John McCarthy: Ballyvourney to India - Part 3

Despite the bleak outlook for John McCarthy during his confinement in Grove Hall Asylum, he eventually managed to leave its walls. The last record of his residence there dates from 1881; at some point thereafter, he left the asylum and returned to Ireland. It is unknown exactly when he returned, but he can be found in records in Co. Cork.

By the mid-1890s, John McCarthy had returned to his home area, living within the same environment and exposed to the same health risks as his neighbours. The following data illustrate the stark medical realities of the time.

Death Registrations, 1895: An Overview

We researched 215 death registrations from the Macroom district in 1895. These offer a poignant glimpse of life and mortality in late 19th-century Ireland. These records provide vital statistics, revealing the ages of the deceased—from infants to the elderly—and the causes of their death. Analysing this data allows us to understand the health challenges and disease patterns that impacted the local community.

Total of sample from 1895: 215 deaths.

Ages     Instances    % of sample

0-10        48                      22.3%

11-20      11                      5.1%

21-40      39                      18.1%

41-65      49                      22.8%

65+         68                      31.7%

Leading Recorded Causes of Death

Senility, debility, and general debility: 42.8%

Phthisis (tuberculosis): 18.4%

Bronchitis: 9.8%

Heart disease: 7%

Other notable causes, each representing less than 5% of the total, include pneumonia, epilepsy, convulsions, renal, accident, labour, typhoid, diphtheria, gastric, meningitis, dyspepsia, and fever.

(Civil registrations are held at the General Records Office of Ireland, Dublin 8. Historical registrations are also available at Irishgenealogy.ie.)

It was into this challenging world of high mortality that John McCarthy, having returned from Grove Hall Asylum, rebuilt his life.

John McCarthy, Marriage and Family.

In 1895 John McCarthy was living at Gurteenroe, Macroom, Co. Cork. This address appears on his marriage certificate dated 29 October 1895. The marriage took place at Macroom Roman Catholic Church. John was 47 years of age and recorded as an army pensioner and his father was listed as Owen McCarthy (deceased), a labourer.

John’s wife was Lizzie Long, aged 28, a widow from Masseytown, Macroom. Lizzie’s father was Samuel Long (deceased), also a labourer. The witnesses were Denis Lucey and Ellen Buckley.

Lizzie’s first husband, Michael Murphy, died in 1892 as a result of a fall. She had two children from that marriage, Julia and Michael.

John McCarthy and Lizzie had four children, all born in the Clondrohid area, Co. Cork:

Eugene McCarthy born 17 August 1896 at Teerbeg.

Denis McCarthy born 13 September 1897 at Teerbeg.

Ellen (‘Eileen’) McCarthy born 14 February 1900 at Clashmaguire.

John McCarthy born 9 May 1903 at Cabragh.

Teerbeg, Clashmaguire, and Cabragh are townlands within the parish of Clondrohid, which adjoins the parish of Macroom.

1901 National Census of Ireland.

The census was taken on 31 March 1901, with the return collected on 4 April 1901. The family was recorded at Clashmaguire, Clondrohid, Co. Cork. Their names below are as they appeared on the census.

John Macarty, aged 52, was head of household, Roman Catholic, a labourer, unable to read, and able to speak Irish and English. His wife, Lissey Macarty, aged 35, was recorded as a general servant, unable to read, and English-speaking. Also present were Michael Murphy, aged 9; Eugene Macarty, aged 4; Denis Macarty, aged 3; and Ellen Macarty, aged 1. All were Roman Catholic and born in County Cork.

The family of six lived in a single-room cottage with a small piggery and fowl house. Such living conditions carried inherent health risks, including dampness, smoke from the hearth, and the ease with which infectious diseases could spread. These were precisely the conditions that fuelled the respiratory illnesses so prevalent in the 1895 mortality sample.

Despite overwhelming odds, including his past trauma, poverty, and a perilous health environment, John McCarthy had secured a fragile foothold. He had a wife, a growing family, and a home, however humble.