Person:Stephen Sweeney (2)

Childhood

Stephen Sweeney was born on 22nd December 1853 in the parish of Sorbie, Wigtownshire. He was the fifth of nine children of an agricultural labourer named Michael Sweeney and his wife Mary Kilcawley. Michael and Mary were originally from County Sligo on the west coast of Ireland. They had married there at Castleconor in 1844 and had had three children baptised at Castleconor in the 1840s, before moving to Scotland some time between 1849 and 1851. Stephen was the couple's second child to have been born in Scotland. Stephen was baptised when he was one month old at the Catholic Church in the town of Newton Stewart, a few miles north of Sorbie.

Stephen grew up in Sorbie village. The family lived there in small cottages - in 1861 they had two rooms with windows and in 1871 they only had one room with windows. When Stephen was about thirteen the family was struck when two of his siblings died in quick succession - his brother James died aged six, then Stephen's only sister, Catherine, died aged fifteen.

Adulthood

As a young man, Stephen became a joiner and carpenter. When he was 25 he married a girl called Margaret Rice from Whithorn, the neighbouring parish to Sorbie. However, the couple did not marry in Scotland, but over 400 miles away in the London area.

After their marriage, Stephen and Margaret moved to Brixton, to the south of London, where they appear in the 1881 census. Margaret's brother James was boarding with the couple. Stephen and Margaret's first daughter was born in Brixton. In 1884 they had twins, born in the Kensington area of London, but both died as babies. By 1885 the family had moved to Paddington, west London. The couple's other three children were born in Paddington, although their youngest daughter died aged 3. From at least 1885 to 1890, the family rented two unfurnished rooms at 34 Hampden Street. They then moved to 2 Alfred Road, where the 1891 census finds them living relatively comfortably in a house of five or more rooms. They stayed there for a couple of years. By 1895, they were back in lodgings, renting two unfurnished first floor rooms at 4 Barnsdale Road.

Around the start of 1895, Stephen contracted phthisis (tuberculosis), which he suffered for nine months before his death on 9th September 1895. He was 41. At the time of Stephen's death, his wife Margaret was 43 and was left with their three surviving children aged between 6 and 13 to support. She survived him by nearly 38 years.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Roman Catholic Church. Newton Stewart Catholic Parish Registers. (Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish Catholic Archives).

   Stephen, law[ful son of] Michael Sweeney and Mary An McAuly, Born Dec[ember] 22 1853, Baptized A.D. 1854 Jan[uary] 22 / Sponsors: William Kelly and Mary McLean
   Priest: J.J. Buckley

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

   Address: Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   2 rooms with windows
   Michael Swenie, head, married, male, 37 [1823/4], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], 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

3. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1871 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   897/00 006/00 010, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Garlieston Road, Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   1 room with windows
   Michael Sweeney, head, married, male, 46 [1824/5], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Ireland
   Mary Sweeney, wife, married, female, 48 [1822/3], Labourer's wife, b. Ireland
   Stephen Sweeney, son, unmarried, male, 17 [1853/4], Carpenter, b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   Peter Sweeney, son, male, 13 [1857/8], Ag[ricultural] lab[ourer], b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   Luke Sweeney, son, male, 7 [1863/4], Scholar, b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   Andrew Sweeney, son, male, 5 [1865/6], b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire

4. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 622; Folio 98; Page 65, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 122 Mayall Road, Brixton, Lambeth, Surrey
   Stephen Sweeney, head, married, male, 27 [1853/4], Joiner, b. Scotland
   Margaret Sweeney, wife, married, female, 28 [1852/3], Nil, b. Scotland
   James Rice, boarder, unmarried, male, 23 [1857/8], Joiner, b. Scotland

5. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1; Folio 48; Page 20, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 2 Alfred Road, Paddington, London
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Stephen Sweeney, head, married, male, 36 [1854/5], Joiner, employed, b. Scotland
   Margaret Sweeney, wife, married, female, 38 [1852/3], b. Scotland
   Mary J. Sweeney, daughter, female, 8 [1882/3], b. Brixton, London
   Margaret Sweeney, daughter, female, 3 [1887/8], b. Paddington, London
   Stephen Sweeney, son, male, 1 [1889/90], b. Paddington, London

6. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   REGISTRATION DISTRICT PADDINGTON
   1895 DEATH in the Sub-District of Saint Mary Paddington in the County of London
   No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   190	Ninth September 1895 4 Burnsdale Road	Stephen Sweeney	Male	40 years	Carpenter (Journeyman)	Phthisis 9 months Exhaustion Certified by G. Gardiner M.D.	Margaret Sweeney Widow of deceased present at the Death, 4 Burnsdale Road	Tenth September 1895	Wm Kirk, Registrar

   
7.   Paddington Electoral Register, 1885
   South Division, No. 1 Polling District
   HAMPDEN STREET
   Name: 4739 Sweeney, Stephen
   Rooms occupied: Parlour floor, unfurnished
   House and street: 34 Hampden-street
   Rent: 6s. a week
   Landlord: Mrs. Checksfield, 34 Hampden-street
8.   Paddington Electoral Register, 1887
   South Division, No. 1 Polling District
   HAMPDEN STREET
   Name: 4873 Sweeney, Stephen
   Rooms occupied: Parlour floor, unfurnished
   House and street: 34 Hampden street
   Rent: 6s. a week
   Landlord: Wm. Cheeksfield, 34 Hampden street
9.   Paddington Electoral Register, 1889
   South Division, No. 1 Polling District
   HAMPDEN STREET
   Name: 4701 Sweeney, Stephen
   Rooms occupied: 2 rooms ground floor, unfurnished
   House and street: 34 Hampden street
   Rent: 6s. per week
   Landlord: Mr. Checksfield, same address
10.   Paddington Electoral Register, 1890
    South Division, No. 1 Polling District
    HAMPDEN STREET
    Name: 4866 Sweeney, Stephen
    Rooms occupied: 2 rooms ground floor, unfurnished
    House and street: 34 Hampden street
    Rent: 6s weekly
    Landlord: Mr. Checksfield, same address
11.   Paddington Electoral Register, 1893
    South Division, No. 1 Polling District
    ALFRED ROAD
    Name: 65 Sweeney, Stephen
    Abode: 2 Alfred road
    Nature of Qualification: dwelling house
    Name and Situation of Qualifying Property: 2 Alfred road
    
    (not at 2 Alfred Road or 4 Barnsdale Road in 1894 electoral register)
12.   Paddington Electoral Register, 1895
    North Division, No. 5 Polling District, Harrow Road Ward
    BARNSDALE ROAD
    Name: 2389 Sweeney, Stephen
    Rooms occupied: Two rooms first floor, unfurnished
    House and street: 4 Barnsdale-road
    Landlord: Mr. Hollis, same address