In the search for my great grandfather, JOHN AMOS GAFFIGAN, we found that he possibly came to the States with his mother and brother in July 1867 aboard the SS Iowa from Glasgow (with a stop-over at Moville, Donegal), and then aboard the Moses Taylor from Nicaragua to San Francisco, we have run into an identification problem.
It seems as that MARY AMOS GAFFIGAN (she apparently was widowed from Patrick Gaffigan in Scotland) and her children were sponsored by either one or both of her sisters, who were at the time residing in San Francisco. They had stopped earlier in New Haven, Conn. to get bearings from either their relatives or sponsors, but have no idea who that might be..
The Gaffigans, who had started out in Scotland, were met in San Francisco by a MRS. CHARLES (ISABELLA) CAMPBELL, who lived at #6 Thompson Avenue, in the South Park area of San Francisco.
The other sister was Miss ANNIE AMOS of #5 South Park or Thompson Avenue. It may be that Anna, or Annie, was previously married to a McKEE, according to compilations of census data. Whether by divorce or being widowed we believe that she went by that name later in life. As it was indicated in census data, all three of the ladies had been born in Ireland, but where - we simply do not know.
It appeared that they they first lived on the other side of the South Park or Thompson Avenue the South Park Matt House, in the home of Annie. Mary’s brother-in-law was Mr. CHARLES CAMPBELL who was evidently employed as a “collar maker” at the Kimball Company, at 4th and Bryant.
They lived on that block that also had a Miss Kelly and her daughter, the CRENNAN family (John married a MAGGIE CRENNAN), the Driscolls, and the Goodenoughlys. Catherine's daughter, Maggie, had a sister named Rosa, and appeared that they were possibly from New York. We don’t know that background. But, according to Catherine’s obituary and other census data she was born in County Leix in Ireland.
The Gaffigans landed about August 1867 and had to move to Alameda in 1868 with Annie Amos because of the San Francisco earthquake that year. They resided with a Dr. Lambert for the rest of the year and returned to San Francisco in 1869, where they resided with a Mr. James O'Connell who had a stationary and book store at 310 5th street.
We would like to confirm that these ladies were the sisters of Mary Amos Gaffigan, and would like to see just where they had come from in Ireland before they were in San Francisco.
