On Sun, 15 Feb 2009, Margaret Spearin wrote: > I am a Spearin from Limerick and am having trouble linking my Spearin > family to other Spearin familys here. I am thinking my Spearin Spearing > family came from Cork. Any help appreciated on this. I have Luke b 1833 > but cant find where he was born. He died in Limerick in 1900 Here are two Spearings from the Irish death notice database on the IrelandOldNews.com website SPEARING, Joseph; 49; Cork City COR IRL; Cork Examiner; 1864-7-18; dja SPEARING, William "son of late Francis"; ; Cork City COR IRL; Cork Examiner; 1865-1-28; dja Also see http://www.irelandoldnews.com/Cork/1847/MAR.html#19 for a news report in which a Spearing appears to be sitting as a magistrate in a Cork Police Court. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dennis Ahern | Ireland Newspaper Abstracts Acton, Massachusetts | http://www.IrelandOldNews.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There are 4 very distinct Spearin clusters according to births 1830-1900 Ireland. Rathkeale, Co.Limerick Croom, Co. Limerick Fermoy, Co. Cork Dublin Brendan ----- "Dennis Ahern" <[email protected]> wrote: > On Sun, 15 Feb 2009, Margaret Spearin wrote: > > > I am a Spearin from Limerick and am having trouble linking my > Spearin > > family to other Spearin familys here. I am thinking my Spearin > Spearing > > family came from Cork. Any help appreciated on this. I have Luke b > 1833 > > but cant find where he was born. He died in Limerick in 1900 > > Here are two Spearings from the Irish death notice database on the > IrelandOldNews.com website > > SPEARING, Joseph; 49; Cork City COR IRL; Cork Examiner; 1864-7-18; > dja > SPEARING, William "son of late Francis"; ; Cork City COR IRL; Cork > Examiner; 1865-1-28; dja > > Also see http://www.irelandoldnews.com/Cork/1847/MAR.html#19 for a > news > report in which a Spearing appears to be sitting as a magistrate in a > Cork > Police Court. > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Dennis Ahern | Ireland Newspaper Abstracts > Acton, Massachusetts | http://www.IrelandOldNews.com > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Andrew Spearing was Mayor of Cork in 1835. The date tells that he was a protestant, probably Church of Ireland. At that the local government in Cork was controlled by the Freemen of the City. They were self perpetuating body who dished out all the appointment, jobs and sinecures paid for out the City Purse. The Freemen did include a minority of Catholics. The Freemen were in turn controlled by "The Friendly Club". This was a group controlled by certain merchant families such as Besnard, Perrier etc. they looked after themselves very well until the system was reformed about 1841. That was the end of that but the influence of these men continued for a very long time. They held various appointments such as magistrates. Police Court was well down the line. You may 100% sure that Andrew was a member of "The Friendly Club" ans was also probably a freemason. Read on from Cork City Council website Municipal Government in the Nineteenth Century The Protestant gentry, aristocracy and professional classes had dominated Cork Corporation since the late 17 th century. Although there were divisions between the landed Protestant gentry from the county and their co-religionists from the city who were engaged in commerce and trading, the Protestant interest had controlled Cork Corporation since the mid-seventeenth century, excepting the brief period of Jacobite rule during the 1680s. In the early 19 th century and right up to the first local elections after the reforming legislation of 1840, Cork Corporation was effectively controlled by members of 'The Friendly Club', a clique which consisted exclusively of members of wealthy Protestant families. 'The Friendly Club' itself was dominated by members of the Perrier, Besnard and Gibbings families. Ian d'Alton, a leading authority on 19 th century Protestant Society in Cork has described the pre-1841 Cork Corporation as 'a large and well-run patronage operation. Its principal function was to supply a small group of interconnected families with offices of profit and honour.' The wealthy Catholics chafed at being excluded from political power and campaigned against their exclusion at both national and local levels. The Municipal Corporations ( Ireland ) Act (1840) marked the end of Protestant domination of Cork Corporation. The local elections held in October 1841 returned a Catholic majority which elected a Catholic mayor. For the first time in almost two centuries the Catholic merchant class was the dominant political class in Cork City . The change in the political power structure did little to help Catholics or Protestants among the working class who continued to 'enjoy' poor housing, unemployment and poor wages. While the trade union movement put down strong roots in Cork during the century, much of the political energy of the working class went into the great national question of self-government for Ireland. Municipal government in Ireland was reformed again with the passing of the Local Government ( Ireland ) Act of 1898. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Dennis Ahern Sent: 16 February 2009 17:13 To: Margaret Spearin Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Mallow] Spearin Spearing and variants On Sun, 15 Feb 2009, Margaret Spearin wrote: > I am a Spearin from Limerick and am having trouble linking my Spearin > family to other Spearin familys here. I am thinking my Spearin Spearing > family came from Cork. Any help appreciated on this. I have Luke b 1833 > but cant find where he was born. He died in Limerick in 1900 Here are two Spearings from the Irish death notice database on the IrelandOldNews.com website SPEARING, Joseph; 49; Cork City COR IRL; Cork Examiner; 1864-7-18; dja SPEARING, William "son of late Francis"; ; Cork City COR IRL; Cork Examiner; 1865-1-28; dja Also see http://www.irelandoldnews.com/Cork/1847/MAR.html#19 for a news report in which a Spearing appears to be sitting as a magistrate in a Cork Police Court. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dennis Ahern | Ireland Newspaper Abstracts Acton, Massachusetts | http://www.IrelandOldNews.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message