The Early Years in London

The furthest I’ve been able to trace my wife’s Callahan family with certainty is to 1803, with banns of marriage being read at the church of St. John at Hackney in London:

Banns of Marriage between Cornelius Callaghan of this parish bachelor and Frances Hallah of this parish spinster were published on the three Sundays following: That is to say, On Sunday the 14 of August, On Sunday the 21 of do., On Sunday the 28 of do.

Their marriage took place at the same church the following Sunday:

Cornelius Callaghan of this Parish Bachelor and Frances Hallah of this Parish Spinster were Married in this Church by Banns the Fourth Day of September in the Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Three, By me G. Paroissien, Curate
This Marriage was solemnized between Us – Cornelious Callaghan, Frances Hallah [X]
In the Presence of – Patk Maryman, Benj. Crook

Cornelius and Frances appear to have had a total of twelve children:

Frances Callaghan (1804–1807)

Frances was baptised on 6th August 1804 at St. Leonard’s, Shoreditch.

She died aged 3, and was buried on 26th December 1807 at St. Sepulchre, Holborn.

Mary Ann Callaghan (1805– )

Mary Ann was baptised on 29th September 1805 at Christ Church, Spitalfields.

Sarah Callaghan (1808– )

Sarah was baptised on 17th August 1808 at St. Sepulchre, Holborn.

Frances Callaghan (1809– )

Frances was baptised on 18th June 1809 at St. Sepulchre, Holborn.

Mary Ann Callaghan (1811– )

Mary Ann was baptised on 5th May 1811 at St. Sepulchre, Holborn.

Cornelius Conway Callaghan (1813–)

Cornelius Conway was baptised on 7th March 1813 at St. Sepulchre, Holborn.

Cornelius Conway Callahan married Elizabeth Sarah Cooper on 7th july 1839 at St. George, Bloomsbury. Their fathers were named as Cornelius Conway Callahan and John Cooper. It appears that they had no children.

Elizabeth Sarah Cooper was baptised on 25th September 1807 at St. Mary Magdalene, Woolwich, in Kent, and was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Cooper.

In the 1841 Census, the newly weds are found living at George Yard, in the St. Sepulchre area of West London (HO107 Piece 728 Book 6 Folio 16 Page 24).

When the 1851 Census was taken, Cornelius and Elizabeth Sarah Callahan are found at Wynyatt Street in Clerkenwell, Cornelius’s occupation being given as a Porter (Ho107 Piece 1519 Folio 88 Page 12).

In the 1861 Census, Cornelius and Elizabeth are indexed as “Collagan,” Cornelius’s occupation again being given as a Porter. They are found at 4 Red Lion Yard, Clerkenwell (RG09 Piece 190 Folio 117 Page 47).

The slightly lengthier address for Cornelius and Elizabeth Sarah Callaham in the 1871 Census is given as “Red Lion Yard Stables and Sheds,” in Clerkenwell (RG10 Piece 382 Folio 45 Page 9).

Cornelius Callahan died at the age of sixty-five in early 1875 (Q1 Holborn 1B/506). Elizabeth Sarah Callahan née Cooper survived him by a little more than a year, until her own death at the age of sixty-eight in the spring of 1876 (Q2 Holborn 1B/416).

Susannah Matilda Callaghan (1814– )

Susannah Matilda was baptised on 31st October 1814 at St. Sepulchre, Holborn.

Eleanor Calleghan (1816– )

Eleanor was baptised on 1st January 1817 at St. Sepulchre, Holborn.

Joseph Alexander Callaghan (1818–)

Joseph Alexander was baptised on 20th December 1818 at St. Ann Blackfriars.

Caroline Callaghan (1820– )

Caroline was baptised on 14th January 1823 at St. Leonard’s, Shoreditch.

Henry George Callaghan (1822–)

Henry George Callaghan was born on 14th December 1822 at Hoxton. He was baptised a month later on 14th January 1823 at St. Leonard’s, Shoreditch, along with his sister Caroline.

There seems to be multiple entries of banns of marriage for Henry George Callahan and Emma Andrews at St. Botolph, Aldersgate on 21st May 1848, 4th February 1849, and again on 26th August 1849. They were finally married on 9th September 1849 at St. Botolph, Aldersgate (Q3 East London 2/206). It appears they had no children.

When the 1851 Census was taken, Henry and Emma Callahan are found living at Paradise Row, St. Mary Stratford Bow, Poplar (Ho107 Piece 1555 Folio 92 Page 8). Henry is recorded as a 27 year-old Newsagent, and his wife Emma, who is 23 years-old, is said to have been born in Devon.

Ten years later when the 1861 Census was taken, Henry and Emma Callahan are found at 139 Bethnal Green Road, in Bethnal Green (RG09 Piece 258 Folio 1 Page 25). Henry is said to be a 24 year-old News Agent, while 33 year-old Emma is again said to have been born in Devon.

When the next Census was taken on the night of 2nd April 1871, Henry and Emma Callaham are found at Queens Head Street, in Islington (RG10 Piece 289 Folio 57 Page 26).

Emma Callahan née Andrews died at the age of 46 in 1874 (Q4 Islington 1B/278).

When the 1881 Census was taken on the night of 3rd April, Henry Callahan is found living at 58 Great Chart Street, in Shoreditch (RG11 Piece 392 Folio 79 Page 50). He is said to be a 58 year-old News Agent, and with him is Mary A., his fifty-eight year-old “wife,” although no marriage has yet been found for them.

In the 1891 Census, Henry is indexed as “H G Callahan” and is living at 19 York Road, in Holborn (RG12 Piece 231 Folio 95 Page 9). He is said to be a 70 year-old Newsagent, and is “single.”

John Callaghan (1826–1827)

John was baptised on 27th March 1826 at St. Leonard's, Shoreditch.

He died at the young age of 1 year and 3 months, and was buried on 12th July 1827 at St. Bride Fleet Street, the family’s address being given as Black Horse Ct.

William James Callahan (1831–1832)

He was baptised on 25th December 1831 at St. Andrew, Holborn. He died aged just 3 months, and was buried on 25th March 1832 at St. Brides Fleet Street.

A possible entry for Cornelius, Frances and their son Henry George is found in the 1841 Census at Play House Yard, in the St. Ann Blackfriars area of London (HO107 Piece 719 Book 16 Folio 7 Page 7), although their surname appears to be indexed as “Conn” and both Cornelius and Frances are said to be sixty years-old and born in Middlesex.

A much more certain entry for Cornelius and Frances is found in the 1851 Census at George Yard, in the St. Sepulchre area of West London (HO107 Piece 1526 Folio 306 Page 20). Both Cornelius and Frances are said to be 71 years-old, British Subjects born in Ireland, and Cornelius’s occupation is given as a Porter.

There is a possible death registration for Frances Callaghan (Q3 1860 West London 1C/23). She is said to be 85 years-old, but the corresponding burial entry on 9th July 1860 at the Victoria Park Cemetery in Hackney gives her age as 84.

There is also a possible death registration for Cornelius Callaghan (Q1 1861 West London 1C/33). His age is given as 83, but the corresponding burial record on 10th January 1861 also at the Victoria Park Cemetery in Hackney gives his age as 86.