Daniel Sweeney (1850)

Biography

Birth
Daniel Sweeney, the younger son and youngest child of Daniel Sweeney and Biddy, Bridget Moylan was born in Bridport, Beer, Devon, England 15 February 1850.^[1]

1851 Census of England and Wales: Beer Situate North Of The Brook, Devon, England

Name	Relation	Status	Sex	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
Daniel Sweeney	Head	Married	M	30	Coast Guard Service	Ireland Crossroads
Bridget Sweeney	Wife	Married	F	32		Ireland Ballincarry
Hugh Sweeney	Son	Unmarried	M	6		Ireland Kilbrush
Mary Sweeney	Daughter	Unmarried	F	3		Ireland Kinsale
Daniel Sweeney	Son	Unmarried	M	1		Beer, Devonshire

His father, Daniel Hugh McSweeney was born in Crossroads, County Donegal in about 1820. Because the preserved Baptismal registers of the Catholic parish (Gortahork) begin at 1849, no verification of his baptism can be found. Daniel's father and mother, Bridget (Moylan) McSweeney lived at Cove, just outside Kinsale Harbour, County Cork, Republic of Ireland at the time Daniel's sister, Mary, was born. There were three children in the family - Hugh, Mary and Daniel. His brother, Hugh was born in Kilrush, County Clare in December 1845 .

England
After presumably working with the Coast Guard Service at Kinsale Harbour, by 1851 Daniel's father, Daniel Hugh was posted with the Coast Guard Service Beer, Devon,where Daniel was born, in England for some time.

Census of England and Wales, 1851:
1851 Beer Street Claps Lane, Beer, Of Beer Setuate North of The Brook, Devonshire, England. Daniel Hugh was 30 years old, Bridget 32, Hugh 6, Mary 3 and baby Daniel 1 year old. ^[2] Records indicate that the family name was Sweeney at least from the time that they were in England onwards.

Ireland
By about 1855 the family was back in Ireland and Daniel Hugh appears to have been appointed to the Coast Guard Service in Torr head, County Antrim in the north of Ireland. Young Daniel would be about 6 years old. The family may have lived in the Coastguard Watchtower on a windy, wild cliff above the sea or they may have rented a cottage in Torr Village, especially during the bleak winter months. The pay for Coast Guards was meagre, but the home rent free. Daniel and his siblings probably went to school in Torr as would the McQuilkin children who lived in East Torr. Records indicate that Daniel Hug Sweeney worked in the Coastguard Watchtower and launched the boat from the Port of Torr.

Royal Navy Boy Sailor
Hugh, Daniel's elder brother, signed on to the Royal Navy as a Boy Sailor, aged 14 years, in 1860, but his service record is blank and no further records of him have been located. Did this young boy die at sea?

The next that we know of Daniel is that at age 15 years he also volunteered for the Royal Navy and was signed on as a Boy 2nd Class sailor with a commitment to 10 years service from age 18 years. Did Daniel know what had become of his elder brother, Hugh who seems to have disappeared after he boarded his first naval ship? No doubt poverty and the lack of other opportunities would have been his motivation for volunteering and the reason why his father, Daniel, signed the consent form. (With an X indicating illiteracy).

Daniel's Navy records describe him as being 5ft 3 1/2 inches tall, fair complexion, brown hair and grey eyes. There is nothing else in his navy record until 1869, the year following the tragic drowning of his father. Records show that in 1868 there was a sailing disaster just down the Coast from Torr head. Daniel's father, Daniel Hugh Sweeney and three other men in the Coastguard Service lost their lives in the tragedy. Daniel's body was the last to wash ashore and be identified some days after the Coastguard Clipper perished. Daniel (18 or 19) would not have heard about the disaster until well after his father was buried. The navy discharged him for "abominable behaviour". No doubt Daniel was also worried about his mother who was left alone, his sister, Mary having emigrated to NZ in 1867 or 1868. Maybe he had too much rum, maybe he simply wanted to get back home. Daniel was discharged in Bombay and had the option of boarding the for passage as a British Subject to England if he chose to do so.

It is to be assumed that Daniel would have taken this option and returned to his mother. Daniel's sister, Mary Sweeney aged 20 years and John McQuilkin aged 30 years, both of Torr, were married 13 June1867. Their marriage certificate states that their marriage took place in Craiga Chapel, Cushendun Parish, Union of Culfeightrin, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Mary and John's first child, Patrick, was born in New Zealand 06.12.1869, so they had emigrated to NZ before then.

It is not certain whether or not Mary talked about this tragedy to her children and grandchildren in New Zealand. I do not recall it ever having been mentioned, but then my parents did not talk much at all about their past history until Mum was in her 80s.

Occupation:
Royal Navy 1865 (age 15) until 1869 (age 19).

Sources

1. ↑ 1851 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1851"
   citing The National Archives of the UK Class: HO107; Piece/Folio: 1862 / 687; Page: 13; Line: 12
   FamilySearch Record: SGNR-8NX (accessed 13 February 2024)
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSQ7-N71V-9
   Name: Daniel Sweeney; Birth Date: 1850; Birth Place: Beer, Devonshire; Census Date: 1851; Census Place: Beer Situate North Of The Brook, Devon, England; Marital Status: Unmarried; Age: 1; Relationship To Head: Son; Source Folio Nbr: 687; System Of Record: SLS.
2. ↑ Census of England and Wales 30 March1851 Parish of Beer situated north of the Blook (sp?) (Devon) N60. Claps Lane, Beer. Daniel Sweeney. Head. Married. Age 30. Cost Guard Service. Born Ireland, Antrim. Bridget Sweeney. Wife. Married. Age 32. Born Ireland Ballincarry (Ballingarry) Hugh Sweeney. Son. Age 6. Ireland, Killrush. Mary Sweeney. Daughter. Age 5. Ireland Kinsale. Daniel Sweeney. Son. Age 1. Born Devon, Beer.