Bantry To Ballyhea

Friday, July 19, 2019

My Curran Cousins

The Currans of Lawrence, Lynn and Worcester (Part 1)

Catherine (Kate) (Houlihan) Curran

Catherine (Kate) (Houlihan) Curran was the younger sister of my great great grandmother, Mary (Houlihan) Griffin. She was the third child, and second daughter of Denis and Catherine (Dowd or Doody) Houlihan, baptized 19 February 1843, at Strand, Dingle, County Kerry. [1]

Kate married John Currane, on 13 February 1866[2], at Dingle, County Kerry. John, the son of John Curran and Ellen Cahill, was born 1833, at Commons of Milltown, County Kerry.

Kate and John had the following children all born at Commons of Milltown, Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland:

John Joseph, born 8 February, 1867[3]; he died 27 August, 1944, in Lynn, Massachusetts[4]
Ellen, born 2 December 1868[5]; she died in 1944 in Worcester, Massachusetts[6]
Bridget, born 16 January 1871[7]; she died in the third quarter of 1872[8], Dingle, County Kerry
James, born 15 June 1873[9]; he died 24 January, 1933, Lynn[10]
Catherine T, born 17 September, 1875[11]; she died 16 January 1917, Lynn[12]
Margaret, born 8 October, 1878;[13] she died 1961, Lynn[14]
Elizabeth (Lizzie), born 6 February, 1881[15]; she died 1941, Lynn[16]
Cornelius Joseph, born 22 January, 1886[17]; he died 17 September, 1937[18], Lynn

St Joseph Cemetery

Kate arrived in Boston aboard the Cephalonia on 19 June 1892[19], just two months before her daughter Ellen's wedding in Lawrence to Michael J. Canane. The entire family had by this time immigrated to Massachusetts, settling first in Lawrence, where their eldest children, John and Ellen were married. Ellen and her husband moved to Worcester and the rest of the family, including their parents, moved to Lynn.

John Curran is listed in the Lynn City Directory for the years 1896 through 1900 at 76 West Neptune Street[20]. He is not listed in the 1900 census, as he died on 11 April 1900,[21] at Lynn of La Grippe (intestinal tuberculosis), age 64.[22] He was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery.[23]

14 Hathaway Street

Catherine is listed in the Lynn City Directories as the widow of John at 41 Woodman Street in 1901-1903, 67 Woodman Street in 1905, and at 14 Hathaway Street, the home of her daughter Catherine Leahy, from 1909 through 1916.[24] Kate (Houlihan) Curran died on 18 December, 1916, from cerebral apoplexy and was buried at St Joseph Cemetery. [25]

If you are related to or descended from John and Kate, please contact me through the comments section below.

[1] Irishgenealogy.ie

[2] Irishgenealogy.ie

[3] Irishgenealogy.ie

[4] Ancestry.com, U S City Directories, Lynn Massachusetts 1945

[5] Irishgenealogy.ie

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

[7] Irishgenealogy.ie

[8] Irishgenealogy.ie

[9] Irishgenealogy.ie

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

[11] Irishgenealogy.ie

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

[13] Irishgenealogy.ie

[14] Family sources

[15] Irishgenealogy.ie

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

[17] Irishgenealogy.ie

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

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

[20] Ancestry.com, U S City Directories, Lynn Massachusetts

[21] Ancestry.com, Massachusetts Death Records, 1841-1915

[22] The 1900 U S Federal Census lists only those living as of June 1

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

[24] Ancestry.com, U S City Directories, Lynn Massachusetts

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

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

James Edward Clancy 1952-2019

My cousin Jimmy Clancy was born less that 100 days before me, in the summer of 1952. We shared a play area as infants, went through 12 years of parochial school together, and shared a love of Ireland and all things Irish.

When I was very young, my grandmother Nellie (Bryan) Scanlon lived at 100 Ashland Street. Next door at 102 Ashland Street was her nephew Edward J. Clancy and his wife Claire. [1] As a new mother and an only child, my mother spent a lot of time with her mother. And consequently, I spent time with Jimmy next door.

Jimmy and I both attended Sacred Heart Grammar School on Robinson Street in West Lynn for Grades 1 through 8. Our first grade teacher, Sister Mary Kieran (later known as Sister Rita McCormack CSJ) selected us for the roles of Mary and Joseph in the Christmas play. We were to be understudies for the featured performers, Carol Kelley and Jerry Sexton, who were also cousins. If I remember correctly, David Dube played the donkey.

After Sacred Heart, Jimmy and I both attended St Mary’s High School, graduating in 1970. Jimmy was an outstanding athlete in high school, and later attended American International College. Our lives took different paths, and Jimmy and I did not see much of each other, until a chance encounter brought us together on an Aer Lingus flight out of Shannon in 2002. I was visiting Ireland with three high school classmates, celebrating out 50th birthdays. Jimmy was touring Ireland with his brother Chip. In the terminal at Shannon Airport, I saw his brother, but I thought it must just be someone who resembled him. After all, everyone in Ireland looked like us!

My grandmother, Nellie, and Jimmy’s grandmother Alice (Bryan) Clancy, were sisters from Inistioge, County Kilkenny. Ireland. At some point in time, I learned that my birth grandmother, Mary (Scanlon) McDermott, died when my mother was only two weeks old. My mother was adopted by an aunt and uncle. Nellie’s husband, John Scanlon, was my mother's maternal uncle. So Jimmy was right! He had always said we were not related.

The next time I talked to Jimmy was at our 45^th high school reunion in 2015. We had a nice long talk and caught up on our lives. I was looking forward to seeing him in 2020, but that won’t happen now.

Rest in peace, cousin.

[1] Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Lucky - 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

From the Trenches April 25, 1918

This post is part of a project called "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" created by Amy Johnson Crow.

The prompt for Week 11 was Lucky. That was last month, but lucky is appropriate for this post. The letter below was written 100 years ago today from the trenches of France by Sergeant Jerry Sullivan. He was the third man in the column when the shell landed. The first two men were finished with the war that day. My Papa lived another 49 years.

The letter transcribed below was published on the front page of The Peterborough (NH) Transcript on June 6, 1918. Click here to see the letter as it appeared.

Bennington, New Hanpshire

I believe the letter was written to Frank Hart of Bennington, New Hampshire. There were 3 Frank H's in Bennington in the 1920 census. Frank Haas was only three years old, so I don't believe he would have written to him. Both Frank Hart and Frank Holt were 54 years old and married to Annie and Ada respectively. Frank Hart was employed as a machine tender at the paper mill. Frank Holt is a farmer with his own farm. Family tradition is that my grandfather worked at the paper mill in Bennington NH before serving with the National Guard in Texas and the Army in France during WWI, so considering the letter is addressed to Frank and refers to Mrs. H., I believe he was writing to Frank Hart. I believe the line " Can't tell much on that subject, so please drop that first on the address." refers dropping the "first" from "first sergeant" when addressing mail.

Letter from France.

Following has been received from a friend in Bennington, which is a letter direct from the trenches:

Apr. 25, 1918.

In the Trenches

Dear Frank:
It has been quite a while since I wrote you last, but I have received a number of your letters and the papers have been coming regularly.

We have been jumping around the country like checkers on a checker board never staying in one place long enough so that we could get our mail censored.

Sergeant Jerry Sullivan, noted on back "My son Jerry,
Paris" , from the collection of June Russell Casaletto

I am in a quiet sector at present and I am thankful that it is, for a while anyway, as we need a little rest.

The last sector we were in, we got our bellies full for a few days. I suppose you will know all about it by the papers, as they wrote everything that happened at the other place. I can't write the names of places, although they print them. It seems so funny.

We are in a swampy woods with water up to our necks in places and mud; well there's more than a plenty. Rubber boots are in style here, boots that pull way up to our hips and fasten to our waist belt. Dug outs are fair, but have to be pumped out three times a day.

Now I'll try and tell you something about the last place we were in. I guess I haven't told you about my being reduced to the grade of duty sergeant, by our new company commander-- a U. S. R. man. ( A Plattsburg Lt. has been put in, and the older ones reduced to make this place for him). Can't tell much on that subject, so please drop that first on the address.

Well, we were back in rest billets taking things easy, when we heard that the squareheads were making it nasty up front, so we were thinking of the real excitement in store for us, when we were told we were to go up and relieve another company.

We got as far as our carts and mules could go (well into the range of the artillery) then started out with our guides. I went along, with one section of my platoon. It was very dark night and we had hopes of getting in O. K. We were going along an open space just before we were to enter a trench, when bing when an 88" landed at the head of our column. The first two men have finished with this war and I was the third man in the column. Another and still another landed before we realized what happened, and then we fell back into a trench until those shells raked the road way back for about half a mile. Maybe I wasn't a little scared for a few minutes as we laid in that trench listening to those shells landing all around us. My old bean was ringing just like a bell.

After the shelling stopped, I checked up my men and found one badly hurt (the man in front of me) and the guide, well he never knew what hit him. They found him the next morning thrown way off the road, all in pieces.

We got our equipment picked up, and started back with our wounded man to get him to the hospital and get a new guide. I learned today that our man died from his wounds. We took a different route and got in O. K. and found that old John Boche was only about seventy-five yards away from us in places.

Just before day break, a large number of Boche came over to do us up. They got as far as our front line trench and found it empty, as we knew they were coming long before they did come. As soon as they got into our front line trench we called for a barrage and our artillery sent over a nice box barrage, that penned them in until daybreak.

They were in a fine pickle, as some of them started back over the tops, but they never got far as most of our boys are good with the rifle, so they gave up that idea.

After we had breakfast, we went down our communication trench loaded with hand grenades dropped a few down one door of a dugout and then the man at the other door would call "Come out Fritz" and what Fritzies there were left, would come out hands over their heads, cowering with fear.
After the prisoners were take back a ways (near the dug outs I was in) and were being searched, the boche started shelling right and left, right where we were. Talk about Hell breaking loose; well, before we could get the prisoners down in the shell proof of our dug out, some of them were laying on the ground, victims of their own shells. For about three hours, they sent over the hell fire. Some of the prisoners were injured and so our hospital men fixed them up with first aid. They were all standing up against the wall, and those than weren't able to stand, were sitting on the floor. Some were cowards and yet a few of them were clean cut,. One fellow especially, he was tall and straight as a stick. A lot of them were puny looking. They said they had plenty to eat while on the line, but when at the rear, almost nothing.

This was only the first day. For three days steady, they tried to come over and push us off the hill. Six times in one afternoon, they tried one place, but they couldn't budge our boys, although we lost men, we didn't lose ground. I guess those squareheads know what a Yank is made of now all right.

Things were a little more quiet the last few days we wore in and we sure were glad when we heard we were to be relieved; not because we were afraid, cause our boys wanted to go after the boche, they were just so darn mad (they wanted to go after them with their fists, and would have only for our officers). It's an awful strain on a man to be watching all the time, especially at night.

We were relieved O. K. and got back to our rest billets, slept around the clock the first day, then washed and shaved, then looked for the kitchen to find out how soon we would eat. Spent a few days in rest, then back in again. Thee old Boche doesn't bother us here, as he is quite a distance from us and we are just waiting for something to happen.

Well I must close now as the boys have come in with the grub and we only eat twice a day, it doesn't stand around long. I send my best regards to Mrs. H. and all my friends. Will close now.

Friday, February 16, 2018

Valentine - 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Around the World With Aunt Retta!

This post is part of a project called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, created by Amy Johnson Crow.

The prompt for this week is Valentine.

Lauretta (O"Sullivan)
(Stewart) Kingsley

This week coming, up to Valentine's Day, I received an interesting and appropriate record hint from Ancestry.com. It was a marriage record for Arthur Dennin Stewart and Barbara Vera Whitaker dated July 27, 1947 from the New Hampshire Marriage and Divorce Records, 1659-1947 database. Although he was always referred to "Dan", I knew this was Aunt Retta's son because of the marriage date, July 27, 1947.

Alexander (Junior)
Stewart

Dan was my father's first cousin and he and Barbara married on the same day as my parents, leading to half of the family attending each wedding. This record had a lot of information, including the name and residence of the parents of both the bride and groom. Dan's mother, Aunt Retta, was 45 years old and living in Columbia, South America. I knew Aunt Retta was born in Revere, Massachusetts, married in Camden, North Carolina, lived in Tanners Creek, Virginia, when her children were born in Norfolk, and eventually settled in Jacksonville, Florida. I was not aware that she had lived outside of the country. Surely, this should be Columbia, South Carolina?

Arthur (Dan) Stewart

Yet, 13 months later to the day, on August 27, 1948, Aunt Retta left New York City on the Santa Isabel V. 33, bound for Columbia, South America and scheduled to disembark at Buenaventura.

As it turns out, Retta's husband George Kingsley was a photographer, and they spent several years in Columbia while he was on an assignment for Forbes, working on a book.

I would love to be in touch with any of Aunt Retta's descendants, if you find this blog please contact me!

Timeline for Lauretta Josephine (O'Sullivan) (Stewart) Kingsley
April 20, 1902	born Revere, Massachusetts
April 21, 1910	living at 29 Newbury Street, Revere, Massachusetts in the 1910 US Federal census
January 26, 1916	death of father, Jeremiah O'Sullivan
June 21, 1919	married Alexander Truman Stewart at Camden, North Carolina
January 7, 1920	living at Virginia Street, Tanner's Creek, Virginia in the 1920 US Federal census
March 21, 1921	birth of son Alexander Truman Stewart at Norfolk, Virginia
December 4,1922	birth of son Arthur Dennis (Dan) Stewart, at Norfolk, Virginia
May 18, 1930	living at 5 Bay Road, Revere, Massachusetts in 1930 US Federal census
December 12, 1931	marriage to George Kingsley, Portsmouth, NH
April 5, 1940	living at 15 Hillside Avenue Saugus, Massachusetts in the 1940 US Federal Census
August 27, 1948	in New York City, en route to Buenaventura, Columbia, South America
1950	living at 30 Whittier Avenue, Haverhill, Massachusetts
October 28, 1994	died Jacksonville, Florida

Descendants:

Junior Stewart and
son Dennis

Lauretta Josephine, b. April 20, 1902, daughter of Jeremiah and Laura (Shaw/Chauvin) O' Sullivan, Revere, Massachusetts; m. (1) Alexander Truman, b. December 11, 1899, Wolfe City, Texas, son of Dennis and Cora (Danford) Stewart; he died July 3, 1967, Jacksonville, Florida; m. (2) George, b. June 8, 1903, Chelsea, Massachusetts, son of Francis and Sarah (Kingsley) Smith, and grandson of David and Josephine (Griffin) Kingsley; he died March 31, 1966, Monroe, Louisiana; Lauretta died October 28, 1994, Jacksonville, Florida

Children of Alexander and Lauretta (O'Sullivan) (Stewart) Kingsley:

Alexander Truman (Junior), b. March 21, 1921, at Norfolk, Virginia; married July 9, 1946, Emma L. Collins; 1 son, Dennis, born July 7, 1949, died October 1969; Junior died October 30, 2001;

Dan and Vera Stewart
with sons Kevin and David

Arthur Dennis (Dan), b. December 4, 1922, at Norfolk, Virginia, married July 27, 1947, Barbara Vera Whitaker, daughter of Alvin and Vera (Partridge) Whitaker; Dan died October 27, 1977, Merrimac, Massachusetts; Barbara died October 21, 1996, San Diego, California; 2 sons, Kevin and David;