Margaret "Maggie" Levy was born on Windmill Road in Drogheda, Louth, Ireland, a daughter of Thomas Levy. Her father was renting the family home from William Fairlough.
In 1854, when Maggie was 7 years old, she went to work in the Westgate Mill, a Flax Mill, which employed 500 girls, aged 7-10. This was dangerous work where the young girls often lost fingers, eyesight and hearing, as well as suffering lung damage from the smoke & dust particulates.
The plight of the workers existence lead to the formation of the Fenian movement in 1858. In 1862, at the age of 15, Maggie Levy joined the Fenian's, an extremely rare thing for a woman at that time. Maggie contributed poems to the movement's publication, 'The Irish People". Laurence Lawler, who later would become Maggie's husband, was from the neighboring county of Meath, and was also a member of the Fenian's.
Maggie also accomplished another rare thing for a woman of that era in that she received an education. At night, she received instruction from the Nuns at the Sisters of Charity on Fair Street in Drogheda. She received a silver medal of Our Lady on completion of her education. It is said that Maggie always wore this medal of the Immaculate Conception around her neck and that it is the reason that the parish, church and cemetery (where Maggie is buried) are all named Our Lady of Lourdes. Maggie, a devout Catholic, had worked tirelessly for the erection of the first Catholic Church in Slidell, and had pushed for this name.
With the failure of the Irish Rising in March 1867, the Fenian's fled Ireland, most never to return. By October 1867 Maggie, Laurence Lawler, Patrick Leonard and Thomas Flinn had all sailed for America.
Maggie never spoke, publically at least, of her involvement with the Fenian's once she came to America. Although she had pieces published in the Louisiana newspapers, she never wrote of her former live.
Maggie died of cancer in 1892, at 45 years of age, many stories left untold.
***(The information above is extracted from an article written in 2008 by Brendan Matthews, Historian & Archivist at Drogheda Museum Milmount (Ireland) and shared by him with myself. The museum was hosting a week long event honoring The Fenian's in July 2013 and the museum was looking for Maggie's direct descendents.)
In 1854, when Maggie was 7 years old, she went to work in the Westgate Mill, a Flax Mill, which employed 500 girls, aged 7-10. This was dangerous work where the young girls often lost fingers, eyesight and hearing, as well as suffering lung damage from the smoke & dust particulates.
The plight of the workers existence lead to the formation of the Fenian movement in 1858. In 1862, at the age of 15, Maggie Levy joined the Fenian's, an extremely rare thing for a woman at that time. Maggie contributed poems to the movement's publication, 'The Irish People". Laurence Lawler, who later would become Maggie's husband, was from the neighboring county of Meath, and was also a member of the Fenian's.
Maggie also accomplished another rare thing for a woman of that era in that she received an education. At night, she received instruction from the Nuns at the Sisters of Charity on Fair Street in Drogheda. She received a silver medal of Our Lady on completion of her education. It is said that Maggie always wore this medal of the Immaculate Conception around her neck and that it is the reason that the parish, church and cemetery (where Maggie is buried) are all named Our Lady of Lourdes. Maggie, a devout Catholic, had worked tirelessly for the erection of the first Catholic Church in Slidell, and had pushed for this name.
With the failure of the Irish Rising in March 1867, the Fenian's fled Ireland, most never to return. By October 1867 Maggie, Laurence Lawler, Patrick Leonard and Thomas Flinn had all sailed for America.
Maggie never spoke, publically at least, of her involvement with the Fenian's once she came to America. Although she had pieces published in the Louisiana newspapers, she never wrote of her former live.
Maggie died of cancer in 1892, at 45 years of age, many stories left untold.
***(The information above is extracted from an article written in 2008 by Brendan Matthews, Historian & Archivist at Drogheda Museum Milmount (Ireland) and shared by him with myself. The museum was hosting a week long event honoring The Fenian's in July 2013 and the museum was looking for Maggie's direct descendents.)
Margaret "Maggie" Levy was born on Windmill Road in Drogheda, Louth, Ireland, a daughter of Thomas Levy. Her father was renting the family home from William Fairlough.
In 1854, when Maggie was 7 years old, she went to work in the Westgate Mill, a Flax Mill, which employed 500 girls, aged 7-10. This was dangerous work where the young girls often lost fingers, eyesight and hearing, as well as suffering lung damage from the smoke & dust particulates.
The plight of the workers existence lead to the formation of the Fenian movement in 1858. In 1862, at the age of 15, Maggie Levy joined the Fenian's, an extremely rare thing for a woman at that time. Maggie contributed poems to the movement's publication, 'The Irish People". Laurence Lawler, who later would become Maggie's husband, was from the neighboring county of Meath, and was also a member of the Fenian's.
Maggie also accomplished another rare thing for a woman of that era in that she received an education. At night, she received instruction from the Nuns at the Sisters of Charity on Fair Street in Drogheda. She received a silver medal of Our Lady on completion of her education. It is said that Maggie always wore this medal of the Immaculate Conception around her neck and that it is the reason that the parish, church and cemetery (where Maggie is buried) are all named Our Lady of Lourdes. Maggie, a devout Catholic, had worked tirelessly for the erection of the first Catholic Church in Slidell, and had pushed for this name.
With the failure of the Irish Rising in March 1867, the Fenian's fled Ireland, most never to return. By October 1867 Maggie, Laurence Lawler, Patrick Leonard and Thomas Flinn had all sailed for America.
Maggie never spoke, publically at least, of her involvement with the Fenian's once she came to America. Although she had pieces published in the Louisiana newspapers, she never wrote of her former live.
Maggie died of cancer in 1892, at 45 years of age, many stories left untold.
***(The information above is extracted from an article written in 2008 by Brendan Matthews, Historian & Archivist at Drogheda Museum Milmount (Ireland) and shared by him with myself. The museum was hosting a week long event honoring The Fenian's in July 2013 and the museum was looking for Maggie's direct descendents.)
In 1854, when Maggie was 7 years old, she went to work in the Westgate Mill, a Flax Mill, which employed 500 girls, aged 7-10. This was dangerous work where the young girls often lost fingers, eyesight and hearing, as well as suffering lung damage from the smoke & dust particulates.
The plight of the workers existence lead to the formation of the Fenian movement in 1858. In 1862, at the age of 15, Maggie Levy joined the Fenian's, an extremely rare thing for a woman at that time. Maggie contributed poems to the movement's publication, 'The Irish People". Laurence Lawler, who later would become Maggie's husband, was from the neighboring county of Meath, and was also a member of the Fenian's.
Maggie also accomplished another rare thing for a woman of that era in that she received an education. At night, she received instruction from the Nuns at the Sisters of Charity on Fair Street in Drogheda. She received a silver medal of Our Lady on completion of her education. It is said that Maggie always wore this medal of the Immaculate Conception around her neck and that it is the reason that the parish, church and cemetery (where Maggie is buried) are all named Our Lady of Lourdes. Maggie, a devout Catholic, had worked tirelessly for the erection of the first Catholic Church in Slidell, and had pushed for this name.
With the failure of the Irish Rising in March 1867, the Fenian's fled Ireland, most never to return. By October 1867 Maggie, Laurence Lawler, Patrick Leonard and Thomas Flinn had all sailed for America.
Maggie never spoke, publically at least, of her involvement with the Fenian's once she came to America. Although she had pieces published in the Louisiana newspapers, she never wrote of her former live.
Maggie died of cancer in 1892, at 45 years of age, many stories left untold.
***(The information above is extracted from an article written in 2008 by Brendan Matthews, Historian & Archivist at Drogheda Museum Milmount (Ireland) and shared by him with myself. The museum was hosting a week long event honoring The Fenian's in July 2013 and the museum was looking for Maggie's direct descendents.)
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