Murphy Family Page
Catherine MURPHY was born in Tipperary, Ireland c1839. She was the daughter of Jeremiah MURPHY and Margaret CONNELL.
Jeremiah MURPHY and Margaret CONNELL were married at Cloyne, County Cork, Ireland on 19 April 1839. It is thought that Jeremiah was born about 1791 and Margaret in 1799, both in Cork, Ireland. Jeremiah and Margaret had 8 children: Catherine-1839, Elizabeth-1841, John-1842, Timothy-1843, Patrick-1844, Mary-1845, Michael-1847 and Bridget-1853. Jeremiah and Margaret emigrated from Ireland to Wales but probably sometime after Bridget's birth in 1853. Several of the family members can be found in Cardiff, Glamorganshire or Newport, Monmouthshire by 1860. In 1861 Jeremiah and Mary are recorded with some of their family living at 2 Mellon St Newport, Monmouthshire with other households. Jeremiah is head of the family and working as a wharf labourer. The ages recorded for Jeremiah and Mary (48 and 40) suggest that they were born later than I thought though. With them are 2 sons John aged 19 and Michael aged 16. John is working as a wharf labourer and Michael as a mason's labourer. Two daughters Mary aged 18 and Bridget aged 8 are recorded as scholars. All of the family are recorded as being born in Ireland. Jeremiah is recorded on the 1871 census as a widower aged 78, labourer and living at 4 Rees's Buildings, Newport with his youngest daughter Bridget. I think Jeremiah died in 1873 and Bridget went to live in Cardiff. I do not know when Margaret died, there are a few records between 1855 and 1867 for the death of a Margaret Murphy in Newport.
Children of Jeremiah and Margaret Murphy
Catherine - Census records would lead us to believe that Catherine was born in about 1840 but the baptism record gives her date of baptism as 15 May 1842. Catherine married William DONOHUE at St David's Chapel, Cardiff on 18 June 1860. The marriage certificate states that she is 21 years old and living at 19 Godfey Street, Cardiff. William was from Cork, Ireland a year older than Catherine and working as a general labourer, living in Millicent Street. See Donohue Family History.
I believe that William and Catherine had eleven children: Johanna 1861, Catherine 1863, Jeremiah 1865, Cornelius 1867, Margaret 1869, William 1872, Mary 1873, Charles 1877, Ellen 1878, Alice Maud, 1880 and David John 1884. In 1861 they are newly weds living in Millicent Street Cardiff, they do not yet have any children. On the 1871 census they are recorded living at 12 Herbert Street with Johanna, Catherine, Jeremiah, Cornelius and Margaret. I have been unable to locate the family on the 1881 census for Cardiff. By the time of the 1891 census the eldest children are no longer living with William and Catherine so there is no continuity of children between 1871 and 1891. In 1861 Catherine and William The address given on Alice's birth certificate in 1880 states that they were living at 19 Union Buildings.In 1891 they are living in Tredegar Street with William, Mary, Charles, Ellen Alice M and David John. They are still living in Tredegar Street in 1901. Catherine died in 1922 in Cardiff, Wales. See Donohue Family History.See Deans Family History.
Elizabeth was baptised on 18 January 1841 at Cloyne, the register shows that the family were living at Pluckanes. I know nothing more about Elizabeth.
John was born about 1842 in Ireland. He appears on the 1861 census living with his parents at 2 Mellon Street, Newport aged 19 and is working as a wharf labourer. No other facts known about John.
Timothy was baptised on 17 October 1843 at Cloyne County Cork. Nothing more is known about Timothy.
Patrick was baptised on 3 March 1845 at Cloyne, County Cork. No other known facts about Patrick.
Mary was baptised at Carrick-on-Suir, Waterford, Ireland on 29 December 1845. Mary married Charles CURRAN in 1864 at Newport, Monmouthshire but they soon moved to Cardiff and raised their family there. Mary and Charles had 7 children: Charles, James, Ellen, William, Eugene, Edward and John. The Currans were great engineers although Charles and his father were both masons. One of Charles and Mary's son, Edward, founded the Curran Engineering Works in Cardiff. This later became a major Munitions Factory during WWII employing many people from Cardiff.
Mary and Charles' grandaughter Mary Patricia CURRAN married Doctor Robert Emmet Davitt at St David's Cathedral in Cardiff in 1934. Robert was the son of Michael Davitt an Irish political leader
Another grandchild, Bernard Edward Curran married Dorothy Harriet Martha HORNBLOW. Dorothy was well known for her beautiful singing voice and at one time known as the "Singing Barmaid". Her probate records state that she was also known as "Dorothy of Petravore".
John Francis CURRAN was another grandchild of Mary and Charles. John served in the Merchant Navy and lost his life at sea on 28 November 1940 when his ship S S Darcoila was hit by a torpedo about 600 miles off the west coast of Ireland. John is Commemorated on the Merchant Navy Memorial at Tower Hamlets, London, Panel 34.
Michael Murphy was born about 1847. He appears n the 1861 census in Newport, Monmouthshire living with his parents at Mellon Street and working as a mason's labourer. Nothing else is known about him.
Bridget was baptised on 28 August 1853 at Cork. In 1871 Bridget is living at 4 Rees's Buildings in Newport with her widowed father and working as a laundress. Later that year she married George GINGELL in Cardiff. George's name is transcribed as KENSIL on the Index though. George and Bridget had four children: Margaret Ann, Mary Jane, Catherine Bridget and Mary Ellen. In 1881 Bridget and George are living at 33 Working Street and George is a labourer they moved to 23 Havelock Street before 1891. Margaret Ann married William George Albert Williams in Cardiff in 1894 and they had seven children. Their grandson David SPILLANE died at sea on 7th June 1944. He is commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial Panel 87 column 2. Mary Jane died as a baby. Catherine Bridget, known as Kate married Frederick James REDMAN in Cardiff in 1897. They had six children. Their son Thomas Frederick Redman married Mary J MILLS in Cardiff in 1938. They died together on the night of 2 January 1941 during a bombing raid on Cardiff, they were living in De Burgh Street, Riverside at the time. Mary Ellen was born in Cardiff in 1880 and died aged 3 Years in Cardiff in 1883.