Author Topic: MURPHY - CRENNAN connection, c. 1855  (Read 4556 times)

Offline jj.carroll

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MURPHY - CRENNAN connection, c. 1855
« on: Friday 27 July 07 15:32 BST (UK) »
My great great grandmother was Catherine CRENAN (or Crennan, Crannan, Kreenan, and Kiernan as we sometimes found it) and her maiden name was MURPHY.  She was born about 1837, in Ireland, and according to census information and also her obituary Catherine was a native of Queens County (County Laois), Ireland].  She spent most of her adult life in California.

It is most probable that she emigrated to America probably around 1854 to 1859, when she was 17 to 22 years old.  Michael CRANNAN was two years younger, so it probably would be closer to 1856 when he emigrated.  We do know that they were in California by the 1860 census, so they had to arrive in America prior to that time.

She married Michael CRENAN (“CRAN??N,” [abt. 1839, 1860 Census]) who a San Francisco hack driver and was born in Ireland.  Where they married is unknown to us at this time, as were the details on how they got to San Francisco, and if they emigrated from the same place in Ireland.  Catherine CRENAN was located in the 1880 San Francisco Census, along with Alphonso WALL and Rosa, with her brother Michael.  She was widowed by Michael’s death and she went to reside with the BARLINGs at 8 Ford Street in San Francisco [1890, according to the San Francisco Directory].  But we are unable to find out where and when he died.

The information that she was living with the Barlings stated that she was 39 (b. abt 1841) and both parents were born in New York [sic].  Yet the 1910 census has both her parents born in Ireland.  It seems reasonable that she did not fill out the census, which was probably done by the head of household, Mr. Barling.  This is further buttressed by the statement in the 1930 census that Catherine’s parents were both born in the Irish Free State.

My great grandmother was Margaret A. CRENNAN [b. c 1859, California: 1880 San Francisco Census Index].  We found that she lived in 1867 in San Francisco, at #2 Thompson. Margaret, a schoolmate and friend of John Amos GAFFIGAN, would become Maggie Gaffigan in an1879 wedding at St Joseph’s Church in San Francisco [John’s Journal].  They were both the same age.

Her siblings included Rosa CRENAN [b. about 1858, 1880 San Francisco Census].  It shows her the daughter of Catharine Crenan who was widowed, age 39, born in New York [sic] while her father was born in Ireland. Rosa was a bridesmaid at her sister’s wedding to John A. Gaffigan.

Margaret’s siblings may have also included: Mrs. John L. Catherine (or Kathryn) BARLING [b. 1860, parents were born in the Irish Free State; she was first married @ 24 yrs, abt. 1880-82; this Barling was a second marriage, abt. 1920, and her husband was a dyer. according to the 1930 Census].  In 1910 Henry J. CRENNAN resided with his sister Katherine [sic] and her husband John BARLING [b. abt. 1863, New York]

Mrs. Alphonso. H. Rose WALL [b. abt. 1857, the husband was a shoe cutter, but by 1889 was a driver for the Contra Costa Laundry].  This may have been Rosa.  Then there was Mrs. Kate (or Kattie) CAREY [b. abt. 1861]; Michael CRENAN [b. abt. 1863, who worked for J. Schweitzer & Co. as a butcher] and Henry J. CRENNAN [b.1866, all the children were born in San Francisco, CA].  There may have been one other brother: John Augustus CRENAN who was born about 1860 and died at the age of 11 in 1871 [1871D-371]

Maggie CRENNAN and John Amos GAFFIGAN were parents many times: Alphonse died in 1891 at age 4; James Walter, died in 1890, aged 5 months; Milton Alphonse, died in 1886 at age 2. According to the 1910 U.S. Census the family had re-located to Diamond Street, in San Francisco.  There were seven living children, all at home: Arthur [b. 19 April 1880 d. 26 July 1953]; Albert [b. 23 October 1882]; John Amos Kreenan [b. 31 August 1884 d. 23 August 1946]; Mary [b. abt. 1887]; Agnes Bridget “Aggie” [my grandmother who was born in 1888 and died 5 July 1958]; Catherine Lillie [b. June 1891]; and, Clara [b. August 1899].

Maggie was located in the Ellis Island records as one who had traveled to Dunkineely, Co. Donegal, Ireland.  She returned to the states on the Columbia, with an arrival date of 24 April 1910.  She departed from Londonderry, Ulster, Ireland, and was listed as a U. S. Citizen.

Margaret A. Gaffigan’s funeral was not attended by her husband, John Amos Gaffigan.  She passed away November 14, 1915.  The funeral took place at the family home of her daughter, 129 Diamond Street, San Francisco, thence to Most Holy Redeemer Church and burial at Holy Cross cemetery.
Carroll, McCarroll, McCusker and McCosker from County Tyrone. Then there are Dillen for Derry, Gaffigan, McGaffigan, Crennan, and Amos.  Now adding: Leonard, Berry, and Gahagan from Strokestown, County Roscommon, also Gahigan, Hounihan, and Whonohan and another branch of Carrolls from County Cork.

Offline Christopher

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Re: MURPHY - CRENNAN connection, c. 1855
« Reply #1 on: Friday 10 August 07 21:12 BST (UK) »
Hiya jj.carroll,

I learn some amazing historical facts when I read messages posted on the various family history sites on the internet. Maybe we should consider writing a book on the subject.

There's no way Catherine's parents were born in the Irish Free State. I'd say with absolute certainty they were born in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. There were two Acts passed in 1800 ... the Act of Union 1800 (or sometimes Act of Union 1801) (Irish: Acht an Aontais 1800) is used to describe two complementary Acts[1] whose official United Kingdom titles are the Union with Ireland Act 1800 (1800 c.67 39 and 40 Geo 3), an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and the Act of Union (Ireland) 1800 (1800 c.38 40 Geo 3), an Act of the Parliament of Ireland.

The Irish Free State did not exist until it was created by the Treaty which came into force on December 6th, 1922 by Royal Proclamation after its constitution had been enacted by the Third Dáil in Dublin and the British Parliament at Westminster.

Christopher

Offline aghadowey

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Re: MURPHY - CRENNAN connection, c. 1855
« Reply #2 on: Friday 10 August 07 21:20 BST (UK) »
In the 1930 U.S. Census Irish people were listed as being born in Irish Free State or Northern Ireland (obviously referring to present-1930-boundaries) so J.J. is correct in saying that Catherine's parents were born in Irish Free State. 
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline Christopher

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Re: MURPHY - CRENNAN connection, c. 1855
« Reply #3 on: Friday 10 August 07 21:29 BST (UK) »
In the 1930 U.S. Census Irish people were listed as being born in Irish Free State or Northern Ireland (obviously referring to present-1930-boundaries) so J.J. is correct in saying that Catherine's parents were born in Irish Free State. 

Hiya Aghadowey,

JJ may be quoting correctly but the US Census people were twisting history for their own purposes. Their description of a state that did not exist until 1922 is creating confusion ... there are a few messages on RootsChat querying the location of the Irieh Free State in the 1800s and I've no doubt there are messages asking the same question on other sites.

Christopher


Offline jj.carroll

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Re: MURPHY - CRENNAN connection, c. 1855
« Reply #4 on: Friday 10 August 07 23:48 BST (UK) »
Look, I did not post the thing incorrectly - it was quoted in the census as the Irish Free State.  And it was something that the native Irish people felt very strongly about, and even fought a civil war about that thing.  The person that took down the census may have been in the conspiracy, or may not.  It could very well be that the person that supplied the information was recognizing the way that he/she felt about the "Irish Free State."

Frankly, I am from Tyrone and whether or not Catherine was born in the United Kingdom or the Irish Free State concerns me very little.  It was Laois, and before that it was Queens, and then the confusion starts because it is also Leix. But she was born an Irishperson.

Why start an argument when we are trying to get some information on my ancestors and it was what was in the census data that convinced me that she was born in Ireland (or the great kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland), and not New York. 

Would it please you that I said she was a Native Daughter of the Golden West?  Because her daughter Maggie was one.
Carroll, McCarroll, McCusker and McCosker from County Tyrone. Then there are Dillen for Derry, Gaffigan, McGaffigan, Crennan, and Amos.  Now adding: Leonard, Berry, and Gahagan from Strokestown, County Roscommon, also Gahigan, Hounihan, and Whonohan and another branch of Carrolls from County Cork.