Early References and 19th-Century Records
In mid-19th century records,Griffith’s Valuation (1853) for Mayglass parish shows Gardamus Great was held by families like the Staunton, Dillon and Howlin households, with Patrick and Richard Dillon and Patrick and Thomas Howlin listed as tenants in Gardamus – The Cartys connection to the lands at Gardamus came through two brothers,Robert and Thomas Staunton, who are listed as tenants in both Gardamus townlands in Griffiiths 1853 valuations.
Marriage of Mary Staunton and Michael Wallace and the birth of their daughter Margaret Wallace. How the Carty’s came to Gardamus.
The marriage of Michael Wallace age 40 a small farmer of Waddingtown to Mary Staunton age 39 of Gardamus occurred on 16th of January 1864 in the RC Church of Mayglass. The grooms father was Nicholas Wallace of Waddingtown – a small farmer and the brides father was Robert Staunton of Gardamus also a small farmer. Witnesses were Robert Staunton and John Fitzgerald. Patrick Kenny CC performed the ceremony.
On the 4th of December 1868 in Waddingtown Mary Wallace formerly Staunton gave birth to a girl named Margaret, her father Michael Wallace was listed as a farmer.
Marriage of Margaret Wallace and Andy Carty on November 1891 in Cleariestown CC.
Margaret Wallace and Andrew Carty were married in Cleariestown Church on November 23rd 1891. He was listed as a tradesman address Tullycanna, his father was Thomas Carty also listed as a tradesman. Margarets father was Michael Wallace of Waddingtown and is listed as a farmer. The witnesses were Martin Carty (Andrews younger brother) and Margaret Staunton.
Andy and Margaret’s children.
Born on 4th January 1892 Waddingtown Michael Carty to Margaret Carty nee Wallace and Andrew Carty (Saddler)
Born on 20th August 1893 Waddingtown Thomas Carty to Margaret Carty nee Wallace and Andrew Carty (Harness maker). Witness Michael Wallace Grandfather.
Death of their Grandfather Michael Wallace on May 26th 1894 witness M Carty daughter. So this left their grandmother Mary Wallace nee Staunton a widow.
Then Disaster! the boys were 5 years & 4 years old.
Death Certificate for Margaret Carty who died on 27th March 1897 in Childbirth of pulmonary embolism after 3 hours, Andrew Carty her husband was present at her death in Waddingtown. She was 28 years old. Andrew Carty subsequently married Anne Rossiter of the Cull Doncormick as his second wife and step-mother to the boys.
Death of Mary Wallace on 23rd August 1901 in Waddingtown at the age of 80 years. Andrew Carty her son-in-law was present at her death. She died of general debility. She was born Mary Staunton of Gardamus C1821.
Census Records (1901 & 1911)
By the turn of the 20th century, the Carthy/McCarthy name is firmly present in Gardamus. In the 1901 Census, at least one member of the family appears: Thomas Carty (born around 1878) is recorded in Gardamus Little, Mayglass (source). His surname is given as “Carty” (without the Mc- prefix), which was a common local form of the name. A decade later, in the 1911 Census, the family is enumerated under the name McCarthy, reflecting the same lineage with a slightly different rendering of the surname (consistent with the formal “McCarthy” usage) (source) (source). The census records of 1911 show the McCarthys as residents of Gardamus, confirming that by 1911 the family had established a household in the townland (likely the same family as in 1901, now using the McCarthy form of the name). These census snapshots illustrate the Carthy/McCarthy family’s presence in Gardamus at that time, after not being present in the mid-1800s.
Land Ownership and Tenancy Transitions
The historical records suggest the McCarthy (Carty) family became tenants in Gardamus in the late 19th century and transitioned to landowners in the early 20th century. As noted, earlier tenants of Gardamus (circa 1850s) included the Dillon and Howlin families (source) (source). By the early 1900s, the McCarthy family had taken over one of these holdings. A key piece of evidence is the Land Purchase Acts records: under the Irish Land Act, tenants in Gardamus bought out their farms from the landlord in the 1900s. In 1911, Timothy McCarthy (along with a Florence Crowley) is listed in official returns as purchasing land in Gardamus Great (source). The record shows “McCarthy, Timothy (junior) … McCarthy, Tim. (senior) … Crowley, Florence … Gardamus Great … Eustace” – indicating that Timothy McCarthy (likely a father and son of the same name) were the tenants, and they, together with Florence Crowley, bought the holding from the estate of the landlord (Eustace) (source). This transaction suggests the McCarthys had become the principal occupiers of a farm in Gardamus by that time. In summary, land tenancy shifted from the older families (Dillons/Howlins) to the McCarthy family around the turn of the century, culminating in the McCarthys owning the land they farmed by 1911.
Genealogical Insights and Surname Variations
One notable detail is the variation in the family surname over time. In earlier records and local usage the name appears as “Carty” (for example, Thomas Carty in the 1901 census of Gardamus Little (source)). However, in later and more formal records the name is given as “McCarthy.” The transition is evident by 1911, where Timothy is explicitly recorded as McCarthy in land and likely census records (source). This suggests that the family may have been known locally by the shorter form Carty (a form common in County Wexford), but reverted to or adopted the full McCarthy name in official documents and subsequent generations. Genealogically, this is the same family – the use of Carthy vs McCarthy was often interchangeable in Wexford, and the Gardamus records exemplify this naming pattern.
The origins of the McCarthy family in Gardamus point to them moving into the area rather than being an indigenous Forth/Mayglass family of long standing. The absence of the name in mid-19th century Gardamus records, combined with the first appearance of a Carty in an 1890s context(source) implies the family may have relocated from elsewhere in Wexford (or beyond) in the late 1800s. Indeed, Thomas Carty’s noted birthplace being Dublin (per the 1901 entry) suggests an incoming family member from outside the immediate locale (source). Over a short period, the family established itself in Gardamus, eventually intermarrying or associating with local families.
Associated Families and Local Context
Throughout their time in Gardamus, the Carthy/McCarthy family did not exist in isolation – they were connected with other local families and the broader community. The Crowley family association is explicitly documented: Florence Crowley appears alongside Timothy McCarthy in the 1911 land purchase record (source), hinting at a close connection. It’s possible that Florence Crowley was a relative (by marriage or blood) of the McCarthys – such as a spouse or in-law – which would mean the McCarthy family in Gardamus had kin ties to the Crowleys. This kind of alliance was common as new families settled in; marrying into established local families helped integrate the McCarthys into the community.
Meanwhile, the earlier tenant families of Gardamus provide context for the McCarthys’ arrival. The Dillons and Howlins who farmed Gardamus in the 1850s (source) (source) likely represent the prior generation of occupants. The Dillons continued to own land in Gardamus until recently, it was known as Dickeys Land, named after Dickey Dillon, and even to the present day when a decendant of the Dillons of Harpoonstown lives in James Carthy’s new house which he purchased after James died.
Additionally, the 1898 reference to James Carty of Knockroe – a neighboring townland – maintaining the Gardamus road (source) indicates the Carty/McCarthy family had a presence in the general area even before fully settling in Gardamus. Knockroe is nearby, and a family member there in the 1890s could have been related, possibly facilitating the move into Gardamus proper. This shows how the McCarthys were part of a network of families in the parish, moving for work and land opportunities.
In summary, the Carthy/McCarthy family in Gardamus emerges in records from the late 19th century onward. They do not appear among the original mid-1800s tenants, but by 1901 a Thomas Carty is living in Gardamus Little (source). Over the next decade, the family consolidates its position – Timothy McCarthy secures ownership of Gardamus land in 1911 (source) – and the family surname standardizes to McCarthy. Their story in Gardamus is intertwined with other local families (like the Crowleys, Dillons, and Howlins) and reflects a pattern of new settlers integrating into a rural Irish community, initially as tenants and ultimately as landowners in the early 20th century. The document’s details provide a genealogical timeline of this family’s presence: from a late 1800s road maintenance contract and census listings to land purchase records, all charting the Carthy/McCarthy family’s establishment in Gardamus Great and Little.
Sources: The above information is drawn from the uploaded Gardamus document’s compiled records and historical notes, including extracted Grand Jury Presentments (source), Griffith’s Valuation data (source) (source), Irish census entries (source), and Land Commission sale records (source) that reference members of the Carthy/McCarthy family in Gardamus. These citations point to the sections of the document where each detail is documented, evidencing the Carthy/McCarthy presence and activities in Gardamus across the 19th and early 20th centuries.