Welch: Random Notes

It’s been two weeks since I sent for the burial records of James Scanlan, and one week since I wrote to the Archdiocese of Boston for the names of witnesses at James’ wedding ~ not that I’m counting days.      

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Edmund Welch’s death record stated that his parents were Thomas and Mary [1].

If the older Mary Welch, the widow in the 1870 census, was Edward’s mother, there is a possibility that her husband Thomas and she can be found on earlier U. S. censuses, depending on when they immigrated [2].

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I found the death record of Mary Walsh who lived at 436 W. Second:  “Mary Walsh,” widow of Edward Walsh, died 20 February 1901.  She was born in Ireland to parents Thomas Walsh and Alice Gibbons [3]. 

It appears Mary was a Welch/Walsh too.

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I find it interesting that in 1885, the roofing business of Edward Welch and my gg grandfather Edward Higgins was known as “Higgins & Welch”, but in 1886 was known as “E. Higgins & Co” (See the table in Welch 3).  I wonder why.

Notes:

[1]   "Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NWCR-DVM : accessed 27 Mar 2014), Edmund Welch, 06 Mar 1888; citing Boston, Massachusetts, p90 n2070, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 960,239.

[2] 1870 U. S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Boston, Ward 12, p. 195, dwelling 849, family 1429, line 29, Mary Welch household; digital image,Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 March 2014), citing FHL film 552,146; citing  National Archives microfilm publication M593, roll 647.

[3] "Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N7N3-7ZR : accessed 28 Mar 2014), Mary Walsh Walsh, 20 Feb 1901; citing Boston, Massachusetts, v 519 cn 1741, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,057,735.

Edward and Bridget (Higgins) Barry -- Objectives and Tasks

I am still gathering information about accidental deaths in Massachusetts -- and especially looking for information about deaths indirectly caused by natural disasters -- AND procedures that may have been followed when a body was considered dead but missing at the scene-- as well as what documents may have been generated by these procedures.

These documents may shed light on Edward Barry's death, but it is hoped that some clue in some as yet unknown document may shed light on the current objective:

Find birth locations in Ireland for all known siblings of John and Edward Higgins.

That includes Edward Higgins' sister Bridget (nee Higgins) Barry and a much younger brother named Michael, who died in Boston.

The underlying objective here would be to prove or disprove a link to the Roman Catholic Parish of Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland -- where not only Laurence Carrigan may have been baptized, but also possibly my gg grandfather Edward Higgins and his brother John.

So far all of the records I have just say "Ireland."  However, there are still some basic records I need to collect, such as marriage and death records for Edward and Bridget Barry's children.  And so this has become the new task.   

Siblings of John and Edward Higgins

One of my previous objectives was to find a specific place of birth in Ireland for John and Edward Higgins:  

• With one exception, all U. S. records found to date say only “Ireland.”
• The only mention of a specific locale came from a U. S. passport application for Aloysius T. Higgins.  He was a Jesuit priest who intended to leave the United States to do mission work in Jamaica.  When asked for the birth place of his father [the same John Higgins], Aloysius wrote “Watertown, Ireland.” One speculation is that he meant to write “Waterford.”  [1]
• Add to this that the John Higgins household in Boston, MA listed "Anna Corrigan" (born in CT) as an adopted daughter in the 1880 U. S. federal census. [2]
• And that 'Annie's father was "Lawrence Kerrigan" of Hartford, CT. [3]
• And that one 'Laurence Carrigan' of Hartford, CT placed an ad in the Boston Pilot on 20 July 1867, seeking the whereabouts of John, Mary, and Bridget Carrigan -- all "late of Lismore, Waterford."  [4]
• And that baptismal information has been found not only for one 'Laurence Carrigan,' but also for one 'John Higgins' and one 'Edmund Higgins' -- in the Roman Catholic parish of Lismore, Co. Waterford --whose parental information happens to match the U. S. records for my gg grandfather Edward, as well as his brother John--and the case for Co. Waterford gets a bit stronger..

The current objective to find full birth dates for John and Edward Higgins –by analyzing and comparing U. S. records I already had – with baptismal records found in Lismore, Co. Waterford (where Annie's father Laurence Carrigan may have been baptized) resulted in the need to find more records.  

U. S. records for John indicate a possible birth circa December 1843-1847, and Edward’s records indicate a possible birth circa 1846-1849 (see previous posts).

The need to find more records is evident, but this should include finding new records for all of my gg grandfather's known siblings as well.  There was a sister Bridget and a much younger brother named Michael.  Such records may hold information about a more specific birth place in Ireland.    
  

Notes:

[1] “U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925,” database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 Nov 2007), entry for Aloysius T Higgins; citing National Archives, Washington D. C., series M1490, Roll 638.

[2] 1880 U. S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Boston, enumeration district 740, p. 3 [household continued from page 2], dwelling unreadable, line 5, John Higgins household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed August 2006), citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 559.

[3] Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910, Vol. 491, Pg. 244 (From original records held by the Massachusetts Archives.  Online database:  AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society.)

[4]  Search for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements, 1831-1920. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2005.) The Search for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in The Boston Pilot 1831-1920, edited by Ruth-Ann M. Harris and B. Emer O'Keeffe.

Edward Higgins, Dates of Birth

The baptismal dates on the Roman Catholic parish of Lismore records (Co. Waterford, Ireland) for ‘Edmund Higgins’ and ‘John Higgins’ suggest that John was older than Edmund by 14 months [1].   

***

Edward Higgins, my gg grandfather, was born in Ireland and died in Boston, Massachusetts in 1893 [2].   

 Below are the results from the search of records I have found that point to his birth.  I love how he keeps getting younger:  

17 Feb 1874, civil marriage record:  Age 28 [born about 1846]  [3]

1880 U. S. Federal Census:  Age 33 [born about 1847]  [4]

9 Dec 1882,  MA Catholic Order of Foresters membership application:  Age 34 [born about 1848] [5]

19 May 1893, civil death record:  Age 44.  Months and days columns were left blank  [born about 1849]  [6]

1893 MA Catholic Order of Foresters Mortuary record:  Age 44 [born about 1849] [7]

But I have absolutely no records that give me a full birth date, including day and month of birth, to compare with the Lismore date.  

This means until I find something more tangible about Edward, I will have to use the link to his brother John, for whom I have far more records.  

John's birth month, found on only one U. S. record, matches the baptismal month of the Lismore John [8].

[Roman Catholic baptisms took place as soon as possible, usually within a matter of days, so that if the child died after birth he or she would not die without being baptized].   Therefore, the birth and baptism often occurred during the same month.    

***

Edward, my gg grandfather, did leave a little information about the family he was born in, however – as described by the doctor who examined him for his membership with the MA Catholic Order of Foresters.   

I've recreated the table that appears on the 'Certificate of Medical Examiner’ [undated, but Edward’s application for membership is dated 9 Dec 1882, as shown above] and have included it below. 

The table states that Edward's father had already died by the time of the medical examination [most likely by 1882], but that Edward's mother was still living at age 50.   

I don’t know how many brothers and sisters Edward actually had, but according to this table, Edward’s living brothers ranged in ages from 19 to 36. 

And since Edward’s membership application stated he was 34 years old at the time of applying, the table implies then – that there was at least one older living brother -- at the age of 35 or 36 – further implying that this brother was about one to two years older than Edward– which would not eliminate a linkage to the Lismore records, since:

• The 'Lismore John' is older than the 'Lismore Edmund' by 14 months, just 10 months shy of being a full two years older.
• There is no evidence suggesting that the 'U. S. John' is younger than my gg grandfather Edward.

The table also states that Edward’s living sisters were all younger than he, ranging in ages from 18 to 30: 

	Ages at Death	Causes of Death	Age if Living
Father	45	Apoplexy
Mother			50
Brothers			19 to 36
Infants
Sisters			18 to 30

  

***

Today at the FHC:

 

Searched the 1900 census and Island County death records for Nellie Lee Meyer or Meyers who is buried on South Whidbey Island in Bayview Cemetery, birth unknown, death unknown.  Nothing found so far.

***

NOTES [complete citations coming soon] :

[1]  Lismore records held by the Waterford Heritage Genealogy Center, Jenkins Lane, Waterford.

[2]  Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910, 438: 212, no. 4655 (from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives.  Online database:  NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004.)

[3]  Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910, 264: 47, no. 835 (from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives.  Online database:  NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004.)

[4]  1880 U. S. federal census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Edward Higgins household, population schedule, Boston, enumeration district 696, page 12, line 19, dwelling 72, family 115; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed August 2006), citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 557.

[5]  MA Catholic Order of Foresters membership application

[6]  Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910, 438: 212, no. 4655, entry for Edward Higgins, 19 May 1893.

[7]  MA Catholic Order of Foresters Mortuary record 

[8]  1900 U. S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, John Higgins household, population schedule, Boston, enumeration district 1411, sheet no. 3, dwelling 32, family 54; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed August 2006), citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 684.

Edward and John Higgins

When I received the names of witnesses on Edward Higgins’ (my gg grandfather) marriage record from the Archdiocese of Boston Archives, they didn’t mean anything to me:

John Higgins and Bridget Barry. [1]

It wasn’t until I’d been gathering all of the vital records for Edward’s children that these names appeared again.   I found his daughter Mary Ellen listed above two other infants, also born on Lark Street:

Births of Mary Ellen Higgins, Agnes Bridget Higgins, and Delia Barry [2]

City of Boston, MA, for the year 1876

No.	Date of Birth	Name of Child	Place of Birth	Name of Parents	Occupation of Father
1571	Nov. 2 [1876]	Mary Ellen Higgins	23 Lark [Boston]	Edward & Bridget [both born in Ireland]	Roofer
1572	Oct. 22 [1876]	Agnes Bridget Higgins	23 Lark [Boston]	John & Margaret [both born in Ireland]	Teamster
1573	Jany. 27 [1876]	Delia Barry	24 Lark [Boston]	Edward & Bridget [both born in Ireland]	Laborer

Now the names of the witnesses meant something more.  But who were they?  Who were John Higgins and Bridget Barry?  The year was 1876.  I turned to the 1880 U. S. federal census to find (first) John Higgins, his wife Margaret, and daughter Agnes. 

Notes:

[1] Higgins-Tobin marriage, 17 February 1874, St. Augustine’s Church in South Boston, Archdiocese of Boston Archives, Braintree, Massachusetts.   

[2] Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910 (From original records held by the Massachusetts Archives, Online database:  AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004.)  Vol. 279, Page 35.

Edward Higgins

I can’t let today slip by without mentioning Edward Higgins, my great great grandfather. He died on this day, 19 May, in 1893 [1].

He was the brother of John Higgins, whose 1880 census lists Anna Corrigan as an adopted daughter [2].

Edward was born about 1847 in Ireland, county unknown [3]. 

He was a roofer by occupation in Boston, MA and even owned his own roofing business  [4].  His earliest whereabouts can be traced to 1874 in South Boston when he married Bridget Tobin at St. Augustine’s Church on 17 February, just a few days after Valentine’s Day [5].

He was a member of S. S. Peter & Paul’s court #15 of the Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters. His Forester papers say he had 5 brothers and 5 sisters who were all living in 1883. I've only identified three of his siblings [6].

Edward and Bridget had five children, but only three were living by 1900 [7]. 

Edward died in 1893 of “pleurisy with effusion” [8].  Bridget lived another fifteen years and died in 1908 [9].

NOTES:

[1] "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910," death, 438:212, no. 4655 (From original records held by the Massachusetts Archives, online database:  AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004), entry for Edward Higgins.

[2] The relationship between Edward Higgins and John Higgins is primarily based on each having the same parental information listed in their death records while other records suggest a relationship between the two.  For Edward's death record, see note 1 above.  For John's death record, see "Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915," online database, death (10 December 1908), no. 11036, entry for John Higgins, FamilySearch (https:familysearch.org : accessed 2 May 2010). To see Anna Corrigan listed in John's household in the 1880 U. S. census, see 1880 U. S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Boston, enumeration district (ED) 740, p. 3 [household continued from page 2], dwelling unreadable, line 5, John Higgins household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http:www.ancestry.com : accessed August 2006), citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 559.

[3] 1880 U. S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Boston, enumeration district 696, p. [112/12?], dwelling 72, family 115, line 19, Edward Higgins household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http:www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 December 2008), citing FHL film 1,254,557, citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 557.

[4] Edward's occupation of "roofer" is consistent in Boston city directories and in the 1880 U. S. census, which is the only census record I have for him.  Edward's entry in the 1885 Boston Directory notes he was of "(Higgins & Welch), 378 West First."

[5]  Higgins-Tobin marriage, 17 February 1874, St. at Augustine's in South Boston, Archdiocese of Boston Archives, Braintree, Massachusetts.

[6] Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters (MCOF), SS. Peter and Paul Court no. 15., Certificate of Medical Examiner, undated, MCOF death claim 533 for Edward Higgins, The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA), Auburndale, Massachusetts.  The record collection has since moved to University Archives and Special Collections, Joseph P. Healey Library, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts.

[7] 1900 U. S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Boston, ward 15, enumeration district 1372, Sheet 4A, , dwelling 43, family 72, line 16, Bridget Higgins household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http:www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 December 2008), citing FHL film 1,240,683, citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 683.

[8] "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910," 438:212, death, Edward Higgins, online database, New England Historic Genealogical Society, NewEnglandAncestor.org [now Amerianancestors.org], from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives.

[9] Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Archives, Boston, death, 18:570, Bridget Higgins, died 7 November 1908.