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Who was Edward's father? 1) Anthony?Edward's civil marriage certificate records his father as "Anthony Gallagher, labourer". Although no parish records of an Edward born to an Anthony circa 1857 in Co. Mayo have been found in the sparse
'MayoAncestors.com' collection, there is at least one Anthony Gallagher in Kilfian in the 1901 and 1911 Irish censuses whose circumstances match the requirements for Edward's father. However, it is not known if Edward's father died before the 1901 census or was even in Ireland and, no obvious Anthony Gallagher candidates have been found in the Co. Durham records. Finally, although the name "Anthony Gallagher" was relatively common in the Ballina area in the 19th and 20th centuries, none of Edward's descendants were named Anthony.
2) Patrick? In contradiction of the civil certificate, the church marriage register records Edward's father as "Patrick Gallagher". No evidence to support or deny this has yet been found in any Co. Mayo archives. Also, the name Patrick does not appear in Edward's descendants.
Edward's home and China shop in 1901,
46 Murray Street is now a Charity shop (photo courtesy of Chris McLoughlin)
The family lived at various addresses in West Hartlepool:
- 3 West St (1881 census)
- 22 Mitchell street (1891 census)
- 6 Murry St (first china shop)
- 46 Murray St, (second china shop, 1901 census)
- Panniers Cottage, West Denton (1911 census)
- South Avenue, Ryton (Edward's death 1919)
However, because of the depression in West Hartlepool in the early 1900's, Edward moved to West Denton and took a job as a Mill Wright at Spencer Steel Works in Newburn on Tyne where his son Thomas also worked.
In his later years, after an evening's drinking, Edward would come home and fall asleep in the chair beside the fire. His wife Susan would then take the opportunity to check his pockets for loose change and hide it safely away. Over the years she saved a considerable sum which she later used to fund her emmigration to the USA with most of her children.
Edward Gallagher(far right) and his son Thomas Edward (front right) with West Hartlepool RFC, 1899 (photo courtesy of Chris McLoughlin, West Hartlepool RFC)
3) John? Coincidentally, an Edward Gallagher born in 1957 in nearby Brick Garth, Co. Durham, is recorded in the 1861 census with Irish-born parents and older Irish-born siblings. The father's name is John which would be consistent with our Edward's first son also being called John, in line with Irish naming customs (i.e. first born male is named after the father's father). However, this birth in Co. Durham is inconsistent with Edward's claim of Co. Mayo in the census records, though perhaps, an understandable misconception.
Clearly, much of the above data is either conflicting or circumstantial, and further documented evidence or a Y-DNA comparison will be required to positively identify Edward's true father.
Edward's wife Susan was born in nearby Seaham Harbour to Irish parents, Patrick Paul and Mary Cassidy. According to a ship's manifest, Susan was a diminutive 5' 0" with hazel eyes. Edward fathered 16 children though only 13 of them survived to adulthood. Two of his children were killed in a fire at their home.
Edward's China shop business was apparently quite successful to the point where he was able to generously support various local institutions including St. Joseph's Church. He was also a benefactor for the building of the local St Joseph's school.
Edward also had a keen interest in Rugby and provided financial support to West Hartlepool Rugby Football Club where he was Honorary Secretary. His second eldest son, Thomas Edward, played for the club for many years. Edward even named one of his daughters after Westoe Rugby Football Club, Susan Westoe Gallagher born 1900.
Susan (nee Paul) Gallagher (taken c1945)
Edward Gallagher's headstone in Ryton Cemetery
The grave of Susan and her youngest son Frederick
Susan's Obituary (on right, click to enlarge) >>>
In 1913 Susan had visited her daughter living in New York, and decided that the new world offered better opportunities than the
north east of England which was now in a depression after the war. So, after Edward died in January 1919, Susan offered to pay the passage to New York for several of her children who wanted to emmigrate with her. They all set sail from Southampton on 27th November 1919, just 10 months after Edward's death, and they prospered well in Lincoln Park, New Jersey, USA. "Grandma Gallagher" died in 1947 and is buried in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Butler, New Jersey, USA.
An ornament from Edward's China shop,
now owned by his grandaughter, Agnes
According to family lore, Edward Gallagher claimed to have been born in Ballina, County Mayo, while UK census records put his birth date at c1857 in County Mayo. However, the first time Edward appears in any written records is at his marriage to Susan Paul in 1877, at St. Joseph's Church, West Hartlepool, County Durham, England.
Ballina is divided north-south by the River Moy and the eastern part was in County Sligo until the boundary changes of 1899 brought it into Mayo. So the fact that Edward was born in "Ballina, Mayo" before the boundary change, suggests that he comes from the western side of the River Moy. Edward presumably emigrated from Ireland to England prior to his marriage, but his early life remains something of an enigma with conflicting records on the name of his father.
