Frances Mary Noonan

Frances Mary Noonan

b: 14 JUL 1909
d: AUG 1999
Biography
According to information sent by Herbert McDermott in September 1999:

Frances Mary Sims was 'parishioner of St Peter's, Stalybridge, St Paul's, Hyde "where she was a choirmistress" and latterly of St Mary's Ashton.....'

She wrote of St Peter's choir in the 1920s:

"Eleven o'clock was always a sung Latin Mass - our repertoire included Mozart, Haydn, Turner and Winter Masses: Offertory pieces: Ave Verum, Panis Angelicus, O Sacrum Convivium, Murphy's Benediction and many others. On feast days as the congregation left the church we sang 'The Heavens are Telling, Hallelujah Chorus and so on. As well as our church work, we were a successful competition choir, travelling far afield to contests. One famours choral society was always our most feared opponent. They only beat us by about three points and I think we beat them twice"

"It was all due to Mr Peter Walsh, our conductor. He was a great teacher, stern and exacting. His standard was perfection. Under his guidance a test piece with eight parts was taken in our stride. We won a first with such a one. We were not all great voices, taken sparately, but, as Peter Walsh would tell us, '... put all the colours of those voices together and you get that unique sound that only you lot can produce'."

"On 14 November 1943 Peter Walsh received the rare Papal honour "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice", having been choirmaster for almost 50 years......"

A group photograph of the choir taken in the 1930s shows Frances Noonan (Sims) and Jos. Noonan (total 46 people) and another taken in 1989 shows Joan Noonan (Arbour) as choir members (total 24 people)

END
Facts
  • 14 JUL 1909 - Birth -
  • AUG 1999 - Death - ; Oldham Royal Hospital, interred in Dukinfield Cemetery
Ancestors
   
 
 
Patrick Noonan
1871 - 1951
  
  
  
 
Frances Mary Noonan
14 JUL 1909 - AUG 1999
  
 
  
Timothy Morrisey
- BEF MAY 1905
 
   
  
  
 
Family Group Sheet - Child
PARENT (M) Patrick Noonan
Birth1871
Death1951
Marriage8 MAY 1905to Gertrude Morrisey
FatherWilliam Noonan
MotherJulia Mahn
PARENT (F) Gertrude Morrisey
Birth1879
Death1951
Marriage8 MAY 1905to Patrick Noonan
FatherTimothy Morrisey
MotherMary Frances Shepley Jones
CHILDREN
FFrances Mary Noonan
Birth14 JUL 1909
DeathAUG 1999Oldham Royal Hospital, interred in Dukinfield Cemetery
Marriageto William Sims
Private
Birth
Death
Marriage3 DEC 1946to Preston A Arbour at St Agnes RC Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA
Family Group Sheet - Spouse
PARENT (M) William Sims
Birth
Death
Marriageto Frances Mary Noonan
Father?
Mother?
PARENT (F) Frances Mary Noonan
Birth14 JUL 1909
DeathAUG 1999 Oldham Royal Hospital, interred in Dukinfield Cemetery
Marriageto William Sims
FatherPatrick Noonan
MotherGertrude Morrisey
CHILDREN
Evidence
[S33574] Sandra Mitcheson, researching Noonan and related families in Lancashire, 2004
Descendancy Chart
Frances Mary Noonan b: 14 JUL 1909 d: AUG 1999