Family elders describe the Annestown family as descendants of the Beresfords of Deelish,  Dungarvan, then referred to as Old Abbeyside.

John Beresford from Deelish leased or married into a farm around 1780 at Woodstown, Annestown. ( shown as 85 acres in Griffith valuation 1850). This farm and the farm next door (Matthias Mooneys 50 acres) were all one property in earlier times and at some point, the farm was split. Mooneys became Murphys/Dunphys/Ryans.     

The circumstances at the time of the split are not immediately clear.

The Beresford family seemed to have disposable money in the early two generations. John built a new house on the farm at Annestown – our family home. It is interesting that it looks identical to the Beresford house at Deelish. Also, son Thomas was able to provide daughter Mary (and other daughters) with a “marriage fortune” of 1000 pounds – about 150,000 euro in today’s money.

With a spouse unknown John had a family in Annestown – a son Thomas (1794-1865) and possibly other children. Thomas married Catherine Hearn of Kilfarrisey (1801-1871) and raised several children in Annestown.

John (1821 – 1889). John was the eldest son, possibly a twin of Mary. It appears that John was married twice. Firstly, to Miss Hearn, with whom he had a son Nicholas. His wife died and John left Annestown in 1852 at age of 31 and sailed on board the ship “Emigrant” for Melbourne.

Gold had been discovered in Ballarat in 1851, and this gave rise to the Victoria Gold Rush. Ballarat was the richest goldfield in the world in 1852-53. There were 20,000 diggers in the area, mining large quantities of gold near the earth surface. Most of the easy gold had been mined by the early 1860’s. John found some gold and stayed on for 7 years, returning to Annestown in 1858 with enough money to start a new life.

John married Bridget Power of Barracree in Waterford in 1859 and look up farming at Barracree, Dungarvan. He returned to Australia twenty years later, in 1879 with his wife and “10 children”, most travelled on the ship “Loch Sloy”.   Rest of story later – see “John Beresford of Barracree and Melbourne.”

Mary, (1821-1904), married Pat Walsh 1820-1882 of Monamella. Their daughter Bridget married Edmond Flynn, =>Walsh/Flynn Monamella. Gravestone in Fenor.  See section “Flynns of Monamella”.

Henry (1826-1866). Henry was the second son, and did not marry. He died of a fever, after 12 days of illness. His brother Nicholas was with him and registered his death. See photo of stained glass window, Fenor Church. He had excellent business skills and seemed to manage the family affairs. His death caused great distress to his father Thomas.

Nicholas (1828-1895). Father of the Beresford Clashmore Family. See section “Beresfords of Clashmore”.

James (18229-1901). Continued the family line at Annestown. See Annestown, generation 3.

Alice, born 1830, died young

Bridget 1, born 1832, died young.

Margaret , married William Hassett in 1857. Hassetts of Kilclooney. We have the original marriage agreement, but not the date of birth.

Ann (1834 – ), married James Hickey from Kill at Fenor church, nov 1870. They farmed at Kilmagemogue, Ballyduff. When John Beresford emigrated to Australia around 1880, Anne and James took over the farm at Barracree. They had one daughter Mary, who married John Harrington and had a family at Barracree.  Ann was an aunt of my father David2 and although they were 50 years apart in age, they were great friends and went pheasant shooting together on the Barracree Mountain property.

Bridget2, married Michael Hassett in 1860. Hassetts of Knockaturney.

James married Maggie Hearn (1848 -1923) of Scrahan, near Kilmacthomas, on 9 feb 1875. James was aged 46 at the time of marriage. We know a little about James – he was a “life be in it person” and appeared in front of the Magistrates on two occasions for disorderly behaviour. He did not take part in any of the Deeds of Arrangement regarding his sister’s marriages.   His brother Henry was the key negotiator. James and Maggie raised a family at Annestown.

Kattie (1876-1954) Trained as a schoolteacher, and was an excellent artist. Several of her sketches are still hanging at Annestown. She was a teacher at Dunhill primary school for 40 years. After retiring, she taught in London for several years, She returned in sept 1940 to open a Private Secondary School at Benvoy, Annestown, which ran for 8 years. She finally retired in 1948 and passed away at Woodlock Care in 1954.

Hannah (1878-1960). Trained as a school teacher and taught for many years at Gotenbridge, prior to and after her marriage to Tom Burke of Kildanogue. They had two daughters, Peg and Mary Joe Burke. Mary Joe was a trained teacher and had a Bachelors of Commerce Degree. She worked for some time at Benvoy with Kattie. Peg stayed on the farm and married Phil O’Leary, had a family Thomas, Billy and Carmel.

Henry (1878-1904) Was an adventurer, died at sea, returning from Cape Town. Buried at sea, off the coast of Senegal. See section “Henry the Adventurer”

Bridget (1881 – ). Trained as a school teacher, married Tom Coffey of Cutteen, Rathgormick, in feb 1909 at Tramore. There is a great story about Tom Coffees mother, see section ccc. 

David 1, (1880-1882) died young.

Thomas (1882-1913). Thomas farmed at Annestown, and his love was horse training. He was injured in a fall from a horse, and died of pneumonia soon after.

David 2 (1884-1971) was a scholar and a gentleman, maybe not suited to the life of a farmer. He enjoyed carpentry and the poetry of Worthsworth, especially “I wandered lonely as a cloud”. He did several years training at St. Johns College to be a priest. Some years later in 1914, he went to live in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. His cousin, David Hearn of Scrahan also emigrated that year. They had a cousin John Hearn – a well established merchant – lived in Springfield. John’s daughter Mary Hearn was a visitor to Annestown many years later. David worked at the Winchester Gun Factory and spent some time on a tobacco plantation in Kentucky. He returned to Ireland in 1922 and took on the farm at Annestown. He married Ellen Hearn from Kilfarrisey in 1930, at which time he was aged 44. He had a family of eight children, Margaret, Mary, Kathleen Seamus, Carmel, John, Maurice, and Henry. 

Maurice (1887-1957). Maurice was the youngest son and devoted most of his life to professional horse training. He moved to the USA in 1909 and the following year the US Census shows him as living in the Christian Brothers College, St. Louis City, Missouri – aged 24 and working as a janitor.

1913 saw him on his travels again, when he left England on 27 March 1913, to go to Melbourne. So far, there is not much known of his years there, until he married Eileen McNaughton in 1929. Eileen came from Kilkenny. They travelled back to Ireland from Brisbane in July/August 1930. 

On returning to Ireland they lived at The Rower in South Kilkenny and at Cremore in Wexford. After Maurice finished horse training at Cremore, he sent a number of elegant horse saddles to Annestown.

Maurice and Eileen had a daughter Mary Catherine (known as Rene)(1930-1999). She had one son in 1947 – Shaun Beresford – who was later adopted.

From her marriage to Patrick Timlin, Rene had four daughters – Dorothy, Eileen, Nuala, Patsy and two sons  Tim and Michael.