Manchester woman seeks help tracing Offaly relatives

Members of a Pyke family from Tullamore pictured in about 1953

placeholder image — Members of a Pyke family from Tullamore pictured in about 1953

Southampton-based granddaughter of Christina Pyke, formerly of Tullamore, in quest for information

A RESIDENT of Southampton has travelled to Tullamore to seek information about her grandmother and extended family.

Patricia Gregory grew up in Manchester where she was raised by her father, the late John Gregory, and her paternal grandmother, the late Christina (Dinah) Pyke, a native of Tullamore who emigrated to England.

Ms Gregory, an only child who believes she has no remaining relations of Irish origin in England, has learned from Offaly History and Tullamore parish records that her grandmother was born and baptised in 1888, the daughter of James Pyke and Margaret Dowling.

According to the baptismal certificate the sponsors were James Glennon and Lizzie Molloy.

James Pyke is listed in the 1901 census as the 55-year-old head of the family at 13 Henry Street, Tullamore, a mail car driver with five children, Joseph, James, Christina (aged 12 at the time) and John.

The 1911 census contains the names of two of those sons, James Pyke, who lived at 13 Henry Street, Tullamore and Joseph Pyke, a resident of 29 Tea Lane in the town.

Ms Gregory, aged 72, said she was very grateful to Offaly History for the information provided, which also revealed that a William Pyke lived in 8 Market Square.

Other addresses for members of the Pyke family in the late 19th century were Convent View, White Hall and Chapel Street, Tullamore.

Patricia's grandmother Christina got married in England in January 1921 to Alfred Gregory. Both were living in Manchester and Christina's occupation was cotton weaver. Christina died in 1980.

Though she has no details about her relations in Tullamore she does have photographs taken in the town on a family holiday in about 1953 when she was about a year old.

One of the pictures features her grandmother standing in the grounds of Charleville Castle (see below). “I'm in a trolley in the background,” Patricia said.

Another photograph (below) is of Christina's brother in Tullamore, Joe (Joseph) Pyke, and his wife, whose name she does not know.

A further picture (see below), taken the same day outside the same house (either on Henry Street or Tea Lane), depicts Joe Pyke's wife with sons Jim, Paul and Arty.

“They must have had kids, unless they emigrated,” said Patricia.

A fourth picture is of Patricia herself flanked by other children who are a little older than her. She has not been able to identify them. “I don't know, I was a baby.”

Patricia arrived in Tullamore on Monday. "I've been travelling around on my own, I have a motorhome."

She said her father died at the age of 61 30 years ago. "I've got no family, I've got no siblings." A family member on her father's side has been trying to link the Irish connection back to the family.

"He's been doing quite well with the Gregorys over in England but we keep coming up against a brick wall [on the Irish Pyke side]."

She hopes to establish if the Pykes named above are definitely related to her and if there are living family members in Tullamore today.

Patricia can be contacted by emailing [email protected]

She knows very little about her grandmother's contact with Ireland and Tullamore apart from the visit when the photographs were taken.

"I don't know if my nana came over on her own sometimes."