Stories Of My Irish Families

Irish Native/Planter Stories

Friday 1 May 2015

Understanding my deep "Irish" connection between Protestant and "Young Irelander-ism".

I am now at a weird, but deep phase on understanding this Irish Family History of mine.
So deep, that I am having trouble with the complexity of 2 'very different' cultural lines of "Irish". One being Protestant and the other being Catholic. This is just my Maternal side at the moment.

These 2 diverse Irish lines cross at the point of my Maternal 2nd Great Grandparents.

  • Philip MacNevin - Born approx c.1879 Sydney
  • Annie Hasler (born as Annie, but later changed to Marie Josephine) - Born 1880 Melbourne
Philip was the youngest son of Thomas Edwin MacNevin (former NSW Judge/Coroner/Clerk) and Edith Ashworth Snape.
Annie was a daughter of Frederick John Hasler (Galway / Melbourne Photographer) and Eliza Persse Newenham.

So you can understand a bit better:
  • The name MacNevin is associated with being Catholic
  • The name Newenham is associated with being Protestant
* (The name Hasler is associated with Dublin Castle as being a Chamberlain for the Lord Lieutenant, so no connotations of this family, as compared to MacNevin and Newenham families)

Philip's lineage consists of his Father - Thomas Edwin MacNevin and Grandfather Richard Charles MacNevin. Richard was a brother to Thomas MacNevin Esq - the "Young Irelander".
Thomas MacNevin Esq, was part of "The Nation" magazine and performed as a Solicitor/Barrister/Poet in Dublin. He was deemed to be of the "Young Irelander" political movement in the 1830's/1840's. However Thomas died just before the insurrection of 1848, that was carried out. Thomas never got over the death of his Young Irelander friend - Thomas Davis and subsequently looks like he went into a very bad depression, as it affected him mentally - he died in an English Mental Asylum in 1848.
From my understanding, this Young Irelander movement was basically supporting Irish Nationalism and in form supported the "Repeal" of the Act of Union - 1800, under the O'Connell's direction. Some would say that this movement had the early formings of the IRA.

These MacNevin's (Daniel MacNevin - the Father and son's Thomas and Richard) were very heavily involved with "The Emancipator" - Daniel O'Connell, until Daniel turned his support (sold out) to the Whig Party and the MacNevin's basically disowned O'Connell.
As far as I can see, Philip's Father and Grandfather - Thomas and Richard never showed the prowess to Irish Nationalism as what Thomas MacNevin Esq had. That is not to say that behind closed doors they didn't support the Young Irelander movement, but I found basically nothing on these 2 individuals regarding Nationalism - even though they directly associated with O'Connell. Many publications of newspaper articles are around, but it does not suggest that Richard was every part of the Young Irelander movement than that of his brother, Thomas.

Richard was the Author / Rule maker of how to deal with "Encumbered Estates" during the 1840's famine and it's aftermath in the early 1850's. Richard made it clear, on how to instruct people dealing with Lost/Absentee Landlords and the Lands of Ireland in this pivotal period of human survival.
I am not sure if this book, was aimed at helping the Irish get over the famine, or was written under British Government instruction to help the English buy cheap land. The jury is still out.
Richard's Solicitor business was registered at : 8 Middle Gardiner Street, Dublin.
Ironically, Richard fratenised with William Keogh, a very controversial Judge at this address.

Son - Thomas Edwin, came to Australia in the late 1860's, just after his Father's death and made Australia home, initially it was Brisbane, but then he settled in Sydney.
I can find no Young Irelander sentiments in Thomas Edwin, during his life. His court cases, serving as a judge, never showed bigotry or favouring of one side of religion. He was a Catholic, in a predominately, Protestant society. He basically showed complete "transparency" to religious motives, certainly a far cry from today's society.

What makes this story a little more close to home, is that Young Irelander movement came to Australia, a few of them as either a Convict and penalised for their failed Insurrection, or escaped the convict route and took to exile.
One that sort of escaped, but was in exile was Sir Charles Gavan Duffy. Ironically he became a Victorian Premier. Duffy did try to sell the Young Irelander / O'Connell movement down in Melbourne, but was shouted down by the predominate Protestant public. It took a long time for the public to warm up to Duffy.

Now even a bit closer to home, Philip's wife Annie, she was the Granddaughter of Henry Hood Newenham.
Henry was working in the Water/Sewage board in the 1860's during the time Duffy, was it's Minister/Head of Dept.

Henry's Father (Edward Worth Newenham) and Grandfather (Sir Edward Newenham Irish MP), were both staunchly Protestant people and they both showed connotations of putting Catholics down (showed signs of a lesser class).
Henry amazingly, did not show this pattern and I find it ironic that he worked under Duffy without a fuss. Ironically, Henry's Grandfather probably would have been turning in his grave, knowing of this.

Richard Charles MacNevin, also dabbled into administering lands, one set of lands that he administered, was that of the Persse Lands of "Spring Garden" - Co. Galway (One of Henry Hood Newenham's close relatives, think this was an Uncle's Property). The closeness of family affairs between 3 families, is very apparent.

An image of Thomas MacNevin Esq - Young Irelander - sits in the National Gallery of Ireland here :
  

Thomas McNevin Esq - Image Only

Thomas MacNevin Main Gallery Page



Thomas's book on the Volunteers of 1782
Ironically, he also mentioned about relatives that served as Volunteers,
of the below Henry H Newenham

Richard C MacNevin's Book on how to deal with the lands after the 1840's Famine


Richard C MacNevin's Business Address in Dublin

Issue No.1 1899 - Parramatta & Districts Illustrated - Historical, Biographical, Industrial
Philip MacNevin with his daughter (my Great Grandmother) Dorothy May MacNevin - circa 1907

Henry Hood Newenham - 1805-1895 - Grandson of Sir Edward Newenham MP
Eliza Persse Newenham - 1842-1891 - Daughter of Henry Hood Newenham



Annie Hasler (Marie J MacNevin) - 1880 - 1930 - Daughter of Eliza Persse Newenham
She married Philip MacNevin.

by Stories Of My Irish Families Friday, May 01, 2015 No comments

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