Who is John Downey?

I first encountered John Downey living with my great great grandmother Hannah (Dealy) O’Sullivan in the 1900 census, at 180 Chelsea Street in Charlestown.  His relationship with her was stated as cousin. 

John came to America in 1865 and worked as a laborer before enlisting in the Army on 16 November 1869 in New York City.  He is recorded as 5’7” with grey eyes, dark hair and a fair complexion.  He signed up for a 5 year term and was assigned to Company F, 3^rd US Cavalry. 

The 3^rd U. S. Cavalry was organized in 1845 as the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen.  They fought in the Mexican American War and were later renamed the 3^rd Cavalry in 1861. 

Following the Civil War, the 3^rd Cavalry was tasked with securing the expanding American West during the escalating Indian Wars.  At the time of John’s service in 1869 and 1870 the regiment was transferred from the District of New Mexico to the rugged Arizona Territory.

Company F operated on the southwestern frontier during a time when conflicts with Apache and Yavapai bands were escalating.  The company was tasked with protecting trails, guarding remote outposts,  such as Camp Hualpai and Fort Whipple, and conducting scouting expeditions across vast, arid terrains.

Cavalry service in Arizona during this era was notoriously brutal.  Troops endured intense desert heat, freezing mountain nights, isolation, poor rations and relentless tracking duties, factors which could easily trigger long-term physical disability and cardiovascular strain.  On March 28, 1871 John received an official medical discharge.  While “in the field” near notoriously unhealthy Camp Grant, Arizona a military surgeon signed a certificate declaring John permanently disabled due to severe cardiovascular issues, specifically “progressive dilation” (an enlarged heart) and chronic bronchitis.

These men faced immense physical wear and tear.  “Progressive dilation” typically referred to an enlarged heart caused by chronic overexertion or an untreated illness, like the bronchitis noted in his file.   This diagnosis confirms that his physical breakdown was directly tied to the hardships of his enlistment.  His first stint in the Arizona Territory was an intense 16 months before his health collapsed near Camp Grant.

Although John was discharged from the Army, he was far too ill to survive the journey home.  He spent the spring of 1871 confined to the post hospital at Camp Pinal Arizona.  In September he was transferred to Camp Lowell, a larger military hospital near Tucson.  By October he was stable enough for light duties around the hospital as a convalescent patient.  In late November he was finally released to begin his long journey back to the northeast to recuperate with family.

John returned to the Northeast to recuperate and in 1873, as shown on his Indian Wars Pension card, he re-enlisted into Company F, 3^rd U. S. Cavalry.  At that time, he headed out to the Northern Plains for the Great Sioux War (1876-1877) against the Lakota and Cheyenne.  By 1873, the 3^rd Cavalry had shifted its headquarters out of the southwest desert and moved up to the Department of the Platte, covering Wyoming, Nebraska and the Dakota Territory.  Company F would have participated in some of the most famous campaigns in American military history including, The Black Hills Expedition (1874), the Great Sioux War (1876-77) and the Powder River Expedition.

John spent the years after his final discharge until his admission to the soldiers’ home as part of the widespread Irish diaspora.  Like many Irish immigrants he most likely returned to the Northeast, where he would have the support of family networks.  Charlestown in these years was one of the most tight-knit Irish enclaves in the United States.  The economy was anchored by the Navy Yard, the Boston & Maine railroad and the commercial docks.  Cousin Hannah’s house was directly across the street from the Navy Yard.  The 1900 census lists his occupation as a house painter, while the 1910 census lists laborer.  If his health permitted it, John could have found light work in these sectors.   House painting in the early 20^th century was taxing and hazardous work, involving heavy exposure to toxic fumes and lead-based paint.  Combined with his arduous cavalry service, this may have exacerbated his bronchitis and arterial disease.

On June 15, 1917 John applied for his Indian War Pension as an Indian Survivor under the Act of March 3, 1917 which expanded protections for frontier veterans.  This Act of Congress finally granted pensions to Indian War veterans based on age and length of service.  Just 5 months later he was admitted to the Soldiers’ Home at Togus on November 7, 1917.  This home was a lifelong safety net for volunteer soldiers.  The home’s doctors also noted arteriosclerosis, bronchitis and cardiac/vascular issues.  The Togus home in Chelsea, Kennebec County, Maine was the first National Asylum for Volunteer Soldiers opened in the United States. 

At the time of admission, the name and address of John’s nearest relative is listed as
“1^st Cousin Hannah O’Sullivan, 180 Chelsea St, Charlestown Mass”

But which Hannah?  Hannah O’Sullivan was the widow of Jeremiah O’Sullivan, but her mother was also Mary (Sullivan) Dealy, so she could be his first cousin through her mother.  Her daughter Hannah O’Sullivan was the daughter of Jeremiah and Hannah (Dealy)O’Sullivan, so she could also be his first cousin through her father.  Hannah Senior was born in 1832, John Downey in 1844 and Hannah Junior in 1861.

By the time John died on October 30, 1920 and made his final trip home, Hannah Senior had died.  Although John does have a Maine death certificate, because his body was shipped interstate a death certificate was also issued in Massachusetts.  The informant was Hannah O’Sullivan.  We know this is the younger Hannah, as she was the only one still living.  She listed John’s parents on the death certificate as John Downey and Catherine Sullivan.  But was Catherine the sister of Mary (Sullivan) Dealy or Jeremiah Sullivan?   Either Hannah could be his first cousin.

In accordance with his family’s wishes, John’s body is officially “sent to Charlestown,” Massachusetts.  John was buried on November 3 at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden after a funeral Mass at St Catherine’s Church in Charlestown. 

My grandfather, Jeremiah Sullivan, would have lived in the same house in Charlestown with John until he was about 5 years old.  He would have known John at least until his father died and they became estranged from his grandmother Hannah.  Did he hear stories about the American Southwest?  Did he think of John when he was sent to Texas with the New Hampshire National Guard in 1916?

Resources:

Register of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers at Togus, Maine

1870 United States Federal Census; Year: 1870; Census Place: Camp Grant, Pima, Arizona Territory; Roll: M593_46; Page: 30B

1900 United States Federal Census Year: 1900; Census Place: Boston Ward 3, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Page: 5; Enumeration District: 1195; FHL microfilm: 1240676

1910 United States Federal Census Year: 1910; Census Place: Boston Ward 3, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: T624_614; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 1297; FHL microfilm: 1374627

1920 United States Federal Census Year: 1920; Census Place: Augusta, Kennebec, Maine; Roll: T625_643; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 48

Arizona, U. S., Territorial Census Records, 1864-1882

Baptism, irishgenealogy.ie

Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., List of Boston Residents, 1909-1972

Boston Evening Globe, Nov. 2, 1920, page 7

Charlestown Enterprise, Nov. 6, 1920

Massachusetts Death Certificate

Maine, Death Records, 1761-1922: Maine State Archives; Cultural Building, 84 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0084; 1908-1922 Vital Records; Roll Number: 16

Massachusetts, U.S. City Directories

U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938

U.S., Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914

U.S., Returns from Military Posts, 1806-1916: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Returns from U.S. Military Posts, 1800-1916; Microfilm Serial: M617; Microfilm Roll: 653

Index to Indian Wars Pension Files, 1892-1926: Page 1 - Index to Indian Wars Pension Files, 1892-1926 1873; Page 1 - Index to Indian Wars Pension Files, 1892-1926 1949

Copyright Kathleen Sullivan 2026

  The Girl in the Photograph

My great grandmother Laura Josephine Shaw was baptized Marie Elionore Chauvin, the third child and second daughter of Joseph Chauvin and Mary Ann McCarthy, on 22 January 1878 at St Bernard de la Colle, Quebec, Canada.  I remember meeting her once, at a nursing home in Winthrop when I was very young.  We always treasured the beautiful picture we had of her.  Until we found out the photograph wasn’t of my great grandmother, but her sister, Edith Amelia Shaw.

Laura’s youngest sister, Edith Amelia Shaw was baptized as Emmilie Ida Chauvin on 22 August 1883 at St Brigid’s Church, Montreal, the 4^th daughter and fifth child of Joseph and Mary Ann (McCarthy) Chauvin. 

One fine summer day in July of 1901 Edith joined her friends Catherine and Albert in a prank.  The trio met up with James Shea, an elderly man[1] from Charlestown and employee of Boston & Maine Railroad at a house at 12 Blossom Street.  James was carrying quite a bit of cash in his wallet that day.

Catherine had been drinking, and when she entered the establishment, she cuddled up to Mr. Shea, sitting on his lap and slipping his wallet out of his right hip  pocket.  She passed the wallet to Edith who concealed it under a tablecloth.

When Mr. Shea discovered that his wallet was missing, it could not be located.  It was no longer under the tablecloth!  A witness had seen Albert toss something out the window.  Mr. Shea went to the police and Catherine, Albert and Edith were arrested.  After Catherine sobered up, she confessed to her part in the crime. 

Albert Cartnell, Catherine Crowley and Edith Shaw were charged with larceny and receiving stolen property for taking $200 from James Shea.  Catherine appeared in court, elegantly dressed in black silk.  Edith, pale and suffering from consumption, was dressed in black and walking with a stout cane.   She appeared extremely delicate.  Catherine admitted that she took the wallet and gave it to Edith.  Edith said that Albert was last seen with it.  Albert denies having seen it at all, although he later admitted he had had the money and hid it in the toilet tank.  He later retrieved it from the tank and threw it across the fence.  Edith claimed that Albert counted the money in front of her and offered her $100 to keep her mouth shut.

Although Catherine and Albert both had records with the police, Catherine was given immunity for being a government witness and was sentenced to probation only.  Albert was convicted and sentenced to the house of correction for a year.  Edith was also convicted and sentenced to the reformatory prison for women for a year.

With no prior criminal history Edith could have expected to be sentenced to probation.  She was suffering at that time from consumption and needed hospital treatment.  The judge determined that since her mother had at one time run a “disorderly house”[2] it was deemed that her home environment was not the best.  She was sent to the women’s prison in Sherborn on the advice of probation officer, in hopes that she would receive better care in the prison hospital there.

On August 24, a petition for pardon was presented to Governor Crane, as Edith was dying in the prison hospital at Sherborn.  The prison chaplain stated that she was very low and would not recover.  Governor Crane was out of town at that time and was not expected to return until August 27.

Edith’s mother was quoted as saying “Two I have lost already; they died in my arms.  Edie is all I have left, and to think that she may die in prison!”  It appears that Mrs. Shaw must have forgotten my great grandmother, alive and married with 3 children in Charlestown![3]

Although there is no record of her release, Edith did die at home at 5 Ransom Court off Cotting Street in the West End of Boston, on June 5, 1902, age 19 years, 9 months and 11 days.  Her funeral was held on June 7 at St. Joseph’s Church and she is buried at Calvary Cemetery.

 Video below created by NotebookLM.

Resources:

Boston Evening Record, August 13, 1901

The Boston Globe August 14, 1901

Boston Journal Thursday August 15 1901 page 8

The Boston Globe  - Thursday, August 15, 1901, page 2

The Boston Traveler, August 23, 1901, page 1 and 2

The Boston Post August 24, 1901

Boston Traveler, August 24, 1901

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[1] Age 68!

[2] Possibly a brothel

[3] Picture credit The Boston Traveler Friday August 23 1901, page 1

Copyright Kathleen Sullivan 2026

My Curran Cousins

John Curran (1867-1944) of Lawrence and Lynn

Update!

This week I received an email from Ireland Reaching Out.  The subject was Irish Naming and Baptism Traditions.  Since I was familiar with the Irish naming patterns, I almost chose not to read the email.   At the last minute, I retrieved it from the trash and settled down to read what proved to be a lengthy article.

One phrase toward the end of Irish Baptism Traditions and Customs caught my eye:

The poorer class of Catholics (rarely named on land records, but living in a townland in some sort of extended-family rundale system) followed a specific godparent convention to the letter: every sponsor/ godparent was either a sibling or a sibling in-law of one of the child's parents. It's that simple.  Surnames that do not match the parents' surnames are in-laws and key to knocking down brick walls.

I knew that John Curran's godfather was Thomas Grady and I was sure there were no Grady in-laws in my family.  John's mother, Catherine Houlihan, had three sisters, Mary, who married Tom Griffin, Honora, who married John Gould and Margaret, who disappeared.  There were no Gradys hiding there.  But I hadn't considered the Currans.  

On  30 January, 1866, just a year and a bit before John's birth on 8 February, 1867, Thomas Grady married John's paternal aunt, Margaret Curran.  So John's godfather was indeed a sibling in-law.

Marriage of Thomas Grady and Margaret Currane, 30 January 1866

John Curran is the earliest immigrant I have found in my maternal grandmother's extended family.  Thomas Grady was one of the sponsors or associates of John I wanted to follow up on, to see if he may have assisted John in emigrating to America.  John and Margaret are listed living in the Commons of Milltown, Dingle, in the 1901 Irish Census, with their youngest surviving child, Brandon.   Since John emigrated in 1883 and the Gradys were still in Ireland in 1901, they were not the ones to help him emigrate.

Margaret (Currane) Grady died 6 October, 1913, and her death was witnessed by her widower, Thomas.  They did not emigrate to America, although some of their children may have.

Death of Margaret Grady, 6 October 1913, Commons of Milltown, Dingle

If you would like to read this very informative (and helpful!) article, click here.

Irish Naming and Baptism Traditions

Copyright 2019, Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

My Curran Cousins

Mary Doherty (Dooley) Cosgrove (1907-1933) and Mary Rita (Cosgrove) Greene (1928-2005)

Mary Doherty⁴ (Catherine³, John² Curran, Catherine¹ Houlihan) Dooley, was the eldest child of Michael F. and Catherine Z. (Curran) Dooley.  She was born on 15 September 1907 at Lynn, Massachusetts.  Her parents’ residence was 43 Norton Street, Lynn, the home of her maternal grandparents.

Mary’s parents moved often.  By the time she was 19 she had lived in Lynn, Saugus, Braintree, and Abington.  In 1926, she was living with her maternal grandparents again at 43 Norton Street and listed as a student in the city directory[1].

In 1927, Mary married Joseph H. (also Howard J.) Cosgrove.  Joseph was born 17 August 1905 in Canada, the son of Frank and Emma Cosgrove.  He was employed as a steamfitter in a shoe factory.

The couple’s only child, Mary Rita Cosgrove, was born July 4, 1928, in Lynn.  By 1930, the Cosgroves were living first at 148 Liberty Street Suite 3 and later, when the census was taken, at 64 Prospect Street, Lynn.[2]

Mary (Dooley) Cosgrove died at 64 Prospect Street on 19 November 1933 and was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery on 22 November 1933.  The primary cause of death was listed as articular rheumatism and the secondary cause as acute pericarditis. 

Joseph Cosgrove remarried sometime in or before 1935, to Dorothy Arline Platt, born in Lynn, 19 March 1909, the daughter of Samuel Platt and Leah Phillips.  They lived at several addresses in Saugus, and later in Lynn, and in Sebastian, Florida.  Joseph died on 8 June 1979 in Florida, and Dorothy died 14 June 1990 in Massachusetts.

Mary Rita Cosgrove

Mary Rita⁵ Cosgrove (Mary D.⁴ Dooley, Catherine³ Curran, John², Catherine¹ Houlihan) was raised in Saugus, Massachusetts with her stepbrother, Howard Arthur Spofford, son of Dorothy Platt.  He graduated from Saugus High in 1944 and Mary Rita graduated two years later, in 1946.  She married Donald Vernon Greene in 1950 and they had two children[3].  Mary Rita died 15 May 2005 in Sebastian, Florida and was buried 18 May at Fountainhead Memorial Park, Palm Bay.   Her husband Donald died 6 May 2011 at Tilton, New Hampshire and was buried with her at Fountainhead Memorial Park.

If you are related to Mary Dooley or Mary Rita Cosgrove, please contact me through the comments section below.

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[1] Ancestry.com, U S City Directories, 1822-1995

[2] Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census

[3] Since these children are living, their names are not included here.

My Curran Cousins

Catherine Zita Curran (1889- 1974)

Residences of Michael and Catherine
(Curran) Dooley

Catherine³ (John², Catherine¹ Houlihan) Zita Curran was the only surviving child of John Joseph and Mary (Kelleher) Curran.   At the time of her birth, the family lived at 13 Astor Court in Lawrence, Massachusetts[1]. 

At age 17, Catherine married Michael Francis Dooley, on 26 November 1906[2], at St Mary's Church in Lynn.  Michael was the eldest son of Michael Francis and Mary T F (Leahey) Dooley of 62 Prospect Street in Lynn.  Michael’s occupation is listed as a draughtsman.

Tracing the children of Catherine and Michael Dooley was not straight forward.    Although the couple married in Lynn and their first two daughters were born there, the other four children were born in varied locations.   It appears that the family moved often, specifically for Michael’s employment.  However, the parents’ names and the father's occupation are consistent on the birth records, which leads me to believe these children are all members of the same family.  The chart below lists the Dooley children I was able to locate in the records and verify.

I was not able to locate a birth record for Catherine Frances, born 1910.  The information for her in the chart below is taken from the census.  She is listed on the 1910 U S Federal Census with the age 0/12 years old.  That census form was recorded on 18 April 1910.  Later in life, Catherine Frances used a birth date of 21 April 1910.

Child	Birth Date	Residence of Parents	Occupation of father
Mary Doherty	15 Sept 1907	43 Norton St, Lynn	Pattern Maker
Gertrude Helen	2 Sept 1908	43 Norton St, Lynn	G E Co
Catherine Frances	18 April 1910	68 Hesper St, Saugus	Pattern maker, Electric company
John Charles	2 Nov 1913	Braintree, Mass.	Pattern maker
Francis Anthony	2 Nov 1913	Braintree, Mass	Pattern maker
Rita Elizabeth	15 May 1925	Everett, Mass.	Record unavailable

Catherine and Michael Dooley had the following children:

1.       Mary Doherty Dooley, born Lynn, 15 September 1907; died 19 November 1933, at Lynn

2.      Gertrude Helen Dooley, born Lynn, 2 September 1908; died 25 October 1946, at Boston

3.      Catherine Frances Dooley, there is no birth record for Catherine; died 4 January 1936, at Middleton

4.      John Charles Dooley, (twin) born Braintree, Massachusetts,  2 November, 1913; died 26 March 1958 at Boston

5.      Francis Anthony Dooley (twin) born Braintree, 2 November 1913; died 11 September 1968, at Albuquerque, New Mexico

6.      Rita Elizabeth Dooley, born Everett, Massachusetts, 16 May 1925; died 17 November 2015, La Verne, California

Between the time of their marriage in 1906 and 1957 they lived in 9 different cities or towns, as shown on the map above.  These include Lynn, Saugus, Braintree, Abington, Peabody, Malden, Everett and Chelmsford[3].

It seemed that I might have missed some children, as there is a gap of 12 years between the birth of the twins (#4 and #5)  in 1913 and Rita Elizabeth in 1925.  However, since Catherine had married at the young age of 17, she was still only 36 years old when Rita Elizabeth was born.   Rita is with her parents in the 1930[4] and 1940[5] census and is the informant on her mother’s death certificate[6].

Between 1963 and 1968, Michael and Catherine lived in Panama City and Vernon, Florida.  In 1968 they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico.  This may have been as a result of the death of their son, Francis Anthony.

Michael Francis Dooley died 1 October 1970 as a result of a stroke.  He is buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Albuquerque, New Mexico[7].

Catherine outlived her husband and five of her six children, dying on 4 October 1974, age 85, in Springfield, Virginia[8].  She is buried with her husband at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Albuquerque, New Mexico[9].    The cause of death was a cerebral vascular accident due to arteriosclerosis.  At the time of her death, she was living at 1221 Rosser Avenue, Waynesboro, Virginia.  The informant was her daughter, Mrs. Francis L (Rita) Delaney.

I would love to communicate with any descendants of Michael and Catherine (Curran) Dooley.

Next time, the life of Mary Doherty Dooley, the first child of Michael and Catherine.

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[1] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840-1915

[2] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Marriage Records, 1840-1915

[3] Ancestry.com, U S City Directories

[4] Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census

[5] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census

[6] Ancestry.com, Virginia, Death Records, 1912-2014

[7] Ancestry.com, U S, Find A Grave Index 1600s-Current

[8] Ancestry.com, Virginia, Death Records, 1912-2014

[9] Ancestry.com, U S, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Copyright 2019, Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

My Curran Cousins

John Curran (1867-1944) of Lawrence and Lynn

John Joseph² Curran (Kate¹ Houlihan), the eldest child of John and Catherine (Kate) (Houlihan) Curran is my first cousin three times removed (1C3R).  He was born 8 February 1867[1] at the Commons of Milltown, Dingle, County Kerry and baptized on 10 February[2] of the same year.  His sponsors were Thomas Grady and his maternal aunt, Honora Houlihan.

John left Queenstown aboard the S S Atlas, which arrived in Boston on  6 May 1883.[3]  He settled first in Lawrence, Massachusetts.  He is listed in the Lawrence City Directory from 1885 to 1894, on Oak Street, first at 202, then 242 and later, until moving to Lynn, at 261.[4]  His occupation was listed as laborer.

On 24 July, 1888[5] John married Mary M. Kelleher, daughter of James and Kate (Buckley) Kelleher at St Mary's Church in Lawrence.  Mary was born in Ireland in January 1865.[6]  Witnesses were Bartholomew Creeden and Ellen Curran, John's sister.

The Augustinian Friars staffed St. Mary’s Church.  At the time of John’s marriage, one of the priests assigned to the parish was Fr. James Curran.  Fr. Curran was born in Milford, Massachusetts, and it is not clear if there was a family connection.

St Mary's Church,
Lawrence

On 11 June 1889,[7] John's daughter Catherine Zita Curran was born in Lawrence.  Catherine's middle name is clearly written as Zither on the Massachusetts Vital Record ledger, but she used the middle name of Zita later in life.  Her mother had an older sister named Zita, so that is most likely the intended name.   She was baptized on 16 June with only a middle initial which could be interpreted as a Z.  Her sponsors were Michael Shea and her paternal aunt, Helen (Ellen) Curran.

On 31 January 1891[8], John and Mary's second daughter, Maggie, was born in Lynn.  Maggie died the same day[9].  I have not located a baptismal record for Maggie.

Sometime between 1891 and 1895, John and Mary moved to Lynn.  They are recorded at 45 Amity Street, Lynn when Maggie was born, and in 1896,[10] they purchased land and a house at 43 Norton Street.[11]  .  It is not clear exactly when they moved, as they were in Lynn when Maggie was born, but are shown as leaving Lawrence in the city directory in 1895.

In 1892 Edison General Electric company of Schenectady, NY and the Thomson-Houston Company of Lynn merged to form the General Electric Company.  As the company grew, it offered security and the opportunity of advancement to its employees.  John was one who took advantage of this.  The house he purchased in 1896 was a stone's throw from the side gate to the plant.  Eventually John became a foreman in the iron foundry.    By the time John died in 1944, General Electric employed upwards of 20,000 employees at the Lynn location.[12]

43 Norton Street, Lynn

On 10 October 1896,[13] John Joseph Curran was sworn in as a citizen of the United States at U. S. District Court in Boston.  His witnesses were D. F. Eagan and Edward Ellsworth, both of Lynn.  Since he had arrived in the U. S. before the age of 18, no additional forms were required.  The passenger list shows his age as 14, but he was actually 16. 

John's wife Mary died on 11 June 1928,[14] age 63.  He married, as his second wife, Mary Ellen (Mame) Buckley, daughter of John and Eliza (Flynn) Buckley.  Mary Ellen was born 29 April 1869,[15] in Lynn, the daughter of Irish immigrants.

I have only heard two stories over the years about John, but I think they speak to his generosity and love of extended family.  My mother's father took her to visit John often.  She remembers him as a big man who loved to talk.  They would sit on the enclosed front porch to visit and he had a big spittoon, which intrigued her.

The other memory of John was shared with me by Mary Leahy, granddaughter of John's sister Catherine.  When her father, John Bernard Leahy graduated from Saugus High School there were not many opportunities open to him.   His father had remarried after his mother's death, and since he did not particularly get along with his stepmother, he did not like to spend too much time at the home.

John was hanging out with friends on the street corner one day, when he met Aunt Margaret, his mother's sister.  She asked what he was doing and he said he was waiting to enroll in the apprentice program at the G E.  Margaret, who was unmarried, had a good paying supervisory job at a shoe shop[16].  She offered to pay John's tuition if he wanted to go to college. 

John went home and spoke to the father of a friend, a local pastor at a church in Saugus.  This gentleman contacted his connections at DePauw University in Indiana and arranged for John to be admitted.  His tuition was paid in full by his aunt and uncle, Margaret Curran and her brother John. 

When John Leahy graduated from DePauw University, John Curran, who didn't drive, purchased a car, hired a driver, and was chauffeured to Indiana to attend his nephew's graduation.

John Curran's only surviving child, Catherine³ (John²,Catherine Houlihan¹), married 26 November, 1906[17], at Lynn, to American born Michael Francis Dooley, son of Michael and Mary (Leahey) Dooley of Lynn. 

I would love to know why John Curran originally went to Lawrence.  I know his first cousin, Pat Griffin, emigrated around the same time and lived in Lawrence before moving to Westfield by 1889.  I am sure there were others there from the Dingle area.  Some of the sponsors or associates named above may be worth investigating, including Thomas Grady, Bartholomew Creeden, Fr. James Curran, Michael Shea, D. F. Eagan and Edward Ellsworth.

Next time, more about John's daughter Catherine.

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[1] Irishgenealogy.ie

[2] Irishgenealogy.ie

[3] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1963

[4] Ancestry.com, U S City Directories, Lawrence, Massachusetts

[5] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Marriage Records, 1840-1915

[6] Ancestry.com, 1900 U S Federal Census

[7] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840-1915

[8] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840-1915

[9] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Death Records, 1840-1915

[10] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840-1915

[11] MassLandRecords.com

[12] Wikipedia

[13] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1798-1950

[14] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Death Index, 1901-1980

[15] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840-¹⁹¹⁵

[16] At this time in Lynn, a shoe shop was a place where shoes were manufactured, not a retail establishment

[17] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Marriage Records, 1840-1915

Copyright 2019, Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved