James Aylward (c. 1869 -1909) of Parkstown, Glenmore: Wed and Dead Within a Week

It isn’t often that an event in 1909 resulted in the type of sensationalised headlines that became much more common in the last decades of the twentieth century. However, the tragic death of a Glenmore bridegroom in 1909 resulted in headlines such as “Wed and Dead Within a Week,” “Married and Buried Within a Week” and “Shrovetide Sensation.” Amazingly all the older Glenmore residents that were contacted this week knew the story of the Glenmore man who died on his honeymoon. Much less is known about his widow.

The man behind the headlines was James Aylward, of Parkstown, Glenmore. James was married in the neighbouring parish church in Mullinavat on Monday the 15^th of February 1909. His bride was Catherine “Kate” Gaule, of Ballynooney, Mullinavat. James Aylward died in Cork City during their honeymoon on Saturday, the 20^th of February 1909 and was buried in Glenmore on Monday the 22^nd of February 1909. Danny Dowling preserved the diary of James Aylward, of Ballyhobuck, Glenmore. James Aylward, of Ballyhobuck, recorded in his diary the following: James Aylward, Parkstown and Kate Gaule, Ballynooney married 15 February 1909 and James was buried the following week.

The death cert for James Aylward reveals that James died on the 20^th of February 1909 of acute peritonitis and suffered with it for 36 hours. Thus he began becoming unwell on Wednesday only two days after getting married. Peritonitis is often associated with a ruptured appendix.

The following two newspaper accounts provide details concerning the honeymoon as well as how the widow after only five days notified her in-laws concerning James becoming ill and dying.

“Sad Death of Glenmore Bridegroom. MARRIED AND BURIED WITHIN A WEEK. On Monday were laid in graveyard, Glenmore, the mortal remains of Mr. James Aylward, Parkstown. Glenmore, a large farmer, in the prime of life, who was married only that day week. Mr Aylward had most auspicious marriage and went for a most extensive tour on the honeymoon. Himself and his wife went to Cork, via Loughren, County Galway, where a relative of Aylward lives. They reached Cork nearing the weekend. On Friday evening Mr. Wm Aylward, shopkeeper, Waterford, a brother of the bridegroom, was startled by receipt of a telegram from Mrs Aylward that her husband was taken suddenly ill. This wire only prepared for the worst, for shortly afterwards came the sad news that James Aylward was dead. The intelligence was grievously shocking for the deceased’s brother and all the friends, and the misery of the young bride alone in a hotel in Cork with her husband turned to clay can only be faintly imagined. The remains reached Waterford at ten o’clock on Saturday night, whence they were taken home by hearse and a sad cavalcade at a late hour. Interment took place on Monday, and concurrence is regarded as the saddest which visited the parish for a very long time.” (Waterford Mirror and Tramore Visitor of Thursday the 25^th of February 1909).

“A SHROVETIDE SENSATION. – The sad sudden death, whilst on his honeymoon, of a young and well-known Glenmore farmer, the sad particulars of which are narrated elsewhere, shocked the neighbourhood and district. Last Monday week James Aylward, the owner of a large farm, and in good circumstances, left his home a happy. bridegroom. Last Monday finds his remains under the green sod in Glenmore graveyard. Death reached him in Cork on Friday evening. The return of the dead bridegroom to his home in Parkstown furnishes one of the saddest episodes that could well be imagined, and certainly the mournful spectacle made the deepest impression on the people. From bright gaiety to blackest tragedy is often but a very short step in this fickle world. The suddenness of the transition here could not well be paralleled except we go to the chronic plague stricken topics, where it is not unusual to meet a person in the best of health in the morning and meet that same person’s funeral in the evening.” (New Ross Standard of Friday the 26^th of February 1909).

The bride and groom were both from local farming families from neighbouring parishes.

The Glenmore Groom

It is difficult to determine when James Aylward was born. On the marriage records his age is listed as 40 (c. 1869) and yet less than a week later on his death certificate his age is listed as 42 (c.1867).  A review of the 1901 Census provides that James was 30 years of age thus born about 1871). On the marriage records his father is listed as John Aylward, deceased.

The Glenmore Parish records provided several facts concerning the Aylward family of Parkstown. John Aylward, of Parkstown, married Bridget Costello, of Robinstown, on the 7^th of March 1859. The witnesses to the wedding were James Walsh and Honora Fitzgerald. Bridget Costello was born the 13^th of February 1836. She was the daughter of Thomas Costello and Judy Costello née Aylward.

A baptismal record for James Aylward could not be found for the years 1867 through 1875. However, several other baptisms were recorded for other children born to John Aylward and Bridget Aylward née Costello of Parkstown, Glenmore including: [1] Mary Aylward was born on the 19th of March 1863 and baptized the following day; [2] John Aylward was born on the 1^st of September 1865; [3]  Patrick Aylward was born on the 26 of May 1868; [4] William Aylward was born on the 10^th of November 1870; [5] Bridget Aylward was born on the 25^th of October 1875; and [6] Johanna Aylward was born on the 19^th of June 1880.

The father, John Aylward, was dead by 1901. The 1901 Census lists the mother Brigid Aylward as 60 years of age and heading up the household that includes: James Aylward (age 30); William Aylward (age 26); Bridget Aylward (age 26) and Hannah Aylward (age 19). The eldest child, Mary Aylward had married Patrick Butler, of Parkstown, on the 26^th of February 1895.

As outlined in the newspaper accounts William Aylward by 1909 was a shopkeeper in Waterford City. According to Danny Dowling this week William Aylward’s premises were on O’Connell Street in Waterford. He commenced trading as a grocer and obtained a spirit’s licence. The 1911 Census for Waterford places William Aylward living on O’Connell Street, single, aged 36. He recorded that he was a grocer and publican. Residing with him is his youngest sister Johanna Aylward who was 26 years of age and also single. In 1911 on the Aylward farm in Parkstown the mother Bridget Aylward is 73 and two of her children are residing with her. Patrick Aylward who was not living on the farm in 1901 returned home to take over the farm, was single and listed as 39 years of age while his sister Bridget Aylward’s age is difficult to decipher.

Danny said that Patrick Aylward went on to marry and had a family. A search revealed that Patrick Aylward, of Parkstown, on 1 November 1917 at Rosbercon, married Bridget Doolan, of Shambough. Bridget was the daughter of Dany Doolan a farmer. The witnesses to the wedding were John Aylward and Margaret Doolan. On the 2^nd of October 1919 Patrick Aylward and his wife had a daughter Bridget Aylward. Danny identified John Joe Aylward as another child. John Joe Aylward died a couple of years ago (20 February 2018) and his sister Peggy Aylward died about a decade earlier (2009).

The Mullinavat Bride

Catherine “Kate” Gaule was born at Ballynooney, Mullinavat, on the 7^th of January 1875, the daughter of Luke Gaule and Margaret Gaule née Corcoran. Luke Gaule, of Ballynooney, Mullinavat, married Margaret Corcoran, of Liserlin, Tullogher on the 13^th of June 1872 at Mullinargle (sic). Witnesses to the wedding were Laurence Gaule and Johanna Walsh. Luke’s father was listed as John Gaule, deceased, farmer and Margaret’s father was listed as Edmund Corcoran, deceased, farmer. Kate Gaule had at least two brothers: John Gaule was born 19 April 1873 and William Gaul born on the 23^rd of September 1879.

Margaret Gaule née Corcoran died on the 17^th of November 1897, aged 60 of heart disease. The 1901 Census provides that Luke was 54 years of age and three of his children were residing with him. John Gaule was 27, Kate Gaule was 25, and William Gaule was 22.  John Gaule married Margaret Ryan, of Ballynooney on the 26^th of January 1916 at Mullinavat. Margaret was the daughter of Patrick Ryan, a farmer. A William Gaule, of Keatingstown, Thomastown married on the 15^th of October 1914, Nora Dalton the daughter of farmer Pat Dalton. William Gaule, of Keatingstown, was a farmer and the son of Luke Gaule.

Kate Gaule married James Aylward in 1909 and became a widow 5 days later. Danny Dowling this week stated that he did not know what happened to James Aylward’s widow. The 1911 Census reveals that she was living with her father and brother, John on the Gaule farm in Ballynooney. In the 1911 Census: Luke Gaule was a widower aged 64; John Gaule was single and aged 36 and Catherine Aylward, a widow was aged 35. It is believed that Luke Gaule died on the 7^th of February 1917 at the age of 70. The townland is listed as Ballyvatheen rather than Ballynooney on the death cert, but the person with the deceased was John Gaule the son of the deceased.

While James Aylward’s life was tragically cut short, unfortunately, we don’t know what happened to his widow, Catherine “Kate” Aylward née Gaule. Did she re-marry? Did she live out her life with one her brothers and his family? We hope that a reader has the answer to what happened to the woman from Mullinavat who was widowed 5 days after she was married.

Update: In our blog post of 15 July 2020 we revealed what we learned about the widow.

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh

The featured image is of an ancient Egyptian funeral.