Family History WA

Rev. John Treanor 1800-1879 Mayo & Galway, Ireland

How many among us can say we have family connections to County Galway’s celebrated historic churches? FamilyHistoryWA member Marny Howe’s interest in researching her family history was sparked when she learnt about her great-grandfather Rev Thomas Stanley Treanor’s years as a member of the Missions to Seamen in Kent, but when she investigated his story further, Marny discovered that his father, Rev John Treanor, was a Galway man who had served in some of Connemara’s most significant historical churches in Tuam and Galway City. In this article, Marny shares details of John Treanor’s life and the Galway locations where he ministered, including two celebrated churches of medieval origin: St Mary’s Cathedral in Tuam and the 800-year-old St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church in Galway City.

BY MARNY HOWE

My father had some books written by his grandfather Rev. Thomas Stanley Treanor about his years as a member of the Missions to Seamen in Kent, which is one reason I started researching my family history. During my research I found that Thomas’s father, Rev. John Treanor, had been a Minister of the Church of Ireland, born on 11 March 1800 in Co. Mayo, the son of Thomas Traynor/Trenor, a farmer, and Eleanor Burke. The clerical directories of the time recorded that John was educated by Mr. Rogers and entered Trinity College on 22 October 1827, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1832. He was ordained at Limerick on 25 March 1834, and 4 September 1835 he married Frances Ann Page in her local parish church of St. Mary, Dublin. From January 1836 to end of June 1840 John was in England, where he served as Curate in the parish of Farlow and Stottesden, not far outside the industrial city of Birmingham and ten miles from the Shropshire Hills, today celebrated as an Area of Natural Beauty. It was during this period that his son Thomas Stanley was born. Another son Arthur was to follow in 1840, though to date I have not found a baptism record for Arthur. Rev John Treanor soon found himself back in Galway, where he served at various times in Moyrus, Roundstone, Rahoon, Kilmoylan and as Prebendary at Taghsaxon from 1876 to 1879, the year of his death. He also served in positions one might expect of the Church of Ireland clergy, including time as the Established Church’s Dean of Residence at Queen’s University, Galway, and as chaplain to the Galway Union Workhouse, serving alongside the Catholic chaplain Rev Peter Daly PP, but it was his extended service as Vicar of St. Nicholas, Galway City and Canon of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Tuam that brought him into the medieval environs of those celebrated treasures of Irish ecclesiastical architecture. The Griffith’s Primary Valuation of 1855 shows that John was living on Prospect Hill in Galway City, not far from St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church. Here he occupied a house, offices, yard and garden with an area of ten perches, at a rateable annual value of twenty pounds. St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church in Galway is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland, still in constant use. It was built about 1320 on the site of an earlier chapel, and its history is linked very closely with the history

Above: St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church in Galway was built in 1320.

of Galway City. Tradition has it that Christopher Columbus prayed here before he crossed the Atlantic on his voyage of discovery to the Americas. The Church was established as a Collegiate Church when Galway was granted a charter in 1484. It contains many unique features including the tomb of the famous Mayor Lynch, who was reputed to have hanged his own son for murder. Its fine stained glass, carvings, holy vessels and even its graves were damaged by Cromwell’s army when they used the Church to stable their horses, but in spite of this abuse it remains a site of beauty and historical importance to this day. St. Mary’s Cathedral, Tuam, consists of three buildings dating from the 12th, 14th and 19th centuries. The 14th century section, now known as the Synod Hall, stands at the eastern end. It constitutes the choir of a large Cathedral that was never completed. Adjoining the western gable of this Synod Hall is a Romanesque chancel that had formed part of the original 12th century Cathedral. This is now incorporated as the Sanctury into the present Cathedral, a 19th century building with a spire 180 feet high surmounted by an 18 feet high iron cross, one ton in weight. There are many important features within this Cathedral, one of particular note being the ancient High Cross of Tuam which now stands in the south transept. This cross was carved between 1128 and 1152 at the behest of Turlough O’Connor, the second last High King of Ireland. John died on 14 April 1879 in Tuam, Co. Galway, shortly after the completion of the present St Mary’s Cathedral, and he is buried at St Mary’s in Grave No. 19 along with his son Arthur, who had predeceased him, and daughter-in-law Charlotte Elizabeth, first wife of his older son Thomas Stanley. Also buried in the same enclosure is Jeannie, wife of Henry A. Blake, who was present at Thomas Stanley Treanor’s second marriage, to Anita Maria Sillitoe. In his will John left two policies in insurance companies on his own life (£200 in Church of England Insurance Company and £300 in Scottish Provincial Assurance Company), and £300 preference stock in the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway Company to be invested for the maintenance of his wife, Anne. The Trustees nominated were his son, Rev. Thomas Stanley Treanor, and a cousin, Rev. James Treanor, Rector of Ballinlough, Co. Roscommon. Evidence for Anne’s death has proved elusive to date, though there was an Anne Treanor who died on 13 December 1889 at Balla, Co. Mayo, aged 87 – she could have been John’s widow. After Anne’s death the principal and interest were to pass to their son Thomas Stanley, whose books about his time in the Missions to Seamen in Kent had first aroused my interest, leading me to discover my family’s connections to Galway’s beautiful medieval churches.

Above: St Mary’s Cathedral in Tuam where Rev John Treanor is buried along with extended family members.

All photographs taken by the author Marny Howe and held in her private collection.

FHWA WRITERS GROUP

Marny Howe is a member of FamilyHistoryWA’s Writers Group, a Special Interest Group whose members meet monthly to support and encourage each other to turn the documents and findings of their family history research into narratives that bring their ancestors to life. Marny’s story about the life of John Treanor’s grandson in South Africa was published in the group’s 2019 book of thirty family stories, I have often wondered. This book includes several Irish family stories and is available for purchase from FamilyHistoryWA for $15. If you have an interesting story, character or event in your ancestry, or if you would like to be the ancestor yourself and write stories of your own life to share with your children, grandchildren and beyond, you are welcome to join us at a Writers Group meeting at FHWA’s Bayswater premises. No experience is needed. The first step is simply putting pen to paper – or keystrokes to screen – and Writers Group will be there to motivate and encourage you, as well as provide ideas and tools to help you, whether your stories are intended for future publication or for sharing with family and friends only. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every month except January – see email address and links below. ☘

THE IRISH SIG IN 2022

The Irish Special Interest Group (Irish SIG) at Family History WA (FHWA) continues to offer face-to face meetings, though the option to meet online via Google Meet can be exercised at short notice if the Covid-19 situation changes. Next ISIG meetings will be on 16 January and 3 April 2022. The January meeting will be an opportunity to bring your specific Irish family history challenges to our ‘brick wall session’ where we will harness the combined experience and expertise of members and committee to help you. New members and visitors are always welcome - simply book your place using the online booking site TryBooking, details right. FHWA also hosts many other face-to-face and online presentations, workshops and meetings, some for beginners and others for experienced researchers. Bookings are essential, and a small payment may be required for some events. See links right. We invite you to visit FHWA’s extensive library and resource centre at 6/48 May Street, Bayswater. Please consult the FHWA homepage for current opening hours and capacity limits, if applicable. Happy and successful researching!

CHRISTINE TIMONEY

ON BEHALF OF THE IRISH SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

MORE INFO

ROBYN O’BRIEN

Convenor Irish Special Interest Group E irish.sig@fhwa.org.au Book a place at the next IRISH SIG MEETING at TryBooking: trybooking.com/BLPZM

LIANA FITZPATRICK

Convenor Writers Group E writers.sig@fhwa.org.au Book a place at the next WRITERS GROUP MEETING at TryBooking: trybooking.com/BMBCF Book for FUTURE FHWA EVENTS at TryBooking: trybooking.com/eventlist/genealogy Go digging for resources at FamilyHistoryWA’s

IRISH SIG WEBPAGE

Join FAMILYHISTORYWA FACEBOOK GROUP – researching family worldwide, open to all. Join in the chat or ask a question. FamilyHistoryWA (FHWA): fhwa.org.au membership.wags.org.au T 08 9271 4311

Tony and Veronica McKee

PO Box 994 Hillarys WA 6923

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