Elizabeth Kavanagh

Elizabeth Kavanagh was born on 15 July 1882 at 'Rock Big', Arklow. The eldest child of Thomas Kavanagh and Jane Murray.

Marriage to John Gibson

On 18 July 1906, Elizabeth married John Gibson at the parish church in Arklow. John was the son of Peter Gibson, a resident of Rock Big. At the time of their wedding, John was working as a sett-maker - a highly skilled stonecutter responsible for shaping the granite paving stones (setts) used to pave streets.

Elizabeth was residing at The Warrens, a coastal area of Arklow near the traditional fishing grounds. Their marriage was witnessed by John Byrne and Maggie Byrne.

Children of Elizabeth and John

• Margaret Mary

• Peter

• Thomas

• John

• James

• William

• Jane

• Laurence

• Elizabeth

• Liam

The 1911 Census

By 1911, the family was living at House 3 in Rockbog, in the rural outskirts of Arklow. It was a bustling, multi-generational household. Elizabeth and John were living with John’s parents, Peter and Margaret Gibson, as well as John’s brother, William.

By this time, John had temporarily moved away from stonecutting, with his occupation recorded as a Time Keeper. Elizabeth and John had also welcomed their first four children; Margaret Mary, Peter, Thomas and John.

The 1926 Census

The 1926 Irish Census catches the family living at House 20, St. Brigid’s Terrace in Arklow town. By this time, their family had grown with the addition younger children: Jane, Elizabeth, and William. The census return states that John and Elizabeth had 10 children.

John had returned to his trade in stone, working as a sett-dresser for the Corporation of Dublin, though he was recorded as being out of work for three weeks at the time of the census. Their adult son Thomas was working as a labourer at a local waterworks but was currently out of work for one week and John Jr. was working as a yardman at a general merchants, but he too was currently listed as out of work.

Tragically, Elizabeth’s life was cut short - she passed away on 30 Jan 1934 at 20 Abbey Street, Arklow, at the age of 51. The certified cause of death was carcinomata of the abdominal organs, an illness she had bravely endured for a year. Her husband, John, acted as the informant, registering her death in Arklow that very same day.

John survived Elizabeth by more than two decades, witnessing his children and grandchildren grow up in Arklow. He passed away peacefully from senility at the age of eighty on 15 June 1961 at 53 Connolly Street, Arklow. The following day, his son Thomas Gibson registered his death.