Author Topic: O'Brien family  (Read 1458 times)

Offline shellyesq

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O'Brien family
« on: Sunday 07 October 18 21:26 BST (UK) »
I have been working on this branch for a long time (here's an old thread from 10 years ago - http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=316609.msg1975489#msg1975489), but still haven't gotten all the way across the pond.

The first person I know who arrived in the US was Margaret Catherine O'Brien.  Her birth date varies in the records, but probably somewhere circa 1870.  She was born in Ireland and was Catholic.  Her possible arrival in the US varies between 1884-1886 on the census records.  There is a family story that she lived in Boston, Massachusetts prior to coming to the NY area, but I have nothing to support that.

Her husband was Frederick Cowperthwaite, born 5 Aug. 1865 in Keswick, England and died 7 Aug. 1948 in Port Chester, New York.  I still don't have a marriage record for them, so if anyone could happen across that, I would be thrilled.  Census records have them married in the 1892-1895 range. 

It appears that they did not have a happy marriage, as Frederick was arrested for beating her in 1911, and he subsequently married another woman in 1922 (and was divorced from wife #2 in 1929.)  Frederick died in 1948.

Here is Margaret on all census records I have found:
1900 census - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSP4-QFB
1910 census - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M53B-WGS
1920 census - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV38-BZH
1930 census - http://www.rootschat.com/links/01mtr/
1940 census - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQ36-S4S

I have lots of information on her kids going forward, so I am covered there.

Margaret died in 1954.  Her obituary is here, which lists surviving siblings as Patrick & John O'brien of Dublin, Ireland and Mrs. Mary Dolan of New York City - http://www.fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%2023/Rye%20NY%20Chronicle/Rye%20NY%20Chronicle%201953-1954/Rye%20NY%20Chronicle%201953-1954%20-%200809.pdf  Her death certificate had her father as Patrick O'Brien, but that was the extent of the information from there.

Since my previous thread, I found that she had a brother named Peter O'Brien who died 4 Dec 1930 in Somerville, New Jersey.  A newspaper from 1929 said, "Peter O'Brien of Second Street is spending some time with his sister Mrs. James Dolan of New York.  He will later visit his sister, Margaret Coperwaite of Portchester and his brother Michael in Rye, N.Y."  Peter's obit said he was survived by "survived by wife Mrs. Johanna O'Brien, daughter Miss Mary O'Brien at home, and one brother Michael, a resident of Port Chester, N.Y."  Peter's daughter Johanna Mary O'Brien died 09 Nov 1941 in Somerville, NJ, and her obit said, "She is survived by aunts Mrs. Mary Dolan, New York City;  and Margaret Cowperthwaite, Port Chester, N.Y., and cousin Miss Nellie McGuinees, Cold Spring, N.Y. "

I don't know anything about the brother Michael mentioned in Peter's obituary, and I'm not sure if the cousin Nellie mentioned was from the O'Brien side or not.  I haven't figured out anything definite about Margaret's sister Mary Dolan (or spelled in one newspaper article as Doland) either. 

Maybe another set of eyes can straighten this out for me. 


Offline hallmark

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Re: O'Brien family
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 07 October 18 21:44 BST (UK) »
I have been working on this branch for a long time (here's an old thread from 10 years ago - http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=316609.msg1975489#msg1975489), but still haven't gotten all the way across the pond.

 
Her husband was Frederick Cowperthwaite, born 5 Aug. 1865 in Keswick, England[/b] 

 

From your 1900 census Link

Household         Role  Sex      Age  Birthplace
Fred Copeworth  Head  Male    35    Ireland
Give a man a record and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to research, and you feed him for a lifetime.

Offline shellyesq

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Re: O'Brien family
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 07 October 18 22:55 BST (UK) »
Everything else has him born England, and I have a passenger list, birth record, English census records, etc. for him.  I have that side covered. 

Offline hallmark

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Re: O'Brien family
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 07 October 18 22:59 BST (UK) »
Everything else has him born England, and I have a passenger list, birth record, English census records, etc. for him.  I have that side covered.


Fair enough!

I know you don't have actual dates....but can you put them in chronological order?
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Teach a man to research, and you feed him for a lifetime.


Offline hallmark

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Re: O'Brien family
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 07 October 18 23:08 BST (UK) »
I tried Church  Baptism results for Peter OBrien of Dublin from 1864 to 1880
Area - DUBLIN (RC) ; 1870s


http://www.rootschat.com/links/01mts/

as you can see the results vary on Surnames but if you hover over names you can see details... I don't see your Peter
Give a man a record and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to research, and you feed him for a lifetime.

Offline shellyesq

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Re: O'Brien family
« Reply #5 on: Monday 08 October 18 17:19 BST (UK) »
I know you don't have actual dates....but can you put them in chronological order?

Put what in chronological order?

Offline oldohiohome

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Re: O'Brien family
« Reply #6 on: Monday 08 October 18 23:42 BST (UK) »
A couple ideas to start:

"I found that she had a brother named Peter O'Brien who died 4 Dec 1930 in Somerville, New Jersey"

Will New Jersey send you his death certificate? Probably not, but if so, it might have his mother's name.

and have you looked at this site http://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html for newspaper articles? He might cover Westchester county, I'm not sure. His search usually returns too many hits for me to deal with, but you can site search it at Google:

site:http://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html  name1 name2 etc



Offline RJ137

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Re: O'Brien family
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 09 October 18 15:33 BST (UK) »
James & Mary Dolan

The one obit you mention said "Mrs. Mary Dolan, New York City". New York City usually indicates Bronx or Manhattan. Assuming Mary's age is +/- 10 yrs of Margaret's. There are several James Dolans married to a Mary that fit that criteria, But I only see one that is married to a  Mary with maiden name of O'Brien.

Here's what I'm seeing. Everything is in the Bronx

Here are a couple birth records of children who died young.

William Anthony Dolan - died 20 July 1904

Birth 1904: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W87-PGB

Pauline Margaret Dolan
Birth: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27YX-2K9

Florence T. Dolan -b. 25 Feb. 1909.

Death: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WD2-TD9

==================

James Patrick Dolan- He lived and appears in census records.

Birth: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W87-MGY

====

Mary's husband James is listed as an electrician in all census records.

1900 census Mary states had 2 children 2 still alive

1900 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS24-DC3

1905 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPNG-ZJW

In 1910 Mary is listed as mother of 8 with 4 still alive. This seems to match the birth/death records of the children posted above.

1910 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5MK-D1B

1920 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJP6-1RT

1930 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X76D-S62

Offline RJ137

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Re: O'Brien family
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 09 October 18 15:49 BST (UK) »

James & Mary Dolan

Here are a couple birth records of children who died young.


This appears to be the son James P on Find A Grave. The photo of the stone has the names and dates of the family on it. Names & dates match info found on siblings already.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141054481

EDIT- Added

Another son on the marker- Robert Victor Dolan

Death: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WDY-7SR

Margaret B. Doolan

Death: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WD2-YZG