52 Ancestors: #17, Michael Murphy, Immigrant Ancestor of My Immigrant Ancestor

What exactly do we mean when we refer to our "immigrant ancestors?" Born in the United States, I could be talking about the earliest ancestor in a line who immigrated to the U.S. But with two of my four grandparents stemming from Canadian forbears, I tend to think more in terms of the earliest ancestor who immigrated to North America from "across the pond."

By the stricter definition, the "immigrant ancestor" in my Murphy line is my grandfather, William G. Murphy, who immigrated from Prince Edward Island, Canada, to New Hampshire around 1911. But in fact, I consider my "immigrant" Murphy ancestor to be William's immigrant ancestor, his great-grandfather Michael Murphy, an Irish immigrant to Prince Edward Island in the early 19th century.

Hard information about my great-great-great-grandfather, Michael Murphy, is sparse. All I really know about him comes from two head-of-household censuses^{1, 3} and baptismal records for three of his children.⁴ The rest is deduction and conjecture.

Michael Murphy was born in Ireland no earlier than 1796⁵ and probably about 1801.⁶ He emigrated to Prince Edward Island probably between 1820 and 1825, paying his own passage and settling on a 15-acre plot, which he owned "in fee simple,"⁷ in the vicinity of Georgetown in Kings County.⁸ (Click on any of the maps for a larger, and more legible, view.)

Eastern end of Prince Edward Island (Kings and Queens Counties), with the Georgetown area circled in red.⁹

He married Magdelen Morrison (who was born on PEI), most likely around 1827.⁶ Michael was a sawyer, as at least one of his sons would later be, but like most of the people of the time, he also farmed on his 15 acres. In 1841, he lived in Georgetown Royalty, Kings County, almost certainly on the tract labeled "M. Murphy" on the 1828 map shown below.¹⁰ During the previous year he had raised 100 bushels of oats, 20 bushels of wheat, 15 bushels of barley, and a whopping 500 bushels of potatoes – not too surprising for an Irishman's family. The family owned thirteen sheep, 3 hogs, and 5 neat cattle.⁸ (The number of slovenly cattle was not recorded.¹¹)

Plan of Georgetown, Georgetown Common, and Georgetown Royalty, 1828.¹⁰
The red box (added by the author) is approximately the area of the detail shown below.

Detail from Georgetown Royalty area of the map above. The lot numbered "5" near the upper right is labeled "M. Murphy."

Michael and Magdelen had at least seven children (the household had four boys and three girls under 16 in 1841),¹² and perhaps as many as ten. Of these, the only ones I have hard evidence for are my great-great-grandfather William, and three boys for whom there are baptismal records (and oddly, for those three I have no other documentation). Thanks to an online family tree,¹³ I was tipped off to the existence of four more prospective children: three daughters and another son, tentatively identified based on their reported parents in marriage or death records, and their apparent relationships to each other deduced from city directory and census records in Newburyport, Massachusetts. (These four, and my g-g-grandfather, all emigrated to Newburyport – which seems to have been a magnet for PEI Murphys – though at widely divergent times.) The other two are conjectural, to make up the seven children in the 1841 census; one would have to be a girl and one a boy.

Children of Michael Murphy and Magdelen Morrison (known, tentative, and conjectural):

1. Unknown, b. ca 1828 (conjectural).
2. William Murphy, b. 1830, married Flora Ann McDonald on PEI.
3. Unknown, b. ca 1832 (conjectural).
4. Mary A. Murphy (tentative), b. ca 1834, married 1) George W. Bowlen in Newburyport, Mass., 2) Daniel W. Green probably in Newburyport, 3) Samuel Bamber in Lynn, Mass.
5. Donald Murphy, b. 1836.
6. Patrick Murphy, b. 1838.
7. Catherine Murphy (tentative), b. ca 1838-1840, married George Linklighter or Linkletter, possibly on PEI or else in Newburyport, Mass.
8. James Murphy, b. 1842.
9. Elizabeth Murphy (tentative), b. ca 1843, married Demas Mason on PEI.
10. Daniel Murphy (tentative), b. ca 1843-1844, married 1) Johanna Collins on PEI, 2) Anastasia Welch in Newburyport, Mass.

There was no census on PEI in 1851, and the 1861 census again listed only the head-of-household by name. Moreover, not all of the census has survived. Nevertheless, it's quite possible that the Michael Murphy, farmer, in Lot 41, Kings County, is "my" Michael, with one male and one female over 60 and one male 21-45 in the household, farming on 50 acres.¹⁴ Unfortunately, the agricultural schedule for Lot 41 does not appear to have survived.

1861 Prince Edward Island Census, Kings County, Township 41, Michael Murphy household

Again, there was no PEI census in 1871. By the time the province got a full nominal census in 1881, there is no Michael Murphy who fits the bill at all, nor any known variation on Magdelen (Maggie, Margaret, Matilda, Martha...). So it appears both must have died before 1881, though no death or burial records appear to exist. Currently my best estimate of the death of my immigrant ancestor's immigrant ancestor is a decidedly imprecise "between 1861 and 1881."

My descent from Michael Murphy:

• Michael Murphy and Magdelen Morrison
• William Murphy and Flora Ann McDonald
• Dominic Murphy and Rose Ann McIntyre
• William G. Murphy and Glenna M. Rabideau (my maternal grandparents)

(Note: This post is in response to Amy Johnson Crow's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge at No Story Too Small.)

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SOURCES

1. "PARO Collections Database," Public Archives and Records Office of Prince Edward Island (http://www.gov.pe.ca/archives/parosearch : accessed 12 Feb 2014), record for Michael Murphy, "Lawyer" [Sawyer],² 1841 Census, "Township 99"; also accessible via the same site's "P.E.I. Census Documents Data Search" database (http://www.gov.pe.ca/archives/census/index.php3), an older version of the database (accessed through the Genealogy at the Public Archives > Genealogy From a Distance page) which identifies the lot/township as "George Town Royalty" rather than the (non-existent) Lot 99 indicated in the PARO Collections Database.
2. A 19th-century uppercase script S is easily confused with an L, which has more than once transmuted my humble sawmill-operating ancestors into ostensible barristers. 
3. 1861 Census of Prince Edward Island, Kings County, schedule 1, Township No. 41, p. 4, unnumbered line 1, Michael Murphy household; "1861 Census of Canada," index and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 12 Feb 2012).
4. Division of Vital Statistics, Public Archives of Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Island baptism card index, cards for Donald (1836), Patrick (1838), and James (1842) Murphy; digital images, “Prince Edward Island Baptism Card Index, 1721-1885,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 13 Feb 2014).
5. 1841 Census. The two adults are no older than 45 and thus born no earlier than 1796.
6. Marshall K. Kirk, "Murphy: Massachusetts Data," typescript, ca 1991; Marshall K. Kirk Research Files, privately held by the author, Virginia Beach, Virginia. This summary and analysis of Kirk's research on his Newburyport, Massachusetts, Murphy relatives includes a section identifying the immigrant Michael Murphy and linking him to his son William Murphy. His analysis of the 1841 census records indicates that, of the four Michael Murphys in the census, only the one in Georgetown could possibly be our ancestor, and that other circumstantial evidence is consistent with the Georgetown location. Additionally, he provides a rationale for the estimated dates of birth and marriage.
7. Holding land in fee simple means the owner has a "permanent and absolute tenure in land with freedom to dispose of it at will." Oxford Dictionaries (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/fee-simple : accessed 29 Apr 2014).
8. 1841 Census. The PEI proprietor-tenant system was under scrutiny at the time, and one group of census questions was designed to evaluate the numbers of immigrants who paid their own passage versus having their passage paid by a proprietor, as well as how many of the latter had repaid the proprietor for their passage. The census also recorded how many acres the family held and in what form (fee simple, leasehold, etc.), amount of produced raised, and livestock owned.
9. "Counties of Queens and Kings," map, Atlas of the Maritime Provinces of the Dominion of Canada (St. John, N.B.: Roe Brothers, 1878), p. 79; digital image, University of Prince Edward Island Robertson Library, Island Imagined (http://www.islandimagined.ca : accessed 27 Apr 2014). 
10. Surveyor General, "Plan of Georgetown, Georgetown Common, and Georgetown Royalty," manuscript cadastral map, 1828; digital image, University of Prince Edward Island Robertson Library, Island Imagined (http://www.islandimagined.ca : accessed 27 Apr 2014).
11. Though they may well have been exceptionally tidy cows, no doubt the census had in mind the dictionary definition of "neat" as a noun meaning "Cattle of the bovine genus, as bulls, oxen and cows. In America, this word is used in composition, as in neats tongue, neats foot oil, and tautologically in neat cattle." From "Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913 + 1828)," University of Chicago Department of Romance Languages and Literature, The ARTFL Project (http://machaut.uchicago.edu/websters : accessed 28 Apr 2014).
12. 1841 Census. All seven children are under age 16. Given the typical 2-year spacing (and barring twins, stillbirths, and children dying young), the first child must have been born between 1826 and 1829, and the youngest of the seven between 1838 and 1841.
13. "Public Member Trees," database, Ancestry.com (http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/12995771 : accessed 22 Sep 2013), profiles of Michael Murphy, Margaret/Magdelen Morrison, and children, in "Dwyer Family Tree," owner "dgbishop189". This tree is partially sourced; I am in the process of tracking down additional documentation in hopes of verifying the identifications, and will report my findings in a future set of posts.
14. 1861 Census.

52 Ancestors: #16, Simon Sukeforth

Simon Sukeforth, my great-great-grandfather, was born ca 1813^{2, 3} in Washington, Maine,⁵ in the part of Lincoln County that is now Knox County. He was a grandson of the Hessian-mercenary-turned-Maine-farmer, Andreas Suchfort (Andrew Sukeforth). While it's difficult to sort out the prolific progeny of Andreas's sons in those days of spotty vital records and censuses that named only the heads of households,  Simon's parents were most likely Robert Suckforth and Mary "Polly" Miller; if so, he was probably their fourth or fifth child. (It's also possible, but not as likely, that his parents were John Suckforth and Hannah Maddocks.)

1840 U.S. census, Washington, Lincoln County, Maine, Simon "Sucforth" household
(also Henry, Edward, and William "Sucforth" households)

Simon first appeared as head of his own household in the 1840 census, in close proximity to three other members of the Sukeforth clan, Henry, Edward, and William.¹ By that time he had married Jane Miller of Friendship, Maine⁵ (probably around 1832-33, judging by the birth date of their first child), and they had three children; they would have five more over the next 15 years.

Children of Simon Sukeforth and Jane Miller:^{2, 3}

1. Thomas Sukeforth, b. 1834, married (1) Sarah A. Sprague, (2) Sarah A. Norwood
2. James Llewellyn Sukeforth, b. ca 1834-38, married Eliza M. Clapp
3. Sarah C. Sukeforth, b. 1838, married Silas Kirk
4. Mary C. Sukeforth, b. 1845, married George H. Chadwick
5. Addie E. Sukeforth, b. 1846, married Lyman B. Weever
6. William A. Sukeforth, b. 1850, married Mae Isadora Moolekamp
7. Franklin M. Sukeforth, b. ca 1851-52, d. 1875 unmarried
8. Lawrenton M. Sukeforth, b. ca 1854-56, married Abbie H. Clark

Though some of his children ventured away from home after marrying – Sarah to Auburn and then Freeport, Maine; Mary and Addie to Augusta; and William to Boston – Simon lived in Washington for his entire life. He died 13 Aug 1874, and was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Washington,⁴ together with his son Frank, who died the following year, and his wife Jane, who died in 1879.

Gravestones of Simon and Jane (Miller) Sukeforth and son Frank, Maple Grove Cemetery, Washington, Maine⁴

My descent from Simon Sukeforth:

• Simon Sukeforth and Jane Miller
• Sarah C. Sukeforth and Silas Kirk
• Chester F. Kirk and Mary M. Hodsdon (my paternal grandparents)

(Note: This post is in response to Amy Johnson Crow's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge at No Story Too Small.)

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SOURCES

1. 1840 U.S. Census, Lincoln County, Maine, Washington, p. 51 (stamped), unnumbered line 19, Simon “Sucforth” household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Jun 2012). Edward and William are probably two of Simon's brothers; Henry might be another brother, but more likely is an uncle (a brother of Robert).
2. 1850 U.S. Census, Lincoln County, Maine, Washington, p. 576 (penned), dwelling 296, family 296, Simon Suckforth household; digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 14 Apr 2012). The first six children are enumerated in this census.
3. 1860 U.S. Census, Knox County, Maine, Washington, p. 37, dwelling 281, family 292, Simon Sukeforth household; digital image, ProQuest, HeritageQuest Online (access through participating libraries : accessed 14 Apr 2012). Thomas and Sarah had both married and left home by the time of this census, and the last two children had been born.
4. Maple Grove Cemetery (Washington, Knox County, Maine), gravestones of Simon Sukeforth, Jane (Miller) Sukeforth, and Frank M. Sukeforth, read and photographed by the author, 14 Aug 2012. 
5. “Maine, Death Records, 1617-1922,” database and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 14 Dec 2012), entries for Lawrenton Sukeforth (1907) and Addie E. Weever (1915); both list parents as Simon Sukeforth, born Washington, Maine, and Jane Miller, born Friendship, Maine.

Ahnentafel of Glenna M. (Rabideau) Murphy

Finishing up with my grandparents' Ahnentafels and pedigree charts, this week I have my maternal grandmother, Glenna Marie (Rabideau) Murphy.

Pedigree of Glenna Marie (Rabideau) Murphy (click image for a larger view)

1 Glenna Marie RABIDEAU. She was born in Milan, Coos, NH, on 22 May 1899. Died on 27 Apr 1968 in Dorchester, MA; she was 68. She was buried in Pine Hill Cemetery, Tewksbury, MA, on 21 Jun 1969. Cause of death: Heart attack.

She married William George MURPHY on 21 Oct 1922 in Littleton, NH.

2 Peter Louis RABIDEAU. He was born in Milan, Coos, NH, on 15 Apr 1870. Died on 15 Dec 1946 in Norway, ME; he was 76. He was buried in Milan, Coos, NH.

He married Eva May WOODWARD on 3 Nov 1894 in Berlin, Coos, NH.

3 Eva “Evie” May WOODWARD. She was born in Holland, VT, on 27 Jan 1871. Died on 24 Aug 1953 in Cumberland Center, ME; she was 82. She was buried in Milan, Coos, NH.

4 Louis RABIDEAU. He was born in Arthabaska, QC, on 23 Apr 1850. Died aft 1913; he was 62.

He married Marie Célina CLOUTIER aft 25 Sep 1869.

5 Marie Célina CLOUTIER. She was born in poss St. Christophe, QC, ca 1849-52. Died on 24 Jan 1881 in Berlin, Coos, NH; she was 32.

6 Uriah Sawyer WOODWARD. He was born in Danville, VT, on 10 Mar 1847. Died on 7 Mar 1881 in Holland, VT; he was 33. He was buried in Dummer, Coos, NH, in Mar 1881. He was buried in Milan, Coos, NH, in 1908.

He married Mary A. WASHBURN on 12 Apr 1867 in Morgan, VT.

7 Mary A. WASHBURN. She was born in Milton, Shefford, QC, on 27 Feb 1831. Died on 19 May 1917 in Dummer, Coos, NH; she was 86.

8 Louis ROBIDAS. He was born in Trois-Rivieres or Pointe-du-Lac, QC, ca Oct 1832. Died on 27 Nov 1921 in Sherbrooke, QC; he was 89. He was buried in St-Michel, Sherbrooke, QC, on 29 Nov 1921. Occupation: cultivateur.

He married Marie Pauline DESHAIES-ST CYR on 4 Jun 1849 in St. Norbert d’Arthabaska, QC.

9 Marie Pauline DESHAIES-ST CYR. She was born in Nicolet, Nicolet, QC, on 24 Oct 1829. Died on 10 May 1895 in Bromptonville, QC; she was 65. She was buried in Sainte-Praxède-de-Brompton-Falls, Bromptonville, QC, on 11 May 1895.

12 Royal WOODWARD. He was born in VT ca 1802-1808. Died in Oct 1879 in Phillipsburg, KS. Cause of death: Renal dropsy.

He married Mary Hawley SAWYER on 28 Sep 1831 in Danville, VT.

13 Mary Hawley SAWYER. She was born in Danville, VT, on 30 May 1815. Died aft 1870 in poss VT or KS; she was 54.

14 Samuel Orcutt WASHBURN. He was born in Sutton, VT, on 5 May 1798. Died 22 Jan 1855 in Holland, VT; he was 56.

He married Mary PALMATEER ca 1830 in poss NY or Canada.

15 Mary PALMATEER. She was born in Salisbury, VT, on 19 Jan 1812. Died on 3 Apr 1879 in Holland, VT or Dummer, NH; she was 67.

16 Jean-Baptiste ROBIDAS. He was born in Baie-du-Febvre, Yamaska, QC, on 16 Dec 1787. Died 14 Jun 1854 in Stanfold (Princeville), Arthabaska, QC; he was 66. He was buried in Saint-Eusèbe-de-Stanfold, Arthabaska, QC, on 17 Jun 1854.

He married Divine Louise “Ludivine” GIRARDEAU on 21 Nov 1814 in Pointe-du-Lac, Mauricie, QC.

17 Divine Louise “Ludivine” GIRARDEAU. She was born in Pointe-du-Lac, Mauricie, QC, on 13 Oct 1790. Died ca May 1875 in QC; she was 84. She was buried on 9 May 1875.

18 Jean-Baptiste DESHAIES-ST CYR.

He married Victoire LEMIRE on 5 Feb 1828 in St-Jean-Baptiste, Nicolet, Nicolet, QC.

19 Victoire LEMIRE.

26 Benjamin SAWYER. He was born ca 1780.

He married Elizabeth “Betsy” TAYLOR.

27 Elizabeth “Betsy” TAYLOR.

28 Jeremiah WASHBURN. He was born ca 1770.

He married Hannah ORCUTT in 1794 in Billymead (later Sutton), VT.

29 Hannah ORCUTT. She was born in Billymead (later Sutton), VT, in 1775.

30 John PALMATEER.

He married Mary CONNOR.

31 Mary CONNOR.

Index

CLOUTIER
    Marie Célina (ca1849 - 1881)    5
CONNOR
    Mary    31
DESHAIES-ST CYR
    Jean-Baptiste    18
    Marie Pauline (1829 - 1895)    9
GIRARDEAU
    Divine Louise “Ludivine” (1790 - ca1875)    17
LEMIRE
    Victoire    19
MURPHY
    William George (1886 - 1946)    spouse of 1
ORCUTT
    Hannah (1775 - )    29
PALMATEER
    John    30
    Mary (1812 - 1879)    15
RABIDEAU
    Glenna Marie (1899 - 1968)    1
    Louis (1850 - >1913)    4
    Peter Louis (1870 - 1946)    2
ROBIDAS
    Jean-Baptiste (1787 - ?1854)    16
    Louis (ca1832 - 1921)    8
SAWYER
    Benjamin (ca1780 - )    26
    Mary Hawley (1815 - >1870)    13
TAYLOR
    Elizabeth “Betsy”    27
WASHBURN
    Jeremiah (ca1770 - )    28
    Mary A. (1831 - 1917)    7
    Samuel Orcutt (1798 - ?1855)    14
WOODWARD
    Eva “Evie” May (1871 - 1953)    3
    Royal (ca1802 - 1879)    12
    Uriah Sawyer (1847 - 1881)    6

52 Ancestors: #15, Rose Ann (McIntyre) Murphy

Grandma Rose, ca 1937

Having previously profiled two great-grandmothers (Kate Maria Rand, mother of my paternal grandmother, and Eva May Woodward, mother of my maternal grandmother), this week I'll look at my my maternal grandfather's mother, Rose Ann McIntyre.

"Grandma Rose" was born on Prince Edward Island, Canada, probably in New Annan or Indian River, on 18 Jun 1862, and was baptized eleven days later at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Summerside.¹ Rose was the youngest of ten children of farmer Neil McIntyre and Mary Ann McLellan.

Rose Ann McIntyre baptism, 1862

Because Prince Edward Island was not included in the 1871 Canada Census, the first time we see her in the census is 1881, as "Rosina" McIntyre, age 19, still at home with her parents and one older brother in Township 8, Prince County.² Now, I don't usually include neighboring families on my census snippets, but in this case, the next household is significant, because of the last household member listed on the next page of the census enumeration: one Dominic Murphy, age 26 and a labourer on Angus Steele's farm. Rose Ann, at least, found him significant enough to marry him two years later, on 15 Oct 1883, at St. Anthony's Church in Bloomfield, PEI.³

1881 Canada census, Township 8, Prince County, PEI, Neil McIntyre household with daughter "Rosina",
and the beginning of the Angus Steele household at the bottom of the page...

...and on the next page, the rest of the Angus Steele household, including Dominic Murphy, "Labourer"

"Dominique" Murphy and Rose A. McIntyre marriage, 1883, Bloomfield (Lot 5), PEI

Over the next 20-odd years, Dominic and Rose Ann had 11 children:

1. Mary Ann Murphy, b. 1884, married Frank A. Perkins in Haverhill, MA
2. William George Murphy, b. 1886, married Glenna M. Rabideau in Littleton, NH
3. John James Murphy, b. 1888, married Angelina C. McIntyre in Newburyport, MA
4. Joseph C. Murphy, b. 1890, married Georgianna S. Stewart in Gorham, NH
5. Cornelius "Neil" Murphy, b. 1892, married Mary A. O'Donald in Berlin, NH
6. Florence Agnes Murphy, b. 1895, marrid William G. Springer in Gorham, NH
7. Elizabeth Murphy, b. 1898, married John W. McGregor in Newburyport, MA
8. Marion M. Murphy, b. 1900, married Newton Bunnell in Colebrook, NH
9. Daniel J. Murphy, b. 1902, married Mary Hartford in Berlin, NH
10. Catherine Belle Murphy, b. 1904, married (1) Donald MacInnis in Watertown, MA, (2) _____ Bloomberg
11. Bernard Dominic Murphy, b. 1907, married Winifred E. Monahan in Berlin, NH

1911 Canada census, Township 8, Prince, PEI, "Dominick" Murphy household, listing all 11 children of Dominic and Rose

In 1911, all 11 children were still at home.⁴ Over the next three years, the four oldest emigrated to the U.S., settling in Massachusetts (Mary Ann) and in Berlin, New Hampshire (William, John J., and Joseph). Then, in August 1914, Dominic died. After the funeral, the three sons in Berlin encouraged their mother, and their seven brothers and sisters still on the Island, to emigrate as well. The arrangements were made, and on 5 Nov 1914, Rose and her brood crossed the border at Vanceboro, Maine, en route to joining her sons in Berlin.^{5, 6}

Border crossing record for Rose Murphy, 5 Nov 1914

Border crossing manifest for Rose Murphy and seven children, 5 Nov 1914

There she continued to reign over the Murphy clan as her children grew up and one by one went off and married, till only Bernard was left at home. The photo below shows Rose with a small part of the clan, ca 1923: three of her children (John J., Elizabeth, and Florence), their spouses (Angelina McIntyre, John McGregor, and William Springer, respectively), and four grandchildren.⁷ In 1920 she was still listed as an "Alien" in the census,⁸ but by 1930 she may have become a U.S. citizen⁹ (the census is fuzzy, but it appears to read "NA" for naturalized, though I haven't found any naturalization records for her).

(l-r) John J. Murphy family: son J. Arnold, John J., wife Angie (McIntyre) holding daughter Gertrude, son J. Wilfred (front); John McGregor (rear), Elizabeth (Murphy) McGregor holding Ambrose Springer; Florence (Murphy) Springer and William Springer (rear); Grammy Rose; ca 1923

On 15 Feb 1937, Rose died of congestive heart failure,¹⁰ and was buried in Holy Family Cemetery in Gorham, New Hampshire.¹¹

      

Rose Ann (McIntyre) Murphy, "Grandma Rose", ca 1936¹²

      

Rose Ann Murphy death record, 1937

Gravestone of John J. Murphy, wife Angelina C., and mother "Roseann", Holy Family Cemetery, Gorham, N.H.

Footstone for John J.'s "Mother" Rose Ann Murphy

My descent from Rose Ann McIntyre:

• Dominic Murphy + Rose Ann McIntyre
• William George Murphy and Glenna Marie Rabideau (my maternal grandparents)

(Note: This post is in response to Amy Johnson Crow's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge at No Story Too Small.)

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SOURCES

1. Division of Vital Statistics, Public Archives of Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Island baptism card index, Rose Ann McIntyre (1862); index and digital images, “Prince Edward Island Baptism Card Index, 1721-1885,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 8 Apr 2014). The possible birthplaces were taken from her border crossing manifest card (see source #5) and her death record (see source #10).
2. 1881 Canada Census, Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Township No. 8, pp. 29-30, dwellings 113-114, families 113-114, Neil McIntyre and Angus Steele households; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 19 Feb 2012). 
3. Division of Vital Statistics, Public Archives of Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Island marriage registers, Marriages 1878-1888, p. 309, "Dominique" Murphy and Rose A. McIntyre (1883); digital images, “Prince Edward Island Marriage Registers, 1832-1888,” FamilySearch, (https://familysearch.org : accessed 12 Feb 2014).
4. 1911 Canada Census, Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Township 8, p. 14, dwelling 126, family 126, Dominick Murphy household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 20 Feb 2012).
5. “Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956,” database and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Apr 2014), card for Rose Murphy (5 Nov 1914), Vanceboro, Maine; citing NARA, Alphabetical Manifest Cards of Alien Arrivals at Vanceboro, Maine, ca. 1906-December 24, 1952, Publication M2071, Roll 7, RG 85.
6. “Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956,” database and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Apr 2014), manifest, Vanceboro, Maine, Nov 1914, sheet 7, lines 23-30, Rose Murphy and seven children; citing NARA, Manifests of Passengers Arriving at St. Albans, VT, District through Canadian Pacific and Atlantic Ports, 1895-1954, Publication M1464, Roll 274, RG 85.
7. Photo of Rose (McIntyre) Murphy with other family members, probably in Berlin, N.H., ca 1923; Kirk-Murphy Family Collection, privately held by the author, Virginia Beach, Virginia. This laminated copy of an original snapshot from an old album, with identifications of the subjects, was provided by Gertrude Bisson (Berlin, N.H.) in 2003 to the author's brother.
8. 1920 U.S. Census, Coos County, New Hampshire, Berlin, ED 37, sheet 2A, dwelling 21, family 24, Rose Murphy household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Apr 2014).
9. 1930 U.S. Census, Coos County, New Hampshire, Berlin, ED 4-8, sheet 1B (stamped, overwritten 1A), dwelling 5, family 11, Rose Murphy household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 20 Feb 2012).
10. “New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1636-1947,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 9 Nov 2012), Coos County, Berlin, "Deaths Vol 5 1935-1945", p. 75, entry for Mrs. Rose Ann Murphy (1937).
11. Holy Family Cemetery (Gorham, Coos County, New Hampshire), John J., Angelina C., and Roseann Murphy monument and "Mother" footstone, read and photographed by the author, 16 Aug 2012. 
12. Photo of Rose (McIntyre) Murphy, probably taken in Berlin or Milan, N.H., ca 1936; Kirk-Murphy Family Collection, privately held by the author, Virginia Beach, Virginia. The author inherited this photo in 2005 from her brother, who probably received it from Gertrude Bisson (Berlin, N.H.).

Ahnentafel of William George Murphy

Turning to my mother's side of the family, here is the Ahnentafel and pedigree chart for my maternal grandfather, William George Murphy.

Pedigree of William George Murphy (click on the image for a larger view)

1 William George MURPHY. He was born in Hebron, PEI, on 20 May 1886. Died on 15 Oct 1946 in VA Hospital, Togus, ME; he was 60. He was buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Lewiston, ME. Occupation: House painter.

He married Glenna Marie RABIDEAU on 21 Oct 1922 in Littleton, NH.

2 Dominic MURPHY. He was born in prob Vernon River, PEI, on 23 Dec 1854. Died on 29 Aug 1914 in Hebron, PEI; he was 59. He was buried in St. Mary's Church Cemetery, Brae, PEI, on 31 Aug 1914. Occupation: Farmer and sawyer.

He married Rose Ann McINTYRE on 15 Oct 1883 in St. Anthony's Church, Bloomfield, PEI.

3 Rose Ann McINTYRE. She was born in prob New Annan, PEI, on 18 Jun 1862. Died on 15 Feb 1937 in Berlin, Coos, NH; she was 74. She was buried in Gorham, Coos, NH. Cause of death: congestive heart failure.

4 William MURPHY. He was born in prob Georgetown, PEI, on 15 May 1830. Died on 10 Feb 1909 in Newburyport, MA; he was 78. He was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Newburyport, MA, on 12 Feb 1909. Occupation: Sawyer and carpenter.

He married Flora Ann McDONALD ca 1853 in prob Vernon River, PEI.

5 Flora Ann McDONALD. She was born in poss Charlottetown, PEI, on 2 May 1832. Died on 22 Feb 1911 in Lowell, MA; she was 78. She was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Newburyport, MA, on 24 Feb 1911.

6 Neil McINTYRE. He was born in Barbera West (Lot 19), PEI, on 24 Apr 1814. Died ca 1881-1896 in prob Lot 8, PEI; he was 66. Occupation: Farmer.

He married Mary Ann McLELLAN in 1840 in St. Mary's Church, Indian River, PEI.

7 Mary Ann McLELLAN. She was born in prob Indian River, PEI, on 20 Sep 1817. Died on 26 Apr 1896 in Hebron, PEI; she was 78. She was buried in St. Mary's Church Cemetery, Brae, PEI, on 28 Apr 1896.

8 Michael MURPHY. He was born in Ireland ca 1796-1801. Died ca 1861-1881 in PEI; he was 65. Occupation: Sawyer.

He married Magdalen MORISON ca 1825 in prob PEI.

9 Magdalen MORISON. She was born in PEI ca 1796-1801. Died ca 1861-1881 in PEI; she was 65.

10 William McDONALD. He was born in PEI.

He married Flora WILSON.

11 Flora WILSON. She was born in Scotland.

12 Angus McINTYRE. He was born ca 1785-90.

He married Anne GILLIS ca 1805-10.

13 Anne GILLIS.

14 Alexander McLELLAN. He was born in Glaich Liath, South Uist, Inverness, Scotland, in 1786. Died on 22 Mar 1867 in PEI; he was 81.

He married Sarah McCORMICK ca 1804-08 in prob Indian River, PEI.

15 Sarah McCORMICK.

24 Angus McINTYRE.

28 John McLELLAN. He was born in South Uist, Scotland, ca 1745.

He married Catherine McPHEE.

29 Catherine McPHEE. She was born in East Uist, Scotland.

Index

GILLIS
    Anne    13
McCORMICK
    Sarah    15
McDONALD
    Flora Ann (1832 - 1911)    5
    William    10
McINTYRE
    Angus    24
    Angus (ca1785 - )    12
    Neil (1814 - ca1881)    6
    Rose Ann (1862 - 1937)    3
McLELLAN
    Alexander (1786 - 1867)    14
    John (?1745 - )    28
    Mary Ann (1817 - 1896)    7
McPHEE
    Catherine    29
MORISON
    Magdalen (ca1796 - ca1861)    9
MURPHY
    Dominic (1854 - 1914)    2
    Michael (ca1796 - ca1861)    8
    William (1830 - 1909)    4
    William George (1886 - 1946)    1
RABIDEAU
    Glenna Marie (1899 - 1968)    spouse of 1
WILSON
    Flora    11

52 Ancestors: #14, The Not-So-Honorary Aunts

Today's entry in the 52 Ancestors challenge doesn't actually involve direct-line ancestors, but you do get two for the price of one:  Hazel Mae (Kirk) Clark and her daughter Helen Margaret Clark.

When I was a child, there were aunts, and there were "honorary" aunts. Now, my mother didn't hold with the notion of having her children call non-relatives "aunt"; we addressed her adult women friends and neighbors either as Mrs. Smith or – in a few very special cases – by their first names. As far as my mother was concerned, the title of "aunt" was reserved for our "real" aunts or great-aunts. The only exception was for godmothers.

At my maternal grandmother's (and real aunt's) house, however, things were different. Grammie would have us call certain friends and neighbors "aunt." I didn't find this confusing; I knew perfectly well that Aunt Geneva was really my aunt and Aunt Sadie was really my great-aunt, while "Aunt Fanny" (the next-door neighbor lady) and "Aunt Betty" (Aunt Geneva's schoolteacher friend who boarded with them during the week) were just "honorary" aunts and not related to me. (Oddly, this habit didn't extend to calling male friends and neighbors "uncle"; "Aunt Fanny's" husband was always Mr. Parent.)

So when another of my (real) aunt's schoolteacher colleagues was introduced as "Aunt Helen" and her mother as "Aunt Hazel," I assumed they were no more my relatives than were Aunt Betty and Aunt Fanny. After all, I knew "Aunt Helen" wasn't my father's sister (as Aunt Geneva was), and "Aunt Hazel" was almost as old as my father's mother, for heaven's sake. So of course they had to be honorary aunts, who were unrelated to me.

Except they were related to me... and they weren't honorary (well, one wasn't, and the other was only semi-honorary). You can see I was more confused than I had thought.

Hazel Mae (Kirk) Clark, date unknown¹¹

What I didn't understand until many years later was that my grandfather, Chester Kirk, who died a dozen years before I was born, had been 25 years older than my grandmother; he had been married previously, and had had a daughter and son who were, in fact, almost as old as my grandmother. (To be more precise, he had been married four times previously, and there were several other children, but that's another story or four....)

So it turned out that Aunt Hazel Clark really was my aunt, or at least my half-aunt, having been born 9 Jan 1887, in Bristol, Connecticut, to Chester F. Kirk and his second wife Charlotte "Lottie" Martin.^{1, 2} After Lottie's death in 1890, Chester acquired a third wife and then returned to Maine; Hazel and her brother Kenneth went to live with their grandparents, Silas and Sarah Kirk. (Kenneth died two years before his father, so he wasn't around for me to call Uncle Kenneth, which might have either alleviated or exacerbated my confusion.)

On 8 Sep 1907, Hazel married a Lewiston, Maine, shoemaker named John H. Clark,³ a widower with four children under the age of 10. They had five children of their own:

1. Helen Margaret Clark, b. 11 Nov 1907⁴
2. Raymond Lesley Clark, b. 1909
3. Ralph Malcolm Clark, b. 1910
4. Robert Moore Clark, b. 1912
5. Francis Beecher Clark, b. 1915

This makes Helen my half-first cousin, which is why I said she was only a semi-honorary aunt: while she wasn't really my aunt, she was a close relative and got the honorary "aunt" title because she was older than my real aunt (Geneva) and therefore not to be addressed by her first name alone. I suppose if I had known any of her brothers, who of course were also my half-first cousins, I probably would have known them as semi-honorary "uncles" – which again might have either alleviated my confusion or made it worse – but it's a moot point since I have no recollection of ever meeting them.

Francis Clark, Hazel Kirk Clark, Helen Clark, Ralph Clark (l-r), New London, Conn., 5 Apr 1953 (Easter Sunday)¹¹

Helen, who never married, was a schoolteacher for 44 years in the Lewiston school system.⁵ After her father died in 1935, she continued to make her home with her mother until Hazel's death on 10 Nov 1962.^{6, 7} I visited them once with my Aunt Geneva; I couldn't have been more than 9 or 10, and about all I recall of the visit is that they had an exceedingly geriatric, blind dog named "Major". Helen retired in 1972, and died 9 Sep 1995 in Auburn, Maine.^{8, 9} Both Hazel and Helen are buried in the Kirk family lot in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Auburn, Maine.¹⁰

Kirk family monument, Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Auburn, Maine¹⁰

(Note: This post is in response to Amy Johnson Crow's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge at No Story Too Small.)

---

SOURCES

1. "Hazel M. Clark" obituary, photocopy of 10 Nov 1962 clipping, probably from Lewiston [Maine] Evening Journal, Kirk-Murphy Family Collection, privately held by the author, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
2. Certificate of Death for Hazel Mae Clark, 11-10-1962, State of Maine Department of Health and Welfare, undated photocopy of typed certificate stamped "NOT FOR LEGAL PURPOSES", Kirk-Murphy Family Collection, privately held by the author, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
3. “Maine, Marriage Records, 1705-1922,” database and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search : accessed 30 Apr 2012), John H. Clark-Hazel M. Kirk marriage, 1907.
4. “Maine Vital Records, 1892-1922,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 22 Jan 2014), Margaret Clark birth, 1907.
5. "Helen M. Clark" obituary, photocopy of 10 Sep 1995 clipping, Lewiston [Maine] Daily Sun, Kirk-Murphy Family Collection, privately held by the author, Virginia Beach, Virginia. 
6. "Hazel M. Clark" obituary.
7. Certificate of Death for Hazel Mae Clark.
8. "Helen M. Clark" obituary.
9. Certificate of Death for Helen Margaret Clark, Sept. 9, 1995, State of Maine Department of Human Services, photocopy of original certificate (issued 11 Sep 1995), Kirk-Murphy Family Collection, privately held by the author, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
10. Mount Auburn Cemetery (Auburn, Androscoggin County, Maine), Kirk family monument, read and photographed by the author, 13 Aug 2012.
11. Portrait of Hazel Mae (Kirk) Clark, date unknown; snapshot of Hazel Mae (Kirk) Clark and her children Francis, Helen, and Ralph Clark, 5 Apr 1953, New London, Conn. These prints appear to be made from scans of photocopies of the originals, and were provided by Betty Clark, daughter-in-law of Raymond Clark, to the author's brother Marshall Kenneth Kirk in 2003. Whereabouts of the originals are unknown. Copies privately held by the author, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Ahnentafel of Mary M. (Hodsdon) Kirk

This week I present the Ahnentafel and pedigree of my maternal grandmother, Mary Milliken Hodsdon.

Pedigree of Mary Milliken Hodsdon (click on the image for a larger view)

1 Mary Milliken HODSDON. She was born in Andover, ME, on 16 Mar 1882. Died on 6 May 1965 in Lewiston, ME; she was 83. She was buried in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Auburn, ME, on 8 May 1965. Occupation: Dressmaker.

She married Chester Frank KIRK ca 1901-03 in prob Andover, ME.

2 Silas Marchant Hillman HODSDON. He was born in Byron, ME, on 31 Mar 1847. Died on 4 Oct 1911 in Andover, ME; he was 64. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Andover, ME. Occupation: Farmer. Cause of death: Embolism.

He married Kate Maria RAND on 29 Nov 1876 or 77 in prob Andover, ME.

3 Kate Maria RAND. She was born in Andover, ME, on 19 Apr 1855. Died on 6 Oct 1940 in Roxbury, ME; she was 85. She was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Andover, ME, on 8 Oct 1940. Cause of death: Angina pectoris.

4 Isaac HODSDON. He was born in Hollis Center, ME, on 3 May 1812. Died on 22 Jan 1890 in Byron, ME; he was 77. He was buried in Byron, ME, in Jan 1890.

He married Abigail GREEN 30 Dec 1834 in Hollis, ME.

5 Abigail GREEN. She was born in Wilton, ME, on 26 Jun 1814. Died in 1878; she was 63.

6 Nahum Alonzo RAND Sr. He was born in Rye, Rockingham, NH, on 29 Nov 1813. Died on 4 Jan 1884 in Philadelphia, PA; he was 70. He was buried in Philadelphia, PA.

He married Dolly C. BRISTER on 11 Feb 1842 in Roxbury, MA.

7 Dolly C. BRISTER. She was born in Byron, ME, on 7 Feb 1818. Died on 26 Sep 1904 in Andover, ME; she was 86. She was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Andover, ME, in 1904. Cause of death: Cancer of the stomach.

8 Jacob HODSDON. He was born in Hollis, ME, on 29 Oct 1787. Died in Mar 1879; he was 91. He was buried in Pressley Cemetery, Byron, ME.

He married Sally HOOSON/HUSTON on 17 Jul 1808 in Hollis (Phillipsburg), ME.

9 Sally HOOSON/HUSTON.

10 Guy GREEN. He was born in 1778.

He married Hannah R. GOULD.

11 Hannah R. GOULD. She was born ca 1787. Died aft 1879.

12 Joshua RAND. He was born in Rye, Rockingham, NH, on 23 Aug 1779. Died on 20 Sep 1852; he was 73.

He married Elizabeth RAND on 29 Mar 1810.

13 Elizabeth RAND. She was born on 20 May 1773.

14 Enoch BRISTER. He was born in Andover, MA, ca 1770. Died on 28 Mar 1853 in prob Rumford, ME; he was 83. He was buried in Rumford Center Cemetery, Rumford Center, ME.

He married Sarah CHAMBERLAIN ca 1807 in Oxford County, ME.

15 Sarah CHAMBERLAIN. She was born in ME ca 1787-90. Died on 3 Jul 1881 in prob Rumford, ME; she was 94. She was buried in Rumford Center Cemetery, Rumford Center, ME.

16 Samuel HODSDON. He was born in 1760.

He married Betsy/Betty HOOPER on 29 Jan 1785 in Buxton, ME.

17 Betsy/Betty HOOPER.

20 Jonas GREENE. He was born in 1731. Died aft 1795.

He married Abigail NEVERS.

21 Abigail NEVERS. She was born in 1756. Died in 1814; she was 58.

24 Joseph RAND. He was born ca 1746.

He married Susannah GOSS on 24 May 1764.

25 Susannah GOSS. She was born on 23 Sep 1744. Died on 26 May 1815; she was 70.

26 John RAND. He was born on 15 Feb 1742. Died on 13 May 1812; he was 70.

He married Hannah SEAVEY on 4 Jun 1772.

27 Hannah SEAVEY. She was born on 20 May 1750. Died in 1808; she was 57.

Index

BRISTER
    Dolly C. (1818 - 1904)    7
    Enoch (ca1770 - 1853)    14
CHAMBERLAIN
    Sarah (ca1787 - 1881)    15
GOSS
    Susannah (1744 - 1815)    25
GOULD
    Hannah R. (ca1787 - >1879)    11
GREENE
    Abigail (1814 - 1878)    5
    Guy (1778 - )    10
    Jonas (1731 - >1795)    20
HODSDON
    Isaac (1812 - 1890)    4
    Jacob (1787 - 1879)    8
    Mary Milliken (1882 - 1965)    1
    Samuel (1760 - )    16
    Silas Marchant Hillman (1847 - 1911)    2
HOOPER
    Betsy/Betty    17
HOOSON/HUSTON
    Sally    9
KIRK
    Chester Frank (1857 - 1939)    spouse of 1
NEVERS
    Abigail (1756 - 1814)    21
RAND
    Elizabeth (1773 - )    13
    John (1742 - 1812)    26
    Joseph (ca1746 - )    24
    Joshua (1779 - 1852)    12
    Kate Maria (1855 - 1940)    3
    Nahum Alonzo Sr. (1813 - 1884)    6
SEAVEY
    Hannah (1750 - 1808)    27