Known better as the Lavender Man, Anthony Barrett was well known in San Francisco as the blind man who for some 45 years sold small packets of lavender from a booth, outside the Emporium on Market Street, San Francisco, at one time, the largest shopping centre west of Chicago.
Anthony was born and raised in Tullig, Millstreet, and emigrated with his sister Catherine to the US in 1901. He found employment in the mines of Arizona, but an explosion there in 1905 saw him lose his sight. He went to San Francisco for treatment but his sight was gone forever. Unemployed and desperate he bought some lavender, put it into simple paper wrappers, displayed them on a tray suspended on his shoulders and took a stand (in later years he sat) at the west entrance to the Emporium. There he was to remain—a living landmark.
He was quiet, well presented and made many friends there. He was helped by a family friend Liz O’Shea, who was originally of Minor Row in Millstreet, with whose family he lived with them for many years. With Liz, he returned to Millstreet for the summer of 1928.
He died on March 26th 1955, at Laguna Honda Hospital, aged 75. He had been sick for three years, and his presence was missed outside the Emporium. So well known was he that this photo of him appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle at the time of his death. [read more …] “Anthony Barrett – The Lavendar Man”
Tag: Person Profiles
Daniel Kelleher, Carrigacooleen (1831-1931)
A photograph taken at the home of Daniel Kelleher, Carrigacooleen, Millstreet, Co. Cork (seated), who has every expectation of reaching the great age of 100 years in June next. With him is his grandson. Mr. Kelleher is hale and hearty. He is in excellent possession of all his faculties. He has no special recipe for longevity and is neither averse to alcoholic refreshment in moderation or to the companionable influences of tobacco. He has a rich store of folklore, is a fluent Irish speaker, and, should be a valuable asset to those interested in the collection of first-hand information regarding the events of the past 80 years or more. For instance, he has a vivid recollection of the great Irish famine and relates how he saw the people of that period eat nettles and only sorry not to have enough of them to ward off the pangs of hunger. There were years came after black ’47 every bit as bad, he says but sickness and hunger came together in that year. He recollects having seen the Liberator pass along the road near his home on one occasion, and he has a particular recollection of the peculiar kind of cap worn by O’Connell. The stage coach from Cork to Tralee regularly passed his house. Modem transport he regards as quite an improvement on that of his young days but, he added in this connection, “the young people now are gone foolish entirely”. Mr. Kelleher goes regularly to Macroom, some four miles away. He likes to visit the town now and again. He is quite active for his years, walks about unaided and takes a keen interest in the events of the times. [Irish Examiner Wednesday, February 25, 1931] [read more …] “Daniel Kelleher, Carrigacooleen (1831-1931)”
Patrick Flynn, Constable R.I.C. (Coolykerane P.P. 1911)
One of three men named Flynn (all of different families) that were constables in the Millstreet area at the same time around 1911, Patrick Flynn was only briefly sent to the Protection Post at Coolykeerane from his base in Macroom, and happened to be there when the Nominal Returns were filled out at the start of 1911. In any event he was in Macroom in 1910, and back there again for the census of April 1911.
Son of a farmer from near Ballymacarbry in Waterford, his time in the force was only ten years, spent in Cork West, Down, Limerick and finally Cork East, before he resigned in 918 to the home farm, luckily avoiding the troubles that were to come. [read more …] “Patrick Flynn, Constable R.I.C. (Coolykerane P.P. 1911)”
Benjamin Jenkinson, Constable RIC (Millstreet c.1911)
Constable Benjamin Jenkinson (#53887) spent a little time in the Millstreet around 1911. He was noted at the Coolykerane Protection Post, near the Railway Station in Millstreet in the Nominal Returns for January 1911, and also is there also for the 1911 Census. A native of Antrim and Galway, he was unusual for the time, he was Protestant, and married to a Catholic lady Sarah Williams from Kanturk where he had been stationed initially. As well as Kanturk, he had spells as a policeman in Rosscarbery and Macroom. The family settled in the Coolcower area, east of Macroom where they brought up their eight children. Benjamin died in 1946 at his daughters residence on the Commons Road.
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Service History [1]
53887 Benjamin Jenkinson
Joined: 20yrs
Height: 5’10” 1/2
Native of: Galway W, Antrim
Religion: Protestant
Married: 6/Feb/1897
Wife’s County: Cork E.R.
Recommended by: D.I. Fleury
Trade: none
Appointed: 23 July 89
Allocations: Cork E.R 11/Feb/90, Cork W.R. 1/3/97
Punishments Un.Res 2/6/92; f10/= 4/4/95; F10/= 9/1/04
Reason for Leaving: Pensioned 13/3/1915
Gratuity to Family if deceased W/P. RIC 1/307/1 (TODO: what does this mean?)
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Nominal Return Books
(Station list at the start of each year)
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Pensioned off in 1915
In 1915, Benjamin was pensioned off at the age of 45, after 25 years. Payment of the pension for the first number of years at least was from the post office in Macroom where they lived.
25+ years service (on retirement)
53887 Cork W.R Jenkinson Benjamin Constable 45 yrs, 25yrs 7mo in force, pay:£80:12; average £70.15.1; Award of board £42.9.0; date as 13.3.1915 (on retirement)
53887 Jenkinson, Benjamin, Cork W.R., Pensioned [July 1915 Constabulary list]
Pension Leger 1919-1923 – paid at Macroom
Pension Leger 1915-1919 – paid at Macroom
TODO: when did they move to Cork?
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Petty Session cases he brought that made the papers:
1890 Kanturk – Drunk and Disorderly
1904 Roscarbery – After hours drinking
1908 Roscarbery – suicide
1910 Macroom – Drunk and Disorderly
1911 Macroom – theft of a horse
He does not appear in the petty session books after 1890 as they seem to have been destroyed.
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Family Details of Benjamin Jenkinson
Birth of Benjamin Jenkinson at Tohermore, Tuam on October 20th 1868; to Anne Jenkinson (Flemming) and Henry Jemkinson a Steward.
Birth of Sarah Williams of Newmarket on January 16th 1874, to Hannah Williams (Brown) and George Williams a shopkeeper, Johanna Healy Newmarket present at birth. The oldest child of ten [parent’s marriage]
Marriage of Benjamin Jenkinson and Sarah Williams at Newmarket Church on February 6th 1897 by Richard Ahern (RCC); He an RIC constable from Newmarket, son of Henry Jenkinson a farmer; She a bar maid of Kilbrin, daughter of George Williams a baker; in the presence of Stephen Crowley and Katie Kearny
Q: Jenkinson was a Protestant … how were they married in a Catholic Church?
Wife: Sarah Williams (1874–1963)
Children:
Birth of HENRY JENKINSON in 1897, Shinnagh (Rathmore, Co. Kerry) d.1987 Cork
Birth of GEORGE JENKINSON on 15 March 1900, Macroom. d.1982 Cork
Birth of ANNIE JENKINSON on 10 May 1901, Macroom. d.1913 Macroom
Birth of JAMES JENKINSON on 21 February 1903, Macroom. d.1970 NY
Birth of WILLIAM JENKINSON on 18 July 1905, Clonakilty. Died 1908 in Clonakilty
Birth of EDWARD JENKINSON on 16 March 1908, Clonakilty. d.1988 Newmarket
Birth of BENJAMIN JENKINSON on 24 May 1909, Clonakilty. d.1992 Glanmire
Birth of HANNA JENKINSON on 11 January 1913, Macroom. d.2002 Cork
Birth of RICHARD JENKINSON on 21 February 1915, Macroom. d.2005 Cork
1901 census: Residents of a house 9 in Carrigadrohid (Aghinagh, Cork)
| Surname | Forename | Age | Sex Born |
Relation to head | Religion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jenkinson | Benjamin | 31 | Male Co. Galway |
Head of Family | Episcopalian Irish Church |
| Jenkinson | Sarah | 26 | Female Co. Cork |
Wife | Roman Catholic |
| Jenkinson | Henry John | 3 | Male Co. Kerry |
Son | Roman Catholic |
| Jenkinson | George | 1 | Male Co. Cork |
Son | Episcopalian Irish Church |
| Williams | George | 10 | Male Co. Cork |
Brother in Law | Roman Catholic |
1911 census: Residents of a house 1000 in Coolykeerane (Coomlogane, Cork)
The ‘I’ initial is an incorrect transcription on the census website. It should read ‘J’, which correlates with the Nominal Return Books
| Surname | Fore name |
Age | Sex | Birth Occupation |
Religion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C (Martin Cahill?) |
M | 55 | Male | Co. Clare farmer’s son |
R Catholic married |
(Benjamin Jenkinson) |
B | 42 | Male | Co. Galway Clerk |
C of Ireland married |
1911 census: Residents of a house 99 in Gurteenroe Street (Macroom, Cork)
| Surname | Forename | Age | Sex | Relation to head | Religion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jenkinson | Sarah | 36 | Female | Head of Family | Roman Catholic |
| Jenkinson | George Patrick | 12 | Male | Son | Roman Catholic |
| Jenkinson | Annie | 10 | Female | Daughter | Roman Catholic |
| Jenkinson | James Francis | 8 | Male | Son | Roman Catholic |
| Jenkinson | Edward | 3 | Male | Son | Roman Catholic |
| Jenkinson | Benjamin | 2 | Male | Son | Roman Catholic |
1911 census: Son Henry John is with his grandparents in Newmarket
Marriage of Johanna Jenkinson and John Loftus on 21 September 1937 in Macroom. She gave an address of Coolcower.
Marriage of BENJAMIN JENKINSON and Mary SHEEHY on 31 October 1944. His address is Coolcower. [3]
Benjamin died at 13 Springview Terrace, Commons Road, Cork on March 27th 1946, aged 78. His wife Sarah was present at death. [GMaps: 13 Springview Terrace]
(Maybe he moved to his daughter’s house on the Commons Road to be cared for late in life)
Death of Sarah Jenkinson of 14 Springview Terrace Commons Road on May 10th 1963, aged 90, OAP, cerebral haemorrage, Joan Loftus Daughter 14 Springview terrace.
Marriage of Richard (Dick) Jenkinson and Eileen Kenneally of Newmarket [4] [5] [a]. Eileen’s mother was Johanna O’Callaghan of Liscahane, Millstreet, born to Margaret (Buckley) and Cornelius Joseph O’Callaghan (a farmer) on November 26th 1897. [1911][5] She married Timothy O’Callaghan of Newmarket in 1924.
Edmund Prendiville, RIC (Millstreet 1903-1905)
Edmond Prendiville was born near Listowen in County Kerry in 1871. He joined the RIC at the age of twenty-four (1896) and served in the counties of Monaghan, Cork, and Tipperary. Six years after joining (1903) he was promoted to acting sergeant, and moved to Millstreet. His time here was relatively uneventful, and he remained in Millstreet for two years before he was moved to take charge in Union Hall. About 1912 he was moved to Tipperary where spent the rest of his time in the force until he was demobilised on April 3rd 1922.
The following day, he was enlisted into the Civic Guard. Prendiville claimed that he had approached a senior Sinn Féin member during the War of Independence about his intention to retire from the force and stated that ‘he advised me not to on any account, that I was much more useful where I was’. Before his demobilisation, Prendiville had been serving in Clonmel, County Tipperary, and was active in the RIC Representative Body. He was part of a delegation that travelled three times to London in 1921 to discuss future policing arrangements in Ireland with Sir Hamar Greenwood. During the course of the meetings, he came into ‘constant touch’ with senior Sinn Féin representatives at the Treaty negotiations, and was later asked to become a member of the organising committee. On accepting a place on the committee, Prendiville was placed on the ‘Training’ sub-committee and offered a position in the Civic Gua rd.
In May 1922 he was one of five officers abruptly removed from their posts in an incident called the Kildare Mutiny, where trainee Civic Guards protested at the appointment of former RIC officers to the Civic Guard.
After that he lived in Kilmainham where he married Hanna O’Leary. He died in Dr. Steeven’s Hospital 1948. [read more …] “Edmund Prendiville, RIC (Millstreet 1903-1905)”
