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Messages - themexican

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1
Cork / Re: Adella Rice Fenton b 3 Sept 1886 Kilworth, Country Cork
« on: Sunday 10 July 22 18:09 BST (UK)  »
Through Ancestry.com and a DNA match we found another picture of Adella. She literally wore her Irishness (note the shamrock). This photo was taken in 1908 around the time of her wedding.

I also include a picture of my mom, Adella's granddaughter. The resemblance is striking.

I haven't uncovered any more documents to uncover the mystery of her birth though celtic liberty's theory is interesting.  My post of Thursday 09 January 20 includes most of the verified biographical facts we have. One addition. After the early death of her husband in 1938, her sister Margaret moved in an helped take care of her children. Margaret remained with the children after Adelle died two years later in 1938.

A new theory floated by a family member was that Adella was the child of Mary Josephine Fenton (1863) and that Mary's married name was Grant. Perhaps Mary died early and Adella was brought up by her grandmother which would explain why she would list her as a mom on various records.

2
Ireland / Re: The Mystery of John Friend
« on: Thursday 09 January 20 22:41 GMT (UK)  »
Mass death records don't include an informant, but I generally take the Celia's marriage record to be a more accurate accounting of her parentage. Maybe the Boyle/Bayle/Boyd was her mom's last name. (could have been confused if Mom and Daughter had the same last name)

3
Cork / Re: Adella Rice Fenton b 3 Sept 1886 Kilworth, Country Cork
« on: Thursday 09 January 20 22:12 GMT (UK)  »
Apparently, it was fairly common for unmarried immigrant women to reduce their legal ages upon arrival because a lower age was considered to be helpful for women looking to find a husband.  I don't know how common the practice was, but I've read about it in other genealogy forums.

4
Ireland / The Mystery of John Friend
« on: Thursday 09 January 20 17:27 GMT (UK)  »
In our family tree we have one person who has always vexed me. I'm wondering if anyone here might be able to help.

Our ancestor is named Celia "Georgie" Friend and it's pretty well established that she was born in S. Boston on Oct 12, 1846 and died Sept 15, 1890. She married Howard M. Towne of Massachusetts.

On her marriage certificate and a few other documents, she lists her parents as John and Celia Friend of Ireland. On her death record she is shown as the daughter of John and Maria Boyle. Her son's marriage record records her as Celia Boyd.

The only John Friends I've been able to find, with appropriate ages are:

John Friend, baptized 8 Dec 1809, Miltown, TEMPLEORUM, Co. Kilkenny (parents Matthew Friend and Eleanor Connoly)

and

John Friend, baptized 23 Nov 1828, Munroe, Boher, Limerick.
(parents Ben and Honora Bourke)

------
JOHN and MARIA BOYLE Marriages
I've found a John and Maria Boyle Married 01 Sept 1835, Oughval, Co May
(Maria Thornton/Thornthen)

and

John and Maria Boyle Married 15 Jun 1845, Grandard, Longford.
(Maria Nolan)

-------
JOHN BOYD

appears in the 1865 Mass census with a daughter Celia and a wife Maria. He would have been born in 1803 or 4 which led me to this record:

Name:   John Boyd   Date of Birth:   
        Date of Baptism:   07-Jun-1803
Address:   Ballywillwill   Parish/District:   CLOUGH PRESBYTERIAN
Gender:   Male   County   Co. Down
Denomination:   
Father:   Thomas Boyd   Mother:   

Ideally, I'd like to eliminate some of these names (showing them in Ireland after 1845), or find evidence of them leaving for America.

So far I've only hit dead ends. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also is Celia a common nickname? Are there other names I should be searching?

5
Cork / Re: Adella Rice Fenton b 3 Sept 1886 Kilworth, Country Cork
« on: Thursday 09 January 20 00:58 GMT (UK)  »
Fantastic detective work!

These Irish genealogy sites are new to me, so this has been a tremendous help. I think I can now be semi-confident with the following:

Maurice David Fenton (1825-1885)
married Elizabeth Rice Fenton (1831-1910) in Mitchelstown on Aug 12, 1860. They lived in Kilworth where he worked as a laborer.

Children:
1865 Mary Josephine Fenton (Lane)
1866 James Fenton
1867 Thomas Fenton
1870 Elizabeth Fenton
1872 William Fenton
1875 Margaret Fenton
1877 Bridget Fenton
1883 Maurice Fenton (probably Thomas or James' son)
1884? Adela Rice Fenton (probably Bridget)

Maurice died in 1885. His wife moved in with their son Thomas who was also hosting Mary Josephine's child. Margaret eventually joined her sisters Mary Josephine and Adela in NY.

Mary Grant Remains a mystery.

Elizabeth Rice's age is given as 70 in 1901 which would make her 46 when Bridget was born. My guess is Maurice Jr. was Thomas's son and Adella = Bridget (and the age in US records is incorrect)

Any advice on where to start looking for records relating to Maurice Fenton's parents and Elizabeth Rice's parents?

One crazy thought: What if Maurice b1825 is actually Adella's grandfather? Perhaps he had a son Maurice born between 1860-1865 who married a Mary Grant and did indeed have Adella in 1884 in Kilworth. She might have listed Margaret Fenton as a sister because of their relative closeness in age. No proof of this, just trying to solve the Mary Grant problem as the name appears on a few records. Either way, Maurice 1825 would still be related and part of the tree!

6
Cork / Re: Adella Rice Fenton b 3 Sept 1886 Kilworth, Country Cork
« on: Wednesday 08 January 20 23:24 GMT (UK)  »
Quote from: Sinann on Wednesday 08 January 20 21:31 GMT (UK)
How do you know Margaret and Adella are sisters?

Over several American censuses (both State and Federal) Margaret and Adella are shown living in the same household and marked as sisters. Also we have a short letter from Adella to Margaret written as Adella was on her deathbed saying that she is forever grateful for her sister agreeing to take care of her children after she is gone and that one day they will see each other in the "rich and fair land of home."


7
Cork / Re: Adella Rice Fenton b 3 Sept 1886 Kilworth, Country Cork
« on: Wednesday 08 January 20 20:20 GMT (UK)  »
Thanks all.
These have been some of the hardest ancestors in my tree to track down. I really appreciate the help!

Responding to the questions/items brought up:

1. Adella listed her father as David Fenton, laborer from Cork on her marriage certificate. In another document, he is listed as Maurice David Fenton. One of her children was named Maurice. Adella is variously spelled Adela, and Della.

2. We're pretty sure she was Catholic (her children definitely were, even though her British husband was not.)

3. She was married in Maine in 1908 (her path once in the US is fairly well documented, it's her Irish birth/parents/family that are the mystery)

4. We're confident her birth was around 1885 plus or minus a year or two.

5. She herself listed Kilworth as her place of birth. Her death certificate shows 'Cammis' Limerick

6. Her sister Margaret Fenton, came to the US in 1912 and listed her address as Chapel Road, Kilworth. Her birth is variously listed in the 1871-1875 range. (came over on the Lusitania btw)

6. Possible siblings or 1/2 siblings:
Mary Josephine b1865
Thomas b1867 (parents Maurice Fenton, Elizabeth Rice)
Elizabeth b1870 (parents Maurice Fenton, Elizabeth Rice)
William b1872 (parents Maurice Fenton, Elizabeth Rice)
Margaret b1875 (lived with Adelle and took care of her kids when Adelle died) **confirmed sibling
Bridget b1877 (parents Maurice Fenton, Elizabeth Rice)

I still haven't found records that convincingly connect Adelle to her parents and place of birth, or to her siblings.

8
Cork / Adella Rice Fenton b 3 Sept 1886 Kilworth, Country Cork
« on: Wednesday 08 January 20 15:10 GMT (UK)  »
I'm looking for any Irish records on Adella Rice Fenton or her family.

What we know is:

Adella Rice Fenton (sometimes listed as Della or Adela) was born 3 Sept c1886
(in American she records her place of birth alternately listed as Kilworth 1884, County Cork, and 'Cammis' Limerick 1886)

by 1908 she was in the US and married a British man from Bristol Augustus Nelson Mudge.

She listed her parents as David Fenton (alternately Maurice David Fenton) and Mary Grant and lists both parents as being from Cork. One bit of conjecture is that Mary Grant was Maurice's second wife and that the first was named Rice.

Adella had a sister who also ended up in the US (eventually in NY) named Margaret Fenton (b circa 1873 also in Cork). 

Any help would be most appreciated!


9
Devon Lookup Requests / Re: William MUDGE 1841 Tavistock dist
« on: Tuesday 07 January 20 21:31 GMT (UK)  »
Thank you Ladyhawk!
It seems much more likely that John Mudge the farm laborer(b 1791) was the son of pauper Elizabeth Mudge and baptized in 1794 in Tavistock rather than the son of an educated Vicar a town or two away.  I'm interested in chasing down any leads that give more color on this, but I expect we're near the end of the paper trail and the next step would be traipsing around a graveyard or two.

In case anyone is interested in the Vicar's family:

John Mudge (b1763-d1847) - Agnes Rosdew (b1766-d1844)

their children included:
Charlotte Mudge 1790-1836
John Mudge 1791-1874
Richard Mudge 1794-1885
Janetta Mudge 1801-1889

John Mudge (b1763) was the son of the well-known watchmaker

Thomas Mudge (1717-1794) and Abigail Hopkins (1725-1789).

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