Martin Shaughnessy/O'Shaughnessy, Lancashire Fusiliers - died 22.3.1918

[BereniceUK]

CWGC lists Private MARTIN O'SHAUGHNESSY

Service Number: 363

Lancashire Fusiliers

2nd/5th Bn.

Died 22 March 1918

Age 30 years old

Son of Martin and Margaret O'Shaughnessy; husband of Mary O'Shaughnessy, of 64, Blackwood Rd., Stacksteads, Bacup, Lancs.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/592855/MARTIN O'SHAUGHNESSY/

 

A local press report (Haslingden Guardian, 12th April 1918) has him as Shaughnessy.

      "Official notice has been received of the death in action in France, of Pte. Martin Shaughnessy, whose wife and three children reside at 64, Blackwood, Stacksteads.

      Pte. Shaughnessy joined the Army in August, 1914, and in the following year was sent out to Gallipoli. He went through the famous landing, and the subsequent operations without a scratch, and was one of the Lancashire Fusiliers, also one of the last to leave on the evacuation. He subsequently went to Egypt, and in June, 1916, was drafted to France. In the fighting there he was three times wounded, and in November last his name was specially brought before the Major General commanding the 55th Division for gallant conduct East of Lempire. He met his death on March 22nd last.

     Prior to enlisting Pte. Shaughnessy worked for Messrs. Henry Heys and Co., Ltd., at the Rakehead Brickworks, and was connected with St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church."

 

It seems that the Stacksteads memorial has both an M. Shaughnessy and an M. O'Shaughnessy. https://www.rossendale-fhhs.org.uk/files/war_memorials/stacksteads_peace_garden.html

 

Which is correct, Shaughnessy or O'Shaughnessy, or was it a case of both surnames being used by the family?

Edited 10 August , 2020 by BereniceUK

[TullochArd]

SHAUGHNESSY M. is named on the original Bacup Borough War Memorial ......... no mention of O'SHAUGHNESSY.  Some other angles to follow up on ......... I'll get back to you.  Ian.  

[IPT]

The family were Shaughnessy on the 1891 and 1901 census. Can't immediately find them on the 1911.

[clk]

Hi BereniceUK,

 

On 10/08/2020 at 12:35, BereniceUK said:

was it a case of both surnames being used

 

Medal Rolls

 

Images sourced from Ancestry

 

Index of Overseas Deaths

Image sourced from Findmypast

 

Soldiers' Effects

Image sourced from Ancestry

 

Pension Form

Image sourced from Findmypast

 

Regards

Chris

Edited 17 September , 2020 by clk

[TullochArd]

Yes.  It is the case of both surnames being used as Clk and IPT have kindly pointed out.  Clk's image of the Soldiers Effects and Pension Form explains the situation beyond any doubt  

 

Your newspaper article (Haslingden Guardian, 12th April 1918) is repeated word for word (with an image) on the Bacup Times website under Shaughnessy at: 

 

http://www.bacuptimes.co.uk/index_htm_files/Martin Shaugnessy.jpg  

 

......... and there is an entry in the Rossendale Free Press dated 13th April 1918, also as Shaughnessy, which I will check out next time I'm in Rawtenstall Library but I'm not expecting it to be any different from the Haslingden or Bacup text. 

 

Given we only have a Shaughnessy on the Bacup War Memorial, added to the GWF chums input above, I'd say it appears the O'Shaughnessy and Shaughnessy recorded on the Stacksteads Memorial (1995) are indeed one and the same man.

 

Edited 18 September , 2020 by TullochArd

[BereniceUK]

TullochArd, IPT, and clk, thank you very much for clearing that up. That pension form is a bit of an eye-opener!

 

TullochArd, is Rawtenstall Library open with access to the local newspaper files? Microfilm, I assume, as Haslingden Library is. I haven't found any libraries with their local studies areas open to the public, and am really missing not being able to do research, other than online.

[IPT]

Interesting that there is no example of him being described as O'Shaughnessy, except in death.

 

Edited 18 September , 2020 by IPT

[corisande]

On 10/08/2020 at 13:35, BereniceUK said:

Which is correct, Shaughnessy or O'Shaughnessy, or was it a case of both surnames being used by the family?

 

If you look at the names of the 3 children and check on BMD you will see that indeed the first child was "O'Shaughnessy" and the other 2 were "Shaughnessy" as on the pension card above

 

I doubt that you will get a definitive answer, but it is the depths of Irish politics/social pressures of that time. It is not unique to this family but can be seen with many thousands who added or subtracted "O" or "Mc" to their surnames. It makes Irish research a challenge at times

 

During the War of Independence it was "patriotic" to make you name more Irish. For example one of the leaders executed in 1916 was Éamonn Ceannt who was born Edward Thomas Kent

 

In more recent times Seán Mac Stíofáin  was born John Stephenson, and was an English-born chief of staff of the Provisional IRA,

 

I did once a study of whole groups changing their surnames from Irish to English in Donegal -click. You can compare 1901 census with the same people in 1911 census. I was not really able to get the reasons. It was suggested to me that it may have had something to do with the introduction of pensions, but there is no proof

 

There will be some who consider themselves "greener" than they consider me, but I don't think anybody will be able to give an answer that is other than personal opinion!

 

There is a lot that can be read into names in Ireland

 

 

Edited 19 September , 2020 by corisande

[A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy]

I have had look at J.C. Latter's History of the Lancashire Fusiliers 1914-1918 to see whether Martin Shaughnessy or O'Shaughnessy is mentioned, but I am afraid not. It seems that he only mentions other ranks by name if they recevied awards, and that a name being specially brought before the Major General commanding the 55th Division for gallant conduct was insufficient.

Regarding the name, is there any significance in the fact that  on the Widow's Form in clk's post none of the female names use the prefix "O" (mother, and two daughters), only the son does so. I am sure that I have read somewhere that in Irish surnames "O'" means "son of".

[BereniceUK]

5 hours ago, A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy said:

Regarding the name, is there any significance in the fact that  on the Widow's Form in clk's post none of the female names use the prefix "O" (mother, and two daughters), only the son does so. I am sure that I have read somewhere that in Irish surnames "O'" means "son of".

 

I think you have something there. Thomas O'Shaughnessy was born in 1909, so it would surely be unlikely that it was his choice to have O'Shaughnessy as his surname. Perhaps his mother's decision?

 

Off topic, Thomas was born on 19.8.1909, but his parents only married on 1.5,1909. 

[TullochArd]

On 18/09/2020 at 21:28, BereniceUK said:

TullochArd, IPT, and clk, thank you very much for clearing that up. That pension form is a bit of an eye-opener!

 

TullochArd, is Rawtenstall Library open with access to the local newspaper files? Microfilm, I assume, as Haslingden Library is. I haven't found any libraries with their local studies areas open to the public, and am really missing not being able to do research, other than online.

 

...... not yet BerniceUK......but, until that day comes, here's the article on Martin Shaughnessy from the Rossendale Free Press.