McDermotts of Castlewrixon South

Richard Francis McDermott (1886 - ?)

My grandfather, Richard Francis McDermott, was born in August 1886, in Castlewrixon South, County Cork, Ireland.  I've been trying to piece his life together for quite a number of years.




Castlewrixon South

I had really hoped to find him in the 1940 census.   His whereabouts were a puzzle after my grandmother's death in 1925.  I hadn't found him in the 1930 census.  In that census his 3 sons were in a foster home in Woburn, Massachusetts, and his daughter was being raised by her maternal uncle and his wife, John and Nellie Scanlon, in Lynn, Massachusetts. 

I thought he may have returned to Ireland, but after a visit there in 2010, it seemed pretty clear that family there did not know what had happened to him either.  He registered for the World War II draft on April 27, 1942.  At that time he was living at 200 East 30th Street, New York City, and employed by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.  But the years between 1925 and 1942 remained a blank.



1940 Census

In the 1940 census, left,  Richard was living at Camp LaGuardia (Home for the Needy), Chester, Orange County, New York.  He was 53 years old, widowed, and a naturalized citizen.  These facts all agree with what we know about him.  He was a farm laborer on the New York City welfare project.  He had been out of work for 76 weeks and had worked 50 weeks that year on the farm.
Camp LaGuardia was established as a shelter for New York City’s homeless in 1934.  It was roughly 300 acre and located in the towns of Chester and Blooming Grove. The facility was built in 1918 and served as a correctional facility for women until 1934 when it was transferred to the City’s Welfare Department and named “Camp Greycourt.” The camp was renamed “Camp LaGuardia” in 1935. The purpose of the camp was to provide temporary relief for the unemployed.

My uncle Richard spoke of seeing his father for the last time on a work farm.  We thought it may have been the Billerica House of Correction, not far from Woburn where my uncle was living.  Now I think it may have been while he was at Camp LaGuardia.   Richard would have been 23 in 1940, and could have traveled to New York to see him.   I'll continue looking for what may have happened to him, both in 1930, and after 1942.  But I don't think this will have a happy ending though.

Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

The Dealy/Daly Siblings of Bantry, County Cork

My grandmother, Hannah (Dealy) O'Sullivan was one of at least 4, and perhaps as many as  7 or 8 siblings.  My research into Hannah, her husband, Jeremiah O'Sullivan and her children had reached a dead end at the 1880 census.  In the 1880 Census she was a widow living at 99 Pleasant Street in Charlestown, Massachusetts, with her son Jeremiah, daughter Hannah, and her niece and nephew, Sophia and William Haggerty.

Bantry, County Cork, Ireland

In an effort to find the Irish origins of this family, I've uncovered some connections and quite a number of Dealy's from Bantry, County Cork.  Sophia and William were the children of Hannah's sister Mary Anne (Dealy) Haggerty.  John Francis Dealy, boarding as a student with Hannah's married daughter, Mary McPike, was the son of Hannah's brother Richard.  Last year my cousin June was contacted by Patrick Bryan of Bath, England, the great-grandson of Rebecca (Daly) Bryan, another sibling. 

I will look at the Dealy's one generation at a time, starting with Hannah's definite, and then possible, siblings.  They are a wide ranging family.  Even with only the four siblings above, they lived in Bristol, England; Boston, Massachusetts; Stamford, Connecticut and San Francisco, California.  Their descendants are spread even further.

Next week, I'll look at the first generation of our Dealy immigrants, Richard and his wife Ann (McCormack) of Stamford, Connecticut, Hannah and her husband, Jeremiah O'Sullivan, Mary Anne and her husband William Haggerty of San Francisco, and Rebecca and her husband Timothy Hourihan Bryan of Bristol, England.

Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

California Connections

Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller (1852-1895)

A Short Life

Bantry, County Cork, Ireland

My great-great aunt, Helena O'Sullivan, was born around October 1852, in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland.  She was the second daughter of Jeremiah and Hannah (Dealy/Daly) O'Sullivan.  Sometime around the age of six, her family left Ireland and sailed for America, settling first in New York City, where her youngest sister, Hannah, was born around 1861.

Five Points, New York

I believe the family arrived in New York around 1858.  What happened there, or how long they stayed in New York is not clear.  At some point between 1861, when Hannah was born, and 1868, when Helena arrived in California, the family moved to Boston, living at Thacher Court in the North End and later at 180 Chelsea Street in Charlestown.



From Massachusetts, Helena traveled to San Francisco, California, probably with her older sister Mary and her aunt and uncle, William and Mary Anne (Dealy/Daly) Haggerty.  In 1870, she was working as a servant in the household of H. Newbauer, an immigrant from Bohemia and manufacturer of matches. 

San Francisco, California

In 1873, she married George Councilman, a German immigrant and Civil War veteran.  He served in Company B of the 5th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry.  By the spring of 1877, George and Helena had three young children, George Sullivan, age 3, Essie Helena, age 2, and infant Eva, born in February.  George was working as a glassblower.  By 1886, life had taken a turn for the worse.  Helena's eldest daughter, Essie, had died in July of 1877.  At some point after 1880, George had deserted his family and traveled back east to Newark City, Ohio, where he remarried in 1891.  In February of 1886 Helena divorced George for desertion, and by September she had married Louis Mueller and given birth to another child. 

According to newspaper reports, on August 31, 1886, the examination of Helena's case was completed before Judge Levy.  She was suffering from delusions, and believed that the clock talked to her and people were swearing at her.  In other respects she was found rational and it was decided that she was afflicted with monomania.  She was sent to the state hospital in Napa.   Nothing is known about her life between September 1886 and March 1890.

By March of 1890, Helena had left the state hospital at Napa and was living in San Francisco with her daughter Eva.  In March of 1890 Eva, who had run away from home, was committed to the custody of the Boys and Girls' Aid Society by Police Judge Rix, because she "insisted on associating with hoodlums." 

A place was found for Eva with a Mrs. Shaw on Noe Street.  Her mother attempted to see her at Mrs. Shaw's and wanted to take her home, but Eva refused to leave.  Eva said "she would kill herself rather than go back to her mother, who ... drinks to excess and is abusive."    Helena went to court in an attempt to bring her home. In court she said she objected to Eva remaining with Mrs. Shaw because "the latter is of Irish extraction, while she and her daughter are Americans."  Eva stated that "she did not wish to go back to her mother because she beat and abused her."  Mrs. Shaw said "the girl was doing very well and is perfectly contented to remain where she is".  Helena was "roused ... to a pitch of wild fury " and cried "that she refused to let her daughter live out with strangers, moreover because she was being taught to become a liar."  According to newspaper accounts, Helena used very violent language toward Mrs. Shaw.  The judge ordered Eva into the custody of the Aid Society with the understanding that she would stay with Mrs. Shaw.  When the decision had been made and Eva was leaving with Mrs. Shaw, Helena tried to take her but was prevented by an officer.

Charlestown, Massachusetts

Helena and Louis Mueller had two daughters, Caroline Louise in December, 1891 and Hella Richie in July, 1893 in San Francisco.  She was pregnant when she died on April 13, 1895 in Sacramento of placenta previa.  Her two younger daughters were raised by her mother Hannah in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

So far, I've identified 22 descendants of Helena, listed below.  I hope this blog will help me to locate and correspond with any who are interested in our shared family history.

George Sullivan Councilman, son, born San Francisco, California, 1874

Essie Helena Councilman, daughter, born San Francisco, California, 1875

Eva Councilman (Staugh) (Holm), daughter, born San Francisco, California, 1877

(unknown) Mueller, child, born San Francisco, California, 1886

Caroline Louise Mueller (Mann), daughter, born San Francisco, California, 1891

Hella Richie Mueller, daughter, born San Francisco, California, 1893

Frances Regina Councilman, granddaughter, born Boston, Massachusetts, 1895

Louis Councilman, grandson, born Almeda, California, 1906

Marjorie Holm, granddaughter, born New York, 1909

George V. Councilman, grandson, born California, 1911,

Caroline Louise Mann (Jenkins), granddaughter, born Boston, Massachusetts, 1917

Elfreida Marie Mann (Campello), granddaughter, born Boston, Massachusetts, 1918

Bernice Councilman (Vaurs), granddaughter, born San Francisco, California, 1919

Marilyn Ann Councilman, great granddaughter, born San Francisco, California, 1937

James Richard Councilman, great grandson, born Almeda, California, 1943

William Douglas Councilman, great grandson, born Almeda, California, 1944

Kathleen Jean Councilman (Dacunha), great granddaughter, born San Francisco, California, 1946

Albert Campello Jr, great grandson, born Revere, Massachusetts, 1947

Janet Campello (Meaney), great granddaughter, born Revere, Massachusetts,

Alfred Pierre Vaurs, born San Francisco, California, 1955

Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

California Connections

Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller (1852-1895)

San Francisco Call, December 17, 1891

Fact 15: Helena gave birth to a daughter, Caroline Louise, 1891

Helena's daughter Caroline Louise Mueller was born Decmber 16, 1891 in San Francisco.    Caroline was raised by her grandmother, Hannah (Dealy) O'Sullivan at 180 Chelsea Street in Charlestown, Massachusetts.    I had figured out her date of birth from her age at the time of her death.  I had figured it to be December 15, 1891, so I'm sure this is her.

Boston Daily Globe, February 1897

Fact 16: Helena gave birth to a daughter, Hella Richie, 1893

Helena's daugher Hella Richie died in Charlestown, Massachusetts at her grandmother's home.  By her age at the time of death she would have been born around July 21, 1893. 

Fact 17: Helena died in Sacramento, 1895

San Francisco Call, April 15, 1895

When I started my search for Helena in 2008 the only definite fact that I had was Helena's death certificate stating that she died on April 13, 1895 in Sacramento, California, from placenta previa.   This death certificate was one of two items I was able to find on my trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.  That death certificate was the starting point of this story.  I really feel like I've built a sketch of Helena's life that helps me understand her.  Next week, I'll sum up what I've learned.

Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

California Connections

Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller 1852-1895

 Fact 14: Helena has trouble with her daughter, Eva, 1890

Daily Alta California 30 March 1890

In March of 1890, Helena's daughter Eva Councilman, age thirteen, ran away from home.  She was put in the care of the Boys and Girls' Aid Society by Police Judge Rix, because she insisted on "associating with hoodlums."  The title of the article to the left, which appeared on March 30, 1890 in the Daily Alta California, reads Three Naughty Girls.

Daily Alta California 29 May 1890

Eva appeared before Judge Rix in Police Court again the following July 16.    After being placed in custody of the Boys and Girls' Aid Society, they found a place for her with a Mrs. Shaw who lived on Noe Street.    Helena recently had tried to visit her daughter there,  but was refused permission.  She tried to take Eva away from Mrs. Shaw, but Eva refused to leave, saying that her mother drank to excess, beat her and was abusive.  She said that she would kill herself, rather than return to her mother.

Helena brought this case before the Police Court.  She said that her main objection was that Mrs. Shaw was Irish, while she and her daugther were American.  This is strange, since Helena was born in Ireland.

San Francisco Call 29 May 1890

Unfortunately, Helena was "roused to a pitch of wild fury", and the case was not decided in her favor.  Judge Rix decided that Eva would remain in the custody of Superintendent Heap of the Boys and Girls' Aid Society.  She would stay with Mrs. Shaw until letters of guardianship were obtained.  When they were leaving the court, Helena tried to take Eva, but was prevented.

This was reported in both the Daily Alta California and the San Francisco Call on May 29, 1890.

Superintendent Heap made application to the Probate Judge for guardianship for a list of orphans or "friendless" children on July 17, 1890.  Eva was included in this list.

Daily Alta California 17 July 1890

San Francisco Call 17 July 1890

Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

California Connections

Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller 1852-1895

What I've learned about the short life of my great-great aunt, Helena O'Sullivan, continued.

Fact 9: Helena was a married mother of two living in San Francisco in the 1880 census

In the 1880 Helena (indexed as Helma) was living with her husband George, a glassblower, age 40.  They had two children, George, age six and Eva, age 3.

1880 Census

Fact 10: Helena divorced George Councilman, February 1886

Daily Alta California February 11, 1886

In the February 11 edition of the Daily Alta California Mrs. H. Councilman was given a divorce from George Councilman on the ground of desertion.

Fact 11: Helena gave birth to a child, April 1886

Daily Alta California September 1, 1886

In the September 1, 1886, Helena, as Helena Miller, was examined by Judge Levy and the Commissioners and sent to Napa.  This short article gives a short but complete summary of Helena's life.  She was

• born in Ireland,
• her maiden name was Sullivan,
• she was married,
• the mother of 3 children,
• she came to California from Massachusetts 18 years earlier.

The article states that her youngest child was four months old.  This child would have been born in April 1886, after her divorce from George Councilman.  The two older children would have been George, age 12, and Eva, age 9.

Fact 12: Helena married Louis Mueller 1886

Helena divorced George Councilman in February of 1886.  By the time she was sent to the state hospital in September her name was Miller.    It would appear she married Louis Mueller sometime between February and September and he was the father of her youngest child.

Fact 13: Helena was sent to Napa State Hospital, July 1886

Napa State Hospital

After the examination by Judge Levy and the Commissioners determined that Helena was delusional, she was sent to the Napa State hospital.  This hospital was opened in 1875 to relieve overcrowding at the Stockton State Hospital,

Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

California Connections

Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller (1852-1895)

What I've learned about the short life of my great-great aunt, Helena O'Sullivan, continued.

Fact 5: Helena gave birth to a son, George Sullivan Councilman, 1874

Helena's son George, age 6, is listed in the 1880 census.  According to his World War I draft registration, he was born on January 18, 1874.

Fact 6: Helena gave birth to a daughter, Essie Helena Councilman, 1875

Fact 7: Helena's daughter Essie Helena died, 1877

Helena's daughter, Essie Helena, died on June 28, 1877 in San Francisco.  She was age 2 years and 3 months.  She would have been born in April, 1875.  Her death notice, below, appeared in the Daily Alta California on July 1, 1877.

Fact 8: Helena gave birth to a daughter, Eva Councilman, 1877

Helena's daughter Eva, age 3, is listed in the 1880 census.  In the 1900 census, as Eva Staugh, her birth date is given as February 1877.

I'll have more on Helena next week. I found out just yesterday that her granddaughter Elfrieda (Mann) Campello died in 2002 and her wake was held at a funeral home right around the corner from me.  I hope to locate some of her descendants.


Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

California Connections

Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller (1852-1895)

What I've learned about the short life of my great-great aunt, Helena O'Sullivan.

Fact 1: Helena was baptized in October 1852 at Bantry, County Cork

Helena was baptized at Bantry, County Cork, Ireland in October 1852.  The clipping below is from a church register page, Bantry, Diocese of Cork & Ross at the website Irish Genealogy, which has many baptisms and marriages from County Cork and County Kerry.   These counties were not included in the pay-per-view site RootsIreland and since most of my Irish ancestry is from these two counties I had pretty much given up on finding records on line.  Thanks to a collaboration between the Diocese of Kerry, the Diocese of Cork & Ross and the Irish government, there are nearly 3 million records now available at this website.

I found Helena's baptism listed as Ellen, of Jeremiah Sullen and Honora Daly, (sponsors) John McCarthy and Ellen Harrington.  The names Helena, Helen, Ellen and Nellie are often used interchangeably by the Irish.  Helena used Helen and Ellen, but I haven't found any record of her using Nellie.

Bantry Parish Register

The church in Bantry is St Finbarr's, shown on a postcard from 1905 at left.  This church was built in 1825 and looks much the same today, shown below.



St Finbarr's, Bantry, County Cork












Fact 2: Helena moved from Massachusetts to California around 1868 



Daily Alta California, September 1, 1886

This was determined from an article in the Daily Alta California dated September1, 1886 (left).  The article states that she "came to this State (California) from Massachusetts eighteen years ago."  which would have been approximately 1868.  Her aunt and uncle (William and Mary Anne (Dealy) Haggerty) also moved to California some time between October 1866, when their son William Richard was born in Boston, and August 17, 1870, when they were counted in the census in San Francisco.  Helena may have made the journey with them.

Fact 3: Helena was a servant living in California on the 1870 census

1870 Census

In the 1870 Census Ellen O'Sullivan was living as a domestic servant with H and Rosa Newbaur, and their six month old son Julian.  H. Newbaur was born in Bohemia and was a manufacturer of matches.  His wife Rosa was born in Hamburg.  Both of the men Helena eventually married were German.

Fact 4: Helena married George Councilman in San Francisco in 1873

Helena married her first husband, George Councilman, on February 2, 1873 in San Francisco, California.  I found this out from the marriage notice below in the Sacramento Daily Union.

Sacramento Daily Union, February 8, 1873

I'll have more on Helena next week.  I haven't found any her living descendants yet although I believe there may be some descendants of her son George living in California.


Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

California Connections

Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller (1852- 1895)

This past weekend I was catching up on Marian Pierre-Louis blog Roots and Rambles and reading about US GenWeb.  I knew it covered all of the US and thought I might find some ideas for my California brickwalls.  My great-great grandmother, Hannah (Dealy/Daly) O'Sullivan had a sister and a daughter who migrated to the San Francisco area.  They each had at least two children who ended up being raised by Hannah back in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

Through the California section of US GenWeb I connected to the California Digital Newspaper Collection.   I found a death notice (below) for a daughter of Helena, Essie Helena Councilman.  This was in the Daily Alta California, dated July 1, 1877.   Because she was born in 1875 and died in 1877, this child was not listed on any census. As I continued searching, I found so many possible references under different variations of her name, that I think the best way is to start with a timeline of what I know of Helena's life.

1. Helena was baptized in October 1852 at Bantry, County Cork
2. Helena moved from Massachusetts to California around 1868
3. Helena was a servant living in California on the 1870 census
4. Helena married George Councilman in San Francisco in 1873
5. Helena gave birth to a son, George, 1874
6. Helena gave birth to a daughter, Essie, 1875
7. Helena's daughter Essie died, 1877
8. Helena gave birth to a daughter, Eva, 1877
9. Helena was a married mother of two living in San Francisco in the 1880 census
10. Helena divorced George Councilman, February 1886
11. Helena gave birth to a child, February/March 1886
12. Helena married Louis Mueller 1886
13. Helena was sent to Napa State Hospital, July 1886
14. Helena has trouble with her daughter, Eva,m 1890
15. Helena gave birth to a daughter, Caroline Louise, 1891
16. Helena gave birth to a daughter, Hella Richie, 1893
17. Helena died in Sacramento, 1895

I'll look at these events one at a time, and try to get a picture of Helena's life.
Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

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.