The Daggs of Cork

 

Compiled by Jann Callaghan Cullen

 

 

An examination of early records clearly shows that there were at least three separate DAGG groups associated with the city of Cork.    These families were all connected either to the merchant or military class,  and all three had inter-relations with many of the prominent Anglo ascendency families of Cork.  Any correlation or connection between these three Dagg groups has not been clearly established, and must remain in the realm of speculation lacking further evidence.  These three families are:

 

1) George Dagg,  merchant, and his descendants, living in Cork from at least 1776 till about 1830.

2) The Daggs of Treweggett,  Cornwall, who intermarried with prominent Cork Anglo families.

3) The family and descendants of Lieut. Thomas Dagg, from Tipperary, who lived in Cork from about 1839 until at least the 1860’s.

 

1) Who were the earliest Daggs in Cork?  Records show the presence of one George Dagg in Cork as early as 1776.   The origin of this George Dagg is unknown,  as is the date of his settlement in Cork.  His name appears later in a business directory as a merchant clothier, living in Blackrock in 1787, at that time an exclusive Anglo enclave of Cork city inhabited by prominent and well-to-do families.  The Tithe Applotment Books list only one Dagg in Cork, (no name given) living in St. Nicholas Parish c. 1826.  This must certainly have been this George Dagg or one of his sons.   Early records pertaining to this family are listed below:

 

1776                George Dagg                 (details not available)                                          Index to Irish Wills  (Phillimore, 1909 etc.)

1787                George Dagg                 Clothier, living in Blackrock, Cork                     Cork Directory for 1787      

1787                Edward Dagg                Clothier, living in Blackrock, Cork                     Cork Directory for 1787                      

1801                George Dagg                 Marriage to Elizabeth Tracy                               Marriage Licence Bonds, Diocese of Cork and Ross

1805                George Dagg                 Boot & Shoemaker, Firhamble Lane, Cork       Holder’s Triennial Directory 1805, 1806, 1807

1812                Ann Dagg                     Marriage to David Gould                                    Marriage Licence Bonds, Diocese of Cork and Ross    

1820                George Dagg                 Hosier, 5 Castle Street, Cork                               Commercial Directory of Ireland 1820, 1821, 1822

1820                George Dagg                 Boot & Shoemaker, Bachelor’s Quay               Commercial Directory of Ireland 1820, 1821, 1822

1829                James Dagg                   Marriage to Jane Fleming                                   Marriage Licence Bonds, Diocese of Cork and Ross

1830                Elizabeth Dagg             Baptism (d/o James and Jane Dagg)                 St. Nicholas Parish Records, Cork

 

 

The last of these records refers to one James Dagg, who later moved to Port Burwell, Ontario.   This James Dagg married Jane Fleming in St. Nicholas’ Church, Cork City, in 1829.  Their first child, Elizabeth was born there in 1830.   Records for this family in Ontario show that James is a merchant.  The Descendants of James Dagg and Jane Fleming of Port Burwell, researched by Bert Dagg of New Zealand, is presented in the ‘Family Trees’ section of this site.

 

2)  Who were the Daggs of Treweggett?  This prominent Cornwall family had their pedigree officially set out by a royal Herald as part of the Visitations of Cornwall, in 1620.  This pedigree is traced back in an unbroken line to about the year 1420 with the birth of one William Dagg of St. Eath who married Jennet, daughter and heir of John Smith of Treweggett.   Later additions to this pedigree were documented  in the History of Trigg Minor, by Sir John Maclean, following parts of this family into the 1860’s.   It is in these later years that we first find the connection between the Daggs of Treweggett and County Cork.

 

Captain Abel Dagge of Cornwall (the 6th generation to bear this name) was born in 1761.  He married in 1808, one Ellen Power of Cork.  The Powers of Cork were a prominent Anglo Ascendancy family.  Their son,  Abel Power Dagge (b. 1809,  Cornwall)  married Anna Marie Goold of Cork. The Goolds were also a prominent Anglo Cork family, and four years later records show another Dagg/Goold marriage in Cork.  Abel Power Dagg’s second wife was Mary Anne Hickey, also of Cork.   Abel Power Dagge, like his father before him, enlisted as an officer in the Royal Army.  There is no evidence that Abel Power Dagge or his descendants ever actually lived in Cork.

 

Unfortunately, the later additons to the Daggs of Treweggett family history is only a partial one, and does not cover all the members born into that family.  If it did, we may well have been able to track down the George Dagg who lived in Cork in 1776, and probably also the Anne Dagg who married David Goold.  An in-depth study of these later Treweggett generations may also clarify any link to the early Daggs of Wicklow.  Perhaps there is a researcher out there who is tracing this family line who may be able to add to the breadth of this family tree.   The Daggs of Treweggett is presented in the ‘Family Trees’ section of this site.

 

3)  Who was Lieutenant Thomas Dagg, of Borrisokane?

The last group of Daggs to be associated with Cork can be traced to a much later date with the arrival in Cork of one Lieutenant Thomas Dagg.  Thomas Dagg was born in Borrisokane,  Tipperary.   Details of his parentage are unknown, but his occupation is listed as ‘Farmer’ in early documents.  (One William Dagg, farmer,  was listed as living in Borrisokane at the time.)  Thomas enlisted in the military service at Roscrea at the age of 18, eventually ending up with a posting in Cork in about 1837.   He also settled in St. Nicholas Parish area of Cork.  He served in the military at the same time as Abel Power Dagg, of Treweggett.  Whether this Thomas had any connection with the Daggs of Treweggett, or to the merchant George Dagg family of Cork is unknown.

 

Nearly all of the records found in Cork after the 1840’s pertain to the descendants of this Lieut. Thomas Dagg.  The Griffith’s Valuation in 1852,  lists only one Dagg living in St. Nicholas Parish.  This was Robert Alexander Dagg, son of Lieut. Thomas Dagg, then serving as Lieutenant and Adjutant of the Cork Recruiting District, a post he seems to have been granted upon the death of his father.  Records of the births of Robert’s children appear in the registers of St. Nicholas Parish.   Like the George Dagg family and the Daggs of Treweggett, this Dagg family was associated with many other influential and prominent Anglo families of Cork.    The descendancy of Thomas Dagg is presented below.

 

 

 

Descendants of Lieutenant Thomas Dagg

 

Researched by A. Murray Robertson

Acknowledgements:  Doug Dagg

Edited by Jann Callaghan Cullen

 

Murray Robertson first began researching the DAGG families in Ireland to help his old school friend Trevor Dagg trace his family history on the Daggs of Cork. It led Murray on a thirty year journey in quest of Dagg records in Ireland, for which we all can be thankful.  I based the original file on Murray’s research notes, though they were incomplete and in the form of loose source notes.  Doug Dagg of London, England has since contacted me and has passed along a copy of the finished research that Murray gave to Trevor Dagg.  This current file includes the Trevor Dagg file,  updates by Kenneth Dagg, and  Murray’s subsequent research data on several peripheral lines of  this family.   Where differences between dates and linear relationships occur, I have used A. Murray Robertson’s original source references.

 

 

T

HOMAS1 DAGG was born Abt. 1793 in Borrisokane, Tipperary, and died September 16, 1847 in Cork.  His obituary ran in the Cork Journal, and his age there was then given as 53.  He married (1) ??? Ross in about 1816.   There are no records identifying this first wife of Thomas Dagg.  All the children born to Thomas Dagg were the children of his first wife.  It is likely that her surname was named Ross, given that ‘Ross’ was used as a middle name for their firstborn son, and for numerous grandsons thereafter.  She died some time between 1832 and 1842.  He married (2) ANNE ROSS on October 24, 1843, in St. Bridget's Parish, Dublin.  At the time of their marriage, Thomas was living at No. 21 Great Ship Street, Dublin, (in the parish of St. Bridget).  Ann was listed as a spinster, from Cork, now residing in Great Ship St. in Dublin.  They were married by consistorial licence in the Parish of St. Bridget’s, according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England and Ireland.  Anne died on Sept. 9, 1878; she is believed to have been the sister of Thomas’ first wife.

 

Thomas Dagg enlisted in the army at Roscrea, and served with the Fourth Irish Royal Dragoons  from 1810 to 1827.  His discharge papers show that he served for a period of 16 years and 303 days, eventually rising in rank to Sergeant.  He later served as a commissioned officer from 1839 to 1847, as Lieutenant Adjutant of the Cork Recruiting District.

 

He was discharged from his earlier service for medical conditions, specifically "Loss of the palate which has produced great alteration in his voice and a frequent cough.  Feeble, worn out, and unfit."  He is described at that time as 35 years of age, 5 ft. 8 in. in height, with light brown hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion.  His trade was listed as a Farmer.

 

After his death in 1847, his wife Anne Dagg applied for a widow's pension.  This document states that Thomas died as the result of a long and severe attack of dysentery in Cork.  She was granted a pension of 40 Pounds per year.  His death certificate lists him as 53 years old, suggesting a birth date of 1794. 

       

Children of THOMAS DAGG and ??? Ross are:

1.        John Ross Dagg, born Oct. 11, 1817, in County Cork.  He was employed as a Land Agent to the 3rd Marquis of Salisbury, at Hatfield House, in Hertefordshire.  He married Julia Ann Dewey.  She was born in about 1834 and died Sept 27, 1878.  (an alternate date of death for Julia has been given as Oct. 12, 1878).  John Ross Dagg died Feb. 12, 1885.   

 

Children of JOHN DAGG and JULIA DEWEY are:

I.         GERTRUDE CECILE3 DAGG.

II.       TREVOR W. DAGG, b. 1850.

III.     JOHN COX DAGG, b. Abt. 1851.

IV.     ARTHUR ROSS DAGG was born November 17, 1857; he died April 03, 1929.  He married HELEN GERTRUDE SMITH.  She was born August 15, 1857, and died March 1956.

       

Children of ARTHUR DAGG and HELEN SMITH are:

i.      EVELYN ROSS DAGG, b. August 09, 1890; d. June 28, 1976.

ii.     MURIEL ROSS DAGG, b. January 07, 1891; d. September 21, 1940.

iii.    KENNETH ROSS DAGG, b. September 12, 1887; d. October 24, 1924, La Paz, Bolivia.  He married ADELA GONZALES.  She was born July 21, 1900, and died March 18, 1952.

       

Children of KENNETH DAGG and ADELA GONZALES are:

i)      KENNETH ROSS DAGG was born September 02, 1919.  He married BETTY MIDDLETON June 08, 1946 in Worcestershire, Eng.  She was born July 18, 1920.

       

Children of KENNETH DAGG and BETTY MIDDLETON are:

a.     ROBERT ROSS DAGG, b. March 14, 1947; d. March 15, 1947.

b.     GAIL FRANCES ROSS DAGG, b. 1952.  She married (1) PETER JOSEPH GLADWIN.    She married (2) IAN JOHN MARSHALL.  .

       

        Child of GAIL DAGG and PETER GLADWIN is:

I.      SIMON MICHAEL GLADWIN, b. 1981.

 

Children of GAIL DAGG and IAN MARSHALL are:

II.     NATHAN JOHN MARSHALL, b. 1988.

III.    AARON DANIEL MARSHALL, b. 1990.

 

ii)     EVELYN ROSS DAGG was born November 16, 1920.  She married LESLIE ALBERT NORTHFIELD.  He was born Dec. 20, 1917, and died Oct. 01, 1963.

       

Children of EVELYN DAGG and LESLIE NORTHFIELD are:

a.     KENNETH REGINALD NORTHFIELD was born November 03, 1943.  He married HEATHER DENYER 1967. 

 

Child of KENNETH NORTHFIELD and HEATHER DENYER is:

I.      ZOE NORTHFIELD, b. 1971.

 

b.     TREVOR NORTHFIELD was born July 16, 1950.  He married LORRYNE EVANS in 1974. 

       

Children of TREVOR NORTHFIELD and LORRYNE EVANS:

I.      SIMON NORTHFIELD, b. 1979.

II.     STEFAN NORTHFIELD, b. 1981.

 

iv.    SYLVIA ROSS DAGG, was born 1888, and died 1970.  She married WILLIAM SANDERS. 

       

Children of SYLVIA DAGG and WILLIAM SANDERS are:

i)      JOHN MICHAEL SANDERS.

ii)     VERONCIA MARY SANDERS.

 

V.       THOMAS DAGG.

VI.     WALTER LEWIS DAGG, b. 1859.

VII.   PERCY HERBERT DAGG was born 1864, and died July 15, 1919.  He married MARION WICK.  She was born 1872, and died 1955.

       

Child of PERCY DAGG and MARION WICK is:

i.      DOUGLAS PERCY MALCOLM DAGG was born November 20, 1887, and died June 23, 1933.  He married AUDREY MARION SKIPPER.  She was born February 12, 1893, and died 1986.

       

Children of DOUGLAS DAGG and AUDREY SKIPPER are:

i.      MARION DOUGLAS DAGG, b. November 30, 1916.

ii.     TREVOR DAGG  was born June 08, 1919.  He married EILEEN PALMER.  She was born September 19, 1912.

 

Children of TREVOR DAGG and EILEEN PALMER are:

        i)    JOHN DAGG, b. June 23, 1941; d. 1961.

        ii)   JENNIFER DAGG, b. 1944.

        iii)  DOUGLAS DAGG, b. 1946.

        iv)  RICHARD DAGG, b. 1952.  He married SHEILA PULLEN, b. 1955.

       

Children of RICHARD DAGG and SHEILA PULLEN are:

a.     CARL JOHN DAGG, b. 1971.

b.     STACEY LLOYD DAGG, b. 1976.

 

iii.    PETER DAGG, b. June 08, 1923; d. 1973; m. JOAN ENGLISH.

iv.    ROBERTA DAGG, b. April 08, 1926.

 

VIII. CONSTANCE JULIA ROBINSON DAGG, b. November 13, 1864.

 

2.        Thomas Edward Dagg, was about 1820.  Thomas died June 3, 1847, in Madeira, Portugal, where he was serving as an Army Lieutenant.

 

3.        ROBERT ALEXANDER2 DAGG, was born in about 1825 in Cork, and died April 21, 1868 at Chestwynd House, Oxton in Cheshire, England.  He died of a “Phthisis Cavity of the right lung – 6 weeks”. He married ELIZA JANE BULL July 06, 1848 in St. Ann’s Shandon, Cork City, daughter of CHRISTOPHER ALDWORTH BULL.  She was born Abt. 1827 in Cork.  Eliza died at the age of 35, in England.  Her obituary was published in the Cork Journal on Jan. 16, 1864, giving her place of residence as Oxton, Birkenhead, England.  Robert’s age at the time of his marriage was listed as Age 23 6/12 years.   He served in the army, holding the following ranks: Ensign 2nd West India Regiment in 1843;  Lieutenant and Adjutant of the Cork Recruiting District 1847;  Lieutenant and Adjutant of the Liverpool Recruiting District 1867/'68.  He lived at Springville, Blackrock, Cork, and later  (April 21, 1868) at Chestwynd House, Oxton, Birkenhead, Cheshire.

 

Children of ROBERT DAGG and ELIZA BULL are:

I.         THOMAS HENRY LENNOX3 DAGG, b. July 25, 1849, St. Nicholas Parish, Cork.  He was baptised April 05, 1854, St. Nicholas Parish, Cork.  He was living in 1870 in Burton on Trent.

II.       MARY ALICE DAGG, b. February 17, 1852, St. Nicholas Parish, Cork.

III.     ARTHUR PERCY DAGG, b. February 01, 1854, St. Nicholas Parish, Cork.  He was living in 1877

IV.     HUSON ROSS DAGG, b. September 21, 1855, St. Nicholas Parish, Cork.

V.       ROBERT AUGUSTUS DAGG.  He was living in 1879

VI.     EMILY HELENA DAGG.  She was living in 1882 in London

VII.   LOUISA ROSS DAGG.  She was living in 1885 in London

VIII. ELIZABETH JANE DAGG.  She was living in 1885 in London.

 

4.        GEORGE WILLIAM JACKSON DAGG, was born Abt. 1830.  He married (1) MATILDA MARY ST. JOHN CALDWELL on August 08, 1853, daughter of REVEREND JOHN CALDWELL.  She was born in Dublin.  He married (2) MARY BARBARA KELLETT 1865.  She was born abt. 1843, and died abt. 1877.  It is believed she died of complications from childbirth.  *Thanks to Susan Cross for updates and family history on this branch of the family.

       

Children of GEORGE DAGG and MATILDA CALDWELL are:

I.         GEORGE AMYRALD DE MONTMORENCY “EDWIN” DAGG, was born in about 1855.  Edwin joined the R.I.C. in Dublin in 1878, at the age of 22, reaching the postion of D.I.  He was highly educated, holding several degrees.  He was a respected author; his works included “Devia Hibernia”, and several histories of old Irish churches.  He married, but his spouse's name is unknown.  He may have had a daughter or descendant named Nina Barrett

II.       GEORGINA DAGG.  She married a man name Fogarty, and lived in the U.S.A.  They had 10 children.

III.     Matilda Mary St. John Caldwell Georgina Dagg was born in 1862, in Dublin.  She died at the age of 5 months.  Her obituary was run in the Cork Journal on Dec. 9, 1862.  At the time of her death, they were living at 1 Serpentine Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin.

       

Children of GEORGE DAGG and MARY KELLETT are:

IV.     CLAUDE JOHN AUGUSTUS3 DAGG, was born in 1870, in Dublin Castle; he died in 1926; he married EVA MARGARET WALMSLEY.  They lived in Knutsford.  Claude Dagg worked as a John Jamieson rep in the Manchester area.  He died prematurely, of throat cancer. 

V.       SIDNEY CHARLES TREVOR BURKE DAGG, b. 1872; d. 1872.

VI.     MARY ISABELLA ROSS DAGG, b. December 12, 1873.  She married a James Spurr.

VII.   THOMAS “SIDNEY” CHARLES DAGG, b. 1875; d. 1964.  Sidney was about 16 when his father died, leaving him orphaned.  He initially lived with his eldest brother Edwin Dagg, but was very unhappy there.  He ran away to Dublin where he stayed with his brother Claude, who supported him through University.  Sidney worked as a barrister for the Civil Service.  He never forgot his brother's generousity, and when Claude died in 1926, Sidney helped to look after his brother's wife and children.

VIII. STEPHEN KELLETT DAGG, b. 1877; d. 1878.

 

5.        CHARLES HENRY DAGG was born about 1831; he married ANNA MARY ST. JOHN CALDWELL.  He was an ensign with the 98th Foot as of July 18, 1848.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jann Callaghan Cullen

Feb. 20, 2004