Masonic Girl's School, Merrion now a hotel in Ballsbridge. Photography courtesy of Priory Studios.
McCurdy family of Blackrock & Stillorgan
William McCurdy was head porter and clerk at Trinity College. He married Mary and was
at the Provost House, Trinity on the night of the 1851 Census. Mary died 1 Dec 1866 at
Marino Lodge, Monkstown aged 70 and William died 10 Mar 1868, late of Marino Lodge,
at the home of his son in law at 41 York Street. Both were buried at Carrickbrennan.
1 Luke McCurdy, born circa 1822 a solicitor of 34 Westland Row died
9 Apr 1859 aged 37 at Monkstown.
2 John McCurdy, born circa 1823 was a civil engineer and an up and coming
architect in 1854 when his design for the museum building at Trinity was
accepted. This brought him into a public argument with Sir Thomas Deane who
omitted to credit him with the plans. He would remain architect to the Board of
Trinity up until his death. He worked from his office at 34 Westland Row, designing
and preparing tenders until 1861 when he removed to 1 Harcourt place, Upper
Merrion Street. He married Lucy Heinekey, youngest daughter of Robert Heinekey
at Rathfarnham Church on 4 Oct 1857. A keen yachtsman, he was a member of the
Prince Albert Yacht Club and the owner of a yawl named Amberwitch which won
prize money of 240 pounds between 1868 and 1870. In 1870 he sold the Amberwitch
to Mr Alexander of the Royal Irish Yacht Club and bought the Wavecrest, a much
lighter boat.
John had a great ability to adapt and enlarge buildings making them more useable,
this he accomplished with his remodelling of the Shelbourne Hotel and also
Kilmainham jail. He also completed many new builds, churches and hotels
including All Saints on Carysfort Avenue between 1868 and 1870, the Royal Marine
in Dun Laoghaire between 1865 and 1865 and Dunardagh in Blackrock. A full list
of his works can be found at the Dictionary of Irish Architects. They lived at The
Cottage, Newtown Park from 1870 to 1872 and John became All Saint's first
churchwarden when it was opened in 1870.
He suffered health problems and in 1873 he took into partnership William Mansfield
Mitchell so that he could spend winters in North Africa and less time travelling to site,
together they would complete many buildings including the Masonic Girl's School at
Merrion and the extension to St Columba's school in Rathfarnham. John died aged
62 at Elsinore, Dalkey on 12 Sep 1885 and Lucy died 14 Aug 1928 aged 93 at Brighton
Terrace, both are buried at Deansgrange.
1 Mary Agatha McCurdy born 20 Aug 1858 at Monkstown married Adam Seaton
Findlater, a wine merchant of Upland Monkstown and son of John Findlater.
Adam died 18 Jan 1911. Mary died 22 Jul 1927 and was buried with her
parents at Deansgrange.
1 Wanda Mary Findlater born 12 Jul 1889 at Chesterfield, Ballybrack
married Alexander Hart Parry.
3 Margaret Helen McCurdy (Helen) born circa 1824 married Robert Hazelton a dental
surgeon of Armagh and son of Robert Hazelton, a pawnbroker on 22 Nov 1854 at
St Mark’s Dublin. Her brother John was one of the witnesses. The couple lived at
34 Westland Row from where Robert ran his dental practice, maintaining his
practice in Armagh which he visited every second Saturday. The couple were
living at Sandycove Road in Glasthule in 1901.
1 Daughter born Armagh 19 Apr 1856.
2 Margaret Blanche Hazelton born 11 Dec 1862 at 14 Westland Row, baptised at
St Mark’s Dublin.
3 Kate Hazelton born 13 Sep 1864 at 14 Westland Row baptised at St Mark’s,
Dublin.
4 Percy A Hazelton born 2 Mar 1871 at 26 Westland Row.
4 Katherine (Kate) McCurdy married Samuel Bright, of 32 Peter Street and son of
Alexander Bright at St Bride’s on 24 Nov 1856. Samuel ran the Bright's School of
Medicine before joining the Ledwich School of Medicine. The couple lived at 34
Westland Row until 1861 when they moved to 14 Westland Row and then to 26
Westland Row.
1 William born 26 Feb 1857 at Westland Row died 16 Oct 1858.
2 Daughter born 25 May 1859 at Marino Lodge, Monkstown.
3 Son born 25 Jan 1864 at 41 York Street.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – May 2019
William McCurdy was head porter and clerk at Trinity College. He married Mary and was
at the Provost House, Trinity on the night of the 1851 Census. Mary died 1 Dec 1866 at
Marino Lodge, Monkstown aged 70 and William died 10 Mar 1868, late of Marino Lodge,
at the home of his son in law at 41 York Street. Both were buried at Carrickbrennan.
1 Luke McCurdy, born circa 1822 a solicitor of 34 Westland Row died
9 Apr 1859 aged 37 at Monkstown.
2 John McCurdy, born circa 1823 was a civil engineer and an up and coming
architect in 1854 when his design for the museum building at Trinity was
accepted. This brought him into a public argument with Sir Thomas Deane who
omitted to credit him with the plans. He would remain architect to the Board of
Trinity up until his death. He worked from his office at 34 Westland Row, designing
and preparing tenders until 1861 when he removed to 1 Harcourt place, Upper
Merrion Street. He married Lucy Heinekey, youngest daughter of Robert Heinekey
at Rathfarnham Church on 4 Oct 1857. A keen yachtsman, he was a member of the
Prince Albert Yacht Club and the owner of a yawl named Amberwitch which won
prize money of 240 pounds between 1868 and 1870. In 1870 he sold the Amberwitch
to Mr Alexander of the Royal Irish Yacht Club and bought the Wavecrest, a much
lighter boat.
John had a great ability to adapt and enlarge buildings making them more useable,
this he accomplished with his remodelling of the Shelbourne Hotel and also
Kilmainham jail. He also completed many new builds, churches and hotels
including All Saints on Carysfort Avenue between 1868 and 1870, the Royal Marine
in Dun Laoghaire between 1865 and 1865 and Dunardagh in Blackrock. A full list
of his works can be found at the Dictionary of Irish Architects. They lived at The
Cottage, Newtown Park from 1870 to 1872 and John became All Saint's first
churchwarden when it was opened in 1870.
He suffered health problems and in 1873 he took into partnership William Mansfield
Mitchell so that he could spend winters in North Africa and less time travelling to site,
together they would complete many buildings including the Masonic Girl's School at
Merrion and the extension to St Columba's school in Rathfarnham. John died aged
62 at Elsinore, Dalkey on 12 Sep 1885 and Lucy died 14 Aug 1928 aged 93 at Brighton
Terrace, both are buried at Deansgrange.
1 Mary Agatha McCurdy born 20 Aug 1858 at Monkstown married Adam Seaton
Findlater, a wine merchant of Upland Monkstown and son of John Findlater.
Adam died 18 Jan 1911. Mary died 22 Jul 1927 and was buried with her
parents at Deansgrange.
1 Wanda Mary Findlater born 12 Jul 1889 at Chesterfield, Ballybrack
married Alexander Hart Parry.
3 Margaret Helen McCurdy (Helen) born circa 1824 married Robert Hazelton a dental
surgeon of Armagh and son of Robert Hazelton, a pawnbroker on 22 Nov 1854 at
St Mark’s Dublin. Her brother John was one of the witnesses. The couple lived at
34 Westland Row from where Robert ran his dental practice, maintaining his
practice in Armagh which he visited every second Saturday. The couple were
living at Sandycove Road in Glasthule in 1901.
1 Daughter born Armagh 19 Apr 1856.
2 Margaret Blanche Hazelton born 11 Dec 1862 at 14 Westland Row, baptised at
St Mark’s Dublin.
3 Kate Hazelton born 13 Sep 1864 at 14 Westland Row baptised at St Mark’s,
Dublin.
4 Percy A Hazelton born 2 Mar 1871 at 26 Westland Row.
4 Katherine (Kate) McCurdy married Samuel Bright, of 32 Peter Street and son of
Alexander Bright at St Bride’s on 24 Nov 1856. Samuel ran the Bright's School of
Medicine before joining the Ledwich School of Medicine. The couple lived at 34
Westland Row until 1861 when they moved to 14 Westland Row and then to 26
Westland Row.
1 William born 26 Feb 1857 at Westland Row died 16 Oct 1858.
2 Daughter born 25 May 1859 at Marino Lodge, Monkstown.
3 Son born 25 Jan 1864 at 41 York Street.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – May 2019