The Youghal Gowens: John Joseph 'Gully' Gowen (1879 - 196??)

The branch of the Gowen family that I am calling the 'Youghal' Gowen Clan originated with John Gowen, known as 'Gully'.


My most memorable connection with my ancestors was with 'Gully' Gowen, my grandfather. Towards the end of his life he came to England to be cared for by his daughter Molly and then ultimately my father Cornelius ('Con').

What made it memorable was that he took over my room and bed. He was quite poorly - all I remember is a big man with a big nose. Shortly thereafter he passed away apparently quietly in the night. I was summoned to view the body - on my bed - in the morning. I was quite young and he was the first dead person that I had seen - making an indelible impression on me.

But Gully had lived a quite extraordinary - and not entirely blameworthy - life. I have picked up scraps of information over the years - which may or may not be accurate, as it has been said that Gully was prone to a bit of exaggeration.

Gully Gowen's father was Cornelious [sic] 'Con' Gowen and his mother was Mary Cotter (from Rathcormac, father Maurice). The Civil marriage records show Cornelious, a "farmer in Cappagh", married a Mary Cotter of Rathcormac in 1878. They lived originally in Cappagh, probably working a farm that his father John Gowen had leased in 1851, possibly together a Laurence Gowen - maybe John's brother. 

Their children were:

• Ellen (b. 1881) - possibly died young (before the 1901 census)
• John Joseph 'Gully' (b. 1879)
• Mary (b. 1883) - possibly became a nun. She is buried in a 'Cotter' grave in Gortroe cemetry, Rathcormac
• Maurice (b. 1886), who seems to have lived and worked on a farm in Cappagh handed down to him from his father Con and his granfather John; he was later a 'bar man' in Cork.

At some stage before 1901 they sold the farm and moved to Cork City.

Gully was recorded as 20 at the time of the 1901 census. This reports him being an unmarried 'electrical assistant' living in Spring Lane, Cork, with his father 'Cornelius' [but Cornelious according to his signature] (54, a 'labourer in manuf. works'), mother Mary (52, housekeeper), sister Mary (17, a dressmaker) and brother Maurice (15, a 'scholar'). All are recorded as being born in County Cork and living in 16 Spring Lane, Cork.





16 Spring Lane, Cork

In  the 1911 census it appears that Cornelious Gowen has become Cornelious 'Gowin' (now recorded as 70), a 'Gen. labourer'. Wife Mary is now given as 66, daughter Mary is 26 (and still a dressmaker), Maurice (transcribed as 'Mauries') is 24 and now a 'bar man'.  The record shows that the marriage has lasted 30 years and that of the 4 children born, 3 are still alive. They are still living at Spring Lane, Cork (the surname is given as Going in the register of addresses in 1911).

Con died in 1912 in Fermoy hospital aged 70 as a result of an accident. His wife died in 1919: her address was King St, Fermoy (I remember my father looking for the house in Fermoy) and Maurice was the witness.

John Gowen seems to have left home therefore between 1901 and 1911. The next firm date we have is 1913, when he is married in England.




King St (Mac Curtain St), Fermoy
Source

One interesting episode may have taken place in far-off Burma: Gully is said to have served there with the British Army (possibly the Royal Munster Fusiliers?). Looking at his dates, this must have been in the period between 1901 and 1913. Having said that, he may have been involved with civilian contractors attached to the army.

I remember seeing an old photo in Youghal that looked a lot like hundreds of Edwardian-era troops crossing a river somewhere tropical, dressed like this lot:




Source

Gully was an electrical engineer and was supposed to have had a hand in the construction of the Rangoon tram system (built by the Rangoon Electric Tramway & Supply Co.) as well as involvement in the development of hydro-electic projects.

Rangoon Electric Tramway opened on Dec. 15. 1906
Source

Gully married Maud Lillian Doe (from Diss in England) in Wandsworth, London in the Jan-Mar 1913 time frame.

Maud was supposedly 'dressmaker to the Queen' (and known as 'Madame Doe'). Her sister Nora had another 'royal' connection - she is supposed to have run away with a certain Palmer, who was a jockey for King George V.

The next episode is when my father Cornelius was born in 1917 (Gully's second child), registered in Stoke-on-Trent. Gully seems to have been working as an engineer in a paper manufacturing factory (Tullis Russel?) at Bucknall, near Hanley in England.

Tullis Russel Paper Worksat the Eagle Street end of Commercial Road
Source

Subsequently Gully seems to have abandoned his family for some reason and his wife, Maud, moved to Fermoy to stay with his relatives. During this time the children stayed quite often with the Ballyhindon Gowens, a closely related Clan.

Gully seems to have been involved with the IRA, as were other members of the family (to the point that the young Con was told beforehand that a bridge was going to be blown up). However, Gully's role may well have been fairly modest. He was reportedly arrested - probably during the Irish Civil War - but released, supposedly due to lobbying by the Catholic Bishop of Cork.

Gully's children were (in order):

• Maurice J, born in early 1914 in Wandsworth, London; he became a doctor and emigrated to South Africa
• Cornelius Joseph (my father) an accountant, emigrated to England
• Molly, a doctor who emigrated to England, marrying Richard Tudor 
• John F. , also a doctor who lived in Youghal (d. 2005 in Youghal)
• Maud (b. 1922 in Fermoy, d. 2006 in Ballincollig)
• Laurance 'Lar'  (b. 1924 in Fermoy, d. ~1980s) who emigrated to Australia. 

Thanks to Brendan Gowen for many of the details included above.


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