Sir,—Iam researching the history of commercial brewing in the North-West ofIreland. In particular I am looking for information on Martin JosephMadden Jr, a native of Sligo who resided in Bray, County Wicklow, fromthe 1880s onwards, and Kathleen V. Davys, another native of Sligo whoresided in Bangor, County Down, up to the 1920s.
Martin JosephMadden Jr, I believe, was either the son or nephew of Martin MaddenSnr—ally of Daniel O’Connell and the first Catholic Mayor of SligoCorporation. The Madden family, during the early nineteenth century,owned one of the North-West’s most successful breweries and were hugelyinfluential merchants. Having moved from Sligo town to Camphill House,Collooney, in the mid-nineteenth century, they then moved to Bray. Thefamily were very prosperous and presumably they would have acquired asubstantial home. Martin Joseph Madden Jr passed away in Dublin in 1907.
Kathleen Davys was the grand-daughter of Vernon Davys, of RosehillHouse, Sligo, a professional brewer and co-founder of the Lough GillBrewery. He was also an accountant and actuary of the Sligo SavingsBank during the nineteenth century. Her father, Josiah Cochran-Davys(1832-1902) was solicitor to the Grand Jury and Poor Law Guardians inSligo and land-agent for the famous Gore-Booth family of Lissadell,County Sligo.
According to correspondence with her land agent inSligo, Ms Davys resided in Kilbroyan, Bangor, around 1918 and herpermanent address was Beadrice Avenue, Bangor, during the 1920s.Reading archive correspondence it appears she travelled on a fairlyregular basis between London and Bangor. (My impression is that she wasa spinster but that may not be the case.)
Perhaps HistoryIreland readers in Bray and/or Bangor may have some additionalinformation about these individuals.
—Yours etc.,
PAUL GUNNING
34 Caltragh Heights
Newtownholmes
Sligo
tel: 071-50920
e-mail: sligo.path@ireland.com
