John LYNCH was born about 1806 in Ireland. He died 19 Oct 1873 in 27 Great Russell Street, St. Giles North, London. John married Mary Ann 'UNKNOWN' about 1833 in Ireland.

Its thought our Lynch family may have had Galway origins. I'm very grateful to Ursula Staszynski, a great-great-great-granddaughter of John Lynch, above, for sharing the results of her considerable research into the Lynch family.

According to the 1841 and 1861 censuses of England and Wales, John was a tailor. According to his death certificate, John died of enteritis, the duration of which was 12 days. His son William was present at his death.

The Lynch surname, one of the most common in Ireland, is unusual in that it comes from two distinct sources. The first of these is the Norman 'de Lench' family which settled in Co. Meath, a branch later establishing itself in Co. Galway where they rapidly became one of the strongest of the famous Tribes of Galway. The second origin of the surname is the Irish 'Ó Loingsigh', meaning 'seamen'. Considering the importance of the sea in Irish life, the surname arose quite separately in a number of areas, including Clare/Limerick, Sligo, west Cork, Cavan, Donegal, and the north Antrim/Derry region.

Mary Ann 'UNKNOWN' was born about 1813 in Dublin. She died 29 Dec 1887 in 8 Tavistock Street, St. Giles North, London. Mary married John LYNCH about 1833 in Ireland.

At the time of the 1841 census Mary Ann, John and their family were living on Greek Street, Soho in London. Twenty years later, at the time of the 1861 census, the family was at 57a Charlotte Street, St Pancras in London, and the 1881 census tells us that Mary Ann, by now a widow, was living at 8 Tavistock St., St. Giles, Finsbury, London. Listed with her are her daughters Abigail and Anna and son William, all single, and young grandchildren Teresa and Rosa Turner, presumably the daughters of Mary Ann's daughter Teresa.

William John BUTLER [Parents] was born about 1870 in possibly 6 Brompton Square, Kensington, London. He died 2 Nov 1933 in Dublin and was buried in St. Fintan's Cemetery, Sutton, Dublin. William married Eleanor (Nellie) GILROY.

It's possible William may have attended school at St. Edmund's Roman Catholic College in Hertfortshire: in the course of my research into the Hussey family from Kensington (members of which attended St. Edmund's and later married into William's family), I came across information on a William Butler who attended the college from 1880 until 1882 and who was born about 1870 in Brompton, Middlesex; our William above was born about 1870 in Brompton which makes me think they could be the same person.

Our William became a musical instrument maker in the family business. Sometime after 1902 (he was still living at home at the time of the death of his mother in July of that year) he moved to Dublin to run the family's Dublin shop, located by then in Monument House at 34 Bachelor's Walk. During the 1916 Rising, the shop was taken over by rebels (who emptied the building of its musical instruments, some of which were later found on the bed of the River Liffey at low tide). To oust the rebels, the British shelled the building from what was then The Red Bank Restaurant on D'Olier St. The shop was badly damaged and the business was relocated the following year to the ground floor of nearby 2 Lower Abbey St. where further troubles were to be encountered during the Civil War (1920-1923): on 6 February 1923 the IRA targeted the Pathé Frères cinema company which occupied the first and second floors of 2 Lower Abbey St. A number of armed men entered the premises, poured petrol around the Pathé Frères offices and set it alight. It's thought the men also planted an incendiary bomb as an explosion followed the fire causing a number of Pathé Frères employees to be thrown off their feet as they fled the burning building. Miraculously, nobody was killed but the building was badly damaged. Although William did receive a small amount of compensation as a result of the Damage to Property Compensation Act of 1923, there was no proper insurance cover because the damage was caused by an act of war. As a result the company found itself in severe financial difficulties and was forced to close down in 1927.

William and his family, who had lived for a time at 2 Lower Abbey St. following the company's move there, later moved to Howth in Co. Dublin. William seems to have moved back to his old Abbey St. home sometime after 1923.

There are still Butler-made instruments in existence, both privately-owned and in museums. The Kenneth G. Fiske Musical Instrument Museum in Claremont, California, for example, has a Butler keyed bugle made in Dublin c. 1835. The Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments has a Butler flute and cornet (dates of manufacture unknown), and the Horniman Museum in London has a Butler harp acquired pre-1900, bright green in colour with Irish images, including round towers and an Irish wolfhound, painted on the soundboard. And the National Museum of Ireland has a Butler bugle in its Easter Week collection. This bugle, manufactured c. 1915, has an interesting history in that it was awarded to the Irish Citizen Army in 1915 for taking first place in a drill competition; then, following the surrender of Irish forces (which included the Irish Citizen Army) in the 1916 Rising, it ended up in the hands of the British Provost Marshall who subsequently gave it to a Dr. Laurence Moran who in turn gave it to a brother of Fianna Fáil TD (Teachta Dála, meaning member of parliament), John McCann. John McCann's brother later presented it to Éamon de Valera, participant in the Rising and founder of Fianna Fáil, who would, in 1959, be elected President of Ireland. On 4 September 1948, Éamonn de Valera donated the bugle to the National Museum of Ireland.

Note: The Bachelor's Walk shop is mentioned in James Joyce's 'Ulysses':
"From Butler's monument house corner he [Leopold Bloom] glanced along Bachelor's walk." (p. 151 of the Penguin Edition of 1960).

Eleanor (Nellie) GILROY was born in Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan. She died 16 Nov 1922 in Howth, Dublin and was buried in probably St. Fintan's Cemetery, Sutton, Dublin. Eleanor married William John BUTLER.

Nellie and William lived in 'Lismeen', Howth, Co. Dublin.

John GALVIN [Parents] was born about 1857 in possibly Mount Talbot, Tisrara, Co. Roscommon. He died 14 Apr 1941 in Co. Wexford. John married Winifrid BUTLER on 1901 in Fulham or Hammersmith, London.

The Galvin family had operated a nursey business in Co. Roscommon since 1790 and from about 1890 John and his brother James ran the Galvin nursery in the grounds of Mount Talbot House (owned by the Talbot family) in Tisrara, Co. Roscommon. The family then set up a branch of the nursery in Mount Avon, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow (where it's known John was living with his wife and children in 1916). By the early 1930s the business had expanded to Co. Wexford with a branch at Park Cottage, just outside Wexford town, which John ran with his son Seamus. John moved from Roscommon to live in Park Cottage, a large property, which was eventually sold in 1976.

There's a 1901 census record on www.leitrim-roscommon.com for a John Gavin, a 43-year-old "nurseryman / county councillor" from Mount Talbot in Tisrara, Co. Roscommon. This is almost certainly our John above. The John Galvin from the census wasn't married at this time and the only other occupants of the household were a nursery foreman, a servant and two visitors, the visitors being a nephew named William Finnerty, aged 30, who was a clerk of petty sessions, and a cousin named William Byrne, aged 35, who was a veterinary surgeon.

John was in Stoneybatter, Wexford at the time of the 1911 census while Winifred and the children were back in Mount Talbot. Presumably John was working in Wexford. His occupation is given on the census return as nurseryman and county councillor.

Winifrid BUTLER [Parents] was born about 1876 in Kensington, London. She died possibly 1919 in possibly Co. Wexford. Winifrid married John GALVIN on 1901 in Fulham or Hammersmith, London.

The name Winifred Butler is listed in the the 1891 census return for a boarding school on Twickenham Road in Isleworthin, Middlesex. This may well be our Winifred because the Winifred from the census was aged 15 at the time which is the approximate age our Winifred would have been.

By the time of the 1911 census of Ireland, Winifred was living in Mount Talbot, Co. Roscommon. Listed with her in the census return are her three children. At the same time, her husband, John, was in Wexford (where a branch of his nursery business was located).

John HANNIGAN was born about 1917. He died about 1999. John married Jennie BUTLER.

John worked for the Hammond Lane Foundry. Following his retirement from there, he worked as manager of the Woodbrook Golf Club, and later the Bray Golf Club, both in Co. Wicklow. He and Jennie lived in Priory Grove in Stillorgan in Dublin. They had no children.

Jennie BUTLER [Parents] was born Jul 1907 in Dublin. She died Sep 2004 in Dublin. Jennie married John HANNIGAN.

Nancy VALENTINE was born in Co. Fermanagh. She died 27 Nov 2002 in Dublin. Nancy married George BUTLER.

William HUSSEY [Parents] was born 1 May 1797 in Castleisland, Co. Kerry. He died 27 Nov 1870 in 9 Mayfield Place, Kensington, London. William married Ellen FOLEY on probably 12 May 1828 in St. James, Westminster, London.

As a young man William moved from Kerry to London where he worked as a policeman. Although family lore has it that William was born in the Dingle area of Co. Kerry, we now know from his police discharge papers that he was born in Castleisland, Co. Kerry, about 40 miles from Dingle. The discharge papers also tell us that he joined the Metropolitan Police on 19 May 1831 (this was only three years after its formation), and left the force (Kensington division, also known as 'T' division) on 29 April 1852 "on account of infirmity of body"; we're also told he was 5ft 9inches tall with brown hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion, and that he had "a bad leg". The papers also provide the names of his parents.

In the 1861 census William is listed as a "police pensioner" in the household of his daughter Mary Wright at 26 Newland St., St. Mary Abbots, Kensington. William died in 1870 at the home of his son Thomas. The cause of death was "paraplegia, 6 years; effusion (secondary), 7 days", "effusion" meaning an abnormal build-up of fluid. On his death certificate William's occupation is given as "assistant to a builder", presumably to his son Thomas who was a builder.   

Regarding William's police work, there was a court case at the Old Bailey in London in January 1832 in which a policeman named William Hussey appeared as a witness in a case involving a theft of a gown from a washing line in Kensington the previous month.  This William Hussey could well be our William. On trial was twenty-year-old Charles Affleck who was charged with stealing the gown, worth three shillings, belonging to Ann Hawkins. A transcript of the case follows:

Ann Hawkins: I am single, and live servant to Mr. Marks, in Gore-lane, Kensington. On the 13th of December about three o'clock, I hung a gown to dry in the garden at the back of the house; I missed it about six - this is it; the prisoner lives within two doors of us.

William Hussey: I am a Police-constable. I took the prisoner in Gore-lane on the 13th of December, between seven and eight o'clock; I saw he had something under his jacket - I asked him to let me see what it was, and he would not; we had a scuffle, and this gown fell in the road.

Charles Affleck: I went home at twenty-five minutes before eight o'clock; I went into the yard - I saw this gown between our premises and the master's premises; I took it up, went out with it, and was taken - I did not prevent the officer seeing it, but I said if he would go to a fit place, I would let him see it.

William Hussey: He said if I would go to his father's he would let me see what it was, but I told him he must go to the watch-house; he would neither do one thing nor the other, and I knocked him down.

Charles Affleck was found guilty and transported to Australia for seven years.

Ellen FOLEY was born about 1800 in Ireland. She died 2 Sep 1867 in 1 Birds Cottages, Kensington, London. Ellen married William HUSSEY on probably 12 May 1828 in St. James, Westminster, London.

We know from the 1851 census that Ellen was born in Ireland and that unfortunately is all we know of the Foley family although it does appear that other members of the Foley family may have been living in London around the time of Ellen's marriage in 1828 as witnesses to the marriage were [name illegible but one possibility is Michael] Foley and Mary(?) Foley.

We also know that Ellen and her husband, William Hussey, and their children were living at 29 New St. in Kensington at the time of the birth of their daughter Ellen in 1838. By 1851 they were living at 13 Campden St., St. Mary Abbots, Kensington. There seems to be no trace of Ellen in the 1861 census, although her husband, William, appears in the return for the household of their daughter Mary. Ellen died at 1 Birds Cottages, Kensington. According to her death certificate, she died of "infirmities of age" aged 70. The informant was a Jane Browning of 6 Dukes Lane, Kensington, who was present at the death.

Note: The Foley surname comes from the Irish surname 'Ó Foghladha', from 'foghlaidh' meaning 'pirate' or 'marauder'. The name originated in Co. Waterford and from there spread to counties Cork and Kerry. The name is most common now in these three counties, although it's numerous generally throughout the southern half of the country. Given the strong presence of the Foley name in Co. Kerry and seeing that Ellen married a man from Kerry, could our Foley family have hailed from Kerry?

Thomas Aloysius HUSSEY [Parents] was born 1864 in probably 9 Mayfield Place, Kensington, London. He died 30 Mar 1916 in London. Thomas married Mary Theresa BUTLER on 1886 in Kensington, London.

Thomas, who was educated at St. Edmund's Roman Catholic College in Hertfordshire, followed in his father's footsteps and became a builder.

Thomas and his brother, James, were to marry two sisters, Mary and Jane Butler. It's possible the two families were neighbours at some point because at the time of the 1881 census, the Butlers were living at 32 St. Mary Abbot's Terrace in Kensington (they later moved but it's not known when), and at the time of the 1891 (and 1901) censuses, Thomas's parents were living at 23 St. Mary Abbot's Terrace (having moved there sometime after 1884). Perhaps that's how the Thomas and James first met the Butler girls; or perhaps the connection is through Mary's and Jane's younger brother, William, who may have attended St. Edmund's at the same time as some of Thomas's brothers.

Thomas died of sarcoma of the spine and post-operative shock at the National Hospital, Queen's Square, Holborn, London. His home address at the time was 110 Baron's Court Road, West Kensington (where his son Laurence was living in 1915).

Mary Theresa BUTLER [Parents] was born 1865 in Richmond, Surrey. She died after 1917. Mary married Thomas Aloysius HUSSEY on 1886 in Kensington, London.

At the time of the 1891 census, Mary and her husband, Thomas, were living at Albert Hall Mansions in Kensington which had been built by Thomas's father's company. They were still at Albert Hall Mansions at the time of the 1901 census (the surname appears as "Husey" on the 1901 return). By the time of the 1911 census Mary appears to have been living at the home of her father at 59 Rowan Road, Hammersmith with her six surviving children while her husband, Thomas, is listed alone at 150 Blyth Road, West Kensington. At the time of the death of their son Ted in 1917, by which time Thomas had died, Mary appears to have been living at 57 Gunterstone Road, West Kensington, London.

William (Will) HUSSEY [Parents] was born 1867 in 9 Mayfield Place, Kensington, London. He died 27 Feb 1939 in Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire. William married Catherine (Kitty) ROONEY on 1902.

Will attended St. Edmund's school for Roman Catholic boys outside Ware in Hertfordshire. He enjoyed cricket, and for many years after leaving school was an annual visitor to St. Edmund's as a member of the Zouave Cricket Club which was recruited largely from Old Edmundians.

Will became a builder, like his father. There's a nice story, with a link to Will's business, that people might find interesting:

For many years there was a manhole cover with Will's name on it at the front of Brook Green Catholic Church, the local parish church for generations of Husseys. Many, many years after Will had died, his grandniece, Sheila Hussey (1927-2003), who lived in Ireland but who had long had her eye on the manhole cover, asked the Westminster Diocese if she could have it. They said 'yes' (also saying that it was the strangest request they had ever received!) and shortly thereafter it was transported to Dublin and installed in Sheila's driveway on Cedarmount Road in Mount Merrion. It reads:

                           William Hussey
                                 Builder
                   Albert Hall Mansions SW

Albert Hall Mansions had been built by Will's father's building company and it appears that William lived there as London telephone directories from 1914 and 1922 list his address as 32 Albert Hall Mansions (and give an office number too at Albert Hall Mansions).

According to his obituary in 'The Edmundian' (the magazine published by his old school, St. Edmund's), Will lived in the village of Tilehurst in Berkshire for the last 20 years of his life. However correspondence between him and a family member in 1937 gives his address as 18a Marloes Road, Kensington (his father owned property on Marloes Road). When Will died (in Tilehurst) in 1939, The obituary also tells us that Will was survived by his wife and son, one brother [which must have been Edmund] and two sisters [probably Elizabeth and Kate].

Catherine (Kitty) ROONEY [Parents] was born 1878 in Clapham, London. She died 1963 in Berkshire. Catherine married William (Will) HUSSEY on 1902.

Kitty's paternal grandfather was born in Ireland. At the time of the death of her son, Val, in 1943, Kitty was living at Mill Cottage, Calcot in Berkshire.