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Facts and Events
Hugh died when my Granny - his youngest child, Agnes - was just 10 years old. All my mother knew of him was that he came from Ireland, was thought to have had a little jeweller's shop in Burnley, and died when Granny was young.
The 1861 census finds the young, bachelor Hugh, in Burnley's 'Irish Park' slum area, crowded in to a house with 15 other people and working as a cotton factory hand, yet he later described him self as a "Master Jeweller" and his body lies under quite an impressive monument.
The British Newspaper Archive has been searched for the name Murtagh, and the Hugh we are concerned with here was named a great many times. Most mentions of him are in his routine business advertising, while others concern his changes of address or other matters. His hitherto mysterious shop is revealed to be 'The Old Curiosity Shop'. In the summer of 1893, he ceased running a shop, and apparently continued trading in jewellery and plate without one.
Hugh's father's name was Denis, and he was a joiner. - Hugh and Bridget's marriage certificate reveals just this much; I do not yet know Hugh's mother's name though it was probably either Margaret - the name of Hugh and Bridget's eldest, or Ellen - the name they twice gave only for both those daughters to die in infancy. She was still alive and in Burnley, aged "76", in 1895, as a sad newspaper snippet, at the bottom of this page, reveals.
Favourite Quote
"Facts are stubborn things, and Truth oftimes stranger than Fiction."
Image Gallery
 Jul 1879 - Dec 1880: Hugh's regular advertising  5 Jul 1884: Hugh has a new landlord  Jul-Oct 1884: Hugh's regular advertising  Oct 1884: Hugh's shop has moved to Yorkshire St.  Oct 1884: Advert showing new address  Nov 1884: Hugh reminds customers he's moved  Mar 1885: Moving from Yorkshire St. to 124 St. James St.  Sep 1885: Hugh also advertised individual items, repeatedly  Christmas 1886: Front page advert  May 1888: Stock to be auctioned  Sep 1890: Moving from 144 to 36 St. James St.  Nov 1890: Advertising after the move  Jun 3rd 1893: Auction because giving up  Jun 10th 1893: Final auction continues  Apr 1891: Hugh as a witness: stolen billiard balls! Because of his trading in 2nd hand goods, he is a witness on several other occasions including that of an ex-police officer who was obtaining & selling revolvers under false pretenses!  Oct 1895: Hugh is in court for failing to financially support his mother who is in the work house!  Nov 1896: Newspapers bear witness to the rise and fall of our Hugh References
- ↑ Cert: birth Murtagh 1889 Agnes.
- ↑ Personal Knowledge [User HWMT].
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Prayer Card: death of Hugh Murtagh (d. 1899).
WORDING --
"All you who have loved me in life I beseech you now to assist me by your prayers." --
Of your Charity pray for the Repose of the Soul of --
Hugh Murtagh, --
Beloved husband of Bridget Murtagh, --
Who fortified by the Rites of Holy Church, departed this life, --
IN HIS 53RD YEAR, --
May 10th, 1899, ---
And was this day interred at Burnley Cemetery, --
12, Cuerden Street, --
Burnley, -- May13th, 1899.
FACING PAGE: --
"Eternal rest grant to him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him." --
May he rest in peace. --
Jesu Mercy. --
Mary help.
- ↑ grave record&monument Murtagh fr. 1880.
- Hugh's year of birth is even more shaky than his wife's! I have 5 records of his age: his marriage certificate, his death prayer card, his monument, and 3 census returns. Using these, his y.o.b. ranges from about 1839 to about 1847!! Even the prayer card and grave don't agree: one says "aged 53" and the other "in his 53rd year". If we discount the earliest birth year - drawn from the 1861 census, and the latest birth year - drawn from his death prayer card, we have a man who was born between about 1841 (marriage certificate AND 1891 census) and about 1846 (monument). The possible up-side of this confusion is that he may have reached a better age than the "53 years" stated on his monument! I hope he did :-)
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