Death premonitions come in all shapes and sizes - here is a particularly tragic one from 1879...
The Monmouthshire Merlin for 24th January 1879 reported:
CAERPHILLY, AN ICE ACCIDENT
On Saturday morning the little town of Carphilly was in a state of excitement with the sad news that a young lad, about 14 years of age, named Daniel Desmond, was missing from home all Friday night.
A boy found his cap at Pen Capel Pond, just above the town, and it was found that the lad had fallen through the ice. The body was got out about half-past mine o'clock on Saturday morning.
What makes poor Daniel's death was weird was the extra information reported in the Pontypool Free Press and Herald of the Hills of 25th January 1879:
CAERPHILLY ICE ACCIDENT.
Last Friday, a good looking Irish Catholic lad named Daniel Desmond, 14 years of age, left home about mid-day, and as he did not return in the evening, his parents became alarmed, and a search was at once made for the missing boy. It was known that he had gone to slide on a small, but rather deep pond near Pen-Capel-Farm.
Unfortunately there seems to have been no one there except himself, when some newly formed ice on to which he had got (judging from the marks) gave way, and he was drowned. The body was not recovered until Saturday morning, although the lad's cap was found the same evening.
An inquest was held on Monday by Mr E. B. Reece, when the jury' returned a verdict of "Accidental death through drowning." The jurymen, on the suggestion of Mr Wright, their foreman, very considerately gave the fees to the poor lad's sorrowing parents, who are in rather straightened circumstances.
Singularly enough Daniel had dreamt the night before that he was drowning in this. pond, and had related the dream to his parents all breakfast time.
Daniel was born in 1864 to Julia (b. 1831) and James Desmond (b. 1819). They emigrated to Wales from Ireland some time before 1857 and on the 1861 census were living at Graig, Whitchurch, with three children: Bridget (b. 1857), Mary (b. 1859), and Joseph (b. 1861).
On the 1871 census the family were living at Dwyar Anwyl in Whitchurch. In addition to Julia and James, who was working as a labourer, there was: Mary Jane (b. 1859), Joseph (b. 1861), Julia (b. 1862), Daniel (b. 1864), James (b. 1866), and John (b. 1868).
The press reports of Daniel's inquest said the family were in "straightened circumstances" and, following his death, the situation only went from bad to worse. I think Joseph also died in late 1879, Julia at the beginning of 1880, and James Senior definitely at some point before the 1881 census.
On the 1881 census the family were listed as living at Eglwysilan on Caerphilly Mountain. In addition to the widowed Julia, living at home were: Mary, James, plus grandchildren George (b. 1876) and Margaret (b. 1879). (There may actually have been more but the census page is damaged...)
The Cardiff Times of July 29th 1882 reported on a meeting of the Pontypridd Rural Sanitary Authority, at which the family were mentioned:
Mr John Evans, surveyor, reported that a Mrs Desmond, a widow, relief-recipient, her children, &c., occupied an old cottage on the side of Caerphilly Mountain, which was in so delapidated a condition that he would consider it crueity to animals to allow pigs to be kept there. The property belonged to the Marquis of Bute. - The authority directed Mr Spickett, the clerk, to communicate with Mr Corbett, Lord Bute's agent, on the subject.
Later that year local newspapers reported that James Desmond was fined 5s at the late November petty sessions for throwing fireworks in the streets at Caerphilly on November 4th. I think James died in 1886.
I also found this piece in the Cardiff Times for February 2nd 1884 which is possibly referring to George Desmond, Daniel's nephew:
CAERPHILLY. On Tuesday at the police court - before Mr Henry Williams (chairman) and Dr. John Llewellyn - a young man named Thomas England was charged with assaulting a boy named George Desmond, on the 10th of December, and was fined 2s 6d including costs.
On the 1891 census the remaining Desmonds were still living at Eglwysilan - Julia, George (now a 14-year-old coal miner), and their lodger Ellen Murmail (b. 1812). I think THIS might be the correct Mary, working as a charwoman and lodging at 7 Rodney Street in Cardiff.
In 1901 Julia and Mary, listed as a charwoman, were living together at Appartments House, 1 Mill Road, Caerphilly.
