As a result of visit to Templemore by my father in 1968, he discovered a general store in Main Street called Grants. The ensuing conversation with Miss B Grant enabled a tree to be constructed for this family.
Her father Stephen was then alive, and the family were staunch catholics, though they did admit that there were protestants in the family long ago. Certainly her great-grandfather, William, a butcher living in Main Street was an RC, as was his brother James living next door. The whole family appear to have emigrated many years ago, and nothing was known about what had happened to their descendants.
Templemore Catholic Church
Miss B Grant also had an indenture dated 1837, bearing the name of Nicholas Grant, a publican and witness to a marriage settlement. By 2008 I believe that all the Grants had disappeared from Templemore, and that the family no longer exists there.
The entries from various records for the area are:-
1766 Religous Census 1766 (PRO Dublin doc 698 extract M3582 & M3585)
the census adds that there were 15 protestant families (64 people) and 159 RC families in the parish (817 people). Templemore town parish itself shows no Grants of either persuasion in the town.
1827 Tithe Comp Applotment Book
1850 Griffiths Valuation
| Parish of Templemore | Killtillane | William Grant | 101 Main St |
| James Grant | 102 Main St | ||
| John Grant | 27 New Row | ||
| James Grant | 6 John Lane | ||
| Parish Killea | Park | Mary Grant | 82acres |
| James Grant | 62acres | ||
| Parish Loughmoe | East Graiguefrahane | Joseph Grant} | 17acres |
| John Grant } | |||
| Parish Killavanogue | Dromardbeg | Anne Grant | House |
Geography
The following parishes are with a mile of Templemore -
Analysis
It would appear that the family were in the area first at Killea Parish (about 1 mile NW of Templemore), where they are picked up as Protestants in 1766, with the two households of James and John. My guess is that they came from Moyaliffe in about 1740, and that James and John were the sons of Thomas of Moyaliffe.
At least one of these groups stayed there, and are shown in the 1850 Griffiths Valuation. The two Grant families of 1850 were noted to be in partnership with Cossar, Kinnally, Phelan, Kenahan & Burke.
It seems probable from the names that are given on the chart that they were RC at this date
There might be a connection with the family at Templeharry, where the only other Nicholas (b.1821) is to be found, chart D. These were difficult years in Ireland.
A Charles Grant married in Templemore in 1838
William Grant died in 1957. Leaving after him his wife Margaret
who died in 1981. Ms B Grant, died in 1984. Her sister, Anna Woods (nee Grant)
died in 1992 and her sister, Rita Grant, died in 2002.
Matilda married a policeman and her name changed to Leahy, she still lives
in Templemore, near the Garda Depot. And Mary married an O'Connor, and lives
in Cork city.
The house in Templemore was sold. A sad day for all. Flowers are still put
on the graves. But an era has passed.
And from Vicki Strickland
John GRANT and his wife Ellen TIERNEY were living in Melbourne before Nov 1852 (I still haven't found what ship they came on so don't have a definite arrival date). John's brother, Peter Charles (or Peter Thomas) GRANT came later, arriving in November 1852 with John and Ellen's three young children - Annie 6yrs, Alice 5yrs and Thomas 3yrs. John became a reasonably wealthy publican, owning a substantial hotel in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. He died 30 Aug 1891, aged 90. John's death certificate states his parents were Joseph Grant, farmer, and Alice Fogarty.
Emigrant records show a James Grant emigrated to Australia in 1840 on the "Isabella". He was 27 (ie born 1813) and from Templemore. His parents were Jerry and Nancy Grant and his father was a farmer at Templemore. "Known to Wm Fogarty of Dromard" was presumably his sponsor. His brother John age 26 (born 1814) was on the same ship