LI-STBY-0293

Record Date: 
23 January 2013
Graveyard: 
Stradbally
Exact wording of epitaph: 

T Gilley
Major late 7 Fusillers
died Easter Day
1869 in his 63rd year

Agnes & Ann

Memorial Type: 
Cross
Grave location
County: 
Limerick
Latitude: 
52.708051388889
Longitude: 
-8.5056797222222
Additional details
Inscribed faces: 
1
Condition of grave: 
Sound in place
Condition of inscription: 
Clear
Inscription legible: 
Yes
Number of people commemorated: 
3
People commemorated: 
Title: 
Major
Name: 
T
Surname: 
Gilley
Date of death - day: 
28
Date of death - month: 
March
Date of death - year: 
1869
Age: 
63
Name: 
Agnes
Surname: 
Gilley
Name: 
Ann
Surname: 
Gilley
Notes: 

Easter Day in 1869 fell on March 28th.
It is believed that The Gilley's did not have roots in Castleconnel but came and settled here. One of the Gilley brothers was interested in sculptor and the other metalwork thus leading to the fantastic memorial depicted.

A memorial in the Msida Bastion Cemetery in Malta also refers to Thomas Gilley of the Royal Fusiliers and his wife Anne, identical names to those recorded in Stradbally. It is possible that Thomas and Anne were based in Malta for some time possibly in a military capacity and while there lost a son.

Died 17th October 1836……..GILLEY, aged 2 years 9 months, the son of Anne and Thomas Gilley, Royal Fusiliers

“Happy is the babe that privileged by fate,
Thats shortened labour and lightened weight
But yesterday received the gift of breath
And called tomorrow to return to death.”

http://website.lineone.net/~stephaniebidmead/msida.htm

A further death notice in the Limerick Chronicle of 6th June 1876
read:
'Choppin - April 21 at St. Vincent, W. Indies, Marian the beloved wife of the Hon. J. Choppin H.M.'s Attorney General of that Island and eldest daughter of Major Gilley late of Rock Lodge Castleconnell Co. Limerick'

http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/Choppin.pdf