Canadian family looking for grandfather connection
A family in Canada are looking for the public assistance in helping them search for any information regarding their grandfather John Walsh who was born in Wexford about 1869/1870.
John, born to Patrick Walsh, moved to Dublin in the early 1890s where he married twice, the first time to Mary in 1894 and the second time in 1912, where John and his second wife welcomed two daughters.
John’s first marriage certificate in 1894 stated that his father Patrick was a labourer, while his second marriage certificate in 1912 said Patrick was a carpenter.
In the 1901 census, John gave his occupation as a builders labourer at the age of 31, followed by the census in 1911 where he worked as a wool sorter. Both of these census have recorded him living in Dublin at the time but confirming he was born in county Wexford.
Tragically, both wives predeceased him and in 1917 when his second wife passed away he was left with two very young children.
The eldest daughter was brought to Canada by other relations where she was raised and the youngest girl was con- sidered too young at the time for the long journey, so she was cared for by relatives in Ireland.
Unfortunately, due to unknown circumstances, the youngest girl had to be put into a home in Ballaghaderreen, Roscommon.
Arrangements were made for her to travel to Canada when she reached the right age but after some consideration she decided not to go.
After this it is not known what became of John Walsh, his eldest daughter who went to Canada recalled that he wrote to her but his letters stopped when she was about 13 years old.
She thought that he may have passed away then, which would be about 1926 or 1927, but this is not yet certain.
John’s daughter married Arthur Hanger, a Canadian farmer from Three Hills Alberta. She lived into her nineties and only passed away four years ago.
Readers who have any information about John Walsh are asked to contact Pauline O’Brien on 087 6951165.