Nellie (O'Sullivan) Hargaden

My mother's cousin, Ellen O’Sullivan, daughter of Michael O'Sullivan and Catherine McDermott,  was born on 24 February 1903 and was baptized on 1 March 1903.  Her godparents were Peter McDermott and Margaret O’Sullivan.  Ellen lived at home with her parents and her brother David.  After the death of her mother in 1954 Ellen would have been the sole resident of 13 Marina Terrace.  Of her 5 brothers, Patrick, Peter, Michael, and David had died.  John Joseph had been ordained as a Capuchin friar and was living in Raheny, Dublin.   Of her 3 sisters, Mary Catherine (Sister Annunciata) had died and was buried in Lagos, Nigeria, Catherine was a Poor Clare nun and Margaret Mary was married.

Barney, circa 1928

It made sense then that, Ellen, known as Nellie,  married at St. Finbarr’s in Cork City on 10 September 1955[1]  Bernard (Barney) Hargaden, a widower and retired Garda.  She and Barney lived in the O’Sullivan family home at 13 Marina Terrace, Albert Road, Cork. 

In 1961 Barney retired after 39 years with the Garda Siochana.  He was looking forward to spending more time on his favorite pastime, fishing.  Superintendent Delaney, who made the retirement presentation was the first sergeant he had served under in Fermoy, County Cork.  He was presented with a fishing outfit as a token of respect by his colleagues at McCurtain Street Barracks.

The United States Lines vessel America arrived at Cobh on the afternoon of June 29 and 170 passengers embarked before resuming her voyage to New York City.  Sailing from Cobh were Barney and Nellie Hargaden.  They would be spending three months visiting relatives in the US. 

 In March 1969 Nellie won a brand new Ford Capri!  On Sunday 9 February 1969 the Sunday Independent offered the Prize of a Lifetime, ermine white with blue upholstery, as the prize for a single winner in their weekly Fashion Contest.  While the paper had offered cash prizes and various appliances, and even a British Morris Minor, the Ford Capri was new to the European market and had been reviewed extensively in the newspapers.  All the contestants had to do was take fashion pictures and arrange them in first, second, third place, etc., as to their preference.  There was a fee to enter, and competitors could submit as many entries as they wish.  On Sunday, 9 February the fashions displayed were suede and leather garments from June and Peter Morris of Wicklow Street and Henry Street, Dublin.  There were 4 winners in contest #841, but since there was no single winner, they shared a cash prize of 200 pounds and the awarding of the Capri was held over for the next week.  On Sunday, 16 February the fashions displayed were ladies skirt and trousers suits, Hetty Models available at House of Cassidy and stores throughout the country.  In this contest (#842) there were 17 winners who shared the cash prize of 200 pounds and once again, the awarding of the Capri was held over.  On Sunday, 16 February there were 9 photos displayed of young girls’ coats and dresses, manufactured by Cinderella Ltd, Shamrock Villas, Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6.  And this time, in contest #843,  there was only one winner, Mrs. Nellie Hargaden of 13 Marina Terrace, Albert Road, Cork!  Nellie worked for many years at Roche’s store in Cork.  Did this give her an advantage on the fashion front?  Barney and Nellie traveled up to Dublin to pick up their new wheels.[2]

Barney Hargaden was born 7 April 1898, at Carrigeenblike, County Sligo, son of Thomas and Maria (Coen) Hargaden.   As a young man, Barney joined the Garda Siochana in 1923 and was originally stationed in Fermoy, County Cork, where he first married Ellen, born 26 July 1901, daughter of Thomas and Mary (O’Mahoney) Lomasney on 3 September 1929.  Ellen (Lomasney) Hargaden died 24 October 1931 of nephritis, pregnancy and oedema of the lungs.

Barney died on 22 February 1991 and was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, Charleville.  Ellen O'Sullivan Hargaden died on 28 January 1996, at the Catherine McAuley Nursing Home in Charleville, County Cork. Her funeral was held at Holy Cross Church, Charleville, the following day, followed by burial in the Holy Cross Cemetery.  She was 92 years old, the longest lived of her siblings.

 [1] Although Nellie’s marriage record is not yet available on irishgenealogy.ie, notation was made of this date and the name of the church on her baptismal record.

[2] My family owned a yellow Ford Capri when I was in high school, which would have been right around the same time.

Copyright Kathleen Sullivan 2026 All rights reserved

A Transatlantic Heritage

Using an idea generated by the Technical Genealogist (https://www.technicalgenealogist.com/)  I generated the infographic below from my DNA results

Copyright Kathleen Sullivan 2026 All Rights Reserved

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:

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

Copyright Kathleen Sullivan 2026, All Rights Reserved