Wellington Rohu 1865-1898
Wellington and Winifred Rohu
Wellington Stanley Rohu, was born on 13.1.1865 to John Vincent and Mary Ann Rohu in the Coastguard Station in Malahide, Co. Dublin. In 1881, at the young age of 16, he married Winifred Fox, a widow, in St.Thomas’ Church of Ireland, Cathal Brugha St. Dublin. Wellington is described as a furrier on his marriage certificate.
Wellington married from the parental home which by then was at 3 Bayview Avenue, North Strand, his father having retired from the Coastguard Service. It is natural to suppose that Winifred, of 30 Foster Terrace, Ballybough, Dublin was older than Wellington. The couple’s first home was rented accommodation at 10 Duke St. Dublin. By 1894, Wellington had moved to another rented accommodation at 6 Grafton St. Dublin and remained there according to the Dublin Corporation Archive until 1896, listed as a widower.
Family talk has it that Wellington had early successes as an athlete. Unfortunately, he mixed with social drinkers and he formed an addiction to alcohol. One prefers to think that it was a reaction to Winifred’s death that led him in that direction. It was to have fatal consequences.
Wellington died in the Richmond District Lunatic Asylum, his death certificate stating that he had been an inmate there for two years. Death was attributed by the resident doctor to ‘general paralysis’, a term at that time used to denote death resulting from alcoholism. He was committed to the Asylum direct from his address at Grafton Street, Dublin.
A son, Wellington, who later changed his name to Ernest, was born to the couple in the Rotunda Maternity Hospital on 5.11.1884. A daughter Maude was born in 1891, and it appears that Winifred may have died shortly afterwards of childbirth complications. Maude died, aged two, in Baggot St. Hospital, of asphyxiation resulting from Influenza. Flu was widespread in Dublin at the time - so much so that Maude was buried in a mass grave in Harold’s Cross Cemetery. How did she come to be there? It seems that following Winifred’s death, Wellington was unable to care for the baby and had her taken into care by Miss Carr’s Home at 71, Eccles St., Dublin, as Maude’s death certificate attests. This fits perfectly, for 71 Eccles St. was only occupied by Carr’s home for that one year. Maude’s death certificate is in the office of the Registrar General, ref. Book 2:530.
Wellington Stanley Rohu died in Richmond Asylum on 19.12.1898 and was buried in Harold’s Cross Cemetery on the following day. The reference number of his grave is A 16-393-10500. His brother, Alfred Rohu, purchased the plot and is now in the name of Roy Rohu.
Wellington married from the parental home which by then was at 3 Bayview Avenue, North Strand, his father having retired from the Coastguard Service. It is natural to suppose that Winifred, of 30 Foster Terrace, Ballybough, Dublin was older than Wellington. The couple’s first home was rented accommodation at 10 Duke St. Dublin. By 1894, Wellington had moved to another rented accommodation at 6 Grafton St. Dublin and remained there according to the Dublin Corporation Archive until 1896, listed as a widower.
Family talk has it that Wellington had early successes as an athlete. Unfortunately, he mixed with social drinkers and he formed an addiction to alcohol. One prefers to think that it was a reaction to Winifred’s death that led him in that direction. It was to have fatal consequences.
Wellington died in the Richmond District Lunatic Asylum, his death certificate stating that he had been an inmate there for two years. Death was attributed by the resident doctor to ‘general paralysis’, a term at that time used to denote death resulting from alcoholism. He was committed to the Asylum direct from his address at Grafton Street, Dublin.
A son, Wellington, who later changed his name to Ernest, was born to the couple in the Rotunda Maternity Hospital on 5.11.1884. A daughter Maude was born in 1891, and it appears that Winifred may have died shortly afterwards of childbirth complications. Maude died, aged two, in Baggot St. Hospital, of asphyxiation resulting from Influenza. Flu was widespread in Dublin at the time - so much so that Maude was buried in a mass grave in Harold’s Cross Cemetery. How did she come to be there? It seems that following Winifred’s death, Wellington was unable to care for the baby and had her taken into care by Miss Carr’s Home at 71, Eccles St., Dublin, as Maude’s death certificate attests. This fits perfectly, for 71 Eccles St. was only occupied by Carr’s home for that one year. Maude’s death certificate is in the office of the Registrar General, ref. Book 2:530.
Wellington Stanley Rohu died in Richmond Asylum on 19.12.1898 and was buried in Harold’s Cross Cemetery on the following day. The reference number of his grave is A 16-393-10500. His brother, Alfred Rohu, purchased the plot and is now in the name of Roy Rohu.