Edward Christopher BEHAN [14792]

  General Notes:

Written by Jean O'Loughlin (RIP 1989) (nee Jenny McDonald) married to Peter O'Loughlin (RIP 1988),

September 1969
Great grandfather Behan and his family lived in Blackwood, Kildare. They were small farmers. I know nothing more about that generation. My grandfather \emdash Christopher Behan \emdash was the only boy in his family so, as his son Mile became a priest, the Behan name died out with the death of his daughters Bridget and Margaret. Christopher's children spent many summer holidays down in Blackwood. They had to journey down by horse and sidecar, bringing enough provisions with them to last a siege. The great-uncles did a fair bit of hunting, shooting and fishing and it was there that Uncle Mike learned to ride and shoot. He kept a horse himself for many years. Maybe it is from this generation that Patricia O'Loughlin got her love of horses and animals \emdash who knows!!
In the following pages I am trying to put down all I can remember of my forebears, it may be of interest to my family in later years. The older generation is gone, there is no one to answer questions and I find that I really know very little about them. Granny McDonald (my mother and Aunt Lilly to the rest of my cousins) would say, "Just as well to let sleeping dogs lie" Maybe so, but I have this urge to remember before it is too late for me too.
1. Grandfather Behan (Christopher or The Governor as he was called in later life by his family) and his wife Jane came to Dublin from County Kildare about 1871. She was nineteen, he in his twenties. He bought an off-licence shop in Basin Street off James Street. A large yard and field went with the shop. It ran alongside the basin or dock, which was a part of the Grand Canal and used by Guinness' Brewery for loading and unloading their barges. At that time Guinness' were bringing all the raw material by barge from all parts of the country. There was a thriving business being done by bargemen and draymen in and around that area. The motorcar was not yet heard of Horse drays and traps were the only traffic up and down the cobblestones. There were electric trams on the main streets. The Governor bought a barge and did business up and down the Grand Canal too. In the yard and field he had pigs, cows, and hens. Many a time in later life his daughters especially Lily, were to remember and tell stories of the ups and downs of milking cows and mucking out the pigs etc. As time went on the Gov built nine or ten cottages where the yard was, he also bought two houses across the street. These he let out, and drew weekly rent from them.

The shop, 21 lower Basin Street, had a high counter with a flap, which you lifted to go through, or a child could duck under it. As a child I loved ducking in and out under that flap. Alongside the wall outside the counter were two huge barrels of porter (Guinness' best) on stands. Those had to be hammered with a wooden mallet and a tap put in to draw off the porter. It was quite a ritual every time the bung (wooden cork) had to be hammered in. The customers, mostly the women in shawls, as the men were at work, came with their jugs and cans to get them filled with porter for the husbands' dinner. Groceries, sweets, notepaper, shoelaces, thread, comprised the reet,of the stock. There was a special aroma in that shop of spices and porter and sweets that I have never smelled since. The streets outside on certain days had a certain smell too, when the hops would be in the Kiln brewing in Guinness' Brewery. Grandfather must have been a great man \emdash I never knew him, and in later life I only heard of his faults! But looking back and seeing what he had made out of nothing but his own brains and hard work, I can only be proud and say, "well done Governor".

There were 13 children born to Jane and Christopher Behan. Mary, who was to become Mrs. George Reddin of James Street, Michael, later Canon Behan, Lily (my mother) who became Mrs. Aidan McDonald of 121 Summerhill. Jane who died about 2 years of age. Bridget who never married, Agnes (Aunt Aggie to the cousins) later Mrs. Lar Roe farmers in Jamestown, Kilteman Co Dublin. Margaret who never married. Nano who was to become a nun and join the Holy Faith Convent in Glasnevin, Dublin, but who died at 22 years from a botched operation. Kathleen, who was a twin of (Aunt Jo), became Mrs. Patrick Walker of the Yellow House (pub) Rathfarnham Dublin. Aunt Jo, Kathleen's twin, who became Mrs. Robert (Uncle Bob) Liveing, and who lived in London. Diney who also joined the Holy Faith Convent as a nun and was called Sister Mary Vincent. Jenny (Mrs. Martin McDonald, of the Big Tree, Dorset Street) died at 54 years from a heart attack, and lastly a boy Denis who died in infancy.
Grandfather educated all these children. Mike went to Belvedere and Blackrock Colleges. The girls all went to the Sisters of Charity School in Basin Lane, and than to boarding schools \emdash some achievement! Grandfather was fond of the !bottle! and went on the !jug! periodically. Who could blame him with so many women under his feet. His children were to remember him mostly for that, but nevertheless they all had a healthy respect for him and his laws. The whole family used to walk to mass in a long line with Grandfather and Grandmother bringing up the rear. Grandmother with her best bonnet on. She was very fond of hats and yards and yards of tulle used to go into the making of them. Sunday night the children were all sent down to the church. Mike and a pal going first and all the girls trailing behind. Mike would knock on the doors as he passed, and the girls would get the scoldings! He was a devil for teasing them, yet in later life he nearly became an idol to them. He could do no wrong. As time went on the girls grew up. Grandfather bought another house and shop, this time it was the pub on the corner of James Street and Watling Street \emdash No 50 \emdash as it was known in the family while \emdash "21" \emdash was the shop in Basin Street. Into "50" the Governor put George Reddin from Kilmarnic, Rathangan, Co Kildare, as foreman, and Mary (who was to become Mrs. George Reddin) was put to work behind the counter. Bridget (or Bee) went on to be a Domestic Economy Teacher and studied in what was later to be known as St. Armes Convent, Kilmacud. Lily went to the nursing (much against the Governor's wishes, he said "I never thought a daughter of mine would be wiping old fellows' backsides" - or words to Maggie and Jo went nursing, Maggie to St. Stevens Hospital, and Jo to England. Mike had gained a scholarship to the Seminary in Rome, and was ordained out there. He became curate in Glencullen then Moon, a town in Kildare, then Rathfarnham, and finally Parish Priest in Arklow where he was to stay for thirty years until his death at 82 years in 1955. Diney (RIP 1973) and Nano both went to the convent from school, Nano died just before her final profession, Aunt Diney in 1973 after over 60 years in the convent. Agnes and Kathleen served their time to the drapery in Kellets in Georges Street in Dublin.
After some time Mary and George Reddin married. They had a family of six, Christy (RIP 1958), Bridget who died at two years of age, John (RIP 1974) who married Una Craig (daughter of May Craig, an Abbey actress), Jenny who was a concert pianist and who married Sandy (Alexander) McDonald,(RIP 1990) no relation to us. George (RIP 1986) who became a doctor and served with the UN in Korea, and who married a Dutch girl, Johanna, and lived in the US. Then Tommy who never married was a baby in the pram when their father died in 1919. Aunt Mary never recovered from her husband's death, and my memories are of her as an invalid.
Agnes (Aunt Aggie) (RIP 1977) married Laurence (Uncle Lar) (RIP 1947) a farmer of Kilternan, Co Dublin. They had seven children, six boys and one girl. Hughie (RIP 1994) who married Nellie Lynch (RIP 1998) and had two girls, Rosemary and Jennifer, Jenny who married Karl Lynch (RIP 1998) a brother of Nellie, they had two boys and two girls, Helen, Wendy, Paul and Peter. Michael (RIP 1984) who married Rose McHugh, they had perhaps six children one of whom married Karl Mullen's daughter. Michael was a Vet and practiced in Naas, Co Kildare. Larry (RIP 1974) married Fay Murray they had two girls and two boys, Raymond, Laurence, Valerie and Gillian. Noelie married Una Walsh (RIP) they had six children and Paddy (RIP 1984) who married Barbara. Their children were Patrick, Mary and Sandra. Tommy (RIP 1984) who married Phyllis, they had one boy.
Neither Aunt Bee (RIP1962) nor Aunt Maggie (RIP 1966) married.
Lily (RIP 1977) married Aidan McDonald,RIP (1946) they had two children, Aidan Denis (AD) and Jenny (Jenny Mac). AD married Catherine Modwena Fahy (Wena) from Cork and they had three children, Aidan P married to Barbara Cummings from Indiana US, and they have two children Aidan R and Claire. Frances married Kevin O'Toole, they have four children Carol, Brian, Kevin and Anne. Modwena married Alan Smeaton , they have three David, Darragh, and Aoife. Jenny Mc married Peter O'Loughlin and they had six children. Elizabeth (Betty), Tony, Patricia, Paul, Stephen, Catherine. Through Lily marrying Aidan McDonald, Jenny (RIP 1947), the youngest of the Behan sisters, met and married his brother Martin (RIP 1952). They lived in the Big Tree pub in 39 Lower Dorset Street. There were six children in this family too:\emdash \emdash \emdash Joan who married Dr. Kevin Mullen (RIP 1987), and had six children, Jean, Anne, Kevin, Martin, Brigid and Margaret. Tommy (RIP 1994) who married Alaquo Taylor, and had three children, Margaret, Avril, and Ross. Agnes who married Fintan Kinsella (RIP 1999) Greengrocer, and had five children, Cian, Marion, Geraldine, Aedeen and Fintan. Angela who was retarded and died when she was 30. Martin (RIP-1991) who married Eileen Clarkin, and had two boys Martin and Ronan, and Brigid who married Michael Dempsey, have three children, Oliver, Lisa and Martin. They live in Jamestown, Ballybrittas, Co. Laois.
Josephine (Aunt Jo) (RIP 1972) who had trained as a nurse, joined the English nursing and went abroad with the English army in 1914. I think it was in Egypt that she met Robert Living (Uncle Bob) (RIP IN THE 50'S). They were married abroad. The twins Millie and Norah and John their brother, who is an English Army Captain, are their children. Millie Liveing lives in England, Norah (RIP 1995) met and married Nial Doyle (RIP 1988) (a cousin of the Walkers) while on holiday in Ireland. They were married in Arklow they have six children. John Liveing is married in England, to Angela, they have three boys, Anthony, Christopher, David.
When Uncle Mike was curate in Rathfarnham the family used to visit him regularly. In this way Kathleen met Patrick Walker, one of his parishioners. There were six children in the Walker family. Stella, Patricia, who married Joe McCarroll (RIP in the 80's) and lived in Galway. There are Patrick and Brigid). John married to Audrey Bex. They have one daughter. Tom married Jenny Holland, and is manager of the Yellow House, they have a son and a daughter. Pauline who married Kevin Doyle (RIP 1997) and lives in Bray. They own the Sunnybank pub in Little Bray. Olive who married Dr. Bill Harney and lives in Shankhill, as they are retired.

Grandfather Behan died from a fall down the stairs. I always was told he died in the prime of life, and thought he had been a young man when he died. Actually he was just 70 years of age, so I suppose he had a fair innings. When Grandfather died Bee and Maggie both came home to '21' to help look after the shop and grandmother. Before the Governor died as each of his children entered the convent or got married they were given a dowry of £400. So Mike then advised Grandmother to make a will leaving the shop and business to the unmarried daughters Bee and Maggie. This she did, and in April 1932 Grandmother died. She was 81 years of age. In December that same year her eldest daughter Mary died having suffered from a heart complaint for many years, she was 56 years old.
So it is down to the fourth generation, a long way from the young couple who came up to Dublin from Kildare in 1871 to make their fortune and live out their span of life.
Grandmother had a brother Jack Reilly. He was a sea captain on the English boats. He was married three times? He had two children by his first wife, a boy Jack and a daughter Elizabeth who was later known as Aunt Lizzie to the family. After his wife's death, Jack Reilly married again and had a second family. But both this wife and family were drowned in the Titanic disaster. In later years he married again and Elizabeth (Aunt Lizzie) was reared with the Behan Family. Lizzie's brother Jack was also married twice. By his first wife he had three children, Nano, Jack, Joan. When their mother died Jack remarried, and the children lived with their Aunt Lizzie who reared them. History repeating itself even in families. Joan Reilly met and married a man by the name of Mooney, a nephew of Mrs. Mooney housekeeper to Canon Behan. They had two children Nina and Betty. Aunt Lizzie used to bring Nina and Betty with her when visiting us

UPDATE FOR BEHAN FAMILY HISTORY FROM MID-DECEMBER 2008 - END DECEMBER 2009
OMISSIONS
P.10 AMELIA REILLY, third wife of Major John Reilly, died at home in Central Avenue, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, aged 77, on July 26 th 1933, of Wa. Syneops and pernicious anaemia. The informant on her death cert. was Maria Reilly (daughter in law) of 9, The Crescent, Barnes, London.
P.56 PETER O'LOUGHLIN, b. September 4 th 1914, lived in Stepaside, Co. Dublin, and was best friend of Larry Roe, his wife Jean' s first cousin.
P.64 & P.66 SENAN BYRNE b. October 25 th 2005 to Carol (O'Toole) and Niall Byrne
CORRECTIONS
P.25 JEANNIE (REDDIN) MCDONALD has been an Accompanist at the Feis Ceol for many years and only once was an Adjudicator. She has an unbroken attendance record at the Feis over that time.
P.223 FINTAN KINSELLA was born on August 26 th 1966 not on August 8 th .
P.125 MARY ROE' S partner' s name is Dallas Baird not Blair.
NEW INFORMATION
P. 2 MAJOR JOHN REILLY, was born on March 4th 1847 to Edward and Elizabeth Reilly, Dublin, and was a brother of Jane (Reilly) Behan. He was promoted to Quartermaster on April 25 th 1885, to Hon. Captain on April 25 th 1895 and Hon. Major on January 1 st 1903. On April 25 th 1885 he was posted to Woolwich till October 2 nd 1885, to Bermuda from October 3 rd 1885 till November 3 rd 1888, given Home Leave on November 4 th 1888 till November 9th then posted to Weymouth, Dorset, from November 10 th1888 till May 18th 1893. He was sent to Aldershot from May 19 th 1893 till October 21 st 1895, to Straits Settlement (Singapore) from October 22 nd 1895 till September 9 th 1897 and then given three months leave till December 12 th 1897.
That was the year that his wife Mary Clare, and children Clare and Charles had drowned in the shipwreck the previous June while en route from Singapore to the UK.. See report in the Behan Family History on P.4. From December 13 th 1897 he was stationed at Woolwich till his retirement on September 4 th 1902. From September 5 th 1902 he was re-employed as OC E
P.10 JOHN VINCENT (JACK) REILLY, son of Major John Reilly, married first wife JESSIE LAIDLAW REID, aged 23, daughter of Robert Laidlaw Reid, Gentleman, of 1, Albany Road, Manchester, on December 8 th 1903 in West Ham Registry Office, London. The witnesses were Edward Weddell and Walter (or Waller) Rickman. On his marriage cert. John is listed as a Mariner residing on the S.S. Golconda at the Royal Albert Dock, London. Jessie died before 1920, date unknown, and was the mother of their three children, Christina Barclay (Nina), Joan and John Vincent (Jack Junior) already mentioned on P.10 of the Behan Family History.
P.10 MARIA REILLY, mentioned under the heading of AMELIA REILLY above, was born ADA MARIA GREGSON, and married JOHN VINCENT (JACK) REILLY, widower, son of Major John Reilly, on June 1 st 1920 in Church of the Holy Trinity, Hull, Yorkshire, according to the rites and ceremonies of the Established Church. Witnesses were P.R. Moor and J.M. Ramsay. Jack is listed as a Master Mariner on the S.S. Carpentaria, and Maria, who was his second wife, was aged 39, unmarried, and lived at 36 St. Mary' s Road, Peckham, London S.E. Her father was George Roger Gregson, deceased, (though Maria' s death cert. in 1967 says he was John Roger), who had been an accountant., and her mother was Emma Jane Barlow. Jack and Maria lived at 9 The Crescent, Barnes, London, in 1933 along with CLARA KNIGHT, CLARA HOPE KNIGHT and GLADYS IRENE ROFF KNIGHT. CLARA JONES had married FREDERICK KNIGHT, who was a signalman on the Midland Railway, in January 1901 in Southgate, North London, where Clara was from. Clara Hope Knight was born on April 7 th 1901 in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, situated between the market towns of Ross on Wye and Ledbury, and her sister, Gladys Irene Knight was born between June and September 1904 in West Ham, London. In 1911 they were living in Walthamstow, London. Clara Hope Knight, who was a piano teacher, died of acute myocardial infarction, on January 7 th 1998 in the Barrington Lodge Nursing Home, Croydon, South London, aged 96, and was cremated. The informant of death was Peter David Love, Undertaker. At first it was thought the Knights were part of Ada Maria' s family, but now we think not, but I've included them anyway, in case at some future date we find out otherwise and also from the social history point of view. Maria possibly rented a room from the Knights, as husband Jack was away at sea for months on end and he preferred that she live with a family rather than be on her own. John Vincent (Jack) Reilly was an officer in the Merchant Navy with the British India Steam Navigation Company, simply known as "British India", serving on S.S. Golconda, S.S. Carpentaria as Captain from 1919, S.S. Woodarra as Captain from approx 1922 - 1929, and S.S. Nardana as Captain from 1930 till his retirement in 1934. He was on the S.S. Golconda when it sank 5 miles off Orford Ness, Suffolk, en route from Teeside via London to Calcutta with general cargo, and survived. He had gone to sea at age 15 and is registered arriving into Sydney from Rio de 2 Janeiro, as an apprentice, on the sailing ship Yarana, on May 10 th 1893. The ship's master was Robert Robertson. Jack qualified as 2 nd Mate on December 15 th 1896 in London, as 1 st Mate on August 8 th 1902 in Bombay, became Provisional Master S.S. on August 18 th 1904 in Southampton, and Master S.S. on June 14 th 1911, location not specified but could also have been Southampton. He was also a member of the Royal Navy Reserve. He sailed mainly on the Australia and New Zealand routes and there are various reports of ships under his command mentioned in Australian newspapers during the 1920s and 1930s. In December 1926 his ship the S.S. Woodarra ran aground at Port Kembla where it was stuck for three days. The S.S.Woodarra was a training ship which in 1920 had 30 Cadets on board. In August 1930 Captain Jack Reilly, master of the S.S.Nardana, was fined £100 at the Central Summons Court in Sydney, for allowing a prohibited immigrant, Tazardin Amirati, to enter the Commonwealth the previous June. In September 1933 in Brisbane, Captain Jack Reilly, Officers and Cadets of the S.S.Nardana produced four one-act plays at the Seamen s Institute to raise money for the Mission to Seamen. There were two comedies, "The Family Group" and "The Gray Parrot", a sketch entitled "The Bathroom Door" and a farce called "Keep Calm".
In the intervals lively musical selections were rendered by the "Oceanic Quintette". Jack retired from British India in May 1934 and emigrated to Australia on the P&O liner Bendigo, travelling first to Brisbane, then to Sydney to see his son, John (Junior) Reilly who had already emigrated, before settling in Melbourne. The Melbourne Argus newspaper of July 17 th 1934 states that never to have had a serious accident at sea during his 41 years service is the proud boast of Captain J.V. Reilly, who arrived in Melbourne the previous day with his wife. After having served more than 16 years with the British India Steam Navigation Company, he retired from active service in May and hoped to "moor in Melbourne". An Irishman, born in Kent, Captain Reilly became well known on the Australian coast since he first visited Sydney in the full-rigged ship Yarana in 1893. Captain Jack Reilly may have been able to sail big ships around the world but he didn't seem to have the best of luck driving cars! A Melbourne newspaper report of November 4 th 1935 states that "Swerving out of control when it was struck by an electric tram in St. Kilda St, Brighton, at 7pm yesterday, a sedan car in which Captain J.V. Reilly, marine surveyor, of Park St. Middle Brighton, was driving alone, crashed through a fence into the garden of the home of Mrs. E.M. Jobson. The car demolished 15 ft of fencing and stopped on the lawn near the house. Captain Reilly was not injured". Another report in the same newspaper on February 10 th 1938 states that "The St. Kilda Fire Brigade was called to an accident at the corner of Glenhuntly Rd, and St. Kilda St, Elwood, yesterday morning. After a car and a motor-truck had come into collision, the car struck a tramway standard and the truck crashed into a fire-alarm pillar. 3 The driver of the car, John Reilly, aged 61 years, of Park St. Middle Brighton, suffered a probable fracture of the spine. He was taken in a Civil ambulance to the Alfred Hospital and later transferred to a private hospital." Jack Vincent Reilly, occupation Master Mariner, of 9 Park St, Middle Brighton, died on November 17 th 1942, aged 65, of Myocardial degeneration for some years and Alcoholism, and is buried in New Cheltenham Cemetery, Melbourne. Ada Maria Reilly, occupation Home Duties, of 31 Thanet St, Malvern, Melbourne, died on October 8 th 1967, aged 87 years, of Bronchopneumonia 3 days, Cerebral arteriosclerosis 7 years, Hypertension 5 years and Cerebral vascular occlusion 2 years, and is buried in New Cheltenham Cemetery, Melbourne. The informant of death was step-son John Reilly (Jack Junior) 12 Miami St. Hawthorn East, Melbourne.
P.10 CHRISTINA BARCLAY (NINA) REILLY, Captain Jack' s daughter, was born in Birkenhead, UK, in 1905 and married Alfred Roy Unwin, born 1898 in Marylebone, London, in 1931. Nina and Roy, along with their two daughters, emigrated to Melbourne, on August 26 th 1948, on the P&O ship "RMS Mooltan." Their English address was given as 35 Hamilton Rd, Boscombe, (near Bournemouth, Dorset). Their daughters were Jenifer Joan Patricia, age 12, born in the 3 rd quarter of 1935 in Kensington, London, and Nina Patricia, age 7. Their Australian address was 10 Patricia St, Box Hill, Victoria, 3128 (outside Melbourne). At the outbreak of WW2, the "RMS Mooltan" had been requisitioned for service as an armed merchant cruiser and in 1941 had been converted to a troopship. On return to P&O in 1947, she was completely reconditioned before being returned to commercial use, capable of carrying 1030 tourist class passengers. Her first sailing was the one mentioned above on August 26 th 1948 where most of the outward traffic was Ministry of Transport emigration work including those emigrating under the assisted passage scheme operated by the Australian government, which cost £10 per person.
P.10 JOAN REILLY, Captain Jack' s second daughter, date of birth unknown, lived in Dublin with her Aunt Lizzie Reilly, her father's sister, and at age 20, under the name Johanna Reilly, 155 SCRd, married Michael Joseph Mooney, of full age, a fitter, on April 22 nd 1933 in Church of St. Therese, Donore Avenue, (Dublin 8). Michael's address was 13 Merton Avenue, (off Donore Ave) and his father, John Mooney, was a labourer. The celebrant was Fr. Valentine Burke, C.C. and the witnesses were John Mooney and Annie McDowell. Joan Mooney, age 28, 71 Poddle Park, Kimmage, died on April 28 th 1941, of Exhaustion and Tetanic Hypoglycaemia, in Royal City of Dublin Hospital, (Baggot Street). Her husband is listed as being a fitter with the E.S.B. (Electricity Supply Board).
P.10 JOHN REILLY (JACK JUNIOR), Captain Jack' s son, emigrated to Australia and was living at 12 Miami St, Hawthorn East, Melbourne, in October 1967.
4
P.10 EDWARD BERNARD REILLY, son of Major John and younger brother of Captain Jack Reilly, also worked for British India and at age 22, was 4 th Mate on the ship "Umballa" which arrived in Sydney from Melbourne on October 7 th 1901. The master of the ship was J. Wilson. Edward qualified as 2 nd Mate on August 23 rd 1898 in London, though he is listed as 4 th Mate above in 1901. He became 1 st Mate on May 1 st 1901 in London, OC on April 10 th 1907 in London and Captain on July 19 th 1907, also in London. He was also a member of the Royal Navy Reserve. In 1916 he travelled, age 37, occupation Assistant Harbourmaster, as a passenger from Calcutta to London on board the S.S. City of York, accompanied by his wife, age 36, daughter, 16 and infant, 1. They had been living in India and would in future live in a British possession, possibly returning to India. They arrived on May 23 rd 1916.
Liveing Archive 12052020_12P1 Jane Reilly's family 14793 Pgs 1 to 7.jpg

  Research Notes:

Edward is recorded as Grocer, Publican & Builder from Basin Street Dublin.
Ref: http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/20790919/person/989949469

Edward married Jane REILLY [14793] [MRIN: 5241] on 2 Feb 1874 in St Nicholas Francis St Dublin. (Jane REILLY [14793] was born in Dec 1851 in Dublin Ireland and died on 2 Apr 1933 in Dublin Ireland.)