QUIGLEY, Sarah ¹

   Cause of her death was debility.

   Another name for Sarah was QUIDLY, Sarah.⁴

  General Notes:

Roman Catholic Records
Munches Domestic Chapel Castle Douglas
Baptisms

"1804 continued
February 3 at Castle Douglas, Hugh lawful son to Patrick Quigley and Mary Logan, natives of Ireland he of County Derry and she of the County Armagh Sponsors Edward Gribbon and Catharine Laurie

Same day and place supplied the ceremonies of Baptism Sarah the twin sister of the fore-mentioned Hugh. She had been baptized, being in danger, by Mary McVae wife to William Quigley residing in Castle Douglas - Sponsors said Wm Quigley and Mary McVae - Both children at this time were nine weeks old"

Note 1: no priest's signature was included at the end of the extract, but from other sources it seems likely to have been Father Andrew Carruthers who resided at Munches House between 1800 and 1814 and fulfilled the duties of chaplain.
Note 2: Sarah Quigley in adult life claimed to have been born in Newton Street Paisley. It is possible that this twin is the first child called Sarah and another in the family was named Sarah after the death of the first. However all of the children of this couple born in Paisley have been located in the Catholic records and no child called Sarah is to be found there. The only baptism is the one in Munches House.

The 1841 census for Barony parish in Glasgow recorded someone who is at the very least a candidate to be this Sarah Quigley. The census recorded a woman called 'Sarah Quidly' living at or in Verreville in Stobcross Street Finiston [sic] in the Barony parish, Glasgow. Her birthplace was Ireland and her age in the 40-44 years age group, as used by the 1841 census. In the occupation column 'P.P.' was noted for her. [This meant 'Parish Pauper']. In the same household lived a Mary Quidly aged 15 years. or possibly in the 15-19 years age group. She too was born in Ireland. Whether this is Sarah or not cannot be confirmed with absolute certainty. That her birthplace was Ireland was not borne out by other evidence. No other person identifiable with Sarah has as yet been found.

The 1851 census for Blackfriars, Glasgow, recorded Sarah living in the household of her brother Thomas and his wife Martha at 48 Burnside Street. She was unmarried and recorded as aged 43 years. Her birthplace was Paisley and she worked as a 'Cotton Peaser in mill' [sic].

PARISH RELIEF APPLICATION
On October 20 1877 Sarah made an application to Barony parish for parochial relief. The documentation was referred to Paisley and was dealt with on November 19 1877. The information given was as follows.

Sarah Quigley, a single woman, of 53 Clyde Street, Anderston, Glasgow, now in the Poor House, was recorded as aged 65. She had no children. She said she was born in Newton Street in Paisley, and was a millworker. She was 'partially disabled' through debility. Her parents were Peter Quigley and Mary Logan, both dead. She was a Roman Catholic. Her previous application for assistance from the parish was on October 8 1877 to Barony.

Her residences as furnished by Barony were included next. This began by noting that she could not detail her residences; sometimes she had resided in Paisley, Govan, Glasgow, Barony (parishes) - never long in one place. The details given were:
Govan 1 year
48 Great Hamilton Street Glasgow 2 weeks
Green Street, South Side Govan 18 months
Newton Street Paisley 1 year
53 Clyde Street, Anderston Barony 2 years
A note followed: 'Reference is made to James Hogshead who resides in Wide Close, Barrack Street, Glasgow. She was baptized in RCC Paisley.'

Sarah was an inmate of Barnhill poorhouse in the Dennistoun district of Glasgow in 1881, according to the census. She was a cotton millworker and was aged 68 years. She had been born in Paisley, Renfrewshire.

Sarah died in the poorhouse in 1882. She was a single woman and her age was given then as 69 years. Her usual residence was 65 Clyde Street and she was recorded as having been a millworker. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

  Research Notes:

1841 CENSUS ENTRY - IS IT THIS SARAH QUIGLEY?

The greatest difficulty we have in recognising that 'Sarah Quidly' was the daughter of Peter Quigley and Mary Logan is the birthplace recorded.

From what we know of her later life, Sarah believed she was born in Paisley, Scotland, though, if this was the twin sister of Hugh, it is likely that she was born further south.

Her age presents some difficulty but is not an insuperable problem. The twins, Hugh and Sarah Quigley were born at the end of 1802. In 1851 Sarah was noted as 43 years old. Many census returns show a waywardness about age.

The presence of Mary Quidly also has its difficulties. As far as is known at present, Sarah Quigley did not have a child. Mary may have been a cousin, a niece, a sister in law, if not a daughter.

On the plus side, relatives of Sarah's were living in Main Street Anderston as recorded by the 1841 census, very near geographically to this Sarah. Sarah did claim parish relief at a later time in her life.

DISABILITY

In a Poor Law context to be 'disabled' or 'partially disabled' seems to have meant being unable to work to support oneself or those dependant upon one. This 'disablement' could take many forms, some temporary and curable, some not: physically illness, old age, pregnancy, accident, care of small children, and so on. It does not seem to have the connotations of the modern use of being disabled.

BARNHILL

'Barnhill' was the popular name given to the Poorhouse of the Barony parish in the north east of Glasgow.

AGE

In the 1851 census entry for 48 Burnside Street, Glasgow, Sarah Quigley was recorded as 2 years older than her brother Thomas, he being recorded as 41 years and she as 43 years. We know that Thomas was born in 1808 from baptismal records, so Sarah, if she is the twin, was in fact about four years older than Thomas.

  Medical Notes:

The cause of Sarah's death was certified by William Core MD.

The informant was A. Ramsay, assistant governor of Barnhill Poorhouse, who notified J. A. Ferguson, registrar at Glasgow on 21 July 1882.