James MCWEENY, late 1800's, Massachusetts

[WideEyedGirl]

Hello all,

I was originally tracing my MCWEENY line in Bradford (Yorkshire, England), but it seems now my search for more details on the life of James McWeeny (my 4x great grandfather) is taking me to the U.S.A.

James was originally married to Elizabeth Larkin (married at Ecclesall Bierlow, Sheffield, in 1848), where they had most of their children in Rotherham (Yorkshire), with the last child born in Bradford (Yorkshire). The children were born between 1849 and 1876. I believe that Elizabeth died in Bradford in the Jan-Feb-Mar quarter of 1882, leaving behind James and their 11 children.

Now I was looking long and hard for a death for James McWeeny, and couldn't find one anywhere. I couldn't find any more censuses for him, or his youngest three children Joseph (b.1870, Rotherham), Annie (b. 1872, Rotherham) and Agnes (b.1876 Bradford) either.
But it looks as though James McWeeny emigrated to the USA about 1882-1884, where he married Amelia Haslam in 1884 in the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts. I have then traced him with her - they had a daughter called Edith, born 1885 in Massachusetts. He then died in 1898.

However, I cannot find any trace of Joseph, Annie or Agnes (James and Elizabeth's youngest three children). I thought that maybe they stayed in England with their older siblings, but I can't find them anywhere. Nor can I find any deaths. So that takes me to America - could they have emigrated with their father? Or did James leave all 11 of his children behind in England?

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated, as it's taken me months just to trace James in the USA. And so far I can't find the three children in the USA.
Many thanks,
Holly

[shellyesq]

There are some Lawrence, Mass. newspapers online here - http://www.mhl.org/historical-newspapers  A search for Mcweeny only brought up a reference to James buying land.  You can scroll through them by date here - http://www.mhl.org/historical-newspapers/browse/date?page=1  I took a look at the Feb. 1898 issues, but didn't find any mention of James' death.

Maybe probate records would mention his children, but I haven't found them.

You may want to check census records with relatives of James or Elizabeth to see if they took the children in after Elizabeth's death.  They may have wound up listed under the relatives' surnames.

[Oneday]

Have you tried variations of the spelling.  I have the same/similar surname in my tree.  It goes from Mawhinney - Macwhinney - Mcqueeney.  Yours could be any of these or McSweeny.  Now if you found him in Ireland I need to dig further.

[WideEyedGirl]

shellyesq - Thank you, I'll have a look through the newspapers to see if I can find anything.
I've also had a look for 1891 census records in England (the next one after Elizabeth's death) for all of the older children of James and Elizabeth (Catherine b. 1849, Elizabeth b.1851, William b.1854, George b.1857, John b.1859, Ellen b.1862, Mary b.1864, and James b.1867) to see if they had taken the younger siblings in, but I can't find any trace of them. Elizabeth only had one known brother, and he's not living with any of the children either. James McWeeny had a few siblings I know about (Catherine b.1829 who married Ambrose Dolphin, William McWeeny b.1832 who married Fanny Holbery, and Thomas b.abt1836 and Patrick b.abt1838), but again, I can't find them with any of the children. The grandparents (James's parents Andrew McWeeny and Ellen, and Elizabeth's parents John Larkin and Elizabeth) had all already died by 1891.


Oneday - I've also found them registered as McWeling in Bradford on one census. Again, I can't seem to find them under variations either. I know the McWeeny's originally came from County Leitrim, I don't know exactly which parish though, but James McWeeny and his brother William were at least born there.

[Lisa in California]

The birth years don't match with your family, but perhaps they were rounded down to obtain less expensive fares?  Or, perhaps he didn't know the exact years of the two older children?

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-RQKM-2?mode=g&i=80&cc=1849782
Sailed from Liverpool on board the Servia, arriving 9 July 1883
Jas McQuiney, age 52?, Clerk
Joseph, age 10
Ann?, age 8
Agnes, inf

1871 Rotherham, Yorkshire Census
James McWeeny, age 43, Clerk in Ironworks?

His occupation matches, at least.   

[willsy]

Was just going to ask about his age

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXRW-5BX

birth as 1833 when he marries Amelia

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NWYV-9BY

[Lisa in California]

Was just going to ask about his age

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXRW-5BX

Address on the above record:  103 Spruce St, Laurence

Residence on his death record:  107 Spruce, Lawrence

[shellyesq]

Here's his petition for naturalization, which matches the above finding on the index - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G988-YQ7K?i=973&wc=MK5V-YWP%3A1054679701%2C1054708601%2C1055293001%2C1055293002&cc=2064580  The date he arrives matches the 1883 date Lisa found above.

[Lisa in California]

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6PV3-CWH?mode=g&i=829&cc=1469062

Marriage for an Annie V.? McWeeney (age 18) and Walter ? Dunlap
Annie's parents were James and Elizabeth; Annie was born in England