I am planning a trip to Ireland in 2019 with my brother an sister and we know that our Brennan and Moynahan ancestors came from County Kerry but we haven't located the exact towns in County Kerry. Did Nellie go to county Kerry? Did she visit any family there?
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| Ellen ("Nellie") first born of Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan & her brother (my great-grandfather) John Moynanan |
When Nellie was making her plans to visit Ireland, surely her mother Mary (Brennan) Moynahan (who emigrated in 1853) must have told Nellie stories about her birthplace in County Kerry.
And Nellie's father Jeremiah Moynahan (first son born in Canada the year of the Rebellion 1837) told Nellie about where his father Dennis Moynahan came from in County Kerry.
Nellie Speaks to Oldcastle Women's Institute
I learned that on the first Thursday in August 1912, Nellie was scheduled to speak to the Oldcastle Women's Institute about her trip through Ireland and Scotland. I wondered if there were any records of her talk that could help fill in some of the details? Was there a report of what Nellie said?
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| Source: The Windsor Star, 22 Jul 1912, page 3 |
I searched everywhere for records of Ontario Women's Institutes. If minutes of this meetings were taken, they do not appear to have survived. I would have to look elsewhere if I wanted more details on Nellie's trip.
(N.B. See a brief history of the Ontario Women's Institutes at the bottom of this post.)
In July 1978, the Essex Free Press reported that "Seventy years Ago" Nellie Moynahan "resigned as teacher at R.C.S.S. No.7 Maidstone and left on a trip to England, Ireland and Italy".
Teacher Miss Nellie Moynahan Resigns
In July 1978, the Essex Free Press reported that "Seventy years Ago" Nellie Moynahan "resigned as teacher at R.C.S.S. No.7 Maidstone and left on a trip to England, Ireland and Italy".
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| Essex Free Press; July 28, 1978 |
I wondered if it would be possible to track her steps on that trip? I wondered if she would have needed a passport to travel to England, Ireland and Italy? I wondered if she traveled alone or with a friend?
When I searched for records in 1908 that might help me track her travels, I learned that:
- The Government of Canada did not keep records of people leaving the country.
- Before 1915, the Canadian passport was really a "letter of request" signed by the Governor General and were issued as single-sheet certificates and stamped with the official seal.
- In 1915 Canada switched to the British form of passport, a ten-section single sheet folder printed in English only.
The Essex Free Press Comes To The Rescue
I searched for the original article in the Essex Free Press in 1908 to see if there were more details but the scanned online copy was illegible http://ink.scholarsportal.
So I contacted The Essex Free Press and they were able to send me a copy of the original July 3, 1908 article which carried a lot more information than the 1978 article..
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| Essex Free Press; July 8, 1908 |
The S.S. Corsican
According to the GG Archives, the S.S. Corsican was a fine ship:
"The 152.48 m long and 18.62 meters wide passenger and cargo ship had a chimney, two masts and two propellers and was powered by two triple expansion steam engines, which contributed 917 nominal horsepower and enabled a top speed of 16 knots."
"The passenger accommodations were designed for 208 passengers of the First, 298 Second and 1000 Third Class. The dining room of the first class was at the front end of the bridge deck and had large, square windows on three sides to let in as much natural light.
In addition, the traveler stood a decorated with silk panels music room and a smoking room with a large skylight made of teak on the promenade deck. The Corsican was equipped with electricity, a ventilation system for fresh air supply and a Marconi radio for wireless telegraphy. To rescue equipment were 16 lifeboats and ten fold folding boats."
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| 1908 Sleeping Accommodations aboard the Allan Line Steamers |
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| 1908 Saloon Dining Room aboard the SS Corsican |
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| SS Corsican Plan |
When The Corsican Arrived In the Port of Montreal
When the Corsican arrived in the Port of Montreal on Saturday, June 22, 1908, to pick up our Aunt Nellie and her travel mate Mae McCabe, the passengers disembarking included seventy boys who were part of the British Home Child movement that I have written about previously with respect to my 2nd great-aunt Jemima Hind
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| The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Quebec, Canada) 22 Jun 1908, Mon • Page 10 |
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| The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Quebec, Canada) 24 Jun 1908, |
The Corsican Arrived in Liverpool
June 6
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| Detroit Free Press: 8 June 1908 |
I thought perhaps the McCabes would lead to clues about the Ireland destination for the two women travelers. Father McCabe was born in county Cavan, Ireland in 1854 and he died at Hotel Dieu Hospital in Windsor, Ontario in 1928.
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| The Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) 17 Nov 1928 |
The Travel Trail Goes Cold
This is where the trail on Nellie's trip to Ireland, Scotland (and Italy to see the Pope?) grows cold. She lands safely in Liverpool and then the trail ends. If only I had the notes from her Women's Institute talk of 1912.
More on Nellie Moynahan's Retirement
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| Ellen ("Nellie") Moynahan 1865-1940 |
Contradicting the 1908 news of Nellie's retirement, she is pictured below at her one-room school house S.S. No. 7 in 1911 with 63 students !
In 1912, Nellie is still teaching and closed the school for an indefinite period of time due to a scarlet fever outbreak that resulted in the death of eleven-year-old Harold Cavanaugh.
In 1916, the play "The Shannon Boys" was presented March 17 and 18, 1916 by the Maidstone Dramatic Club and declared a success "largely due to the untiring efforts and able management of Miss Nellie Moynahan under whose supervision the play was presented."
In 1919, Nellie now 54 years-of-age was credited with the success of the Sandwich South school fair at No. 7 on Talbot road
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| The Windsor Star; Oct 2, 1919 |
I will continue to search for records that will help me complete the narrative of Nellie's European travels.
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| Nellie Moynahan (432 Hall Ave., Windsor) with my Grandfather (her nephew) Ernest Moynahan Sr. |
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| Windsor Star, Nov. 20, 1940 |
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| Nellie Moynahan |
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| Nellie Moynahan Headstone St Marys Cemetery, Maidstone |
Previous Posts About Nellie Moynahan
- 2014: Nellie Moynahan - Teacher https://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/03/ellen-nellie-moynahan-teacher.html
- 2015: Nellie and Her Parents https://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/11/thanks-amy-crow-for-31-days-of-genealogy.html
- 2017: Revisiting The Historic Censuses https://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/09/revisiting-historic-censuses-of-my.html
- 2017:Nellie and Next of Kin for Timothy Moynahan https://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/11/on-this-day-november-21-timothy.html/
- 2018: Did Nellie Teach Mary (Brennan) Moynahan To Read? https://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/02/52-ancestors-week-5-census-surprise.html
- 2019: Nellie Moynahan & Niece Mary Broderick https://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/02/nellie-moynahan-niece-mary-broderick.html
Women's Institutes in Ontario
In
1900, the Ontario Department of Agriculture (G.C. Creelman) sent
letters to women in rural areas of Ontario to create interest in forming
a "Women's Institute".
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| The Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) 26 Jul 1900, Thu • Page 7 |
The "Women's Institutes" would be based on the successful model of the "Farmers Institutes" and the government of Ontario was even offering grants to hold the meetings.
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| The Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) 26 Jul 1900, Thu • Page 7 |
And there would be rules and regulations that would apply
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| The Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) 26 Jul 1900, Thu • Page 7 |
By 1904 there were 57 Women's Institutes in Ontario with a total membership of 5,433 women.
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| The Times (London, Greater London, England) 05 Sep 1905, Tue • Page 6 |
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