tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57680777048121232382024-02-20T21:06:04.154-05:00CLAUDIAS GENEALOGY BLOGDOWD, NAUGHTON, O'ROURKE, GRIFFIN, CONROY, MORTEL, MOLLOY, FITZMORRIS/FITZMAURICE, CONDON, SCHRIDDE, HACKMANN, BARTELS, KORBACH, FLEISSNER,
SPERL, RAUSCHER, BOWSER, STEPHENS, COLEMAN,SAYLOR, ANTHONY, RHODES, HAUSER, FELDKAMP, HONERKAMP, MILLER/MULLER,Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.comBlogger597125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-6989911198557216872020-04-26T15:19:00.001-04:002020-04-26T15:21:11.012-04:00WHO WERE THOMAS COLEMAN (1780-1845) PARENTS?The parents of Michael Coleman (1808-1855) has long been hiding. His parents were listed in the Family Bible (Parts unknown) were listed as Father 1780-1847 and Mother 1789-1831.<br />
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There Coleman Brothers were highlighted in a book by Georgie Kratzer Allen, "The Coleman Brothers: Revolutionary War Militiamen, Pennsylvania and (West) Virginia pioneers and their descendants." The family was located in Huntingdon County Pennsylvania.<br />
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It describes and gives the descendants of Thomas and Michael. John died early in an Indian attack and as the story goes, was boiled alive in a vat of maple syrup. James is just an entry citing the 1800 census with 1 son and 4 or 5 daughter. Everyone who is descended from the Coleman's line has children named, Thomas, John, Michael and James.<br />
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After studying the descendants of Thomas and Michael and perusing the records in central Pennsylvania, I decided he really does not fit into to either tree. I am thinking that his father is James. James Coleman is in the 1800 census and by 1810 he is gone off the records. The year that my husbands Thomas Coleman is indicated. possibly, in one of the tick marks of the 1800 census.<br />
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James is not on the tax records for land, he is in some of the head tax but as far as the land goes he appears to be renting. I wanted to go back to Huntingdon County Historical Society but due to everything being closed I have no idea when I can make the trip.<br />
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My husbands ancestor (Michael Coleman) had a supposed brother James and also a sister Rachel. There is a DNA connection from my husband to the descendants of Rachel. I think I have to keep working this angle. In the 1800 census their are the parents over 45. One Male 16-25 ( this would be Thomas b. 1780, two females under ten, two females under fifteen, and two females sixteen thru twenty five. Giving us six females and one male. <br />
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How do I find those females sisters?<br />
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<br />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-32052933615336995742018-07-29T17:28:00.002-04:002018-07-30T18:14:19.118-04:00NORA DOWN AND THOMAS O'DONNELL THE PROOFAs luck would have it I have found the details of the marriage record. It lists my Aunt and her husband. The parents fit the information I have already researched and am sure it is correct. The only things I did not know was that Nora was a dressmaker and Thomas indicated that he was born in Pennsylvania. I wonder why he gave that place as a place of birth when it was Ireland? They were indeed married in Lackawanna NY, but why?<br />
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On to the next mystery..<br />
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Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-66999124631567109402018-05-28T15:37:00.002-04:002018-05-28T15:41:58.584-04:00NORA DOWD AND THOMAS J O'DONNELLFor a number of years I have searched for the marriage of my Great Aunt Nora Dowd and her husband Thomas J O'Donnell. Norah Dowd lived in North Braddock as well has her husband Thomas . Their first son Thomas J O'Donnell was born in November of 1916 and that gave me a place to start my search.<br />
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I initially searched the marriage license application for Allegheny County Pennsylvania for the years 1915-1916, Nothing was there, so the next place was the Archives of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, still nothing but in the year 1916 but the records were incomplete for St. Thomas RC Church in Braddock PA<br />
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My search led me to West Virginia and Ohio for possibly an elopement, none found. Where in the world had they gotten married? Nora was born in North Braddock Pennsylvania and Thomas was born in Ireland so I had surmised that they got married in the United States.<br />
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Much to my recent surprise a shaking leaf appears on Nora's name on my Ancestry Family Tree. On 13 January 1916, in Lackawanna NY and the spouse was Thomas J O'Donnell<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6pSHRKST8qKILaK6i6IzYoIv4N7oPiZAAyKAAVq8wXvs_H_dIB0Q-Y8RnviGVGOH6YoSJ6IxHsI6gC0Ff-7oPhiSLCJIAPLtIRgOMA79j76bUaG52rDWTMsBUoK3KpPM3CBE_FsJx_Y/s1600/Dowd%252C+NoRA+AND+O%2527Donnell%252C+Thomas+ML.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1225" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6pSHRKST8qKILaK6i6IzYoIv4N7oPiZAAyKAAVq8wXvs_H_dIB0Q-Y8RnviGVGOH6YoSJ6IxHsI6gC0Ff-7oPhiSLCJIAPLtIRgOMA79j76bUaG52rDWTMsBUoK3KpPM3CBE_FsJx_Y/s640/Dowd%252C+NoRA+AND+O%2527Donnell%252C+Thomas+ML.jpg" width="489" /></a></div>
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The next her husband,<br />
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There was no other information about this marriage that I had found so far. I need to find more records. At the time I was wondering if this was my couple and what were the chances they got married in New York. Initially I didn't think this would be my Aunt and Uncle. I have yet to find where the application is kept and what information it contains.<br />
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I remembered that I had found Nora Dowd's Aunt Margaret in the 1915 New York Census and they were living <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lackawanna,_New_York" target="_blank">Lackawanna NY</a>. Now my theory is that Nora and Thomas went to visit her Aunt Margaret and got married there. I have to search NY records and see if the marriage records are available from the nearest Catholic Church.<br />
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Hopefully the mystery will be solved. It looks like the marriage date was 13 January 1915 and the birth of their first child was ten months later.<br />
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<br />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-66569129595288502212018-01-20T17:51:00.000-05:002018-04-28T10:46:03.679-04:00ANOTHER NAUGHTON SISTER???From the Irish Catholic Baptism records I knew my great grandmother, Bridget Naughton Dowd, had quite a few siblings. Their names and information has been a long time coming after a lot of research and serendipitous findings. <br />
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I found a sister, Ann Naughton, who was Baptized 4 July 1862. Her parents were Thomas Naughton and Norah Molloy. None of the cousins, of which I have come in contact, ever mentioned Ann.<br />
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Until a new cousin contacted me, via DNA match on Ancestry. We live in the same county and share about 45 cm. She had just begun researching and since her mother was adopted I focused on her dad's line. None of the names were familiar to me so I went to her female ancestors.<br />
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I came across a woman Mary O'Donnell with father named Coleman, O'Donnell and mother unknown. I was then back to my usual search sites and on Family Search I came across a marriage for Coleman O'Donnell and Anne Norton.<br />
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They both lived in the same town as the rest of the Naughton siblings and Norton is an AKA for Naughton. In a search of the <a href="https://archives.post-gazette.com/search/#" target="_blank">PITTSBURGH POST GAZETTE ARCHIVES</a> I found an news story that Coleman O'Donnell had died in a railway accident in July 1895.<br />
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Next, I searched for Anne O'Donnell in the 1900 and 1910 census, but could not find her anywhere. But after searching I came across what I believe to be her Death Certificate.<br />
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Although the father listed was Patrick Naughton, I believe this to be the sister of my great grandmother Bridget. Patrick Naughton was a brother of Anne and by this time he had moved back to Ireland to claim the family farm. He was the oldest son,<br />
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She died at the Allegheny County Home, which also was a mental hospital and TB sanitarium known as Woodville. Cause of death appears to be a stroke.<br />
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I found an obit from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, which I believe is hers. Mrs Frances McCague was her cousin Margaret Naughton, daughter of her Uncle Coleman Naughton, her fathers brother. Why are not the names of her children or siblings listed? Was she estranged because of her time in the "Home."<br />
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She had four children Sarah, Mary, Joseph Leo and Thomas, all who would have been adults at the time. Mental illness has a huge stigma now as well as then. I am 99% sure of this relationship because of a DNA match of a MS, who had a 45 cm. match with me.<br />
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<br />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-37525686800511224262017-09-12T18:53:00.000-04:002017-09-13T14:07:30.567-04:00A MYSTERY....ROSE C GRAHAMI have been doing some housekeeping on my tree. Things like finding new hits and filling in spaces that are blank. When I find an empty date or other information I research again.<br />
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I was working on my father (Thomas Dowd) side and I noticed that one of my grandmothers (Gertrude O'Rourke Dowd Graham) step daughters had no information except her year of birth. My grandmother had told me about them, who they had married and children...but, she never mentioned Rose.<br />
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Gertrude's first husband (my grandfather) had died in 1921; leaving her with two small boys. She moved back with her family and helped at home and did some house cleaning. I do not know when, where or how she met Peter Patrick Graham but they got married 8 May 1929, in St. Coleman RC Church in Turtle Creek, PA.<br />
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I was updating and I saw Rose C Graham born in 1911. I checked the 1920 census and did a search but could not find anything other than that census. I saw Rose on the census and she was 9 years old and not attending school. Buy the 1930 census the other siblings were living with my grandmother, Catherine, Dorothy, William and Clara Louise. I thought Rose probably married, but no records, no Family Trees no Social Security Index either.<br />
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So I searched for the Death Certificate and here is what I found<br />
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Rose had been institutionalized at Polk State School in Venango County PA. It was a school for people with intellectual disabilities. There was no information of relatives but the place of burial was listed as Allegheny County PA. That is where she had been born and lived. Her date of death was 14 January 1928 and burial was 18 January 1928.<br />
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Her mother, Catherine Burke had died in 1925 and I am thinking that the husband could not take care of her and her siblings would have been too small, so she was admitted to Polk School. I will see if I can find some records, but in Pennsylvania I know those records are sealed. <br />
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Now I must search for where she is buried.Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-54570844797498531702017-06-18T12:52:00.000-04:002018-04-14T11:23:36.453-04:00DOWNS AND MOLLOY FAMILIES CONTINUED...<br />
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One day, while perusing Ancestry.com, I came upon a possible link for a Mary Dornnes, in the New Jersey 1930 census. Along with the mother Mary age 67, were her daughters Margaret age 40, Sadie age 37 and Josephine age 30. Then came a surprise, also listed were Mary's grandchildren, Ida 22, and Emmett age 20. The address was 14 Wakeman Avenue, Newark, New Jersey.<br />
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I then looked in the 1920 census and eventually in the 1940 census. In 1920 there was Mary Naughton Downs and her three daughters living on 12 Wakeman Avenue Newark New Jersey. In the 1940 census, Mary Downes, was living at 150-152 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey and her granddaughter Ida, who was a school teacher, was living there also.<br />
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My unanswered question was, why did they move to New Jersey? My research had stalled to a snails pace. This spring I was research on Family Search and I found another person researching this line. I contacted her and from there I met a cousin who is descended from my great grandmother's sister Mary Naughton. <br />
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Soon we were in touch and exchanging information. As the story goes Dominick Molloy moved the family to New Jersey to start a Tavern business in Newark with his brother Martin. Mary Naughton moved to help take care of the children and said that living above a tavern was no place to raise children. Business was good until 1920 and the Era of Prohibition, they lost everything and at some point in time moved in with Mary Naughton and her daughters. I found that tidbit of information in the Newark City Directories.<br />
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Mary and Dominick had a son, Brendan, who was quite sickly and died at a young age. Shortly thereafter Dominick Molloy died in 1925 and his wife Mary Molloy the next year. in 1926. I have yet to discover the cause of their deaths. But I do know that they are buried in Holy Cross Cemetery. Bergen County New Jersey. <br />
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The place of burial for Mary Naughton, who died 9 March 1944 is in St. Mary Cemetery, Pittsburgh. Also buried there is her husband Michael Downs, and daughters Margaret, Hannah and Sadie. Rebecca, who died as an infant may be buried there too.<br />
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Michael Downs and Mary Naughton Downs had the following children; Mary Downs Molloy 1884-1926, Hannah 1885-1901, Annie 1887- before 1906, Margaret 1889-1963, Catherine 1891- before 1906, Sarah (Sadie) 1892-1965, Rebecca 1895-1895, and Josephine 1896-1991,<br />
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The burial place for Catherine, Annie and Josephine are unknown at this time. I would surmise that the deaths of Catherine and Annie as children would indicate they are buried in Allegheny County PA and Josephine in New Jersey.<br />
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<br />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-55928759110831475752017-06-13T15:56:00.000-04:002017-06-13T16:04:52.226-04:00THE ELUSIVE DOWNS/ MOLLOY FAMILY<br />
For quite a few years I have tried to figure out what happened to my great grandmother's (Bridget Naughton Dowd) sister (Mary Naughton Downs). Mary was a bit of an enigma. I know she was married in 1882 and she and her husband Michael Downs had six daughters. <br />
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I learned this information from the church records from the Diocese of Pittsburgh Archives, Saint Thomas RC Church in Braddock PA. Then the couple disappeared, and left me in a lurch. Ancestry published the PA Death Certificates and none of them were there. But, Pennsylvania did not start recording deaths until 1906. Therefore, the missing must have been gone before then, or so I had surmised. The last child of Michael and Mary Downs was born in 1896, so that gave me a window of 10 to search for a death.<br />
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By chance I found a will for Michael written in 1898, and it gave the date of death as 26 March 1898, in North Braddock PA. In his will he mentioned his five children, not named. It is interesting that Allegheny County had death records but not any of the Downs family was listed in them.<br />
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I have not found Mary in the 1900 census, but she was a sponsor for the Baptism of her nephew, Richard Dowd on 23 December 1900. An interesting side note is there was a Marie McCoskey who served as sponsor for a niece, Theresa on 7 October 1906. I have everyone of the sponsors identified, could this Maria be a remarried Maria Naughton Downes? <br />
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In the 1910 census she is listed as Mary Downes, and living with her four daughters in North Braddock PA. Her oldest daughter Mary, her son in law Dominick Molloy and two grandchildren, and daughters Margaret, Josephine and Sadie. There were also ten boarders, none of which I have yet found to be relatives. She took in boarders to make ends meet.<br />
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Then, again, the family disappears....<br />
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<br />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-90586516917273010992017-04-19T13:08:00.001-04:002017-07-10T15:47:30.091-04:00THE ELUSIVE JAMES O’ROURKE<br />
I found out rather late in my research that my great grandfather, Patrick O’Rourke, had two brothers in Pennsylvania. I think it came to light after I received the Baptisms Records for his children, from the Diocese of Pittsburgh. On 24 September 1880, Johannes O’Rourke, was the sponsor for my great Uncle James Patrick. John was also the sponsor for Aunt Gertrude on 1 June 1890. Jacobus and Brigitte O’Rourke were sponsors for my great Uncle Thomas on 21 June 1885. I correctly decided they were relatives, but how?<br />
Who were John and James? After a bit of searching over a few years I had a few answers. Pennsylvania released the Death Certificates a few years ago and using Denis O'Rourke's name for the father John appeared. John died 25 May 1908, but no death certificate for James. <br />
One day I found <a href="https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1810412" target="_blank">PITTSBURGH CITY DEATHS 1870-1905</a>. While searching there, I found the death of three children, Patrick, Anna and James, with the parents listed as James and Bridget O’Rourke. They deaths were in 1879 and two the summer of 1886. At that time James and Bridget were living in Ward 14 of the City of Pittsburgh. <br />
In the 1900 census that the couple were married in 1875 and had both emigrated two different dates a few years earlier. So my guess was they married in the USA. In the 1900 census they were living still in the 14th ward and had two daughters Mary and Catherine. I searched both James and Bridget in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts to no avail.<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gw9f87UUypg/WPeZby2BFFI/AAAAAAAAoE4/TGcq0acVy4k/s1600-h/Pittsburgh_Daily_Post_Tue__May_26__1%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="Pittsburgh_Daily_Post_Tue__May_26__1908_ O'" border="0" height="291" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AuLtFusFglI/WPeZdRxlzYI/AAAAAAAAoFE/o76ReryeezY/Pittsburgh_Daily_Post_Tue__May_26__1%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Pittsburgh_Daily_Post_Tue__May_26__1908_ O'" width="340" /></a><br />
My dilemma is that in 1908 it lists James living in Boston, while it is certainly possible for James to move to Boston after the 1900 census, but did he? Everything else in the obit has proven to be accurate. Is James, the sponsor, a cousin and not the brother?<br />
I will post this and look more closely into this matter.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Well, I have found the answer to this dilemma. As it turned out I did find a death records for James O'Rourke, with wife named Bridget. This James is not the brother of Patrick, because the parents names are not Denis O'Rourke and Mary Griffin. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">I think James was a relative of Patrick but not a brother, could have been a cousin. I have been searching for James O'Rourke in Boston, but no luck there at this time.</span>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-83017766825692059422017-02-25T17:12:00.003-05:002017-02-25T17:12:59.840-05:00NEW, TO ME, PHOTO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtgKQyFjXgU-Ueha6LTYptWWm0jSuFUcnZilhv1wYXWAWTgl3zPi65vhHwcahEjdccDc8xhTS2oyu-nkAJTa5fHyoaE3FrfMjo0Dmr36oyfNXbAgdc8Rz6e4iFfM3-9wlXKQRrE46H08/s1600/Thomas+and+Gerda+Dowd001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="619" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtgKQyFjXgU-Ueha6LTYptWWm0jSuFUcnZilhv1wYXWAWTgl3zPi65vhHwcahEjdccDc8xhTS2oyu-nkAJTa5fHyoaE3FrfMjo0Dmr36oyfNXbAgdc8Rz6e4iFfM3-9wlXKQRrE46H08/s640/Thomas+and+Gerda+Dowd001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is a photo of me and my family. The photo is new to me. It was sent to me by my cousin Rick.<br />
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It was probably given to his parents by my mother or my grandmother; both of whom are long gone. I wonder who took the picture, I can see the reflection of a camera flash in the window. I do remember that my dad had a timer on his camera, perhaps he set it and ran to his seat. I was thirteen at the time. Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-90578913385792191322017-02-23T12:20:00.000-05:002017-02-23T12:20:14.669-05:00GRIPThis year at <a href="http://www.gripitt.org/" target="_blank">GRIP</a>, they have two week long sessions and one week is in June and July. You have to be quick with your fingers and on the website and ready to go immediately at 10:00<br />
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The first session I chose was <a href="http://www.gripitt.org/courses/research-in-washington-dc/" target="_blank">RESEARCH IN WASHINGTON DC FROM AFAR.</a> There is so much to see in DC and I thought this would help me in setting up a time to go and research my husbands lines. <br />
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LaRoche College is about a forty five minute drive from my home, so it will be driving do-able. I am really looking forward to this class.Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-15710575711769680842017-02-15T11:44:00.000-05:002017-02-15T11:44:02.863-05:00ANOTHER NEW SITE TO MEI have found a wonderful site related to genealogy research. <a href="https://archives.post-gazette.com/search/#" target="_blank">PITTSBURGH POST GAZETTE ARCHIVES</a>, I have been a subscriber for one year and renewed again. The reason is 99% of my ancestors move here and stayed. <br />
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I put in a person's name and then search, what I have been searching for mostly are the OBITS. Most are great and some are not there. With this resource you have the capability to down load a snip or add the OBIT to Ancestry. I have been working overtime on this site.<br />
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On the last post I had listed the Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Pittsburgh link and just now had an eureka moment that why not Google every name listed in th that site in the family plots. It gives the death year and this might be easier.Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-45498014695915796642017-02-15T11:27:00.003-05:002022-01-29T12:24:42.031-05:00MAJOR BRICK WALL HAS TUMBLEDMy grandmother (Bridget Naughton Dowd) had a sister Mary Naughton Downs. Sometime between 1910 and 1920 they moved to Newark NJ. This has been a mystery to me for many years. She was also a problem because, try as I might, I have not found them in the 1900 census. I am sure they were living in the same place, but not in the census.<br />
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A few days ago I was looking at my tree on Family Search and found a few matches. It appears that they were added more recently and the person did not have enough information for them to come up as a match. That is what it appears to be to me. I do not know how to go about merging the information for this double family.<br />
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Anyway, what the woman did have was a little note that indicated that Mary Naughton Downs died in NJ and was buried in Pittsburgh, a s well as her date of death. One of my favorite resources is <a href="http://www.ccapgh.org/search-burial-records.asp" target="_blank">CATHOLIC CEMETERIES OF THE DIOCESE OF PITTSBURGH</a>. This is a relatively new resource, just within the past year or two. <br />
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I remembered I had a old document from the <a href="http://www.wpgs.org/" target="_blank">WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY</a>. It was the death of one of Mary's daughters Rebecca who was born and died within four days in 1895 and the place of internment was St. Mary Cemetery in Pittsburgh. So with that information I went to the Catholic Cemeteries and there I found the family. This included Mary, her husband Michael, infant who died in 1895, a daughter Hannah who died in 1901 (I had no knowledge of Hannah, and two adult daughters Margaret and Sadie who lived with their mother in NJ and were buried in the family plot, included with the dates of their deaths. I know now I have the correct Mary.<br />
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A married daughter Mary Downs Molloy also had her date of death in 1929 and where she was buried. In the 1930 census the two children of Mary and Dominic were living with their grandmother in Newark. Also indicated was the death of Dominic in about 1925. My theory is now he was unable to care for the children and Mary Naughton raised them. But why, did the two families move to NJ, was Mary Molloy sick and Mary Naughton move to take care of her daughter.<br />
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I sent an email to the woman who posted the information but have not heard back as of today.<br />
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<br />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-38512523238982481422017-02-15T11:05:00.000-05:002017-02-15T11:05:40.525-05:00NAUGHTON FAMILYThe Naughtons have been difficult to find, at least for me. Initially, all I knew was my great grandmother was Bridget Naughton and she had a identical twin. That information was given to me by my father when we were discussing his family<br />
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It took me a few years to sort this mess out. Erin, a cousin had given me information on Bridgets sisters who were here in Pennsylvania. I had only heard about the elusive twin, but I did find the sisters Nora and Margaret, plus the elusive Katherine who was the twin.<br />
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My biggest help in finding them was when the death certificates for Pennsylvania were released. I found Katherine and the biggest obstacle to finding her was the fact that she married Patrick Naughton, her maiden and married name were the same. The death certificates listed a different female as the mother. Plus I could not find the twin in the Irish Baptisms.<br />
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The difficulty in finding this family was the fact that Bridget and her husband, Thomas Dowd, gave the incorrect birthdates when applying for their marriage license. Was this intentional or a mistake? I did find two people with the exact names and birthdates on Family Search, at this point in time I don't think I will find the answer to that question. After resolving this matter I was able to find the correct parents for Bridget.<br />
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<br />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-42123857818257786422016-03-27T16:02:00.001-04:002016-03-27T16:02:15.155-04:00WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING AND WHAT HAVE I FOUND.<p> </p> <p>I have been doing nothing much, or at least I did not think so. Running out of ideas of things to write has been what I was doing.</p> <p>In December I had written about Joanne, Ellen Mortel’s mother, her last name is Condon. Which I had suspected and now I know for sure. A subscription to <a href="http://www.rootsireland.ie/" target="_blank">ROOTS IRELAND</a> was another thing I purchased, and I tried it for one month. Needless to say I have been working over time with this site; printing, documenting and researching.</p> <p>One of my biggest brick walls in my Irish research has been the O’Rourke Family, I have been searching high and low for Denis O’Rourke and his wife Mary Griffith. A fellow Blogger, Dara, of <a href="http://blackravengenealogy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">BLACK RAVEN GENEALOGY</a> has been my mentor for searching Irish records.</p> <p>She suggested using variants of the names, searching with the fathers name and children's name. She came up with Dionysius, instead of Denis. Well low and behold, that is where Denis was hiding, with his Latin Name, in the parish of Effin and Gamenderk in County Limerick. Hiding with him was his wife Maria (Mary) Griffin, plus Daniel, Patrick, James, Miriam (Mary), and Bridget. There was also a brother John (the eldest child), but the records started in 1843 and a number of the first pages were unreadable. </p> <p>It seems the biggest problem with the records is the transcriptions, I found the microfilm of the National Library of Ireland to be the clearest’; they also have a mechanism to enlarge the pages, lighten or darken and reserve an image. With the writing larger it is easier to read.</p> <p>Today I was going through the entire roll of microfilm and what did I find but my great great grandparents, Patrick Mortel and Joanne Condon, at the baptism of their daughter, Ellen Mortel, my great grandmother and Patricks’ future wife.</p> <p>This leads me to believe that they had known each other, and perhaps Patrick came first to the USA and sent for Ellen. They married in Boston MA in 1874.</p>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-36377894261684187822015-12-01T18:45:00.001-05:002015-12-01T18:48:46.912-05:00PITTSBURGH POST GAZETTE ARCHIVES<p> </p> <p>Almost all of my ancestors arrived and stayed in Allegheny County Pennsylvania. I had been looking at different newspaper subscriptions and they did not have much or none from this area. So I had read about the Archives of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, which is still in production today. I decided to subscribe to it as a Christmas present to myself. This site is good in the respect that you can have the search done in a specific time frame.</p> <p>I have only been perusing the site for one day and so far I have found the obit for my great grandfathers (Thomas Dowd) sister, Maria (Mary) Dowd O’Donnell, she was married to Edward O’Donnell. I had their birth dates. marriage dates and information on their children. But where Edward and Maria went I had no idea. I found an obit for her, she died 17 July 1925 and she was listed as the widow of Edward; I searched for him with no success. </p> <p>The most interesting thing about the obit was that it listed another sister, Anna DOWD Logan, of Ireland, this came as a surprise. I have to search for Anna.</p> <p>The second item was an obit for my grandfathers (Patrick O’Rourke) brother John. A second obit appeared and it gave a little history of what he was doing, and where he live in Western Pennsylvania. It also listed that John died of heart disease, and “he was the fourth member of his family to die suddenly of heart disease.” Who were the others, what were their names, did they live in the USA, and were they siblings?</p> <p>It also mention that there was another brother, James O’Rourke, of Boston. More to investigate. </p> <p>The third discovery was an obit of my great grandmother, Ellen Mortell O’Rourke, wife of Patrick. The next surprising information was that she and Patrick were married in Boston and moved to Braddock PA, where Patrick was working in the steel mills. My grandmother and her siblings are listed in the obit.</p> <p>A quick search of Ancestry and the Marriage records of Massachusetts, and I found a marriage of Patrick Rourke and Ellen Mortelle on 2 February 1874 in Abington MA. The parents of Patrick were Dennis and Mary and Ellen were Patrick and Joanne. I am sure about Dennis and Mary O’Rourke and Patrick Mortell, I had a record of a birth of Ellen Mortel listing the parents as Patrick and Joanne Condon, I think that perhaps this is the marriage I have been seeking since 2007. Until now I have found no documentation on Joanne Condan, although their first daughter was named Joanna and called Anne.</p> <p> I have a lot more to research on this site, so far I am loving it.</p> Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-28149710180933613212015-10-02T10:27:00.003-04:002015-10-09T15:37:29.399-04:00SURPRISED WITH NEW RECORDS AT ANCESTRYI do not routinely follow with anticipation of the new record release, but the other day I did notice that Hamburg, Germany Selective Deaths 1876-1850. For the longest time I have had wondered about the death dates of my great grandparents Frederick Schridde and his wife Anna Hackmann. <br />
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I knew because of the strict privacy regulations on records that they would be next to impossible to find; plus I was at a loss of where they died and how would I actually send for the records.<br />
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But, I came across them, and did a search for the last name Schridde and sure enough up popped up my great great grandfather Johann Heinrich Frederick Schridde. That name was familiar and I had to check on my tree and when it listed his wife Anna Katharina Sophie Goetjens. I knew he had been found with this death certificate of my great grandfather Heinrich Theodore Frederick Schridde (15 February 1940), his parentage has been proven. Frederick's wife, Anna Meta Margarethe Hackmann was also there, she died on 7 February 1934, and the great great grandfather himself, 12 October 1833 and died 22 May 1900.<br />
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I also found deaths of the siblings of Frederick, which I had not added because I did not have the proof his parentage, and quite a few marriages of sibling and children. It was a great day for me. My surprise was the birth place of Anna Goetjens, her father was the owner of a brick yard in Wedel, Schleswig-Holstein and Johann Heinrich Schridde was a worker there and married the owners daughter. It seems that the family was from Berlin, which was brand new information to me.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">I was having difficulty trying to read the death certificate of Johann Heinrich Frederick Schridde, I read that his father was Conrad Schridde but was having difficult trying to determine his wife's name. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">I posted that document on the Genealogy Translations on Facebook and I received an answer, her maiden name was the same as her married name. Maria Schridde Schridde, no wonder I was having difficulty the names were the same.</span> <br />
<br />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-44672448027650436002015-06-27T08:25:00.001-04:002015-06-27T08:25:15.985-04:00DEVELOPMENT OF PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES<a href="http://ancestortracks.com/Formation_of_the_Counties.jpg" target="_blank">DEVELOPMENT OF PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES</a><br />
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This is a great chart if you are searching in early PA. To enlarge hit "ctrl and +" and it will enlarge the map for youClaudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-51198575860231540602015-06-23T16:24:00.001-04:002015-06-23T16:24:24.803-04:00DNA RESULTS<p> </p> <p>Yesterday I received my DNA results, it really was not much of a surprise. My percentages were 47% Western Europe, 26% Great Brittan, 22% Irish, 3% Iberian Peninsula and 2% Scandinavian</p> <p>Well, maybe a little surprised with the 26% Great Brittan, and the 3% Iberian Peninsula. Two set of my great grandparents came from Ireland, and two sets were from Germany. </p> <p>I guess there was a lot of mixing on those two islands. I think the Scandinavian was from my great great grandmother, whom I have found in an area that was once Denmark. The Iberian Peninsula who knows. </p> <p>I have to read about this and find more information.</p> <p>.</p> Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-62758969935468948012015-05-23T13:35:00.000-04:002015-05-23T13:38:01.448-04:00TWO FAMILIESSince I had received the Civil War Pension records of Robert Stephens I have been wondering about his first family. That came as a total surprise, or rather I had not considered that he may have been married before.<br />
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What was the surprise is that he had filed for divorce and never went through with it and then took up with a second woman, who happens to be my husbands ancestor. I was perusing the name of wife #1, Sarah Wright and found a great narrative about her and her children posted by one of her descendants on Find a Grave. I wrote him a short email and asked him if he wanted to share information because I had it to share.<br />
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On her death certificate Sarah had indicated that she was a widow. As far I can see, it seems that Robert was dead to her because by that time he had four children to wife #2 Olive Bowser, He was really excited to share information because Robert was a brick wall, that came tumbling down in short order. <br />
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He could not find the burial place or any other information about Robert, I guess that was a major surprise and it would have been to me, I think none of the descendants of wife #1 knew about wife #2 at all. He and I shared much information and at least we had a good time with information, gossip is interesting and sometimes unbelievable even one hundred and twenty years after the fact.<br />
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This will make great conversation among his side at the next family reunion. I may be invited.Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-66348450924447303772015-04-10T10:08:00.001-04:002015-04-10T10:08:56.330-04:00I HAVE TO GET GOING<p> </p> <p>I have to get going on my research and writing. I have been in the doldrums since winter.</p> <p>I have to continue on my Naughton research, I have typed up a form to send to the Diocese of Pittsburgh to request records on the Naughton siblings, I just have to get it printed and out in the mail.</p> <p>With the publication and release of the PA Death Certificates on Ancestry I have been spending a lot of time looking for and researching siblings of potential and real siblings and children of my family. That record set becomes mesmerizing after a while.</p> <p>A golden nugget of information that I found was the birth place of my great grandparents. Johann Bartels was born in Celle and his wife Maria Korbach was born in a small town, Burgel which is located about 12 Km east of Jena, in Thuringen. After searching Family Search I found a set of records for Burgel and I plan to send for a microfilmed version of this set. I need to search to see if the Celle records are microfilmed.</p> <p>Another find on my were at a German site, www.genealogy.net I found a transcription of a Ortsfamillenbuch of Wedel, Schleswig-Holstein, it is located north of Hamburg.</p> <p>What was listed was information on Johann Hinrich Frederich Schridde and his wife Anna Catherina Sophia Goetjens. These are the names of my great great grandparents, my mothers paternal side. But, my grandfather is not listed but there is a “blank” where he should be. I am certain the transcription is my line, but I need the proof to add the additional information to my tree.</p> <p>I have a lot of things to do and it should keep me busy for a while this spring and summer.</p> Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-4185927605462717272015-01-12T14:14:00.001-05:002015-01-12T14:14:49.411-05:00DO OVER PART 2<p> </p> <p>I knew my great grandparents came from County Galway, Bridget’s information from the LDS records and Thomas Dowd from his death certificate where it was indicated County Galway. But his birthday was different from the one HE GAVE on his Marriage License application too.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RMU-DZg1fO8/VLQdJcaTEsI/AAAAAAAAdMU/F1TEG8cORCY/s1600-h/Dowd%252520Thomas%252520DC%2525201930%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="Dowd Thomas DC 1930" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Dowd Thomas DC 1930" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-osK3dWiJY8o/VLQdKEPTORI/AAAAAAAAdMY/jPk5Z4VzyPM/Dowd%252520Thomas%252520DC%2525201930_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="404" height="337"></a></p> <p>One day I was perusing <a href="http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/" target="_blank">CONNERS GENEALOGY</a> site and came across a transcription from Glinsk Parish in County Galway. I found Thomas Dowd, with his sisters Mary, Norah and Catherine as well as his parents John Dowd/Doud and Catherine Fitzmorris, and a brother James. The dates on his Death Certificate and the Baptism Registry match. But, why did they give different date and why did both dates match existing people of the same name living in County Galway living at the same time?</p> <p>My biggest problem was the lack of Bridget’s siblings, I had a few theories; perhaps their mother had died in childbirth with the twins and Thomas remarried. This was my best because the death certificates yielded the parents of Thomas Naughton and Norah Malloy, sounded reasonable to me without any other information.</p> <p> On Bridget’s Death Certificate her son Richard had entered Thomas Naughton and Norah Nee, where did he get that name? I just did not know nor could I figure it out. Allegheny County or the Marriage Records from St. Thomas did not record the names of the parents.</p> <p>The last of this puzzle is why I could not find Catherine Naughton or her death certificate and where was she because my dad remembered her and he was born in 1918 and he remembered her so he would have been school aged at this time. </p> <p>As the whole story ends it is because Catherine Naughton married a man named Patrick Naughton (no relation that I can find) and she was in the same town as all the others hiding in plain sight, as they say.</p> <p>More on this saga as I find more information and on to change the people in my family tree…</p> Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-34403202715356644442015-01-12T13:39:00.001-05:002015-01-13T08:57:30.537-05:00DO OVER??? PART ONE…<p> </p> <p>It has been quite a while since I have written. I have been reading how people are putting their research aside and “doing over” The thought seems to be overwhelming but I only have been researching since 2008 and I have about 1000 people in my tree, all of which should be there, or so I thought.</p> <p>I had written a post about my paternal great grandmother and why I could not find her twin in the records. A fellow blogger, Dara of <a href="http://blackravengenealogy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">BLACK RAVEN GENEALOGY</a> found Bridget Naughton and her twin Catherine. It appears that Dara (Thank You Dara) was correct.</p> <p>How did I make this major mix up? To start with I used the date of birth that Bridget had given on her marriage license application; I entered it on Family Search and amazingly I found her with the corresponding date of birth. The parents were Thomas Naughton and Catherine Ward; so I was off to a good start; but the census records from 1900 to 1930 gave all various years of age. This was puzzling but what I read this was not uncommon. I also did not know she was a twin at this time because none of my cousins I had met did not know of this either. A niggling problem was my father said his grandmother was a twin, and he could not tell them apart. </p> <p>When I received the records from the Archives of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, I gleaned the names of many women and a few of them were also Naughton’s. Then I did another search of the records, this took a few months into a few years because of the new names I found. </p> <p>With the Archives records and Family Search.org I found many of the names and they were her sisters and sisters in law. One of my cousins, we found each other online, gave me the names of a few of Bridget's’ sisters; Mary, Norah, Margaret and two brothers John and Dudley.</p> <p>None of the birthdays matched Bridget’s and where was the twin? I was on to other people in my tree, mainly her husband Thomas Dowd. I used the date or birth from his marriage license application and found him on Family Search, but none of his siblings. I was not worrying because Irish Research is suppose to be difficult. </p> <p>Then just by chance I found the transcribed records of Glinsk Parish in Ireland….</p> Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-989708182519912692014-11-30T15:06:00.001-05:002014-11-30T15:06:00.302-05:00THE NAUGHTON TWINS OR ANOTHER MYSTERY<p> </p> <p>My great grandmother Bridget Naughton Dowd was an identical twin. My father said he could not tell them apart. My cousin, Erin O’Donnell send me this picture of them.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AFE6B1fPEvQ/VHt4nbkN7DI/AAAAAAAAciY/RO5n51obUjY/s1600-h/859300015.jpg"><img title="85930001" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="85930001" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hVRd4eY7M_Y/VHt4oIkSyVI/AAAAAAAAcig/4Dn2um3-i9w/85930001_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="454" height="278"></a></p> <p>I do not know for certain, which is my great grandmother, Bridget Dowd. The first mystery; I have a records of her birth on 25 March 1868 in Ireland with father of Thomas Naughton and mother Catherine Ward. I have found no record for her twin, whom I have deduced with the name of Catherine. I found a record of their older sister Mary Naughton, born 19 February 1865, with the same parents. My question, one of many, where is Catherine’s birth listing and why is she not with Bridget.</p> <p>After the Naughton girls I no longer find any other children with Catherine Ward as mother. Did Catherine Ward die in childbirth?</p> <p>On Bridget’s death certificate her father is Thomas Naughton and mother Nora Nee, is Nora Nee a stepmother? There were a few other Naughton women who were sisters, Margaret and Norah with Thomas as their father. </p> <p>I have yet to find the twin Catherine, or have I? While perusing the Death Certificates I came across a record for a married Katherine Naughton, which I had discarded before because she was married. This Katherine had married a man named Patrick Naughton, Patrick had parents that were different than Katherine.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0XED6UGZA4M/VHt4o6ZLVOI/AAAAAAAAcio/RjhqEPNyFJA/s1600-h/Naughton%25252C%252520Katherine%252520DC%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="Naughton, Katherine DC" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Naughton, Katherine DC" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wwG3U27EPR4/VHt4pmukdsI/AAAAAAAAcis/mj60kaL68tM/Naughton%25252C%252520Katherine%252520DC_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="554" height="419"></a></p> <p>Her birth year is 1870, just off two years from Bridget, her father is Thomas Naughton but mother is Nora Mallay. There seems to be a discrepancy of the mother all over records. </p> <p>What I need to do is send for the possible marriage record and records from the Baptism of their children. That will be a start. </p> Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-20314824624514915502014-11-29T15:12:00.001-05:002014-11-29T15:12:24.989-05:00THE TALE OF DENNIS O’ROURKE<p> </p> <p>I have been mulling over Denis O’Rourke for a long time. My grandmother was the youngest and talked about her brother whom, she said, drowned in the river.</p> <p>I found no record of him for the longest time and I found a Baptism Record in the Archives of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, St. Thomas RC Church Baptism book and I picture of him courtesy of my cousin Joanne Dougherty.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-MC4xbr7JKB0/VHooj-EKLDI/AAAAAAAAcgk/8ZMCCy60D7Q/s1600-h/Denis-ORourke-picture4.png"><img title="Denis O'Rourke picture" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Denis O'Rourke picture" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-E2FlZtHMpHQ/VHoolCAPLTI/AAAAAAAAcgs/X89i5w5TtF8/Denis-ORourke-picture_thumb2.png?imgmax=800" width="404" height="537"></a></p> <p> </p> <p>The interesting thing I found in the Baptism record was that his Baptism was records with date of birth 28 October 1875 and the names of his parents were my great grandparents Patrick O’Rourke and Ellen Mortel and sponsors were John O’Rourke and Marie ????</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-eOlDv801fvk/VHool-0O59I/AAAAAAAAcgw/CdUWbJ7eYzo/s1600-h/Denis-ORourke-Baptism11.jpg"><img title="Denis O'Rourke Baptism" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Denis O'Rourke Baptism" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-pVN6Nqaiqrs/VHoom-FYMmI/AAAAAAAAcg8/9Jzg7OPvkAg/Denis-ORourke-Baptism_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" width="404" height="232"></a></p> <p>Now the mystery here is the following Baptism of Joanne O’Rourke, parents Patrick and Ellen O’Rourke with the sponsors Martin and Winifred Otter, and the date was on the same page as Denis and recorded birth as 8 November 1875. </p> <p>I did not find Denis living with Patrick and Ellen in the 1880 census. My theory at this time is that Denis was the son of his brother John and perhaps John and the mother of Denis were not married at the time and Patrick and Ellen claimed him as their own in order to have the child Baptized. </p> <p>My only other clue to the drowning incident is the fact that in August 1892 Patrick purchased a cemetery lot in Braddock Catholic Cemetery. Denis would have been about the age where he would be swimming in the river and it would have been summer at the time. I do not think that Patrick, being poor, would not buy a cemetery plot if it was not needed. </p> <p>I checked with the cemetery and they are missing records for a ten year period occurring at the same time. He is also not recorded in the Allegheny Death records for that period of time.</p> <p>I never found a marriage for John O’Rourke and any woman but I did find his death certificate and he was listed as single.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WMzlSlFQCXs/VHoonmhpBeI/AAAAAAAAchE/K2AIimrr7n4/s1600-h/John-ORourke-DC-25-May-19084.jpg"><img title="John O'Rourke DC 25 May 1908" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="John O'Rourke DC 25 May 1908" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--H__OfFPx6w/VHoooZHICSI/AAAAAAAAchI/gj16lPRNSv4/John-ORourke-DC-25-May-1908_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="444" height="413"></a></p> <p>Another mystery I have found was a Baptism of Joseph Clarence O’Rourke in St. Colman RC Church, in Turtle Creek PA, which is the community next to East Pittsburgh, PA. Patrick and Ellen (now in their late 50’s) were listed as parents to Joseph Clarence.</p> <p>With the release of the Pennsylvania Death Certificates I found a Death Certificate for baby Joseph Clarence</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qopVPh85N9U/VHoooykhdTI/AAAAAAAAchU/-JRcT7pTQ98/s1600-h/Joseph%252520Clarance%252520O%252527Rourke%252520DOD%25252014%252520Feb.%2525201908%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="Joseph Clarance O'Rourke DOD 14 Feb. 1908" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Joseph Clarance O'Rourke DOD 14 Feb. 1908" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RBL7y849a9o/VHoopoukmPI/AAAAAAAAchY/aK4btNuqn0Q/Joseph%252520Clarance%252520O%252527Rourke%252520DOD%25252014%252520Feb.%2525201908_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="444" height="404"></a></p> <p>Listed as his father was JR O’Rourke and Margaret Duffy of East Pittsburgh. Is JR O’Rourke the same as John O'Rourke and the father of both Denis and Joseph? I may never know the answer. </p> Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768077704812123238.post-46901046136996583342014-11-02T09:52:00.001-05:002014-11-02T09:53:58.362-05:00OCTOBER<p> </p> <p>Two weeks ago my daughter was on vacation and we took a two day trip to Central Pennsylvania; it was a genealogical fact finding mission. The trip was only about 2 1/2 hours so it is an easy do again trip. From the geological center of PA to any where else in the state is about that amount in driving time.</p> <p>Not much was gleaned but we did have fun. <a href="http://www.tyronehistory.org/" target="_blank">TYRONE HISTORICAL SOCIETY</a> was the reason for the trip. I have been searching for the Coleman and Saylor Families and the dates for them are the Colonial Era in Central PA. </p> <p>I did not find very much but we had about forty five minutes before the Historical Society opened so we went to see the land in which my daughters ancestors lived. We took an exit east at Tyrone Pennsylvania and a few miles past the gap in the mountains we can up a vast valley that was essentially flat. I regret not taking pictures but it was off and on rainy that day. </p> <p>After seeing the area I was amazed and thought no wonder they settled here because it was absolutely beautiful. We then had a little side trip to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spruce_Creek,_Pennsylvania" target="_blank">SPRUCE CREEK PA</a> which was on a poorly maintained, windy, and very narrow road. Somehow I think we did not go far enough to see where the actual settlement and there was no GPS access in this valley. Emily thought it looked like a good place to have a horror movie.</p> <p>It seems that the Coleman line settled here initially in their western migration. I have read a few articles here and the trout fishing is suppose to be the best in the state.</p> <p>After that failed mission the town of Warriors Mark was on our radar. We now had to climb Tussey or Bald Eagle Mountain (I am never sure about the names because it seems to be which old map you reading as to which mountain you are on) Anyway, it is in the Allegheny Mountains which is part of the Appalachian chain.</p> <p>Warriors Mark is a small town on the escarpment of the mountain. The sign stated that the town was founded in 1768, that is a long time ago, while it was still the wilderness and part of William Pens' colony. We did not really find anything here since I did not research the particulars and just took a spontaneous drive to get there.</p> Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714440790407126206noreply@blogger.com1