Bannow - Wexford Guide and Directory, 1885
About “Wexford County Guide and Directory,” 1885
George Henry Bassett produced 7 Irish county directories in the 1880s: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Kilkenny, Louth, Tipperary and Wexford. Each provides useful history of the respective counties as well as lists of office holders, farmers, traders, and other residents of the individual cities, towns and villages.
The directories are naturally an invaluable resource for those tracing family history. However, there are a few points to bear in mind.
- This online version of Bassett’s Wexford County Guide and Directory is designed primarily as a genealogical research tool and therefore the numerous advertisements in the original book, many full page, and quite a few illustrated, have been excluded.
- The text has been proofed with due care, but with large bodies of text typographical errors are inevitably bound to occur.
- Be aware that there were often inconsistencies in spelling surnames in the 19th century and also that many forenames are abbreviated in Bassett’s directories.
With respect to the last point, surnames which today begin with the “Mc” prefix, for example, were often formerly spelt as “M‘,”. For a list of some of the more common forename abbreviations used in the directory, see Forename Abbreviations.
CARRIG-ON-BANNOW is the name of the prettily situated village which the Postal authorities persist in calling Bannow. It is twelve miles, Irish, from Wexford, and thirteen from New Ross. The population of the village and its immediate vicinity is about 200. The houses are in good repair, and have an inviting appearance. As a point for a view of the surrounding country, there is none finer in the county. Carrig has a monthly fair, and a fowl market every Wednesday. Rosegarland, the splendid residence of Mr. Leigh, is about three miles from it, and the way lies through a district abounding in ancient and picturesque sights. The Catholic and Protestant (I.C.) Churches of Carrig, architecturally, are fine edifices, and have well kept grounds. A special interest attaches to the former, for the reason that it has in it the holy water font which originally belonged to the ancient Church of Bannow. Its form is square, and it stands about four feet from the floor. Bannow Church is on a point which overlooks the entrance to Bannow Bay. The ruin is small, but has much to attract the archaeologist. A striking object is a square piece of masonry, said to have at one time formed part of the Town House of the buried Town of Bannow. Not the least curious of the many curious additions to the ruin are the monuments, more than a score of which have been erected to the memory of natives of extreme old age. Near the Church door there is one which records the death of Walter French, of Grange, who died in 1701. The reading of the slab on which the name appears is done with so much difficulty as to give rise to considerable doubt as to whether the age attained by Mr. French was 104 or 140. A majority of the residents of Bannow hold the opinion that he reached 140. It is said, furthermore, that, but for an accident, he might have lived much longer. While on his way from Wexford to his farm at Grange, with a load of iron, the car broke down. He carried the iron on his back for the rest of the distance, and died from fatigue. Many of his kindred have lived to ages ranging between 80 and 100, a fact verified in well cut letters on the slabs which mark their graves, in the same church-yard.
The town of Bannow has often been referred to as the Irish HerculaneuM. It is buried beneath the sand, but there is no reason whatever to believe that in its destruction any loss of life occurred. The reasonable conclusion is that it fell into decay through loss of the commerce which it once enjoyed. The movement of the sand upon the constant winds, suggests to the poetic mind the manner of the destruction. For the following complete list of streets, and other valuable information, I am indebted to the courtesy of Mr. William Murphy, Post Master of Bannow: High Street, Little Street, Weaver Street, Lady’s Street, St. Mary’s Street, George’s Street, Upper Street, Ivory Street, St. Toolock Street, Back Street, Market Place, St. John’s Gate, Bride Street, Selskar Street, Hayes Lane. Bannow, it is claimed, was the oldest corporate town in Ireland. Some superficial excavations made by the late Captain Boyse, R.N., in 1865, resulted in the discovery of the foundation of a large house, and of a slab bearing date 1398. The church-yard of Bannow was first used as a burial place in 1661. What is called Bannow Island, contains about 500 acres, and is occupied by less than a dozen families. Sometimes the tide surrounds it, and this is now the only claim it has to be called an island. Major Boyse’s residence, Bannow House, is one of the finest in the County Wexford, but he seldom lives in it. Mrs. S. C. Hall, née Fielding, the gifted authoress, was a native of Graigue, in the neighbourhood, where the initials of her maiden name, A.M.F., are cut into a tree near the wall and chimney-shaft which mark the site of her old home.
CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Rev. P. C. Sheridan, P.P., Bannow
Rev. A., Kinsella, C.C., Coolishal
Rev. J. Boggan, C.C., Ballymitty
AUGUSTINIAN FRIARY, GRANTSTOWN.
Very Rev. John Kehoe, guardian
PROTESTANT (I.C.)
Rev. W. Corvan, rector, Vernegley
POSTMASTER.
William Murphy. [There are two of the same name in the village. One is postmaster and schoolmaster, the other is a general merchant.]
DISPENSARY,
BALLYFRORY.
Dr. James Boyd, Kiltra
RELIEVING OFFICER.
Francis Dillon, Mulrankin
ROYAL IRISH CON.
W. Walker, sergt., Wellington br
NATIONAL SCHOOL.
William Murphy, master
Mary T. Murphy, mistress
PROTESTANT SCHOOL,
BOYSE ESTATE.
Michael Reddy, master
BAKER & FLOUR DEALER.
David Furlong
BOOTMAKERS.
N. Murphy, J. Wade, P. Wallace, P. Walsh
COAL DEALERS.
Wm. Murphy, Bannow; Capt. S. Roche, Ballygow; A. Colfer, Kiltra; Wm. Scallan, Barlough
DRAPER.
Wm. Murphy
GROCERIES, FLOUR, PROVISIONS, HARDWARE & SPIRITS.
N. Barry, J. Breen, Wm. Murphy, *John Wade (*not a spirit dealer)
HARNESS MAKER.
James Roche
HOTEL AND POST CARS.
William Murphy
MILLERS.
Clement Colfer, Kiltra; T. Flynn, Kiltra; Simon Roche, Ballygow
SEEDS AND MANURES.
J. Breen, A. Colfer, Wm. Murphy
SMITH.
Michael Bowe
TAILOR.
Michael Hayes, Graigueen
FARMERS, LAND OWNERS, &c.
(Postal District.)
Barry, James
Barry, John, Coolhull
Barry, John L., Ballyfrory
Burnsides, William, Cullenstown
Cahill, Michael, Cullenstown
Caine, Patrick, Haggard
Cain, James, Bannow Moor
Carty, Jasper, Graigueen
Casey, James
Codd, Patrick, Graigue, l
Colfer, Alice, Danes castle
Colfer, Bartholomew, Newtown
Colfer, Eliza, Ballygow
Colfer, Eliza, Graigueen
Colfer, James, Haggard
Cook, Samuel, Vernegley
Corish, M. K., Coolhull
Corish, Nicholas, Lough
Crane, Patrick, Barrystown
Crosbie, Denis, Bannow Moor
Cullen, Bartholomew
Cullen, James, Newtown
Cullen, Thomas, Knocklime
Culleton, Thomas, Graigue
Dake, Patrick, Grange
Dake, Stephen, Brandane
Daly, Philip, Ballyoughton
Devereux, Thomas, Danescastle
Doyle, Patrick, Maudlintown
Fowler, Richard, Barrystown
French, John, Grange
Furlong, Mary, Cullenstown
Furlong, Mary, Lough
Furlong, Pat, Ballygow
Furlong, Peter, Lacken
Harper, Ed., Ballymadder
Harper, John, Haggard
Harper, Thomas
Harpur, J. P., Barriestown
Jeffares, John, Coolseskin
King, Richard, Danescastle
Kough, Pat, Lacken
Kough, James, jun., Lacken
Meyler, Andrew, Brandane
Moran, Patrick, Grange
Morris, Robert, Newtown
Murphy, Margaret, Lacken
Murphy, John, Lacken
Nugent, Martin, Sheastown
Quinn, Patrick, Brandane
Radford, Ben., Cullenstown
Radford, W., Cullenstown
Rossiter, Greg., Grange
Scallan, Mary, Lough
Scallan, Mat, Ballyfrory
Sheppard, W., Ballygow
Sheridan, James, Vernegley
Sinnott, Nicholas, Vernegley
Stafford, John, Coolseskin
Stafford, L., Cullenstown
Stafford, P., Graigue little
Stafford, Peter, Graigue little
Synnott, Nich., Ballymadder
Tierney, James
Tierney, Martin, Haggard
Walsh, Laurence
Walsh, Matt, Grange
Warriner, Samuel, Ballygow
White, Moses, Danescastle
White, Nicholas, Newtown
White, Thomas, Newtown
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