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Gleeson family

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 Part 2: John Gleeson (1876 - 1963)

Early life

John 'Jack' Gleeson (1876 - 1959) was born 24 March 1876 in County Tipperary, Ireland. He and his identical twin brother Billy were the youngest children of Thomas Gleeson (c1822 - 1887) and Mary Farrell (c1836 - 1891). (It is not known who was older.) The family lived in Urard, Gortnahoe, and they were baptised in Gortnahoe Parish Church 24 March 1876. According to a relative of Billy's, they were born the day they were baptised (which indicated they might not have been expected to survive). The boys had different sponsors and Jack's were Patrick Flinn and Johanna Dalton.

Since 1831, all Irish children had access to education through the National Education System. Originally it was intended to be non-denominational education, with religious education taught outside of school hours, but there was fierce opposition from the Catholic and Protestant churches and denominational schools flourished. It is not known what National Schools existed in the various parishes where the Gleesons had lived. Kylemakil National School opened in 1910 and Gortnahoe National School in 1947 but there may have been others that were in existence in the late 19th century which have since closed. Jack's teacher would have had part of their pay determined by how many days children attended (over 100 days) and the results they obtained. Consequently, the curriculum was very narrow and gender-orientated: rote-learning of the 'Three Rs' of reading, writing and arithmetic (and sometimes the girls were not taught much of the latter), some geography, and agriculture for the boys and needlework for the girls. Jack's children would benefit from a widening of the curriculum in the early 20th century to include science, physical education and drawing, and the removal of results-dependent pay. When Jack attended school, it was not compulsory (that occured in 1892 for all children aged six to fourteen). Children usually remained at school until they had learned to read which was considered more important than being able to write. Their texts were heavily British-centric and there was no place for Irish history and culture to be taught. [1]

Jack and Billy were very mischievous and took full advantage of being identical by playing tricks on people. One story passed down through the family was of one twin taking his boots in to be mended. Later the other twin collected them, claiming to be the owner. Then the original twin came along and demanded his boots! When Jack was about 12 he went to work for a farmer called Gorman. It was a hard life and he worked about 14 hours a day (he said the farmer was a nasty old man!).

Marriage to Catherine 'Kate' Lonergan

Jack married servant Catherine 'Kate' Lonergan (1881 - 1955) 19 February 1906 at the Roman Catholic Chapel in Two-Mile Borris, Tipperary (more information about Kate appears in the Lonergan section). They had seven children: Thomas, Norah, Michael, Thomas, Mary, Catherine and Bridget. Sadly their first child died three days after he was born, being weak from birth. The family lived in Manseltown, Moyne, until c1910 when they moved to 'Ballyduff', their cottage near Manseltown just north of Two-Mile Borris. They grew their own food and produce such as sugarbeet to sell.

Jack's grandson remembered Jack as seeming very tall and never saying a lot. He would often sit in his chair by the peat-burning stove while Kate hustled about. The peat would be cut by family members from bogs near Moyne. Later Jack had a job as a road worker. Kate died in 1955 and Jack died 27 March 1963 in hospital in Thurles, aged 87. The cause of death was listed as senility. They were both buried in Moyne graveyard. [2]

Jack Gleeson
(who is that peering over the gate?!)

Kate and Jack at Ballyduff

Jack and Kate's grave in Moyne graveyard

Children of Jack and Kate

Thomas (1907 - 1907) was born 08 July 1907 in Manseltown and sadly died three days later at home 11 July, the cause being listed as ' weak from birth'.

Norah (1908 - 1982) was born in 1908 in Manseltown.

Michael Joseph (1910 - 1978) was born in 1910 in Manseltown.

Thomas (Tom) (1912 - 1993) was born in 1912 at Ballyduff.

Mary (Molly) Theresa (1908 - 1967) was born 15 December 1913 at Ballyduff. Molly moved to Sussex, England, and worked as a waitress in a café. She married cowman Alfred Percy (Perce) Ferrington (1909 - 1987) 09 February 1937 at St Paul's Catholic Church, Haywards Heath and they had one child. Molly died 31 October 1967, aged 53.

Catherine Mary (Kitty) (1916 - 1999) was born in 1916 at Ballyduff.

Bridget (Bid) (1918 - 2000) was born in 1918 at Ballyduff.

Next: Gleeson Descendants

Footnotes

[1] Queen's University Belfast Irish education website (www.qub.ac.uk/sites/irishhistorylive/IrishHistoryResources/Shortarticlesandencyclopaediaentries/Encyclopaedia/LengthyEntries/Education/#d.en.419768); www.gortnahoens.ie/about-us/history-of-gortnahoe-ns; www.encyclopedia.com/international/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/education-primary-public-education-national-schools-1831

[2] Cashel diocese baptismal and marriage records courtesy of Tipperary Family History Research centre (http://www.tfhr.org); Irish civil birth, marriage, death records, Irish baptism records (www.rootsireland.ie); 1901 and 1911 Ireland Census (www.census.nationalarchives.ie); Ireland Census records, civil birth, marriage, death records, Irish baptism records (Ancestry.co.uk)