Census 1901
In 1901 Timothy, son Denis and Timothy’s second wife Margaret (O’Brien) and their two surviving daughters were living on St Mary’s Road in Shandon.
The house was substantial, with five windows to the front and ‘7, 8 or 9 rooms.’
A 2024 search of the 1901 rating records in Cork City Archives shows that Timothy owned the property on St. Mary’s Road. The rateable value was eleven pounds. It was the biggest property in the area.
In 1901 the family had a servant living with them. The ‘general domestic servant,’ Hannah DINEEN, was a 56-year-old widow. She did not live with them in 1911. While it was usual for middle class families to have a female relative living in as a housekeeper the presence of a servant gives us an idea of Timothy’s means and suggests a sense of status. I have not been able to confirm if there was a familial relationship with Hannah.
We also learn that while Timothy had marked an X for his mark on his wedding certificate in 1880 and gave some dubious ages for his family, he recorded in the 1901 Census that he could read and write. Timothy didn’t speak Irish.
In the Munster Directory of 1910 Timothy was recorded as living at 9 Fair Hill in Fair Hill House. We can assume the 1911 Census record is for this house.
Census 1911
Christina was the last of Timothy’s children to live with him.
This house had ‘7, 8 or 9’ rooms and 11 windows to the front. Unlike most of his neighbours’ houses, this was considered a ‘1st class’ house. It was clearly a step up from their ‘2nd class’ 1901 home.
In both the 1901 and 1911 censuses Timothy recorded that he was from the City of Cork, although his father, Eugene, was a farmer according to his marriage certificate in 1880.
Church and state Births, Deaths and Marriages (BMD) records, census documents and directories and almanac listings show Timothy and his family moving between Fair Lane, St Mary’s Rd, Fair Hill and again St Mary’s Rd.
It seems that at some time after August 1916 Timothy and Margaret (O’Brien) moved from their 1911 Census home at Fair Hill house back to College View on St Mary’s Rd. The college viewed was presumably St. Vincent’s Secondary School.
The 1916 Cork rates records show that number 2 St. Mary’s Road was subsequently owned by Martin Duggan.
In 1925 widow Margaret (O’Brien) O’CALLAGHAN was still listed at College View in the Munster Directory. Interestingly, Timothy, dead some eight years, was still listed at Fair Hill.
In 1901 Timothy Hennessy, a merchant, and his family lived at 9 Fair Hill House. Timothy Hennessy had moved around a lot. Was there any connection between the two Timothys? He may be the Timothy Hennessy who was a member of the Cork council in the 1890s. He was likely also the Hennessy who ran a business at 1 Pope’s Quay above which Timothy’s daughter Mary Bridget (O’Callaghan) DAVIS’s brother -in-law John DAVIS and his family lived in 1901.
In Search of Thomas Davis 