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 John Leech, Ballycastle coastguard, Mayo
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| cmaggie |
Posted on 16/10/2012 22:14
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 New Member  Posts: 5 Joined: 16/10/2012 |
Hello.I am newly joined your very interesting website and am not great on the computer. My ancestor, John Leech, born 1797, believed to be Ballycastle,Mayo, died on 12 September,1867 and on his daughter,Anne Leech's marriage certificate to John Prial, on 2 February, 1867, John's occupation was given as a Coast Guard.On his death certificate, his occupation was pensioner, but when his wife, Margaret, died, in 1875, her late husband's occupation was given as farmer.On another record, he possibly did some work at the local cornmill, though I do not know when that closed. In Griffith's valuation, John rented a property, in 1852, on Main Street,Ballycastle and also rented land in the area.His holding was close to where the Revenue Police had been based, in Main Street, Ballycastle. I had understood, though I am not very knowledgeable, that Coastguards were the officers and were generally from outside the area. It puzzles me a bit, as John seems to be a local.Were there part time coastguard personnel, or local people, who were employed and would they have got a pension? I had a try with the National Archives, but got a bit bogged down in trying to get information and am not able to trot down there, for a while, as we do a lot of grandparent duty. We had a wonderful stay, in the old Killerduff, Ballycastle coastguard station, now converted to the Stella Maris hotel, which our children kindly paid for. I am not sure if John and Margaret lived there, or in the Killerduff village, which Anne married into. I would be very grateful if anyone could advise where I could find any further information.Thank you very much. Regards M campbell
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| bpa |
Posted on 17/10/2012 22:43
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Senior Member  Posts: 134 Joined: 11/11/2009 |
cmaggie wrote: We had a wonderful stay, in the old Killerduff, Ballycastle coastguard station, now converted to the Stella Maris hotel, which our children kindly paid for. I am not sure if John and Margaret lived there, or in the Killerduff village, which Anne married into. I'm sorry to say that the Stella Maris coastguard station was built around 1870-1875. The plans are in the Irish National Archive. The previous coastguard building was not far away in the ground of Killerduff House. The OSI web site allows you look at old maps of Ireland about 1840 and 1870s. Go to www.osi.ie and click "Explore Map" (or goto maps.osi.ie) - zoom into Ballycastle and then centre on Killerduff. Then click on Historic 6" for the 1840s map and Historic 25" for the 1870s (there is a bug where wrong map is shown at some zomm levels). The askaboutireland website (http://www.askabo...valuation/ which has maps tied to Griffith Valuation entries also shows the pre 1870 Coastguard near Killerduff House. It is clear old coastguard station was small and probably had very limited accomodation. It's possible that John Leech retired (i.e.pensioner) in Ballycastle and was not posted to Ballycastle. A possible indication of where he was posted would be where Ann Leech was born. |
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| cmaggie |
Posted on 18/10/2012 18:58
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New Member Posts: 5 Joined: 16/10/2012 |
Dear bpa, thank you very much for your reply and the information you gave.I think that another trip to Ballycastle could be on the horizon, to see if I can locate the ruins of the original lighthouse. I am really grateful for the information about the maps, which I had no idea was available and we will be checking this for various Irish roots we have. I had not thought about the possibility of John Leech maybe retiring to Ballycastle.Unfortunately, the Catholic records do not begin untiol about 1852 or so, but the name Leach/Leech, Leitch, was uncommon in Mayo and some information from the internet, suggested that the families had come down from Sligo, which I know is just around the bay, in this most beautiful area. It is very good of you to share your knowledge and I am much obliged.Many thanks. Regards. Merged on 18/10/2012 22:12:13: Sorry,I meant coastguard station and not lighthouse ! Edited by cmaggie on 18/10/2012 22:12 M campbell
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| bpa |
Posted on 18/10/2012 23:53
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Senior Member Posts: 134 Joined: 11/11/2009 |
Google maps will help you check out ruins. On the OSI site - you can flick between old and current maps and so get a fix on the coastguard station location. The satellite view on OSI.ie is poor so I usually go to Google Maps to get a "better" picture. The following URL I think is the remains of Killerduff House and there is only a trace in the ground of the coastguard station https://maps.goog...1&z=18 Irish Civil records of Birth only began around 1850s and was not complete until 1870s. Many parish registers were kept from late 1700's but very often registers have not survived. The RootsIreland site uses parish records and they detail which registers have been used. Interesting they indicate that Ballycastle parish Roman Catholic register exist from 1800-1900 . See this URL for a list of parish http://www.rootsi...nu=sources select "Mayo North" to see Ballycastle parish. Also people were very vague about birth year so although Anne Leech is supposed to be born in 1837 - I'd add in about 5 years leeway. There are about 5 Anne Leech's born around 1832-39 in various counties including Mayo, Galway and Donegal |
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| cmaggie |
Posted on 20/10/2012 19:30
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New Member Posts: 5 Joined: 16/10/2012 |
Thank you once again, for your generosity in giving information,bpa and I am busy working on these new angles. There is so much to learn about on this site and I have been interested in some of the articles, such as the one about the way that the Coastguards in Western Ireland, helped to distribute food during the famine, even countermanding instructions from England that the food was to be paid for I suppose that if the personnel were checking on shipwrecks and poitin, etc,they would have been a bit separate from the rest of the community and that would be easier if they were not local, just as present day Garda do not normally work in their home community.When we stayed at Stella Maris, the delightful owners let me look at some early records of that coastguard station, copied from the national archives and when the station was due to be sold off to become a convent in early 20th century, a number of local people who applied to become caretakers, were declined. I wondered from your experience, whether local people, who worked for the Coastguards,in a lesser capacity than actual officers, perhaps because of their local knowledge,ever got a pension .John Leech was 70 when he died and had suffered from bronchitis for some years.I suppose that being a pensioner meant receiving a payment, rather than meaning that they had retired from service. Thanks so much for your help and advice. Regards M campbell
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 20/10/2012 20:04
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 Administrator  Posts: 905 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Maggie I've checked most of the stations in Mayo looking for your man, but without success I'm afraid. It is possible that he was an 'Extra' man. These men worked with the coastguard but were not on the establishment so don't appear in the CG records. Martin |
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| bpa |
Posted on 20/10/2012 20:27
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Senior Member Posts: 134 Joined: 11/11/2009 |
In the nomination book ADM 175/99 on pdf pg 61 there is a John Leech nominated to Ballycastle in Aug 1822. He is aged 20 born in Killameen and is single. In ADM 175/15 pdf pg 287 which is Ballycastle station there is a John Leech nominated on 6 Aug 1922 and removed on May 1825 to Cavleh (this is a guess as I can't make out all the letters) Bay . In the nominatrion book on the same time as John Leech was nominated in Ballycastle there was a Daniel Leech but jhe was rejected. Does your John have a brother Daniel ? There is at least on other John Leech in the nomination book nominated at Cloghy. edit: After looking at nomination book again - the age could be 26 not 20 which would be a better fit for the birth year 1797 mentioned in first post. Edited by bpa on 21/10/2012 11:51 |
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| cmaggie |
Posted on 20/10/2012 21:55
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New Member Posts: 5 Joined: 16/10/2012 |
Martin and bpa, I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your kindness in going to all that trouble in looking up records and giving me all this information.These are the best leads yet and I would never have been able to find this myself. I wandered on to the website, while I was searching on the internet and can't thank you enough, for your generosity in checking this out for me.I am wondering if John Leech married into Ballycastle and retired back there.I am unsure whether he had any brothers.It was a dangerous job and I read a little bit on the national archives about several accidents and they must have had a high standard of fitness, etc, to get taken on. I shall definitely be looking for Killameen and ? Cavleh Bay, or thereabouts. Thanks so much again.I will never forget your kindness. Best regards Maggie M campbell
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 21/10/2012 08:15
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Administrator Posts: 905 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Maggie I must confess that I missed his nomination in the Index  However, in an effort to redeem myself I have managed to follow the lead provided by bpa, and have now reconstructed his career. Picking up from Caslah Bay he made the following moves: 31 Oct 1829 to Recorders Quay (ADM 175/15 pdf 209) 30 Nov 1829 to Kilkee (175/16 pdf 221) 30 Nov 1830 to Scattery (175/16 pdf 201) 5 July 1831 to Pullendiva (175/16 pdf 195) 31 Oct 1831 to Pulocheny (175/16 pdf 321) 6 June 1832 to Westbrook, Ramsgate, England (175/16 pdf 323) 3 Aug 1832 to Cliff Creek (175/5/ pdf 117) Discharged 12 Oct 1833, but from the notes on the record it suggests that he stayed on until finally being superannuated on 29 Nov 1837 (175/6 pdf 20) Martin |
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| cmaggie |
Posted on 21/10/2012 09:20
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New Member Posts: 5 Joined: 16/10/2012 |
Martin, what can I say ! You have solved the loose ends of my genealogical puzzle, together with bpa and it all now makes sense, that John Leech, though a Coast Guard pensioner, should pop up in Griffiths vauation, back in Ballycastle and later die there, as a farmer,where he had obviously retired. I cannot thank you both enough.I will look forward to visiting some of the places where he served.Without the help of both of you, I would never have worked this out and it is a credit to your website that you lend such a massive helping hand to others.I feel as if all my Christmases have come at once and my heartfelt thanks and best regards to you both. Maggie M campbell
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