Samuel Vickery (1832-1912) Reminiscences to his Daughter Martha Ellen, Evansville, Indiana, USA, Childhood in Rooska, Parish of Durrus and Reendonegan, Bantry, West Cork, Family Fishery, Girls Hired to Spin Twine for Nets, Catching Sparrows in Thatch of House, Hens Fed Sour Milk and Potatoes, School at Four Mile Water (Clashadoo, Durrus), Emigration 1850 to New Orleans Upriver to Indiana

Then follows notes of Samuel’s reminiscences about his Irish childhood that were jotted down by his daughter Martha Ellen.  Samuel born 1832 was named after his 3 uncles. The family lived at Rooska till Sam was 8 years old, at which time they moved to Reendonegan on Bantry Bay.

Courtesy Mini Nordby, Vancouver.

West Cork weaving including nets:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u0vIz1nxG34pJua7qC7jtTCKWLjwVY81jSl0usPdojk/edit

Memories of Samuel Vickery (1832-1912), Rooska and Indiana.

He was born in Rooska father William Warner Vickery mother Elizabeth Woulfe, Stouke, Ballydehob. In his later years in Indiana his daughter Martha Ellen took a note of his recollections. He lived in Rooska in a 2 storey two rooms long stone thatched house until the family moved to Reendonegan in 1840.  He used to catch sparrows in the thatch.  The house was enclosed with a thorn hedge close by hill with gooseberries adn bees.  While at Rooska he crossed the hill to go to school at Four Mile Water (Clashadoo), at Reendonegan he went to school on a donkey.  HIs father was involved in fishing and employed girls to spin twine for nets.  The hake was split open dried with salt.  He would mind the cows in the field which had no ditches and feed them wild mustard while milking.  The hens were fed sour milk and potatoes.  Seaweed was gathered and used as fertilizer.  There were bogs and turf at Rooska.  In Reendonegan he had a half day from school on Saturday and would bathe no towel run to dry himself.  The house at Reendonegan was large with large rooms and a slate roof.  The nearly lake teemed with fish.   His father made splinters which were used as torches in the kitchen.  At a table against the wall the servants ate fish, sour milk and potatoes.  The Vickery cousins still had a large kettle used to make soup during the famine.  In 1850 the entire family went to New Orleans sold the Reendonegan property and went upriver to Indiana where descendants still live in Evansville.  The family consisted of eight living children including his older sister Ellen who had married Tom Warner she gave birth on the six week voyage the meagre water supply had to be used to bathe the baby.

Probably a cousin memories in Australia:

Recollections of James Stanley Vickery as a grandchild in Molloch, Durrus, Bantry (1829-1911).Parents Died of Cholera in Skibbereen.

Copy of Will of Richard Roycroft (Obliterated in the Destruction of the Public Record Office, Dublin, 1922 but copied by William Henry Welply) of Clouney (Clonee, Bog Road), Parish of Durrus, agd 9th May 1801, Proved 1st August 1801, Son-in-law, George Swanton, Grandson Richard Lavers (Levis), granddaughter, Avis Notter, son Thomas Roycroft deceased, daughter Grace O’Sullivan. Executors George Swanton, Richard Lavers (Levis). Witnesses: Robert Lavers. Charles Dalton, John Vickery.

James Swanton Vickery (C1837-1908) from West Cork, to Stockbroking in Australia.

https://wordpress.com/post/durrushistory.com/8176

Notes on Ballycomane, Durrus,  branch of family:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EEEnXyuqwa3yOlSY3JnO6T1qXejygDmVWqjQWg0G2gM/edit

1870s Memoirs, Bandon:

Memoir of Sam Bird, Bandon and Belding, Michigan, USA, from the 1870s his father’s fondness for a glass of grog at night, The old Irish Church, The King’s James Bible Translated from Irish, Shooting Snipe, Anti Home Rule Politics, the family decimated by TB, Methodist Preachers, writing with the Non de Plume Brian Boru

 

 

 

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