Tuesday, August 21, 2018

More Children for Edmond Sheehy and Bridget Frawley, Ireland to New York

Some DNA matches caused me to delve into my mother's Sheehy branch and find a lot more cousins.

Bridget Sheehy (1857-1916) was my mother's great grandmother. Her death certificate provided the names of her parents, Edward or Edmond Sheehy and Bridget Frawley of Ireland.

Through newspapers, census records, Irish baptismal records, and help from other researchers, Bridget Sheehy's origins were traced to Limerick, Ireland. Five other siblings were identified. They had immigrated to Dutchess County, New York.

Some recent DNA matches traced their origin to James Sheehy (1855-1934). He married Mary Moore (1862-1897). Their first identified child, George Edward Sheehy, was born in New York in 1884.

Similar to the situation with the other siblings, I cannot link James to his parents, Edmond and Bridget, in New York. James is buried in Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Amenia, same as Edmond and Bridget.

In the online baptismal records for Clarina in Limerick, is an entry for James (called Jacobus in Latin). He was baptized March 25, 1855. His parents were Edmund Sheehy and Brigid Frawley. Sponsors were Thomas Leahy and Mary Sheehy.




Newspapers for the area of Amenia in Dutchess County, New York are available (for free) on FultonHistory.com.

Searching the cemeteries online via FindAGrave lead me to Anna Sheehy (1851-1929), called Joanna in earlier census years. Again, she is not with her parents, Edmond and Bridget, in New York, though she is also buried at Immaculate Conception Cemetery. On the same microfilm roll as the other siblings is the baptism of Joanna, daughter of Edmond and Brigid, on May 4, 1851. Sponsor was Margarita Sheehy.


In New York, Ann Sheehy is first found in the 1875 New York State census in Pine Plains. She is Johannah Maloney, wife of Jeremiah Maloney. They have two children, Mary and John.
After Jeremiah Maloney died, Ann remarried to William Patrick Newman in 1890. He was not enumerated in her household in the 1900 census. Ann had at least two children with William: James and Patrick.

Ann's obituary in 1929 states that William Newman was lost at sea in 1905.

I ordered a copy of Ann's marriage record from 1890. Her parents may be listed, which would provide a more definite link to Edmond Sheehy and Bridget Frawley.


The third newly discovered child is the earliest one yet of Edmond and Bridget.

John Sheehy (1849-1926) was baptized February 9, 1849. Sponsors were Jacobus (James) Sheehy and Margarita Frawley.




John first appears in New York in the 1880 census in Amenia with wife, Nora Cleary (1856-1926), and daughter Alice, born in December of 1879.

John was buried at Saint Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in nearby Millbrook.


An additional DNA match could land us the generation beyond Edmond Sheehy and Bridget Frawley. The maternal grandmother of this DNA match was Margaret Gorman (or OGorman), born about 1874 in Ireland. Margaret's mother, according to her marriage record in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, was Mary Sheey. This Mary is not the daughter of Edmond and Bridget because they already have a daughter named Mary (1853-1897) who is accounted for. (She married Thomas Ahearn.)

It is great to take a DNA match and trace back until the Sheehy connection is found.



Thus far I have identified nine children of Edmond Sheehy and Bridget Frawley, born between 1849 and 1866 in Limerick, Ireland. Further research and DNA connections will solidify or modify this construct.

Bridget Sheehy was my great great grandmother.
She married John D Preston (1857-1928).

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Death Index Expanded in New Jersey

A wonderful thing happened for genealogy in New Jersey.

Reclaim the Records has secured indexes for deaths 1904 through 2017, with quite a few (temporary?) gaps.

You can view the images at Archive.org.

Index of deaths in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey
Surname H. Year 1928.


The actual death records are housed at the Archives in Trenton through 1955. Deaths after 1955 can be obtained from the Department of Health, but only by certain people, and the cause of death is often obscured.

New Jersey Death Certificate
Mary Agnes Walpole (1831-1915), wife of Jacob Duryea
Note that the Department of Health blocks the cause of death.

Mary died of chronic nephritis. The full certificate of death is viewable at the Archives.


Before publication of this index, to find a record of death you needed to search the microfilm at the Archives year by year. Certificates are filed alphabetically on the microfilm. This is a waste of time and a barrier to promoting accurate research in New Jersey.

Deaths 1848 through 1900 are indexed at Family Search. An overlapping index by the Archives covers the years 1878 through 1897.

The indexes for deaths 1901 through 1903 were previously obtained by Reclaim the Records. They can be searched at Ancestry.com.


David Lutter Verona piano gun


Monday, July 9, 2018

Amanuensis Monday: Watson at Saint John's Episcopal Church in Jersey City

“Everdue”
Marble Dale Com.
June – 8 – 1932

Not Entered in Books

My dear Mr. Carnie:

I am sending you the correct data in connection with the deaths of my parents- this to be entered in the Parish book- for the benefit of any one in the future, wishing for such information.

Born in New Milford, Connecticut
June 13, 1846
Died at his home, Marble Dale Connecticut,
September 12, 1908.

There is a window in St John’s in memory of my father. (The Parable of the Sower)

I did so enjoy being with you for a few weeks, and shall do so again in the near future.
With warm personal regards for you and yours,
Sincerely yours,
Mary S Watson

P.S.
As you know the Sanctuary Lamp is in memory of my mother.
Also please note change in my mailing address.
(Washington Depot Connecticut, R. F. D.)

My mother was-
Susanna Suttle, born in Paterson, New Jersey on July 22, 1846.
Died at her home in Marble Dale Connecticut,
July 7, 1930

My parents were married in St. Pauls Parish, Paterson, N.J. [New Jersey]
on September 18, 1867
by the Rev. Joseph M. Waite, Rector of the Church.

My mother was baptized, confirmed, and married from the same church.


If you will make correct entries I shall appreciate it so much.











I came across this note in the church book for Saint John's Episcopal Church in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey while researching a branch of my Heiser family. The author, Mary Smith Watson (1871-1948), so much wanted this bit of her family history preserved. For Mary, here is her information for anyone's benefit, as she wished.


Saint John's Church is not operational. The stained glass windows are gone. In spite of efforts to covert the structure into condominiums, the building remains vacant and deteriorating. Below is the image from Google maps in 2017.