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Varian Brush Manufacturers, Rochester, NY, Frank Croston, Finnegans Wake. The Varians of West Cork.
Sometimes a chance phrase in Finnegans Wake can prompt all types of associations. Here the phrases might be Varian the brush manufacturers
Those early Varian brush makers of Cork were of Huguenot extraction, or perhaps Unitarian Presbyterians, passionately concerned with social and political issues and, in time, with the Young Irelanders. Involvement with the latter led to one Isaac Varian spending time in Sunday’s Well gaol and, afterwards, taking off to live in London. He wrote poetry there, and journalism, and all the time went on making brushes.
When he returned to Ireland it was to live in Dublin where, at 91-92 Talbot Street, he set up Varian Brushes in 1856. And there the company grew and flourished, building and employees witness to the changing city and, in 1920, to the death in battle outside their window of Republican leader Sean Treacy.
Varian men, in earlier centuries and old pictures, were invariably white bearded. Patrick Varian’s grandfather was “a colourful character. He met my grandmother on the top of a tram in London. She was German, a violinist in the London Philharmonic.
“They used to go off to Africa for months, to Bahia and other places, to source raw materials for yard brushes. The bristle for paint brushes used come from all over the world; the stuff of twig brushes used come from Mexico. These days we buy the finished article from Mexico.”
His father, Ian Varian (his mother was Sheila), ran the company during the second World War. “There were lots of brush makers in Dublin then,” he points out, “around Capel Street and Christchurch. Getting raw materials into the country was difficult but my father used send food to England and get goods in return which he would then distribute to the other brush makers. At the end of the war the Irish Brush Manufacturers Organisation formally thanked him for his help. I have the letter still.”
There was a Varian brush manufacturing plant in Rochester New York in the 1850s. Frank Croston from a poor Protestant family from Ahakista, Durrus emigrated with his family c 1850s. He and his brother worked as teenagers in the Varian factory.
The were close links with the poor Protestant of West Cork who suffered severe distress in the 1820s with the collapse of the textile industry. Many emigrated to Rochester.
Emigration from West Cork, Rochester, NY, The Croston’s of Bradford and Haverhill Massachusetts
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16VZ7vrHvjsLXitruCN9GYkmVZpwwu8k1BpXkiSo8P9s/edit?gid=0#gid=0
West Cork Families, in Rochester New York from St Luke and St. Simon Cyrene, Episcopal Church Register 1844 and 1850 census and other sources
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U9RSzEX3Eqf89Dr7v-qHZAZ3SW2uyHzlq810iob66b0/edit?gid=0#gid=0
The Durrus Dukelows part of an emigration of Durrus and Schull Protestants to Rochester, New York. Through the Republican Party they created a political machine known as the ‘99 cousins’ which dominated city government in the mid and late 19th century, a replica of the Irish Catholic machines in other US cities. The Catholic branch of the family descended from John Dukelow emigrated to East London and with Durrus Swantons and Hurleys were active as Fenians in the 1860s. Later one of the extended family provided accommodation in a lodging house to Michael Collins when he went to London to work as a Post Office clerk.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11Zd1e3qFvD2-lzpNWupF_gBwCkJQbvey1yFAXuCxmys/edit?tab=t.0
Frank Croston 1852-1921, Probably born Reenaccapall. Parish of Kilcrohane, West Cork, Major Real Estate Developer of High Quality Commercial and Residential Property, Rochester, New York, Republican Party Activist. Varian Brush Making Family Possible Origin, Rooska, Bantry.
Varian Memorials West Cork
1741. Deed John Vickery the elder and John Vickery the younger, transfer one third of West Roosak to Richard Varian (spelled Veren) in consideration of marriage and a marriage portion and in deed and he transfers in 1774 half of his portion to his son Richard Varian the young and the remainder on his death. Witnesses Thomas Baker upwards of 60, Gortalassa (Kilcrohane) in 1774 and John Ferguson, farmer, Four Mile Water (Durrus). Registered 1791.
17th February 1775, St. Finbarrs Cathedral, Cork Richard Varian, Grace Ferguson, Farmer, Rooska, she Four Mile Water possibly Clashadoo Richard Varen (Varian) the Elder John Ferguson, farmer. Bantry Estate lease 1812 names James Ferguson aged 24 son of John farmer, Four Mile Water, James Edward Sullivan aged 7, son William, Park Place, Bantry, George Varian about 15 son of Richard Varian, Rooska, Richard Varian appears in tithe Applotments in 1830 for Rooska Deeds of 1751 involving the Vickeries John the elder and Younger refers to contemplated marriage. MLB
1800, deed (registered 1813). Thomas Attridge agrees to pay Richard Varian of Rooska an annual rent of £5.13. 9 for 40 years and out of one third part of Rooska excluding three small meadows at the north side of Varian house and half field called Parkeen. Witness, Rev. Daniel McCarthy, (Former Parish Priest Durrus then local clerk Lord Bantry), and George Chinnery, attorney, Bandon who knows Daniel McCarthy.
1807 Extract from deed: Stephen Hutchinson, Clonee, heir and eldest son of Hugh, Clonee, died 1804, landlords of Clonee to Michael Sullivan, farmer, (married Mary Vickery, Whiddy 1777), KIlvenogue for a rent of £39 lands part of Kilvenogue labounded on west by Sullivan’s holding, south by Clashadoo, on the east by George Bakers (Rooska) and Richard Varian holding by the high road to Bantry through KIvenogue for the lives of Michael Sullivan, John Vickery son of James Vickery of Rooska, aged about 9, John Vickery son of John Vickery Ballycomane, witness Rev. Daniel McCarthy, Bantry (former Parish Priest of Durrus likely clerk to Lord Bantry), John? O’Sullivan, Gent, formerly of Ballinale now (1807) of Carrigbui (Durrus)
West Cork History 