Wellington; and his Royal Highness being desirous of testifying the strong sense entertained by him of their devotion to his Majesty's service, I have the honour to acquaint you, that his Royal Highness has been pleased to order ... (continues with three provisions for officers, then ...) His Royal Highness being also desirous of marking his sense of the distinguished bravery displayed by the noncommissioned Officers and Soldiers of the British forces in the victory of Waterloo, has been most graciously pleased to order, that henceforth every non-commissioned officer, trumpeter, drummer, and private man, who served in the battle of Waterloo, or in any of the actions which immediately preceded it, shall be borne upon the muster-rolls and pay-lists of their respective corps as 'Waterloo Men' and that every 'Waterloo Man' shall be allowed to count two years' service in virtue of that victory, in reckoning his services for increase of pay, or for pension when discharged. It is, however, to be distinctly understood, that this indulgence is not intended in any other manner to affect the conditions of their original enlistment, or to give them any right to their discharge before the expiration of the period for which they have engaged to serve. "The Duke of Wellington has been requested to transmit returns of the Subaltern Officers to whom these orders may be considered by his Grace to apply; together with accurate muster-rolls containing the names of all the ' Waterloo Men' in each corps; such muster-rolls being to be preserved in this Office as a record honourable to the individuals themselves, and as documents by which they will at any future time be enabled to establish their claims to the benefits of this regulation. I have great pleasure in communicating these instances of the Prince Regent's gracious consideration for the army; and I request that you will be pleased to take the earliest opportunity of announcing the same to the officers and men of the corps under your command. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient and humble servant, (Signed) Palmerston" (24) Thus, in additional to official recognition, a “Waterloo Man” gained the entitlement that two more years of service would bring with regard to eligibility for pay, promotion or pension. Starting 1 January 1686, provision was mode for payment of pensions to non-commissioned officers and soldiers, as administered by Chelsea Hospital or (for Ireland) Kilmainham Hospital (25). For “out-pensioners”, meaning Army pensioners who did not reside in Chelsea or Kilmainham hospitals, the service pensions were small, being more in the sense of supplemental income. Pension eligibility in 1853 was mentioned in an article about Chelsea Hospital: “All who served in the British infantry or cavalry 21 or 24 years, if regularly discharged with a pension at the end of that service, or half that time if disabled in active service, are eligible for the (Chelsea) Hospital, no matter what their country or religion may be.” (26)
Prize Money: "London Gazette, June 21, 1817. Grant by Parliament to the Army which served under the command of
field-marshal his grace the Duke of Wellington, in the battle of Waterloo and Capture of Paris, of Prize Money. Shares are assigned to the Commander-in-Chief and six classes (27) Commander-in-Chief's proportion is estimated at Class 1. General Officers Class 2. Field Officers Class 3. Captains Class 4. Subalterns Class 5. Serjeants Class 6. Corporals, Drummers, and Privates
£ £ £ £ £ £ £
61,000 1274 433 90 34 19 2
0 10 2 7 14 4 11
s s s s s s s
0 10¾ 4¼ 3¾ 9½ 4 4
d d d d d d d
General Pardon for Deserters: "War Office, June the 18th, 1817. A proclamation issued this day, for pardoning
deserters from his Majesty's regular land forces, to all who should surrender themselves before the 18th of August, 1817.
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Signed by command of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in behalf of his Majesty King George III. Palmerston." (28) It is possible that Caomhánachs served with other partners in the coalition (Prussia, Netherlands, Belgium, Hannover, Brunswick and Nassau) and certainly probable that Caomhánachs served with France. However, those records are not accessible at this time, and so it is not possible to list them here. Hopefully, they will be available some day. The following is attributed to Sir Edward Hamly (28), referring to the colors borne by the 32nd Foot at Waterloo, as displayed in Monmouth Church:
"A moth-eaten rag on a worm-eaten pole, It does not look likely to stir a man's Sole, 'Tis the deeds that were done 'neath the moth-eaten rag, When the pole was a staff, and the rag was a flag." Sources: Booth, John, The Battle of Waterloo, Containing the Series of Accounts Published by Authority, British and Foreign, with Circumstantial Details, Previous, During, and After the Battle, from a Variety of Authentic and Original Sources, with Relative Official Documents, Forming an Historical Record of the Operations in the Campaign of the Netherlands, 1815, 7th Edition, London, 1815 Gordon, Major L.L., British Battles and Medals, 5th Edition revised by Edward C. Joslin, London, Spinks & Son Ltd., 1979 Jones, George, The Battle of Waterloo, with those of Ligny and Quatre Bras, 11th Edition, L. Booth, London, 1852 Kelly Christopher, The Memorable Battle of Waterloo, Rider & Weed, London, 1817 Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Waterloo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_28th_Regiment_at_Quatre_Bras http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Quatre_Bras http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/hundred/c_chapter3.html http://www.battleofwaterloo.org/
Endnotes: (1) (2) (3) (4)
(5) (6) (7)
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars_casualties This nickname translates as Field Marshal “Forward!” The portrait is by an unknown artist copying Paul Ernst Gebauer (ca. 1815-1819). Muzzle-loading muskets and rifles at this period look similar and were loaded and fired the same way. The difference was the spiral cut rifling (grooves) in the barrel of the "rifle". This rifling imparts spin to the projectile as it travels down the barrel. This means a more stable trajectory, and thus greater accuracy. The tighter fit of the projectile means that it will travel faster and farther. The musket is a smooth bore weapon with a loose fitting projectile. Where a trained rifleman will consistently hit man-size targets beyond 100 yards (and out to several hundred yards), the working range for a musket was on the order of 40 to 50 yards, to an extreme range of perhaps 100 yards. Both forms could be fitted with a bayonet, and with the bayonet mounted, could be fired and reloaded. However, a fitted bayonet significantly slowed reloading the weapon and the additional weight of the mounted bayonet decreased accuracy . Reloading time determines the rate of fire. Trained line troops in massed formations could fire three aimed rounds from a musket in 3 minutes, and some highly trained units claimed up to 5 aimed rounds in 3 minutes. Rifle fire is measured in seconds (or minutes) per round because of the longer time needed to reload the weapon with the tighter-fitting projectile. Massed line infantry formations used muskets and fired on command in volleys. Light infantry skirmishers working in pairs, and riflemen in defensive positions used rifles. Casualties here refers to “killed, wounded and missing” . Refer to statistics and sources cited at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Waterloo. p.422, The Battle of Waterloo, with those of Ligny and Quatre Bras, George Jones, L. Booth, London, 1852)
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(8) see British Battles and Medals, Major L.L. Gordon, 5th Edition revised by Edward C. Joslin, London, 1979 (9) p. 439, Jones (10) see Wikipedia, The “Union Brigade” was composed of three regiments of heavy cavalry, one English (The Royal Dragoons), one Scottish (The Scots Greys) and one Irish (the Inniskillings) - thus, their brigade title (11) p. 404, Jones (12) p. 405, Jones (13) p. 404, Jones (14) informally known as the "Drogheda Light Horse" or humorously as the "Drogheda Cossacks" (15) p. 404, Jones (16) p. 405, Jones (17) p. 405, Jones (18) see the picture at the top of page 33, “The 28th Regiment at Quatre Bras”, by Elizabeth Thompson (1846-1933) which shows the 28th formed in square receiving a cavalry charge. (19) p. 405, Jones (20) p. 405, Jones (21) p. 405, Jones (22) p. 405, Jones (23) The 95th (Rifle) Regiment of Foot were renamed The Rifle Brigade in 1816 in honour of their achievements during the Peninsular and Waterloo campaigns (24) pp 419-420, Jones (25) search service records on line at http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/army-service-records/ (26) p 87, Victorian London - Publications - Social Investigation/Journalism - The Million-Peopled City, by John Garwood, 1853 - Chapter 2 - Greenwich and Chelsea Pensioners, at http://www.victorianlondon.org/publications4/peopled02.htm). (27) pp. 426-427, Jones (28) p. 428, Jones (29) see http://iaw.on.ca/~awoolley/lwcolour.html
Did You Know? “ANCIENT IRISH WAR CLUB The unique and hitherto undescribed implement of war, of which the woodcut is an exact representation, was found, some years since, in the county of Roscommon, and is now in the possession of Mr. Underwood, of Sandymount. It is of bronze, hollowed so as to receive a handle at one end, and perhaps a ball or spear at the other. Like all our very ancient weapons, its workmanship is of a distinguished excellence: and we have not found any thing resembling it in the published antiquities of any other country. That the ancient lrish had war clubs called crannibh, appears from old authorities in an insurrection in the Friary of St. Saviour, (county of Dublin) in 1351(?): we are informed that some of the bretheren were armed with clubs (Mon.Hib.p. 298).” From an article in the Dublin Penny Journal 1833-1834, Volume 2, Philip Dixon Hardy (Dublin, 1834), page 20, seen at Google-Book.
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St Nicholas in Luxembourg Researched by Cathal Cavanagh
Despite its small size ( 2,586 km2 and home to around 500,000 inhabitants), the modern Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a sovereign state with a rich history, which once had more extensive territories, including some parts of what are now France, Belgium and Germany. Nestled between France, Belgium and Germany in the heart of Europe, it has been involved in many of the great European historical developments. The turbulent past of the Grand Duchy is a true mirror of European history. It had Celtic origins from the Celtic tribes crossing the Rhine from about 900 BC onwards. The local tribe was the Treveri, after whom the nearby German town of Trier takes its name. The conquest of the Lower Moselle region by Julius Cesar from 58-54 BC, brought a major Roman influence to this region. There is also an early Irish connection, in that St.Willibrord, a Northumbrian monk, educated in Ireland for many years (probably near Clonmelch, Co. Carlow), arrived as a missionary in Luxembourg together with a number of accompanying Irish monks and established a famous monastery in Echternach in 698 AD. Luxembourg occupied an important strategic position on the European political chessboard. From the 16th century onwards, the country was drawn into the numerous wars fought for hegemony in Europe by the Spanish Habsburgs, and the Valois, and later the Bourbons of France. The city of Luxembourg was progressively transformed into one of the most renowned fortresses of Europe, often referred to as the “Gibraltar of the North”.
Luxembourg Fortifications, 1814 (1)
In 1659, the Treaty of the Pyrenees, which was designed to provisionally end an ongoing Franco-Spanish conflict, transferred the entire southern part of the Luxembourg Duchy to France. In 1684, the fortress of Luxembourg, which then had a Spanish garrison, was besieged by the armies of Louis XIV. After capturing the city, the French engineer Vauban (2), who had skillfully led the siege operations, carried out extensive fortification works. This fortification dominated the region on the left bank of the Rhine and controlled the approach routes between France and Germany. During a 30-year period, from 1684 onwards, the Duchy of Luxembourg remained under French rule. However, following the War of the Spanish Succession, by the treaties of Utrecht and Rastatt (1713-14), Luxembourg (along with Belgium), passed to the Austrian branch of the Habsburgs. The extract shown (to the left) was discovered by my historian friend, Eoghan Ó hAnnracháin. Moreover, in the course of his research, he has come across a number of records of former Jacobite “Wild Geese” Irish soldiers in the French, Spanish and Habsburg armies in Luxembourg. This is an extract from the records of marriages, baptisms and deaths from the 17th and 18th centuries, registered in the churches of Saint Michel and Saint Nicholas, in
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Luxembourg city. These records are conserved today in the Archives of the city of Luxembourg. The church of Saint Nicholas has been demolished, but fortunately most of its records are extant. The entry shown is from volume 4, folio 153, of the baptisms in the church of Saint Nicholas. We are indebted to Eoghan for identifying this interesting manuscript, as it records the presence of a Catherine Cavanagh, as godmother during the baptism of a Charles le Genre in 1705. In French the relevant part of the manuscript reads: Le Premier jour du mois de Juillet 1705 a esté baptizé Charle fils legitime de Jacqs Le Genre et de Nicolle Françoise de Maire Conioini Le père est valet de chambre à Monsieur de Grisilemont Commissaire ordinateur des trouppes de France en cette ville et Pays. Parain Monsieur Charles Broutin Trésorier du Roy en cette ville et marraine Damoiselle Catherine de Cavenat (corrected to Cavanagh) This translates as follows: On first of July 1705 was baptised Charles, the legitimate son of James Le Genre and of Nicole Françoise de Maire (spouses). The father is the personal valet of Mr. de Grisilemont, the Commissioner/Paymaster of the French troops in this city and country. The godfather is Mr. Charles Broutin, the King's treasurer in this city, and godmother is Catherine de Cavenat (corrected in her own handwriting to Cavanagh). This entry also includes the signature of Broutin de Lorsy (Treasurer of the French King in Luxembourg) mentioned above. A number of points are worth making: 1. Most of the records that we have of the Caomhánach Wild Geese refer to males only; this case is one of the exceptions. 2. Catherine was single and obviously well-educated, as she wrote in a very clear, educated hand. This would indicate that she had come from a prosperous family background. 3. Her presence as godmother at this baptism indicates that she was associated with the top level of French society in Luxembourg. It should be borne in mind that nomination as godmother was both an honour and a responsibility not lightly accorded in such circles in those days.
St. Nicholas and St. Michel under French bombardment in 1683/4
4. As of now, we have no clue as to her Irish family background. This might well emerge from later research, yet we can safely assume that she was from one of the leading Caomhánach families. A further reference to a Caomhánach around this period in Luxembourg is found in an article by an author named Alphonse Sprunck, entitled “Gens, Maisons et Rues de la Ville de Luxembourg de 1671 à 1697” in the Collection, "Les Amis de 'Histoire" Fascicule VIII, Luxembourg 1970, page 136, July 1696. It relates to a Mauritius Kavenagh, son of Jean Kavennagh, Lord of Taghmon, Co. Wexford. Since Taghmon is just 14 km west of Wexford town, and is on the edge of Caomhánach territory, this is likely to have been an example of an Irish person exaggeratedly claiming nobility, so as to reap the advantages of the economic and social importance of being classified as noble in French society at that period. Endnotes: (1)
Marshal of France and foremost military engineer of King Louis XIV.
(2)
Painting by Christophe-Guillaume Selig, fortifications as seen from Pfaffenthal after the capitulation of 1814, see http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Selig_Luxembourg_from_Paffendall.jpg
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Research Corner CKB
This year our research has led us to the Caomhánach families on mainland Britain. This migration from Ireland was not specific to the years of the famine, and some very early Caomhánach residents have been found during the 17th and 18th centuries. Those who moved to England, and then chose to emigrate beyond European shores, inadvertently made the time they spent on the British mainland an invaluable source of records. This is why this ongoing project is important to all, not just those living in Europe. Others chose to stay, and some intended returning to Ireland. Early emigrants on sailing vessels left from Cork, Dublin, and smaller Irish ports. As the larger steamers needed deeper harbours, the main ports for emigration soon became Queenstown, Belfast, Liverpool, Glasgow, Southampton, Plymouth and London. Of these, Liverpool quickly became "the" embarkation port, and even Scandinavian families made their way to America from the city. The first port of call was Queenstown (Cobh for Cork), where passengers from that port could be transported by boat to the ship, before it continued on to Canada, the United States, Central and South America, Australia and New Zealand. Ireland was a part of Great Britain, therefore information on the ship's manifest often did not discriminate between the four countries when leaving British shores. Passengers were listed with the nationality letters GB, leaving only one clue as to nationality based on their port of departure. However, since many Irish people chose to travel to Liverpool to start their journey, that is certainly not a foolproof identification. Looking at census or death certificates outside of Europe would not normally give evidence of time spent in England. A certificate would give the origin of the deceased as “Born in Ireland” with no mention of perhaps “Married in England.” For this reason, if you have the earliest census record of your family in your country, check for siblings born in England, Scotland or Wales. Perhaps British records could provide more information about your family, for example, where would the family look for Charles, son of Timothy and Mary Ann Keilly Kavanagh, when he is listed as born at sea aboard the Scottish Admiral in July 1883? In earlier times, up to the time of Catholic Emancipation in the 1820's, religion in England would have made migration to England uncomfortable for devout Catholics, and may very well have contributed to the limited numbers of records found in England during those years. Roman Catholics were severely restricted by law. The Popery Act of 1698, was introduced to discourage Catholicism in the British Isles, thus contributing to the lack of early Roman Catholic baptismal and marriage records. So strict were the rules, that Fr. Henry Kavanagh was imprisoned in Lichfield gaol in January 1746, merely for saying mass. However, just a few years earlier, and he could, and probably would, have been executed. Religion was an important factor in this country, and even the King, James II, had been deposed as he clearly preferred Catholicism in a then Protestant country. The Act was not repealed until 1778, when some of the restrictions were lifted, and discreet Roman Catholic churches started to appear around the country. The changes to the Act meant that Roman Catholics joining the Army and Royal Navy no longer had to swear allegiance to the King as the head of the Church, and so it became common to find Irish lads in British army and Royal Navy records. Those opposing the Act made unfounded claims, echoing their fears, that Catholic troops would turn to fight on the other side, in order to force a return to an absolute Catholic monarchical rule. There had to be a reason for this sudden tolerance of Roman Catholicism, and reading between the lines it becomes clear that there was a need for men to fight the French, Dutch, Spanish, and - most of all - the Americans, who were fighting for their independence at that time. This tolerance met great opposition from Lord Gordon, who demanded it be stopped. He saw all Catholics as potential traitors, considering it impossible to be true to the King and to the Pope at the same time. He formed a Protestant society to fight against the Act, and his demands sparked off the Gordon Riots, which caused great ill feeling towards Catholics in the country. These riots made life in London extremely uncomfortable for those of our name, and resulted in considerable damage to property owned by Roman Catholics. Eventually, however, this change to tolerance in the law helped to encourage
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Irish immigration. Before Emancipation, many Irish folk in England did not have the option of being able to attend a Roman Catholic Church, and they changed to Methodism and Protestantism. In many areas, these were the only available places of worship, and attendance at church on Sunday was often a condition of employment, even as late as the early 20th century. Marriages performed in the Church of England were a necessity in legitimate claims to inheritance prior to civil registration, so families did change religion, sometimes perhaps on a temporary basis, and it is possible to find records of our kin in the least expected places (see also the article on Fleet Prison Marriages in E-Newsletter #37). The high number of immigrants during the famine years caused the building of temporary Roman Catholic chapels, which were soon replaced by permanent buildings. This caused a lot of ill feeling and riots were again common. The anti-Catholic and anti-Irish riots in Wednesbury, in the 1860's and 1870's, again caused a great amount of ill feeling, and spurred many to emigrate. One example is the ill fated emigration to Brazil from Wednesbury, involving several Caomhánachs, who had to return to England or move on to the USA, if they survived. There are no records that document comings and goings between the four countries, as no national boundaries were crossed. In difficult times, young Irish people did seasonal work on British farms, sent money home to the family, and afterward returned home. The work would span a couple of months, and depending upon the month of the census, they may or may not have been enumerated. During the famine years, some found there was no home to return to, and they had to stay. Many followed the example of John Cavanagh, a young Irish lad from Co. Laois, who met and married his Scottish sweetheart Helen Gibson Caughtrie, in Dalmellington, while he was working in the fields in Ayrshire. He continued to work in the St Quivox area where their children were born. They later moved further north to Kilbride, where his family settled. It is very common to see census records of married men in lodgings, but their wives and families are elsewhere. Frequently the family was still in Ireland, waiting until a secure income and a home had been established. By the same token, it is also common to see a married woman and family on the British mainland, but no husband present in the household. One example is the case of James Cavanagh, a miner who emigrated to America, but left his family behind in Pendlebury, Manchester, where (according to the 1881 Census) his wife Ellen is listed as a married woman, alone, with her children. He sent money for them to join him in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Both he and his wife were born in Galway, Ireland, and his children were born in the Wolverhampton area of Staffordshire. On U.S. records, it is unlikely that there would be any mention of Pendlebury, and without family knowledge, descendents would not know to look there. James’ unmarried son James H. obviously liked his home in the Salford area, as he returned to Pendlebury in the 1920's, leaving the rest of his family in America. He was buried in Swinton cemetery in 1928. The 19th century was a period of extreme changes. Industrialisation and migration to the towns and cities created construction work and intense competition for employment, a need to replace the subsistence farmer in favour of more intensive farming for food, and caused overcrowding and sanitation problems in the inadequate, run-down, cheap-to-rent housing that was often owned by the companies and mines employing the tenants. These folks were totally dependent upon their employers, and the loss of the job, meant the loss of the home. Even when that had been caused by the death of the tenant, the family would still be expected to leave. The immigrant Irish in England were the victims of the economic changes, and stereotyping led to even more ill feeling. For example, among many other spurious claims, the immigrant Irish were wrongly blamed for transporting cholera into the community. This was later proved by a Dr Snow in Soho, London, to have been caused by water contamination. Such hostility was not pleasant, and many with nothing to go home to, moved even further in the hope of a better life. Fortunately, available British records are not confined to the Census and Civil Registrations of Births, Marriages and Deaths. Parish records exist along with occupational records, newspaper articles, military records, court proceedings, wills, applications for various licenses, business advertisements, trade journals, apprentice records, pension records, etc. One given person may have triggered any number of records. These all expand our understanding of the quality of life they led, and the areas where they lived. The greatest number of Caomhánachs alive at one time on the British mainland during the years 1800-1900, appears to have been in the region of 5,000. However, we have discovered over 37,000+
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Caomhánach records in that same timeframe. We will probably find many more, and undoubtedly we will still miss some of our folks. As expected, the census of 1851 shows a higher percentage of Irish born Caomhánachs in Britain. Migration to England continued apace, but by 1881 the number of Caomhánachs was only just above twice the 1851 figure. At that time, large families were the norm, and over a period of 30 years one young man, who married in 1851, may have been responsible for anything up to 12 persons bearing our name. There could even be grandchildren within that time frame. We should also consider that migrants were still coming to the mainland. We would expect to lose elderly people, but the birth rate should surely more than compensate those losses. We would lose some, but gain other women, who changed their name on marriage, and looking at the chart, there appears to be a larger number of females in this census. The records show a high incidence of child mortality, but still the very low 1881 numbers of roughly only double those of 1851, does force the question: where did they go? Our kin have been present in the country from the 1600's, yet the census of 1851 reveals that 50% were Irish born, and were new to the mainland since 1841. Included in the 41% born in England were children born after their parent's arrival. As a norm, immigrants were relatively young couples (under 30) and their children, giving the population pyramid a wide base. It is also noteworthy, that the 1851 census was taken in March, in the year of the highest emigration from Ireland. Therefore, many of our kin would have arrived after the census, and so a large increase could be expected before 1861. Scotland and Wales had suffered a similar fate to Ireland in the farming communities and reflected this. We found only 7% were Scottish-born and Welsh-born a mere 1% of the total with our name. However, as industries increased in the later years of the century, migration into Scotland and Wales also increased. The 1861 census shows 50% of our name were born in England, 37.3% born in Ireland, 11.6% born in Scotland and only 0.54% born in Wales. The highest numbers leaving Ireland were in the year 1851, and those arriving in 9 months of that year would have been included in this 1861 census, had they stayed. However, during this period of 10 years, the total figure shows only a 16% increase in the total number of Caomhanachs, equating to 350 persons, of which 130 were army and navy personnel not previously enumerated. This result suggests that many had come to the mainland but had chosen to move on. The 1861 diagram shows those folks of the 1851 picture now ten years older. It is very easy to see that the base line in 1851 (of children born between 1841 and 1851) has declined when they became teenagers in 1861, but there has been an increase, yet again, in the 20-30 age group. This suggests that, although the overall total number of those of our name is almost static in the two census years, the figures actually underscore movement of young people and young families. The strange drop in the number of under 20 year olds, confirms that this is the age group most likely to emigrate in search of work. The chart is evidence that the move into England continued, and although an increase in numbers could be expected, it is reduced by emigration of young families. A small number of those losses can be attributed to those returning to Ireland, and a small number to epidemics. The most significant losses were due to those leaving for the Californian, Australian and New Zealand Gold Rushes of the 1850s. Due to the Civil War in America, emigration to the United States slowed considerably in the years leading to the 1871 census, but is documented to have increased to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The records of 1881 (approx 4500)
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are only slightly more than double the figures of 1851 (approx 2000) living on the British mainland. This appears to indicate a slowing in immigration: English born 58%, Irish -born 34%, Scottish-born 6% and Welsh 1%. The period from 1800-1851 saw the figures treble as a result of the famine, then there was a strange increase of only a mere 16% between 1851 and 1861, and this was followed by the major increase that happened in the twenty years from 1861 to 1881. However, this increase was due to English births. While the diagrams show an almost perfect example of the expansive/progressive chart of a growing population, there is a contradiction when the overall numbers with our name are compared. Over the 30 year period, the actual increase is far less than the expected birth rate in the Victorian years, where it was considered normal for a new child to be born to families almost every two years. All three census years (1851, 1861 & 1881) include the wives who married into our name, and the figures are based on the available census records for those of our name in the three countries, accessible as of today’s date. We do not, as yet, have the entire 1891 census to search (showing place of birth), nor do we have the full census for Scotland. The figures for England plus Wales, extracted solely from the census index, compared with those of the same areas in 1881, show a dramatic decline in the total figures of the two countries (-300). The expected increase of Caomhánachs born during the period 1881-91, which the expansive pyramids above would suggest, implies a further period of even higher immigration from the three countries, with insufficient migration into the country to compensate for the losses in the same period. This gives us the two most likely periods of time to look for our migrants, when emigration from the English side of the Irish Sea was at a peak, the 1850’s and the 1880’s. Number of Caomhánach in Our study of the census records also corroborates the findings of several historians the Census of Scotland: Records, 1841 Census 150 who examined population figures in total, and it coincides with times when there Records, 1851 Census 219 were assisted passage schemes available, that were intended to reduce the Records, 1861 Census 234 numbers within the Poor Law Unions. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an Records, 1871 Census 387 average total of 90,000 persons per year left the UK, and while the figures dropped Records, 1881 Census 466 in the 1930's, when many returned from Canada and the United States during the depression, emigration continued to the old Commonwealth countries of Australia and New Zealand. The assisted passage schemes continued into the mid-20th century for those wishing to go to the Commonwealth countries. It wasn’t until 1871, when the ship building, jute and coal mining industries encouraged workers to stay in Scotland, that the numbers increased at a time when emigration from Scotland was notoriously high. The census records are an excellent base, where family members are shown together in one household. They give an invaluable insight into their occupations, Before Census Census Census Census where they lived, where they were born, who 1800 of 1851 of 1861 of 1881 of 1891 their neighbours were, etc. Carefully South East England 356 366 403 678 681 following through a series of census reports, South West England 25 46 72 81 69 you can almost see the families, progressing Midlands of England 8 70 122 298 219 from lodging with established Irish families, North of England 79 1,303 1,526 2,970 2,632 East Anglia, England 6 14 8 18 19 often relatives, to poor standard homes, and Scotland 2 219 229 436 N/A then showing improvements with each Wales 0 24 27 54 73 change of address and ,by the birth place of Total 476 2,042 2,387 4,535 3,693 the children, which parts of the UK they had moved to and from. To help us to see the most likely areas to find our kin in the UK using the records available to us, the table shows the location of Caomhánach records found on mainland Britain before 1800, and compares the locations of our kin in the census years. Note the drift from south to north during the 19 th century, and the locations where those of our name lived during the census time frames. It is interesting to see that in the 17 th and 18th centuries, the most popular location was the
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London area, a place favoured by traders. Many living there had roots in Dublin city. The only increase showing in 1891 is in Wales, where the new mines of the South Wales Coalfield were offering employment. County boundaries have changed over the years, and even county names have changed, so the above table has been grouped. Rutland no longer exists as a county, and Cumberland and Westmoreland are now combined to form Cumbria. New counties of Merseyside and Greater Manchester cover the Lancastrian cities of Liverpool and Manchester. Parts of Surrey, Kent and Middlesex are now within Greater London. The Welsh county boundaries have also changed and many are now known by their own names of Clywd, Gwynedd, Powys etc. This chart shows the breakdown by country of birth, and the county or location where enumerated. There is also evidence that children were born to soldiers overseas, and that some emigrants returned to mainland Britain. In the 1881 census of Lancashire, we found 4 born in the USA, 2 in Canada, 4 in India, 1 in Greece, 1 Swiss, and 2 Italian. In Devon, 2 were born in Gibraltar; in Cheshire 2 born in India; in Hampshire one each in India and the USA; in Kent one each in India and the USA; in Middlesex 1 in the USA; in the navy 1 born in Canada; in Nottinghamshire one Italian born; in Shropshire 1 born in Greece; in Surrey 2 in the East Indies, 3 in Italy and one each in Portugal and Germany; in Warwickshire 6 in India, and finally, in Wales, 1 born in the USA. However, it is possible that the Italian born families are not in fact Caomhánachs.
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Record location At Sea, Royal Navy Bedfordshire Berkshire Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Channel Is Cheshire Cornwall Cumberland Derbyshire Devon Dorset Durham Essex Gloucestershire Hampshire Herefordshire Huntingdonshire Kent Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Middlesex Norfolk Northumberland Nottinghamshire Scotland Shropshire Somerset Staffordshire Suffolk Surrey Sussex Wales Warwickshire Westmoreland Worcestershire Yorkshire Total
Country of Birth from the 1881 census England Ireland Scotland Wales 2 9 1 0 3 1 0 7 2 6 1 16 6 117 2 104 1 4 1 107 4 64 19 13 32 6 1 3 2 136 83 2 24 5 4 2 35 1 23 0 1 3 0 1 59 1 21 1 1213 21 719 5 8 3 4 2 253 94 6 0 73 3 9 12 1 1 15 242 182 2 5 2 1 92 31 9 1 2 89 29 6 3 8 3 17 24 54 23 1 1 7 2 197 1 85 2623 280 1556 38
Checking backwards through census and parish registers can have pitfalls due to the other ongoing problem. How did someone decipher what they thought they heard, and record this on paper, when they may not have been familiar with our name, hearing it spoken, sometimes by Gaelic speaking people, or those with very strong Irish accents, in areas where there were very strong, English, Scottish or Welsh accents? Often they would be too proud to query the spelling, and presumed that the Irish person they were speaking to would be illiterate any way (not so in most cases). The problem was made worse, if you had a landlady with a strong English regional accent, relating to the census officer on behalf of their lodgers, their understanding of what they thought they heard from a strong Irish accent, when
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completing a census return. The spellings vary widely in 1851, and different spellings may be used for the same person in later census reports. Officials attempted to standardise spellings but we have found that the spelling used by the priest or registrar in the register, is sometimes different from the spelling on the certificate by the signatory, and this may be different from that used in an accompanying newspaper article or associated legal document. Families were often told that the spelling on the certificate was now their “official” spelling, regardless of how they would normally spell their name. These "permanent" spellings are still being used, and - for example - this is how we find brothers spelling their surnames differently. Records are dependent upon the spellings used by the recorder, as opposed to the spellings used by those they are recording. Another example involves the surname Caveny, which appears in various spellings in the early census records. This name is normally associated with the Irish name Keaveney. However, on some occasions, when parish registers and subsequent census records were compared, the same people used the name Cavanagh in later and/or earlier entries. Therefore, until other records have been checked for these same persons, the name Caveny should not be immediately discounted when working through lists. It should also be noted that there was some tendency to associate the spelling of the surname with a person’s religion. Arms granted by Ulster in the early 18th century show Brian Kavanagh, of Borris, and his brother Charles Cavanagh (most probably a Catholic), Military Governor of Prague. Their cousin, Felix von Kavanagh, was identified in correspondence from Charles as a protestant. It is impossible to tell how much of this tendency carried over into later usage. Most Important: Never presume that the spelling of the surname will be consistent. The following shows the percentages of occurrence of the various spellings used in the census returns for 1851 and 1881, and highlights the tendency toward standardised spellings. By the same token, the broad distribution underscores the need to consider other spellings when searching records. 1851
1881
Cavanagh 37.64% 47.80% Cavanah 10.96% 3.76% Cavenagh 2.79% 1.06% Kavanah 2.15% 1.77% Kavannagh 1.08% 1.11%
1851 Kavanagh Cavenah Cavana Kavanaugh
1881
14.73% 26.31% 1.22% 0.00% 3.28% 1.13% 1.57% 0.31%
1851 Cavannah Cavanaugh Cavannagh Cavenaugh
1881
8.27% 2.50% 3.87% 1.02% 2.40% 1.86% 1.17% 0.31%
Many other spellings were encountered, but mainly singletons, and these were considered statistically irrelevant, being too few to compare individually. These included: Kavannah, Cavanna, Cavinagh, Cavnaugh, Cavanough, Kavenagh, Cavender, McCavanagh, O’Cavanagh, Kavanugh, Kavana, Kavanogh, Caovagh, Cavaness, Cavargna, Kavnagh, Carvanagh, Cavanage, Cavnugh, Cavaghan, McKavanagh, Cavnaugh, Kavanaga, Kavaghnan, Kavanaga, and Havanaugh (this is obviously a transcription error, with a cursive “K” transcribed as an “H”). It is important to bear in mind that summaries and searchable indexes of census records available in print and viewable on line, are transcriptions of the original documents. It is a known fact, that the 1851 census returns in many areas of the country had already deteriorated, before they were filmed, and this of course, has a direct bearing on our study. Some pages are partially illegible due to being torn or water damaged, while others are missing entirely. In some cases, it is possible to find another copy of a census, that was made from a different record set, and use this to cross-check findings. In addition, although every effort is made by transcribers, there is no assurance that the transcriptions are correct. In fact, transcription errors are quite common, particularly when recording hand-written records. Therefore, you would be well advised to check transcripts against the film or scanned image of the original document where possible. If an interesting entry is the first or last on the page, check the previous and following pages: different transcribers may have read the surname differently. Nobody can guarantee that transcriptions are 100% correct, which is why it is so necessary to check more than one source. This applies to all records, not just to census records. There are early records in the Army and Admiralty sections in the National Archives, that show members of our family on active service. You could say, that there were those of our name on almost every ship at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and there is every possibility, that they returned to Ireland at the end of their term of service. Many injured and disabled ex -servicemen stayed in the Devonport, Portsea, Deptford and Chatham areas. Chelsea and Greenwich records are
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available at the National Archives for pensioners, whereby these differentiate between in-pensioners (those living in the hospital at Chelsea or Greenwich) and out-pensioners, meaning those whose pensions were paid out. Around 130 men of our name, mostly Irish born, were in the services in 1861, but the census gives no indication, whether these would have ever lived in the UK, apart from the time they were in barracks or on ships, often waiting to leave on active service abroad. Migration during the famine years was obviously mainly to the north of England, where new industries were up and coming, and there was work on the docks, in foundries, cotton mills, construction, transport, woollen mills, ship building, and in the deep mines. Many jobs were dangerous and heavy dirty work, that the locals didn’t really want to risk. The increase in population in the towns generated a need for service industries and local authority jobs. We cannot generalise on occupations as those ranged from paupers in the workhouse to highly decorated officers in the services and professions. John Cavanah was a theatre manager, whose work was very much appreciated in Manchester, Sheffield, Huddersfield and Aberdeen, and his sons followed him into show business in the early 20 th century in theatre administration and performing. The appreciation of musicians like Frank Cavanagh, a music teacher in Portsmouth, the singer Miles Kavanagh, of Islington, London, and the comedian J. H. Kavanagh, can be found in numerous articles in The Era newspaper. Thomas Cavanah of Manchester, an upholsterer, was renowned for his work furnishing theatres. Mary Cavanagh took a job many would have edged away from as a nurse in the lunatic asylum in Chester, while Emma Cavanah worked as a night nurse at the University College Hospital in London, at a time when nursing as a career was in its infancy. Some of our kin were doctors, clergymen, lawyers, and officers and men in the police and security forces. The Rev. John H. Cavanagh was the Church of England Chaplain to the Fleet, and his sons followed in his footsteps and also became officers in the Royal Navy. His son Herbert was mentioned in despatches in 1917 for his actions aboard HMS Prosperine off Mesopotamia. Fr. Robert Edmund Kavanagh was the Roman Catholic Chaplain to the Royal Navy in Portsea, Hampshire. Laud Kavanagh, who appears to be the son of Thomas Kavanagh VC of Lucknow, was a clerk and translator attached to the West Riding Police in Wakefield Yorkshire. Michael Cavanagh was a police constable in Spridlington, Lincolnshire; Maurice was a constable in Deptford, Kent, and Mark Kavanagh was a constable in Edmonton, Middlesex, just to name but a few in the police service. Hugh, Mike, Terence and Joseph Kavanagh worked as Customs Officers in Liverpool, as emigration brought jobs for our folks on shore as well as on the ships on the trans-Atlantic routes. John Cavanagh worked as a fireman on the ship Germanic reputed to be the most reliable ship in service in those days. Thomas was a seaman on the Italy, and yet another John worked on the City of Lisbon and the Caledonian, all out of Liverpool. J.T. Cavanagh was the purser aboard the City of Chester, when the engines failed over 100 miles from Cork in June 1881 - he was the hero of the day, when he took a small boat back to Cork in order to get help to get the ship moving. Others were involved in the manufacture of clothing and footwear. John Kavanagh of Colchester, Essex, was a master clothier and employed 37 men and 5 boys making boots and clothing: his location hints that some of his trade may have been with the military, and he had originally started out in business as a boot and shoe repairer. There were many tailors, and boot and shoe makers, among our numbers, and one Joseph Cavanagh was a tailor in the most famous street of tailors, Savile Row in London, in the early 20th century. He got into trouble without even trying, for he also had a tailoring business in Berlin, Germany, where he was made a prisoner of war for his own safety, during the First World War (see National Archives, Section FO 383, Prisoners of War). You will not, or not frequently, encounter some of their occupations today: blacksmiths, white smiths, tin smiths, calenderers, French polishers, chandlers, carters, japanners, millwrights and coopers. Young girls worked as domestic servants or trained to teach, but the "school Miss"’ and the maid would often lose their jobs when they married.
Wigan Pier on the Leeds to Liverpool Canal, where coal boats were loaded with locally mined coal, and cotton was unloaded on arrival from Liverpool for the cotton mills in the background
Coal was vital to the country, providing domestic heating and the all important steam power for machinery and transport, and coke for the furnaces. When census records are studied, it is easy to detect a distinct move from the Midlands to Lancashire, and from Cumberland to Durham, among miners. This becomes evident when the place of birth of each of the children is noted. This shows that work at the new deep mines in the North East, was more secure than in other parts of the country, as the mines were more profitable and less prone to flooding. The higher numbers of Irish in the new mining communities made the Durham coalfield a far less hostile place to live, although the living accommodation left a lot
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to be desired in the early days of the mines. Many temporary
19 th
century mining villages no longer exist.
The homes in Wolviston, Co. Durham, in 1851, were listed as the 1st to the Xth dwelling, the 88th, 89th, 90th and 91st dwellings were occupied by four Cavanagh families, all of the four heads of household were listed as farm labourers. It was noted that there was a very high percentage of Roman Catholics in the villages of Usworth and Seaham, which were mainly populated by Irish miners who had previously lived in the Whitehaven area of Cumberland, where anti-catholic marches turned to riots and had, in one case in Cleator Moor, caused a fatality. Peter Cavanagh, an iron miner, moved from Arlecdon near Cleator in Cumberland, to Butte, Montana, USA, where there was work in the mineral mines. Mining was not a very safe occupation and the mining disaster at the Blantyre Colliery in Lanarkshire, Scotland, took the lives of some 207 miners in 1877. It took its toll on the Caomhánachs when brothers John and James, and their neighbour John, were killed. Robert Cavanagh of the nearby Bothwell Colliery, was on the team of mine rescuers whose job it was to recover the bodies, and 16 year old Thomas Cavanagh, himself a mine worker, had the job of identifying his older brothers. It is terrible to report that widows of the miners killed, soon after having lost their husbands, were evicted from their homes as the houses were for mining tenants only. There is nothing more important to a country’s economy than the ability to transport goods and men as quickly and efficiently as possible. The first and cheapest form of transport of heavy goods to and from the coast, and of coal to the manufacturing areas, was by canal. This was made possible by the navigational civil engineers and their labourers the ‘navvies’. While there were English navvies, the Irish farm lads proved to be strong, hard workers and much preferred for this type of work. Moving from canal building in the mid 18th century, the same choice of workforce was employed in road, railway and underground railway civil engineering. Their reputation and work record went before them, and Irish "navvies" were soon recruited in many countries in the world, most especially in the building of railroads. The following is a quote from Sir William McAlpine, in an address made in the year 2000: “Since the late eighteenth century the Irish have played a major role in the expansion of British industry and of the country's canal, road and rail network. The success of the British construction industry owes a great deal to Irish skills in excavation and construction, and their contribution to the development of the industry has been immeasurale ". The quote from the lecture, “Irish Navvies and the Culture of Migration,” by Ultan Cowley BA. M.Sc., sums up the findings above beautifully, in reference to temporary migrations and the importance of the Irish navvy: “Dependence on the earnings of emigrants had long been endemic in the West of Ireland. Harvesters earnings alone brought close to £1m into the economy of the North-West between 1860 and 1870. 'MacAlpine's Fusiliers' accounted for the bulk of the £2.5 billion (at today's values) in postal orders and telegrams remitted to Ireland from Britain between 1939 and 1969." This refers to Sir Robert McAlpine, a major employer of Irish workmen. A popular song by this title offers a satirical but generally accurate description of the life and work of Irish laborers. There were several Caomhánachs working on the railways as guards, stokers, porters, signalmen and even builders of railway carriages, and railway employment records are available. As previously mentioned there was work on the sea, not only as fishermen, but on the ships going to the New World. Road transport was still dependent upon horses in the nineteenth century, and many worked as blacksmiths and farriers even in the large cities, like Henry in London and Patrick in Liverpool. Those wishing to emigrate from Ireland, would travel into Liverpool or Glasgow. It is unlikely that they would show up on the census records, as it is doubtful they stayed more than a couple of days at the start of their journey across the ocean. Due to the lack of lodgings in Liverpool at the height of migration, their stay was often an enforced transfer from the Dublin ferry onto overcrowded boats anchored in the Mersey, until their ocean going ship arrived. Wishing you every success in your search for family, Celia
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Caomhánach DNA Project Status Mark R. Cavanaugh DNA Project Coordinator
The Caomhánach DNA-Y project is on the internet at: www.familytreedna.com/public/. Family Tree DNA has received seventy-nine kits to date. We currently have established nine (9) groups of individuals with matches, plus one unaligned group, where members are still seeking to match others.
111-Marker Testing Five (5) kits are for 111 markers, however, only one (1) of these kits is from a Caomhánach name variation and this kit is part of Group 02. Please note that very few people have taken the 111-marker test and for this reason it is not possible at this time to reach any conclusions at this level.
67-Marker Testing The number of matches will determine the closeness of the relationship to the most recent common ancestor. The greater the number of markers tested, the more definitive those matches will be. Therefore, participants with close matches at 67-markers might consider upgrading to 111-markers. The three Groups with zero members were formed at lower test levels. Either these did not show close connections at 67-markers, or these participants only ordered the lower test levels (37-marker or lower). Group 01: two (2) members, both with a Caomhánach surname. Group 02: eleven (11) members, ten (1) Caomhánach names and one (1) one O’Connor. Group 03: three (3) members, two (2) Caomhánach names and one (1) Nolen. Group 04: two (2) members, both Caomhánach names. Group 05: zero (0), no 67-marker matches Group 06: one (1) Caomhánach name. Group 07: zero (0), no 67-marker matches Group 08: one (1) Caomhánach name. Group 09: zero (0), no 67-marker matches.
37-Marker Testing Some groups gain members at 37-markers. We think this was due to individuals who signed up for 37-marker testing when this was essentially the industry standard, and since then have not upgraded. A 67-marker test was introduced later, and this was recently followed by the 111-marker test, which is currently the most predictive. Generally speaking, there are some promising matches at 37-markers, and participants with close matches at this level, who have not ordered a higher-level test, might consider upgrading to 67- or 111-markers. Group 01: five (5) members, all with Caomhánach surnames. Group 02: fourteen (14) members, thirteen (13) Caomhánachs and one (1) one O’Connor. Group 03: six (6) members, five (5) Caomhánachs and one (1) Nolen.
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Group 04: two members, both Caomhánachs Group 05: two (2) members, both Caomhánachs Group 06: two members (2), both Caomhánach. There is a third Caomhánach match, but it only exists at 12 markers, and this person has not, or not yet, upgraded to a higher level test (37, 67 or 111). Group 07: one (1) Caomhánach. This Caomhánach’s only match at 37-markers is with a Boyd-surname. Obviously having a “group” with only one member and no obvious higher-level Caomhánach matches is impossible to analyze. However, this Caomhánach does match another Caomhánach, who has not tested further than 12 markers. This general situation occurs, because the lab forms groups at the lowest level match, and then carries the group through higher-level tests, which may not match at those additional markers. Group 08: one (1) Caomhánach. This Caomhánach matches one Caomhánach who only tested to 12-markers, and another Caomhánach who is not a participant in our project. Group 09: one (1) Caomhánach. This Caomhánach matches 37 of 37 markers with a Crow-surname, who is not a participant in our project.
Unaligned Group We have forty-one (41) participants in the project with no (0) matches with any other Caomhánachs in the project. This unaligned group includes twenty-six (26) Caomhánachs. The lab has removed the female participants from the database, however, we still have several participants whose mothers were Caomhánachs, and persons who do not have a Caomhánach surname, but believe they may be Caomhánachs, meaning, they were seeking to prove this, but so far, have not been successful.
Summary It is true that we have had a number of successes. We have project members who now know that they are related, and can pool resources and knowledge to identify their common ancestor. The relationship is close enough, that there is a reasonable chance that documentation can be located to support this. Unfortunately, the greater number of our members have not been able to locate matches. The small number of participants in the project remains the defining and limiting issue for people who have not found matches, or for those who have found matches but desire more information. Without a significant increase in the number of participants, further progress will be slow. Difficulty in understanding the technology can be partially resolved by using resources available at the Family Tree DNA site (http://www.familytreedna.com/). Other issues that seem to continue to plague increased participation are the judgment that the cost of testing is too high, unrealistic expectations, and the public perception in some quarters that DNA test results could be used for unauthorized proposes.
Customs According to old custom, a piece of candle, a coin and a small quantity of wine or spirits should be placed next to someone who has died. The candle was to give the deceased light, the coin was to pay the fare over the river of death (or to pay the piper), and the liquor was to sustain him or her on their journey.
Organizers
Ireland
Fergus Kavanagh,
United Kingdom
Celia Kavanagh Boylan
514 Orwell Park Way, Templeogue, Dublin 6w, Ireland. [email protected]
[email protected]
Australia, Queensland
[email protected]
[email protected]
U.S.A. CA
Patrick Cavanagh, Australia, Victoria
Terry Kavanagh
[email protected] Australia, Western
John Cavanagh
[email protected] Canada, Western
Carl Cavanagh
[email protected] Canada, Ontario
Garry & Ann Cavanaugh [email protected] New Zealand
Patricia O’Shea [email protected]
U.K. Wales & West Midlands
Tom Kavanagh
Gary L. Cavanaugh [email protected] U.S.A. Great Plains
James P. Cavanaugh [email protected] U.S.A. MN & WI
Robert Kavanagh Williams [email protected] U.S.A. AL, MS, & TN
Ben H. Kavanaugh Jr. [email protected] U.S.A. NJ
Owen Kavanagh [email protected] U.S.A. Northwest
Daniel J, Kavanaugh [email protected]
South Africa
Lorna Harris
[email protected]
U.S.A. RI & MA
John G. Kavanaugh [email protected]
Interested in becoming an Area Organizer? Clann Chaomhánach created the system of Area Organizers as contact persons for our cousins who may be seeking information about our association. Through the years, many people have been helped in their search for ancestors through the efforts of our Area Organizers, who have also been very effective in bringing in new members. If you are interested in becoming an Area Organizer, please contact any of the Organizers listed above or any of the Executive Committee, listed on page 2.
St Mullins (aka Ros Broc, Aghacainid, & Tegh-Moling) - see page 27 "Sin é mo scéal díbh, má tá bréag ann, bíodh, mar ní mise a chúm ná a cheap é" That is my story for ye now; if there is a lie in it, so let there be, for it was not I who composed or dreamed up the story