Margaret Carroll-emigration to USA

[trish18]

Just hoping that some kind soul may be able to help.

I am looking for any details of the emigration and life in USA of Margaret Mary Carrol, who emigratedl to Pennsylvania between 1877 & 1880.

She was born abt 1864 & lived in Glamorganshire/Monmouthshire, Wales.  She married Daniel J Sheedy
 ( born Massachusetts) in the USA possibly around1883. I have found her on the 1910,1920 & 1930 US Census, living in Butler, PA. I note from one of these census returns she gives her naturalization date as 1882. Her place of birth is also listed as Ireland rather than Wales on some of the census returns.

If anyone can give me any further information, no matter how small, I would appreciate it.

Trish18

[trish18]

Oops! I'm afraid I spelled the surname incorrectly. Should be Carroll.

[johnnyboy]

Hi Trish18: Butler County, Pa. has a page on the USGENWEB Pennsylvania website. To go directly to the Butler County Page, click here: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pabutler/. On that page is a link to the Butler County Public Library's online obituary index.

To go directly to the Butler County Public Library online obituary index, go to  http://www.butlerlibrary.info/genealogy.aspx. The link to the index is down the page a bit on the left.

Searching the Index, I found
Margaret Mary Sheedy, died 24 Oct 1946
Daniel J.  Sheedy, died 18 Aug 1944.
possible relative?  John Sheedy died 16 Apr 1912

Daniel's entry mentions Locust St. Butler has East Locust and  West Locust divided by Main Street.

All three died in Butler and their obits appeared in the Butler Citizen newspaper. If you click on each name, you'll get a pop up with all of this specific info.

The Butler Genweb page also has a naturalization index. I did not see Margaret  Carroll or Margaret  Sheedy on it, but you can click on the link on the Butler County page and search the index again.

A person could naturalize in any state court or U.S. court in any jurisdiction. Thus, Margaret could have been naturalized in a court in Pittsburgh, which is the county seat of Allegheny County and is only 20 miles or so south of Butler. My great grandfather lived 50 miles south of Pittsburgh, but he was naturalized there in a U.S. Federal court.

Finally, this may not be your Margaret Carrol. But the 1880 census has a Margaret Carroll, 16, born Ireland in 1864 living in Fall River, Massachusetts with her mother, also Margaret Carroll.

Regards,
John  

[johnnyboy]

Marriage records from 1885 and Birth/Death certificate information for 1893-1905 are held by the Butler County Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphan's Court. Go to http://www.co.butler.pa.us/butler/cwp/view.asp?a=1495&Q=571980&PM=1&butlerNav=|33534|33547|

Whether that office will do research for you is not mentioned, but there is an e-mail address on the Register of Wills page.

From January 1906, birth and death records are kept by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Go to http://vitalrec.com/pa.html if you want info on obtaining birth or death certificates. You have to prove that you are a direct relative. I have been able to obtain death certificates for my great grandparents and my grandparents.

Regards,
John 

[trish18]

johnnyboy,

Thanks so much for all the information & the trouble you have gone to, I so appreciate your help.

I will follow up the obituary reports & contact Butler County library, I imagine I may get quite a bit of history of her life from that. The obituary for John Sheedy is most likely her son who is listed on the census I mentioned. As for her naturalization, I think she may have initially lived in Allegheny as that is where her elder sister lived, so Pittsburgh is a really good lead. This is the first time I have attempted to find any records in the USA & it's so different to tracing UK records.
I'll check out the 1880 census listing you mentioned but not too hopeful on that as her mother's name was Mary & I believe she stayed in Wales. I am curious to find who she travelled with (if anyone) as I think her Father may have died shortly before she emigrated.

Anyway, thank you for all your help & suggestions, much appreciated.

Regards

Trish

[johnnyboy]

Hi Trish: if she naturalized in a U.S. court in Pennsylvania, Margaret's naturalization might b on Anc**try.com, which has a database of western Pennsylvania naturalizations. Perhaps someone can do a look up for you.

Since you said that Margaret initially lived in Allegheny, I thought I should mention the following: I grew up near Pittsburgh, and Allegheny has two meanings to those who know the history of the city. First, it is the county in which Pittsburgh is locate. Second, it is also the old name for a part of Pittsburgh that was once an independent city. The city of Allegheny is now the section of Pittsburgh known as the North Side. It was annexed to Pittsburgh in 1907.

Allegheny is also the name of one of the rivers that form the Ohio River at Pittsburgh, but that's not relevant here.

In the 1880 U.S. census, I also saw a Maggie Carrol (one "l"), 18 years old, born England 1862, lived in Allegheny, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, not married, ethnicity American, occupation servant, relation to head: other.

Can you tell me the name of Margaret's sister and what happened to her in Pennsylvania. Was she married in 1880?

Regards,
John 

[trish18]

Hi John,

The geography of the USA is presently a bit of a mystery to me! Hopefully I'll get the hang of it before too long!

I've just looked over the actual facts I have so far. I have assumed that Margaret Carroll headed for Allegheny initially as that is where her sister was living, therefore I could be wrong. But on the other hand she was only 16 years old and I don't know where else she would go to being so young and in a strange country.

Her sister was named Johana and she married John Creedon in Wales, UK, in 1868. (He was born in Ireland abt 1840). I have found them on the 1880 US Federal Census, 9th Ward, City of Allegheny. Can't quite make out the street they lived on, it looks like Superior Mill Row? Their name on this census is spelled Creeden.
Found them again on the 1900 Census but this time her name is mistakenly listed as Hannah Greedon & they are living in Ward 11, Allegheny. I haven't got the actual census listing to hand for this one but I have seen it. I haven't been able to spot them as yet on any later census.

I then find Margaret on the 1910,1920 & 1930 census, living in Butler & married to Daniel Sheedy. I don't know where she was from abt 1880 to 1900.

She did have older brothers & sisters who may possibly have emigrated also. The only thing I have had to try to find anything out about her in the USA is a Christmas Card from her to my Gr Grandfather (her younger brother) postmarked 17th Dec 1932, Butler, PA. On the back of the envelope is a partial address, Locust Street, Butler and the name Sheedy. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't have any idea of her surname! So any help or advice you could offer  is very welcome.

Regards

Trish

[johnnyboy]

Hi John,

The geography of the USA is presently a bit of a mystery to me! Hopefully I'll get the hang of it before too long!

I've just looked over the actual facts I have so far. I have assumed that Margaret Carroll headed for Allegheny initially as that is where her sister was living, therefore I could be wrong. But on the other hand she was only 16 years old and I don't know where else she would go to being so young and in a strange country.

Her sister was named Johana and she married John Creedon in Wales, UK, in 1868. (He was born in Ireland abt 1840). I have found them on the 1880 US Federal Census, 9th Ward, City of Allegheny. Can't quite make out the street they lived on, it looks like Superior Mill Row? Their name on this census is spelled Creeden.
Found them again on the 1900 Census but this time her name is mistakenly listed as Hannah Greedon & they are living in Ward 11, Allegheny. I haven't got the actual census listing to hand for this one but I have seen it. I haven't been able to spot them as yet on any later census.

I then find Margaret on the 1910,1920 & 1930 census, living in Butler & married to Daniel Sheedy. I don't know where she was from abt 1880 to 1900.

She did have older brothers & sisters who may possibly have emigrated also. The only thing I have had to try to find anything out about her in the USA is a Christmas Card from her to my Gr Grandfather (her younger brother) postmarked 17th Dec 1932, Butler, PA. On the back of the envelope is a partial address, Locust Street, Butler and the name Sheedy. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't have any idea of her surname! So any help or advice you could offer  is very welcome.

Regards

Trish

Hi Trish: Just looked at the 1900 U.S. census on FamilySearch Pilot. You can look at and a=save the image by going here: (http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#collection=fs%3A1325221&searchType=close&givenName=hannah&surname=greedon&p=recordResults).

If that doesn't work, search the 1900 U.S. census on Family Search Pilot. There is only one John Greedon.

Johanna (enumerated as Hannah) and John and children are living on Eckert St. , which still exists today, according to Google Maps. But the house numbers do not make sense. I think many changes were made in street addresses in the last hundred years.

John 

[trish18]

Hi John,

Just thought I would let you know that I have changed my subscription from An***try.co.uk to worldwide membership. On checking out the family trees on this site I came across a private family tree which includes Margaret Mary Carroll. The owner of this site has kindly granted permission for me to access it & share her information, so, with a bit of luck ,I may find out a lot more.

I have checked out the naturalization records for Margaret Carroll but have had no luck so far.

I have found the WW1 draft registration card for William Creedon, son of Johanna Creedon. His address is listed as 2 Eckhart Street, NS, Pittsburgh and he names his next of kin as Johanna. I am assuming this is his mother, although he was 42 years old, so there is a possibility he could have married a Johanna! (only just thought of that, I'll have to follow it up!)

I would welcome any further advice you may have & thank you for your help & advice so far, which has been very useful.

Regards

Trish