Garrett - Shaw Family History

Sigginstown Castle, Tacumshane, Wexford. This 14th century Norman castle was built in the 1340s by the de Sygan family. In 1667 the castle and 533 acres of land were confiscated and granted to William Jacob, a soldier in Cromwell's army. It remained in the hands of the Jacob family until the late 19th century. William Jacob was the 7th great-grandfather of Mary Edith Donovan (1855-1926), who married Benjamin Thomas Garrett in 1876.

Glandore Castle, Cork. Built at the beginning of the 13th century by the Norman Barretts and seized by the O'Donovan, chief of Clann-Loughlin, following the Battle of Callan in 1261. Donal Niall Cartan O'Donovan (1520-1580) was the 10th great-grandfather of Benjamin Garrett's wife Mary Edith Donovan.

Kathleen Lorraine Sweeney, b. 1916 in Toronto, d. 2000 in Burbank, California. She married Henry James "Harry" Shaw in Toronto in 1936. They moved to the USA in 1948. Her 1959 naturalization petition in Los Angeles states she was divorced from Harry and that their son Peter Gary Shaw was living with her.

Ballymore House, County Wexford. built by Richard Donovan (1697-1763) the great-great grandfather of Benjamin Garrett's wife Mary Edith Donovan. "A beautifully proportioned house of a type more commonly found in the province of Ulster where they are usually called Planter Houses." (Craig and Garner, 1975). The demesne included a mill with an enclosed waterwheel, a walled garden and a gate lodge.

Military record of Henry George Garrett, born in Ballyhaigh, Wexford on December 29, 1847. On March 25, 1862 at the age of 14 he joined the British Coast Guard as Boy Second Class on H.M.S. Hawke, based in Queenstown (now Cobh). In 1872 he was a customs officer in Dublin and later a lighthouse keeper in Dublin Bay. He died in 1916. His brother Benjamin Thomas was also born in Wexford in 1856 while their father Edward Stephen was serving on H.M.S. Royal Albert during the Crimean War. After his return in 1857, the family moved to the Aran Islands, where John Francis Garrett was born. In September 1858 Edward Stephen was appointed to North Isle of Aran Coastguard Station following his promotion to Commissioned Boatman.

Newspaper reports on the death of Henry Charles Garrett (1892-1948). Robert Weekes was a cousin of Ethel Weekes, wife of John Shaw (1885-1954). John was a brother of Peter Shaw (1883-1963).

LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF CAPTAIN JOSEPH IRWIN TAYLOR

I Joseph Taylor Captain in the Bengal Artillery do hereby make my last will as follows I leave and bequeath to Noor Begum the mother of my eight children and who now resides in my house at Allypoor near Calcutta the monthly sum of two hundred Calcutta Sirra Rupees (Cal. Sa Rs 200) to be paid her on the first of every month during her life. And I leave her to be used by her for life my house at Allypoor and house & ground at Dum Dum. And I do hereby leave will devise and bequeath my lands of Court Duff and Blanche House near Dublin unto my four daughters Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Taylor, Allis Phillis Taylor and Emma Taylor their heirs & assigns to be equally divided amongst them or the survivors of them at the age of twenty one or the day of marriage whichever first may happen. On condition that should either of them marry her share shall be settled on her and her children and her assigns. Should she die a widow without children and should any of them at any time die without assigns I direct that her share shall be divided amongst the survivors. I mean that all of my daughters shall have the use and interest of her share from the day of my death tho it shall not be finally delivered to her till the age of twenty one or day of marriage and I leave to my oldest son Thomas Taylor my lands of Dunkerron and Reen in the County of Kerry on condition that he shall pay out of the product of the said lands one hundred and twenty five pounds sterling yearly for life to each of my two sons Francis Taylor and David Taylor. And I leave to my three sons Joseph Henry Taylor, Francis Taylor and David Taylor one thousand pounds sterling each the interest of which to be paid them during their minority & the principal at the age of twenty one. I leave all my books to my daughter Mary Taylor. And I leave all the rest & remainder of my property of whatsoever kind and wheresoever situated to be equally divided amongst my above named four daughters or the survivors of them under the conditions above mentioned and I direct that if any of my herein named eight children shall at anytime die without assigns or heirs then his her or their share of my property shall be divided amongst the survivors and I appoint James Alexander Esq. of Calcutta, Colonel John Horsford, Major J D Sherwood, my sons Thomas & Joseph Henry Taylor and my daughters Elizabeth and Mary Taylor executors and administrators executrixes and administratrixes of this my will and I revoke all former wills made by me made and declare this to be my last will and testament In witness whereof I hereunto affix my hand and seal this twelfth day of Feby eighteen hundred and eleven. J Taylor (seal) Signed sealed published and delivered by the testator Joseph Taylor as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us and at his request and in the presence of each other do hereunto affix our names as witnesses Mary Prow(?) of Crickhowell, Charles Gabell of this same place Atty at Law, Charles Gough his clerk.

Proved at London 9th Sept 1811 before the judge by the oaths of Thomas Taylor M.D. the son and Elizabeth Taylor spinster & Mary Taylor spinster the daughter three of the executors to whom admin was granted being first sworn by comm duly to administer. [illegible] to James Alexander, John Horsford and James David Sherwood Esq and Joseph Henry Taylor the sons the other executors.

Emma Taylor (1804-1832), daughter of Captain Joseph Taylor and Emma Noor Begum. In 1825 she married James Franklin Bland of Derryquin Castle in County Kerry. One of their sons, James Franklin Jr. was killed in the Crimean War in November 1854 at the age of 26.

The maternal great-grandfather of Mary Edith Garrett (née Donovan) was Joseph Irwin Taylor (1785-1811) from London. He was a captain in the Bengal Artillery and subsequently a Major in the East India Company. While stationed in Calcutta in 1785 he married Noor Emma Begum, who was also aged 20. This explains why the descendants of Benjamin Thomas and Mary Edith have DNA from southern India. For the great-great-great grandchildren it is between 1 and 2%.

Thanks to Ruadhán de Róiste for this lead.