DNA Identifies Siblings Two Hundred Years Later

The family of origin is a mystery for Catherine Donnelly, born around 1833 in Ireland.

DNA connections may provide leads.

By 1860 Catherine was married to Michael Preston (1813-1904), also of Ireland, and lived in Pine Plains, Dutchess County, New York.

Catherine Donnelly and Michael Preston had at least six children:

- John (1857-1928) (my great great grandfather) married Bridget Sheehy

- Anna (1858-1892) married Charles Ultcht

- Bartholemew (born 1864) only seen in the 1865 New York state census in North East

- Mary Elizabeth (1866-1890) married Jeremiah Welch

- Hannah (1870-1947)

- Catherine Agnes (1872-1954)

A clue about Catherine Donnelly's origins appears through her daughter, Hannah, who never married. Hannah lived in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey with her "cousin," Anna Donnelly. Anna was born around 1887 in Pennsylvania to Anthony Mang and Rose Stuginwald, both of Germany. So Anna could not have been a cousin of Hannah Preston, whose parents were Irish. Anna's absent husband, George Donnelly, was more likely to be Hannah's cousin.

1930 federal census
Newark, Essex County, New Jersey
Hannah Preston, head; rents for $100; owns a radio; age 60; single; born in New York.
Anna Donnelly, cousin; age 47; [illegible marital status]; born in Pennsylvania.
Frank Donnelly, son of cousin; age 23; single; born in New Jersey.
Raymond Donnelly, son of cousin; age 22; single; born in New Jersey.

George Donnelly and Anna Mang were married in Newark in Newark in 1905. His parents were John Donnelly and Ellen Brady. He was 32 years old (born about 1873).

Marriage record George F Donnelly and Anna Mang.
Married March 6, 1905 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.

George Donnelly was last seen in the 1905 New Jersey State census in Newark. With Anna Mang (1887-1963) he had three children:

- Mary Donnelly (11 December 1905 - 21 April 1909)

- George Francis Donnelly "Frank George" (31 December 1906 - 12 February 1974)

- Raymond Anthony Donnelly (26 March 1908 - 18 March 1953)

Three-year old Mary was buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery in East Orange. She died of Scarlet Fever at the Essex County Isolation Hospital in Belleville. 

Raymond never married. He was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in East Orange.

George Donnelly Junior married Imelda Heery in 1938 and had four children.

George's descendants share DNA with descendants of my Catherine Donnelly; everyone also matches descendants of George's sisters, Annie and Jennie. 

In the 1880 census, George, age 8, was enumerated with his parents, John and Ellen "Donley," in Bridgewater, Plymouth County. Ten of George's siblings were also listed.

1880 federal census
Brockton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Household of John Donley [Donnelly]

If George Donnelly and Hannah Preston were first cousins, then George's father, John Donnelly, was a sibling of Hannah's mother, Catherine Donnelly.

Tree explaining cousin relationship between
Hannah Preston and George F Donnelly.
Birthdates are approximate years.

John Donnelly died June 21, 1921 in Brockton. His parents were listed as Bartholomew Donnelly and Ellen E Brady. (John's wife was also named Ellen Brady. Did both women share a name, or was this an error?)

Death certificate of John J Donnelly.
Died June 21, 1910 in Brockton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Father- Bartholomew Donnelly. Mother- Ellen E Brady.
Available on Ancestry.

Catherine Donnelly named a son Bartholomew. Was he named for his maternal grandfather?

Catherine Donnelly is a close relative, perhaps the sister, of John J Donnelly (1842-1910) of Brockton.

John Donnelly's daughter, Jennie (1868-1950), married John Joseph Reagan (1868-1944). Several of Jennie's descendants are also DNA connections.

Identifying the town of origin in Ireland and viewing records could help solidify Catherine Donnelly's connection to John Donnelly.

Shamrock crocheted by my grandmother
Jeannette ODonnell (1920-1993)

Cemeteries of Millerton, New York

 Does anyone have information on cemeteries in Millerton, Dutchess County, New York?

I continue searching for information on the death of Catherine Donnelly, my third great-grandmother. She was born around 1833 in Ireland. With Michael Preston (1813-1904), she had at least six children and lived in Pine Plains, Northeast, and Stanford in Dutchess County before relocating to Independence in Warren County, New Jersey in the 1880s.

No death certificate has been located in New York or New Jersey for Catherine. I figure she died around 1900, when she was last seen in the federal census. Her husband was seen twice; once with her and once as her widower.

While reviewing Preston death records, I noticed a death certificate from Independence in 1896 for a baby named John H Preston, son of John Preston and Bridget.

John H Preston died November 8, 1896
in Independence, Warren County, New Jersey.
Age 1 year, 5 months, and 7 days.
Parents- John Preston and Bridget.
Burial at Millerton, New York.

John Preston (1857-1928) and Bridget Sheehy (1857-1916) were my second great-grandparents. In 1879 they named a son John David Preston. He did not die until 1922. I think it's strange that they would name another baby John in 1895 when they already had a child by this name.

1880 United States federal census
John D Preston, age 23; farm laborer.
Bridgett Preston, age 23; wife; keeping house.
Michael Preston, age 2, son.
John D Junior Preston, age 1; son.

Baby John was buried at Millerton. This is difficult to discern at the bottom of the certificate.

I hoped (and still do) that this is a clue as to the burial location of Catherine, circa 1900. Upon looking up cemeteries in this area, I found four in Millerton:

Irondale Cemetery

Saint Patricks Roman Catholic Church Cemetery

Spencer's Corners Cemetery

Winchell Mountain Burying Ground

I was able to make contact with one, Irondale. Staff kindly looked into the Preston and Donnelly surnames and found no matches to my people.

So, fellow researchers, if anyone is near Millerton or has access to records for cemeteries in Millerton, I would be most appreciative for some checking.

Thank you!

Double enumeration in the census, part three

Michael Preston has a double enumeration in the 1900 United States census.

How did I find both?  I stumbled across these two records by looking for the census entries for all of his children- not just the one from whom I descend.

He is listed with his wife, Catherine [Donnell], two daughters, and four grandchildren in Hackettstown, Warren County, New Jersey.

Preston, Michael.  Preston, Catharine.  Preston, Hannah.  Preston, Catharine.
Ultcht, John.  Ultcht, Catharine.  [Children of Charles P Ultcht and Anna Preston]
Walsh, Joseph.  Walsh, John.  [Children of Jeremiah Welch and Mary Preston]

He is also listed in the household of his son, John, in neighboring Independence.

Michael is married in one listing and widowed in the other.  This value in this double enumeration is that we can hone in on a death date and location for Michael's wife, Catherine Donnell.  In 1899 or 1900, the family relocated from Dutchess County, New York to Warren County, New Jersey.  Catherine was alive in the 1880 census; finding her husband listed as widowed and married in 1900 in New Jersey should narrow down the search for her death record to one year and one state instead of twenty years and two states.  I have, however, been unable to find a record of Catherine's death in either state.

Michael again moved shortly after the 1900 census.  He died in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey in 1904.