STANTON Edward Grady line
WESTPORT, COUNTY MAYO
THE OCTOGON, WESTPORT
Our direct line Edward Stanton born 1817 and Margaret or Peggy Grady born the same year or thereabouts.
Edward Stanton was the son of Walter Stanton and Honor Green. The family resided in the town of Westport or neighbouring village and they would have had many children. Edward however is our direct line and he married Margaret Grady on 19th January 1944 in the Oughavel RC Parish in Westport in County Mayo. Witnesses were Patrick Grady [brother of Honor] and Maria Stanton [sister of Edward]. Walter was a crofter and we estimate his birth 1780-1790 or thereabouts.
Peggy Grady’s parents were Patrick Grady and Annie McGuire.
There were a few branches of this particular family who landed on our shores and who settled in the Edinburgh of the 1850s. Edward arrived as did cousins with the same name and their children all had the same names. Confusing indeed.
On their arrival in Edinburgh with their son Andrew Edward and Margaret found themselves amongst the Irish and Italian community in the Grassmarket, Cowgate and High Street areas of the City. At this time in Edinburgh there were thousands and thousands of Immigrants arriving escaping famine not only from abroad but also from the North of Scotland with the infamous Highland Clearances.
THE COWGATE, EDINBURGH,
The Stanton family were farmers in Ireland and it must have been very difficult at first for Edward to find work. They found a wee house in 5 North Gray’s Close and we find them here in the census of 1861.

DENIS MADIGAN STANTON standing in what was North Gray’s Close, in Edinburgh’s Old Town. He is wearing the County Mayo Kilt

Ten years later they were still residing at the same address with family below, Anna now 16 years old

Ann Stanton married into the Ryan family – see marriage lines below
Margaret married into the Brannan line see below
This marriage produced the following children
One of the closes off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. The closes were generally tighter than this one.
Edinburgh’s Royal Mile or High Street. There are numerous closes which run off this famous street and this is where the population of Edinburgh were crammed
This is a typical close tall and dark and damp
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