Don't Use Genealogy to Shame Your Opposition

A few seasons ago Ben Affleck was a guest on Finding Your Roots. It was discovered that he had an ancestor that was a slave owner. This tidbit was edited out of the episode that aired.  Understandably, few, if any, people today would be thrilled to discover that they were the descendant of a slave owner. 

We must remember that we are judged as individuals based on our own choices and actions; both good and bad. Our decisions are our own. It would be wrong to hold Ben Affleck as a bad person just because his ancestor owned other people. It would be just as out of line to praise Ben Affleck if his ancestor was a hero or a moral champion. Those past deeds are the domain of his late relatives. Their sins and blessings were their own. 

Recently, I came across items where Tucker Carlson and Anne Coulter had their family trees made public by critics to try and shame them for their immigration views. Both Carlson and Coulter are critics of the current calls for open borders.

There are two issues at hand here. First, current immigration policies are fair game to be examined and debated by those in favor of more open immigration and those opposed to it. Polite society should always seek a fair and truthful discussion on public policy. 

Second, the choices and circumstances of one’s ancestors have no bearings on today’s public voices. Not surprisingly both Carlson and Coulter are descended from ancestors that emigrated from Europe. However, this has no bearing on the opinions they are allowed to hold in 2018. One can be a descendant of immigrants and oppose open borders today. 

Prince Harry is allowed to declare the monarchy is out of date and needs to fade away. He can also join the Catholic Church. Both of these actions would go against his ancestors’ choices but neither would make Prince Harry a hypocrite. 

Genealogy should be a pursuit of truth and not used to score political points. The truth is out there. 

Relying on Others is a Pain

One of the challenges with pursuing one’s family tree is having to rely on others. The most annoying aspect is when miscommunication and lack of clarity cause others to reject your requests for help. 

Recently, I was dismayed to receive negative replies from NJ Vital Statistics regarding two marriages from 1937 and 1970. Both were found in the NJ marriage indexes now available through the efforts of Reclaim the Records. I was hoping to get the non-certified “certifications” that the office offers for weddings of my grandmother’s first cousins. 

The 1937 was rejected because I did not provide the county and location of the marriage. Their own index does not provide that information for 1937 but those making a request must provide it or your Xerox of your ID, your request and your check will be returned. They did provide an envelope and I am deciding whether I want to ask a second time. The bride lived in Jersey City in Hudson County in the 1920 and 1930 censuses. 

I expected that the 1970 would be rejected because the marriage occurred less than 50 years ago. That was not why the marriage record was not searched and provided as requested. They mentioned that I was not a close enough relative which boggles my mind. Marriages are public events and therefore one has zero expectation that the information on a marriage license is private. The license by its very nature exists to prevent fraud and bigamous unions. Therefore, I would argue that current marriage licenses should be open for a full review by anyone. 

Follow the Leads and Trails

Take time to carefully review and follow new leads as they arise. I found a marriage license for Charles McNulty from 1931 that identified his parents as James McNulty and Catherine Carolan. Knowing that he was Irish born I went to rootsireland.ie and did a search for his baptism. He was baptized on 19 Sep 1876 at Knockbride, County Cavan. I was able to find an older brother Peter Nulty in 1875 and a younger sister Bridget Nulty in 1879. The siblings had civil birth registrations but Charles did not. 

Follow up research in the 1901 and 1911 Irish census found that Catherine Carolan (Mc)Nulty was widowed before 1901 and living with daughters Lizzie and Annie and her son Charles in 1901. This made sense since Charles’ US passport application indicated that he emigrated in 1902. In 1911, Catherine was still living with Annie and a granddaughter, Kate Murray. 

Moving from knowns to unknowns, I looked for a death registration for James (Mc)Nulty before the 1901 census. I found him dying in Dec 1896 and registered in Jan 1897. Realizing that the Irish records were exclusively using the shortened spelling of the name of N(a)ulty I did a restricted search for Cootehill and found several more entries. 

The presence of a granddaughter named Murray hinted that one of the Nulty daughters had married a Mr. Murray before 1911. I was able to find a 20 Feb 1903 birth at the Nulty homestead of Annafarney for Kate to James Murray and Lizzie Nulty. I was then able to find a 1901 wedding for them and several other children born 1904, 1906, 1908, 1909 and 1911. I do not know why their eldest daughter was not living with her parents at Kocknalossett in 1911 but the younger 5 children were all born there. I had tried to find deaths for Kate Murray’s parents but that is not the only reason for a child to dwell with a grandparent. 

I continued searching in the civil register and found older siblings of Charles McNulty; Bridget in 1864, James in 1866 and Mary in 1868. I was also able to find birth records for Lizzie in 1871 and Annie in 1873. I was unable to find baptismal records for any of these children. 

I was able to find a marriage from 3 Feb 1855 between James Nulty and Catherine Carolan. This was a church marriage register as Catholic marriages went unregistered with civil authorities until 1864. 

I was curious if they really did have a 9 year infertile period to start their marriage. I also noted that their first known child was Bridget born 21 Sep 1864. Earlier, I discovered that their last known child was also named Bridget born 27 Jan 1879. There was no mistaking these Bridgets. Both were born at Annafarney and both were the daughters of the same parents James Nulty and Catherine Carolan. Sometimes the surname Carolan was listed as Carroll. 

I looked for a death of Bridget Nulty between 1864-1879. I found a 13 year-old Bridget that died on 25 Jul 1878. She was of Annafarney and had drowned and been found dead according to the coroner’s inquest. Since Ireland utilized a death register several other deaths were also listed within the same view. Several deaths had the identical notes about being found dead after drowning. It was quite a shock to see that many deaths from one event. I automatically asked myself would that many drownings have made the newspapers? I did find an article from The Nation 3 Aug 1878. It listed the names of the many school girls, their teachers and chaperone who all drowned after a leak occurred on the lake near their home while sailing. The assistant teacher was named Mary Nulty but I am uncertain if she was an aunt or a cousin. It is possible that she was a relative. 

I did other searches and found a few more deaths and a couple of marriages as well. Catherine Carolan (Mc)Nulty died in 1921. She was reported dead by her son-in-law Philip Brady. I found he had married Mary Nulty in 1905 and apparently had no children. The younger Bridget Nulty was the maid of honor for this wedding. Interestingly, none of the five Murray daughters had godparents named Nulty. Their brother did not have a baptismal entry but he married in 1934 in Ireland. 

Secretaries are Golden

Parish secretaries can be a blessing or a curse to work with. Recently, I was pleasantly surprised when a cursed effort became a very nice blessing. I had written to a parish in the Bronx for two wedding certificates. I indicated that I specifically wanted the baptismal notation data listed in the marriage registration. This would be the simplest and best way to identify the parish of origin for a Catholic immigrant post 1907.

After several weeks with no reply, I called the rectory to see what was causing the delay. The secretary was very friendly and she took my information details again over the phone. A couple of more weeks went by and finally my SASE was in my mailbox. 

The secretary sent along a letter stating that she had done the search and then misplaced the certificates causing the delay. I looked at the certificates, noticed that there were no baptismal notations and became very annoyed. That was the whole reason I sent the request, $20 and a SASE.  It was to see if the church records would record a place of origin in Ireland for the 4 spouses that the civil records did not. 

Haste reading her correspondence on my part was responsible for negative thoughts and plans to call the next day and ask again about the notations. I later collected the contents from my letter and noticed two xeroxed marriage registrations that were from the original register. She had sent them along with her letter because she could not exactly make out the names in the notations column. She thought perhaps I might be able to make out what was written in the notations column. 

I was able to make out the place of origin for my grandfather’s cousins and their husbands. The brides were both baptized at St. Joseph’s, Glenville, County Cork, Ireland. Their husbands were baptized at Knockbride, County Kavin(sp) and St. Patrick’s, Mohill, (Leitrim), Ireland. I believe these notations are another example of couples providing oral testimony and not necessarily an actual baptismal certificate for these nuptials in 1931 and 1941. The four baptisms in question were from 1876, 1884, 1902 and 1905. The older couple were listed as being baptized in 1877 and 1888 on their 1931 registration. The misspelling of Cavan was obvious. Of the four the 1876 baptism is available at nil.ie online for free and when checked did not provide the corresponding marriage notation from 1931 that would be expected.   

The parish in the Bronx was originally a heavily Irish parish since its founding in the 1920s. Today it is a very Hispanic neighborhood. The pastor is named Father Gonzalez and his secretary is Miss Rivera. The names of the couples, their witnesses and the celebrants were traditional Irish surnames and Miss Rivera misread both maids of honors’ surnames and one of the officiants. This is an reminder that one must always consider that a transcription is not an accurate representation of the record. Do not accept information provided from a transcription without a pinch of skepticism. It reminded me that I would likely misread Hispanic surnames that unfamiliar to me if I were a parish secretary in Havana or San Juan. 

Look at all possible records to make out difficult handwriting. In 1941 the church register was not crystal clear for the celebrant’s name. The parish secretary read it as Shaullez. This was a surname I had never seen before. Looking at the signature on the civil marriage certificate did not shed any light on the subject either. A careful and full analysis of the civil marriage certificate showed that someone other than the priest had filled in the names and addresses in easily read and immaculate penmanship. The priest in question was Father Timothy J. Shanley. 

Hoping for a DNA Link

I got great news this Christmas season. My maternal uncle has already sent in his Ancestry DNA test and I am awaiting the results. Better still is a descendant of Hugh Goodwin(1842-1926) has agreed to test. I will drop that kit in tomorrow’s mail. 

I have been searching Hugh Goodwin for a long time now. I know that my great-grandfather was John Goodwin(1860-1897). I know that both John and his brother Peter Goodwin(c.1855-1901) emigrated from Ireland and settled in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan. They each had several children baptized there at Holy Cross and St Raphael. They both purchased their graves at Calvary Cemetery across the East River in Woodside, Queens within days of each other in Feb 1893 to bury their 5 month-old sons, who had been baptized the same day at Holy Cross in Sep 1892. 

What I noticed from the sponsors on the baptismal certificates for Peter Goodwin’s sons in 1891 and 1892 were their names; Owen Goodwin in 1891 and Peter Goodwin in 1892. I was unaware who these men might have been. Most peculiar was the name Francis in 1892. The father was named Peter as was the baby baptized. The godfather would have to have been a second Peter Goodwin. A parent cannot be the baptismal sponsor for his own child. 

Trying to answer this question led me to my first discovery of the Hugh Goodwin family in the 1880 US Census. Living on West 38th Street and born in Ireland, Hugh Goodwin was married and listed with four children: Margaret, Owen, Peter and Sarah and an adult male with an unspecified relationship named Owen Goodwin. I had found a likely sponsor for the 1892 Peter and two potential Owens for the 1891 Owen. Working from knowns to unknowns I started down the Hugh Goodwin trail. I was unable to find a Hugh Goodwin in the 1900 or 1905 census records that matched him. I was able to find one living in almshouses in the 1910-1925 census trail. He died at the Staten Island Farm Colony in 1926. His parents were listed as Patrick Goodwin and Catherine Rogers on the death certificate. 

Government institutions are often excellent repositories of data. Over his long history of poor house living he recorded more than once that his parents were Patrick Goodwin and Catherine Rogers. His son Peter Goodwin was listed as his next of kin as late as 1912. 

A check of the International Genealogical Index many years ago, revealed that Hugh had married his first wife, the widow Ellen Rafferty, in 1872. His parents were listed as Patrick Goodwin and Catherine Rogers. This also cleared up why such a large gap existed between Owen and Peter in the 1880 census. They were not full brothers but half-brothers. Owen Rafferty was enumerated correctly with his mother and sister as Rafferty in the 1870 census. 

Hugh and Ellen had three children: Patrick(1874-1876), Peter(1877-aft 1911) and Sarah(1879-1904). Patrick’s godfather was named Owen Goodwin, suggesting the possibility that the Owen Goodwin from the 1880 census might be a relative , possibly a brother. 

I learned that Hugh Goodwin was buried at Calvary Cemetery in a grave purchased in 1901 by Martin English. I found that Hugh had purchased a grave in 1876 that contained three burials; his son Patrick in 1876, his wife Ellen in 1890 and a Helen Flaherty in 1901. 

I found the 1890 Police census for Hugh with his two surviving children on West 46th Street. He remarried a widow Helen Connigham in 1894 but no sign of her appears after the wedding. 

As I searched I found that my ancestor and his brother Peter were the sons of Patrick and Catherine Goodwin. I wondered if Hugh and possibly Owen might be their cousins but they also could have been full brothers. That would reveal a maiden name for Peter and John’s mother, which I do not have. 

These four men live within blocks of each other for a decade. All of the circumstantial evidence points to a connection. Both Hugh and John had daughters named Sarah Goodwin. I know that John and Peter had a sister named Sarah Goodwin(1850-1925) back in Ireland. 

My test target is the great grandchild of Sarah Goodwin Flaherty(1879-1904). She had three children in 1899, 1901 and 1902 but only her eldest survived infancy. That son had issue and my target is from that line. If we match it will point further to a connection but not definitively link the four Goodwin men as brothers. Margaret Rafferty Moons English(1864-1920) was Hugh's stepdaughter and Martin English was her second husband. That explained why Hugh was buried in the grave he was. 

My uncle and potential cousin did both test and got the ethnicity results. Neither would change their settings and allow a comparison of their DNA to mine and others.

TIARA NEWSLETTER Volume 34 Number 4 Winter 2017 pages 72-74

Here is a copy of the original I submitted. 

Families come and go. Over the course of immigration families may move thousands of miles but tend to maintain close contacts with relatives and neighbors. Even with the best of intentions bonds weaken, contacts diminish and connections cease. This weakening of family bonds can sometimes lead to lost children no family members remember.  

Owen McGinn(1862-1926) was an Irish immigrant that settled in the Hell’s Kitchen area of Manhattan by 1892. Hell’s Kitchen is a neighborhood from West 34th Street to West 59th Street flanked by the Hudson River. He was the godfather at his nephew Owen Goodwin’s christening on 13 Sep 1892. A few years later Owen moved in with his widowed sister, Kate Goodwin, and her children. They lived at 554 West 46th Street in the 1900 US Census. www.ancestry.com

Family tradition stated that he left to marry a much younger woman and had a family. 

Searching the St. Raphael baptismal register discovered a potential lead on Owen and his lost family. Three children of Owen McGinn and Mary Mahoney were baptized there in 1903, 1907 and 1912. 

The eldest, Johannah, did not have a civil birth certificate. Therefore, the baptism is the only known record to substantiate her exact date of birth, 9 Mar 1903.

Margaret McGinn’s 2 Jun 1907 date of birth was recorded both on a civil birth certificate and in the baptismal register. 

John McGinn was born on 1 Feb 1912 according to the baptismal register. Civil birth records after 1909 are not yet in the public domain. 

The baptismal entries recorded exact dates of birth which were crucial in tracking these three in the Social Security Death Index(SSDI). Johannah McGinn died 4 Feb 1984, Margaret McGinn Thurston died 17 Sep 1982 and John McGinn died 28 Sep 1997. Margaret’s 1930 marriage record was abstracted at FamilySearch thus revealing her married name. www.familysearch.org

The large gaps between their births hinted that they may have had missing siblings. The  claim that Owen McGinn married a much younger woman would allow that she might have delivered more than three children.

Owen McGinn and Mary Mahoney(1883-1950) married in 1902. A civil marriage record from the Bronx was abstracted at FamilySearch. The nineteen year age gap between the couple indicated the truth of the family tradition.

Owen and Mary McGinn were enumerated in censuses in 1905 at 543 West 43^rd Street, in 1910 at 604 West 45^th Street, in 1915 at 265 West 40th Street and in 1920 at 633 Columbus Avenue near West 91st Street. Family lore suggested that families would move regularly to get a freshly painted apartment.

They had a total of six children; 5 daughters and a son. Three were baptized at St Raphael(1903, 1907, 1912), two at Holy Cross(1905, 1914) and one at St. Ambrose(1909). The godparents chosen revealed family connections as Hugh Goodwin and Patrick & Sarah Goodwin were baptismal sponsors over the years for their first cousins, Catherine McGinn and Mary McGinn. 

Each daughter that died young, did so after appearing in a census record or two. Catherine was counted in the 1905 state census, Alice in the 1910 federal census and Mary in both the 1915 state census and the 1920 federal census. Curiously, this family was not enumerated in the 1925 state census.

The 1905 Catherine McGinn birth certificate recorded that there was 1 previous child born to the mother (Johannah) and 2 were now living in all (Johannah, Catherine.)

The 1907 birth certificate for their daughter, Margaret, listed the counties of origin for her parents in Ireland; father Tyrone and mother Limerick. This certificate recorded that there were two previous births (Johannah, Catherine) and two living (Johannah, Margaret.)

In 1909 Alice McGinn’s birth certificate recorded that 3 previous children had been born (Johannah, Catherine, Margaret) and now 3 in all were still living (Johannah, Margaret, Alice.) 

In the 1910 federal census Owen and Mary McGinn were enumerated as having been married 8 years. Mary was recorded as having delivered 4 children (Johannah, Catherine, Margaret, Alice) and 3 were alive (Johannah, Margaret, Alice). These answers aligned perfectly with the non-census records. 

Owen McGinn purchased a grave at Calvary Cemetery on 29 Nov 1905. Those buried there follow. Each of their death certificates listed a mother’s maiden name which previously was not done on NYC death certificates.  

Catherine McGinn, 10m, bd. 29 Nov 1905

Alice McGinn, 1, bd. 27 May 1911

Mary McGinn, 5(sic) bd. 12 Oct 1921

Owen McGinn, 60(sic) bd. 18 Feb 1926

Mary McGinn, 67, d. (7 Oct 1950)

Johannah McGinn, 80, bd. 6 Feb 1984

Alice’s baptism was very difficult to track down. The family lived at 608 West 47th St. when she was born 17 Nov 1909. In the Apr 1910 census enumeration they lived at 604 West 45th St. At the time of her death on 26 May 1911 they resided at 529 West 40th St. 

Finally, her christening at St Ambrose, was discovered. Her godparents were Patrick & Bridget Mulcahey. How might they be connected to her parents?

Owen McGinn lived with the Goodwins in 1900. His niece, Sarah Goodwin, was baptized at St. Raphael in 1896 and her godmother was Bridget McGinn. 

In the Goodwin family plot at Calvary was a 1902 burial for a month-old boy named Patrick Mulcahey. His death certificate listed the place of death as 444 West 46th Street and named Patrick & Bridget Mulcahey as his parents. Might they be Alice’s godparents? 

A baptismal registration was found for Patrick Mulcahey at Holy Cross. He was the son of Patrick Mulcahey & Bridget McGinn. No civil birth registration was found for this child. Nor has a marriage record been discovered. Hopefully, when the Archdiocese of New York sacramental records become available later this year through www.findmypast.com this will change. 

When James Mulcahey was born 17 Jan 1905 he had a civil birth record that listed his parents as Patrick Mulcahey & Bridget McGinn. His birth abstract was found at FamilySearch. It recorded that his mother, Bridget McGinn Mulcahey, had delivered one previous child (Patrick) and now after James’ birth, one survived (James). 

In the 1910 US Census, Bridget Mulcahey, of 1681 Lexington Avenue, between East 105th & East 106th Streets, answered that she had delivered two children (Patrick, James) and zero were living. It wasn’t until James’ abstracted birth record was found at FamilySearch, that it was certain that this couple in the 1910 federal census was the right one and that there had been a missing child to find. James Mulcahey was christened at Sacred Heart.

The 1905 birth and death records for baby James helped to definitively find his parents in the 1905 NY state census five months later. This couple had been at 528 West 47th Street in Jun 1905 but left Hell’s Kitchen by Apr 1910. Usually an immigrant family would initially move to either the west side of Manhattan or the east side. They generally remained on the same side of the island and moved north as their economic prospects improved. Once the Mulcaheys “moved on up” near East 105th Street by 1910, they made a lateral move near West 103rd Street by 1915. They did not return south to Hell’s Kitchen. 

Bridget McGinn Mulcahey(1866-1925) remarried in 1920 to John Meade. They were issued a marriage license which named her parents as Patrick McGinn & Alice McWilliams. These were the parents’ names that were listed on the 1902 marriage certificate for Owen McGinn & Mary Mahoney. They were also the names listed on the 1911 death certificate for Catherine McGinn Goodwin Gormley(1860-1911). These three siblings had emigrated from County Tyrone.

Catholic Church marriage records after 19 Apr 1908(when the Ne temere decree took effect) should include notations of where a bride or groom was baptized. The Ascension Church marriage register from 1920 revealed that Bridget McGinn Mulcahey had been baptized in Clogher parish, County Tyrone. 

The Mulcahey family was buried in four separate graves at Calvary Cemetery. Their first son was the infant Patrick Mulcahey buried in the John Goodwin family grave, mentioned above. He was buried in that grave because he was their nephew. Second son, James, was buried in a grave set aside by Calvary for the indigent. Bridget had purchased a different grave in 1916 to bury her first husband. Lastly, Bridget McGinn Mulcahey Meade was buried in a grave her second husband had purchased to bury his second wife.  

Checking the baptismal and civil birth records of Clogher parish found the eight children of Patrick McGinn & Alice McWilliams born between 1860-1874 at Tamlaght townland, Newtownsaville village, Clogher parish in County Tyrone. 

These families provided a fuller picture of immigrant life in a poor Manhattan neighborhood. Developing the complete picture provided multiple routes to determine a place of origin for any of these families regardless of where one started searching this particular jigsaw puzzle. 

Family Stories

Family stories always have to be considered with a grain of salt. When I started I was told a a benign pair of facts; first, that my ancestors were from Omagh on the McGuigan/Goodwin line and second that the Cassidy immigrant was from Newry, County Down and had buried two wives in the US and their stillborn children.

My actual research found the McGuigans were from Clogher very near but distinct from Omagh. It also found that the Cassidy family was indeed from Newry but in addition to the Down part, they also showed up in the County Armagh records for Newry. 

More interesting was that neither the first nor the second Mrs Cassidy had died in childbirth. Also learned was that both women delivered a living baby that was baptized. Margaret McKeon Cassidy did die a week after her delivery but her daughter died at 6 months old. Ellen Hart Cassidy died 9 months after her delivery and her daughter died at 11 months old. 

The third Mrs. Cassidy had the most outrageous claim to her story. Bridget Benson Cassidy was from County Sligo, was 39 when she had her only child and had a brother that "fought with General Custer, his horse was lame the day of the Little Bighorn and that's how he survived." Research showed that Bridget and James Benson hailed from Ballysadare, Co. . Sligo. Bridget was actually 40 when her only child was delivered. James did not stay in camp the day of the Little Bighorn. 

He did, however, serve as a farrier in the US Army from 1876-1881. The day of the Little Bighorn he was stationed at St. Louis. This family story was not true but it was not a complete falsehood either. He had served in the army, was stationed in Dakota Territory shortly after the massacre and his pension file for his widow included his marriage and death certificates.