John Martin Mullarkey and Elsie Aitchinson

Church of St Jude, Plymouth
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © N Chadwick - geograph.org.uk/p/5813993

John Martin Mullarkey, son of Anthony Joseph Mullarkey and Maria Gloyne, married Elsie Aitchinson (b. 7 Feb 1890), daughter of John George Aitchinson and Emma Bolt, at St Jude's Church, Plymouth on 9 Jul 1918.

Elsie's parents had married, on 29 Jun 1885, at Charles Church, Plymouth. John George Aitchinson of 16 Guldford Street, Plymouth was a Shipwright, son of John George Aitchinson, Petty Officer RN. Emma Bolt was from a few doors down at 10 Guildford Street and her father, John Bolt, was a Shoemaker.

Elsie was baptised, as an adult, on 19 Nov 1905, at Charles Church, Plymouth.

In 1911, the family was living at 59 Knighton Road, Plymouth, with John George Aitchinson (50) employed as a Shipwright at H M Dockyard, wife Emma (52) and both Elsie (21) and her younger sister Lilian (17) described as Tailorists.

John Martin Mullarkey (20) had enlisted in the Royal Navy on 19 Jun 1909 and in 1911, was bobbing about in Malta Harbour on HMS Medea. 

HMS Tiger in 1917

On 31 May - 1 Jun 1916 John Martin Mullarkey was serving as a Leading Stoker on HMS Tiger at the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of the First World War. Tiger was hit a total of 18 times during the battle, suffering 24 men killed and 46 wounded. John Martin Mullarkey stayed with Tiger until 30 Sep 1921.

Spoiler alert: John is the first of three family members (that I know of), all from the same street, to have been at the Battle of Jutland. All three survived.

After leaving the Royal Navy on 1 Apr 1928, John Martin became a Merchant Seaman. John's naval record says that he had a scar on his left thigh (inside) and a heart tattoo on his right forearm. His Merchant Navy record states that the top of his left index finger was crushed. It doesn't say when, where or how. 

John and Elsie Mullarkey had three children:

1. John George Anthony Mullarkey b. 1 Oct 1920. John George Anthony Mullarkey married Lilian K Clarke in 1958. Born Lilian Kathleen May Hood on 18 Apr 1914, Lilian was probably a widow at the time of this marriage. She had previously married Herbert J Clarke in 1933 and potentially brought with her four children from this marriage. John George Anthony Mullarkey of 15 Dundas Street, Stoke, Plymouth, died on 8 Nov 1974. Lilian Kathleen May Mullarkey died on 25 Jun 1991.
2. Lilian Kathleen Mullarkey b. 15 Oct 1922. In 1945, Lilian Kathleen Mullarkey married William George Matthews. They appear to have had one child later that year. Lilian Kathleen Matthews died in 1996.
3. Martyn Mullarkey b. 15 Aug 1930. In 1951, Martyn Mullarkey married Margaret A Pepper and they appear to have one child in 1952. Martyn Mullarkey died, in Plymouth, in 2005.

In 1939, living at 54 Ocean Street, Plymouth, John M Mullarkey's occupation is described as "Greaser Cable Ship Maker Louisa Mackay" (Louisa Mackay was the name of his ship). Son John G A was a Turner And Fitter Apprentice; Lilian K a Shop Assistant and Martyn was at school. Living with them was John G Aitchinson, Retired Shipwright, Widowed (who died in 1941). 

Elsie Mullarkey died in Plymouth, in 1963, aged 73.

John Martin Mullarkey died the following year in 1974.

Anthony Joseph Mullarkey and Maria Gloyne

Wyndham Street West, Plymouth
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Derek Harper - geograph.org.uk/p/1777663
With the spire of the Roman Catholic cathedral of St Mary & St Boniface

Anthony Joseph Mullarkey and Maria Gloyne had married on 20 Nov 1887 at the Roman Catholic cathedral of St Mary & St Boniface, Plymouth. 

Maria Gloyne, born 1863, in Plymouth, was the daughter of Samuel Pascoe Gloyne and Emma Jane Coombes, who had married in East Stonehouse in the 2nd quarter of 1851. At the time of the 1851 Census, Samuel Gloyne (22) Merchant Sailor, was lodging with John Coombes (55) Widower, a Scavenger (a scavenger, as a job in Victorian times, was a dustman or street cleaner), his unmarried daughter, Emma Coombes (21) and John Coombes (2), Grandson. In 1861, Samuel Coombes was away, presumably at sea, while Emma lived at 1, Gasking Street, Charles, Plymouth. John (13) was then listed as John Gloyn, rather than Coombes and had become a Rope Marker's Assistant. 

Maria also had siblings: Charlotte Emma Gloyne (b. 28 Dec 1854), Emma Jane Gloyne (b. 28 Jul 1858) and Samuel Richard Pascoe Gloyne (b. 14 Aug 1861), with all three baptised, on 1 Sep 1861, at Charles Church, Plymouth.

In 1881, Emma Gloyne was lodging at 37, North Street, Plymouth, just with daughter Maria Gloyne (17) General Servant (Out of Employment). By 1891, Emma Gloyn (60) Nurse, Widow, was lodging in Mildmay Street, Plymouth.

Speke and Garston Coastal Reserve
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Dixon - geograph.org.uk/p/4069433
Looking along the shore of the River Mersey towards Garston Docks

Meanwhile, Anthony Mullarkey (b. 5 Dec 1864), says on his Royal Marines record, that he was from Garston, Liverpool. He enlisted in Liverpool on 5 Jun 1883, his previous job being a Labourer and professed to be Roman Catholic. 

In 1881, Anthony Mullarkey (16) General Labourer, had been boarding at 8, Hughes Street, Garston, along with his father, Martin Mullarkey (40) and younger brother, Michael Mullarkey (7), among a total of 15, mostly Irish, people in the one house. All three said to be from Ireland.

In 1891, Martin Mullarkey (51) General labourer for corporation and his younger son, Michael Mullarkey (17) Shoemaker, were lodging in Thomas Street, Garston. It narrows it down to them being from Mayo, Ireland. 

On both of these censuses, Martin Mullarkey is described as a widower, which may be doubtful, as several newspaper reports had appeared, one in the Manchester Evening News, on Tuesday, 2 Apr 1872.

AN EXTRORDINARY DEFENCE:- At Liverpool Police Court, yesterday, an Irishman named Martin Mullarkey was charged with bigamy. It having been proved that he was married, some few years ago, at a Roman Catholic chapel near Westport, County Mayo, and that he was married to a woman named Julia Garvey, in Liverpool, about twelve months since, the first wife being still alive, he was called on for his defence. He said that the first marriage was a forced one; that he was taken sixteen miles from his home by a lot of men, and married in spite of himself. (Roars of laughter.) This was done in the dead of night; and he did not think it was allowed for a man to be married without a certificate or anything of that kind. One of the witnesses for the prosecution admitted that the marriage took place at about eleven o'clock at night. The prisoner was remanded.

A later report in the same newspaper on Tuesday, 16 Apr 1872, named the first wife as Miss Catherine Loughlin, who he had married in Islandeady, Mayo, about 12 years previously. It also went on to say that, "The second wife said she did not wish to prosecute, and the prisoner was discharged." She wished to see no more of him, provided he paid for the expense of maintaining the child.

Yet another report, in the Belfast Evening Telegraph on Thursday, 18 Apr 1872, under the headline, BIGAMY MADE EASY, added that Mullarkey had emigrated to England about two years ago (i.e. 1870) and that this second marriage had resulted in the birth of a child. "The circumstance at length reached the ears of the first wife, who came to England in search of her errant husband ..."

Is this the same Martin Mullarkey from Mayo? It certainly fits. 

I've not been able to find birth or marriage records in Ireland to confirm, but I think it safe to believe that Anthony Mullarkey was originally from County Mayo, Ireland and that his mother may or may not have been Catherine Loughlin.

Anthony Joseph Mullarkey and Maria Gloyne had three children:

1. John Martin Mullarkey b. 10 May 1890
2. Anthony Charles Mullarkey b. 12 Jan 1893
3. Kathleen Mullarkey b. 17 Jan 1896

All three children were baptised, on 1 May 1896, at St Paul's, East Stonehouse. The family's address on these baptism records was listed as 8 Admiralty Street, East Stonehouse, with their father's rank listed as Private RMLI.

On 20 Dec 1895, Anthony had joined HMS Terror (1856) (a 16-gun iron screw floating battery launched in 1856. She became the base ship at Bermuda in 1857), from which he was Discharged Dead (at 32) on 2 Dec 1896. 

In 1901, Maria Mullarkey (36), Seamstress, Widow, was still living at 8, Admiralty Street, East Stonehouse with John (11), Charles (8) and Kathleen (5).

In 1911, and still at 8, Admiralty Street, East Stonehouse, Maria Mullarkey (48) was in receipt of a pension from the Admiralty. Anthony Charles Mullarkey (18) Bugler RMLI was home on leave and Kathleen Mullarkey (15) was an apprentice tailoress to a Military Tailor. John Martin Mullarkey (20) was serving with the Royal Navy on HMS Medea (HMS Medea (1888) was a Marathon-class second class cruiser launched in 1888 and sold in 1914), anchored in Malta Harbour.

Maria Mullarkey died in East Stonehouse in 1924, aged 61.