The widowed Mary B. was left with seven children in 1912. The oldest, my grandmother Mollie, was aged almost 17 years and the youngest, Ita, was 16 months old. We can assume Mollie played a big part in helping her mother to raise her younger siblings, at least until she married seven years later.
In 1912 Timothy O’/CALLAGHAN’s tailoring business already employed Walter FURLONG, the oldest grandson. Perhaps there was not enough business to provide secure future employment for Mary B. DAVIS’s children. The oldest living DAVIS son, George Francis, is believed by his grandsons to have gone to Wales to seek work when he was about 15 years old. He was 15 when his father died so it seems likely that his father’s death initiated this move to work.
At this time the family was living next door to Mary B.’s widowed younger sister Margaret ‘Babe’ (Davis) FURLONG and her family. The Furlongs lived at 94 Wolfe Tone St. Babe’s children were born 1892 – 1900. Mary B’s surviving children had been born 1895 – 1910. I imagine the sisters supported each other and the children knew each other very well.
The sisters rented their houses. The Irish Examiner ran an advertisement on Saturday February 22nd, 1919, advertising for auction what was described as a desirable investment ‘Nearly 2 Acres of accommodation land with possession also the houses nos 94,95, 97, 98 Wolfe Tone Street.’ The properties returned a gross annual rental of £37 and 4 shillings. Both 94 and 95 had been ‘demised under lease dated 13th February 1882, for the term of 98 years, at the yearly rent of £2, 2 shillings.’ The advertisement was pitched at ‘Cattle dealers, builders and others’ for convenient access to shipping and rail. A further advertisement ran in March, naming an auction date. The investment cannot have been that desirable, as past the auction date the package was advertised again on April 10th, 1919.
Wolfetone St. had an outside toilet.
Some of Mary B’s grandchildren, who knew her as ‘Nan Davis’, recalled the following about her: she played piano, drank sherry, sat by the fireplace and sniffed snuff. She was thin and fragile looking when elderly. She was semi-invalided before she died and wore a boa and black shawl garment in the bed.
Death of Mary B.
Mary Bridget (O’/Callaghan) DAVIS died 7 April 1949. Her death certificate records her as being a widow, 80 years old, and a housekeeper. She died from ‘myocondrial degeneration, certified’ (heart disease). Her death was notified by her nephew, Walter FURLONG, of 88 South Main St. who had been present at her death.
Mary B. was in fact 82 years old, the longest living of all of Timothy O’/CALLAGHAN’s children, outliving her youngest sister Josephine ‘JoJo’ (O’Callaghan) OLLIVERE, who died aged 73 in 1961, by over nine years.
A grandson recalls that when she died a plumed horse took her body away in a coffin.
Mary B. was buried at Garrycloyne cemetery.
Mary Bridget (O’/Callaghan) DAVIS’s estate was not settled until 26/06/1981. Daughter Madge was at time the only surviving child, then aged 81 years. The estate may have been addressed then as Madge was by that time living in care.
£500.00 in 1981 would be worth the equivalent of about £1,800.00 today.
Mary B. (O’/Callaghan) DAVIS (seated) with Veronica and Ita. Child believed to be a Hyland. Date unknown. Source grandson[1] [2]
[1] If this child is part of the family, I suggest it is Maura Hyland. Ita looks to be a teenager, and Maura would have been an infant at that time. The child could also be Ita or Peg Hyland. I have a photo of Peg who looks similar to that child. The ages do not fit Furlong children.
[2] If you look at Mary B’s hand it seems she is wearing her wedding ring on her 2nd finger, suggesting she had become thinner as she aged.
In Search of Thomas Davis 