Ships travelled frequently between the South Wales ports such as Swansea and
Milford Haven (then called New Milford) and Cardiff, and smaller ports like
Llanelly, Briton Ferry and Porthcawl, Burry Port and Tenby, and Irish ports
like Youghal and Cobh (then known as Queenstown) in County Cork. Railway
communications were well established by 1868 across South Wales.
From the 1891 census in Dinas, Llantrisant parish, in the Rhondda
valley I
see that David was born around 1831, and that his daughter Anne M. age 21
was born in Cefn Cribbwr, near Bridgend, and his grand-daughter age 2 was
born in Penygraig, Llantrisant parish, on the edge of the Rhondda valley.
In the 1871 census at Tynybedw, Middle Hamlet, Ystradyfodwg it is clear that
David and Margaret had 5 children born in Wales, the earliest being Ellen,
then 11, moving the date of their arrival as early as 1859/60. Annamaria was
then shown as age 2.
1901 David was still with his daughter Ann Maria, now aged 30 (it was not
unusual for ladies to age only 9 years between successive censuses!) with a
husband Jeremiah O'Flynn, in Llwynypia,Ystradyfodwg parish, Rhondda valley.
Presumably her first husband Jeremiah Pyne had either died or changed his
surname, the 1901 Jeremiah and the 1891 Jeremiah both being born in Aberdare
about 1865/6.
I don't know whether you realised that the second household at 41 Eirw Road,
in the part of Llantrisant parish in the Rhondda valley, in 1881, Patrick
and Ellen Leonard, were quite likely David's son-in-law and daughter, as
Ellen was 11 in 1871.
In 1881 there was a Patrick Mulcahy, aged 40, in Mount Pleasant, Aberkenfig,
near Bridgend, born Cork, with children including a David born 1863/4 and
several other children born in Cefn Cribbwr. I wonder whether Patrick was
David's younger brother, as they were living in the same place at the same
time. This Patrick Mulcahy is on a public family tree on Ancestry, but with
no parents or siblings. His marriage was in 1864 in Bridgend district to an
Irish girl from Co. Waterford, Mary or Mary Ann Power. [There was a Patsey
Mulcahy, 20, born Co. Cork, in Newport in 1861, son of Michael Mulcahy,
shoemaker - conceivably the same person, but maybe a coincidence of name)
Mount Pleasant is in easy walking distance of the Glamorgan Family History
Society ARC research centre at Aberkenfig.
Ancestry.co.uk has a probate entry in 1902 for a David Mulcahy in Glamorgan,
so that may well be worth investigating to see whether he left things in his
will amongst multiple descendants.
If you look at migrants from Ireland in 1871 census you will find that a
large proportion are labourers, and a certain proportion in the iron
industry. It was relatively rare for Irishmen to get work as colliers
underground, as David had done. I wonder whether there is any possibility
that he had actually grown up in Wales.
You might need to rule out a David Malcahy (or maybe Mulcahy) age 19 in 1851
census at Hughes Row, Bedwellty, labourer in Iron Mine, son of Patrick and
Ellen from Ireland, shown as born at Dowlais. This family was at Berthlwyd
parish houses, Llanfabon, near Merthyr in 1841, with David age 10 born
Glamorgan, but his older brother Philip shown as born in Ireland (whereas in
1851 he was shown as born in Merthyr, Glamorgan)
Looking at FreeBMD (
www.freebmd.org.uk ) for all Mulcahy entries in
Glamorgan, they start in 1847, in the years of mass migration from Ireland
to avoid the famine, and then show up in Swansea and Cardiff and Newport
until the birth of Ellen Mulcahy to David and Margaret in June quarter 1860
( a year after the death of an Ellen Mulcahy in Cardiff district). That
birth certificate should give Margaret's maiden name.
I have not yet found David, Margaret and Ellen in 1861 census somewhere near
Bridgend. If they are in the portion of census that has survived, I suspect
that the surname has been mangled, maybe to something like McKay or McKie to
reflect pronunciation.
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/GLA/Newcastle/Chapels.html shows that there
was a Catholic priest based in Bridgend in 1858/9 but I have no idea where
any Catholic records for that area would be.
GENUKI is an excellent source for all the places listed. There is previous
correspondence on this list about Eirw Road, I think. Google maps and
www.old-maps.co.uk may be useful if you aren't familiar with South Wales
geography.
You will need to check the history of collieries in the Cefn Cribwr area
(that is the modern spelling - it used to be a double-b) to understand why
David might have moved to the Rhondda valley. I suspect it was probably more
money and better housing in a more recently-developed coalfield around 1870.
I am not sure who owned collieries in Cefn Cribwr in the 1860s. I thought it
might have been John Brogden and sons
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brogden_and_Sons ) but can't see any
reference to collieries at Cefn Cribwr.
There are still families with the Mulcahy surname in Glamorgan, but whether
related to your David I don't know.
Best wishes with your research.
Jeff
----- Original Message -----
From: "Reginald Caspall" <caspall(a)netspace.net.au>
To: <glamorgan(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2014 10:13 AM
Subject: Re: [GLA] Irish arrivals in Glamorgan.
Hi Group,
My wife has one branch of her ancestry from County Cork. David
Mulcahy arrived with Margaret his wife and daughter Mary aged 10 years
as settlers in Bridgend in 1868 and settled in Llantrisant as a coal
miner and was there during the 1881 Census. I would like to know from
anyone in this group whether there are any records of Irish settlers
into Wales during this period. It is unknown where the ship from Cork
arrived with them as passengers in the U.K. I would imagine they had
settled in Glamorgan legally.There are now no persons of senior years in
her family from which to seek information.
Regards,
Reg caspall,
Geelong, Victoria, Australia. caspall(a)netspace.net.au