Gregory White (b 1754) & Catherine Flaherty (1768 - 1835)

Subject to review in light of newly discovered records, 27 April 2008

Gregory White was born to William White & Anistacia Furlong of Kilturk in 1754. His name, Gregory, was unusual to Kilmore, Gregory being the only male, baptised as such, from 1752-1770.

Gregory had the following known siblings :

Catherine White, 1752
John White, 1755
Anistacia White, 1757
Nicholas White, 1760
Bartholomew White, 1763

It seems that, from Gregory’s childhood, there was already a link between the Whites of Kilturk and the family of James Flaherty of Kilmore. We can see this from the fact that James acted as godfather to Gregory’s brother Nicholas in 1760.

For information on James Flaherty, please go to My Kilmore Connection

I have no information on Gregory’s life in Kilmore or whether or not he was involved in the events of 1798. However, by December 1798, when the rebellion was at an end, Gregory is found in Wexford Town and marrying Catherine Flaherty.

Of course, I do not have proof that the Gregory White and Catherine Flaherty who married in Wexford Town are the same ones as were born in Kilmore. The intermarrying of the names White and Flaherty, however, was a Kilmore tradition which lasted until 1863 when Edward Flaherty, Kilmore Harbour Master, was the last known Flaherty to uphold this time honoured custom!

Gregory and Catherine had at least two children in Wexford Town:

Catherine White, 1816
Nicholas White, 1818

It should be noted that Catherine Flaherty would have been 50 years old by the time she had the second child. There were difficulties, however, and two of their children (perhaps these two) did die.

Catherine herself died in 1835 and was buried, with her children, in St Michael’s Cemetery in The Faythe, Wexford Town.

The inscription, only just still legible, reads:

Erected by Gregory White
in memory of his two children
Also in memory of his wife
Catherine White, alias Flaherty
who departed this life
1 March 1835, aged 63 years*

Gregory White is probably buried in this grave as well, but there may have been no descendents to inscribe his name on the tombstone.

 

* It is acknowledged that there is a four year age difference between Catherine’s Kilmore birth and her tombstone inscription.