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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Marriage of Fred Maloney to Mary Hanley

Here is the New York State record for the marriage for my grandfather, Fred Maloney, and Mary Hanley in 1916 in Watkins Glen, NY. At that time Mary Hanley was a nurse at one of the sanitariums in Watkins Glen. It is interesting that the record states that this is Fred's second marriage - actually it is his third. Marrying his former wife's sister would require something from the Catholic Church and I am not aware of any.

Monday, October 29, 2012

My Father's Middle Name

My father always went by the name of Austin Edward Eagan but he mentioned on a number of occasions that his middle name at birth was really 'Flint.'  The 'Flint' came from the doctor who delivered him but he said that he didn't like it so he took his confirmation name of 'Edward' as his middle name. I have a copy of my father's birth certificate and the doctor on this record is Dr. F. N. Sperry and not a Dr. Flint. I just imagined that it was a tall tale.


This morning doing something else I happened to look at the census record for 1910 and I noticed that my father's name is listed as 'Austin F. Eagan.'  Maybe he was right and maybe the doctor's first name was 'Flint.' Here is the census record.

Maybe after while I may find out that my Aunt Nana really did marry a Pete Nitney at one time!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

My Great-grandfather, William Clarke

My great-grandfather, William Clarke, came from Ireland with his mother and sister about sometime in the 1850s and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio.  He is first listed as a stone cutter in the Cincinnati City Directory for 1860. To date I have been unable to determine when he died and where he is buried. He is last listed in the City Directory about 1885 although it is sometimes difficult to determine if the entry is for my great-grandfather or his son. The last census where he appears in that for 1880. Finally, he is not listed in the records for the St. Joseph Cemetery in Cincinnati where his wife, my great-grandmother Anna Donnelly Clarke is buried.

Yesterday I believe that I have found him in the Hamilton County Ohio Will index at the University of Cincinnati web site. The entry notes:
Surname Clarke
Given Name William
Date Filed 12/21/1886
Residence Cincinnati, OH
Box 63
Case No 31726
Executor No Information
Beneficiaries Margaret Clarke, William Clarke, Julia Clarke, Elizabeth Clarke, Mary Clarke 
I have sent for a copy of the will and associated papers from the UofC and will wait to see if in fact this is my great-grandfather. In the meantime in the Ohio Probate Records for 1789-1996 at the Family Search site. I find the following for William Clarke.
It doesn't say much other than, "Authenticated copy of the will admitted to record." We will see what else is there when the will is received.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Hanly in Griffith's Valuation of Glensharrold, Ireland


In 1825 Richard Griffith was appointed by the British Government to carry out a survey of the general valuation of Ireland. He carried out two major valuation surveys: a townland valuation and a tenement survey which valued individual property. It is this second survey which is most concerned to genealogists because of the lack of census records before 1901. Griffith's Valuation is the closest we have to a census.

Below is the Valuation for the Townland of Glensharrold in Co. Limerick, completed in 1853. This was the townland that my Hanley ancestors lived in. Of the two columns of names in the record, the first is the list of "Occupiers" of pieces of property and the second is the "Immediate Lessors," i.e., the landlords. The record is somewhat difficult to read but looking at the second "Occupier" of land held by landlord, Thomas Carrol, you will see Mary Hanly. Although I have no proof, I suspect that this Mary Hanly is probably my 2nd great-grandmother - the mother of Thomas Hanley, my great-grandfather.

Griffith's Valuation for Glensharrold, Co. Limerick

Friday, October 05, 2012

Mary (Tierney) Eagan in the 1915 NY State Census

Here is the 1915 NY State Census record for my great-grandmother, Mary Tierney Eagan, and my grand-aunt, Sarah Eagan. (Line 31 on the second page.) They are living at the Eagan home at 108 Atkinson Street. There is also a border living there a George L. Carlton, a 42 year old cigar salesman.  There is also an additional individual, George F. Eagan, a 40 year old butcher. I don't have a clue as to who he really is. He is listed as a "brother" of the head of household, i.e., a brother of my great-grandmother. If he is her brother shouldn't be named "George F. Tierney?" Also he is 46 years younger than my great-grandmother - not impossible but not very likely. I am pretty sure he is not a "brother" of any of the Eagan siblings. It is almost impossible to determine which individual provided the information to the census taker.

Just one other piece of information in the record.  My great-grandmother's entry notes that she had been in the United States for 60 years. That is obviously an approximation as we know that she had been in the United States for at least for 62 years as her oldest daughter, Catherine, was born in 1853 in Medina, NY.

Mary Tierney Eagan in the 1915 NY State Census