Sunday, 11 August 2019

Hugh & James O'Connor - Newtownstewart 1852


The 1852 ‘Baird’ map of Newtownstewart has two O’Connors in the village itself, both on Main Street.
(115) Hugh O’Connor and (283 / 284) James O’Connor.
Earliest image I have seen of NTS (so far) is from 1871 (in ‘Newtownstewart Remembered’ by Billy Dunbar) but I thought I would try to figure out where Hugh and James and their families lived and get some idea on how old the houses currently standing on those sites are
In 1852 Hugh O’Connor (my g-g grandfather, father of Arthur) would have been 23 – I wonder if I’m correct in assuming that the Hugh at #115 is the same person?
Another map in the Baird book names T. Connor and J. Connor Sen. as tenants of land just outside the town
My current guess is that T. Connor was Hugh’s father and James Senior was his grandfather. Don’t ask me why I think that…

Hugh O'Connor

1890-1896 (Dunbar p127) Hugh's house is the last one on the right in all of the next three photos..
Moving right to left, first named shop is John Sweeney, Grocer & Fishmonger. Next door is Publican Joseph Duncan, then Andrew Walker, Publican, Grocer & Provision Dealer. Further up the street is a pavement billboard with the name DP Smith, Haberdasher / ladies fashions
1910 (Dunbar p104) last house on the right
Left to right: Church of Ireland; entrance to Model School; Miss Smith Dressmaker; Cresswell’s Home Bakery & Confectionary; Post Office. Close; McHugh’s General Draper; Bobby Patterson (manager of Co-op Creamery; George Tait Saddlery. Mrs Smyth’s millinery & mantle warehouse; Maggie Kane’s sweet shop; W Gallagher & J Lynch poultry & egg merchants. Close; Temperance Hotel; P Devine Publican; James Gallagher public house, name also on the next building (HOC’s old house)

Google image - 2017?


James O'Connor
1904 (Dunbar p102)
Directly opposite Hugh O’Connor’s house.
It’s a bit harder to make out where these buildings would have been. My guess is they are the two houses on the right-hand side of the picture. Looking left to right, Lyttle’s London House, a close, large house – JO’C properties are the next two buildings.
Buildings now occupied by Hood & Co? The view is a bit different because a building (buildings?) at the end of the street were knocked down to change the road lay-out from Omagh

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