searching for JAMES MC GAFFIN, 1923!

[gaithers]

hello there, can anyone help with ANY INFO re: one JAMES MC GAFFIN, who was resident at lyn or lym street, amsterdam, new york in 1923?  any help, no matter how small will be gratefully received! thanks. 

[Jacquie in Canada]

I think I found a passenger list entry for him. There is a James McGaffin on the Cameronia which departed from Londonderry and arrived in New York on 19 Sep 1921. In your other thread about William McGaffin (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,385240.0.html) there was a connection with Bleary, Ireland. This James indicates his father was in Bleary. Here is is his entry:

James McGaffin, 29, weaver, last permanent residence: Bleary, Ireland, nearest relative in country he came from: father - James McGaffin, Bleary, Lurgan, final destination: Amsterdam, New York, going to join: brother - Thomas McGaffin, 350 Forest Avenue, Amsterdam, New York, place of birth: Lurgan, Ireland.

You can view the passenger list entry at the Ellis Island website (http://www.ellisisland.org/default.asp) (there are two pages for the entry). You need to register at the site but it is free.

Jacquie

[shellyesq]

Amsterdam, NY city directory, 1937-1938
McGaffin, James, emp BSCCo r 350 Forest Ave.
McGaffin, Thomas, emp MCMills h 350 Forest Ave.
McGaffin, William G (Dorothy M) chauf MCMills h 338 Forest Ave.

In the Manning's Amsterdam (New York) Directory from 1937-1938, the same info is as listed above, except Thomas is listed as having a wife named Annie.

The same info is in the 1940 & 1941 directories, except William & Dorothy were at 328 Forest av.

Amsterdam, NY city directory, 1942
McGaffin, James, emp BSCCo r 350 Forest Ave
McGaffin, William G (Dorothy M) chauf MCMills h 350 Forest Ave.

Amsterdam, NY city directory, 1943
McGaffin, James, emp Schdy r 44 McNeir av
McGaffin, William G (Dorothy M) chauf MCMills h 44 McNeir av

[Jacquie in Canada]

I couldn't find James on the 1930 census but here is Thomas from 1910 to 1930:

1910 US census – 225 Locust Avenue, Amsterdam, Montgomery County, New York

Thomas McGaffin, boarder, 26, single, born Ireland, parents born Ireland, immigrated 1903, weaver – carpet mill

1920 US census - 350 Forest Avenue, Amsterdam, Montgomery County, New York

Thomas McGaffin, head, 39, immigrated in 1886, naturalized in 1898, born Ireland, parents born Ireland, weaver – rug mill 
Annie J McGaffin, wife, 41, immigrated in 1887, naturalized in 1898, born Ireland, parents born Ireland 
Jennie A McGaffin, daughter, 20, immigrated in 1915, naturalized in 1898, born Ireland, parents born Ireland, forelady – spinners rug mill 
Minnie McGaffin, daughter, 17, immigrated in 1912, naturalized in 1898, born Ireland, parents born Ireland, spinner – rug mill 
William G McGaffin, son, 15, immigrated in 1913, naturalized in 1898, born Ireland, parents born Ireland, doffer – rug mill 
James McGaffin, son, 7, born New York, parents born Ireland

1930 US census - 350 Forest Avenue, Amsterdam, Montgomery County, New York

Thomas McGaffin, head, 49, age at first marriage: 25, born Northern Ireland, parents born Northern Ireland, immigrated in 1904, naturalized, weaver – carpet mill 
Anna McGaffin, wife, 49, age at first marriage: 24, born Northern Ireland, parents born Northern Ireland, immigrated in 1901, naturalized   
James McGaffin, son, 17, born New York, parents born Northern Ireland, mill hand – carpet mill

Even though the immigration and naturalization dates are all over the place, this is the same Thomas.

I’ve also found a passport application for Thomas dated 1922. His date of birth is given as 14 Mar 1880 in Bleary, Ireland. He was going to visit his father, James, in Bleary.

Jacquie

[shellyesq]

1945 Amsterdam, NY city directory
McGaffin, Dorothy M (Mrs William G) emp MC Mills h 44 McNeir av
McGaffin, James US Navy r h 44 McNeir av
McGaffin, William G (Dorothy M) driver MC Mills h 44 McNeir av

1936 Amsterdam, NY city directory
McGaffin, James, emp B S C Co r 350 Forest Ave.
McGaffin, Thomas (Annie), emp MC Mills h 350 Forest Ave.
McGaffin, William G (Dorothy M) chauffeur MC Mills h 338 Forest Ave.

James appears to be on the Social Security Death Index with birth date of 29 Dec. 1912 and death date of May 1984.  He last resided in Amsterdam, and his SS # was issued in New York before 1951.

[Jacquie in Canada]

I found a passenger list entry for Thomas. He departed from Londonderry on the Corinthian and arrived in Boston on 14 Apr 1906. He was 25, single, a weaver, last residence: Bleary, destination: Amsterdam, NY, and he was NOT joining anyone.

I also found the passenger list for Thomas' 1922 trip to Ireland. He departed from Londonderry on the Columbia and arrived in New York on 13 Aug 1922. He was 42, naturalized in the Supreme Court, State of New York, Montgomery County on 3 Jun 1912. His address was listed as 350 Forest Avenue, Amsterdam, NY.

I think Annie was married once before. I found a passenger list entry for Jennie McGaffin and it has the surname Clarke written above it in brackets. She was on the Cameronia which arrived in New York on 21 Nov 1914.

William McGaffin was on the Cameronia which arrived in New York on 12 Oct 1913.

There is a Minnie Clarke who was on the California which departed from Londonderry and arrived in New York on 14 May 1912. She was 9 years old and was travelling with her 14 year old sister Maggie. Their last residence was in Banbridge, Ireland. Their nearest realtive in the country they left was their grandfather, Edward Carroll, Banbridge. They were going to join their mother Annie McGaffin, 19 Lyons Street, Amsterdam, NY.

You should be able to view all of the passenger lists at the Ellis Island website.

Jacquie

[Jacquie in Canada]

James appears to be on the Social Security Death Index with birth date of 29 Dec. 1912 and death date of May 1984.  He last resided in Amsterdam, and his SS # was issued in New York before 1951.

This James is likely Thomas' son and not the person that William Thomas McGaffin listed on his 1923 border crossing document. The James that William was joining would have been born about 1892 based on the passenger list entry in my first post.

Jacquie

[Jacquie in Canada]

A possible WWII draft registration entry for James:

James McGaffin, 26 Centennial Place, Saxonville, Middlesex, Massachusetts was born 28 Apr 1891 in County Down, Ireland. The person who would always know his address was Mrs. Martha McGaffin (same address). His employer was listed as Roxbury Carpet Co., Central Street, Saxonville, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

The Social Security Death Index has a James McGaffin who was born 1 May 1891 and died Nov 1976 with a last residence listed as Framingham, Middlesex, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts death index at Ancestry has a James McGaffin who died in Westborough on 9 Nov 1976.

I think I found James on the 1930 census at 1639 Concord Street, Framingham, Middlesex, Massachusetts as follows:

George Sturgeon, head, 41
Mary Sturgeon, wife, 39 
Robert E Sturgeon, son, 11 
William E Sturgeon, son, 8 
Mary McMurray, mother-in-law, 63 
Matha Crager, sister-in-law, 32, married, first married  at age 21, born Irish Free State, parents born Irish Free State, immigrated in 1919, naturalized, threader – carpet mill
Edward Crager, nephew, 8, born Massachusetts, father born New York, mother born Irish Free State 
Margaret Crager, niece, 6, born Massachusetts, father born New York, mother born Irish Free State 
James McGaffin, boarder, 32, married, first married  at age 19, born Irish Free State, parents born Irish Free State, immigrated in 1921, alien, weaver – carpet mill
Harold Deasosters, boarder, 23 

I included everyone in the household because I think the Matha Crager listed may be the Martha that James married. There is a Framingham city directory entries from 1941 which list James McGaffin with a wife named Martha and Edward McGaffin at the same residence as the one listed on the WWII draft registration for James.

I found an entry in the US Naturalization database at Ancestry which shows he was naturalzied in US District Court in Boston. The date the certificate was issued was 30 Jun 1930. The address listed is the same from the 1930 census entry.

Jacquie

[KatC]

Annie Carr who is probably Annie Kerr is boarding at 19 Lyons in 1910.  She married Thomas McGaffin.  Annie said she was from Armagh.  She arrived sponsored by William Brown who was married to Mary A.  Mary A, as a widow, takes W. McGaffin (Thomas's son? b. 1904) to Ireland for a visit in 1913.

If you post on Rootschat's Co Down site, I think someone might find a Clarke/Kerr/carr marriage or perhaps a Carroll/Kerr marriage.  The site leader has addresses for the 1911 census and many people follow Emerald Ancestors.

McGaffins are also listed as Gaffikins.  Thomas and Elizabeth of Bleary and Ballynagarrick have child William in 1871 and Ann 1868 per the Knocknamuckley church.  In 1901 Thomas and Jane (Gibson?) are both 50 and living in Bleary.  It looks like a newish  marriage as Jane has had no children per 1911 census.  This is perhaps your William  who moved away when father remarried.  He is old enough to have a child in about 1900. 

Nicholas McGaffin m. Mary Jane Uprichard is probably a brother and their child Samuel  in 1901 is born 1890ish.  James, who may or may not be related and is the other McGaffin in the 1911 census, has a son William b 1888ish .  Both of these don't appear to have a William old enough to be married and in Scotland in 1900. 

The McDowell family is probably
   128   McDowell   Joseph      36   Head   
   128   McDowell   Mary      36   wife   building contractor
   128   McDowell   Mary Elizabeth      11   daughter   
   128   McDowell   Thomas      9   son   
   128   McDowell   Joseph Martin      7   son   
   128   McDowell   James      5   son   
   128   McDowell   Annie Kathleen      4      
   128   McDowell   George      2   son

which you can see for yourself in the 1911 census on-line.

The McMurrays who went to Framingham are on-line and coud probably tell you more about their James McGaffin.  He is not the one of about the same age in NY.  They post on Irish Co Armagh  boards