Page 84 - ‘A Blaker Family History’ The family history of Joseph Blaker (1916-2007; ‘Joe’)

© The Blaker Society
© The Blaker Society

Margaret – my mother- was the eldest of five children born to Francis
(‘Frank’) Jackson (1894-1960) and Sarah Anne O’Connor (nee Hartford;
1889-1974). The family lived in Doorah, Castletown Geoghegan, before
moving to a cottage in Keel, Castletown Geoghegan, County West Meath.
Castletown is a small village, located south west of Loch Ennell, close to
the County town of Mullingar. ‘Frank’ worked on the nearby Middleton
Park Estate in their stud farm, and was essentially an ‘Agricultural

Labourer’.

‘Peg’s’ siblings were:
• Marie Bridget (‘Bertie’): b. 1922; d. 1926
• William (‘Willie’): b. 1924
• Francis (‘Frankie’): b. 1928; d. 2002
• Patrick (‘Paddy’): b. 1929; d. 2004

Margaret also had two stepsisters, from Sarah’s first marriage – to John
O’Connor (1887-1917), who was killed in action on 7 June 1917 during
WWI. John O’Connor was a Sergeant (Regimental Number 53668) in the
Machine Gun Corps.

Her stepsisters were:
• Sarah O’Connor: b. 1909; d. 1984
• Christina (‘Chrissy’) O’Connor: b. 1912 ; d. 1931

Margaret was known as ‘Peg’ or ‘Peggy’. She grew up, and went to school
in Castletown Geoghegan. As ‘Frank’ and Sarah’s family grew, with the
birth of ‘Peg’s’ brothers, it became increasingly difficult for her to
continue to live in their small, 2-bedroom cottage in Keele. At the age of
11 years, she went to live with Mr. James and Mrs. Rose Casey (nee
Chapman; originated in County Offaly) in Rathdrishoge, close to
Castletown Geoghegan, to help them look after their son, Seamus. ‘Peg’s’

mother, Sarah, knew Mrs. Rose Casey, since Rose worked in Brennan’s
draper’s shop in Castletown. Whilst living in Rathdrishoge, ‘Peg’
continued her schooling, travelling across the fields to school in
Castletown. After Rose gave birth to twin girls (Mary and Teresa),
Margaret helped with the extended family – although, sadly, Teresa died
at a young age.

James Casey was an addicted gambler – each day cycling to the railway
station to place his bets. Inevitably, he gambled away his money, with the
result that the family could then no longer afford to pay for domestic help
(at the rate of two shillings and six pence per month), nor to feed ’Peg’.
Subsequently, Mrs. Casey looked for alternative arrangements for ’Peg’,
and found a post for a domestic help advertised in Cualtamore, Moate,
County Westmeath. ‘Peg’ moved there at the age of 15 years, working for
Mrs. Upton. This employment lasted about 1 year, before her father,
‘Frank’, asked his sister (‘Nellie’) and her husband (‘Frank’), who were