UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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Practically all of the following information is thanks to Tina Fitch
a daughter of Cecilia Kelly and her work in researching the Shanks family.
Tina is owed a great big thank you from us all!! John Shanks and Elizabeth Doyle Bap of Mary Francis Shanks 1902 and address http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/9f2d390005596 Marriage of George Barker and Mary Doyle 1901 http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/91d7980005620 Marriage of John Shanks and Elizabeth Doyle 1901 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FPT6-T2Z Birth & Bap Cecilia Doyle 1880 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KZ5J-ZRX Record of Probate Cecilia Doyle 1913 to Edward Doyle?? |
John
Shanks General Clerk |
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| On
1901 census John Shanks is lodging in 51 St. Albans Road with Cecilia Downes
(nee Doyle, nee O’Brien) as head of household. Elizabeth (Lizzie)
is also there and she and John married 3 weeks after census was taken. On their marriage cert 21/4/1901 John Shanks father is John Shanks accountant and John gives address as 33 Upper Clanbrassil St. John Shanks was one of 8 children, born 21st march 1880 in 25 Bloomfield Avenue, to John Shanks an accountant, and Sarah Francis Keatinge. (A lady named May McCormick was present at his birth!) On the 1901 census recorded as a boarder in the home of Cecilia Downes (Doyle nee O’Brien) and her daughters Lizzie and Cecilia, and granddaughter Mary Theresa. His occupation is general clerk. He and Lizzie married on 21st April 1901- lets believe it was love at first sight! John and Lizzie went on to have 7 children, Mary Francis, Georgina Myra, Phyllis, Veronica (Vera), Margaret Mary (Peggy), Pamela and John Warren. On the 1911 census the family are living in one room at 4.2 Upper Gloucester Street, and John is an unemployed labourer, daughter Myra is not recorded, she is only 7 years old, and I cannot find her anywhere else on the census, so John must have forgotten to record her. (Maybe she was a very quiet child). |
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 John Warren (Warry) Shanks 3 weeks, died age 21/2 in 1917 |
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to Right Veronica (Vera), Myra, Margaret Mary (Peggy),Mary (May), Phylis According to 1911 census the family lived 4.2 Gloucester Street Upper (North Dock, Dublin) Myra age 7 was over looked in the census for whatever reason |
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John Warren died in 1917 aged 2 ½ years and Pamela in 1918 aged 6
years. Their deaths could have been the result of The Spanish 'Flu prevalent
at the time, They are recorded in Glasnevin as soldier’s children.
The family were living in 39 Townsend Street at the time of both deaths. The story is that John left Lizzie with young children, to join the army. In 1922 the Irish army took a census, and John Shanks is listed in Beggars Bush barracks. His next of kin is Lizzie Doyle of Townsend Street, he is also recorded as 31 years old, and he must have been very youthful looking as he was actually 42. He left when Mary Frances was around 15 /16 years old, which is the same time Pamela and John Warren died, maybe these circumstances had something to do with his leaving. He died on 20th April 1939 of cancer. His address was recorded as 10 Charlemont Street. Lizzie Doyle had purchased 24 Leinster Street, in her name, in 1937, which is 2 years before John died. So they were living apart at that time. It is recorded in Glasnevin records that he is a soldier, but his death cert has labourer. He is buried with Lizzie, John Warren and Pamela, also Lizzie’s brother Joseph in grave. Number WJ 294.5 in St. Bridget’s, Glasnevin. On both census John Shanks is recorded as Roman Catholic, but his parents are both Presbyterian. |
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| John
Shank's father John was born in Co. Down 22nd March 1854 to Hugh Shanks
and Rebecca Reid, He married Sarah-Frances Keatinge , they had 7 children
. Sarah-Frances, Ethel, Charles-Patrick, Rebecca, Lillian, Eileen, and John.His
brother James was Lord Mayor of Dublin Great Grand Uncle to Myra Shanks
children. Checking James Shanks Lord Mayor came across link dublinked.ie and Dublin Chamber of Commerce has a brief history of past presidents. James Shanks is number 35 and on page 188 (with a photograph) it says James Shanks was born in Belfast to Hugh Shanks and Rebecca Reid. So if everything checks out Lord Mayor James Shanks is related That brief history also mentioned that James Shanks, along with 2 other investors built the Grand International Hotel in Bray and lived in it until it was sold in 1904, Don Rorke was trying to find the hotel we were connected to. Charles-Patrick joined the British Army when he was 20 years old and was enlisted in Durham Light Brigade and went on assignment to many countries including South Africa. His description on file is 5ft 5‘’, grey eyes and ‘Irish’ complexion, weighing 8st. His next of kin is listed as his father John of 33 Upper Clanbrassil Street and also his brother John. He is back living with his parents on the 1911 census aged 29. I haven’t continued my search on him yet, but if he never married the Shanks branch we descend from ceased with John Warren. John’s parents lived most of their lives in 33 Upper Clanbrassil Street, and are buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery with 2 of their grandchildren, Arthur(2 years 7 months) and Lily Hogan (6 hours)(Rebecca's children) in grave number A4-233-15832. Also grave B17-204-4148 had headstone erected by James Shanks in memory of his father Hugh died 9th April 1870 age 49, also in memory of his sons High Edward and James who died in infancy, his brother David 1st Feb 1873 age 47, Joseph Shanks 27th Dec 1874 age 16, also his mother Rebecca Shanks 26th Oct 1912 age 91. |
John
Shanks Senior (John Shanks Parents)
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John
Doyle, a plumber married Cecilia O’Brien on 12th September 1864
and had 11 children - Joseph, Mary, Margaret, Michael, Georgina-Christina,
Teresa-Agnes, Mary, Elizabeth, Cecilia, Cecilia and Margaret-Mary. Only
5 children survived and that is why there are double names, the children
all died very young. |
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  Lizzie married Michael McGowran, after John died. |
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Lizzie
Doyle was born on 11th July 1878 to John Doyle and Cecilia O’Brien
and had 10 brothers and sisters, sadly only 3 sisters and a brother survived
- Joseph, Georgina-Christina, Mary, and Cecilia. Lizzie Shanks was a very charitable woman, she organised and ran a ‘penny dinners’ in Townsend Street. The story is that someone gave her money and she invested in property and was extremely successful. She had a hotel in Tara St. and purchased houses/business property for her 5 girls. In 1941, 2 years after grand-dad Shanks died, Lizzie married ‘old mac’ (Michael James McGowan) a retired policeman who looked after and maintained her properties. They lived in Leinster Street until Lizzie died in 1951. Ole Mac was not a favourite of her girls or their husbands. Nellie was their maid for many years. Her sister Georgina married William Kenney, Mary married George Barker, Cecilia married Peter McGough and Joseph married Mary Elizabeth Coleman. On both census Joseph’s wife is Catherine. So he married a 2nd time. As a child I remember Leo Barker coming to the house and also we were close to our cousins the Kellys on Richmond Road and the Cloaks also on Fairview Strand. I have no recollection of any other cousins on the Shanks side, beside the Kellys and the Cloaks . We spent a lot of time up with the Cloaks, their house and garden was huge and Dad had use of the back stables to house his piggery |
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 Mary and George Barker's son Leo (I think) Willie is the best man and Peggy is the Bridesmaid. Ignore George in the photo that is Leo and I don't know his wife's name. |
In
the 1901 census George and his wife lived No. 8 Gordan Street (Pembroke
West, Dublin) They were still there 1911 with the addition of
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Georgina's daughter |
 Irish Independant Second World War 16th November 1942 There was more tragedy in the family R.R. (Rupert) a Merchant Seaman was lost at sea as reported in Irish Independant 16-11-42. Next of kin K. Kenney, Commercial Buildings, Dame Street Dublin who lived with sister Muriel Kenney |
Georgina
ran a very successful business in 18 Wicklow Street "Madam Doyles"
. From the 1890s onwards there have been fashion businesses sewing, cutting, making and designing beautiful fashion for the elite (and not so elite) of Dublin in the many rooms and floors of the red brick buildings. From the early twentieth century the street had an array of fashion businesses, which tell us about the period of history. As we know before 1916, Dublin was still part of the British Empire and because of this Dublin Castle was the centre of power. One of the most notable fashion businesses of the early twentieth century at that time were the Court Dressmakers; Madame Doyle who resided in Number 18 and would have created court dresses for debutantes and presentations at Dublin Castle as well as wedding trousseau for Dublin's finest. Fashion Historian Elaine Hewitt of NCAD has written an interesting thesis on the subject of the wonderfully named Madame Doyle, Georgina Kenney nee Doyle. She had two of her nieces Georgina Myra and Phylis, Lizzie's daughters working, and displaying gowns to customers. |
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Georgina lived in Wicklow Street in the 1901 census with her infant son William. I recollect as a child being told that a young child of the Kenneys choked on a bacon rind. I'm hoping someone will confirm this.. | |
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| Lizzie, sitting with Myra at back beside Muriel Kenney | Nana Lizzie with Muriel Kenney, Lizzie was very close to her sister Georgina | Georgina
Husband William Kenney and children Rupert, Kenneth and daughter Muriel. |
  The Kenneys with grandmother and baby in trap. In the 1911 census the Kenneys lived 30 Burrow South, Howth. Cecelia Downes, Georgina's mother and her niece Mary Theresa (Maisie) were living as part of the household. They later move to the farm and Roebuck Hall |
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