19: Comerford of Balbriggan and Skerries, Co Dublin

The Harbour, built by the Hamilton family, and the railway aqueduct in Balbriggan ... the Comerford family was involved in running one of the main mills that brought industry and prosperity to this north Dublin harbour town in the late 18th century (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2010)

Patrick Comerford

This is essay is a stub. I would welcome comments and further information from anyone who knows about these families.

Two Comerford families lived in the neighbouring north Co Dublin fishing towns of Balbriggan and Skerries in the 18th and 19th centuries. I have no information about their origins, but they may have been closely related to each other. In Balbriggan, the Comerford family was closely identified with the cotton industry, founded by the Hamilton family, while the Comerfords of Skerries, who may have been related to their Balbriggan neighbours, were tenants of the Hamilton family of Holmpatrick, and were closely identified with the boat-building and fishing trades.

Balbriggan is 32 km north of Dublin on the old main Dublin-Belfast road. There is no consensus among historians about the foundation of the village of Balbriggan, other than there may always have been a small settlement of fishermen, weavers and some sort of agricultural trade post there. An 18th century traveller described Balbriggan as “a small village situated in a small glin (glen) where the sea forms a little harbour – it is reckoned safe and is sheltered by a good pier. The village is resorted to in Summer time by several genteel people for the benefit of bathing.”

Balbriggan owes its rise from a small fishing village to a place of manufacturing and commercial importance to George Hamilton. In 1780, he introduced cotton manufacture by building of two large cotton mills, powered by a sophisticated mill race. They were the equal of any contemporary mills in England. The Lower Mill was promoted by George Hamilton of Hampton (ca 17311793), Baron of the Exchequer, but was soon sold to Messrs. Comerford and O’Brien. The second mill, the Upper Mill, was supervised by Joseph Smyth and was in production by 1783.[1]

This exciting industrial innovation was described by the Revd William Bruce, who visited Balbriggan on 27 and 28 August 1789, and wrote: “[T]he town which has an appearance of great prosperity, all the machinery in the town belongs to O’Brien and Comerford ...” All was not rosy in this economic boom town of Balbriggan, though. In common with most towns in the Industrial Revolution, child labour was exploited, and Bruce, in his description of the factory belonging to O’Brien and Comerford, mentioned that 100 children were employed there.[2]

The Balbriggan firm of O’Brien, Comerford and Clarke opened a warehouse in High Street, Belfast, in 1788[3] under the direction of William Martin, and for a few years supplies of plain goods from the factory at Balbriggan, and of printed stuffs from the print-field at Palmerston, Co Dublin, were offered there at “Dublin prices.”[4] This facility for purchasing these products may explain why the only known example of 18th century Irish printed linen and cotton that survives in Belfast, in the Municipal Museum and Art Gallery, is a piece of the firm’s well authenticated “Volunteer Furniture” pattern.[5]

However, the firm’s collapse in the summer of 1793 was spectacular. Drennan’s letter from Dublin to his brother-in-law says: “Comerford and O’Brien failed for exactly £67,000, and might have done so for £200,000 as their credit was great the day before … Last year, at this time, their goods were carried away as fast as they could load them, and now, for some time, not a blade [bale] is sold.”[6]

The cotton mills of Balbriggan soon recovered from the financial collapse suffered by Comerford and O’Brien, but went into decline once again in the 1830s.

Meanwhile, the fishing trade was also important in Balbriggan, and in 1825-1826, Thomas Comerford of Balbriggan was the owner of a boat, the Bee, with a crew of seven.[7]

By 1829, Balbriggan harbour was employing 863 men. But, like the cotton industry, the fishing trade began to decline in Balbriggan too, and by the mid-1830s Balbriggan had lost its prosperity. John Dalton noted in 1838: “Balbriggan has been a very thriving place, but, by the decline of the cotton factories, the withdrawing of the fishery bounties, and the diversion of the great northern road, the advantages .... have been considerably impeded.”[8]

Nevertheless, members of the Comerford family continued to live in Balbriggan and the neighbouring north Co Dublin fishing port of Skerries for a number of generations.

In the Tithe Applotment Book for Balbriggan in 1833, we find four members of the Comerford family holding property in High Street, Balbriggan: Simon Comerford, Tho[mas] Comerford, Mich[ae]l Comerford and Jno Comerford.[9]

George Alexander Hamilton ... the Comerford family of Balbriggan were his tenans in 1852

In 1852, in the Primary Valuation, we find the following members of the Comerford living in Balbriggan:

Michael Comerford, of High Street, who was a tenant of George Alexander Hamilton (1801-1871) of Hampton Hall, Balbriggan, holding a house, office and garden. Hamilton, whose grandfather had built the mills in Balbriggan, was MP for Dublin City (1836-1837) and for the university of Dublin (1843-1856), and was Permanent Secretary to the Treasury.[10]

Mary Comerford, of High Street, who was a tenant of George A. Hamilton, holding a house and garden.[11]

Thomas Comerford of George’s Square, who he was a tenant with John Burke of Edward Murphy for a house and garden and another house and yard.[12]

John Comerford, of Drogheda Street, who was a tenant of Charles and Thomas Commiskey, cotton manufacturers, holding a house and garden.[13]

James Comerford, of Dublin Street, who was a tenant of George A. Hamilton, with a house, office and garden.[14]

James Comerford also leased a house and yard to Thomas Wynne as his tenant and was also the owner of three vacant houses in Dublin Street.[15]

Skerries Harbour seen from the Quay ... generations of Comerfords in Skerries included shipwrights and ship carpenters (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2009)

At the same time, the Primary Valuation in 1852 also shows the following members of the Comerford living in Skerries:

Michael Comerford, Chapel Street, Skerries, Co Dublin, where he was a tenant of James Hans Hamilton for a house and garden.[16] James Hans Hamilton (1810-1863) was MP for Co Dublin (1841-1863), and is commemorated in The Square, Skerries, by a large obelisk, a reduced scale replica of the Wellington Monument in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.

The Hamilton monument in the centre of Skerries (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2009)

Peter Comerford, The Quay, Red Island, Skerries, Co Dublin, where he was the tenant of James H. Hamilton for a house.[17]

Peter Comerford may have been the father of:

No 6, Quay Street, Skerries, home to the Comerford family at the beginning of the 20th century (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2009)

Simon Comerford (ca 1833/1834-post 1911), a ship carpenter, was born in Skerries ca 1833/1834, and at the age of 74 he was living at 6 The Quay, Skerries, at the time of the 1911 census. Also living at the same address were Joseph Archer (79), a sailor, and his wife Jane Archer (76). Jane Archer was Simon Comerford’s sister, and the Archers, who were married for 56 years, had one child.[18]

Simon Comerford and Jane Archer may have had a brother, … Comerford,[19] who was the father of:

1, John Comerford (ca 1871-post 1911), shipwright, of Strand Street, Skerries, Co Dublin. He was born in Skerries ca 1870/1871. He was single and aged 40 at the time of the 1911 census.

2, Anne Comerford (ca 1887–post 1911), of Skerries. She was born in Skerries ca 1886/1887. She was single, aged 24 and living in Skerries with her brother John Comerford during the 1911 census.

In addition, Peter Francis Wulfe, their 12-year-old nephew, was living with John and Anne Comerford in 1911. He was born in Dublin City.

… Comerford of Skerries, Co Dublin,[20] was the father of:

1, Peter Comerford, of Skerries.
2, Vincent Comerford of Skerries.
3, Robert Comerford of Skerries.
4, Sylvester Comerford, born in Skerries ca 1880. He later emigrated to New York, where he worked as a boot-maker.[21]

The Comerford family continued to live in Skerries into the 20th century.

Christopher Comerford, who died on 11 May 1903, and his wife, Anne, who died on 8 January 1910, were the parents of a son and a daughter:

1, John Comerford, who died on 7 June 1932.
2, Alicia (1886-1970). Born in 1886, she married Christopher Dolan (died 2 February 1959), and she died on died 2 August 1970. Alicia (Comerford) and Christopher Dolan lived at 6 Quay Street (117 Strand Street in 1911) and they had four children:

● 1a, Charles (Charlie) Dolan ( a twin).
● 2a, Anne (a twin), married (Dr) John Stanislaus Guinan of Lumcloon, Co Offaly. He was a nephew of Canon Joseph Guinan (1863-1932), of Liverpool and Dromod, Co Longford, author of eight novels, including: Priests and People in Doon (1903); The Saggarth Aroon (1906); The Island Parish (1908); The Moores of Glynn (1915); Donal Kenny (1910); The Curate of Kilcloon (1913); and The Patriots (1928). Anne and John Guinan had six children.
● 3a, Rosaleen.
● 4a, Christopher Dolan (1920-1959). [22]

Footnotes and references:

[1] History of Balbriggan (http://www.balbriggan.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=30, 26.4.2009); monuments to Hamilton in Saint George’s Church, Balbriggan, Co Dublin.
[2] History of Balbriggan (http://www.balbriggan.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=30, 26.4.2009).
[3] Belfast News Letter, 11 August 1788.
[4] Belfast News Letter, 17 July 1789; 28 June 1793.
[5] Jour. Roy. Soc. Ant. Ire. vol 67 (1937), pp 44-45.
[6] Drennan Letters, p. 159.
[7] Balbriggan Harbour, a short history (http://balbrigganharbour.net/history.htm, 26.4.2009).
[8] History of Balbriggan (http://www.balbriggan.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=30, 26.4.2009).
[9] TAB 9/2 (1833), f. 13.
[10] PV 9/1, Balrothery, Co Dublin (1852); Burke’s Peerage, various eds, s.v. Holmpatrick; monumental inscriptions, Saint George’s Church, Balbriggan.
[11] PV 9/1, Balrothery, Co Dublin (1852).
[12] PV 9/1, Balrothery, Co Dublin (1852).
[13] PV 9/1, Balrothery, Co Dublin (1852).
[14] PV 9/1, Balrothery, Co Dublin (1852).
[15] PV 9/1, Balrothery, Co Dublin (1852).
[16] PV 9/1, Holmpatrick, Co Dublin (1852).
[17] PV 9/1, Holmpatrick, Co Dublin (1852).
[18] Census returns, 1911.
[19] Census returns, 1911.
[20] Letter from Barney Comerford to Patrick Comerford, 15.9.1978.
[21] Letter from Barney Comerford to Patrick Comerford, 15.9.1978.
[22] Dr Michael J.S. Egan (ed), Dublin City and County Graveyards, vol 7 (Templeogue, Dublin: Privately published, 1996), p. 88, s.v. Holmpatrick; correspondence with Chris Dolan (27 and 28 September 2010); correspondence with Emma Brennan, great-grand-daughter of Alicia (Comerford) Dolan (27 March 2011).

Last updated 28 April 2009, 14 May 2009, 17 August 2009, 31 December 2009; 20 April 2010, 29 September 2010; 27 March 2011).

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(c) Patrick Comerford 2009, 2010.