6 Apr 2021

I found the following in the South Wales Daily News for 20 October 1886:

WHOLESALE ROBBERIES AT CRUMLIN AND ABERCARNE. At the Tredegar police-court on Tuesday, Catherine Deneen, aged 28, wife of John Deneen, and Priscilla Deneen, 41, wife of Denis Deneen. both of whom live in the same house at Celynen Pits, Abercarne, were charged before Dr G. A. Brown with stealing 18 pairs of boots, 3 skirts, 2 sheets, 2 night dresses, 1 dress, and 1 silver brooch belonging to John Davies, bootmaker, Crumlin. Catherine Deneen was also charged with stealing a night dress, a shirt, and 4 yards of Welsh flannel, the property of John Herbert, the landlord of the Viaduct Hotel. Crumlin; and with stealing a quilt, value 7s 6d, the property of Hugh Edwards, rail inspector, on the 26th of February last. Priscilla Deneen was further charged with stealing a pair of boots, value 8s 9d, the property of John Elias, grocer. Mr T. S. Edwards prosecuted. All the articles stolen were pledged at the shop of Philip Tanchan, pawnbroker, Abercarne. After a long hearing, the bench committed the prisoners to take their trial at the next quarter sessions at Usk. ¹

Priscilla Deneen is almost certainly Martha Frances Priscilla Watkins, married to Bridget Dineen’s brother Denis. Catherine Deneen is Catherine Connors, wife of Bridget’s brother John. At the quarter sessions on 19th October 1886, the pair were tried for simple larceny. Priscilla was acquitted but Catherine was sentenced to be imprisoned for 3 months². Interestingly on the same page is a mention of a “Betriget Jones” and James Palmer, both also on trial for simple larceny.

Another reference to Priscilla Deneen, this time in the Star of Gwent, 12 February 1876

WOMEN’S QUARRELS. Priscilla Deneen and Caroline Powell were summoned for assaulting Elizabeth Desmond.—Powell did not appear.—The complainant said she was going out for some water when the defendant Deneen rushed out of her house attacked her by the of her head, and struck her several times.—The magistrates ordered the defendant to pay the costs, and bound her over to keep the peace.³

Earlier that year a John Deneen was charged with indecent assault on a woman named Fanny Tobin. From the Star of Gwent, 8 January 1876:

CHARGE OF INDECENT ASSAULT. John Deneen and James Sheehan were charged with indecently assaulting a young woman named Fanny Tobin.- Mr Gibbs appeared for the defendants.—Complainant said she lived with her mother at Risca. On Monday night, the 27th ult, she was alone in the house, when Sheehan, who was lodging there, came in company with the other defendant, and burst open the door. But of them, when they were inside, commenced pulling her about, and contrived to put her on the ground. Dineen first committed the offence, and she resisted him as much as possible. The other defendant was standing by at the time, and he afterwards committed the same offence. Her mother was out, and she did not call out for any assistance because of being afraid. The evidence throughout was somewhat complicated, the complainant giving way. —Mr Gibbs was proceeding with his cross-examination, when the Bench, noticing some important facts which were elicited by him, decided, before he completed, to dismiss the case. At the same time they characterised the behaviour of the defendants as extremely bad, and hoped the present case would be a warning to them.⁴

Another reference to Catherine Deneen, this time in the South Wales Daily News, 25 April 1887

ROBBING A FRIEND AT RISCA.— At Newport county police-court, on Saturday before Mr Thomas Cordes and three other magistrates— Catherine Deneen, married woman, was charged with stealing a silver watch and guard from the house of James George, collier, at Risca, on the 15th inst. The property, which belonged to Thomas George, son of the householder, was hanging by the fireplace on the afternoon of the day named. Prisoner, who was acquainted with George, went to the house, and was provided with a cup of tea, and enjoyed a friendly chat. Whilst Mrs George was throwing away the tea- slops in the backyard, the prisoner abused the confidence reposed in her, and stole the watch and guard, which were valued at $2 10s,. She pledged the articles the same evening at the shop of Mr Myers, pawnbroker, Dock-street, Newport, for 12s, and gave the surname of Evans instead of her own.—Prisoner now pleaded guilty, and said she was in drink at the time, or she would not have done it.—P.S, Williams said that prisoner stole three other articles at Risca on the 14th and 15th instant, and that she had been previously convicted for theft. —The Bench said the case was a bad one, and sentenced prisoner to six months’ imprisonment.⁵

In the Monmouthshire Merlin, Saturday 27 September 1845 is this sorry tale relating to Daniel Dineen:

CAERLEON PETTY SESSIONS, September 19

IRISH CANNIBALISM.—Jeremiah Donovan was charged before John Jenkins, Esq., with having bitten off part of Daniel Deneen’s nose on the previous Monday. It appeared, from complainant’s statement, that he and defendant were drinking together at a public house in the neighbourhood of Tintern Abbey, and that a dispute arose in consequence of defendant not paying complainant what he considered his fair share of the money which they had jointly earned as harvesters; that defendant first threw some beer over complainant, and then closing upon him, firmly fixed his teeth in the extremity of complainant’s nasal organ, tearing a piece completely off, together with a part of his right cheek; and it is supposed he must have swallowed the “dainty little morsel”, as complain-ant, after discovering his loss, vainly endeavoured to find it. The hearing was adjourned.⁶

A reference to PC Dunmore from Northampton in 1897, probably Frank Dunmore. The Northampton Mercury of Friday 25 June 1897:

NORTHAMPTON BOROUGH PETTY SESSIONS

Violent Assault the Police.—Henry Douglas (23), pressman, 55. Castle-street, was charged with obstructing P.C. Haynes by attempting to rescue a prisoner from him in Bridge-street, at 11.15 on Saturday night. He was also charged with assaulting P.C. Haynes and P.C. Dunmore.—Prisoner had nothing to say in answer to the charges.—P.C. Haynes said he was on duty in Bridge-street on Saturday night with P.C. Dunmore, and arrested a woman for using obscene language. The prisoner tried to get her away, and when P.C. Dunmore tried to keep him off, the prisoner struck the officer a blow in the eye. Witness released his hold of the woman, and went to the assistance of Dunmore. The prisoner was very violent, and punched and kicked witness violently. They had great difficulty in getting him to the Police Station.—P.C. Dunmore, who appeared with a badly bruised eye, said the prisoner cut his right eye and kicked him in the stomach. He had been pain ever since.—The prisoner was sentenced days’ hard labour for each offence, 28 days in all. ⁷

I started looking at the Dineens again, trying to find out what Bridget’s mother’s maiden name was. I’m fairly confident it was Nihan, spelt Nighan in some places, but other people on Ancestry have recorded it as Lyons, which appears on Bridget’s baptism and Dennis’s birth certificate.