Welch 4: Mary (Delaney) Welch and Austin Farm

Edward Welch’s death record states that the names of his parents were Thomas and Mary [1].  His marriage record also states the names of his parents:  Thomas and Mary [2].

So far Mary does not have a maiden name, but…

During my attempt to find the older Mary Welch, the widow from the 1870 census, who may have been Edward’s mother, and who may have died between 1870 and 1880 in Boston at 387 First Street, I came across one widow of Thomas, born about 1811, but who died at Austin Farm, an Alms house in Boston [3].  She would have been about the same age as the Mary in the 1870 census.

She died 13 February 1879, before Austin Farm became an outlying ward of the Boston Lunatic Hospital in 1887 [4].     

I don't know if this Mary is Edward’s mother, but I have written to the City of Boston Archivist in hopes of finding a register entry for Mary.  Register entries contain names, places of birth, date admitted, etc., and sometimes a few remarks [5].  

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] "Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NWYY-MTP : accessed 30 Mar 2014), Edward Walsh and Mary Walsh, 25 Aug 1867; citing 104, Boston, Massachusetts, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,433,026.

[3] For the 1870 census, see 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.

For Mary's death, see "Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NWKX-D9F : accessed 30 Mar 2014), Mary Delaney Welch, 13 Feb 1879; citing Boston, Massachusetts, v 312 p 38, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 960,217.

[4] City of Boston, Archives and Records (http://www.cityofboston.gov/archivesandrecords/guide/institutions.asp : accessed 30 Marcy 2014), “Archives Guide ~Public Institutions.”

[5] City of Boston, Archives and Records Management Division (https://www.cityofboston.gov/Images_Documents/Guide%20to%20the%20Almshouse%20records_tcm3-30021.pdf : accessed 30 March 2014), “Guide to the Almshouse Records,” p. 2.

Scanlon 19

The letter from the Archdiocese of Boston arrived today. I guess my post from yesterday moved it along.

The extraction of James Scanlon’s and Ellen Coughlan’s marriage contained two pieces of new information:  the name of the church and the names of two witnesses [1].

The church:  Most Holy Redeemer, East Boston

The witnesses:  Patrick McGrath and Ann McGrath

East Boston should have been in Ward 2 at the time of the marriage, “including all that part of the city called East Boston and all the islands in the harbor,” since ward boundaries would not be redefined again (after 1850) until 1865 [2].

Who are the McGraths?  I was hoping to find Cornelius Scanlon’s name in this pair, but Patrick and Ann showed up instead.

Notes:

[1] Scanlon-Coughlan marriage, 6 August 1861, Most Holy Redeemer church, East Boston, Massachusetts; extraction of original record, Archdiocese of Boston Archives, Braintree, Massachusetts. 

[2] FamilySearch, Wiki, (https://familysearch.org : accessed 28 March 2014), “Boston Massachusetts Genealogy,” section 2.4.

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.      

_____

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].

_____

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.

_____

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.

Welch 3

After finding 53-year old Mary Walsh with her daughter, 23 year old Hanorah Walsh, and three boarders at 436 West Second Street in the 1900 census, I attempted to trace this Mary back in time through Boston city directories [1]. 

The 1899 directory listed a widow named Mary at the same address (436 W. Second) whose husband’s name had been Edward [2].  The goal in tracing Mary through city directories was to find out when this Edward died.

There was another widow named Mary Walsh who lived for some years at 344 W. Second – and in 1900 there was a widow of Edward named Mary Walsh at 342 W. Second [3].   

In fact, there were several Mary Walshes and Welches in the directories and I want to examine each one, but the following table refers only to the Mary at 436 W. Second, who likely moved there from 379 W. First, and to 379 W. First from 387 W First (my reasoning for these moves is discussed below the following table and is partly based on Edward’s year of death and street address at the time of death). 

I did not check every variant name of Welch for each year, and did not include in the table every year I searched, but a larger picture of the Mary at 436 W. Second emerged without having done so: [4]

     

Year	Surname	Description
1899	Walsh	Mary, widow of Edward, h. 436 W. Second
1892	Welch	Mary, widow of Edward, h. 436 W. Second
1891		Directory not available
1890	Welch	Not at 436 W. Second
	Welch	Mary, widow of Edward, 379 W. First
	Welch	Thomas, laborer, bds. 379. W. First
1889	Welch	Mary, widow, h. 379. W. First
1888		Directory not available
1887		Directory not available
1886	Welch	Mary not listed at 436 W. Second or 379 W. Second
	Welch	Edward, laborer, h. 387 W. First
	Welch	Edward (E. Higgins & Co.), 378 W. First, h. 387 do.
1885	Welch	Edward (Higgins & Welch), 378 W. First, h. 387 do.

Mary, widow of Edward, may have lived at 436 W. Second from around 1891 or 1892 to 1900 (we know that a Mary Walsh and her daughter Hanorah were listed at 436 W. Second in the 1900 census, and we know that Hanorah was the name of Edward’s daughter in the 1880 census) [5].

In 1890, I found one Mary Welch, a widow of Edward, and one Thomas Welch, a laborer, who boarded with her at 379 W. First [6].  Mary Walsh is also found at this address in 1889 [7].

At this point, it is important to note that Edward, husband of Mary, could have died between 1886 and 1889 (it is clear that Edward was alive in 1886 but that Mary was a widow by 1889).

I searched for his death record and found an “Edmund Welch” who died 6 March 1888 at 379 W. First, at the age of about 53.  This  places his birth year about 1835.  His occupation was “roofer,” and he was born in Ireland to parents Thomas and Mary [8].  

It is likely that between the years of 1886 and 1888 the Edward at 387 W. First moved with his wife Mary to 379 W. First, and that Mary moved from 379 W. First to 436 W. Second after Edward died.

       

It is also important to note that the Higgins & Welch roofing business at 378 W. First may have been right across the street from 379 W. First, depending on how the houses/buildings were numbered.    

It is also worth noting that a Thomas Welch had been a member of the household of the older Mary Welch, the widow, in the 1870 census [9]. 

Notes:

[1] 1900 U. S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Boston, Ward 14, enumeration district 1354, Sheet 6B, dwelling 69, family 141, line 51, Mary Walsh household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 March 2014), citing FHL microfilm 1,240,682; citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 682.

[2] “U. S. City Directories, 1821-1989,” Massachusetts, Boston, 1899 database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 March 2014), entry for Mary Walsh, p. 1609; citing The Boston Directory, 1899, Sampson, Murdock, & Co. 

[3] I do not yet have an established set of directory years for the Mary Walsh at 344 W. Second, but for the Mary Walsh in 1900 see “U. S. City Directories, 1821-1989,” Massachusetts, Boston, 1900, database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 March 2014), entry for Mary Walsh, p. 1661; citing The Boston Directory, 1900, Sampson, Murdock, & Co. 

[4] All of the Boston, Massachusetts directories that I searched can be found in the “U. S. City Directories, 1821-1989” database at Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 March 2014), citing The Boston Directory, 1885-1899, Sampson, Murdock, & Company.   Page numbers for each table listing are noted here: (1899) 1609, (1892) 1404, (1890) Both Mary and Thomas 1332, (1889) 1304 , (1886) 1197, (1885) 1127.  

[5] 1900 U. S. census, Suffolk Co., MA., pop. Sch., Boston, Ward 14, ED 1354, sheet 6B, dwell. 69, fam. 141, Mary Walsh.  See note 1.  Also see 1880 U. S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, South Boston, enumeration district 685, p, 20, dwelling 99, family 223, line 34, Edward Welch household; digital image, Ancestry.com(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 Marcy 2014), citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 557. 

[6] “U. S. City Directories, 1821-1989,” 1890, database, Ancestry.com, entries for Mary Welch and Thomas Welch.   

[7] Ibid., (1889) 1304.

[8] "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 960239.

[9] 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.

Welch 2B

I ended my last post by stating the next step would be to trace the 53 year-old Mary Walsh from the 1900 census backward through city directories to find the name of her husband (See previous post, Welch 2).

I didn’t have far to travel:  the 1899 Boston city directory listed Mary at 436 W. Second:

“[Walsh], Mary, widow of Edward, h. 436 W. Second” [1]

Now it’s just a matter of tracing Mary back far enough to find out when Edward died. 

Notes:

[1] “U. S. City Directories, 1821-1989,” Massachusetts, Boston, 1899 database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 March 2014), entry for Mary Walsh, p. 1609; citing The Boston Directory, 1899, Sampson, Murdock, & Co.    

Welch 2

The search for a widow Mary Welch born around 1810 who died in Boston at 387 First Street was not fruitful.  I then searched for her under surnames Welsh, Walch, Walsh, Weltch, Waltch and did not come up with anything.

I had a choice to go backward or forward in time, knowing that an initial search for Edward Welch and wife Mary in 1900 did not pan out, so I did not immediately go forward until this morning.

A second attempt to search the 1900 census produced 53 year old Mary Walsh living with her daughter, 23 year old Hanorah Walsh, and three boarders at 436 W. Second Street [1].

Hanorah.   Just Hanorah.  No variants like Johanna, Jane, Jean, etc.

Next steps:  Trace 53 year old Mary Walsh at 436 West Second back in time through city directories to see if one states the name of her husband.  

Notes:

[1] 1900 U. S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Boston, Ward 14, enumeration district 1354, Sheet 6B, dwelling 69, family 141, line 51, Mary Walsh household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 March 2014), citing FHL microfilm 1,240,682; citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 682.

Welch 1

I started my search of the Welches ~ associated with the Higgins-es and the Carrigans ~ with the Edward Welch at 387 First Street in South Boston. 

He is listed at 387 First Street in accessible Boston Directories in 1869 through 1886, and can be found easily enough in the 1880 census [1]:

Name	Age	Relation/Occupation	Birth place
Welch Edward	37, b. 1843	Works at roofing	Ireland
--Mary	30, b. 1850	Wife/ Keeping house	Ireland
--Hanora	4, b. 1876	Daughter	Mass
--Mary	18, b. 1862	Niece/ at home	Ireland

According to this record, Edward was born about 1843 in Ireland, his wife’s name was Mary, and he had a daughter named Hanora born about 1876 in Massachusetts.  Edward worked at roofing.

Easy enough, but then it got complicated.    

I still haven’t found Hanora’s birth record, having looked under the surnames Welch, Walsh, Welsh, Weltch, and Waltch.

I did find a “Joanna Maria Welch” born to an Edward and Mary in 1865, but this would be about eleven years before Hanorah was reported born on the 1880 census [2]. 

However, Joanna and Hanorah/Honorah could be associated names: 

“Sometimes, the translation can throw us off track – for example, Johanna meaning Jane, Jean, Johanna and also being translated as *Honora*” [3].

I even threw in Julia, Hannah, and Anna as possible given names, and searched through over thirteen-hundred names, from 1860 through 1880, for something that looked remotely promising, but my search yielded nothing, except for the Joanna born in 1865 [4].  

Neither could I find a marriage record for Edward and Mary that looked promising.

I then went to the 1870 census, knowing that Edward Welch appeared at 387 First Street in the 1869 Boston Directory. 

The only Edward I found at what I believe to be a First street address appeared on the same page as John Higgins the roofer [5]:

    

Name	Age	Occupation	Birth place
Welch Mary	60 [born about 1810]	Widow	Ireland
--Edward	35 [born about 1835]	Laborer	Ireland
--Mary	31 [born about 1839]	Works	Ireland
--Thomas	25 [born bout 1845]	Laborer	Ireland
--James	40 [born about 1825]	X -------------	Ireland

At this point, I suspected something might be amiss with the information recorded on the later 1880 census.  The difference in birth years for Edward is about a decade, and if the younger Mary is Edward’s wife, her years of birth are off by about a decade as well.    

And so, because searching for Edward, Mary, and Hanorah could be more time consuming than searching for the older widow Mary Welch born about 1810, my attention turned to her.  She may be Edward’s mother.  

And because she did not appear in the later census, she may have died at 387 First St. 

There were about 30 Mary Welches who died in Boston between 1870 and 1880, but not all were born around 1810, and not all were married [6].   

One of these women may have died at 387 First, and it may be possible to uncover who she was, and to whom she was married, etc.

Notes:

[1] 1880 U. S. census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, South Boston, enumeration district 685, p, 20, dwelling 99, family 223, line 34, Edward Welch household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 Marcy 2014), citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 557. 

[2] "Massachusetts, Births, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FXZC-BDG : accessed 24 Mar 2014), Joanna Maria Welch, 15 Sep 1865; citing Boston, Massachusetts, 80, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1428037.

[3] The quotation comes directly from From-Ireland.net

(http://www.from-ireland.net/irish-names/latin-names-in-english/  :

accessed 24 March 2014).

[4] Of course, my search was conducted in an index for the sake of efficiency and I did not examine actual record images.

[5] 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.

[6] To arrive at the number 30, I used the Massachusetts Archives vital records search screen at (http://www.sec.state.ma.us/index.htm : accessed 24 March 2014).  I searched for all Mary Welches who died in Boston between 1870 and 1880.