After the fire at the Powerscourt Arms Hotel in 1894, a subscription system was set up to assist the owners rebuild the hotel. The Freeman’s Journal, 9th January, 1895, listed all subscribers who had donated (Thanks to Úna Wogan & Roger Sutton).
What do we know about any of these people on the list?
Burning of the Enniskerry Hotel
The Committee who are Collecting Subscriptions for the purpose of enabling the proprietor to tide over his present difficulties met to-day at the Court House, Enniskerry, when the following subscriptions were announced. The Final Meeting of the Committee will be held on the 14th inst at 12 o’clock noon, so that all persons intending to subscribe will kindly do so this week. Treasurers – Dr James Hamilton and Professor Mackintosh, Enniskerry.
JOHN HEWITT, Hon Sec.
Already acknowledged – £204
Thomas LeFanu, Summerhill – £1
AB? per Archdeacon Galbraith – 10s
A Sympathiser 1-10
M Wogan jun, Enniskerry-10s
JH Keegan, Kiltiernan – £2
H Booth- £1
AS Sutton, Golden Ball – £1
JT Morris – £1
W Collier, Bray £10
The Ladies Howard, Wingfield £1-10
James Doyle, Coolnaskeagh – £1
Augustine Ryder, Kilmacanogue £1
Bat Byrne, Goldmines and J Hunt 10s
Joseph Doyle, Enniskerry £1
Wm Collis Moore £1
Messrs Wilkinson, Salesmasters £5
Joseph D Cope £5
Messrs John D’Arcy and Sons, Usher street 10-10
Thomas Saunders, Dundrum £5
Edward Robinson, Leabeg £2
Mr Carter £2
Gavin Low £2
William Gilchrist £1
John Byrne £1
Samuel Sutton £1
MF O’Reilly £1
William Murphy £1
Andrew Gawley £1
Lanaham Buckley £1
William O’Neill £1
Richard Graham £1
Patrick Donovan £1
Smith and Griffin £1
Laurence Cuff £1
Mr Bobbett Coolaheart £1
Paul and Vincent £1
William Byrne £1
Ralph Valentine, Bray 10s
Mrs Casey, Bray 10s
John Barr and P Barr £1
M McQuaid 10s
TB Miller, Enniskerry £2
EE Davidson £1
Wm Buckley, Milltown £2
John Saunders £1
Henry Whitton, Templecarrigg £1
Rev L Ryan CC, Enniskerry £1
Rev – Nolan CC, Enniskerry £2
JT Buckley, Enniskerry £2
TA Collins, Easton £2
JC Buckley, Enniskerry £3
WG Syme, Bray £1
Freeman’s Journal, 9th January 1895
JH Keegan of Kiltiernan would have been John Henry Keegan (1838-1899) who was the Poor Rate Collector for the Blackrock, Delgany and Powerscourt Division of the Rathdown Union. He was my Great-Great Uncle (by marriage) and an ancestor of ‘Charlie’ Keegan and, of course, the present day Keegan family of Ballinagee. He is buried in a family plot at Powerscourt.
H.Booth would probably have been a ‘Henry’, a common name in the Booth family who were farmers, landowners or tenants at Bahana and possibly in the Kilternan area. The Booth family were connected with both the Keegan and Sutton families and there was a least one case of a Sutton marrying a Booth ( as indeed Keegans and Suttons inter-married)
A.S Sutton of Golden Ball is probably my Great Aunt, Annie Susannah Sutton (1863-1939). The ony other similar set of initials for a Sutton from that area are those of her brother Charles Samuel Sutton (1857-1933) who was another Poor Rate Collector and relative by marriage to John Henry Keegan.
Samuel Sutton coulld be on of several Samuel Suttons who lived in the Calary and Glassnamullen areas at that time. ‘Samuel’ was a particulary popular Sutton name.
Best Regards,
Roger
Hello Roger
My g-g-g-grandfather was Anthony Sutton, born approx. 1803. His granddaughter recorded that he was born someplace in County Wicklow 12 miles south of Dublin. By my calculations that would be somewhere along the parallel of Bray, Enniskerry, and Glencree, or even as far south as Glasnamullen depending on what road was taken, or whether the 12 miles started at the centre of Dublin or on the outskirts. He was Methodist. He emigrated to Canada sometime between 1818 and 1837. His parents may have been Henry Sutton, born about 1776 and Patty (Leighton?). who were married in the Round Church, Dublin in 1796. If that is the case, his siblings were: 1) William, b. 1804, who married Eleanor Doyle and lived at one point in the vicinity of Glasnamullen; 2) John, b. 1800, who married Eleanor Evans and moved to Swan River Colony, Australia in 1839; and other siblings for whom I have only birth years.
Anthony’s son’s names were: Henry Leighton; Anthony Christopher; George Allan; and Zacchaeus.
I would love to be able to establish parents for Anthony.
Sandra Sales, Ottawa Canada
Since I wrote in 2021, I have received DNA confirmation of a connection to descendants of William Sutton, the brother of Anthony Sutton. Those descendants have an 1862 family tree that states Anthony was born 8 Jan 1803. This may have been in either Dublin or Glasnamullen Townland Wicklow. His parents were Henry Sutton and Patty (possibly Leighton).
Thanks for that information Roger, that’s really brilliant. Some of these names crop up again in the latest post on those with burial rights at Powerscourt. Lots of Buckleys, Burtons, Keegans and Suttons!
TB Miller was probably Thomas Bland Miller the owner of the Leicester Arms hotel in Enniskerry. W Collier was his brother-in-law, married to Jane Miller. His descendants are the undertakers in Old Conna.
My great grandfather was Frank Buckley but I’ve been told working at Powerscourt was popular with his family and several generations were employed there. He had to leave the job in the early 1900’s after his wife beat him with a fireplace poker while he slept (yikes!). Frank dropped the three children off at a Smyly’s home and he was never seen again. My grandfather ended up coming to Canada at 11 yrs old as a British Home Child. Would love some more family history but it sounds like the fire at Powerscourt took all of that information. 🙁
My great great grandfatherThomas Buckley had a brother Frank born on the Powerscourt estate. My great grandfather was also Francis born in Bray but he lived & worked in England as a servant for Irish/English aristocrats until his death in 1914. Must be a connection?