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Early Ancestors:
The earliest known records of the Eustace family
in County Louth begin in 1765 and show the following:
James Eustace and Jane Norris were the
parents of the following children baptized in the Catholic Church in Drogheda:
1.
Mary Eustace baptized 10 March 1765; sponsors were James Nealon and
Catherine Skelly;
2.
Margaret Eustace, baptized 14 May 1766; father listed as John Eustace (an
obvious error and it should be James) and mother Jane Norris; sponsors listed as
Thomas Nowlah and Mary Fee.
3.
Eleanor Eustace baptized 29 November 1767, Sponsors; John Brady and
Brigid Horish
4.
Catherine Eustace, baptized 22 January 1769, Sponsors Henry Garvey and
Margret Norris;
5.
Maurice Eustace, baptized 1 May 1777; sponsors listed as Joseph McGuire
and Mary McCullin;
6.
Thomas Eustace was baptized 22 Sept. 1783; sponsors listed as John Garvey
and Mary Teirnan.
Maurice Eustace (perhaps a brother or cousin
of the above James) and Anne Clarke were the parents of Thomas Eustace
baptized 26 December 1784 in the Roman Catholic Church at Drogheda. Sponsors are
listed as James Purcell and Mary Kieran. Certificate notes that parents were not
known to the priest.
The name Robert Eustace appears on a list of men
selected to serve in the Irish Militia about 1804. The Irish Militia was set up
in 1793 as an official government army, each county having its own battalions or
regiments. The Proclamation calling for a militia to be set up in Louth and
Drogheda was issued on the 30th April 1793. The militia battalions were manned
by way of parish ballot. Each parish had to elect a number of able-bodied men to
join the militia, this number depending on the size of the parish. The parish
also had to pay for the upkeep of any militiamen from their parish. While many
men volunteered to join the militia, many others were less that happy at the
prospect and the ballot was extremely unpopular. For men who were balloted to
join, there was a way out, namely, by procuring a substitute to take his place
and paying a bounty of £10.Robert Eustace paid the £10 fee and found a
substitute namely, Thomas Faulkner.
Balloted Man’s Name, Substitute, Those
who paid £10, Parish, Note (About 1804)
Eustace, Robert,
Faulkner Thos, -, St. Peter’s.
(Above transcribed from “John Watson Stewart’s
Almanack” in The Treble Almanack MDCCCVIII (page 99), National Library of
Ireland).
Records show that Robert Eustace (probably a son
or nephew of the previous Robert) married Catherine McEntegart on September 29,
1832. To them were born the following children as recorded at St. Peter’s
Church, Fair Street, Drogheda:
1. Martha born or baptized on Nov. 3, 1833,
Sponsors James Eustace and P McA (illegible). Note on bottom says the
page is torn;
2. Cathe (Catherine), born or baptized July 14,
1835, only one sponsor listed Mary Wall.
3. Robert born 14 July, baptized Aug 25, 1837,
Sponsors Judith Kelly and M Callaghan;
4. Bridget, born or baptized Nov. 15, 1841
5. Francis born or baptized Dec. 2, 1844
Griffith’s Valuation 1848-1864 shows two
Eustace entries in County Louth as follows:
* James Eustace, head of household, St.
Peter’s Parish, Dyer Street, Moneymore.
* Robert Eustace, head of household, St.
Peter’s Parish, Sunday’s Gate, Moneymore.
Catherine Eustace a widow of Drogheda, Parish of
St. Mary’s, registered in County Meath, died at age 53 on ninth of June 1869.
The death was registered 23 June 1869.
Hugh Kidd age 24 years, widower and soldier,
stationed in Drogheda, son of John Kidd, Labourer, married Anne Eustace,
spinster, age 20, daughter of James Eustace, tradesman on June 28 1868 at St.
Peter's in Drogheda. She was a servant living in Drogheda. The witnesses were
Thomas Reilly and Julia Hanlon, James Tierney, Roman Catholic Church. James
Tierney also signed as a witness.
Marriage: Anne Eustace, age 20 years, spinster, occupation: servant, of
Drogheda, daughter of James Eustace, plasterer, married Hugh Kidd, a widower of
Drogheda, (son of John Kidd, labourer), age 24 years, soldier (Private 21st
R.N.B. Fusiliers), on 26 June 1868 by license according to Acts of the 18th
(year) Victoria. Witnesses were William Brown and Julia Hanlon.
Birth: James Joseph Kidd, male, birth date 21 May 1869
at 555, West Ward, St. Peter's, Drogheda, recorded in Louth, Ireland, Civil
Registration County Louth. The father is listed as Hugh Kidd, mother Anne
Eustace, Source film 101186 Dates 1869-70.
Eustace Family of Drogheda,
County Louth, Ireland; Master Painters & Decorators:
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