In around 1970 papers came into my possession which included a hand written letter from Mary Owen, my great grandfather’s sister.
My father (who died in 1973) and I went to see Arthur Owen who was known to be a relative of his but we didn’t know the relationship. He turned out to be a cousin of my father’s father. He promised “to go up into the loft and get some stuff, there is loads of it up there”. When we went back a couple of months later, he had died and we were directed by his Landlady to a Solicitor in the town. He passed all books, papers and photos to us. It took ages to sort through it all and the papers to which I refer were amongst it all.I t became the original source information for my Family Tree. I sorted out his estate and in doing so, had to write to a number of people to had never heard of Arthur Owen. It was an interesting time
A visit to Foxdale in the Isle of Man
On a visit to the island I took a photograph from a hillside on the south side of Foxdale looking across the valley to the north. The photo included a farmhouse to my left – Lheakerrow, and another to my right – Kionslieu.
The Quirk family farmed Lheakerrow and the Clucas family lived at Kionslieu and as in all good love stories, they married.
Richard Quirk (b.1768 – d. 1845) married Mary Clucas (b.1764 – d. 1842) and set up home at Kiondhooag in Foxdale.
They had a son Richard Quirk born in 1799 who married a widow Margaret Kennaugh (b.1809). She came from Glenmore where she lived with her parents Philip Cornelius Quayle and Elinor (nee Sayle). Margaret had married John Kennaugh and had 3 children although the first born didn’t survive babyhood. Unfortunately John died in a mining accident in the Foxdale mine.
Richard and Margaret Quirk were married in 1842 and had 7 children who, in time dispersed to various parts of the world. Elinor (b. 1844)became a dressmaker in Birkenhead on Merseyside ; William Samuel (b.1845) went to Liverpool; Mary (b. 1847) was a nurse and married in Sussex although her 2 children were both born at Kiondhooag ; Lydia (b. 1849) married and stayed on the Island, Catherine Jane (b. 1851) married John Kellett in Birkenhead but moved to the Hertfordshire area, where the large family are still based. Richard died aged only 4 and Hugh Griffith went to Dublin and set up as Marine Surveyor on Eden Quay. Hugh’s son, also Hugh Griffith became a Ship Captain and married an American passenger and set up home in Indiana USA in 1923 where the numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren still live.
When William Samuel lived in Liverpool he was recorded in the 1861 census as living at 284 Crown Street aged16 and next door was Ellen Frances Benson aged 13. Some 4 years later, they married and had 4 children. The 3rd was Walter Benson Quirk (b.1871) who with his wife Annie Ferguson (1871), had 10 children, the 6th of which was Richard Quirk (b. 1904), my father.
I have handwritten papers (would you be able to send photos?) from the above named Mary Quirk describing various members of the family. She wrote of Hugh Clucas , the Coroner “who was a fine man with a big bushy redbeard”. He built a row of houses called Peveril Terrace in Foxdale. Unfortunately he became bankrupt and his house was bought by Captain Bawden.
She writes of “Grandmother Quirk (nee Mollie Clucas).” She had a sister Kitty who married a Clucas relative and had 7 sons. Sadly only 2 survived –Dr Clucas and Hugh.
She also had a half sister Ann Cosnahan who married a Dr Thomas and had 7 daughters, One of them married a Captain McDonald. Another sister married a man named Anderson – they had a son William James Anderson, who became the Receiver General for the Isle of Man in 1896.
If you are researching your family history and would like to contact Wally his email address is: – walcarq59@gmail.com