John Stanislaus Joyce

Who was John Stanislaus Joyce?

John Stanislaus Joyce was the father of writer James Joyce, and a well known Dublin man about town. The son of James and Ellen Joyce, John Joyce grew up in Cork, where his mother's family, which claimed kinship to "Liberator" Daniel O'Connell, was quite prominent.

Following his father's death in 1866, John Joyce inherited substantial property around Cork, but soon after he moved to Dublin, where he worked for several years as secretary at a distillery company. He was also noted as a fine tenor singer, although he never pursued a musical career. On 5 May 1879, Joyce married Mary "May" Murray. The next year, because of his work supporting Liberal candidates in the General Election of 1880, Joyce was given a post in the Dublin Custom House.

In 1882, his son James was born, the first of ten surviving children. From eldest to youngest, names and ages given according according to 1901 census: James Augustine, Margaret Alice, John Stanislaus, Chales [sic] Patrick, George Alfred, Eileen, May Kathleen, Eva May, Florence and Mabel Over the next ten years, Joyce gradually ran through his property. A supporter of Parnell, Joyce was crushed by what he saw as Parnell's betrayal and death following the revelation of his adultery with Kitty O'Shea. By the time of Parnell's death in 1891, Joyce had spent most of his inheritance and had been pensioned from his post at the custom house. A spendthrift, he proved barely able to live on the small pension that was left to him, and spent much of his time drinking. His wife died in 1903, but despite his poor management of the household, he managed to outlive her by 28 years. He died at the age of 82, which was rather advanced given the circumstances.