Breaking Down a Brick Wall

Last month I attended NERGC in Manchester, NH. There is always more to learn and great people to meet. On Friday evening I attended Michael Brophy's special interest group on Irish-American research. People had great questions, and participants ranged from beginners to experts.

One questioner caught my attention. Lea Zina was looking for her great great grandmother, Katie Kavanagh of Wenham. She was married in 1866 to Sherburne Morey in Gloucester, Massachusetts. I have a soft spot for Cavanugh/Kavanaughs, and my grandmother's sister was a Catherine Cavanaugh. The group had many suggestions for Lea, and I suggested she try the 1865 Massachusetts State Census on Family Search.

That evening, I tried searching the 1865 census, but I couldn't find a Katie Kavanagh of the right age. There was a Katie who was six years old, but she wouldn't have married in 1866. The next day, I ran into Lea after a talk. I told her I had been in the same special interest group and asked her if she had any luck with the suggestions. I told her about the Katie I had found, who was obviously not the right one.

Lea shared her research with me. What she knew of Katie, based on census and vital records was the following:

• Katie was from Wenham, or Salem
• she was born in Massachusetts between 1848 and 1851,
• her last name was Cavenough, Cavender, Cavanagh, Cavenaugh, or Karagan
• her mother's name was Kate Durgin,
• her father's name was John Cavender

Lea and I exchanged email addresses and when I got home from the conference, I started looking for Katie in earnest. I went back to the 1865 Massachusetts state census for Wenham. Listed directly following the family of six year old Katie was another Cavanaugh family. This family consisted of father Martin, age 60, mother Catherine, age 55, and three daughters, Catherine, age 14, Hannah, age 16 and Margaret, age 20. The parents were born in Ireland and the three girls in Massachusetts. This Catherine was much closer in age to the Katie we were looking for.

I followed the family in the 1870 US Census, still in the same location, directly following the younger Cavanaughs in Wenham. Now the family showed only Martin and Catherine, both age 62, born in Ireland. Catherine, Hannah and Margaret may have married or gone into service, as they were no longer in the home.

Next, I looked at vital records for Cavanaughs in Wenham, and found the death of Catherine “Dargan” Kavanagh later the same year on July 23, followed by the death of Martin, widower, on September 18, 1878. Lea and I reviewed the results and it seemed pretty clear that Catherine Dargan Kavanagh was “Kate Durgin” and Martin Kavanagh was “John Cavender”.

Since that time, Lea has gone on to locate 7 potential siblings (4 brothers and 3 sisters), their marriages, offspring, naturalization records, and deaths and is well on her way to documenting the entire family through census records. She found through census records the family emigrated in 1854, so it is likely that all the children, including Katie, were born in Ireland.

Copyright 2013 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

Who Do You Think They Are?

Orvil & William Raney 1911 

Orvil and William Raney

This is a portrait of Orvil and William Raney taken in 1911.  I found it in a lot of postcards I bought at auction.

I located Orvil and William, the sons of Orvil W. and Anna D. Raney in the 1910 Census in Sharon, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.  Orvil was age 4 and William age 0, which would make them around 5 and 1 in this picture.

Both parents and all four grandparents were born in Pennsylvania.  Mr. Raney was a public school teacher.  By the 1920 census, Jennie Douglass, Mr. Raney's mother-in-law and Anna's mother had joined the family.  Anna D. Raney was Anna Douglass before her marriage.  Mr. Raney is now a high school teacher.

By the 1930 census, Mrs. Douglass is no longer with the family.  Mr. Raney is still teaching school, Orvil is age 24 and William is 20.

In the 1940 census, Orvil is living with his wife, May and daughter Carol May, age 3, on South Oakland Avenue in Sharon.  He is employed as a timekeeper for a transportation company.  The name in this census is transcribed incorrectly as David.

According to her obituary, Mrs. May Gladys Raney, age 92, wife of the late Orvil Douglass Raney died Tuesday, July 16, 2010 at her residence in Aiken, South Carolina.  She was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, the daughter of William and Christine Cartwright.  She and her husband had lived in Sharon, Pennsylvania, Warren, Ohio and Aiken, South Carolina.  She was survived by her son William D. Raney of Orlando, Florida, her daughter, Carol Scott of Aiken, South Carolina, six grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. 

I would love to return this picture to any of Mr. Raney's children, grandchildren or great grandchildren, should they happen to see this blog.


Copyright 2013 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

Using Shutterfly for Genealogy

I received an email last week offering me a free wall calendar from Shutterfly.  I think I received it a day or two before Thanksgiving, and it expired on Friday at midnight, Pacific time.  That didn't leave much time for me to play with it, but I think I will be pleased with the results.  To see my whole calendar, click here.

I didn't have time to enter all the birthdays, anniversaries, and other significant dates, but if I like what I received, someone may be getting these for Christmas!

Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

American Cousins

My American Cousins Photo Gallery (Part 2)

Below are two pictures of my great-great-grandmother, which will be in the American Cousins Photo Gallery, the Tiara exhibit in Dublin this October.

Mary Anne McCarthy (Chauvin)
my great great grandmother

Born: circa 1851, Ireland
Baptized: Unknown
Daughter of Patrick and Eleanor (Lynch) McCarthy
Arrived at Montreal, Quebec, Canada, before 1874 
Married Joseph Chauvin in Quebec, Canada, in or before 1874
Date of death: 28 August 1903
Place of death: Boston, Massachusetts

American Cousins

My American Cousins Photo Gallery (Part 1)

This October Tiara (The Irish Ancestral Research Association) will be participating in the Back To Our Past Exhibition in Dublin, October 12 through 14.  I will be in Dublin October 10 through 20 doing research.  As part of theTiara exhibit called American Cousins Photo Gallery, photos of member's immigrant ancestors who were born in Ireland and died in America will be displayed.   Below are some of the ancestors I hope to display an maybe connect with Irish relatives.

Richard Francis McDermott
my grandfather

Born 14 August 1886 Ballycoskery, Ballyhea, Cork
Baptized 5 September 1886, Ballyhea, Cork
Sponsors David McDermott and Ellen McDermott
Son of Peter and Ellen (Roche) McDermott
Arrived at New York on 15 October 1913
Married Mary Scanlon, 7 October 1916, Westfield, Massachusetts
Naturalized at Hampden County Superior Court, in Springfield, 21 June 1920
Occupation: wine clerk, steward, railroad employee
Date of death: unknown
Place of death: unknown

John Joseph McDermott
my great uncle

Born 2 January 1864, Charleville, Limerick
Baptized 10 January 1864, Charleville, Limerick
Sponsors Thomas Benchy and Mary Benchy
Son of Peter and Ellen (Roche) McDermott
Arrived between 1885 and 1887
Married Mary Healy, 18 November 1888, Westfield, Hampden, Massachusetts
Married Anna (Biglin) McGettrick, 17 April 1906, Westfield, Hampden, Massachusetts
Naturalized at Hampden County Superior Court in Springfield, 7 February 1893
Occupation: engineer, stationary engineer, ice dealer, patrolman, policeman
Date of death: 9 March 1945
Place of death: Los Angeles, California

Jeremiah Sullivan
my great grandfather

Born 2 November 1857, Bantry, Cork
Baptized 9 November 1857, Bantry, Cork
Sponsors John Sullivan and Bridget Mounty (Moriarty?)
Son of Jeremiah and Hannah (Dealy) Sullivan
Arrived at New York on 1872
Married Laura Shaw (Marie Eleonora Chauvin) 23 May 1897, Boston, Massachusetts
Naturalized at U S District Court, Boston, Massachusetts 22 October 1887
Occupation: wine clerk
Date of death: January 29, 1916
Place of death: Charlestown, Massachusetts

Mary Scanlon

my grandmother

Born 25 April, 1892, Scrag, Dingle, Kerry
Baptized 26 April, 1892 Dingle, Kerry
Sponsors John Gould and Margaret Griffin (Deveney)
Daughter of Maurice and Kate (Griffin) Scanlon
Arrived at Boston 6 April, 1911
Married Richard McDermott, 7 October 1916, Westfield, Massachusetts
Date of death: 26 May 1925
Place of death: Westfield, Hampden, Massachusetts

John Joseph Scanlon my adoptive grandfather

Born 30 November 1883 at Scrag, Dingle, Kerry
Baptized 1 December 1883 at Dingle, Kerry
Sponsors Patrick and Helen Scanlon
Son of Maurice and Kate (Griffin) Scanlon
Arrived at Boston, 1 April 1909
Married at Westfield, Massachusetts
Occupation: moulder
Date of death: 1947
Place of death: Lynn, Massachusetts

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