Individual Details
James G. GORDON
(Abt 1855 - Abt 1939)
According to the marriage record of his daughter Maude, James's middle name was Arthur rather than a name beginning with 'G', which is what I had been given by a family source who thought the 'G' might have stood for Granville. It is known that another of James's daughters, Jo, went by the surname Gordon-Granville following her emigration to the United States.
James and his sister, Ellie, married siblings from Frenchpark: James married May Cullen in 1881, and Ellie married May's brother, Patrick, a hotelier, around 1883.
James farmed originally in Grallagh in Fairymount, later moving to Kilclooney, Milltown, Tuam, Co. Galway. At the time of the 1901 census, he and his family were still living in Grallagh but by the time of the 1911 census the family was living in Quarrymount, Kilclooney, one of the finest small country house estates in Co. Galway. Built about the 1830s, the property (also known as Kilclooney House) became the home of the Bodkin family, one of the 14 'tribes' of Galway. In 1881 the house was leased to Edward O'Kelly for 31 years and by the early 20th century it was in the hands of the Congested Districts' Board who passed it on to the Land Commission who in turn sold the house and 220 acres to James. Over the years land was sold off and around 1972 James's grandson Henry Gordon sold the house and remaining 20 acres to a builder from Tuam. A year later it was sold on to Frank Bermingham who owned the adjacent farm. In 1991 the house, by now in a state of disrepair, along with a small parcel of land, was purchased by Michael O'Grady, who began a programme of repair and restoration. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funds, Michael was forced to sell the property in 2001. The purchasers were Billy and Bernadette Costello who have extensively renovated Quarrymount.
It is not known why or how James moved from Fairymount to Kilclooney, about 40 miles away which was a considerable distance in the Ireland of the time, especially as James does not seem to have had any connections to the Kilclooney area. It has been suggested that James's mother, Mary French, might have been related to Lord de Freyne (French is a form of de Freyne) who may have enabled James to purchase it. However, I can find no evidence of any connection between Lord de Freyne and James's mother.
James and May are buried in the family grave in Kilclooney Cemetery.
James and his sister, Ellie, married siblings from Frenchpark: James married May Cullen in 1881, and Ellie married May's brother, Patrick, a hotelier, around 1883.
James farmed originally in Grallagh in Fairymount, later moving to Kilclooney, Milltown, Tuam, Co. Galway. At the time of the 1901 census, he and his family were still living in Grallagh but by the time of the 1911 census the family was living in Quarrymount, Kilclooney, one of the finest small country house estates in Co. Galway. Built about the 1830s, the property (also known as Kilclooney House) became the home of the Bodkin family, one of the 14 'tribes' of Galway. In 1881 the house was leased to Edward O'Kelly for 31 years and by the early 20th century it was in the hands of the Congested Districts' Board who passed it on to the Land Commission who in turn sold the house and 220 acres to James. Over the years land was sold off and around 1972 James's grandson Henry Gordon sold the house and remaining 20 acres to a builder from Tuam. A year later it was sold on to Frank Bermingham who owned the adjacent farm. In 1991 the house, by now in a state of disrepair, along with a small parcel of land, was purchased by Michael O'Grady, who began a programme of repair and restoration. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funds, Michael was forced to sell the property in 2001. The purchasers were Billy and Bernadette Costello who have extensively renovated Quarrymount.
It is not known why or how James moved from Fairymount to Kilclooney, about 40 miles away which was a considerable distance in the Ireland of the time, especially as James does not seem to have had any connections to the Kilclooney area. It has been suggested that James's mother, Mary French, might have been related to Lord de Freyne (French is a form of de Freyne) who may have enabled James to purchase it. However, I can find no evidence of any connection between Lord de Freyne and James's mother.
James and May are buried in the family grave in Kilclooney Cemetery.
Events
| Birth | Abt 1855 | Fairymount, Co. Roscommon | |||
| Marriage | 18 Feb 1881 | Ballinameen, Co. Roscommon - Mary (May) Agnes CULLEN | |||
| Death | Abt 1939 | probably Kilclooney, Milltown, Tuam, Co. Galway | |||
| Burial | Kilclooney Cemetery, Milltown, Tuam, Co. Galway |
Families
| Spouse | Mary (May) Agnes CULLEN (1863 - 1910) |
| Child | Ethel GORDON (1882 - 1978) |
| Child | Laura GORDON (1883 - 1961) |
| Child | Patrick GORDON (1884 - 1884) |
| Child | Bridget (Delia) GORDON (1886 - ) |
| Child | John GORDON (1887 - 1964) |
| Child | Winifred (Freda) GORDON (1887 - 1982) |
| Child | William (Willie) Martin GORDON (1889 - 1918) |
| Child | Francis (Frank) J. GORDON (1891 - 1983) |
| Child | Mabel Josephine (Jo) GORDON (1892 - 1975) |
| Child | Maude Eda Angela GORDON (1894 - 1987) |
| Child | Gertrude (Gertie) GORDON (1895 - 1977) |
| Child | Mary Josephine (Ivy) GORDON (1897 - 1960) |
| Father | Patrick (Pat) GORDON ( - 1882) |
| Mother | Mary FRENCH (1805 - 1900) |
| Sibling | Robert GORDON (1834 - ) |
| Sibling | James GORDON (1835 - 1855) |
| Sibling | Anne GORDON (1836 - 1850) |
| Sibling | John GORDON (1838 - 1895) |
| Sibling | Thomas GORDON (1839 - 1853) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth (Eliza) GORDON (1841 - 1915) |
| Sibling | Patrick GORDON (1842 - 1905) |
| Sibling | Cormac GORDON (1848 - 1924) |
| Sibling | Mary Josephine GORDON (1849 - 1878) |
| Sibling | Anne GORDON (1850 - 1939) |
| Sibling | Thomas GORDON (1853 - 1905) |
| Sibling | Eleanor (Ellie) Mary GORDON (1857 - 1895) |
| Sibling | Francis (Frank) GORDON (1859 - 1890) |