Jane Lynch was born about 1834 in Dublin (probably in the parish of SS Michael and John, near Christchurch Cathedral), the eldest of John and Mary Ann Lynch’s eight children. As an infant she moved with her parents to London where her siblings (Abigail, Edward, John, William, Anna, Albert and Teresa) were born. Her father worked as a tailor and the family lived initially in Soho and later in St. Pancras. Jane became a dressmaker and in 1862 married musical instrument maker George Butler, whose parents were born in Dublin.

A couple of years after their marriage Jane and George moved from Haymarket, London, where George’s musical instrument business was located, to Kensington, London. They had five children: George, Mary, Jane, William and Winifred. Both sons followed their father into the family musical instrument business, George in Haymarket and William in Dublin. George remained single while William married Nellie Gilroy from Co. Cavan; Mary and Jane married two brothers, Thomas and James Hussey respectively, while Winifred married Roscommon-born John Galvin and moved to Ireland. Sometime in the 1890s Jane senior and George moved from Kensington to Hammersmith, London where Jane died in 1902 and George in 1911.

This photo was taken about 1900. It’s not certain whom Jane is pictured with but it’s likely it’s, from left, Kate, Tom and Mamie Hussey, eldest children of Jane’s daughter Mary.