Mary Jones is enthralled by the story of her relative Michael Collins, who endured famine, poverty and imprisonment before making a fresh start in life. By Gail Dixon
Childhood crime appalled many of the luminaries of the Victorian era, not least Charles Dickens who highlighted the problem in Oliver Twist (1837–1839). As more migrant workers flooded into the cities, the juvenile crime rate rocketed. Unsurprisingly, poverty was the driving force and many children became pickpockets just to put food in their stomachs, often joining gangs like Fagin’s. Those who were convicted were thrown into filthy, overcrowded gaols alongside adult felons. Imagine such a fate befalling one of your ancestors.
Mary Jones is a writer from Llandudno in Conwy, North Wales, who has published genealogy-based mystery novels under the pseudonym MK Jones. She became fascinated by family history 25 years ago, and has delved deep into her Irish roots.
“My mum’s maiden name was Josephine Collins,” Mary explains. “She was widowed young and took up a few hobbies after Dad died, including genealogy. I decided to help her, and soon became hooked on it. That’s how I found our Victorian relative Michael Collins, who fell foul of the law during childhood.”
Michael was born in Youghal, County Cork, Ireland, in 1848. His parents were John and Mary Collins, and his eldest brother Thomas would grow up to become Mary’s great great grandfather. “The family came to Wales in 1849 at the height of the Great Famine. Life must have been terrible for them in Ireland.” Food riots erupted in Irish ports, including Youghal, where starving people had to watch homegrown grain being loaded onto boats destined for England.
The family settled in Newport, Monmouthshire (now Gwent), which is where they were listed on the 1851 census. The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal transported coal, limestone and iron ore from the Valleys to Newport. The town expanded to become a thriving port, and this generated work opportunities.
“A large Irish community grew up around Newport, and it’s still there today. It was a dreadful place to live in the mid-19th century, built on a marsh with houses just thrown up for the workers. Sewage ran down the middle of the road, and there was one ‘privvy’ for 20 households. The Collins family lived close to the docks and canal, where barges c
