missing grave

Hi Col

thank you very much for your message and the time you spent looking for information for me. I have now looked on the Waterford County Library Information Portal for deaths in the 1890s and found Maud aged 13 in 1897 and John aged 6 in 1893. The information given for their father, the informant sounds correct.

I hope that someone may recognise the picture of the graveyard as the parents died in Waterford at Ferrybank but they are not buried there.

Hi Carole:

I notice that on the 1901 Census, that William Coghlan, retired coast guard of the Royal Navy lives at 1 Mulgrave Row, with his wife Elizabeth and 5 children.  One of the children is Henry, age 10.  Mulgrave Row was in Ferrybank.  I don't know if it still exists today as much of the old cottages were removed in recent decades for road widening.  As Elizabeth is listed as a Presbyterian, I wonder if Maud and John may have been buried in the Protestant Graveyard in Bonmahon. 

I can't see any photo attached to your post, but if you email it to me at marylawton11@hotmail.com I will see if I can recognise it.  The church in Ballylaneen is Catholic and has a large map inside with a map of the graveyard and plot names.  This map was hand made in the 1990s and names are taken from the inscriptions on the tombstones.  I will be visiting there next week, looking for my own family graves of Power and Kavanagh.  So, I will check the names of Maud and John Coghlin for you, and let you know.

Regards,

Mary 

Hi Carole:

I notice that on the 1901 Census, that William Coghlan, retired coast guard of the Royal Navy lives at 1 Mulgrave Row, with his wife Elizabeth and 5 children.  One of the children is Henry, age 10.  Mulgrave Row was in Ferrybank.  I don't know if it still exists today as much of the old cottages were removed in recent decades for road widening.  As Elizabeth is listed as a Presbyterian, I wonder if Maud and John may have been buried in the Protestant Graveyard in Bonmahon. 

I can't see any photo attached to your post, but if you email it to me at marylawton11@hotmail.com I will see if I can recognise it.  The church in Ballylaneen is Catholic and has a large map inside with a map of the graveyard and plot names.  This map was hand made in the 1990s and names are taken from the inscriptions on the tombstones.  I will be visiting there next week, looking for my own family graves of Power and Kavanagh.  So, I will check the names of Maud and John Coghlin for you, and let you know.

Regards,

Mary 

Hi Carole:

I found the grave.  It was in Kill Graveyard, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.  The clue that suggested Kill was in your post, that William had been a coast guard, stationed in Bonmahon, when his children died.  So, it seemed likely that they would have been buried locally.

Bonmahon is split in 2 by the Mahon River.  The east side is called Knockmahon and is in the parish of Kill.  The west side is Bonmahon and is in the parish of Ballylaneen and Stradbally.  The Ballylaneen graveyard is on a hill of very sloping ground.  Your picture didn't look at all like this. Kill graveyard is beside the Gardenmorris Estate and is very wooded.  It is also on level land, more like your picture.

After a couple of hours of walking the graveyard, checking the tombstone inscriptions, I was almost ready to give up, when I saw a dark tombstone of the same shape as the one in your picture. The iron rails are still around it but are very shaky.  The tombstone is very dark with age and lichen, not the shining white, as in your picture.  Also the surrounding trees have been cut down and replaced by a hedge, and the graveyard tidied up with neatly cut grass. But, the Celtic crosses in the background are still there.

The inscription on the tombstone reads:

"Erected by William Cohglan of Ferrybank In loving memory of his dearest wife Elizabeth Coghlan Died Nov 2, 1925 aged 64. Also their beloved children John, Maud and Henry. The above William Coghlan died 4th Jan 1933 Aged 70.

Saint Anthony pray for us That on the last day That we may be placed on the right hand side."

R I P

The grave is located near the the still standing sacristy of the old church.  If you ever come to Ireland I would be happy to show you where it is.  Sorry, I didn't get a picture of how it looks now.

Regards,

Mary Lawton