maam cross peacockes

Dear Lurgan:

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Jane.

Hi Martin,

I apologise for taking so long to reply. I'm from the other side of Lough Corrib (Killursa Parish - Headford Town). I know Peacocke's and Maam Cross only as a great place to visit. I'm not familiar with the area or the history, though I've done a bit of research. I'm guessing you may know already what I outline below.

Griffiths:

From Griffith's Valuation, Peacocke's Hotel site is shown as "Butler's Lodge (in ruins)". It's in the townland of "Lurgan or Shindilla" in the parish of Kilcummin. The tenants/occupiers of the complete townland are listed as "DIRECTORS OF THE LAW LIFE ASSURANCE CO.", an area of 910+ acres. 

Based on some more searching of Griffiths it looks like Peacock/Peacocke was a fairly rare name in Ireland at the time - A Griffith search returned 188 occupier records for Peacock - Most from Co. Limerick, but quite a few from Counties Antrim, Tipperary, Derry and Clare too - None from Co. Galway. A search for the other spelling of Peacocke gives 30 hits, mostly Limerick, Derry and Westmeath. There is one Peacocke only listed for Co. Galway and he's living in the parish of Kilcummin (Oughterard town) - John Peacock.

After a trawl through the online civil records, I found only 6 Peacock(e) records for Galway district and all of them for 2 Peacock(e) RIC Officer families - one based in Moycullen in late 1870s (Joseph Peacock and Mary Holmes) and the other in Salthill (James Peacock and Anna Glynn) Fathers are Michael Peacock (Clerk) and George Glynn (RIC). There are 18 Peacock(eP records for Oughterard district. The same Joseph Peacock who married a Mary Holmes is based there in the 1860s. He is based in Carraroe in the 1870s. A death record for an elderly Margaret Peacock exists for 1869 but I'm not sure who she could be, unless she is Joseph's mother - It's not possible to see the record online, just the index. Joseph (Andrew) dies 1891 (Oughterard) aged 56. A daughter of Joseph Peacock (Isabella Wilhelmina) marries a George Henry Varndell in 1908 and her residence is given as Maam Cross. Joseph (the father's) rank/profession is given as Sergeant RIC. Joseph's wife mary died in 1884 aged 70 (Address Oughterard). A John Peacock from Oughterard (Ex Head Constable) dies aged 69 in 1897 and his daughter Fanny is the witness. Another daughter of Joseph (Anna Maria) marries a Richard R Heggart (RIC Constable) in 1899 and they are both resident in Maam Cross. Both fathers are listed as "Sergeant RIC". In 1902 a Fanny Peacock marries a James O'Brien (shoemaker), both resident in Oughterard - Her father is John Peacock (Ex Head Constable RIC). In 1913, a Mary Peacock aged 70 (widow - postmistress) dies at Maam Cross and her son Robert (also Maam Cross) is the witness. In 1937, Robert Peacock dies aged 62 (Bachelor and Retired Postman) from Letterfore (beside Maam Cross). His witness is his brother Robinson Peacock (5 Maryville Park, Belfast), present at death. There's only 1 Peacock record for Clifden district - a birth record in 1900 for an 'unknown' child of Robinson Peacock and Mary Jane Burns from Roundstone.

That's 2 RIC constables (and their families) called Peacock based between Moycullen, Oughterard and Maam Cross - Joseph's family and John's family. James family (the 3rd RIC officer) was based in Salthill. Based on the records, at least one of the families (Joseph's) settled in or around Maam Cross and I'm it looks like they became post-masters/mistresses. I wouldn't be surprised if Joseph and John were also closely related. 

Also. the 1901 census has a Peacock family living in Letterfore - just a few miles from Maam Cross. They are Mary (postmistress) - widow (Birthplace Co. Tipperary), her sons Robinson and Robert, daughters Elizabeth and Isabella Wilhelmina. This is clearly the widow and family of Joseph. There is another Peacocke family living in Oughterard - William (Ex RIC), widower and his niece Fanny (not married). Fanny is probably the daughter of the other RIC man - John. William's birthplace is given as Carrick-On-Shannon, Co. Leitrim and Fanny's is given as Rosbercon, Co. Kilkenny. In 1911, Mary is listed as Publican and Robert and Elizabeth as Postmaster/Postmistress and a Robert Mulvagh as Shop Assistant. They're not quite Hotel owners but seem to be heading in that direction.

Police records may help trace them back to Limerick or another part of Ireland - Belfast, Carrick-On-Shannon, Kilkenny, Tipperary.... I'll do some more checking... As Peacock was such an unusual name in Co. Galway at that time, is it likely that this family were the same family that became owners of Peacocke's Hotel? 

Regards,

Tim

I am surprised about the  amount of  Police representation in the grandparents` generation.  I have had  a lot of help from the ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY FORUM  and I intend to go back through staff numbers and such  like records. 

Incidentally, I have  found an Isabella Varndell in an old folks` home in England.  I don`t intend to cause any disturbance in that line.    

Thanks for the  good help. john

I Live near Maam Cross and have some information on Peacockes. For many years the hotel was run by Elizabeth, known as Miss Peacocke, and her brother Robert James (Bob). Bob died in 1937 aged 62 while his sister lived until 1960 by which time she was in her 84th year. Both Bob and Elizabeth together with other family members are buried in Kilcummin Church of Ireland in Oughterard

The first of the Peacockes to live in the area were RIC members who worked in the wooden police station to the North West of the cross-road. Holmes Peacocke acted as a bodyguard for Lord Dudley (William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley) who was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1902 to 1905. Lord and Lady Dudley rented Screebe House from the Berridges as a summer residence and spent a good deal of time there during the summer months.
Following Elizabeth’s death in December 1960 the business passed to a nephew Arthur Joseph (Holmes) who had previously worked in banking. Jimmy Miskell worked there as barman for many years and was greatly respected by all who knew him. The premises were put up for sale in 1980 and was purchased by Michael(Mick) Keogh of Oughterard. He extended the bar and the rest of the building remained until it was all demolished in 1998 and replaced by the present hotel complex.
Arthur Joseph (Holmes) had a son Robin and daughter Jennifer who now live in Dublin. Leslie