The church records from Owning and Templeorum Parish in Kilkenny give us some information on the Durney family, although not all of the baptismal records (including Margaret's) have been found. The parents of this family were Daniel Durney and Anna (Anastatia) Walsh.
In 1828, Thomas Walsh (assumed father of Anna Walsh) had 44 acres in Mullinbeg. (1828 Tithe)
In 1828 Daniel Durney Jr had land with John Bolger in Garryduff. Neighbors included John and Wm Cuddihey, Thos and Patk Kennelly, and Pat Durney.
Their first child, Thomas, was baptized on 10 March 1817- apparently before Daniel and Anna were married as he was marked "Illegitimate" on the baptismal records. Anna's residence was Mullinbeg or Daniel and Anna were living in Mullenbeg at the time of his birth. His baptismal sponsors were John Cuddihy and Mary Kennelly/Connelly. The Kennellys were neighbors of the Walshes in Mullinbeg in the 1828 tithe survey.
Daniel and Anna must have married before the birth of their next child, Bridget, who was baptized on 7 April 1822 in Garryduff. Her sponsors were Daniel Durney and Judith Cuddihy.
Mary Durney was baptized 31 March 1823 in Garryduff, with sponsors John Daniel and Mary Durney
Michael Durney was baptized 18 June 1826 in Tinnakilly (Mountain Grove) a townland between Garryduff and Piltown.) His sponsors were John and Margaret Walsh.
There is a baptismal record for a John Durney on 30 April 1832 in Garryduff- parents Daniel Durney and Nancy Walsh. (Nancy is a common nickname for Anne) sponsors John Malone and Ellen Shea.
There are no records for a Margaret Durney with this family. However, there is another Durney family in Garryduff; John Durney and Mary Peter.
John Durney and Mary Peters had a daughter, Margaret, born on December 28, 1833. Her baptismal sponsors were Daniel Durney and Catherine Bolger. This December 28 date is very close to the family record we have of January 1- although the years are way off! However, after a thorough search of the parish records, this is the ONLY Margaret Durney born between 1820-1850 within the entire parish.
John Durney and Mary Peters also had a son, James Durney, baptized on 15 October 1830. His sponsors were John Malone and Ellen Bulger.
As well as a son, Thomas Durney, born on 16 April 1821, (sponsors William Cuddehy and Anastatia Hogan) and a daughter, Bridget Durney, born 15 January 1817, sponsors John Malone and Bridget Durney.
Overall Durneys in Garryduff;
John Durney and Mary Peters- Bridget born 1817, Thomas born 1821, James born 1830, Margaret born 28 Dec 1833,
(check these dates vs census ages for Margarets siblings)
John Durney and Elizabeth Phelan- Daniel born 1830 (illegitimate)
Thomas Durney and Johanna O'Mara- Patrick born 1820, Daniel born 1823
Daniel Durney and Ann Walsh- Bridget born 1822, Mary born 1823, John born 1832
Patrick Durney and Catherine Byrne- Thomas born 1807, John born 1810, Bridget born 1818, Gerald 1819, James born 1824
Patrick Durney and Mary Mackey- John born 1833
Patrick Durney and Mary Morresy- James born 1836, Michael born 1839,
Patrick Durney and Bridget Reade- James born 1836, Elizabeth born 1838, John born 1841
Older Durneys
Denis Durney and Elizabeth Cuddihy- John born 1803, Bridget born 1809
Daniel Durney and Mary Phelan- Margaret born 1805
The landlord for this region was the Earl of Bessborough, a title held by the Ponsonby family, whose progenitor, Colonel Sir John Ponsonby, was a member of Cromwell's army who was rewarded for his service with huge estates in Ireland.
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| Bessborough House, Kilkenny |
John William Ponsonby (also known as Baron Duncannon) was the 4th Earl of Bessborough, and was also Lord Lieutenant of Ireland between 1846 and 1847, at the height of the famine. (His sister was Lady Caroline Lamb, who was notoriously the lover of the famous poet Lord Byron, and an author in her own right.)
The Earl had over 17,000 acres in Kilkenny and unlike his predecessors who rarely visited Ireland, he stayed in Ireland at Bessborough house for 21 years until his death. His wife, Lady Duncannon, was devoted to the local Irish population, and would visit Piltown visiting local cottages on her pony and caring for the local inhabitants. She encouraged well kept cottages with prizes. The good lady unfortunately died in 1834 at the age of 46, after giving birth to fourteen children. Three of their sons later inherited the title of Earl, but none of them stayed full time at Bessborough House, although they generally visited for the summer months and Christmas.
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| The indoor staff for Bessborough House |
By the 1930's they sold the house, which became first a seminary and is now Kildalton Agricultural College.
Griffiths Valuation shows several Durney families in Garryduff which is in Owning civil parish, Owning and Templeorum Catholic Parish
A consortium of farmers in Garryduff rented 166 acres from the earl. Included in this group were Patrick Durney junior, Thomas Durney, and John Durney, along with Patrick Whelan, John Whelan, David Bolger, and Nicholas Nowlan. Daniel Durney must have been elderly by the time of the valuation; he had only a house and garden rented from the earl. Patrick Durney senior rented 15 acres.
Other farmers in the area included Richard Cuddihy and Margaret Cuddihy, Patrick and Thomas Kinealy, Patrick Nowlan, John Ryan, James Malone and John Maher.
Piltown was the closest village to Garryduff.
Anthony's Inn, originally a stage stop, still exists today as well.
Piltown was aslo home to the Iverk Agricultural Show, which began in 1826 and still runs each August. This agricultural fair was surely an annual event for our ancestors in the area.
Iverk Show
Unlike most of our ancestors, Margaret Durney's parents, Daniel Durney and Anna Walsh, do not appear to have emigrated to the United States. Some of her siblings did emigrate to the U.S.; Bridget (who married Michael Powers) Michael (who married Johanna Walsh- and whom Aunt Helen called "Aunt Hannah") James, Mary (who married Francis "Frank" Allen- Hugh's brother) all emigrated to Jerseyville.
Other Durneys remained in Garryduff.
In the 1901 Irish census for Garryduff we find a Daniel Durney age 70- thus born in 1830, who was a widower, living with his sons John 38 and James 30. It is likely that this Daniel was Margaret's elder brother. By the 1911 census Daniel had died, and his sons John 50 and James 41 were still single. The census tells about the Durney home- it was made of stone, with a thatched roof, with four windows on the front of the house. The house had 5 rooms inside. The Durney's four outbuildings include a stable, barn for cows, chicken house, and a shed.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002628629/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002628615/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002628617/
The Durney's neighbors were the Nolans, Malones, Bulgers, Kenneallys, John Cuddihy, John Ryan, and Edmond Walsh.
The 1901 Irish census also shows a James Durney, 32 (born 1868) who could not read with his wife Anastatia 28 who could read and write and niece Norah Durney 83, an unmarried domestic servant who could read but not write and who spoke both Irish and English. They lived in a stone house with a slate roof with 5 windows in the front, and 4 rooms. James was a neighbor of Daniel Durney.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000918895/
The 1901 census shows Anastatia Walsh, age 72, living in Garryduff with her 30 year old son James. Anastatia was a widower and a cottager, who could not read and spoke both Irish and English. Her son could read and write and was a farm laborer.
An Ellen Walsh, 43, was living with her brother in-law Richard 56 and his wife Kate Nolan (likely Kate Walsh Nolan) 56 along with Daniel Nolan 22, John Connoly 23, their nephews.
By 1911 there were more Walshes in Garryduff- Edmond 43 and his wife Johanna 43, their sons Richard 8, John 6, and Edmund 2, and daughters Margret 13 and Annie a baby. All the adults could read and write. Edmund was a laborer.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002628633/
Sources:
https://theirishaesthete.com/tag/bessborough/
