When my paternal grandmother, Brigid ("Bea") Harrington emigrated from County Mayo, Ireland, to New York City in 1922, she was supposed to stay with her older sister, Mary Anne. But Mary Anne's name was crossed out on the ship's document in NYC, and her maternal uncle's name was written in. I don't know what happened, but I wonder was it because it was unsuitable (in those times) for a newly arrived single woman to stay with another single woman? The uncle she went to stay with was her maternal Uncle Thomas (Tom) McGuinn, in New York City. His address was 450 W. 18th Street, Manhattan, NY.
My Aunt Bea, Grandma Bea's daughter, told me that Grandma said Uncle Tom didn't like city life; he wanted to go back to farming. Grandma's daughter also told me that my Grandma always wondered what happened to Uncle Tom. She knew he'd bought a farm in Pennsylvania, but nothing else. Even though neither Grandma nor her daughter are around for me to tell them what happened to Uncle Tom, I wanted to find out.
In collaboration with a cousin in the UK, Chris King, we found out lots online about Uncle Tom: his birth, censuses in the UK, his emigration to the US, living with his sister in NYC, his purchase of land in Pennsylvania, and his death there. Since Uncle Tom never married, I wondered who the land had gone to. In September 2021 my sister, Joan McLaughlin and I took a cross country trip from Virginia to California. One of the stops we made was to the county where he lived in Pennsylvania, Crawford County, to find out more.
But first, some facts and images about Uncle Tom. He was born some time in November 1873, and baptized on 30 November 1873. The family's last name was spelled various ways, and one way it was spelled is as you see it here: McGuin. He was most likely baptized in St. James Catholic Church in Lowpark Court, an area outside Charlestown, County Mayo. The family lived in Glann, in the Catholic parish of Curina. His parents were John McGuinn and Mary Kelly. His sponsor Bridget Kelly was most likely a relative:
From Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915, via Ancestry.com
In 1901 this might be him was working on a farm in Flintshire, Hawarden, Wales. He's renting a portion of Thotton Hall Farm; a sharecropper in American English:
From 1901 Wales Census via Ancestry.com
In 1905 he emigrated to New York City. He arrived on Feb 9. His name was written as McQuinn; he was 28; he was going to stay with his sister Mary [McGuinn] Miller on Harrison Street in Brooklyn. His occupation is laborer:From N.Y. Passenger Lists via Ancestry.com
He immigrated to the US in time to make the 1905 NY State Census on June 1, 1905. They are no longer on Harrison Street in Brooklyn, they're at 44 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn:From the 1905 N.Y. State Census via Ancestry.com
In 1915 he was still living with his sister, Mary and her children. One is named Thomas! They're at 441 W. 28th Street in Manhattan. That's the Chelsea area of Manhattan. His occupation is laborer:From 1915 N.Y. State Census via Ancestry.com
In 1918 he had to register for the draft for WWI. He was 45 years old. He was a checker for the Lehigh Valley RR at Pier 66 in Manhattan. He was of medium height, stout, with blue eyes and gray hair. He was still not a citizen, and hadn't even declared his intention to become one. He's living at 433 W. 24th St, Manhattan: WWI Draft Registration Card via Ancestry.com
Finally, in 1925, Uncle Tom declared his intention to become a citizen. He was 49, a delivery clerk, 5 feet 5 inches, 195 lbs, grey-brown hair, blue eyes, and living at 442 9th Avenue. I have not yet found his final citizenship papers.
New York, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1943 from Ancestry.com
Then, in 1928 he bought a farm in Athens Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. It was located on what is now Schauberger Road, between Centerville Rd., and Jones Rd:
Titusville Herald from Newspapers.com via Ancestry.com
Crawford County, PA, assessor's office record accessed September 2021
I have no idea what the area looked like when Uncle Tom bought it, but when we visited in September 2021, the area was very pretty. It was on a dirt road. The road was a hill. Here are some photos from our trip:
Photo by Carol Neilson
Just past the deck and fenceline would've been his property.
Photo by Carol Neilson Photo by Joan McLaughlin
Just past the fenceline would've been his property. On the left side would've been his property.
Of course it does not go all the way into the distance.
In the 1930 U.S. census he was 53 and still living at his farm:
U.S. Census of 1930 from Ancestry.com
NOW! Here's what we found out about his land and who it went to: In 1931 Thomas deeded/sold his land to his nephew, Patrick McDonagh, for "$1 and more." However, the deed wasn't filed until 1936. I have not found evidence that Patrick ever lived at the farm. As part of the sale, Patrick had to let Uncle Tom live there until he died and bury him nearby. Patrick roomed at 451 First St., Brooklyn, NY.
Crawford County PA assessor's office record accessed Sept 2021
In 1935 and 1940 Uncle Tom is still living on the farm in Athens Township. He indicates he is Naturalized, so he did become a citizen! I haven't found that information, yet. But according to his answer in column 25, he is unable to work by 1940. I have no idea how he was able to buy food to eat because in columns 32 & 33 where it's asked the amount of income made/received in 1939, Thomas answered zero.U.S. Census of 1940 accessed from Ancestry.com
Then on 15 August 1951, Thomas passed away. According to his death certificate, he died at the Crawford County Home and had been there for two months and 14 days. I haven't been able to find out if this was an old folks home or a hospital? He died of general edema as a result of organic heart disease. PA archives record accessed via Ancestry.com
He was buried on 20 August 1951 in the McGee Town (also Mageetown) Cemetery in Crawford County. Now the cemetery is Immaculate Conception Cemetery. It's located in Crawford County. It's about 6 miles from where his farm was.Image from Google maps
Here's a photo of the cemetery taken in Sept. 2021. It was in a pretty setting surrounded by farms on two sides and woods on two sides. We found no headstone for Uncle Tom. :( Photo by Carol Neilson
This was the closest Catholic church to his farm, so he most likely went to Mass here, and where his funeral mass would have been said. Immaculate Conception Church, Mageetown, founded 1822. Photo by Carol Neilson
Patrick McDonagh, the nephew to whom he had sold his farm, then sold the land in 1952. As I said earlier, I haven't found evidence that Patrick ever lived at the farm. However, I did find that his brother, John, stayed with Uncle Tom for a time. Both Patrick and John are sons of Thomas's sister, Bridget "Beezie," who was married to Thomas McDonagh. Both Patrick and John immigrated to NYC. Patrick in 1926 and John in 1928. John spend enough time with Uncle Tom such that the local newspapers in Uncle Tom's area reported on John's time in the U.S. Army during the war. For instance, this piece from the Titusville Herald, May 1942: Titusville Herald via Newspapers.com from Ancestry.com
My sister and I had a successful mission: we found out what happened to Uncle Tom's land. He seems to have lived a solitary existence in Pennsylvania, except for the time when his nephew lived with him. I'm glad he at least had that.
(Note: two records I have not been able to find him in, yet: the 1920 U.S. Census, and the 1925 N.Y. State Census. If and when I do find those records, I will add them here.)
