Irish Immigrants in Neston: the Ryans

by Carl Ashton

In the mid 1800’s, due to the Irish famine, folks were pouring in off the ships from Ireland into Liverpool, and other port towns and cities, often in dreadful states of health, and from what I’ve read a lot didn’t even make it alive.

The Dublin to Parkgate ferries had ceased service by the early 1800’s, so Liverpool or maybe Holyhead would’ve been the main destination in the North West of the UK. Over the years, many Irish immigrants made their way to Neston, but I’d like to tell you about two of them.

Rose Fergus and William Ryan.

Their names were Rose Fergus and William Ryan. They were married in Crossmolina, County Mayo in 1854, Rose came from County Mayo, and William from Wexford. The story in the family is that Rose was the daughter of a wealthy family and William worked for them as a groom, but there I haven’t found any proof of that.

They and their 3 (possibly 4) children arrived in Neston sometime in the 1860s. Two sons were born in County Mayo, Daniel in 1857 and William in 1865, but living with them in Golden Lion Yard in 1881 were three children born and baptised in Neston; Joseph in 1867, Thomas in 1876 and Bedelia in 1881. Another son, Patrick was born around 1864 and although his place of birth is usually given as Neston it’s possible he was born before they left Ireland.

It was called Golden Lion Yard because it was behind the Golden Lion pub which stood on the High Street, where Concept Interiors is today. By 1881 there were at least 4 families of Irish immigrants in there. There were only 6 or 7 cottages so there was a strong Irish contingent in the yard. There were more Irish families down at Pemberton’s Green; Pemberton’s Green was a small terraced row just off Mill Street. where there were about 7 Irish families, and more were recorded as living on Liverpool Road. The close proximity of those addresses almost forms an ‘Irish’ quarter in the centre of Neston. In the census there were a number of Irish names like Murphy and Cassady, but there were no names I’d recognise as a large Neston Family, that are still around these parts (but I could be wrong).

William Ryan, like many Irish immigrants in the area worked as a farm labourer. I’ve always considered the Irish as quite a lyrical folk, and with the number of Irish in Lion Yard and the surrounding street. I’d like to imagine it as a place where although life was hard, they knew how to enjoy themselves with a drink and a few tunes.

Times must’ve eventually become too difficult for Rose and William. In 1887 they, with their two youngest children, Bedelia and Thomas, were living in the Workhouse at Clatterbridge. In 1889 it was suggested that Bedelia, then aged nine, and Thomas, aged fourteen, might be sent to Canada under a £10 emigration scheme but the proposal was voted down by the Board of Guardians. In 1891 William, now aged 72, Rose and Bedelia were still the Workhouse and Rose died there later that year, aged 58. William remained at the Workhouse until his death in 1906 at the age of 86.

The Alexanders

In 1900 Bedelia married William Henderson Alexander and in 1901 they were living in the High Street. William Alexander was the son of David Walker Alexander (1853 – 1877). David was born in Glasgow in 1853 but by 1871 the family were living in Liverpool where his father, William was employed as a mason. David married Mary Ellen Thompson in Liverpool on 4^th January 1872 at St Nicholas Church in Liverpool. They had two sons, William born in 1874 and David Walker junior born in 1876. They evidently moved to Neston soon after and David senior was working at the colliery in April 1877 when he died in an accident at the age of twenty-four. He was working with eight other men sinking No 2 pit at the colliery when he was hit by a piece of falling rock. A few years later Mary Ellen married Joseph Smith.

William and Bedelia went on to have a large family. One son was born in 1914 while William was fighting in the Battle of Mons in Belgium and this fact influenced his name, Robert Mons Alexander. He was my Nan’s father, my great grandfather. William Alexander was in the Irish Guards and his son, Robert, was also in the Irish Guards, even after he’d left the service he’d still wear his Irish Guards pin. He was a very proud Scottish man. His father, David, was born in Glasgow, but the Alexander’s were from Inveresk, Midlothian, a line has been traced back to 1700

Joseph Ryan

Joseph married Martha Taylor and they had three children. In 1899 he volunteered to serve in the army in South Africa during the Boer War. His letters home to his wife and friends were published in the local newspapers. The newspapers also reported that he was invalided home after being wounded at the Modder River and he mentions that his three brothers are still in South Africa so it’s possible that Patrick, Daniel and Thomas also volunteered. He returned to his regiment when he had recovered from his wounds. At the outbreak of war in 1914, aged 41, he again volunteered and served with the Cheshire Regiment in France.

Research

I found all this out via Ancestry and pestering cousins of my Nan and Mother. I’ve also tapped a couple of local folk for bits of info too.

Thanks to Janet Oswald, Jason Alexander, Julie Alexander and Jess Mosedale for their assistance.

I only know of the families that have come from Joseph Ryan and Bedelia Ryan. Two of the other brothers, Daniel and Thomas may well have had families of their own, but I didn’t have enough information to get that deep. I’ve enjoyed researching it all and there’s much more to discover about the Irish families who came to Neston so why not see what you can find out about your Irish ancestors?

That’s 2 large Neston families…The Ryan’s and The Alexander’s, still around today, still in Neston today. Both descended from the Emerald Isle. Without that little Irish couple laying down their roots here in God’s little acre. I, and a lot of others wouldn’t be here at all. Now that would’ve been the real tragedy.