Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Genealogy, Archaeology, History, Heritage & Folklore

Moderators: Clare Support, Clare Past Mod

Jimbo
Posts: 591
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:43 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Jimbo » Sat Jul 28, 2018 1:05 am

The Emerald Isle arriving in New York on 7 October 1856 from Liverpool carried a total of 824 passengers: 654 adults, 133 children, and 37 infants. The passengers were divided into 2nd class cabin, main upper deck, lower deck (steerage), house on deck, and 1st class cabin. I'm not sure if "house on deck" was really coveted or not, but traveling to America "HOD" does sound a bit posh. The three first class cabin passengers got their name in the NY Herald and NY Tribune newspapers of 7th October under Passengers Arrived: "Rev. Edward Quigley, John W. Smyth, and Miss Nugent". The 46 year old Catholic priest Edward Quigley is listed just a few passengers below Thomas and Mary McNamara on the passenger listing (see previous posting).

Father Quigley was returning to America where he had already spent two decades of his life. He was known as a priest with strong oratory skills and likely the Irish gift of the gab. As such, the other passengers on the month long journey to America would have likely heard many of his stories, perhaps many times over. Thomas and Mary McNamara would have been challenged to avoid Father Quigley and he may have even dropped in for a cup of tea in their small house on deck. Depending upon whether or not the McNamara's were truly married, these conversations could have gotten a bit awkward as Father Quigley was likely to ask about the priest who married them.

Edward Quigley attended St John the Baptist seminary in Charleston, South Carolina and was ordained a priest in 1837 by Bishop John England. Father Quigley was stationed at the parish in Savannah, Georgia where on 27 January 1838 he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. His naturalization certificate with a beautiful red seal is available on ancestry.com - check it out here if you have a subscription: https://tinyurl.com/Edward-Quigley-in-Savannah. Savannah at that time was predominantly Protestant. The Catholic parish would have consisted mostly of poor Irish immigrants escaping the potato famine and former French residents of Santo Domingo (Haiti) and their servants escaping the violence of the slave revolts in the French Caribbean colony. In 1856 Father Quigley would return from his trip abroad to Savannah where in 1858 a yellow fever epidemic scourged the city. He bravely administered the sacraments to the sick and dying during this epidemic. Father Quigley's experiences are told in his contributions to "Catholicity in the Carolinas: Leaves of History" by the Reverend Jeremiah Joseph O'Connell. It would be remiss of me not to mention the most famous marriage that Father Quigley would have officiated during his time in Savannah. In the early 1840's, Gerald O'Hara (age 43, born in County Meath) married Ellen Robillard (age 15, daughter of Pierre Robillard) from a French aristocratic family in Savannah.

Sometime prior to the start of the War Between the States, Father Quigley relocated to New York. In the 1870 federal census he is living in Buffalo at the residence of Bishop Stephen V. Ryan (see census below). Included at the Bishop residence is Father John Tuohy (age 63), the brother of Jeremiah "Darby" Tuohy, the classical teacher of Killaloe who is discussed extensively on the forum here: http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... f=1&t=6916

Father Quigley appears to have been a man of very good humor. In March 1876 at a meeting at the Young Men's Catholic Association in Buffalo, the Catholic Union newspaper of Buffalo reported that "Rev. Edward Quigley, who was unanimously elected Moderator, kept the audience in good humor for ten minutes in endeavoring to solve the duties of his office, and finally gave it up. He afterwards decided that moderator was a word in contradistinction to the meaning of what that office's vocation really should be when energy and renewed life was necessary for the Association's progress."

In the same issue of the Catholic Union, just one column to the left, was a most interesting article that highlights the social class distinctions among the Irish in Buffalo. Back in February 2018 when the search for the missing Thomas McNamara of Glandree was just getting underway, a link was provided to "The Social Organization of the Boardinghouse: Archaeological Evidence from the Waterfront" by Elizabeth Peña and Jacqueline Denmon. Their excavation of three privies in Buffalo highlighted the social distinction on the waterfront as evidenced by the few brier pipes found amongst the clay pipes. The below newspaper article from March 1876 is heavy on social class distinction and references what a certain class of pipe smokers can put in their pipes:
There are a few conceited Irishmen in this town who endeavor to make people believe, and try to flatter themselves, that without their individual approval, presence, or help, nothing worthy of the race can be accomplished. They are generally low-bred fellows, who, however much they may impose on the "natives", are but the laughing stock of the great majority of their fellow countrymen. They would make good "bog-trotters" or "poteen-boys" at home, but they will never succeed in this country as dictators. Any of them capable of reading can put this in their pipes and smoke it.

Source: 16 March 1876 , Catholic Union, Buffalo, New York, Page 5, from genealogybank.com newspaper archive: https://tinyurl.com/16-March-1876-Catholic-Union
Thomas Mack and the other Irish workers on the waterfront who lived in saloon boardinghouses were dependent upon saloon owners such as Patrick Kane for their jobs, pay, accommodation as well as food and drink. These working men were greatly taken advantage of and initially I felt that "dictators" and "bog-trotters" was a reference to this terrible situation. But this is not the case. The article was from 16 March 1876, and I believe the argument was over how best to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Patrick Kane, the Canada invading Fenian who led the 1869 Fenian Picnic procession with the 7th Regiment I.R.A., was also on the organizing committee for the St. Patrick's Day procession for 1876. The Fenian Picnic was a party with Young's Band and dancing until a late hour. I reckon there would have been large compromises on both sides on the nature of the St. Patrick's Day procession. In 1876 no Fenian organizations are included and it was led by a Platoon of Police (with Patrick Kane as an Aide). Young's Band was in the procession, but so were the St. Patrick's Temperance Society and St. Bridget's Temperance Society. Another article in the same issue of the Catholic Union was reported under the title "How the Anniversary of our Patron Saint will be Celebrated":
How shall we spend St. Patrick's day, for we wish to honor our patron Saint, and we wish to enjoy ourselves? Let us rise early on "St. Patrick's day in the morning," put on our shamrock and go to Mass. Those who shall have the good fortune to assist at the Pontifical Mass in the Cathedral, will return to their homes wiser and better, for they shall hear from the mouth of one of Ireland's gifted sons [Father Edward Quigley] a compendium of Irish history, particularly of the part connected with the life of St. Patrick. But what about the evening? Where shall we spend the evening? The orphans wish us to go to St. Stephen's Hall and hear them sing; and how can we refuse our little ones that boon? They have prepared an elaborate programme, and under the direction of Rev. Father Ritter, they cannot fail to interest and amuse us. By all means let us not forget the orphans on the evening of 17th of March.
A short clip on the same page of the newspaper gives a clue on realistically how many Irish would celebrate on the evening of 17th of March: "If you see a drunken Irishman anywhere tomorrow, roll him into the gutter and christen him a groundhog. Such a brute brings disgrace to an entire nation".

The battle for the rights of the Irish workers on the Buffalo waterfront would continue to brew, but take a later generation to resolve. The true hero of this battle was Jimmy Quigley who at the age of ten went to Buffalo to live with his uncle the Reverend Edward Quigley in 1864. Father Quigley ensured that his nephew received the best education available in Buffalo and subsequently he went to study in Rome at the College of Propaganda. In 1879 James Edward Quigley was ordained a priest in Rome. In 1896, he was appointed Bishop of Buffalo replacing Bishop Stephen V. Ryan.

Bishop Quigley was less concerned about St. Patrick Day's celebrations and was more focused on the rights of workers to a fair wage, safe working conditions, and the formation of labor unions as outlined in Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum novarum. Bishop Quigley's battle against William "Fingy" Connors in the Great Strike of 1899 was epic and told in this excerpt from "Against the Grain" by Timothy Bohen: http://www.buffaloah.com/h/bohen/conners.html Bishop Quigley was chosen as the moderator of strike negotiations by both sides. Unlike his uncle, the Father Edward Quigley, who failed miserably in his moderator duties at the meeting of the Y.M.C.A in 1876, Bishop James Quigley was a great success and the 1899 strike was settled. The ensuing agreement ensured that dockworkers would no longer be paid by saloon keepers. For his strong efforts, Bishop Quigley was appointed Archbishop of Chicago in 1903.

Very mysterious how the search for the missing Thomas McNamara of Glandree continues to lead us back to Buffalo, New York.
Attachments
1870 Census Buffalo NY Rev Edward Quigley.jpg
1870 Census Buffalo NY Rev Edward Quigley.jpg (245.83 KiB) Viewed 152327 times

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Sduddy » Sat Jul 28, 2018 11:57 am

Hi Jim
You are taking the scenic route to finding Thomas of Glandree and I’m enjoying every turn it takes. I even enjoyed reading all about the ruthless Fingy Connors, his life and times.

Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Sduddy » Wed Aug 01, 2018 11:55 am

Hi Jim,
I’m sure you know very well how very common the name McNamara is in Co. Clare, and don’t need me to keep on reminding you. There’s plenty of evidence for this on clarelibrary.ie. And the 1901 census shows that McNamara/MacNamara was the second most common name in Clare (coming close behind McMahon/MacMahon and way ahead of O’Brien). Although there are some McNamaras in every county in Ireland in 1901, the name McNamara is associated with Co. Clare*. They belong to an old Gaelic clan of East Clare and, as you might expect, there’s a lot written about them, including the very interesting article by Michael Mac Mahon donated to clarelibrary http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... stymon.pdf , and a very interesting article in this year’s The Other Clare (Vol. 42) on one of their castles/tower houses at Ballymarkahan in the parish of Quin (the heart of their territory), by Martin Breen and Risteard Ua Croinin, which includes some of the history of the family, plus a chart showing their lineage and the connection with the Corofin MacNamaras.

Mac Mahon explains that ever since Pope Eugene IV praised Maccon, son of Sioda Cam Mcnamara, for founding the abbey for the order of St. Francis in Quin the name Francis has been popular with the McNamaras (Frank Mack, aged 7, living in Steuben in 1875, was one of the many Francis McNamaras).
I gather that the descendants of Maccon of Sioda Cam McNamara formed a branch of the family distinguished from other branches by the name Sheedy (anglicisation of Sioda). I noticed, in Griffith’s Valuation, that one Andrew McNamara in Glendree is called Aw. McNamara (Bawn), while another Andrew McNamara is called Andrew McNamara (Sheedy) and wonder if I’m right in thinking that the latter belongs to the Sheedy branch of McNamaras. And, just recently, when I was looking at the Kilmaley marriages (Kilmaley magazine 1997) I noted a Denis McNamara/Sheedy, who was married in 1832, and again wondered if he was a descendant of that branch.

I’ve always been surprised at how few McNamaras gave their name in Irish (Mac Conmara) in 1911 (only eight) - the name being a Irish name through and through needed no other version of itself, I suppose.

*As you might expect there are a good number of McNamaras in the surrounding counties of Limerick, Tipperary and Galway, also in the major cities of Dublin and Cork. What surprises is the number in County Mayo, especially in Achill Island. Some people there insist that they are the original McNamaras. When I stood in the graveyard there amidst all the McNamara headstones, I thought I was back in Co. Clare.

Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Sduddy » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:16 am

Just an amendment re the name Francis McNamara:
I looked at the name Francis in the baptism records for East Clare and I looked for it in the 1901 census and I found very lttle evidence that it was was popular among the McNamaras. So, if the McNamara historians believed that the name Francis was beloved by them, it may be that it was so among the higher echelons of the family. And those echelons may not figure very numerously in either of those two sets of records. My survey was very localized. It’s possible that the name appears in various other records the world over. But just in case I deterred anyone from researching Frank Mack aged 7 in Steuben in 1875 by saying (in my posting above) that he was “one of the many” Francis McNamaras, I thought I should amend that to “one of the few”.

Sheila

Jimbo
Posts: 591
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:43 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Jimbo » Thu Aug 09, 2018 7:28 pm

Hi Sheila,

Thank you for the interesting link to the article on the McNamara's in The Other Clare. I reckon the missing Thomas McNamara of Glandree would not have been of their high social class. McNamara is indeed a very common surname and with the variations such as Mack can be even more confusing.

Thomas Mack, the Civil War veteran and likely Canada invading Fenian who was a dockworker in Buffalo, died in 1886. A bit sad that Thomas Mack was unable to benefit from the actions of Bishop James Quigley in the late 1890's to improve the working conditions of the dock workers on the Buffalo waterfront. Hopefully, we can at least reunite the Civil War veteran with the descendants of his numerous siblings.

When Thomas Mack enlisted in the New York 150th Infantry he was living in Amenia, not far from Wawarsing where the missing Thomas McNamara of Glandree was last seen. In the 1860 federal census, Thomas Macke (age 25) is living with his parents Edward Macke (age 53) & Rose Macke (age 49) and younger sister Catherine (stated as 40, but should be 24) living in Amenia. In the 1850 federal census, the Edward & Rose Mackerloo family with their eight children are also living in Amenia. Only the youngest infant was born in New York, all the rest were born in Ireland. Also in the household is Lawrence Flinn (age 42), a brother to Rose Mackerloo. In the 1860 census, most of the younger "Macky" children are living with their brother-in-law Thomas Keegan who married Maria Mackerloo / Macky / Macke.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=1401638
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=1473181

Finding large families on the New York passenger lists in much easier than passengers traveling on their own. The Edward McAnroa family arrived in New York on the Isaac Wright on 26 February 1849 (see below).

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=1849782

"Thomas Mack" who is buried at the National Cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin was baptized as "Thomas McEnroe" on 27 July 1834 in Bohermeen Parish in County Meath. See below baptism record from NLI. His parents were Edward McEnroe and Rose Flinn; sponsors were Thomas McEnroe and Elizabeth Murray. The sponsor Thomas McEnroe was most likely the brother of Edward McEnroe. There is a "Thomas Mack" with wife Margaret & six children in both the 1850 and 1860 federal census living in Amenia; four of their children were born in Ireland:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=1401638
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=1473181

One mystery is why Thomas Mack who was from New York would be at the National Home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and buried in the adjacent Wood National Cemetery. The reason was the timing of his death; Thomas Mack died on 14 October 1886. When the Civil War ended in 1865, there were only three National Homes for Disabled Veterans: Togus, Maine (eastern branch); Milwaukee, Wisconsin (northwestern branch); Dayton, Ohio (central branch), and later in 1870 expanded to Hampton, Virginia (southern branch). These homes were only for veterans who could prove their disability was incurred during their Civil War service. It was not until legislation by Congress in 1884 that the eligibility requirements for admission where changed to allow any veteran disabled by old age or disease to apply without having to prove a service-related disability. Congress also approved expansion of the homes with a focus on warmer climates.

So in 1880, Thomas Mack was in the NY State Home at Bath, Steuben County (in 1929 it became a National Home) due to strict eligibility requirements. He was only eligible for a National Home until late 1884 and was transferred to Milwaukee in 1886 where he died the same year.

The location of the few National Homes for Disabled Veterans all outside of New York until 1929 might be an important clue in the search for the missing Thomas McNamara of Glandree.
Attachments
Edward McAnroa family on Isaac Wright arriving in NY on 26 Feb 1849.jpg
Edward McAnroa family on Isaac Wright arriving in NY on 26 Feb 1849.jpg (224.35 KiB) Viewed 152188 times
NLI Bohermeen Parish of County Meath baptism of Thomas McEnroe 27 July 1834.jpg
NLI Bohermeen Parish of County Meath baptism of Thomas McEnroe 27 July 1834.jpg (131.66 KiB) Viewed 152188 times

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Sduddy » Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:56 am

Wow. You have done great work in finding all those records for Thomas Mack/McEnroe. I don’t know how you found the record of his baptism.
You make it sound so very easy.
I couldn’t figure out how you could be sure that Thomas Mack in the soldier’s home was the same Thomas Mack as Thomas McEnroe, until I read smcarberry’s posting on page 1 again, where she says that he died in 1886, the same year as his admission there.
I’m still not sure how Thomas Mack in Buffalo is the same man. I must read everything again – more carefully.

Sheila

Jimbo
Posts: 591
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:43 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Jimbo » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:39 am

Sheila, thanks for your comments

After finding Thomas Mack in the 1860 census with his parents, the biggest challenge and breakthrough was finding the entire Mackerloo family in 1850. I searched for any Rose born in Ireland about 1810 living in Amenia (not a big place). In 1850, the family did mix up the names of their youngest children which wasn't helpful: "Janos" should be "Lawrence" born in Ireland; and "Lawrence" born in USA should be "Philip". The births of their children in Ireland versus USA provided a very narrow window of arrival, and searching for the children led to an easy discovery of the passenger listing for the McAnroa family. And not too many births in Ireland around 1845 of a "Lawrence" with a father Edward and mother Rose which led to Bohermeen parish. It appears that ancestry.com is increasing their transcriptions of Irish baptism records - the Bohermeen records were added just in 2016.

Regarding whether this Thomas McEnroe was really the Buffalo dockworker and Irish Fenian Thomas Mack who invaded Canada, it is truly difficult to get anything passed you! After looking into this further, I am combining two and most likely three separate Thomas Mack's into one story:

The Thomas Mack at the New York State Soldier's Home in Bath, New York in the 1880 Census was indeed born in the USA. My comment that he was Irish and the census taker made a mistake as Thomas was suffering from mal fever was complete nonsense. From the 1879 General Register at Bath (see below), this Thomas Mack was born in the USA. In New York City he had enlisted in April 1861 with the 6th NY Infantry, and reenlisted with the 15th NY Engineers in January 1863. Thomas had contracted malarial fever in the summer of 1864 on the James River near Dutch Gap. Prior to entering the Soldier's Home he had been living at the Kings County Almshouse in Flatbush, Brooklyn. A very rough life indeed.

The Thomas Mack (McEnroe) of 150th NY Infantry who died in Milwaukee in 1886 was first admitted to the NY State Soldier's Home in Bath on 4 November 1885. According to the Bath Register (see below) this Thomas Mack enlisted with the 150th NY in Amenia and prior to entering the Soldier's Home was living in New York City. His nearest relative was Margaret Mack (12 year old Margaret Mackerloo in the 1850 census?). Thomas had been suffering with phthisis pulmonalis (TB) since 1880.

The Thomas Mack of the 1st Ward of Buffalo living with Patrick Keane in the 1870 census, is no longer at the saloon / boarding house by the 1875 census. Not sure what happened to this Thomas Mack. Not sure if this Thomas Mack was even a veteran of the American Civil War.

There is a slight possibility that County Meath born Thomas McEnroe of the 150th NY Infantry went to live in the 1st Ward of Buffalo and is the dockworker and suspected Fenian Thomas Mack of 1870. Thomas "Mack" McEnroe did suffer from TB which was very common among Irish dockworkers. Unable to work, perhaps he went to live in New York City with relatives. From there he entered the NY State Soldier's Home in Bath in 1885? This is a very slight possibility.
Attachments
Bath NY State Soldier's Home, Thomas Mack 6th NY Infantry & 15th NY Engineers 1879.jpg
Bath NY State Soldier's Home, Thomas Mack 6th NY Infantry & 15th NY Engineers 1879.jpg (132.98 KiB) Viewed 152159 times
Bath NY State Soldier's Home, Thomas Mack 150th NY 1885.jpg
Bath NY State Soldier's Home, Thomas Mack 150th NY 1885.jpg (133.9 KiB) Viewed 152159 times

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Sduddy » Sun Aug 12, 2018 10:38 am

Hi Jim

Thanks for retracing your steps. I know it can be difficult to retrace steps – when I do a Sudoku puzzle I can never retrace – and it’s often like that in genealogy too.

Now bear with me while I list what I can be sure of:
A Thomas Mack (no. 1) died in the soldier’s home in Wilwaukee in 1886. The record attached by smcarberry says he was Irish, aged 47, single, and a veteran of 150th infantry, who had enlisted in Amenia. We have a picture of his gravestone.

A Thomas Mack (no. 2) is shown in the 1880 census living in the Old and Disabled Veterans Home in Bath, Steuben county, N. Y. This shows he was born the U.S.

A Thomas Mack (no. 3) is shown in the 1870 census living in the boarding house of Patrick Keane at Ohio Street, Buffalo. He is aged 30 (was he born in Ireland?). There’s nothing to say he was a veteran.

A Thomas McNamara (no. 4) opened an Emigrant Savings Bank Account in New York in 1862. He was born in 1836 in Tulla and was the son of Daniel McNamara and Anne Halloran. Further records show that he avoided the Civil War, so not a veteran.

A Thomas Macke (no. 5) is shown in the 1860 census, aged 25, living in Amenia. He was baptised Thomas McEnroe in 1834 in Bohermeen Parish, Co. Meath. Is there any record of his death? Is there any evidence that he died in Wisconsin in 1886?

We can elimate Thomas (no. 4) of the savings bank without further ado. But is there anything to show that any two of the other Thomases are the one-and-the-same Thomas?

Sheila
Last edited by Sduddy on Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Sduddy » Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:41 pm

Hi Jim, again
Yes, I can see now that Thomas Mack (no. 1), who was in the Soldiers’ Home in Bath in 1880, had enlisted with the 150th Infantry in Amenia, and I agree that he is the same Thomas (no. 2) who was transferred from Bath to Milwaukee in 1886 and died there that year aged 47. It’s clear that Thomas Mack had a sister, Margaret Mack.
What is not clear is whether he was born in N.Y, or in Ireland. The 1879 register of Inmates at Bath gives his native place as N.Y., but in the 1885 register gives Ireland – at least I think I see “Ire”. And the record of his death gives Ireland, whereas the 1880 census says US.
So I really don’t think there’s any evidence to show he is Thomas Macke/McEnroe (no. 5) from Co. Meath. Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater - Thomas (no. 1 & 2) might be our man.

Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Sduddy » Mon Aug 13, 2018 8:37 am

Hi Jim

Yes, I see now that Thomas Macke/McEnroe (no. 5) was living in Amenia in 1860, and I see that Thomas, who died in Milwaukee, was a resident of Amenia when he enlisted in 1861. So I do agree (at last!) that they are the same person. Still finding hard to throw him out, though, bathwater and all – probably because we have come to know a bit about his life and death and final resting place, but also because he had seemed the most likely of the Thomases to be Thomas Mack from Glendree.

There is another Thomas in the thread who should have been included in the round-up: Thomas Mack (no. 6), who is living in Steuben in 1875 (aged 32), having gone there from Tulla with his wife Judy/Julia O’Neil and three children a few years previously. He is not Thomas from Glendree, of course, because the Civil War was over then and so he is not a veteran.

All we are left with now is Thomas in Buffalo (no. 3), aged 30 in 1870.

Sheila

Jimbo
Posts: 591
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:43 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Jimbo » Thu Sep 13, 2018 5:00 am

Hi Sheila,

Thanks for providing a summary of the Thomas McNamara / Macks identified so far in New York. It is a good list, but your conclusion in the next post that Thomas Mack #1 and Thomas Mack #2 are the same person is incorrect. This had been my mistaken conclusion prior to finding the Bath NY Home for Disabled Veterans records for 1879 and 1885.

The 1879 record was for an American born Thomas Mack who fought the 6th New York Infantry during the Civil War. He is the same American born Thomas Mack living in Bath in the 1880 census. We don't know what happened to this Thomas Mack after 1880 or where he is buried.

The 1885 record is for the Irish born Thomas Mack (McEnroe) who fought for the 150th New York Infantry, having enlisted in Amenia, and was buried in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1886. We don't know where this Thomas Mack was in either 1870 or 1880 (he is unlikely the Thomas Mack of Buffalo).

So from your listing I believe Thomas Mack #1 and Thomas Mack #5 are indeed the same person. Just to double check I did further research on every Thomas Mack living in Amenia, New York in the 1860 federal census. There were three, and most likely all related:

1) the single Thomas Mack (McEnroe) who enlisted with the 150th New York Infantry. Buried in Wisconsin...

2) Thomas Mack (age 42) in the 1860 census with his wife Margaret (age 42) who appear to have arrived in the USA about 1850 based upon births locations of six children. This would be the same timing as the "Edward McAnroe" family arrival in February 1849 (including Thomas Mack above). In the 1850 census, this same Thomas Mack family was also living in Amenia (see links in previous post). Thomas McEnroe died on 1 June 1880 and his wife Margaret Mulligan McEnroe died on 4 November 1891. Their shared headstone states that they were from Arthbracken, County Meath. Ardbraccan is a parish name variant of Bohermeen parish. Most likely this Thomas McEnroe is a brother of Edward McEnroe and was the sponsor at the July 1834 baptism of his nephew Thomas McEnroe (the Civil War soldier buried in Wisconsin) in Bohermeen parish.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/924 ... as-mcenroe

3) Thomas Mack (age 30, born about 1830) with wife Kate Reilly Mack (age 33) in the 1860 census. This Thomas Mack did register in Amenia for the Civil War draft (born about 1837) where he was listed as "married", but no record if he fought. When his wife Catherine Reilly McEnroe died on 22 February 1881, this Thomas McEnroe erected a fine headstone and had engraved "Native of the Parish of Corlowy, County Meath, Ireland". He might possibly be the Thomas McEnroe baptized on 7 August 1836 in Kilskyre, County Meath to parents Edward McEnroe and Betty Murphy. Kilskyre is about 20 kilometers from Ardbraccan so perhaps a cousin of the other McEnroes of Amenia?

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/927 ... ne-mcenroe

Since the only other Thomas Mack to register for the Civil War in Amenia was married, I'm confident that the single Thomas Mack buried in Wisconsin is the son of Edward McEnroe and Rose Flynn born in Ardbraccan / Bohermeen Parish in County Meath. Unlike the McEnroe headstone in Amenia which stated proudly that they were from Ardbraccan, County Meath, the headstone of Thomas Mack at the Wood National Cemetery in Milwaukee is very simple. Take another look below. The classic military headstones never state a birthplace, foreign or otherwise.

Discovering the missing Thomas "Mack" McEnroe of County Meath has been a slight sidetrack in the search for the missing Thomas McNamara of Glandree. But have gained knowledge of the surprisingly few National Homes for Disabled Veterans during this era which might prove useful in the ongoing search.

Edit 1: deleted photo of Thomas Mack headstone to save space (see photo on page 1)
Last edited by Jimbo on Sat Jan 27, 2024 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Sduddy » Thu Sep 13, 2018 11:12 am

Hi Jim

Thanks for that untangling of the Thomas Macks, which I can see entailed a lot of work. But worthwhile and necessary for finding Thomas Mack of Glendree.

So Thomas Mack (1) and (5) are out because he is from Co. Meath. And Thomas (2) is out because he was born in America. And of course Thomas (4) and (6) are out because they are not veterans. And that leaves us with Thomas (3) who was in Buffalo in 1870, and Irish, and aged 30, but not a veteran – at least there’s no evidence that he was. All we know about him is that his landlord, Patrick Keane, was a veteran, who, after the Civil War, engaged in one of the Fenian raids on Canada.
Is there any possibility that someone, who was not a veteran of the Civil War, but joined the Fenian raid on Canada, wrote home about that experience and was thought by his family to be a veteran? No, I really don’t think so. The advertisment his sister placed in the newspaper is very definite that he served in the American civil war and that when he was in Wawarsing he was on furlough.

Well, at least we can now rid ourselves of the notion that we have any idea when our Thomas died, or where he is buried. Can we even say that he survived the Civil War? I assume that he returned to his unit (unknown) after furlough, so maybe he died in some battle then. It sounds as if he had maintained some contact with his family up to the time he was with his sister in Wawarsing, but then all contact ceased.

Sheila

Jimbo
Posts: 591
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:43 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Jimbo » Sat Sep 15, 2018 5:59 am

Hi Sheila,

When you included the Thomas Mack #6 on your summary who married Julia O'Neil, I had to read your prior postings to refresh my memory on who this person was:
I looked at the 1875 census and decided that Francis, aged 7, might be Francis McNamara, son of Tom McNamara and Judy Neil, who was baptised in Tulla on Oct. 10, 1867. The address is Tyreda – not Glendree. There are no other children recorded for this couple.
As this thread has useful information on Tulla McNamaras not from Glendree, I want to correct what I said on the first page about Frank Mack aged 7 in that 1875 census for Steuben, which was found by Sharon. I said that his baptism in Tulla (Oct. 1867) was the only one recorded for his parents Thomas McNamara and Judy Neil, but I later found that Thomas and Judy also had a daughter, Mary, who was baptised on 22.06.1861; address: Blarna. She is shown in that 1875 census, aged 13. The baptism of her sister, Bridget, aged 10, was not recorded – or maybe it was recorded but not legible.
This Thomas Mack family would move from Steuben County, New York (1875 census) to Liberty, McKean County, Pennsylvania by the 1880 census. Their daughter Ann Mack who was born in the USA in the 1875 census (age 6), was born in Ireland in the 1880 census (age 10). Perhaps Ann was born on the ship crossing the Atlantic?

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... print=true

I had a look in the Tulla baptism register for the Mike Powell (age 36) living with the Thomas Mack family in the 1875 census that Sharon had posted. Was surprised to find 11 Mike Powell's baptized in Tulla in the 1819 to 1846 records. The most likely candidate would be the Mike Powell baptized on 28 July 1829, parents Patt Powell and Cath Mack. Thomas Mack and Mike Powell are possible first cousins.

By 1900, the "Thomas Mcdemorow" family had continued their migration southwest to Johnsonburg, Elk County, Pennsylvania. Thomas states his birth as December 1845 and Julia as February 1835. They had 13 children together, 7 survived as of 1900. Pennsylvania has excellent death records. Julia McNamara died on 19 January 1910; her parents were listed as Mike O'Neal and Catherine Casey; birth date as 6 February 1834. Thomas McNamara died on 12 December 1925 in Erie, PA; his parents were reported as Thomas McNamara and "Mary ?"; birth date as "Feb 1839".

Given that Thomas McNamara birth was more commonly reported as around 1843, I thought he would be a good candidate to be the Tom #8 on my original list who was the son of "Tom Mc(?)" and Peg Kelly baptized in Blarnagh, Tulla parish in January 1842. This assumes that the descendants of the Thomas McNamara who died in 1925, had no real clue on the name of their grandmother listed as "Mary ?". Thomas Mack and Julia O'Neil had several children baptized in the 1860's with Blarnagh listed as home, so there was already this connection. Plus the one sponsor at the 1842 baptism was a Bridget O'Neil.

However, this theory was dashed when I reviewed the Tulla baptism register for other children of "Tom Mc(?)" and Peg Kelly. Thomas Melican and Margaret/Peg Kelly had the following four children all baptized in Tulla with their home reported as Blarnagh: Patt (1837), Honor (1838), James (1839), John (1840), plus Bid (1846) with a home location of Glandree.

So my inclusion of the illegible baptism record of "Tom Mc(?)" on my listing of 16 potential missing Thomas McNamara's of Tulla parish can now be crossed off. He appears to be the son of Thomas Melican and Peg Kelly born in 1842.

This leaves 15 Thomas McNamara's baptized in Tulla Parish from my original listing. Only Thomas Mac #10 (son of Daniel McNamara and Anne Halloran) do we know his full story and he did not fight in the American Civil War. One Thomas McNamara remained in Tulla in the 1901 and 1911 Irish census and is most likely either Thomas Mac #3 or Thomas Mac #4. And one Thomas McNamara of Glandree was last seen on furlough during the American Civil War, but his identity is still a mystery. This also still leaves 12 Thomas McNamara's from Tulla parish unaccounted for. Where have all the Thomas McNamara's gone?

Where have all the young men gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the young men gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the young men gone? Gone for soldiers everyone.
When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?


Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the soldiers gone? A long long time ago.
Where have all the soldiers gone? Gone to graveyards everyone.
When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?


"Where have all the Flowers Gone" sung by Kingston Trio (lyrics by Peter Seeger and Joe Hickerson):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI3QVsW30j0
Attachments
Thomas Mack of McKean County PA in 1880 Census.jpg
Thomas Mack of McKean County PA in 1880 Census.jpg (174.8 KiB) Viewed 151827 times

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Sduddy » Sat Sep 15, 2018 10:48 am

Hi Jim

Yes, where have all the young men gone (that song was very, very popular here too). Well some of them went to England, of course. For some reason there is not so much written about the Irish who went to Britain. The wave of Irish who went there in the early part of the 19th century is remembered chiefly for undercutting the pay of the workers there – not a great start. In Everyday Life in 19th Century Ireland, by Ian Maxwell (The History Press Ireland, 2012), the author says:
“In both 1851 and 1861 at least thirty-one towns in England and Wales had a recorded Irish-born population of over 1,000 …By 1852, 22 per cent of Liverpool’s population and 13 per cent of Manchester’s was Irish-born. The largest settlement occurred in London which according to the 1851 census was home to 108,548 Irish-born settlers. Today, more than 150 years after the Famine, the districts settled at that time are still identified as Irish: Hammersmith, Camden Town, Paddington and Islington” (p 171-172).
A couple of the 15 Thomas Macks undoubtedly died in childhood - many families were halved by the time they came to adulthood. So out of the 15, probably two died in childhood, two died in middle age*, and four went to America, four to Britain, one remained in Glandree, one went to an asylum so only his initials are given in 1901, and one married out of the parish. (That is all completely hypothetical, of course)
*I will admit that there’s not much evidence of this: the deaths of six Thomas McNamaras were registered in Tulla between 1864 and 1876. Two are too old to fall within that set of 15 you have decided are eligible for the position of Thomas the Civil War veteran, and two are too young. I am not sure if either of the following would fall within that set: Thomas who died in 1867, aged 48, and Thomas who died in 1867, aged 45. Tulla union covered an area far wider than the parish, of course, so it’s very possible that both of these are from outside the parish (some fine day we will find out). The deaths of several Thomas McNamaras from Tulla Union were registered under Galway Union 1876 – 1901, and the image for each is viewable, but I’ve decided none are eligible to be included among the set of 15.

You have done a good job with tracing Thomas McNamara and Julia* O’Neil. Thomas’ death record says his father was Thomas also, so maybe he is the Thomas, who was baptised in 1840, the son of Thomas McNamara, Tireedy, and Mary Donnellan (page 99 left: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 9/mode/1up). A Thomas McNamara, a married man from Tyredagh, died in Tulla Workhouse in 1883, aged 80.
*As it happens, I am just now reading The Tithe Proctor by William Carleton (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16010/16 ... nk2HCH0001) in order to find out just how the Tithe Proctor went about collecting the tithes and hopefully improve on the reply I made to the question raised by matthewmacnamara: http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... f=1&t=7028
Early in the story, William Carleton shows that the name Julia is the same as Judy:
“Bedad, Mr. English, you wor fairly done there; in spite o' the tall English, you're no match for the ladies. Miss Julia fairly gev' you the bag to hould.”
The Buck's eye glittered with bitterness.
“Miss Julia, do you say?” he replied; “why, my good friend, the girl was christened Judy—plain Judy; but now that they've got into high-flown life, you persave, nothing will sarve them but to ape their betthers. However, never mind, I'll see the day yet, and that before long, when saucy Judy won't refuse my assistance. Time about's fair play, you know.”

Sheila

Jimbo
Posts: 591
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:43 am

Re: Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

Post by Jimbo » Sun Sep 16, 2018 2:31 am

Hi Sheila,

Thank you very much for pointing out the 1840 baptism record for Thomas McNamara the son of Thomas McNamara and Mary Donnellan. Not sure how I missed this in my original list of 16 Thomas McNamara's baptized in Tulla parish. I've christened this Thomas as Thomas Mac #8A to replace the Thomas Mac #8 who turned out to be a Melican. The new Thomas McNamara's baptism in 1840 fits perfectly between Thomas Mac #7 (1842) and Thomas Mac #9 (1838). Thomas McNamara and M. Donnellan also had a son Francis baptized on 8 May 1843 in Tulla, sponsor B. Donnellan. Francis was the name of one of the children of Thomas McNamara and Julia O'Neal who was born in Blarnagh, Tulla. The Thomas McNamara who died in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1925 appears to be a perfect fit for Thomas Mac#8A. I cannot find Blarnagh in Tulla on a map. Does it go by a different name today?

This leaves us again with 16 Thomas McNamara's from Tulla parish born between 1819 and 1846, the likely birth years of an American Civil War soldier.

And thanks for your estimate on where all the Thomas McNamara's ended up and especially for taking a look at the death records available. Very interesting. Here are my thoughts:

1) The USA estimate of 4 might be understated? Of the 16 total, we already have three (the Civil War soldier from Glandree, Tom Mac#8A, Tom Mac#10). I've only searched in New York (and a cursory look) as this was where the missing Thomas McNamara from Glandree was last seen. This leaves out Massachusetts and other states that had high Irish immigration. My estimate would be 8.

2) Immigrants to Australia? The passengers lists during the 1850's and 1860's to Australia are full of County Clare immigrants. My estimate would be 2.

3) England? Mary McNamara Madigan, the sister of the missing Thomas McNamara, did immigrate to Barnsley, Yorkshire to support your estimate of 4. But my estimate would be only 1 or 2.

4) Deaths in childhood (2) and middle age (2) for a total of 4? Sheila, on other threads you've exhibited a tendency to kill off your ancestors before their time (the 3 Mealey sisters who immigrated to Lowell Massachusetts come to mind). This might be an Irish cultural thing. I'm less pessimistic and reckon only 2 or 3 died in childhood and middle age in Ireland. Your research into the death records supports this somewhat.

5) The Thomas who remained in Glandree (1) and another who may have married outside of Tulla (1). Agreed.

I thinks this totals about 16.

Post Reply