California Connections

My Sullivans and O'Sullivans always had California connections, as far as I can tell from as early as 1870.  Hannah (Dealey) O'Sullivan, my great great grandmother, had a sister Mary Anne (Dealey) Hagerty who lived in San Francisco at the time of the 1870 census.

Mary Anne was in Boston on May 16, 1857 when she placed the advertisment below in the Missing Friends column of the Pilot, at the time a national Catholic newspaper.

• OF RICHARD DALY, a painter and glazier by trade, native of Bantry [co. Cork], who landed in New York about six years ago. Please address his sister Mary Anne, care of Richard Daly, No 25 Washington square, Boston, Mass.

She was looking for her brother who had come to America around 1850.  In 1862 she married William Hagerty, who was born  in New York.  They had several children born in Boston and at some point between the birth of William Richard in 1866 and the 1870 census migrated to San Francisco.

By 1880 her two surviving children were living with her sister Hannah in Charlestown. 

Hannah also had a daughter, Helena, who married first George Councilman and later Louis Mueller. She had at least 4 children, George and Eva Councilman and later, Caroline and Hella Mueller.  Eva lived at one time with Hannah in Charlestown, and after Helena's death in Sacramento in 1895, Hannah raised her two granddaughters, Hella and Caroline.

My grandfather's brother Richard and his wife Mary Alice (Behan) Sullivan moved to California sometime after their marriage in 1929.  I hope to learn more about them soon.!

Note to Katherine:  I added my email address to the about me section on my blog.  I wasn't able to find your email address through my blog.  Please email me, my cousin June has more pictures of your grandfather when he was young.  She will get them together for you.

Jeremiah O'Sullivan (1857-1916) (Part 3)



City Square, Charlestown, Massachusetts

Family tradition says that Jeremiah O'Sullivan was employed as a bartender in the City Square area of Charlestown.  In the 1910 census his occupation is listed as bartender and his place of employment as a saloon.  Jeremiah lived in Charlestown from at least 1880 until he moved his family to 29 Newbury Street, Revere, sometime between the birth of his son John in Charlestown in June 1900 and the birth of his daughter, Lauretta, in Revere in April of 1902.  

Boston Globe, January 26, 1916

Jeremiah was arrested on the evening of Tuesday, January 25 in City Square and charged with drunkeness.  The next morning he was taken ill in the City Square Charlestown Police Station.  He was taken to the Relief Hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

On his death certificate the Cause of Death is listed as "Not determined".  This is followed by "oedema of the brain and of the lungs, associated with fracture of the skull sustained under circumstances unknown and fr...... into the overuse of alchohol."

Boston Globe, January 1916

This was signed by Medical Examiner McGrath on Thursday, January 27 and the body would have then been released to the undertaker, Bernard S. Macken.

His funeral was held from his mother's home at 180 Chelsea Street, Charlestown on Saturday, January 29 at 8:30 a.m.  A requiem Mass was celebrated at St Catherine's Church at 9 o'clock.  Burial was the same day at Holy Cross Cemetary in Malden.

Copyright 2011 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

Herbert James O'Sullivan (1908 - 1960)

My great uncle, Herbert James O'Sullivan, was born September 16, 1908, at Revere, Massachusetts.  He was baptised at Immaculate Conception Church in Revere on September 30 of the same year by Fr. Marcus J. Sullivan.  His godfather was William E. Egan.  He may have been the same William Egan who married Herbie's cousin, Madeline McPike.  His godmother was Ellen Harrington.  I'm not sure who Ellen was, but the Harringtons were connect to the O'Sullivan's somehow in Bantry, County Cork.  Madeline McPike's godmother was Helena Harrington. 

 I remember meeting Herbie only once, when I was very young.  He was home and visiting my parents in Lynn.   It was time for me to go to bed, but when my mother tried to put me to bed, I said, "No, I want HIM to put me to bed!".  So Herbie did.  Obviously he made a big impression on me!

Herbie was a Chief Engineer in the Merchant Marine.  He traveled all over the world from 1928 until his death in France in 1960.  In over 30 years he traveled to India, Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Morocco, Cuba, Wales and Bermuda.

I recently found a document on Ancestry.com that shed new light on what we knew about his death.  We had always been told that Herbie died when he fell in the engine room of the ship.  As a child, I always pictured this as if he fell down a long stairway, and maybe broke his neck.

The document I found is Report of the Death of an American Citizen, issued by the Vice Consul in Le Havre, France.  Herbie died on September 20, 1960 at 7:45 on board the S. S. Sooner State in port at Le Havre.  He was a seaman-marine engineer.  He had just turned 52.  His body was shipped home for burial on the S. S. Keystone State which was scheduled to leave Le Havre on September 28 and reach New York on or about October 8.

An autopsy showed evidence that he had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage shortly before his death.  Although it was not the cause of his death, it was very likely the cause of his fall.

Copyright 2011 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved
Photo courtesy of June Casaletto

A Parade of Priscillas (Part 2)

Priscilla (Putnam) Bailey (1657-1704)

Priscilla Putnam, daughter of John and Rebecca (Prince) Putnam and granddaughter of Priscilla (Gould) Putnam was born March 4, 1656.  She married Joseph Bailey in 1675.  Joseph was born in Newbury,Essex, Massachusetts, on April 14, 1648, the son of John and Eleanor (Emery) Bailey. 

Joseph and Priscilla moved to Arundel, Maine around 1700, but returned to Massachusetts in 1703.  Priscilla died November 16, 1704 and is buried in Danvers.  Joseph remarried and returned to Arundel.  He died there, killed by Indians, on October 23, 1723.

Joseph and Priscilla had10 children, born in Newbury, Massachusetts:

 Rebecca, b. October 25, 1675
 Priscilla, b. October 31, 1676
 John, b. October 16, 1678
 Joseph, b. January 28, 1681
 Hannah, b. September 9, 1683
 Daniel, b. June 10, 1686
 Martha, b. June 9, 1688
 Judith, b. February 11, 1690
 Lydia, b. November 25, 1695
 Sarah, b. February 14, 1697

Arundel was originally part of an area known as Cape Porpoise.  Early settlers fished and farmed.  There is evidence of ship building, mills and a brickyard.  Indian Wars from 1680 to 1720 cause the evacuation of the town.

To be continued with Priscilla Bailey, sister of Rebecca (Bailey) Annis.

Priscilla Gould m. 1611 John Putnam Sr.

John Putnam Jr. m. 1652 Rebecca Prince

Priscilla Putnam m. 1675 Joseph Bailey

Middle Names

Most of the middle names in my family are first names, so when I see something otherwise, it's noticeable.  My great-grandfather, Jeremiah O'Sullivan was an only son with three sisters.  One of his sisters never married, but the two that did marry each had one surviving son.  Each of them had the middle name of Sullivan, which they seemed to use consistently throughout their lives. 

 George Sullivan Councilman, son of George and Helena (O'Sullivan) Councilman,  was born January 18, 1874, in San Francisco, California.  He consistently used his middle name, as shown in his voter registration, above, and his World War I draft registration, at left.

Herbert Sullivan Francis McPike, son of John Henry and Mary R. (O'Sullivan) McPike was born August 22, 1885, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. He consistently used his middle name as shown in his draft registrations for World War I and World War II, shown at left.

Their brother, Jeremiah, did eventually marry at age 40 and had 5 sons.  Only two of those five had sons.  Jeremiah had three Sullivan grandsons that I know of, and at least 3 great grandsons.


Copyright 2011 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

A Parade of Priscillas (Part 1)

Priscilla (Gould) Putnam  (1590 - 1677)

Priscilla is a very popular name in my family.  For over 300 years in a direct line back to Priscilla (Gould) Putnam of Salem, there are only 2 of 12 generations without a Priscilla.
My direct immigrant ancestor, Priscilla Gould, was born between 1585 and 1590 in Aston Abbotts, Buckinghamshire, England, the daughter of Richard Gould.  She married John Putnam there, circa 1611.  They had seven children baptised in Aston Abbots: Elizabeth, Thomas, John, Nathaniel, Sarah, Phoebe and John.  According to the family story, in 1634 they emigrated with their children to Massachusetts Bay Colony and settled at Salem.

Aston Abbotts, Buckinghamshire
circa 1910

Their youngest son, John Putnam, Jr. was christened on May 27, 1627.  He married Rebecca Prince on July 3, 1652 in Salem, Massachusetts.  Rebecca was born around 1630.  The children of John and Priscilla (Gould) Putnam is one of the two generations without a Priscilla.  John and Rebecca had ten children, born at Salem: Rebecca, Sarah, Priscilla, Jonathan, James, Hannah, Eleazor, John, Susanna and Ruth.

Priscilla (Gould) Putnam died circa 1668, age 83 and is buried in Wadsworth Cemetery, Danvers (formerly Salem Village) Massachusetts.

The next installment will feature Priscilla Putnam, daughter of John Putnam and grandaughter of Priscilla Gould.

Priscilla Gould m. 1611 John Putnam Sr.

McDermotts of Castlewrixon

Castlewrixon House

My grandfather, Richard McDermott, grew up in Castlewrixon South, 5 miles north of Buttevant.  The old Irish name for Castlewrixon was Crish-la-nowan, which means "the cross by the river".  

Mrs. McDermott bought the interest of the farm for 1,375 pounds.  In about 1895 they bought it out under a Land Purchase Act.*

Mrs. McDermott was the wife of my great uncle David McDermott.  I only know that she was called "the English lady" by the family.  They had no children, and I haven't found any record of their marriage.  
 

Michael McDermott

In 1906, a perfect arrow head was found in the potato field by David's brother, my great uncle, Michael McDermott.  Arrowheads of this type were rarely found in the south of Ireland and may have been brought from Ulster for trading purposes.   It was also believed that these were the chosen weapons of the fairies and they were called "elf darts". 

Bridie McDermott

In 2010, my cousin Mary and I visited Castlewrixon House (above).   It is now the home my cousin Michael (son of my great uncle Michael) (above left) and his wife, Bridie McDermott (right).  We had a great time visiting the house, learning about our family and visiting the family graves.  They were very kind to us.

McDermott Elf dart

To learn more about Castlewrixon, click here to read about the area in the Grove White notes.  The Grove White notes were compiled by Col. James Grove White, an officer in the British Army with an intense interest in the history of North Cork.  

The finding of the elf dart was reported in the Journal of Cork Historical and Archaelogical Society, Volume XIII, 1907, page 197.  This journal has been digitized on Google Books. To read more about the elf dart, click here. This gives a whole new meaning to being "away with the fairies"!

I hope to visit Castlewrixon again next year, and see the fairies!






* from Grove White notes



Sources: Grove White notes from CorkPastandPresent.ie; Journal of Cork Historical and Archaelogical Society from Google Books

Photos: personal photos of Castlewrixon House, Michael McDermott and Bridie McDermott; Castle Wrixon Flint Arrow Head from Google Books

Copyright 2011 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved







Jeremiah O'Sullivan (1857-1916) (part 2)

Below is a table of the 16 Jeremiah Sullivans born in Bantry between January 1857 and November 1864.  There are three facts I am sure of regarding our Jeremiah. 

• His father's name was Jeremiah,
• his mother's maiden name was Dealy or Daly and
• he was born in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland. 

In the various sources I checked for his date of birth, the month of November is mentioned twice.  It is the month he gives as his birth month on his naturalization application. 
Jeremiah gives his own birth date as November 2, 1859. While there may have been a reason to change the year, people often keep the date the same. If he was born on November 2, 1857, a baptismal date of a week later makes sense.

If you look at the chart below, there are 3 childen with a father named Jeremiah Sullivan. There are 4 children born in November. There is only one child whose mother has the last name of Dealy/Daly.

Jeremiah Sullivan, baptised November 8, 1857 meets all 3 criteria. 

Baptism	Child	Father	Mother	Sponsors
Feb 19, 1857	Jeremiah Sullivan	Jeremiah Sullivan	Julia Sullivan	William Sullivan Johannah Lynch
Jul 26, 1857	Jeremiah Sullivan	William Sullivan	Mary Flynn	Cornelius Sullivan Margaret Healy
Nov 8, 1857	Jeremiah Sullivan	Jeremiah Sullivan	Honora Daly	John Sullivan Briget Mounty
Dec 12, 1857	Jeremiah Sullivan	Timothy Sullivan	Julia Driscoll	William Honora Driscoll
Jan 6, 1858	Jeremiah Sullivan	Denis Sullivan	Ellen Healy	Cornelius Healy Catharine Harrington
Apr 29, 1858	Jeremiah Sullivan	Timothy Sullivan	Margaret Cotter	Jeremiah Cotter Cath Sheehan
May 23, 1858	Jeremiah Sullivan	Daniel Sullivan	Eliza Murphy	John Sullivan Mary Murphy
Aug 24, 1858	Jeremiah Sullivan	John Sullivan	Ellen McCarthy	Daniel Jane Sullivan
Jul 7, 1859	Jeremiah Sullivan	John Sullivan	Catharine Connor	Timothy Catharine Quin
Nov 27, 1859	Jeremiah Sullivan	James Sullivan	Julia Minihane	Thomas Clerke Julia Sullivan
May 21, 1860	Jeremiah Sullivan	Denis Sullivan	Ellen Keohane	James Leray Margaret Sullivan
Jul 19, 1860	Jeremiah Sullivan	John Sullivan	Honora Leary	Owen Catharine Sullivan
Jan 27, 1861	Jeremiah Sullivan	Denis Sullivan	Honora Desmond	Daniel Minihane Mary Flynn
Nov 14, 1861	Jeremiah Sullivan	John Sullivan	Ellen Burke	Maurice Gaggin Cath Burke
Nov 26, 1863	Jeremiah Sullivan	Jeremiah Sullivan	Ellen Kent	Tim Brien Johannah Sullivan
Feb 16, 1864	Jeremiah Sullivan	John Sullivan	Catharine Sullivan	Patrick Mary Sullivan

Next post, we'll look at the siblings of Jeremiah Sullivan, born in Bantry and emigrating to the U S.

To be continued.......

Copyright 2011 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

Jeremiah O'Sullivan (1857 - 1916) (part 1)

Jeremiah O'Sullivan and children

The picture at the right is the only known picture I have seen of my grandfather's father, Jeremiah O'Sullivan, from Bantry, Cork, Ireland.  With him are 5 of his children.  I believe this picture was taken around 1914 or 1915.  If that is correct, the children are, from left to right, Arthur Lee, b. 1912, Herbert James, b. 1908, Lauretta, b. 1902, Richard George, b. 1905, and Irene Edith, b. 1903.

The family story always was that Jeremiah had immigrated from Bantry, County Cork, Ireland, but his date of birth varied, depending on the source. 

Birth date evidence:

• 1880 Census: his age is listed as 21, and the enumeration date was June 1, 1880,
• which would mean he would have been born between June 2, 1858  and June 1, 1859
• Naturalization papers:
• he gave his date of birth as November 2, 1859
• Marriage record, age 35 on the date of his marriage, May 23, 1897,
• which would mean he was born between May 23, 1862 and May 22, 1863.
• 1900 Census:
• Date of Birth listed as November 1864
• 1910 Census: his age is listed as 50, and the enumeration date was April 15, 1910,
•  which would mean he had been born between April 15, 1860 and April 14, 1861.
• Death record: When he died on January 26, 1916, his age was recorded as 58 years,
•  which would mean he was born between January 27, 1857 and January 26, 1858.

This would lead me to believe that he was born between January 27, 1857 and November 1864.    In the recently released church records for Bantry at Irish Genealogy there at 16 Jeremiah Sullivans born in Bantry between these dates.  In the next post, I'll look at those 16 men and determine which, if any, is our Jeremiah O'Sullivan.

To be continued.....

Photo Credit: thank you to June Casaletto for sharing the above photo with me
Copyright 2011 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

Deconstructing Hannah (and her will) Part 3

My great-great-aunt Hannah O'Sullivan died on May 6, 1933.  Her will contained 3 bequests of jewelry, and 2 of real estate. 

The sixth bequest was as shown below:

"SIXTH: I give and bequeath to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, in memory of my mother, Hannah O'Sullivan, the sum of Forty (40) dollars."


To learn more about the Society, click here. 


This may not seem like a large bequest, until you compare it to the value of the jewelry she left to her three grand-nieces, Caroline Mann, Elfrieda Mann and Madeleine Egan.  Her jewelry was as follows:


a.  Gold chain      9.50
b.  Gold watch     8.00
c.  Cameo pin      3.00
d.  Ring               1.00

These 4 pieces of jewelry total $21.50, about half of the bequest above.  In 1933 $40.00 had the same buying power as $669.25 in 2011.  The annual inflation over this period was 3.68%,

Click below to access the inflation calculator.

Inflation Calculator

Copyright 2011 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

Mary Scanlon McDermott (1892-1925)

S. S. Cymric

Mary Scanlon, daughter of Maurice and Catherine (Kate) (Griffin) Scanlon was born on April 25, 1892, at Scrag, Dingle, County Kerry, and baptized on April 26, 1892.    She immigrated to the U.S. in 1911 aboard the Cymric, leaving Queenstown on March 29 and arriving in Boston on April 6.  She was going to join her brother John and aunt, Margaret Deveney, at 5 River Court, West Lynn, Massachusetts. Margaret (Griffin) Deveney was her godmother.   The ship's manifest notes that Mary was 5 feet, 5 inches, with a fair complexion, dark hair and blue eyes.  
 

99 White Street, Westfield

The Cymric was a steamship of the White Star Line, built in Belfast in 1898. She sailed between Liverpool and New York from 1898 until 1903. From 1903 on, she sailed from Liverpool to Boston. From West Lynn, Mary moved on to Westfield, where she lived with her uncle, Pat Griffin and his family at 12 White Street. 

In 2009 my cousin, Mary McDermott and I visited Westfield.  The house at 12 White Street was no longer there, it is now a parking lot. Some time between 1920 and 1930, Pat Griffin built a house at 99 White Street, shown above right. This house is still there.  

St Mary's Church, Westfield

Mary married Richard Francis McDermott, the son of Peter and Ellen (Roche) McDermott of Castlewrixon, County Cork, at St. Mary's Church, Westfield in 1916.


Richard and Mary had five children, Richard, born July 18, 1917; David Peter, born May 8, 1919; John Joseph, born January 16, 1921; a stillborn son in 1922; and Mary Scanlon, born May 10, 1925.
   

Bates Street, Westfield

When they were first married, Richard and Mary lived in an apartment at the back of uncle Pat Griffin's house.  Later they lived on Bates Street, in the house at right.
Mary died on May 26, 1925, sixteen days after the birth of her youngest child, from acute mastoiditis.  Her daughter, Mary, was raised by her brother John Scanlon and his wife Nellie in West Lynn, Massachusetts.

Mary Scanlon McDermott

The gravestone, above, was erected by Mary's eldest son, Richard Thomas McDermott.  My cousin Mary and I visited our grandmother's grave in Westfield on our trip.  Mary also gave me the framed portrait of our grandmother, pictured at right.

Even though we never knew our grandmother, we were able to find out a lot about her life, and visit her relatives, Teresa and Michael Brosnan, and Pat and Jan Scanlon, who still live in the Dingle area today.

Copyright 2011 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

John J. McDermott (Part 1)

Main Street, Westfield, Massachusetts

John Joseph McDermott was my grandfather's oldest brother.  I first became aware of him when I found him listed on the ship's manifest of the S. S. Celtic when my grandfather emigrated in April 1906.  He was going to join his brother John McDermott at 155 Main Street, Westfield, Massachusetts.   John's wife, Mary Healey, had died in June of 1905 and John was to be married on April 17 to Annie A (Biglin) McGetrick, widow of Owen McGetrick. 

John was employed by the Westfield Police department from 1902 until 1933.  The picture below is taken from the souvenir booklet printed at the time of the 250th anniversary of the town of Westfield, in 1919.  John McDermott is listed beneath as J. J. McDermott.  He is in the front row, 4th from the left. 
 
John and Mary (Healey) McDermott had four children: Ellen (or Ella) born November 1889, John, born September 1894, Daniel, born January 1897 and Mary (or May) Elizabeth, born June 1901.

In 1936 John and his wife Annie moved to California.  Both of John's sons served in World War I. 




Photo credit: Main Street Westfield, personal postcard collection; Our Police Department  from Westfield's quarter millennial anniversary official souvenir ... Published in connection with the 250th anniversary on the founding of the town of Westfield, Massachusetts, under the supervision of the Souvenir program committee, William F. Lyman, chairman - Plummer, Edgar Holmes, ed , from archive.org

Copyright 2011 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

Deconstructing Hannah (and her will) (Part 2)

Eva  (Evetta) (Councilman) (Staugh) Holm (cont.)

I believe that Eva Councilman of San Francisco,1880, is Evetta Holm of Bergen, New Jersey, 1920. But where was she for the intervening 40 years?

Looking at the 1910 and 1920 census I can see that Eva's husband George T. Holm was born in Massachusetts.  I looked for Eva or Evetta Councilman in the Massachusetts Vital Records.  I found her marriage to George T. Holm, son of Thomas W. and Lucy (Magoon) Holm, living on Auckland Street in Boston and employed as a teacher.  Evetta was living at 180 Chelsea Street, Charlestown (her grandmother's house), daughter of George E. and Helena (Sullivan) Councilman, employed as a bookbinder.  They were married on November 18, 1906.  This was Evetta's second marriage, as she had been divorced.  This probably explains why I couldn't find her in the 1900 census.



Saint Mary's Infant Asylum

I did find two other interesting records in the Massachusetts Vital Records.  On June 22, 1895 Eva Councilman, born at San Francisco, California, gave birth to Regina Councilman at Saint Mary's Infant Asylum.  And on July 20, Frances R. (Regina?) Councilman, daughter of Eva Councilman, died of acute gastroenteritis at the West End Nursery, age 28 days.

I searched the 1900 census for an Eva, married, born 1877 in California.  I found 21 Eva's of the right age, but of those, only one was the child of a father born in Germany and a mother born in Ireland. 

Licking County, Ohio

Eva Staugh, born February 1877 in California had been married to Edward Staugh for 1 year at the time of the census.  They had no children.  Edward was a glassblower, born in Ohio in January 1872.  His father was from Germany and his mother from Ohio.  Edward and Eva lived in Massillon City, Stark County, Ohio.  Eva's father had also been a glassblower in California. 

Edward married for the second time on January 23, 1902 to Anna Wodtly in Massillon, Ohio.  At that time he was divorced.  He and Eva were married 3 years or less.  Because of the connection with a German father, glassblowing and divorce, I am fairly certain this is the same woman. 

By the time her aunt Hannah O'Sullivan's will went through probate in 1933, Eva (Evetta) (Councilman) (Staugh) Holm has not been heard from in 10 years.   They were aware, however, that she was deceased.  Eva probably died in New Jersey sometime between 1920 and 1923.  Her husband remarried and is listed in the 1930 census with his wife, Madge, daughter Marjorie, age 21, and niece Marie, age 22.

Timeline for Eva (Evetta) (Councilman) (Staugh) Holm:

1877, born San Francisco, California
1880, living in San Francisco, California
1895, birth and death of daughter, Frances Regina, Boston, Massachusetts
1899, marriage to Edward Staugh, Licking County, Ohio
1900, living in Massillon, Ohio
1906, marriage to George T. Holm, Charlestown, Massachusetts
1909, birth of daughter, Marjorie C., New York
1910, living on Claremont Avenue, Manhattan, New York
1920, living in Edgewater, New Jersey

Copyright 2011 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

Deconstructing Hannah (and her will) (Part 1)

Evetta (Eva) (Councilman) (Staugh) Holm

  "San Francisco." Engraving  by Charles A. Dana

Last week, June and I spent many hours at the Suffolk County Courthouse looking at probate records. It took awhile, but we finally found the will of Hannah O'Sullivan, our great-great-aunt. 

The best thing about Hannah's will was that since she never married, the will listed all her siblings and their children. We found three people we were not familiar with, George Councilman, Evetta Holm and Marjorie C. Holm. George and Evetta were the children of Hannah's deceased sister, Helena, and Marjorie was Evetta's daughter.

I decided to look for Evetta first. At the time the will was written, in 1933, Hannah had not heard from Evetta in 10 years. At that time, Evetta was living in Edgewater, Bergen County, New Jersey. I found her there in the 1920 census, age 42, with her husband George, born in Massachusetts, and daughter Marjorie C., age 10, born in New York.  Might the "C" stand for Councilman?  George Holm was employed as a physical instructor.

I also learned that Evetta was born in California, her father was born in Germany and her mother was born in England(?).

Since Marjorie was 10 years old and was born in New York, I looked for the family there in the 1910 census. I found them living on Claremont Avenue in Manhattan. All information was the same, except Evetta's mother was shown as born in Ireland. George Holm was listed as an university instructor.

Now I knew from these censuses (censi?) that Evetta was born around 1878 in California.  I also knew from previous research, that her mother Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller died in Sacramento in 1895.  Helena had also given birth to 2 children, Caroline and Nella Mueller, in San Francisco, and her widower, Louis Mueller, died there in 1911. 

I looked for George Councilman in the 1880 census, thinking he may be Evetta's brother.  I found him, in San Francisco, California, living with his father, George, a glassblower born in Germany, and mother Helena (indexed as Helma), born in Ireland, and sister Eva, age 3, born in California. 

I believe that Eva Councilman of San Francisco,1880, is Evetta Holm of Bergen, New Jersey, 1920.   But where was she for the intervening 40 years?

To be continued......

Photo credit: Pictures of the American City, National Archives (Archives.gov)

Copyright 2011 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

Thacher Court in Boston's North End

Last Friday, June and I visited Thacher Court in Boston's North End.  In 1875, our great-great aunt Mary R. O'Sullivan married John H. McPike.  They lived at 3 Thacher Court.  John's father James lived at #6.  Was Mary's father Jeremiah, living at #2?  Below is a list of the residents of Thacher Court from the 1875 Boston City Directory.

2	Cannon	Patrick,	laborer,	house 5 Thacher court
3	Coleman	Michael,	slater,	h. 3 Thacher court
4	Conley	Mark,	pilot,	house 1 Thacher court
5	Corey	Margaret,	widow,	house 8 Thacher court
6	Coriente	Joseph,	laborer,	house 4 Thacher court
7	Creamer	Bridget,	widow,	house 8 Thacher court
8	Cunningham	Wm.	at gas works,	house 3 Thacher court
9	Dolan	Ellen,	widow,	house 6 Thacher court
10	Doyle	Patrick S.	laborer,	r. 115 E?iot,	boards 7	Thacher court
11	Gallagher	James,	laborer,	house 6 Thacher court
12	Harrity	John,	locksmith,	house 2 Thacher court
13	Kelly	James,	gas works,	house 4 Thacher court
14	McDonough	John,	laborer,	house 2 Thacher court
15	McGann	James,	laborer,	house 9 Thacher court
16	McIntire	James,	laborer,	house 2 Thacher court
17	McPike	James,	house 6 Thacher court
18	McPike	John H.	bookbinder,	7 Williams court,	h. 3 Thacher court
19	Murphy	Thomas,	pork cutter,	house Thacher court
20	Murphy	Thomas J. Mrs.	house 1 Thacher court
21	O'Hara	Edward,	clerk,	house 9 Thacher court
22	Patterson	John J.	stereotyper,	19 Spring lane,	h. 1 Thacher court
23	Pearson	Celia,	widow,	h. 3 Thacher court
24	Reardon	Wm. S.	mason,	house 4 Thacher court
25	Riley	Mary,	widow,	house 9 Thacher court
26	Rogers	Thomas,	porter,	6 Commerce.	h. 6 Thacher court
27	Rooney	John,	tailor,	house 5 Thacher court
28	Sullivan	Jeremiah,	house 2 Thacher court
29	Thomas	Hannah,	widow,	house 4 Thacher court
30	Vergomena	Paul,	laborer,	house 4 Thacher court