Great Great Uncle Tom McGuinn

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.)

Different Language

(This post is part of a genealogy 'challenge' by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow, to write about one's family history: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. This week's challenge is "Different Language.")

My dad's mother, Bridget ("Bea") Harrington [McLaughlin], was born and raised in Ireland, in Glann in the Parish of Kilmovee, County Mayo. She was the third of seven children. Below is a map of Ireland, with County Mayo (from Wikimedia Commons) in green. My Grandma Bea lived in the eastern part of the County, not near the Atlantic Ocean. Her family were farmers.

She was born on March 1, 1902. Here's the family house. This picture of the home was taken some time in the late 1930s. It had TWO rooms. In the 1901 cenus, before she was born, her maternal grandmother is recorded as the head of family there. Her parents lived there as well as her two oldest siblings; Grandma Bea wasn't born yet. There were some other outbuildings on the farm, too. However, by the 1911 census....

...ten people were living there! Her parents, six children, AND both grandmothers, Mary Harrington, age 73, and Mary McGuinn, age 78. Can you imagine? Ten people in a two room house? Oh my! Here's a layout map of the house and grounds of the Harrington property from one of my Harrington cousins in the UK.

Below are pictures of my Grandma Bea's mother, Hanoria (McGuinn) Harrington, taken in the late 1930s.

On both the 1901 and 1911 Irish censuses, the grandmothers are recorded as speaking Irish and English. Also my grandmother's father, Patrick Harrington is recorded that way, too. Grandma Bea said the only thing she really remembered in Irish was, "Shut the door." I thought that was such a funny thing to remember! But old people get chilly easily, and I guess with six children in the house, they were frequently having to tell the children to keep the door shut! My Grandma must have heard it so much it's what she remembered in her older years. 

Here are images of the family the 1901 and 1911 censuses, from census.nationalarchives.ie

More to come about Grandma at a future date...

Maria Margaret "Peggy" Kilgariff McLaughlin

 Maria Margaret "Peggy" Kilgariff McLaughlin

My Mom's Early Years 

My mom was born in Brooklyn, NY. She was born in the Methodist Episcopal Hospital. (As was my dad, myself, and two other of my siblings!)

(From Hometalk the Star, Brooklyn, Fri., 24 Aug 1928, pg 14; from  Newspapers.com va Ancestry)

(Photo in the possession of author; professional photo by Valeche, Brooklyn  

Her mom, Margaret "Pearl" Charles McCann, was born to Irish immigrants, but her dad, John Francis Kilgariff, was born in Ireland and came to American in 1920. Her parents were older. Her mother was 42, her father 38. She had no siblings. She lived in a 4-story brownstone at 91 Fourth Avenue, on the edge of Park Slope, Brooklyn:

(Courtesey NYC Municipal Archives)(via 1940s.nyc)

Her aunt and uncle and five children lived on the bottom two floors. Her grandparents lived on a floor. I think she and her parents lived on the top floor.

The view from the backyard. You can see the fences separating yards.

She and her family attended St. Augustine Church in Park Slope at 116 Sixth Avenue. She was baptized there, went to elementary school there, confirmed there, and was married there. 

(From http://www.nycago.org/Organs/Bkln/html/StAugustineRC.html)

Notice my grandmother's gray hair! She was 42 when my mom was born. And my mom has no hair (just like we kids did and my children, too)

In front of the house on Fourth Avenue. I love my grandmother's coat (raccoon?) and flapper hat.

Toddling on Fourth Avenue, below. Further below, mom with her tricycle by the steps outside her house.

Elementary school picture, but I don't know what grade. About 2nd? 3rd? 

(Family snapshots in the possession of the author)

Sisters in Telegraph Service

Sisters in Telegraph Service

This blogpost is part of the challenge of Amy Johnson Crow, genealogist's "52 Ancestors, 52 Weeks." I post sporadically. The prompt was "service."

My grandmother, Margaret ("Pearl") Charles McCann Kilgariff, and her sister, Mary ("Minnie" and later, "Mamie") Catherine McCann Holzmann were just under 

3 & 1/2 years apart. 

Aunt Mamie was the first child of Joseph McCann and Catherine Sherlock. She was born in Belfast, Ireland, on 4 August 1882. Her baptismal certificate:

 

Image of certificate rec'd from her daughter, Gerry Holzmann Cassidy

The family emigrated to America in that same year; specifically, to New York City.

Then my grandmother was born, on 11 December 1885. Or, possibly the 12th. See the note she wrote on the side of her birth certificate:

Certificate in the possession of myself, Carol Neilson, granddaughter

Here is a family photo of the two sisters together when they were young. I would guesstimate about the age of 7-10? Maybe younger? It's not the best because it's a photo of a picture on fabric in a frame. The photo on frabric is, we think, from the late 1800s. It's in a fragile state. My grandmother is on the right. Aunt Mamie is on the left.

(Framed photo in the possession of Joan McLaughlin, 

granddaughter of Margaret)

Both sisters went to work after eighth grade, and eventually ended up as telegraph operators for Western Union. One thing they got to do was work at the Jersey shore, operating the telegraph offices in the hotels. They would send out messages for customers, and pass on messages they received. They also had to write important incoming news on a chalkboard outside the telegraph office. Aunt Mamie was working when she received the news that President McKinley had been shot, on September 6, 1901. 

This is a picture of my grandma, looking very much in fashion of the late 1800s-early 1900s. This is they style of clothing Margaret and Mary would have worn around 1901.

(Photo in the possession of myself, Carol Neilson, granddaughter)

In later years Margaret moved into other departments at Western Union. Her sister, Mamie, stopped working after she married and had children. However, she still knew her Morse code. When one of her sons was learning Morse code and would practice in front of her she would correct him when he made an error.

SOLO

SOLO

Some of my posts have been part of Amy Johnson Crow's genealogy challenge: 52 weeks, 52 ancestors. I participate lightly. This week's challenge is "solo" and here's my family connection to that word.

My mother, Margaret "Peggy" (Kilgariff) McLaughlin took flying lessons after high school! She was living in Brooklyn, NY, at the time and the lessons were taken at Donovan-Hughes Airport in Staten Island, which no longer exists. Below is a map of where the airport was on Staten Island. It's about dead center on the map.

Map image from http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_NY_StatenI.htm

On September 28, 1948, she soloed! I don't know what newspaper this is from. 

Below is her pilot's license, front and back. 

Funny thing about my mom, she didn't like to fly (although she would). She said she was fine if she were the pilot, but not as a passenger.

As a pilot she also had to have a medical certification, like a clearance, to make sure she was medically fit to fly a plane:

These pictures aren't of her when she soloed, but within a couple of years of it.

When I was in high school I wore her pilot's jacket regularly. I wish I had taken a picture of it. It was taupe on the outside, and red on the inside. It zippered up the front, and had an elasticized waist. It came to the hips.

My parents met because of their love of flying. Dad (John McLaughlin) was working at the same airport to pay for lessons at the same time my mother was taking her lessons. I don't know when he soloed. When we were kids he took up flying again and got his license back. I flew with him at least once, over the New York area!

(All documents and photos are in my possession, except for the first image.)

The American Dream

The American Dream

Great Grandpa Joseph McCann, January 1859-1 March 1950

Great Grandpa Joseph McCann was born in Ireland, emigrated to America, and lived the American dream. This picture above, was taken after retirement, in about 1933. But let's go back to the beginning of his story.

Joseph was born to Susan McIlvenna and Neal McCann in the Toomebridge area of County Antrim, Ireland in approximately January 1859. Below is his baptism, recorded in the Catholic church of his area (now called Sacred Heart Church, in Cargin). The last name is given as M'Ann. His mother's maiden name says M'Kenna. Sponsors were John & Charlotte M'Neill. These were most likely his mother's relatives.

From Ancestry.com

He had 7 siblings that I have found: John, Maria, Catherine, Charles, Elizabeth, Daniel, and Jane.

I don't know much about the family's life in Ireland. Family lore says the government took the 'family' home on Lough Neagh from them, but...? And although we have this photo of the house there, I don't have any information on the true circumstances of the family living there. Did they themselves live there? Did other relatives live there? I don't know. It's at Doss Point on Lough Neagh. My grandmother took this photo of it in the late 1930s when she visited Northern Ireland. No one in our family was living there at that time.

Taken by Margaret McCann Kilgariff, circa 1935, Co. Antrim, No. Ireland

Joseph came to America in February of 1881 according to the Oath of Citizenship he signed in 1887. I haven't been able to find any information on his coming to America. 

From Ancestry.com

But then in September of 1881 he was back in Ireland, getting married! He married Catherine Sherlock in Belfast, Ireland on 15 September 1881 in St. Matthew's Catholic Church. Their witnesses were Catherine's brother John and Nellie Donnelly, John's future wife.

From St. Matthew's Catholic Church, Belfast, Northern Ireland

I believe these are their wedding photos. These are photos of tin types.

Joseph had a trade, carpentry. It was listed on his civil marriage registration. Specifically, he was a joiner. That is someone who builds cabinetry that is affixed to walls, usually. I don't know where or how he learned this trade. As a result, though, when he came to America, he was in carpenter's union and worked predominantly for Western Union.

When the family of three settled in America--their first child, Mary was born in Belfast--they were living in the southern part of Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan. Three addresses found where they lived were 315 W. 35th Street, 456 W. 35th Street, and 565 W. 37th Street. Their first son, Neil (b. 1884) and second daughter Margaret (b.1885), were born when they lived in this area. By the time their son Charles was born in December 1892, they were living in northern Manhattan, in Harlem at 302 W. 118th Street. The image below is from 1920, but it shows about the type of structures the McCanns would have been living in in Hell's Kitchen. These addresses are 327, 325-321 & 319 W. 35th St. 

from oldnyc.org/#712249f-a accessed 4/18/2020

In 1899 Joseph was able to buy a brownstone in Brooklyn, and the family was living at 91 4th Ave., in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. From the 1900 census it looks like they lived on two floor, and rented out the other two floors.

By 1912, Joseph had prospered enough that he was able to buy land to build a summer home in Lindenhurst, on Long Island, NY, for $200. In 1913 he had a house and boathouse erected. 

From the South Side Signal, 9 May 1913, pg 8, from https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/ accessed 4/18/2020 

His tale certainly is one of the American dream. To top it off, he was brought out of retirement to build the cabinetry of Western Union's offices in the Empire State Building! Here is a write up of him from their employee magazine mentioning his work on the Empire State Building.

 Copy rec'd from Geraldine Holzmann Cassidy, granddaughter of Neil McCann,from Western Union 

employees magazine