Person:Michael Sweeney (13)

Michael Sweeney was baptised in 1846 at Castleconor in County Sligo, Ireland, son of Mary Sweeney, formerly Kilcawley, and her husband Michael Sweeney, an agricultural labourer. Some time between 1849 and 1851 the family left Ireland, as so many were at that time in the wake of the Potato Famine. They moved to south-west Scotland, settling in the little village of Sorbie in Wigtownshire. Young Michael appears in the 1851 and 1861 censuses living with his parents and siblings at Sorbie.

By 1871 Michael had left Scotland and was living in Liverpool, working as a police officer. In the census that year he was boarding with a family named Milroy. The following year Michael married a Janet Milroy, who was presumably related to the family with whom he had been boarding. She was said to have been born in about 1848 at Whithorn, just south of Sorbie, so it is reasonably likely they knew each other from their childhoods in Scotland. They married in the suburbs of Liverpool, but by 1873 Michael had left the police force and they had returned to Scotland, where Michael became an agricultural labourer.

They had two children at Mochrum, just west of Sorbie, where they lived at Barsalloch Farm. They then moved to Kirkinner where their next two children were born and where they appear in the 1881 census living at Kirkland Cottage just north of the village. By 1884 they had settled in Penninghame, the parish which included the town of Newton Stewart. They had three children born at Penninghame. Altogether they had seven children, but shortly before their youngest child was born their son William died aged twelve. Shortly after their youngest was born their daughter Mary died aged fifteen, and the following year their youngest, Margaret, died aged nearly two. In the space of three years therefore they lost three of their seven children. The other four lived to adulthood. Michael and Janet's first known grandchild, their son Robert's daughter, was born in 1899.

By 1911 Michael and Janet were living at Institute Place in Newton Stewart. Janet died there on 1st February 1916. Michael survived her by just a few months and died on 23rd December 1916 at his daughter Agnes' home at 69 Queen Street, Newton Stewart. He was 70 years old.

1. ↑ Roman Catholic Church. Castleconor Parish Records.

   1846
   [exact date lost where edge of page damaged - listed as one of several entries between entries dated 14 Sep and 15 Oct]
   Mich[ae]l for Mich[ae]l Sweeney & Mary Kilcawly Muingwar
   Sp[onsors] James Sweeny & Mary Diamond

2. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1851 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   897/00 002/00 007, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   Michael Sweeny, head, married, male, 26 [1824/5], Ag Lab, b. Ireland
   Mary Sweeny, wife, married, female, 28 [1822/3], b. Ireland
   Michael Sweeny, son, male, 4 [1846/7], b. Ireland

3. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1861 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   897/00 005/00 012, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   Rooms with windows: 2
   Michael Swenie, head, married, male, 37 [1823/4], Ag Lab, b. Sligo, Ireland
   Mary Swenie, wife, married, female, 39 [1821/2], b. Sligo, Ireland
   Patrick Swenie, son, male, 14 [1846/7], b. Sligo, Ireland
   Michael Swenie, son, male, 12 [1848/9], b. Sligo, Ireland
   Cathrine Swenie, daughter, female, 8 [1852/3], b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   Stephen Swenie, son, male, 6 [1854/5], b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   Peter Swenie, son, male, 4 [1856/7], b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   James Swenie, son, male, 1 [1859/60], b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire

4. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 3818; Folio 86; Page 33, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 6 Abbey Street, Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire
   John Milroy, head, married, male, 25 [1845/6], Police Constable, b. Scotland
   Mary Milroy, wife, married, female, 25 [1845/6], b. Scotland
   Joseph Milroy, son, male, 4 [1866/7], b. Scotland
   Jeanet Milroy, daughter, female, 2 [1868/9], b. Liverpool, Lancashire
   John Drysdale, brother in law, unmarried, male, 20 [1850/1], Dock Porter, b. Scotland
   James Kelly, visitor, unmarried, male, 22 [1848/9], Travelling Draper, b. Scotland
   Elizabeth Cowrans, visitor, unmarried, female, 21 [1849/50], General Serv, b. Scotland
   Michael Sweeney, boarder, unmarried, male, 22 [1848/9], Police Officer, b. Ireland

5. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1881 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   Registration Number 889; ED 6; Page 11, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Kirkland Cottage (50 Yards North of Village), Kirkinner, Wigtownshire
   Michael Sweeney, head, male, 32 [1848/9], Ag Lab, b. Ireland
   Janet Sweeney, wife, female, 32 [1848/9], Ag Lab's Wife, b. Whithorn, Wigtownshire
   Robert Sweeney, son, male, 7 [1873/4], Scholar, b. Mochrum
   Mary Sweeney, daughter, female, 5 [1875/6], Scholar, b. Mochrum
   William Sweeney, son, male, 3 [1877/8], b. Kirkinner

6. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1891 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   Registration Number 895; ED8; Page 7, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Cothouse, Peninghame, Wigtownshire
   6 rooms with windows
   Michael Sweeney, head, male, 42 [1848/9], Farm Labourer, b. Ireland
   Janet Sweeney, wife, female, 42 [1848/9], b. Whithorn, Wigtownshire
   Agnes Sweeney, daughter, female, 9 [1881/2], Scholar, b. Kirkinner, Wigtownshire
   James Sweeney, son, male, 6 [1884/5], Scholar, b. Penninghame, Wigtownshire
   Janet Sweeney, daughter, female, 4 [1886/7], b. Penninghame, Wigtownshire
   Maggie Sweeney, daughter, female, 1 [1889/90], b. Penninghame, Wigtownshire

7. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1901 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   Registration Number 895; ED 8; Page 6, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Bank, Penninghame, Wigtownshire
   3 rooms with windows
   Michael Sweeney, head, male, 52 [1848/9], General Ag Lab, b. Ireland
   Janet Sweeney, wife, female, 52 [1848/9], b. Whithorn, Wigtownshire
   Agnes Sweeney, daughter, female, 19 [1881/2], b Kirkinner, Wigtownshire
   James Sweeney, son, male, 16 [1884/5], Carter on Farm, b. Penninghame, Wigtownshire
   Janet Sweeney, daughter, female, 14 [1886/7], Scholar, b. Penninghame, Wigtownshire

8. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1911 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   895/00 002/00 015, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Institute Place, Newton Stewart, Penninghame, Wigtownshire
   3 rooms with windows
   Michael Sweeny, head, male, 63 [1847/8], married, Farm labourer, worker, b. Ireland
   Janet Sweeny, wife, female, 63 [1847/8], married 39 years, 7 children born alive, 4 children still living, b. Whithorn, Wigtownshire
   Janet Sweeny, daughter, female, 24 [1886/7], single, General Servant - domestic, b. Penninghame, Wigtownshire

9. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office for Scotland. Civil Registration.

   1916 DEATHS in the Parish of Penninghame in the County of Wigtown
   No. 38
   Name: Michael Sweeney, Drainer (Widower of Janet Milroy)
   When and Where Died; 1916 December twenty third 1h0m A.M. 69 Queen Street, Newton Stewart
   Sex: M
   Age: 68 years [1847/8]
   Father: Michael Sweeney, Drainer (Deceased)
   Mother: Mary Sweeney M.S. McCalla (Deceased)
   Cause of death: Cerebral Haemorrhage 3 days, As certified by N.J. McKie M.D.
   Informant: Janet Gordon, daughter (present), 24 Queen Street, Newton Stewart
   Registered: 1816 December 25th at Newton Stewart, Roderick McLean, Registrar