120 Years Ago ... A Tragic Accident: the Death of a Child of Belfast Deaf Parents

Warning: this post may be upsetting to read for some people.

 

John Creaney and Mary Ellen (or just Ellen) Connell were a Belfast Deaf couple who had married in 1901. Both had attended the Cabra schools.

 

Ellen was originally from Co. Cavan, and in 1901, lived on Brougham St; she worked as a smoother in a laundry.

 

Census of Ireland 1901: Brougham St, Belfast. Source: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Duncairn_Ward/Brougham_Street/957010/

 

John worked as a tailor, and in 1901 lived in an interesting household on Lisbon St. The head of the house was Sarah Jane Park Ervine, mother of future Belfast playwright John Greer Ervine. John Creaney was one of four Deaf boarders with the Ervines at Lisbon St, and the house contained Deaf members of the Church of Ireland, Catholics and a Presbyterian. Kate McGoldrick, a Deaf Catholic woman also boarding with the Ervines in 1901, was a witness at their 1901 wedding. (John had been married twice before, but his previous wives had passed away.)

 

Census of Ireland 1901: Lisbon St, Belfast. Source:http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Pottinger/Lisbon_Street/1214931/

 

When they married they ended up living at 12 Well Street, and in October of 1902 Ellen gave birth to a daughter, Honoria, born in their home. But tragedy struck when Honoria was six weeks old - the child died, and an inquest was held to find out what had happened.

 

1902 civil birth and death records for Honoria Creany. Source: www.irishgenealogy.ie

 

The inquest used the services of an interpreter named J. Stewart. Stewart would have used Northern Irish variant of BSL, but John and Ellen may have been familiar with BSL from living with Protestant boarders and socialising in the Belfast Deaf community. (John and Ellen were listed since at least 1914 as Catholic "Members and Adherents of the Mission Hall" in Belfast for Deaf adults, the members being mostly Church of Ireland and Presbyterian, but a substantial minority of Catholics.) Also present was the Superintendent of the Belfast Deaf Mission - Francis Maginn. He may have present as an emotional support to the Creaneys in this most distressing time, or even acted as a Deaf interpreter, working between Stewart's BSL to Irish Sign Language

 

Source: Irish News and Belfast Morning News, 3 December 1902, p. 6. Note that Honoria's name is misspelled in the report as 'Ferona'.

 

Ellen was called upon to give evidence; after this, it was decided that the child had died "due to suffocation ... the result of being overlain". It is not clear from the very short articles in the press exactly how this happened but it seems it was purely accidental.

 

The couple remained involved in the wider Belfast Deaf community and the Mission Hall. In 1911 they were living at Woodstock St, Belfast, with their second child, son Conner. Connor would grow up to become an important interpreter in Northern Ireland.

 

Source: Mission Hall for the Adult Deaf and Dumb Report, 1924.

Census of Ireland 1911: Woodstock St, Belfast. Source: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Pottinger__part_of_/Woodstock_Street/219655/

An example of the interpreting work of Conor John Creaney, son of John and Ellen. Source: Belfast Telegraph 16 January 1961, p. 12.

 

109 Years Ago: a Deaf Workhouse Inmate complains about her treatment

 

 

The workhouse building in Carrickmacross where Anna Eakins spent several years. Source: https://brenspeedie.blogspot.com/2013/08/from-land-wars-to-civil-war-brief.html

 

 In 1913 in Carrickmacross Workhouse, disagreements between some female inmates led to the Board of Guardians seeking to bring one of them to court - as it happened, a Deaf inmate: Anna Eakins.

Source: Petty Sessions Order Books, Carrickmacross Petty Sessions, 1913. www.findmypast.ie

 

Ellen McCaul (hearing) accused Anna Eakins (Deaf) of assault - threatening her with a sweeping brush, and later, throwing a chamber pot's contents over her. Another hearing woman named Meegan made similar complaints. But there was another side to the story, and we get a glimpse of it through a long letter that Anna wrote for the court which was read out.

Source: Dundalk Democrat, 29 November 1913, p. 14

 Anna complained that McCaul and Meegan called her names and mocked her, but it was from jealousy that Anna had a good relationship with the workhouse Master and the nuns that worked in the workhouse hospital, and was given manageable work by them. In particular, Anna was scathing about McCaul; she apparently was in the habit of bringing scraps of food into the workhouse (including rotten fish) and hiding them under her mattress, causing a horrible smell in the dormitory where they all slept, which was "so evil-smelling that the rats and crows coming into the yard could not bear to go near them". Anna was afraid to go to prison, and stated that "jail is an awful place"; when she had been there before she "had no bed or no sleep, awful what they would give you to eat". Nevertheless she was resigned to her fate: "Send me to jail for a fortnight, that is enough, or forgive me."

Source: Dundalk Democrat, 29 November 1913, p. 14

The case was adjourned for three months and Anna was warned to be on good behaviour.

Deaf People Seeking Jobs in 1885 and 1922

Two short advertisements in national newspapers from Deaf people seeking employment. 

 

In the 1885 advertisement, a local clergyman advertises to see if anyone has a job for a Deaf woman (who had been to the Claremont school for Protestant Deaf children): "A CLERGYMAN desires a situation for a deaf mute as parlour maid. She thoroughly understands her duties, and is remarkably intelligent. Trained at Claremont Institution. Apply to Rector, Castlebellingham."

 

 

In the 1922 ad, a Deaf man seeks a job as a coatmaker and describes himself as "first class" at this work: "TAILORING — Young Man, deaf mute, seeks situatlon: first class coatmaker. Box: 3300."

 

Sources: Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette, 28 November 1885; Irish Independent, 28 November 1922.

The Generosity of Two Deaf Wexford Men

Deaf people in Ireland did not only receive charity - they contributed to it.

Painting is called "Heinrich XVII, Prince Reuß, on the side of the 5th Squadron I Guards Dragoon Regiment at Mars-la-Tour, 16 August 1870" by Emil Hünten, 1902. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mars-la-Tour

 

In 1870, Prussia and France went to war. The Franco-Prussian war was one of the moves towards a unified German Empire. But the world was shocked at some of the cruel behaviour of the Prussian troops in France. Collections were made around Ireland to assist the injured French troops.

Source: Wexford People 24 September 1870, p. 7

 

 Among those who contributed in Wexford - two Deaf men, William Hendrick and Nicholas Brien. They each contributed 1 shilling 6 pence. William had entered the Prospect School in Glasnevin in 1854. Nicholas entered St Joseph's in 1864.

Source: Wexford People 24 September 1870, p. 7

Old Lisnaskea Workhouse - Reluctant to Send the Deaf Children to be Educated?

 The old Lisnaskea Workhouse, Co. Fermanagh. It is now mostly derelict and surrounded by the Lakeview housing estate.

Lisnaskea workhouse - old entrance block

Not many deaf children were sent to Cabra from Lisnaskea Union - just four before 1914:

• Catherine Clarke (1895)
• Owen McCaffrey (1910)
• Rose A. Cosgrave (1911) - all paid for by the Lisnaskea Board of Guardians
  
• Ellen Murphy, sent by her family in 1899.

This may be because the Lisnaskea guardians may have been reluctant to pay for their local poor deaf children to educated. In 1905, a local Protestant churchman applied for the Lisnaskea Guardians to send young Henry Delmore to the Ulster Institution for the Deaf and Blind.

But one Guardian - named Plunkett - disagreed. He said that the Church should cover the costs, not the Union (although hundreds of deaf children had been sent and paid for by Poor Law Unions in the preceding decades). The Board finally agreed to pay just £5 a year for Henry's fees, and for a limited time.

A few years previously in 1899 Plunkett had raised a similar objection to another deaf child and again suggested the clergyman should pay.

Sources: Freemans Journal, 1 March 1899, p. 8; Fermanagh Herald, 5 August 1905, p. 8.
More information on Lisnaskea Workhouse: https://workhouses.org.uk/Lisnaskea/

Old Lisnaskea workhouse, old entrance block

Old Lisnaskea workhouse, side of old accommodation block

Old Lisnaskea workhouse, rear - old accommodation block

Old Lisnaskea workhouse, rear - old accommodation block

Old Lisnaskea workhouse, rear of old entrance block

Old Lisnaskea workhouse, between entrance and accommodation blocks

Cornelius Flahavan: a Deaf Life On the Road (DHC Conference)

 

On 14 August I presented for the Deaf Heritage Centre's online conference. Have a look at my presentation by clicking above.

Clogher Workhouse, Co Tyrone: a Deaf Wanderer Decides to Stay

Clogher Workhouse (now derelict), Aug 2021.

Many people assume (wrongly) that people were forced to enter the workhouse and were not allowed to leave. However, sometimes, it was the opposite.

Clogher Workhouse - Entrance Block, Aug 2021

 

In 1913, a 'deaf and dumb' man was admitted to Clogher workhouse. The night he was admitted, he burned all his own clothes. Then, he wrote on a slip of paper and gave it to the workhouse master; he asked for a new outfit of workhouse clothes, cap, boots and a shirt. "I like to stop here", he added. 

Clogher Workhouse (now derelict), Aug 2021.

 

However the Board of Guardians of Clogher Union were not too keen that he stay. The man was given work to do and the Master tried to get him to leave the house within a week. 

 

Source: Freemans Journal, 4 November 1913, p. 4

Source: Ulster Herald, 8 November 1913, p. 13

 

More information: http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Clogher/ 

#deafhistory #irishhistory #workhouses

Mullingar Workhouse: A Deaf Boy's Evidence

 

Old entrance block, Mullingar Workhouse (now St Mary's Care Centre) - built 1841

The old Mullingar Workhouse (now St. Mary's Care Centre), Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.

 

Old accommodation block, Mullingar Workhouse (now St Mary's Care Centre)

 

In 1858 there were several attempts by paupers (workhouse inmates) to set fire to the Mullingar workhouse. The crimes were witnessed by other male paupers sleeping in the same dormitory.

 

Old entrance block, Mullingar Workhouse

 

 An inquiry was held in November into a number of charges against male paupers there. None of the witnesses gave evidence willingly - except a Deaf boy who was an inmate there.

 

It was also reported that the Deaf boy was the only witness there who was able to read and write well. 

 

Source: https://books.google.ie/books?id=na5bAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA448

 

More info on the Mullingar Workhouse: http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Mullingar/

Lisburn Workhouse: A Deaf Boy's Education Hangs in the Balance

The building that was the workhouse in Lisburn (now Lagan Valley Hospital).

 

Thomas Burns was an 8 year old deaf boy living in Lisburn in 1889. The Lisburn Board of Guardians (who met regularly in the Workhouse and ran it) were asked to pay for him to go to Cabra to be educated, as his parents were very poor and could not afford to have him educated. His behaviour was wild and becoming a nuisance around Lisburn.

 

Some of the Board of Guardians were very willing to pay the £15 a year to send Thomas, but others passionately objected. They thought £15 was too expensive and that Thomas should be admitted for free. Others believed he should be sent to the deaf school in Belfast, as it would be cheaper, and local Protestant Deaf children from Lisburn had already been sent there.

 

It was proposed that £10 be offered to Cabra to pay for Thomas' education. But Cabra replied and said that they had to insist on the full £15 from every child sent. So, instead, the Guardians offered to pay £15 - but for only two years. Cabra reminded the Guardians that two years was not at all enough time to educate Thomas properly.

 

 

 

Thomas was eventually admitted to Cabra in October 1889. However, he did not stay there long. He suffered from many epileptic fits and had to be returned home to Lisburn.

 

Sources: local Lisburn newspapers - please contact me if you need references

See http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Lisburn/ for more information on the workhouse.

A Deaf Blind Workhouse Inmate, sentenced to a month's imprisonment in Galway

A story about Michael Curley - a Deaf-Blind man - sentenced to 1 month in prison - for disorderly conduct in Galway workhouse.

"At Galway Petty Sessions, Michael Curley, a blind man, was charged by the Galway Board of Guardians with disorderly conduct in the Workhouse on the 4th October. Mr. O’Toole, Master of the Workhouse, stated that Curley had gone into the workhouse 25 times since last January. On the 4th ult., witness saw the windows broken, but did not see the defendant do it. Defendant was a great nuisance. Cross-examined, witness said he was aware that defendant was both blind and deaf. Mr. Hanley, porter of the workhouse, deposed that on the night in question, he heard knocking at the door and the noise of windows being broken. When he opened the door, he found the defendant there, having climbed the outer gate. Defendant was a very great nuisance; came in under the influence of drink often, and kicked up rows. The Chairman inquired how it was that the defendant’s people managed to communicate with him, or how he got on if he went into a shop. Mr. Daly (defending) contended that the case could not be maintained, as the defendant was deaf and blind, and, therefore, unable to plead. It was a case in which the defendant ought to be sent to a suitable institution for the deaf and dumb. Sergt. Cunningham said the man had a very significant manner of making known his wants when in a shop, by tapping on the counter a certain number of times with his stick (laughter). He had already done a month in jail for begging at Salthill. The Chairman said the only place to which they could send the defendant was the prison, as they had no power to send him elsewhere. He would be sentenced to a month’s imprisonment." Source: Connacht Tribune, 14 Nov 1914 - see also https://connachttribune.ie/galway-in-days-gone-by-566/

A deaf beggar-woman with her own sign language?

 

1870: a Deaf beggar woman, Mary McQuaid, is hit by a train between Dromore and Fintona, Co Tyrone. She later died in Omagh. She was 70 years old. At her inquest, some very interesting information about her life. [The newspaper article doesnt mention her education - I cannot find any evidence she was in a Deaf school, though there was an Anthony McQuaid from Tyrone who went to Cabra in 1852. Her deaf brother or cousin perhaps?]

 Mary depended on charity but was apparently never in the workhouse. She had lived in Cornamuckla, with a woman named Ellen McGuigan but had gone "back and forward to other houses for the last 14 years". Ellen could not say if there was ever a relationship between them (I assume this means a family relationship) but Mary "always claimed friendship" with her. Ellen's maiden name was McQuaid so they may have been cousins. Most interestingly, Mary used signs. She signed to Ellen that she was going to Omagh, and that she had signs for different signs for different towns. 

**The sign for Omagh was near the neck - "meaning that was where people were hanged".** 

Public execution did take place in Omagh Prison - the last public hanging was in 1860 although hangings within the gaol continued until about 1880 (see https://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/tyrone/A1007498.shtml). It is very likely that Mary McQuaid saw a public execution before 1860 and associated this with the town - creating a new placename sign.

John Neville: a Deaf Life in Birr Workhouse

Presentation, 31 July 2020, via Zoom Irish Sign Language - English subtitles

Kerry, 1860s: was there a Deaf school (or class?) in Tralee - in the Convent of Mercy?

To see the original Facebook post, please click here.

An ISL Deaf history vlog (with English voiceover and subtitles) where I look at some evidence of Deaf education in the 1860s in Tralee, Co Kerry. A Sisters of Mercy convent school apparently had some Deaf pupils educated through sign language...

Mercy Convent, Tralee. Source: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000320280

Advertisement for first appeal in aid of Convent of Mercy orphanage in Tralee, including reference to "Four Deaf Mutes" being educated there. Source: Tralee Chronicle, 11 December 1868, p. 2.

 Description of deaf children signing along to songs, at ceremony of reception and profession at the Convent of Mercy, Tralee. Source: Tralee Chronicle, 24 November 1868, p. 3.

The Poor Law Commissioners reject the removal of Mary Foley from Cabra to the Tralee Convent of Mercy. Source: Kerry Evening Post, 15 November 1865, p. 2.

The school at Cabra also protest at the proposed removal of Mary Foley from Cabra to the Tralee Convent of Mercy. Source: Tralee Chronicle, 17 November 1865.

 

Patrick Foley returns from Cabra to the Tralee workhouse having been educated "in a very satisfactory manner" - but the Board of Guardians continues to press for Mary to be brought to the Tralee Convent of Mercy. Source: Kerry Evening Post, 13 December 1865, p. 2.

The Poor Law Commissioners insist that that the Tralee Convent of Mercy cannot be recognised as suitable as it is not "wholly devoted" to deaf education, but the Board of Guardians point out that they have a teacher "devoted exclusive" to teaching deaf children. Source: Tralee Chronicle, 15 December 1865.

The Poor Law Commission dig in their heels, and Mary Foley remains in Cabra. Source: Kerry Evening Post, 20 December 1865, p. 2.

'Another Silent Individual': a Deaf Interpreter in Foynes, Co Limerick in 1867?

To see my original Facebook post, click here.

ISL video with English (voice), automatic subtitles - proper subtitles soon.

 

 

Another possible Deaf interpreter in Ireland! This time - 1867 in Foynes, Co. Limerick... but is the evidence strong enough to say Cornelius McMahon was a Deaf interpreter?

 

Source: Munster News, 5 January 1867, p. 3.

 

Ireland's First Deaf Interpreter in Court - 1863 in Cork?

ISL video, English voice and CC closed captions

Original Facebook post can be found here.

Did the first recorded example of a Deaf interpreter in court happen in 1863 in Cork? Timothy Donovan is in court for theft. An interpreter named John Good is brought in to interpret for him. But John Good interprets 'through another mute', according to a different newspaper. Does this mean a Deaf interpreter?

I reference Graham O'Shea's MA thesis on Cork's Deaf history in this vlog: Graham O’Shea, ‘A History of Deaf in Cork: Perspectives on Education, Language, Religion and Community’ (Unpublished M.Phil. Thesis, University College Cork, 2010).

Source: Southern Reporter and Cork Commercial Courier, 7 March 1863

  

Source: Cork Constitution, 7 March 1863, p. 4

 

Ryan Tubridy with Fin Dwyer on Irish Deaf History (extract) - RTE Radio

I was surprised to hear that I was mentioned on Ryan Tubridy on RTE radio this morning!
He was interviewing the brilliant Fin Dwyer, who interviewed me two weeks ago for the 'Irish History Podcast'. Ryan was very interested to hear more about Irish history.

I did a short ISL version of what Ryan and Fin talked about. English voiceover and English closed captions.

Transcript:

[Ryan Tubridy] .... It's fascinating, and just to remind people, we’re walking to Fin Dwyer the man behind – it’s Irish History Podcast, is where you need to go, this is just a flavour of where your stories go, because it's so broad as a church. In fact the other one I was listening to the other morning was the history of the Deaf community in Ireland - and I had no idea that people at one time thought that Deaf people were considered to be psychics!?

[Fin Dwyer] Yeah the actual back story to this is interesting; I lie yourself had no idea, never really thought about the history of the deaf community, and then Cormac Leonard a researcher from Trinity College contacted me about signing a podcast I'd made on the Aran islands, and it was just through that - I was looking at Cormac’s website and I just started to think about this, I'd never really thought of the deaf community and their role in Irish history. So I asked Cormac would he do an interview, and it was one of the most eye opening interviews I'd ever done! It brings to the fore all these - first of all, the way deaf people were viewed before the 19th century, in this role as mystics, maybe, and fortune tellers. And then the 19th century where you get the emergence of sign language in deaf schools, but he also talks about really interesting stuff like, people for example from the deaf community involved in the IRA, involved in the Unionist movement in the early 20th century; and then just things lie how do Deaf people navigate the workhouses and particularly prisons. Because we've a tendency - even today - to maybe infantilise deaf people and think that they don't have the same experiences as hearing people, but definitely Cormac on the Podcast really brought out how essentially, deaf people have all the same experiences, but then often face the barriers, because people dismiss them.

[Ryan Tubridy] Absolutely, and that's, as I say, just one that jumped out recently ....

Two Deaf-Brothers Fear a Return to the Workhouse: Bow Street Court, London, 1869

See my original Facebook post here.

 Two deaf-blind brothers, David and Thomas Bowen, are arrested for begging in 1869 in London.

The Rev. Smith interprets for them with some difficulty, having to use tactile manual alphabet.

They are from Llandudno in Wales, and their father had died. They had stayed in the Llandudno workhouse but were not happy there, and went to London instead to beg. While in London, they were robbed of their money while staying at a lodging-house.

The magistrate orders them to be sent back to Llandudno, which upsets the two brothers greatly, as they disliked the workhouse so much.

 

Source: London Evening Standard, 20 February 1869

 

George Evans-Freke (Lord Carbery), 1810-1889 - an Irish Deaf member of the gentry

 

George Evans-Freke (Lord Carbery), 1810-1889 - an Irish Deaf member of the gentry. Educated in the Paris Deaf school and lived in Bandon, Co Cork (as well as London). Because he was Deaf he was unfortunately not permitted to manage his estate by himself - a group of Trustees managed it for him. He was from a Protestant family but contributed to the Catholic Institute for the Deaf, as well as the St Saviours church for the Deaf in London.

Source: "Peeps into the Deaf World", by W. R. Roe